In spite of my tendency to forget what day it is, I do know that today is Sunday. Not a posting day for me.
But let’s face it. It’s freezing cold, there’s snow everywhere, and going outdoors is likely to cause loss of digits or possibly your nose to frostbite. Not only that, it’s still January so the spring light at the end of the tunnel seems far far away!
We definitely need something to energize us (whilst keeping our fingers and toes intact)!
Let’s get the sun shining and our motivation flowing with a nice mug of hot chocolate (preferably topped with whipped cream because why not? 😊) and a writing challenge!
Are you ready to fire up those brain cells?
Because you’ve got two weeks (nothing like a deadline to get you focused on something besides how cold and dark it is!) to write your entry for. . .
The 7th Annual Valentiny Writing Contest
~ for children’s writers ~
The Contest: since writing for children is all about “big emotion for little people” (I forget who said that, but someone did so I put it in quotes!) and Valentines Day is all about emotion, write a Valentines story appropriate for children (children here defined as ages 12 and under) maximum 214 words in which someone feels proud! They can be proud in a good way or a bad way. They can be proud of themselves for asking someone to be their Valentine, or they can be proud of how they asked. They can be proud of a Valentine they make, or a Valentine celebration they plan. They can be proud of giving something up, or proud of asking someone they’re not sure about for some reason in order to be nice. They can be proud of their performance in a Valentines Day play or concert or parade. . . sky’s the limit! Just make sure it is clearly Valentine-centered! Think beyond the obvious! Your story can be poetry or prose, sweet, funny, surprising or anything in between, but it will only count for the contest if it includes someone proud (can be the main character but doesn’t have to be) and is 214 words (get it? 2/14 for Valentines Day 😊 ) You can go under the word count but not over! (Title is not included in the word count.) If you are so inclined, you are welcome to enter more than one entry – just remember you’ll be competing against yourself 😊 No illustration notes please!
Post your story in the comment section of my Friday February 11th Post between 12:01 AM EDT Friday February 11th and Sunday February 13th by 11:59 PM EDT. There will be no regularly scheduled posts for the duration of the contest (Tuesday Debut, Would You Read It, or PPBF), so the post and all of your entries will stay up for everyone to enjoy. If you have difficulty with the comments, which unfortunately sometimes happens, you may email your entry to me and I’ll post it for you. But please don’t email your entry before the start of the contest – my inbox is generally overflowing and things may get lost!
The Judging: over the following days, my lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 6-12 top choices depending on number and quality of entries (hee hee hee – you know how much trouble I have with the narrowing, so we’ll see) which will be posted here and voted on for a winner on Friday February 18th (or possibly a day or two later if the judges need extra time.) The winner will be announced Monday February 21st depending on judging and voting time needed. The dates of the judging/voting/winner announcements are subject to finagling depending on how much time the judges actually end up needing!
Judging criteria will include:
Kid-appeal/Kid-friendliness – remember, this is a story for kids!
Creativity in using pride, and success in making us feel the pride (whether it’s good pride or bad)!
Valentine’s Day appropriateness – this is a VALENTINE story and Valentine’s Day must be central to it!
Quality of story – we will look for basic story elements and a true story arc
Quality of writing – use and flow of language, correctness of mechanics, excellence of rhyme and meter if you use it, PROOFREADING!
Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 😊
How well you followed the Submission Guidelines – agents and editors expect professionalism. This is a chance to practice making sure you read and follow specified guidelines.
The Prizes: I’m still working on prizes (aren’t I always 😊), but I wanted to get the contest guidelines up so you’d have time to write. Start writing and watch this space for prizes which I will fancy up and add to as I get them organized!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Read & Critique from agent Mary Cummings!
⭐️ 1/2 Hour Zoom Picture Book Manuscript Critique or Mentoring Session with author Lynne Marie!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from author Penny Parker Klostermann!
⭐️ 30 Minute Zoom Ask Me Anything with author Keila Dawson!
⭐️ Access to author/editor Alayne Kay Christians webinars!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (fiction) from author Melissa Berger Stoller!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from author Rebecca Gardyn Levington!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (nonrhyming) from author Rebecca Kraft Rector!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique and Query Letter Critique from author Jessica Stremer!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from author Cathy Ballou Mealey!
⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of KING CAKE BABY by Keila Dawson
⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of PLANTING FRIENDSHIP: PEACE, SALAAM, SHALOM by Melissa Berger Stoller
⭐️ Personalized Signed Copy of IT’S A MUFFULETTA! IT’S A WHATA? by Patricia Saunders
Welcome to my little Perfect Picture Book Friday reading corner! I’m so glad you stopped by! 😊
I know it’s not quite Valentine’s Day, but it’s coming soon and I found this lovely, engaging book that is also not quite Valentine’s Day, but could certainly qualify as an everyday Valentine 😊
Wait ’til you see!
Title: The Shape Of My Heart
Written By: Mark Sperring
Illustrated By: Alys Paterson
Publisher: Bloomsbury USA, December 2015, fiction
Suitable For Ages: 3-6
Themes/Topics: concepts (shapes), typical day, love, language (rhyme)
text copyright Mark Sperring 2015, illustration copyright Alys Paterson 2015, Bloomsbury USA
Opening: “This is the shape that we are. The shape of you and me. This is the shape of our eyes. And these are the shapes we might see.”
Brief Synopsis: In the course of a typical child’s day, the story gives a glimpse of the many kinds of shapes that make up our world.
text copyright Mark Sperring 2015, illustration copyright Alys Paterson 2015, Bloomsbury USA
text copyright Mark Sperring 2015, illustration copyright Alys Paterson 2015, Bloomsbury USA
Why I Like This Book: This is the kind of book I used to look for when my kids were little. It has a simple but elegant rhyming text that explores the many shapes in our world in fun language – not these are birds, but “and these are the shapes that chirp and tweet. . . and flitter-flutter by.” (So much more enjoyable! 😊) The story takes the reader through the day from the shape of the sun “coming up to brighten the day” to “This is the shape of the moon. And these are the shapes of the stars. . . And this is the shape I love you with. This is the shape of my heart.” (What an ending. So sweet!) The art is bright, colorful, and engaging and provides the perfect opportunity for young readers to explore every part of the page. They can identify vehicles and animals. You can ask them to point to the umbrella or the popsicle, or ask them what sound a truck or a lion makes. The text invites them to make connections (“something savory” they can see is cheese, and “something sweet” they can identify as strawberries, and “this is the shape we come back to at the end of every day” encourages them to supply that it’s home.) A delightful read for any time of day when kids want to interact and participate, but also a sweet and soothing recap at bedtime that ends with the gentle reassurance of how much they are loved. This one is a keeper 😊
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! Stay warm and safe from the snow! 😊
It’s Would You Read It Wednesday again, my friends!
And speaking of Would You Read It, what a glorious week in children’s publishing it is when the ALA Awards are announced – a whole BUNCH of books you’re definitely going to want to read! For the full list (in case you haven’t seen it already) click HERE.
So many books and not enough reading time . . !
I think I need Something Chocolate to munch on while I decide which one to read first 😊 It seems like just the right kind of day for fudgy chocolate brownie cookies loaded with extra chocolate chips . . . or fancied up for Valentine’s Day with Valentine M&Ms! . . . don’t you think?
Now then, if you can manage to read and type without getting too much chocolate on your keyboard, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Reed who says, “I am a Registered Psychotherapist during the day and am a kidlit writer by night. I have MS in PB, CB and GN in various stages of development. I live in Toronto, Canada with my hubby, sticky humans and the real Mr Boots and Sassy (aka Boots and Mittens)”
Working Title: The Alley Cat Chronicles: Mr. Boots, Book 1
Age/Genre: Chapter Book (advanced) (ages 7-9)
The Pitch: Cocky housecat Mr. Boots, meets street-wise Sassy, and between them, they have one competent alley cat and it’s not Mr. Boots.
A tomcat, Mr. Boots, claims to be an “expert” of the streets despite a life lived indoors; the small sticky humans, dry clunky kibble, and stinky cramped litter box. When he finally slips away to chase his dreams – and some birds- he discovers that life outside is harder than it looked through the window. To help him learn the ways of the alley, a feisty street cat Sassy, his long-lost kid sister, who can out-hunt and out-climb him steps up. Mr. Boots must accept he is in over his ears and hightail it home or dig in his claws and let Sassy teach him the ways of the streets.
This is the first in a series of chapter books called THE ALLEY CAT CHRONICLES. The series will follow the adventures of Mr. Boots and Sassy and their alley-cat crew as they navigate living on the streets. The books will touch upon themes such as exploring the unfamiliar, facing one’s fears, discovering new cultures and trying new things. The series will keep readers young and old engaged through laugh-out-loud humour.
So what do you think? Would you read it? YES, MAYBE, or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If you answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Reed improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It, or on Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the menu bar above. There are openings February 9 and 23, as well as in March, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on my editor Erin Molta!
Reed is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to choosing one of those award-winning books and settling down with chocolate cookies to feel cozy being indoors while it’s sub-zero outside. . . right after I freeze myself doing barn chores 😊
But every now and again I read one that is just so perfect, so magically written and illustrated, that it takes my breath away and makes me whisper to myself, “Man! I wish I’d written that!”
Today’s selection is one of those 😊
My Perfect Picture Book today is all about that most coveted of childhood days – the peaceful, happy, special perfection of snow days 😊
Title: Before Morning
Written By: Joyce Sidman
Illustrated By: Beth Krommes
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, October 4 2016, fiction
Suitable For Ages: 4-7
Themes/Topics: seasons (winter), snow, snow days, invocations, language fun (rhyme, word choice)
Opening: “In the deep woolen dark, as we slumber unknowing, let the sky fill with flurry and flight.” (These few words actually cover 5 spreads, some of which are wordless.)
Brief Synopsis: Although there is much going on in the busy, busy world, a small child wishes for just one day to be a delightfully snow-covered pause.
Why I Like This Book: Oh my goodness! What’s not to love? This book is beautiful in every way! The rhyming text is written by Joyce Sidman (you know what a huge fan I am of Red Sings From Treetops!) and it is gorgeous and poetic and spare. How can you not love a book that begins “In the deep woolen dark”?! 😊 The entire book is 66 words, so expertly chosen and crafted together that as a writer I can only feel awe. And the art is scratchboard and watercolor, exquisitely done, showing the little girl’s hopes that while she sleeps the world will turn white, allowing for a hushed, snow-covered morning that keeps her family home for a leisurely breakfast, some extra time together, the chance to go sledding and make snow angels, and come home to dry wet mittens. It is everything we all love about snow days, and every child’s prayer for one to come to their house!
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Welcome to another exciting installment of Would You Read It Wednesday!
Let’s begin with a Fun Fact that might spark a story idea for you. . . so that you can have a turn on Would You Read It with a pitch for your brand new story sometime soon!
Did you know that porcupines can float? It’s true! North American porcupines are good swimmers and their hollow quills help them float. Also, just so you know in case you ever run into one, porcupines will stamp their feet and grunt a warning before they charge. You should probably mention that to your dog so they know when it’s time to beat a hasty retreat! 😊 I think it’s important that porcupines get some stories written about them that do not involve their prickliness. I think there’s an opportunity here for a superhero porcupine story, a quill-raising rescue involving AquaPorc. . . 😊
While we think about porcupine stories, let’s have Something Chocolate. It is scientifically proven the world over (okay, well, anecdotally-proven at Casa Hill) that chocolate promotes creativity, so let’s have some Cosmic Brownies!
Yum! Don’t you feel the explosion of creativity already, just from looking at that luscious, delightfully festive chocolate treat?! I knew you would! 😊
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Jessica who says, “I usually write picture books, but I’ve recently delved into middle-grade territory as well. I’m looking for feedback on whether this pitch piques interest before I get too far into it. Thanks!”
The Pitch: Grace takes over the neighborhood paper route, only to discover that the papers magically reveal her neighbors’ secrets and wishes. When Grace learns that she is able to grant these wishes, she desperately needs the advice of her trusted friend, Miss Maisy. But, Miss Maisy died two years ago. How could she possibly help? As Grace comes to grips with reality, will she be able to grant one last wish—her own—before it’s too late?
So what do you think? Would you read it? YES, MAYBE, or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If you answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Jessica improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It, or on Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the menu bar above. There are openings in February, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on my editor Erin Molta!
Jessica is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to Cosmic Brownies and The Adventures of AquaPorc 😊😊😊
text copyright Julia Durango 2017, illustration copyright Bianca Diaz 2017, Charlesbridge Publishing
Opening: “‘One day,’ said Wilson, ‘I will paint your house orange and yellow like the sun.’ Gigi smiled. ‘I will like that. But today, you are all the sunshine I need,’ she said.”
Brief Synopsis: Gigi’s house needs fixing up, and Wilson wants to help make it cozy, safe, and beautiful – a nice place for his beloved grandmother to live. But he can’t do it alone.
text copyright Julia Durango 2017, illustration copyright Bianca Diaz 2017, Charlesbridge Publishing
Links To Resources: the back of the book has an Author’s Note about ways to help in your community including Labor of Love, Habitat For Humanity, and United Way, encouraging children who want to do something to reach out and find things that they can do, from smiling or saying hello to helping repair someone’s home; Little Ways Kids Can Make A Big Difference In Their Community; 10 Fun Community Giving Ideas (includes both “kitchen table” suggestions and “out in the community”)
text copyright Julia Durango 2017, illustration copyright Bianca Diaz 2017, Charlesbridge Publishing
Why I Like This Book: This story is lovely on so many levels. Wilson has a loving and generous heart and wants so much to make his Gigi’s home a better place for her to live, from painting it a cheerful color, to keeping her safe and warm, to making sure she can have a friend, and beauty, and music. He doesn’t let the fact that he is one young boy get in the way of his plans. A poster for “Build Up Neighbors” catches his eye and he gets him thinking. Gigi, meanwhile, is ever appreciative of Wilson’s ideas, but always grateful for what she has, never expressing any kind of dissatisfaction. I like that idea, she always says, but always follows it with, you are all the sunshine, or company, or warmth I need. Wilson shares his ideas with other members of the community – the ice cream man, passing neighbors, the librarian etc. – and they are all encouraging and supportive. No one tells him it’s too much for a boy to do. The art is warm and engaging, and includes such things as Wilson’s calculations for boards and nails needed, a diagram for how he thinks he can clean out the chimney, and what he’ll need to tune the piano. And of course he gets a stack of books from the library to aid his research. When Wilson is finally able to follow through with his plans, all the people from earlier in the book are present. This is a real feel-good story that showcases all the best things about people and community, and that models the concept that even little kids can do a lot to help out. A treasure for home, classroom, or library, and an empowering story kids will enjoy!
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
I learned something new yesterday that I know you’re all going to wish you’d known sooner (please prepare yourselves):
It is illegal to stand within 90 meters of the Queen without socks on!
Am I the only one who didn’t know this?
I mean, how many times have I stood 89.5 meters from the Queen in bare feet? Or in my sandals with NO SOCKS?
It is a miracle I have never wound up in the royal dungeon!
As soon as I heard about this I knew I had to warn you. I hope I’m not too late to save you all from incarceration.
I’m really wondering, though, who exactly this is a problem for. Is the Palace overrun with barefoot people (or shod but sockless people) romping about in the presence of the Queen?
Do the guards at Buckingham Palace entertain themselves by daring each other not to wear socks and see if anyone notices? 😊
Maybe the Queen walks along their ranks each day and uses her walking stick to lift the hem of their pants and see if they’re wearing socks with their shoes of if those sneaky guys tried to break the law by putting their shoes onto bare feet!
But mostly I wonder who thought this was something that mattered enough to be a law? I can just imagine a bunch of gray-wigged heavy-jowled folks sitting around saying, “By George! We’ve just got to do something about all these sockless people cavorting willy-nilly in the Queen’s presence! It isn’t to be borne!”
And is this law all about respect for the Queen, or is this her way of making a public service announcement to encourage people to protect themselves against athlete’s foot?
These are the kinds of questions that occupy the minds of writers as we wonder, what if? The seeds of stories yet to come! I can see it now. A picture book called A Royal Case Of Athlete’s Foot 😊
Wow!
When one is wrestling with these kinds of weighty questions, it is absolutely necessary to have Something Chocolate on hand, don’t you agree?
Since we’ve been talking about feet, how about some Bear Paw Cookies for our Something Chocolate? They’re so cute! And they might send our writerly minds down a whole ‘nother path. . . what if a bear was in the presence of the Queen without socks on? In bare/bear feet?! 🤣
When you’ve finished enjoying your delicious Bear Paw cookies and pondering sockless feet, we can get down to business – pitches!
Today’s pitch comes to us from Kizzi. Kizzi once ran away with the circus and worked with elephants and tigers. Now she writes as much as she can, finds lots of inspiration from her family, and goes on adventures a little closer to home.
Working Title: There Was A Small Python Who Swallowed A Flea
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: There was a small python who swallowed a flea because it was small, but pythons need MORE after all. So small python swallows more and more things and grows and grows. As he grows, so does his appetite, and soon he’s swallowing everything in sight. After small python has swallowed, slithered, and slurped, a huge buuuurrrrppppp might just solve all his problems.
So what do you think? Would you read it? YES, MAYBE, or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If you answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Kizzi improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It, or on Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the menu bar above. There are openings in February, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on by editor Erin Molta!
Kizzi is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to visiting the Queen! 😊
For my first choice of 2022, I have a wonderful book to share about being yourself and celebrating your own uniqueness. I think it’s a great story for kids, and also one we, as writers, can take to heart as we begin a brand new year of writing. After all, it’s who we are that gives our writing the uniqueness that will set it apart and help us tell stories in ways they’ve never been told before.
Title: Sweety
Written & Illustrated By: Andrea Zuill
Publisher: Schwartz & Wade, March 2019
Suitable For Ages: 3-7
Themes/Topics: being yourself/individuality, self-acceptance and appreciation
text and illustration copyright Andrea Zuill 2019, Schwartz&Wade
Opening: “Sweety was awkward. Even for a naked mole rat.”
Brief Synopsis: Sweety is awkward, even for a naked mole rat. She has a hard time fitting in, and her classmates don’t always get her. But surely there must be someone out there who shares her love of fungus and interpretive dance! With a little help from her cool Aunt Ruth– Sweety begins to understand that being Sweety is actually pretty awesome and learns to embrace the things that make her who she is.
text and illustration copyright Andrea Zuill 2019, Schwartz&Wade
Links To Resources: 6 Great Ways To Help Kids Celebrate Individuality; All About Me Preschool Activities Theme; discuss what are some ways you are like others? what are some ways you are different? what do you think makes you special? are there some things about you that make you worry others will think you’re weird? do you think other people feel like that too?
text and illustration copyright Andrea Zuill 2019, Schwartz&Wade
Why I Like This Book: Sweety is such an endearing character! “A little square peg” as her grandma tells her. A bit of an oddball. But interesting, original, unusual and fun. This story of learning to appreciate the unique qualities that make you who you are and to not just accept yourself but celebrate yourself is one that so many kids can benefit from. Who among us hasn’t felt like an oddball from time to time? And isn’t it nice to know you’re not the only one! With charming art, humor and heart, this book is one young readers are sure to love.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog links (and any other info you feel like filling out 😊) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!
Now. Take a moment to think about what makes YOU amazing and special and then go forth and start writing something new and different to kick off this brand new year!
And welcome back to my little corner of the blogosphere and Would You Read It!
I hope you all had wonderful holidays full of love and family and celebration and other good things!
I think it’s important to bring it to your attention that today is National Whipped Cream Day. I believe we can all agree that everything is better with whipped cream on it since people put it on everything from fruit to hot chocolate to pancakes and waffles. And I feel in my bones that there is a picture book in the idea of putting whipped cream on things that don’t normally get chosen for the honor. Elephants? Circus tents? Teachers? Pets? Jumbo jets? Sand castles? The moon? A giant striped hot air balloon? Seems like the sky’s the limit! Or maybe how you might make whipped cream if you didn’t have any cream. . . or a traditional way to whip it. . .😊 A little something to get you thinking and maybe help you out on your idea for the day if you’re doing Tara Lazar’s Storystorm this month!
A little Something Chocolate would most certainly fuel our creativity. How about some Peanut Butter Chocolate Half Moons?
Delicious and nutritious! Looks like breakfast to me! 😊
Now then, onto today’s pitch which comes to us from Patti who says, “I’m a part-time teacher, looking to make it big and see my name in lights! Just kidding, looking to insert a little humour into a book in a child’s hands 😊”
Find her on the web at: Twitter: Ransonpatti Instagram: ransonpatti
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Dragon Is Out Of Here
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Dragon is out of here, leaving his ‘same old’ book and flying off to find a better spot in one of the other books on his shelf. But the grass isn’t any greener with the Big Bad Wolf, the Old Woman in the Shoe, or Sleeping Beauty. After a close call with Old MacDonald, Dragon rediscovers his own story where he can fly, breathe fire, and be his true self.
So what do you think? Would you read it? YES, MAYBE, or NO?
If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest. If you answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Patti improve her pitch. Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome. (However I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful. I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)
Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks! For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It, or on Would You Read It in the dropdown under For Writers in the menu bar above. There are openings in February, so you could get your pitch up pretty soon for helpful feedback and a chance to have it read and commented on my editor Erin Molta!
Patti is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to what ideas I will think up for Storystorm – always such a great way to start the year!
I don’t even have to ask what’s brought you to this neck of the woods today!
Because it’s obvious.
Clearly, you have stopped by because you can’t go another SECOND without knowing what your Snowman Name is!
Have no fear. I am here for you. All you have to do is follow the directions below!
Take it from Star McSnowflake (that would be me ☃️): there’s nothing like a Snowman Name to put you in the holiday mood!
Also, if you want to go the route of last year’s “What Holiday Picture Book Are You” theme, once you’ve discovered your Snowman Name, you can use it as the main character of your next picture book! As in The minute Star McSnowflake slid into the bubble bath she knew it had been a bad idea to accept Snickerdoodle’s dare.
So there you go! The gift that keeps on giving. A Snowman Name AND a character for your next book!
Please feel free to share your Snowman Name in the comments so we all know what to call you 😊
Happy Holidays from Star McSnowflake and her sidekick snow dogs, Candy and Dreidel McSlushy! See you in 2022!
OH!
Except I forgot one little thing. . .
You’d probably like to know who won the
The11th Annual Holiday Writing Contest
~ for children’s writers ~
As always, I was thrilled to see so many wonderful stories! Really! It is amazing and inspiring, not to mention VERY entertaining! There is just so much talent out there amongst you all!
I want to reiterate how difficult it was too choose! There were so many amazing entries. Really. I could find at least something terrific about every single one. The sheer volume of entries meant that many good ones had to be cut. So if your entry wasn’t a finalist, please don’t feel bad. There was a huge amount of competition. Judging, no matter how hard we try to be objective, is always subjective at a certain point – we all have our own preferences for what makes a great story. And within the parameters of the contest, sometimes we have to put aside a great story because it did less of a good job meeting the contest criteria. The fact that you didn’t make the final cut DOES NOT mean you didn’t write a great story. Everyone who plonked their butt in a chair and worked hard to write a story for this contest is a winner! You showed up. You did your best work. You practiced your craft. You wrote to specifications and a deadline. You bravely shared your writing with the world. And you have a brand new story that is now yours to revise, expand, and polish if you like and maybe submit at some point to a magazine or as a PB manuscript. A lot of people have successfully done that at this point – we have quite a few books in the world that were born in Halloweensie, Holiday, or Valentiny Contests, plus a chapter book series that came out of the Fractured Fairy Tale Contest one spring! And not necessarily from people who were finalists – it’s about the idea and what you do with it. So bravo to everyone who entered!
But as you well know by now, with large entry numbers, all of high quality, come hard choices. My assistant judges and I worked hard to winnow the total down to a manageable number of finalists that we felt were truly all-around deserving of that distinction, and those were the ones we presented to you on Tuesday for your vote.
There were, however, a few entries that barely missed being finalists, and many other entries that were outstanding in certain areas even though they might not have qualified all-around for one reason or another, or that the judges couldn’t reach a consensus on.
So my assistant judges and I would like to award recognition, a lovely badge, and a small prize to the following authors for the following merits:
1. For Honorable Mention In The Competition As A Whole: (entries we truly wrestled with not including in the finalists!)
Mia Geiger – Mew Year’s Contest Deborah Foster – Ernie And The Science Fair Lauri Meyers – Witch’s Gingerbread House Royal Baysinger – Upon A Winter Solstice Katie Brandyberry – The Tastiest Treat Christmas Contest Vashti Verbowski – Christmas Carrots Marty B. – Katie’s Snow Creation
2. For Meaningful Message:
Ingrid Boydston – Christmas Isn’t Cassie Silva – The Most Beautiful Snowflake Of All Marty Findley – What Christmas Means To Me Karen J Moore – Lily And The Winter Festival Amanda Sherlock – The Contest
3. For Great Use of Language:
Allison Stick – Solstice Skaters
4. For Nice Use Of Cultural Elements:
Lynn Grace Wong – Parol: This Little Star Of Mine Carmen Castillo Gilbert – Andres’ Blue Ribbon Shariffa Keshavjee – 2021 Monkey Merry Xmas Judy Abelove Shemtob – The Winning Recipe
5. For Humor:
Becky Goodman – O Christmas Tree Oh Christmas Tree Kelsey E. Gross – The Cookie Contest Caper
6. For Well Written Siblings:
Dina Silverberg – Asher’s Chanukiah Sarah Demarest Guthrie – The Clean-Out-The-Clutter Contest
7. For Great Use of Format:
Tiffany Hanson – Reindeer Games (sportscaster format)
Congratulations to all of you for fantastic elements of your stories! You may all email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com subject line Prize Winner to collect your award badge and prize, which is ten dollars (and possibly a picture book too, please ask when you contact me) for category 1 – Honorable Mention in the Competition as a Whole – and five dollars for all the other categories, in a format that can be emailed for you to put toward something you’d like at a large online store (and I’m being cryptic because if I’m not I get a ton of problematic spam mail, but hopefully you can figure it out. The store starts with the letter A 😊 )
And now…
…the moment you’ve all been waiting for…
The announcement of the WINNERS OF THE 2021 HOLIDAY CONTEST as voted on by you, our esteemed readers!!!
rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat-rat-a-tat
DDDRRRUUUMMM RRROOOLLLLLL!!!!!!!!!
In First Place…
Winner of the whole shebang…
who gets first choice of all the prizes…
Daniella Kaufman-Schloss for A Christmas Pickle Story!!!
Congratulations, Daniella, on a fun, kid-friendly, loving story that was clearly very popular with a LOT of readers!!!
In Second Place
Lisa Varchol Perron for Tree Of The Year
Congratulations, Lisa, on a sweet, touching story that truly celebrates the spirit of the holidays! You get to pick your prize after Daniella.
In Third Place
Amy Leskowski for So You Think You Can Prance
Congratulations, Amy, on a delightful entry that made us want to get up and dance! You get to pick your prize after Daniella and Lisa.
In Fourth Place
Paul Kurtz for Cinder-latke
Congratulations, Paul, on you entertaining twist on Cinderella. You had us at the title, and left us longing for latkes! You get to pick your prize after Daniella, Lisa, and Amy!
In Fifth Place
Emily Durant for A Miscalculation
Congratulations, Emily, on a very well written instruction guide to building snow forts. . .along with the caution to make sure they’re within range of each other 😊 You get to pick your prize after Daniella, Lisa, Amy, and Paul!
In Sixth Place…
Jesse Anna Bornemann for Christmas. . .By A Nose
So much fun, Jesse! We loved all the “nose” alternatives! You get to pick your prize after Daniella, Lisa, Amy, Paul, and Emily!
In Seventh Place…
Jennifer Lowe for The Perfect Star
Congratulations, Jennifer! We loved the idea of a star catching contest, and how nicely you showed the nature of sibling relationships! I’m sure you get the idea of how the prize picking goes by now 😊
In Eighth Place…
Judy Sobanski for A Creature Was Stirring
Such a lovely, sweet story, Judy, in such perfect rhyme! You get to pick after Jennifer 😊
In Ninth Place
Marta Cutler for Bear’s Christmas Cookie
Congratulations, Marta, on your entertaining entry. We loved how the other contestants worked so carefully on their cookies, and how Bear just piled everything on his and then asked with such sincere hope if he had won 😊 You get to pick after Judy 😊
In Tenth Place
Lindsey Hobson for Tree Number Nine
Congratulations, Marta, on a sweet entry that tugged at our heartstrings when we realized why it was so important to Sofie to win the contest! You get to pick your prize after Marta!
In Eleventh Place
Nicole Loos Miller for Simply The Best
Congratulations, Nicole, on your creation of a likable, relatable character who was consistently happy for her friends’ success even though she herself didn’t win. You get to pick after Chelsea!
In Twelfth Place
Kelly Clasen for Phoebe’s Snowperson
Congratulations. Kelly, on a wonderfully original way to make a snowman – how creative Phoebe was to make one out of books! You get to pick after Nicole!
All the winners should email me at susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com with the subject heading Prize Winner so we can work out details for you to receive your prizes! (The sooner the better!) And for your convenience, the whole prize list is included at the bottom of this post.
Congratulations again to all our winners – it was a stiff competition!! – and congratulations to EVERYONE who wrote and entered a story in the contest. You all deserve a huge round of applause and a shower of holiday confetti!
Thank you to everyone who helped make this contest SO MUCH FUN, whether by writing an entry, reading people’s stories, leaving comments for the authors, and/or voting in the finals, or by donating a prize. It’s because of all of you that this contest was such a success, so many, many thanks from the bottom of my heart!
As I… hmm… maybe didn’t mention…? but seem to do every year so you’re probably not surprised, I’m taking a little blogging break so I can spend time with my family. So I will see you all in a couple weeks – most probably the first week of January 😊
Before we part company, I want to wish you all a happy and healthy holiday filled with love, laughter, joy, and family, and a happy, healthy and successful new year! It is a pleasure and a privilege to get to spend time with you all, and I’m happy and grateful to know each and every one of you!
Looking forward to all the things we’ll do in 2022!
Happy Holidays, and all best wishes for a wonderful New Year!!!
The Prizes!: Oh! Such wonderful prizes! All I can say is, how lucky are we to be part of such a talented and generous community that offers such amazing prizes!
Please join me in thanking these very generous authors and other writing professionals for contributing their books and writing expertise as prizes by visiting their websites and blogs, considering their books and services for birthday, holiday or other gift purchases, rating and/or reviewing their books on GoodReads, Amazon, B&N, or anywhere else if you like them, recommending them for school and library visits, and supporting them in any other way you can dream up! 😊
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyming or Non-rhyming, Fiction or Nonfiction) with a recording of first read-through by children’s author and poet Sarah Meade, contributor to HOP TO IT: POEMS TO GET YOU MOVING (Pomelo Books, 2020!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique (Rhyming) PLUS Zoom Chat from developmental editor Lou Piccolo! Lou studied English Literature, creative writing and teaching at university in South Africa. After working as an EFL teacher in France for twenty years, she studied proofreading and editing before becoming a developmental editor of children’s and young adult’s literature for independent authors. She is a graduate of Renee LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab – Punching Up Prose With Poetry course and Making Picture Book Magic, the in-house writer for Editions Entrefilet’s language-learning magazine ‘Go English Kids’ for children of 8-12 in France, and a traditionally published author of MG and YA fiction with Burlington Books.
Developmental Editor, Lou Piccolo
⭐️ Connecting With School Librarians!Fabulous Opportunity for published or soon to be published authors! Winner’s Choice of either a Zoom or phone chat about how to connect with school librarians and get their ear or an Ask Me Anything Zoom or phone chat about K-8th grade author visits from a librarian’s POV from Kathy Halsey. Kathy Halsey is Storyteller Academy’s Community Manager and Ambassador. She enjoys writing picture books, humor, and nonfiction. Kathy’s active in SCBWI and blogs with other kid lit writers on the GROG. She serves on the Choose to Read Ohio Advisory Council and speaks at educational and literary conferences. Kathy’s a former K-12 school librarian and children’s bookseller. She writes monthly author studies for the Reading for Research Month along with Keila Dawson.
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique(written) PLUS 15 minute Zoom Chat (no nonfiction) from Cindy Williams Schrauben author of THIS COULD BE YOU (Cardinal Rule Press, April 1, 2022)!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Heather Gale, author of HO’ONANI: HULA WARRIOR (Tundra Books, 2019) which was one of the New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids 2019, one of the Ontario Library Association’s 2019 Top Ten Titles, Featured on the 2020 Rainbow Book List, Featured on the 2020 Rise: A Feminist Book Project List, and received a Booklist Starred Review!
⭐️ Picture Book Manuscript Critique from Maria Marshall! Maria is a children’s author, blogger, and poet passionate about making nature fun for children. She’s a judge for the Cybils Awards and the #50PreciousWords competition. Four of her poems are published in The Best Of Today’s Little Ditty anthologies. When not writing, critiquing, or reading, she bird watches, travels the world, bakes, and hikes. The Picture Book BuzzWebsiteFacebookTwitterInstagram
Maria Marshall
⭐️ A Reversible Handmade Christmas Stocking or Other Winter or Holiday-Themed Gift Bag from Karen Gebbia PLUS a Personalized Signed Copy of CURIOSITY’S DISCOVERY by Nancy Derey Rileyto fill it!
a Personalized Signed Copy of eitherLISTEN (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books 2021) orTWO DOGS ON A TRIKE (Harry N. Abrams 2020) (Winner’s Choice!) by Gabi Snyder
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