So, big news on Blueberry Hill… I took Princess Blue Kitty for a bath!
I know! Practically unprecedented!
You all remember Princess Blue, right? My trusty Subaru Outback who carries me valiantly hither and yon, up and down the eastern seaboard and beyond on my various wanderings? Well, sad to say, she got extremely coated with salt when I took her to Vermont last week. You couldn’t even tell she was blue anymore 😦 Normally I would wait for a good rainstorm or a high wind to remedy the situation, but she looked so pathetic even I couldn’t take it. So down the road we went for a proper bath at the car wash. And even though cats do not like water, Princess Blue Kitty was grateful. I can tell. I have a sixth sense about these things. I’m like a car whisperer… she just speaks to me 🙂
I’m guessing a lot of you have cars suffering the same fate, due to the recent heavy snows. So take it from me (remember, I’m a car whisperer) that your cars too will be grateful to be relieved of their coats of salt!
And now that we’re done with that public service announcement, how about Something Chocolate? You just really can’t go wrong with a dessert breakfast called Fat Witch Bakery’s Legendary Chocolate Caramel Brownies! 🙂
It’s okay if you’re drooling on your keyboard. That’s what they make paper towel for 🙂
Today’s pitch comes to us from Ashley who says, “My name is Ashley Franklin, and I began my picture book journey just a year ago. I’m an online teacher by day and a writer by night; oh, let’s not forget about the frosted layer of motherhood plastered on top.”
The Pitch: Bill is the fastest runner this side of the Mississippi, but can he outrun Sleep? THE RACE AGAINST SLEEP is a 400 word picture book story for children ages 4-8 that introduces them to a boastful boy, Bill, who can outrun anyone—or so he thinks. Bill races against Sleep across a picturesque, Southern landscape in an attempt to keep his title, but he finds out that even champions need their rest.
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 your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Ashley 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 Itor on Would You Read It in the drop-down under For Writers in the bar above. There are openings at the end of February (seriously! I have slightly dropped the ball in letting people know there are upcoming openings in the calendar!) so you could get a space quite soon for feedback on your pitch and a chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Ashley is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to vacuuming Princess Blue so that her inside is as clean as her outside.
Well.
No.
Actually I’m not.
That’s a flat out lie 🙂 You all know how I feel about vacuuming… 🙂 But it’s the sentiment that counts, right? I want Blue Kitty to be clean inside, so that’s all that matters 🙂
I hope you all had lovely weekends, and that those of you within range of Snowmageddon all stayed safe and warm! For I think the first time in history, the storm missed Blueberry Hill – we may have gotten a quarter millimeter of snow, but that might be exaggerating 🙂
I realize that Monday afternoon is an odd time for a blog post, but I have a few minutes, and some very important news to share! So I’m taking a totally random moment here to say that kidlit folks are the best in the world – absolutely and without equivocation!
First Annual Pretty Much World Famous Valentiny Writing Contest! Guidelines HERE
Scrambling to rummage up some prizes for the unplanned Valentiny Contest, I sent out a few hopeful requests – some to people I knew, some to people I didn’t! – asking if they’d be willing to donate expertise/time/work/awesome books. Without exception, every single person I asked stepped up and offered a prize! I’ve got such an abundance, I’m not even sure we’ll need them all for this new contest, which may not receive the number of entries the more established ones do. So I hope, after you’ve seen what’s on offer, you’ll spread the word to all your kidlit friends because there’s some REALLY great stuff up for grabs 🙂
Check it out!
– A Picture Book Read and Critique from literary agent Christa Heschke at McIntosh & Otis who is actively building her picture book list!
ART OF ARC is a self-study course that will deepen your understanding of picture books written with a classic arc and introduce you to other picture book structures. The course gives you tools to analyze your work prior to investing in professional critiques. It shows you how to avoid common writing errors and how apply writing elements that will enhance your stories to take them to a higher level. It includes 217 pages with ten lessons, seventeen supplements, and eighteen worksheets. Plus bonus materials and resources.
– A Picture Book Critique/Developmental Edit (non-rhyming picture book manuscript) from Beth Stilborn. (Beth does developmental editing and copy editing through her Flubs2Fixes Editing, Consulting and Writers’ Resources service for writers. http://www.flubs2fixes.com )
– A Picture Book Critique from the fabulous Robin Newman, author of The Case Of The Missing Carrot Cake and the forthcoming, eagerly awaited Hildie Bitterpickles Needs Her Sleep (please don’t miss the fantastic trailer! 🙂 )
– personalized signed copies of The Case Of The Missing Carrot Cake and Hildie Bitterpickles Needs Her Sleep by Robin Newman
– a personalized signed copy of The Night Before Valentines Day by Natasha Wing! Natasha Wing loves Valentine’s Day because it’s a week after her birthday. Natasha is the bestselling author of The Night Before series (Grosset & Dunlap). To find out more: www.natashawing.com
For those of you who are feeling too overwhelmed to count, that is TEN (10!!!) unbelievably awesome prizes!!! So I hope we get at least 10 entries! 🙂
Please join me in thanking Christa, Jodell, Julie & Emma, Alayne, Beth, Robin, and Natasha for their incredible generosity, and show your appreciation by visiting their sites, buying and recommending their books and services to your writer friends and/or friends with kids, writing them nice reviews on Amazon, GoodReads etc if you’ve read and liked their books, and showing your appreciation to them in any way you can! I truly can’t thank them all enough!
I’m sure you’ll all be thrilled to know that I’m in a mad rush today, which means I shall attempt brevity (stop laughing – I can hear you!), which means a quicker than usual read for you 🙂
Just a quick note – I still haven’t solved the link list problem here, so this post with the PPBF link list is also located at my old blog today.
Title: The Complete Adventures Of Big Dog And Little Dog
Written & Illustrated By: Dav Pilkey
Harcourt, June 2003, Fiction
Suitable For Ages: publisher says 4-8, I’d say 3-6
Themes/Topics: friendship, humor
Opening: “Big Dog and Little Dog are hungry. Big Dog and Little Dog want food.”
Brief Synopsis: (from the jacket) “Big Dog is ready for some fun! Little Dog is ready too. Join these irresistible puppy pals on five zippy adventures, together for the first time in one cozy picture book collection.”
Why I Like This Book: You may be familiar with Dav Pilkey from The Stupids or Captain Underpants. This is a different side of him – simple and sweet with gentle humor. These two dog friends do everything together (including get in trouble!) and always look out for each other. These five stories were originally published separately but are now all together in one book which gives them the feel of George And Martha or Frog And Toad, but with a lot less text. Simple and fun, I know from experience that these stories appeal to very young readers. And also, as many of you may have figured out, I like dogs 🙂
So there you have it! Wasn’t that the shortest post ever?
PPBF bloggers, please leave your links in the comments below if you like and I’ll try to find time to add them to this post. Or pop over to the old blog and leave your link there!
Oh, but one more thing before we all go off to enjoy everyone else’s PPBF picks and our weekends! Due to the incredible generosity of the people in the kidlit community, the prizes for the Valentiny Contest are rolling in! So be sure and check the contest post for updates – the prizes will knock your socks off and you will definitely want to work on your entries this weekend as a result!
Come on in and set awhile, folks! It’s time for your favorite and mine: Would You Read It Wednesday!
But first, a word from our sponsors.
Has winter got you down? Are you loathe to emerge from the comfy warmth of your blankets on these cold, dark January mornings? Have the last 3 stories you wrote been titled Smiley Miley Goes To Aruba, Stinky Pete And The Tropical Island Paradise, and A Hot, Hot Day In July? Are you making secret plans to hibernate until April?
Never fear! We have a remedy for your winter doldrums!
Wash your hair! Shave your legs! Put on actual clothing and join your fellow writers for some fun in the creative sun! You’ll be surprised by how happy and energized you feel (and not just because of the 5 pounds of hair you shaved off your legs :)) You can write a brand new story, enjoy the company of other writers and the entertainment of their stories, and possibly win a fabulous prize which I haven’t thought up yet but I WILL! 🙂
So get out your writing implements, rev up your brain, and join us at a blog near you!
Now, back to our regularly scheduled programming!
Something Chocolate anyone? I’m feeling Brownie Sundae-ish this morning. You know, some nice hot fudge to warm us up!
Now then, today’s pitch comes to us from Carleen who says, “I am a writer who forgot to grow up, and now it’s too late!”
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Annabelle Changes Her Name
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch:
Annabelle’s name is too long, too hard, too different. But when she decides to change it, she runs into all sorts of problems. And then she meets a new girl whose name is long and hard and different, too. And now Annabelle isn’t so sure anymore about changing her name.
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 your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Carleen 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 Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in February so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Carleen is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to drumming up some great prizes for the aforementioned Valentiny Writing Contest! Wish me luck! 🙂
Have a wonderful Wednesday, everyone!!! Stay warm! 🙂
When you guys want something, I do my best to accommodate 🙂
Some of y’all had a bright idea about a “writing contest in February to break up the winter doldrums”…
…and far be it from me to deny your heart’s desire…
…so here we go!
You know how in October we do the Halloweensie Contest – weensie because the entries are not very long and written for little people?
Well, prepare yourselves for the First Annual Pretty Much World Famous Valentiny Contest! 🙂
The First Annual Pretty Much World Famous Valentiny Writing Contest!
Valentiny because it’s also not very long and also for little people 🙂
Halloweensie and Valentiny – a match made in… well, okay, maybe not heaven, but definitely in the hare-brained scheming mind of Yours Truly 🙂
Due to the fact that this is a new contest being put together on short notice, it is just possible that the people in charge around here haven’t worked out all the details quite yet (i.e. there’s a certain amount of scrambling for prizes for y’all… still working on that!) (Also there is the link list difficulty to sort out…) But here’s what we’ve got so far!
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 is grumpy! 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 grumpy (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.) No illustration notes please!
Post your story on your blog between 12:00 AM EDT Monday February 8th and Friday February 12th by 11:59 PM EDT and add your post-specific link to the list that will accompany my February 8th post. There will be no Would You Read It that week, and no PPBF, so the post and the list of links will stay up all week for everyone to enjoy. If you don’t have a blog and would like to enter, you can simply copy and paste your entry in the comments section of that post once it’s up. (Or, 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!)
The Judging: over the weekend, my lovely assistants and I will narrow down the entrants to 3 top choices (hee hee hee – you know how much trouble I have with only 3, so we’ll see) which will be posted here and voted on for a winner on Monday February 15th or Tuesday February 16th (depending on how many entries we get.) The winner will be announced on Friday February 19th. (And there will be no WYRI or PPBF that week either so that everyone will have time to read and vote and so that we don’t confuse PPBF with announcing winners.) If we get more than 20 entries, I will post 6 finalists and give prizes for 1st through 3rd. If we get a large turn out, well, we’ll cross that bridge when we get to it… like I said, there’s a bit of prize acquisition and organization to be accomplished yet! But since this is a new contest, there may be a smaller number of entries… we shall see 🙂
Judging criteria will include:
Kid-appeal/Kid-friendliness – remember, this is a story for kids!
Creativity in using grumpiness and success in making us feel the grumpiness!
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
Originality – surprise us with something new and different! 🙂
The Prizes: yeah… I’m still working on the prizes 🙂 Feel free to chime in in the comments if there’s something you’d particularly like to win! 🙂 Or if you have clout with anyone who could offer a good prize please contact me at once! 🙂 But so far prizes will include:
(Don’t worry! – I promise I’m working on rummaging up more prizes! :))
So sharpen your pencils!
Get your butt in that chair!
See what amazing, knock-your-socks-off story you can dream up!
It’s a chance to hone your writing skills, practice your craft, write to specifications and a deadline, win amazing prizes, AND get to read and enjoy the wonderful stories written by all your fellows 🙂
Many, many thanks to Julie and Emma for their very generous prize offering!
It’s Friday, everyone, and you know what that means!
Perfect Picture Books! 🙂
I’m posting today’s Perfect Picture Book here, but I have a confession to make: I have not figured out how to get a link list on WordPress. Actually, I’m told it can’t be done because of WordPress security issues. So that’s a bit of a conundrum. I rely on the link list for Perfect Picture Book Friday (also for my writing contests, but that’s another story…)
So that raises the question can I actually blog on WordPress? The answer might be sadly no. Option B is that I have to think up a new way to run PPBF and my contests… which I might be able to do… but I am definitely open to suggestions if anyone has any bright ideas!
Meanwhile, I will post here for today, and also on my old Blogger blog which WILL have the list where you can add your link as usual. http://susannahill.blogspot.com/ What I can try to do is, if you put your PPBF link in the comments, I might be able to edit this post to include your links – or I can try lifting them off Blogger – but that is an extra step which I unfortunately won’t have time for until later in the day… Not an ideal solution…
Meanwhile, I have the Perfect Picture Book for a winter day 🙂 I especially love it because it reminds of when my kids did a very similar thing – set up a lemonade stand on the corner of a completely untraveled country road, certain they would make their fortune and with no inkling that they had no hope of a single customer. (Of course, I couldn’t bear for them to be out there waiting so hopefully only to get crushed with disappointment, so I made some phone calls to make sure at least a few cars came along full of thirsty passengers 🙂
Title: Lemonade In Winter: A Book About Two Kids Counting Money
Inside, Pauline presses her nose to the frosted glass.
“I know!” she says.
“Let’s have a lemonade stand.“”
Brief Synopsis: Undeterred by the wintry weather, Pauline and her little brother John-John gather up all their quarters, buy supplies, and set up a lemonade stand. Alas, customers are few and far between, forcing Pauline and John-John to be creative to try to increase sales. In spite of their best efforts, they spend more than they earn… but they earn enough for something that pleases them both.
Links To Resources: the book itself is a resource in terms of showing creative business management 🙂 – Pauline and John-John try advertising, sales, decorations, and entertainment. It also shows money and math in action, and there is back matter in which “Pauline Explains Money To John-John.” Ask your child or students to think up their own business ideas. What would they sell? How would they go about it? What supplies would they need? How much would they need to charge and how much would they need to earn to make their business a success?
Why I Like This Book: This book is so cute, and so completely believably child-like! Only kids, full of hope and belief in themselves and their abilities, would set up a lemonade stand in a howling snowstorm on a mostly deserted street 🙂 In spite of the poor odds, they’re determined to make their business a success and come up with all kinds of creative ideas. Unfortunately in the end they learn a hard lesson about business… but at least something good comes of it (which I hate to give away, but it’s so cute I have to tell you – they lose money, but have enough for two popsicles – the perfect treat in a snowstorm, apparently :))
PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!
(And at some point tomorrow, Sunday or Monday, I will post the promised new writing contest guidelines! I’m trying desperately to scrounge up some prizes for you! :))
Golly, has it gotten cold hereabouts! It’s like winter!
Oh, wait…
🙂
But guess what?
Today is Brown Scouty’s birthday! She is 9. And yes! Certainly we are having cake! Although not chocolate because alas, chocolate is not good for dogs and she must have some of her own birthday cake!
Here she is when she was tiny:
I love this picture. She’s such a little stumper 🙂
And here she is now:
Apparently not much has changed… she likes to sleep on the furniture 🙂
She is my faithful companion. She walks and runs with me on our road, she takes her squirrel-chasing duties very seriously, she sleeps by guards my bedside at night, and she is lying on my feet while I write this post so that in case I should decide to get up and do something that is Interesting For Dogs she will not miss out 🙂 She is the Best Dog Ever. Happy Birthday, dear Scouty ❤
I’d offer you some of Scout’s birthday cake, but since it’s not chocolate it would be all wrong for today. Besides, I promised Cathy Nutella Croissants, so here they are in all their chocolate-hazelnut-buttery-pastry deliciousness…
Scrumptious! And if you’re looking for an easy recipe, this one has only 3 ingredients! (Possibly even within my limited cooking capacity! 🙂 )
Alrighty!
Now that you’re not in danger of a low blood sugar flame-out and have consumed enough calories to help you withstand with extreme cold without perishing :), let’s get down to the fun!
First, the Pitch Pick Winners!
We have so many, I think it calls for some kind of celebration so how about this:
For September, the winner is Zainab, with her picture book pitch for Dear Cat!
For October, the winner is Kirk, with his MG pitch for My Next Door Neighbor Is A Dragon Princess!
And for November, the winner is Jessica with her picture book pitch for Showdown At The Sippy Cup Saloon!
Congratulations Zainab, Kirk, and Jessica Your pitches are winging through cyberspace to editor Erin Molta for her thoughts!
Congratulations also to ALL our intrepid pitchers who stepped up boldly and put their work out their for all the world to see in an effort to improve their craft! Everyone did a great job, and I hope you all got valuable feedback that will help these pitches to pique the curiosity of the agent or editor of you dreams!
And thank you to all the wonderful readers who show up to lend their expertise each week and to vote for the monthly winners! Would You Read It wouldn’t be what it is without you! ❤
Next up we have today’s Would You Read It pitch which comes to us from Cynthia who says, “When I’m not working, or taxi driving my kids to sporting events, I play with words. I have a love for picture books, especially ones in verse.”
The Pitch: Nicky loves to splash in puddles, but when Nicky finds a shiny wet inchworm hanging by a thread Nicky knows he has to act fast, but not before being amazed by this tiny little creature. Nicky soon forgets all about splashing in the puddles and sets out to find a safe home for his tiny new friend.
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 your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Cynthia improve her pitch. Helpful examples of 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 HERE or on Would You Read It in the dropdown menu under For Writers in the header bar above. There are openings in February which isn’t that far off, so polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Cynthia is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to posting the guidelines for the brandy spandy new writing contest that we will be having! Mark your calendars for the week of February 8-12 and keep a weather eye out for a special post from moi with the low-down!
This extra Monday post gives me a whole ‘nother day to hang out with you!
(And a Monday post reminds me (just come along on the stream-of-consciousness train of thought here) that it’s been ages since we did Oh Susanna! So if anyone – writer, teacher, parent – has a question of any kind about reading, writing, submitting, picture books, etc… – feel free to email it to me using the handy Email Me button or susanna[at]susannahill[dot]com and put Oh Susanna in the subject line. Your picture book questions answered! I’d love to run Oh Susanna! again, at least occasionally :))
But today is all about Pitch Picks! So many! In appreciation of your hard work and dedication, I will supply Something Chocolate – extra Something Chocolates! Triple Something Chocolates! – for each Pitch Pick!
Ready?
Here we go!
The September Pitch Pick… with this delicious, delectable, Triple Chocolate Cheesecake with Oreo Crust… YUM!!!
This book is an illustrated story about mothers. It demonstrates that mothers from all over the world love and care for their children no matter what walk of life they come from. It is very reflective of Canada’s multicultural community and celebrates diversity. It is a simple story where the only text is the word ” Mom” “Mother or “Mommy ” in various languages. The illustrations will represent the feelings and interactions that occur daily between a mother and her children. Pictures can capture emotions and can be understood by all and make for an open ended reading experience.
#2 Maria – Firefighters’ Busy Day (PB ages 2-6)
Firefighters are busy! They have many tasks to do each day including “washing, waxing shining the truck, cleaning the gear, getting rid of the muck.”
Many don’t realize that firefighters do much more than just put water on fires. In Firefighters’ Busy Day, they can see the jobs firefighters do before, during, and after a fire call. Through the use of movement written into the text, they can even help firefighters get their jobs done.
Young children can pretend to be busy firefighters too, by trying some of the exciting fire safety activities included such as a fire truck parade or having firefighter-themed meal. The activities included are sure to turn everyday learning into firefighter fun.
#3 Diana – Wait For Cate (PB ages 4-8)
Cate has made a promise to her school friends to be on time for the big kickball game at recess. And they need her! When Cate encounters the new girl stuck in the sand in her wheelchair, Cate needs to make a decision. Should she keep her promise to her kickball team or help a new friend out of a “sticky” situation?
#4 Zainab – Dear Cat (PB ages 4-8)
Persistent Bird keeps bugging Cat with his letters to be his friend. Cat snubs Bird…until it’s snack time. Cat is ready for a tasty meal except Bird has his own devious plan in mind for this “clever” cat.
Please read and consider Lizette, Maria, Diana, and Zainab’s pitches and choose the one you think is best and deserves a read by editor Erin Molta, and vote for it in the poll below by Tuesday January 12 at 7 PM EDT.
Aaaaand… a little more Something Chocolate to keep your strength up… Triple Chocolate Poke Cake (bonus points to anyone who can tell me what a poke cake is! :))
#5 Kirk – My Next Door Neighbor Is A Dragon Princess (MG)
I didn’t care much for Maddie Buckner. At two, she bit my ear. At four she pushed me off a slide. At 8, she broke my favorite model airplane that took five months to build. At 10, she kissed me – on the lips! – under the Big Toy in the playground and told me she loved me. At 11, she spit in my face and said she hated me. Then she asked Parker Williams to the sock hop. Parker Williams! Oh, how I despised her. But then she had to go and save my life. That’s when I discovered her secret.
#6 Lisa – Kitten Ciao (PB ages 4-7)
Kitten Ciao is fed up with Mama’s cooking, so he consults his food lover’s map and dashes off to Europe. It all seems so right, but everything goes wrong. The rain in Paris turns his crepes to goo, his English pudding is filled with (gasp!) raisins, the sauerkraut at Oktoberfest is, well, he’s not sure what it is, and there’s no chocolate dip for his Spanish churros. Most tragically, he accidentally bites his tongue while eating pasta in Rome. Kitten Ciao swiftly learns there is no place like home – and a grilled cheese sandwich.
#7 Patricia – Aunt Elvira and the Watermelon Seed (PB ages 4-7)
A visit from Great-Aunt Elvira happens once in a lifetime. But why must it be during Clarissa’s lifetime? Her prim and proper twin, Marissa, is sure to shine. With her slurps, burps and spitting skills, Clarissa can’t imagine how to shine, let alone survive dinner, even with watermelon on the menu.
Please read and consider Kirk, Lisa, and Patricia’s pitches and vote for the one you think is best and deserves a read by editor Erin Molta in the poll below by Tuesday January 12 at 7 PM EDT.
And now, last one! You’re doing great! And here’s a little more Something Chocolate to keep you going! Triple Chocolate Mousse Cake… sorry if you’re drooling on your keyboard… I take full responsibility 🙂
#8 Jessica – Showdown At The Sippy Cup Saloon (PB ages 4-8)
In the tiny town of Toddle, in the cradle of the West, Sheriff Wyatt Burp is snoozing in his crib when Wild Bill Hiccup arrives to wake up — and shake up — the pint-size population. “Don’t go gettin’ yer onesie in a twist,” Wild Bill warns Wyatt, but tempers flare until the two go bib to bib in a showdown at the Sippy Cup Saloon. Who will emerge the rootin’ tootin’ squirt gun shootin’ hero of the West?
#9 Sandy – Caterwauling Cats (PB ages 4-8)
Jack and Dave miss their happy home where they take cushy naps and eat Kitty Cat Comfort Cozies. After several attempts to escape overdressing and mud pie feeding from Esther, they learn to yowl like monsters under her bed. Esther exits and the kitties have their own room for napping and noshing.
#10 Christie – The Naked Goose (PB ages 3-7)
When Honk flies south, he meets a few oddly dressed geese and tries to follow suit. However, he does not realize they are lawn ornaments. After an awkward inquiry, followed by several disastrous outfits, Honk discovers he is happier the way he came – naked.
#11 Jen – Ernie’s Toothfake (PB ages 4-8)
Ernie Blossomfoss rushes home to get his first lost tooth under his pillow, but when he trips he watches it go sailing into the playground woodchips. Convinced the tooth fairy won’t come unless she has a tooth to collect, Ernie hatches a plan to leave the perfect counterfeit. When the clever fairy doesn’t fall for it, Ernie ups the ante until he finally discovers that being honest is more valuable than a crisp dollar bill.
Please read and consider Jessica, Sandy, Christie, and Jen’s pitches and vote for the one you think is best and deserves a read by editor Erin Molta in the poll below by Tuesday January 12 at 7 PM EDT.
Phew! I know! That was a lot of pitch reading and picking! You are all the absolute best, and that is why I and everyone who submits a pitch love you so much. Know that you have done a good deed for the day and that the universe will return that goodness to you in multiples!
And now, this extra poll-laden post wouldn’t be complete without me telling you the results of last week’s poll on the subject of an extra writing contest in February….
The response was overwhelmingly in favor of a contest!
So I guess I’ll be seeing what I can put together for you all! 🙂
Ooh! This is exciting!
Stay tuned! I’ll get the contest guidelines up as soon as I think of them… and keep your fingers crossed that I can rummage up some good prizes for you on short notice!!!
Have a marvelous Monday, everyone, and thanks again for all your help with the pitches! We couldn’t do it without you!
This is so exciting! It’s the first Perfect Picture Book Friday of 2016!
(Because I know you guys are a bunch of wild revelers and would have been too tired on January 1st to appreciate PPBF 🙂 Really. That’s the reason. I was thinking of you. It had nothing whatever to do with the fact that I spent the holidays not working :))
Woo hoo!
Just think of all the terrific books we’re going to read and share this year!
And my pick for today is one that none of you have read or probably even heard of because it’s not out yet! 🙂 You’ll just have to drool with anticipation until February 16! 🙂
Before we get to it, though, one quick housekeeping note!
As I mentioned Wednesday, I’m about to have a brand new website and blog! Actually, I kind of already do – it’s up! Which, if you’re reading this on wordpress you know because you’re here 🙂 We’re just still working out a few kinks… so don’t be shocked or horrified if you see a typo or something looks a little off kilter (but do please let me know! 🙂 ) I hope you like it as much as I do!
For now, I’m posting blog posts on blogger and wordpress, but I’m hoping to switch to only wordpress by next week… I just don’t want to leave anyone behind *sniff sniff* That would be so sad! So please add the new blog ( https://susannahill.com/blog/ ) to your reader, or sign up to follow it by email, or whatever system works for you so you don’t miss any of the fun and I don’t miss you! I’m looking forward to a new year full of high jinx and shenanigans serious writerly pursuits 🙂 – among other things very possibly including a writing contest in about 3 weeks, judging by the poll response so far from Wednesday (if you haven’t voted, please go HERE so you can express your opinion :)) so PLEASE! Come along! 🙂 Remember… I have chocolate… not that I’m trying to bribe you or anything… 🙂
So I hope everyone is flocking over here and dragging all their friends and relations along to join the fun and now let’s get to this fabulous book already!
Title: The Almost Terrible Playdate
Written & Illustrated By: Richard Torrey
Doubleday Books For Young Readers, February 16, 2016, Fiction
“How about I’m the queen of the universe and my doll, Pippy, is my sister queen, and you visit my castle?”
“Or how about I’m the giantest dinosaur ever and you’re a dinosaur too – but not the giantest – and we stomp around smashing stuff?”
Brief Synopsis: A girl and a boy with active imaginations each have very different ideas about what makes a fun game. Will the afternoon end with two kids playing alone on opposite sides of the room, or will they find something that is fun for both of them?
Links To Resources: Class Compromise Activity for grades 3, 4 & 5 – Planning A Class Party; let your child or student draw a picture of what they think would be a fun game to play; discuss the meaning of compromise and the importance of getting along – what would happen if everyone insisted on getting his/her own way? Give examples of situations where people might have to compromise and have kids discuss how it could be handled, for example if one child wants to go to the zoo and the other wants to go to the playground, or how to plan a family picnic that will be fun for a variety of interests, etc.
Why I Like This Book: First of all, how fun is it that I got to read this book and share it with you when it’s not even out yet?! 🙂 This is a delightful story, told completely through dialogue and illustration (a good mentor text for writers who are working on similar stories.) The writing is spare and there is no written narrative – it’s all a conversation. The girl is completely sure that her idea is best, her game the most fun…and not surprisingly it gives her the starring role. The boy is equally convinced that his totally different idea is best, his game the most fun…and not surprisingly it gives him the starring role 🙂 Anyone who has ever spent time around kids will recognize this dynamic. The children’s imaginative descriptions grow more and more elaborate as they try to convince each other, but it is not to be. Before long the girl is playing her game, and the boy is playing his. But they are side by side… sneaking glances at each other… ultimately unable to resist their curiosity about each other’s games and the allure of having someone to play with, not just next to. The resolution is just right – very believable – and brings young readers full circle. But one of the best things about this book is the art! Childlike crayon drawings depicting the imagined games – SO much fun, and not to be missed!
PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you! (Which will hopefully appear… I haven’t tried this on wordpress yet…)
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone! And don’t forget (hopefully I won’t forget! :)) that we’re going to have a special blog post on Monday to vote for all the best Would You Read It pitches from September, October and November!
I hope you all had wonderful, happy, healthy holidays and are raring to charge full speed into 2016!
I confess that I’m unusually glad to be starting a new year. I’m ready for some changes and I hope you’ll be excited to come along with me!
For starters…
DRUM ROLL…!!!
I’m about to unveil my new and improved website and blog!
Some people (who shall be nameless) (you know who you are Julie Hedlund and Katie Davis) have been urging me for some time to switch to WordPress. So I’m taking the plunge! Seeing as how I’m completely inept when it comes to technology there are bound to be some glitches during the switchover, so I beg your patience with me! 🙂
I am also (hopefully) on the verge of launching a totally awesome newsletter (she said modestly). More on that when it’s closer to ready – I’m still working on layout and format, and my incredibly talented artist and I are still working on the banner.
I am also hoping to have a new class and/or workshop on offer at some point… though that may take me a little longer since I’m wrestling with how to make it make sense and work smoothly. It’s in the hopper, though, so fingers crossed!
In the meantime, my old class will be now be offered at two levels: the traditional one that’s been offered for the past 3 years at a wee price increase and a new Self Study version (for less $) where you can work on your own.
I’m cutting back on critiques a bit for the next little while to give myself more time to work on these other projects, but will continue to offer a shorter, quicker, (cheaper :)), less formal version of my critiques for those interested as well as a limited number of full critiques for returning writers who have gotten critiques from me before.
WOW! That’s a lot of new news, don’t you think? I’m thrilled by all of it… now it just remains for me to get it all finished and up and running! 🙂
Now then! Onto the business of Would You Read It Wednesday!
Somehow, due to one thing and another, we haven’t had a Pitch Pick since July! So this coming Monday January 11 there will be a special Pitch Pick post in which you will have the chance to choose your favorite pitches from September, October and November without having to focus on anything else – a new pitch or a Perfect Picture Book or whatnot. I will provide an extra Something Chocolate to make it worth your while 🙂 but it just seems easier and less stressful to put the Pitch Picks by themselves then to lump them all in with another post, don’t you think?
But, lest you be in voting withdrawal :), I have something else for you to vote on today.
Quite a few people have asked me how I’d feel about running a writing contest in February to break up the winter doldrums. If there is interest, I’d be happy to run one with a Groundhog Day or Valentines Day theme (providing I can drum up good prizes on short notice.) I’ve never run one in February before because I feared it would be too much for you all coming so close on the heels of the Halloweensie and Holiday Contests, but it DOES seem appealing to have something fun in February, and it WOULD be a great opportunity for you to create a new manuscript! So here’s a poll where you can vote to let me know if you’d like a contest and whether you’d prefer a Groundhog Day or Valentines Day theme or if you have a better idea! And if anyone has brilliant ideas for prizes (given that a Groundhog Day Contest would take place in barely a month!) please mention them in the comments or email me! 🙂 I’ll leave the contest poll open from today until Saturday evening.
And now, the moment you’ve all been waiting for (admit it! :))… today’s Something Chocolate! It is frigidly cold here in the Northeast, so I’m thinking rich and delicious and decadent Belgian Hot Chocolate would really hit the spot!!! (Which if you’ve never tried you MUST!)
Today’s pitch comes to us from Gabi. Gabi lives in Oregon with her husband, two kiddos, one dog, and one dog-like cat. She loves reading, nature, and caffeine, and she’d love to see you at her blog: https://writingtoconnect.wordpress.com/.
Here is her pitch:
Working Title: Unicorn With A Stache
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: Meet Eustace. Like his fellow unicorns, he smells like roses. Unlike his fellow unicorns, Eustace grows a mustache. He likes his dapper new look, but his schoolmates tease.
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 your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Gabi 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 Itor on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above. There are openings in February so you’ve got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!
Gabi is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch! I am looking forward to getting all my projects finished and launching my new site, and to your answers about a February Writing Contest!
Susanna Leonard Hill 
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