Category: Perfect Picture Book Fridays

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Mowing and The May Pitch Winner and The May PPBF Winner

65 Comments

We interrupt our regularly scheduled program for an important service announcement from our sponsor:

For anyone who might not have read Monday’s post, this is our second to last week of Perfect Picture Books before summer.  PPBF will go on hiatus from (and including) June 22 – August 31.  After June 15, the next PPBF date will be Friday September 7.  I apologize to anyone whose style this cramps, but I just can’t be sure of being able to keep up over the summer.  The updating is very time consuming and there have been glitches lately which means work has to be redone, and I am going to be crazy busy for the next 12 weeks.  Plus, a lot of you are going to be busy and traveling and etc. too.  So we can all take a break for the summer – read and gather up lots of great picture books for the fall.  In the meantime, there will be fun and games going on around here on Fridays to keep you from missing PPBF too much – Summer Short & Sweets! – quick writing fun served with fresh lemonade and cookies 🙂

We now return you to the program already in progress 🙂

Apparently all I can think about this week is baby deer 🙂

So in about 14 seconds you’ll understand why I chose this week’s Perfect Picture Book 🙂

Mowing
Written By:  Jessie Haas
Illustrated By:  Jos. A. Smith
Greenwillow Books, 1994, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 4-8

Themes/Topics: farms, grandparents, generations, modernization, respect for wildlife, vehicles

Opening:  “Early in the morning Gramp and Nora go to the field to mow.  They hear the cry of the bobolink, the swish of the tall grass, the thud of the horses’ hooves.
At the edge of the field Gramp lowers the cutter bar.
“Hop off, Nora,” he says.  “You’ll be safer on the ground.”  Gramp speaks softly to the horses.  “Giddap!”  They walk, and the mowing machine begins to clatter.”

Brief Synopsis:  Just as morning is peeking over the horizon, Gramp and Nora head out to mow the hay.  Gramp drives an old-fashioned sickle bar mower with Nora in his lap holding the reins.  When they reach the field, it’s Nora’s job to hop down and keep an eye out for any little animal that might be injured by the horses or the cutter blades.  What does she see?  (I’m betting you can guess one thing she sees! :))  When the mowing is done, two tall islands of grass still stand.  Gramp says some would call that a bad job of mowing, but he and Nora know better.  They know they have taken care to leave the animals safe and protected.

Links To Resources: Fawn Coloring Page 1, Fawn Coloring Page 2, Fawn Facts, National Geographic Groundhog Facts, National Geographic Killdeer Facts.  Talk about the difference in the way hay is mowed today.  Talk about other situations where you might want to be respectful of wildlife.

Why I Like This Book:  This is the kind of sweet, quiet book that I absolutely love.  My kids loved it too, and we read it over and over and over.  The language is gentle, the story is simple with that nostalgic feel of hearkening back to a different time, and the message of caring for all the creatures who share our world is lovely.  On top of that, the art is just beautiful, particularly the way the artist captured the changing light, from dawn through late afternoon, and the different perspectives he uses.  It’s a wonderful book for nap time, bedtime, or anytime kids need to unwind.

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Before we all head off for the weekend, I have a couple other things to say (because I wouldn’t be me if I didn’t, right? :))

First, I know none of you were able to sleep last night, wondering who the winner of the coveted May Pitch Contest would be.

And I’m going to tell you just as soon as I finish singing 99 Bottles of Pop On The Wall (because this is a kid-friendly blog where we would never think of drinking anything stronger than soda pop :))

“OOOHHHH…….!!!!!  99 bottles of pop on the wall, 99 bottles of pop.  You take one down and pass it around, 98 bottles of pop on the wall.  98 bottles of pop on the wall, 98 bottles of pop….”

Everyone!  Join in!  Can you hear me on all seven continents???

OK, OK, enough of that.  Would you guys quit fooling around?  We have important business here.  I’m trying to tell you, if you would stop caterwauling, that the winner of the May Pitch Pick is………

ELIZABETH!!! with her pitch for MAGNIFICENT!!!

WOO-HOO!  Well done!  I must tell you, it was an exceptionally tight race!  So congratulations to Elizabeth, and to everyone who bravely entered and hopefully learned a lot so they can now feel more confident about their pitches.

And NOW, just when you thought the prize giving was over for the day, it’s NOT!

As you know, I like to thank all the wonderful participants in PPBF for their hard work each month by randomly selecting a blogger to receive a prize!  The winner for May is Laura R at I’ve Got A Book For That!!!  Please email me, Laura, and let me know which you would like for your prize: *rummaging in my bag of goodies…* let’s see… your choice of Red Knit Cap Girl, Chicks Run Wild, a signed copy of Can’t Sleep Without Sheep, or a $15 Amazon Gift Card.

PPBF bloggers, please add your post specific link to the list below, and everyone have a great weekend!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Lost In The Woods, and The Birthday Contest Winners!

61 Comments

Last Saturday we had dinner with our daughter, son-in-law, and little granddaughter.  On our way home through a lovely late May twilight, just before we turned into our road, we saw a doe grazing right at the edge of the tall meadow grass.  The car startled her.  She lifted her head from the grass and with one graceful leap disappeared into the sheltering trees.  And oh!  Right behind her out of that tall grass came the first little fawn we’ve seen this year!  So tiny.  So delicate.  So earnestly intent on staying with his mama 🙂

So for today’s Perfect Picture Book, I had to share one of my favorites.  I hope you’ll enjoy it as much as I do!

Lost In The Woods: A Photographic Fantasy
Written By & Photographed By: Carl R. Sams II & Jean Stoick
Published By: Carl R. Sams II Photography, June, 2004, Reality Based Fiction

Suitable For: ages 5 and up

Themes/Topics: Animals, Patience, Seasons (Spring), Trust

Opening: “The Spring frogs sing-singing with a thousand trilling voices were silenced by the rising sun.  New life came into the woods before the sun touched the tops of the trees.  He slept quietly in the tall grass on the north edge of the meadow where the trees start the forest.”

Brief Synopsis:  The woodland creatures are worried that a newborn fawn might be lost.  “Mama said to wait right here,” the fawn whispers.  “She will come back.”  But the other animals aren’t convinced and offer their advice and help.  Does the doe come back?  What do you think? 🙂

Links To Resources:  The book itself is a resource.  Page after page of gorgeous photographs of woodland creatures will introduce children to animals and birds they may never have seen, especially if they live in the city.  The very last page of the book challenges readers to look back through the pictures and see if they can find a number of hidden animals.  Activity pages, Lesson Plan.  If you’re lucky enough to live in a rural area, go for a “deer drive” in the evening, cruising slowly along back roads, and see how many different animals and birds you can spot 🙂

Why I Like This Book:  I love this story!  It’s simple and sweet.  On the first page where the fawn appears, he is a tangle of fragile limbs.  His spotted fur helps him blend into the forest floor.  By the last page, he has mastered those rascally legs and can be seen bounding through the meadow grass with such joy you can’t help but smile at his airs above the ground.  But the best part is the photography.  It’s breathtaking.  Absolutely stunning!  The fawn’s fur looks like you could reach out and touch it.  You can see his eyelashes!  And there are so many other animals pictured – chipmunk, goslings, a tree frog whose camouflage is amazing!, cardinal, red-winged blackbird, raccoon, and many others.  I know I’m an animal lover (and therefore biased :)) but I think this book is exquisitely beautiful and one that anyone would enjoy!

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Now.

I know you’ve all been anxiously waiting for the moment when I announce the winners of the Birthday Contest.

Thank you for your patience.

And I am definitely going to tell you just as soon as I recite The Canterbury Tales by Geoffrey Chaucer.

In Middle English.

(deep breath)

“Whan that Aprill with his shoures sote
The droghte of Marche hath perced to the rote,
And bathed every veyne in swich licour,
Of which vertu engendered is the flour;
Whan Zephirus eek with his swete breeth
Inspired hath in every holt and heeth
The tendre croppes…”

Sorry 🙂  I’m just fooling’ with you – can’t seem to help myself 🙂  But I won’t really put you through a recitation of all 900 billion stanzas (or however many there are – it seemed like at least 900 billion when we were in 9th grade) and besides, I can only remember about 16 lines of the General Prologue 🙂

So anyway.  The Birthday Contest!

We had so many talented writers, and so many wonderful entries!  It was incredibly hard, but we narrowed them down to 6:

#1 A Gift Of Love by Delores
#2 A Present For A Pirate by Cathy
#3 Not Another Birthday! by Erik
#4 Birthday At The Beach by Carrie
#5 Dan’s Birthday Plan by Stacy
#6 The Biggest And The Best by Anthony

96 voters weighed in with their opinions and the winners are…

duhn-duhn-duhn-duhn!!!

Third Place:  CATHY with A Present For A Pirate

Second Place:  CARRIE with Birthday At The Beach

and last but not least….

First Place and Big Winner 🙂  ANTHONY with The Biggest And The Best!!!

Congratulations to all of you, and to all who entered!  You were all superb and I think I speak for everyone when I say we thoroughly enjoyed all the entries and admire your hard work and bravery in entering!  Thank you all!

Anthony, Carrie, and Cathy, please contact me using that handy Email Me button on the right or, if you prefer manual labor, by emailing to susanna [at] susannahill [dot] com.  Anthony will get first choice of the prizes, Carrie will get second choice, and Cathy will get third.

Once again, the prizes on offer are:

#1- a PB ms critique by me
#2 – a 3 pack of Perfect Picture Books including Chloe, My Side Of The Car, and Z Is For Moose
#4 – a $15 gift certificate to Merritt Bookstore.

Two last things before we go:

First, the lovely Jen invited me to be part of her fabulous Let’s Ask series yesterday.  If you haven’t had a chance, please pop over and visit her 🙂

Second, remember Randy’s Contest over at Author In Training, and also Delores is running a lovely Words Of June Contest which I meant to mention Wednesday, so do hop over and check them both out!

So now we can all recover from the excitement by making the Perfect Picture Book rounds 🙂  PPBF bloggers, please add your post-specific link to the list below.
Have a great weekend, everyone, and please tune in Monday for Oh Susanna and some exciting announcements 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Aunt Isabel Tells A Good One

51 Comments

Once upon a time…

There are few phrases that fill you with as much anticipation as those 4 little words!  (Okay.  “I made chocolate cake” is right up there too.  Or, if you’re me, “time for Grey’s Anatomy” which is actually a little like “once upon a time” although my faith was badly shaken by the season finale… but I digress.)

When you hear once upon a time, you just know something good is coming!  You settle in, get comfy, and eagerly await whatever comes next!

Well, I feel the same way about 4 other little words – Perfect Picture Book Friday!  When I hear those words, I just know I’m about to read about a whole bunch of terrific books I can’t wait to get my hands on!

And the one I’m going to share with you today is all about that once upon a time…! 🙂

Aunt Isabel Tells A Good One
Written & Illustrated By: Kate Duke
Dutton Children’s Books, 1992, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 3-8

Themes/Topics: creativity, storytelling, imagination, girl power

Opening: “‘Tell me a story,’ said Penelope one night after supper.
‘What kind of a story?’ asked Aunt Isabel.
‘A good story,’ said Penelope.
‘All right,’ said Aunt Isabel.  ‘A good story is the hardest kind to tell, though.  We must put it together carefully, with just the right ingredients…’“

Brief Synopsis:  At Penelope’s request, Aunt Isabel makes up a story using all the necessary ingredients.  A When, a Where, and a Who.  Romance, a Problem, and Villains!  But when beloved Prince Augustus is in danger from Odious Mole and Bad-Egg Bat, who will come to his rescue?

Links To Resources: probably the best thing you can do with this story is use it as a springboard for creativity, writing, and storytelling activities, one-on-one or in a group.  Some online resources to enhance the fun are Scribblitt and Story Starters.  And illustrating the stories (before or after) is always fun too!

Why I Like This Book: the story is fun and engaging, and the art is absolutely charming.  But even better, it is actually a how-to manual for how to write a story!  While Aunt Isabel is making up a story for Penelope, readers are learning how to make up their own stories.  This applies to adults as well as kids 🙂  Whether you’re a child, a parent, a teacher, or a writer (or any combination thereof :)), I think you’ll enjoy this one!

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Before we all head for the PPB list, I just want to thank the fabulous Natasha over at Writes By Moonlight for bestowing the Kreativ Blogger Award on me!  As you all know, I am terrible at these awards, and as you can tell by how impressively brief I’m being today I’m unusually pressed for time, so I’m going to skip the questions and random facts and trying to pick other people to give the award to for now.  But do please pop by and visit Natasha!

PPBF bloggers, please add your post-specific links below!  I will be popping around reading when I can, and then spending as much of this holiday weekend as I can appropriate trying to choose finalists in the Birthday Contest!

Have a great Memorial Day Weekend everyone!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Chloe

57 Comments

I LOVE school visits.  Almost without fail, someone, at some point, makes me laugh!

Yesterday I visited with about 100 first graders.  They were a lively crew and we had tons of fun.

photo credit Pam Lawrence

Somewhere along in the proceedings, one alert audience member piped up with, “How old are you?” (a favorite question!)  “How old do you think I am?” I asked him.  Now, usually the answer to this question ranges from 20 to I-don’t-know, but this boy tipped his head to one side, considering, and then guessed – I kid you not! – “80?”

So apparently I look nearly twice my actual age 🙂

I think these kids thought 80 was a wild guess too 🙂
photo credit Pam Lawrence

I am so excited to share today’s book with you!  It is by one of my favorite author/illustrators and it was just released on Tuesday so it’s only 4 days old!  (Nowhere near 80 :))

If any of you have had the pleasure of reading Henry In Love, you will recognize young Chloe as the object of Henry’s affection and the recipient of the coveted blueberry muffin 🙂

Chloe
Written & Illustrated By: Peter McCarty
Balzer & Bray, May 15, 2012, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 2-8

Themes/Topics: family, imagination, love

Opening:  “Chloe loved the end of the day, when her whole family was together.  She called it family fun time.“

Brief Synopsis:  Chloe has 10 older brothers and sisters and 10 younger brothers and sisters.  She loves being in the middle.  But one night Dad brings home a surprise – a new TV! – and Chloe finds that she is no longer in the middle as everyone gathers around the TV instead.  Luckily it doesn’t take Chloe long to get everyone back on the right track!

Links To Resources:  The Five Best Toys Of All Time (so funny that it’s worth it just to read :)) puts “Box” at number 2.  Give your kids any of the items on this list and watch their imaginations soar as they come up with innumerable ways to play with these simple things.  In this day and age of specialty toys and electronic gadgets, there is nothing better than letting your kids (or students) take a box and turn it into a rocket ship, a castle, or a fort, and themselves into astronauts, princesses, or cowboys!

Why I Like This Book:  First of all, is it even possible to look at this art without feeling happy?  There is such exuberance in these bunnies, each with his or her own special details!  I think it’s something about the ears 🙂  But I also love the story.  I love that the rest of the family initially succumbs to the lure of the new TV, but Chloe and baby Bridget have no use for it.  Instead, they discover the bubble wrap in the box, and pretty soon the other kids are losing interest in the TV and coming over to Pop! Bip! Pap!  Next thing you know, they’ve found an entertaining use for the box, putting on their own TV show.  The message that family fun time can be family fun time without a TV is refreshing 🙂  I won’t give away the very last page, but it’s a hoot and you should get a copy of the book and see it for yourself! 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Before we all head off to read all the other PPBs, I’d like to take this opportunity to remind everyone that the Birthday Contest is just hours away!!!  (I’m feeling a mite panicky, actually, because I don’t yet have a sample entry prepared.  I thought I had an idea, but it didn’t pan out.  In the midst of this hectic week, I haven’t had time to work on a new one, so I’m seriously down to the wire and not hopeful for anything brilliant!)

Anyhoo, even though Saturday is not a usual posting day, please come on over tomorrow to start the Birthday Contest fun.  The link list will be up so that as people’s entries are ready they can put in their post specific links or, if you want to enter and don’t have your own blog, you can copy and paste your entry in the comment section.  That post will stay up until midnight Tuesday night (no new post Monday) so everyone can add their links and come back and read everyone else’s.  It will be a party 🙂  (Just make sure you’re linking on Saturday’s Birthday Contest post.  I don’t want anyone to get confused and link on PPBF – we’ll miss it!)

If you have any questions because I’m not being clear in my current fog of fatigue, please email or ask in the comments! 🙂

PPBF bloggers, please add your post-specific links to today’s link list so we can all come visit!

Looking forward to seeing you all tomorrow, and starting in on reading what I’m sure will be fantastic contest entries!  Happy Weekend, Everyone!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Way Home

44 Comments

Wow!  What a week it has been!

Joanna’s book Snow Games was published, as was Miranda’s book Fly With Kai.  Ruth has an agent – woo-hoo! – and I have joined twitter!

(OK.  So maybe that last part isn’t in quite the same category of awesomeness.  But it gave me a good excuse to mention how happy I am for my friends 🙂  Feel free to hop over and do the happy dance with them and buy their books but then please come back for PPBF! :))

(And please stay tuned for a few important announcements after the picture book, including the April Pitch Winner!)

Now, at first glance, this book might not seem to have anything to do with spring or Mother’s Day.  That is because it is about geese migrating in the fall.  But Canada Geese mate for life, which is kind of peripherally related to Mother’s Day, and although they fly south in the fall, they come back in the spring.  And although I usually like to tease you about the endings so you’ll read the book, I’m going to tell this one so you get it 🙂

The Way Home
Written & Illustrated By: Nan Parson Rossiter
Dutton Children’s Books, 1999
Suitable For: ages 5-9

Themes/Topics: animals, seasons, migration, helping others, kindness, responsibility

Opening: “It was late in the October afternoon when Samuel and his father finished the day’s chores at the farm and set out for a walk with Ben, their yellow Lab. The sun was already behind the hills, but they had just enough time to walk around the pond before it got dark.”

Brief Synopsis:  On their walk, Samuel finds an injured goose, and he and his father take her back to the farm, hoping she will heal.  But even if she does, will she be strong enough to make the long flight south for the winter?  And will she and her mate make it in time?

Links To Resources:  National Geographic Creature Feature: Canada Geese, Kidzone – Canada Geese, Kid Video – Canada Geese, Canada Goose Coloring Page.  This story is a nice opening to discussion about disposing of trash responsibly, caring for animals, and allowing wild animals to be free.

Why I Like This Book:  Although this isn’t a true story, it almost could be.  An animal injured because of human carelessness is helped back to health by a kind, responsible family.  But they don’t try to keep her. When she’s well, they let her go back to her wild life, even though they are sad to see her go and will miss her.  Although the book’s ending would most probably not happen in real life, it is a lovely ending that brings the story full circle for child readers and will leave them feeling happy and satisfied.  The geese return to the pond in the spring, and Ben finds them, complete with a brand new family of goslings (that’s the marginally Mother’s Day part :))  The art is painted in the warm reds and golds of autumn – very appealing.  And the longer text makes it a satisfying read for older children or children with a longer attention span.

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

And now, I am pleased to announce that the winner of the April Pitch Pick, whose pitch will be sent to editor Erin Molta for review and comment, is none other than the fabulous Rebecca with her pitch for Broomstick Rodeo!  Congratulations, Rebecca!  And congratulations and thank you to all our brave pitchers – I wish you could all win!

Before we all go off to read all the other PPBs and cruise on into the weekend, let me remind you that the Birthday Contest is just over a week away (which I hope means everyone is writing busily!)

Also!!!  Phyllis terrorized had a fabulous visit to Italy, and if you haven’t had a chance to see it, it’s a must read!  Hop on over to Renee’s at NoWaterRiver!  You haven’t lived until you’ve seen Phyllis as Juliet 🙂

PPBF bloggers, please leave your post-specific links below.

And Happy Mother’s Day to all you moms, grandmoms, step-moms, new moms, moms-to-be, like-moms, etc. out there.  These are for you 🙂

because you make the world a better place 🙂

Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Camel Who Took A Walk, And The April PPBF Prize

66 Comments

Happy Friday, everyone!  Would anyone care for a donut?

Please!  Help yourselves!

For those of you who expressed concern, thank you, my sprained pancreas appears to be on the mend 🙂  But there will be no more interpretive dance for a while… 🙂

I’ve been trying to resist posting today’s Perfect Picture Book for a while because it is out of print.  But it is one of my all time favorite books ever, and since I got notification this week that one of my books is going out of print, I thought this would be a nice time to celebrate books that don’t always get as much recognition as one might hope.  This is a story my parents read to me, and that I read to my kids.  It was always a favorite in our house.  I hope you’ll be able to find a copy at your local library, or get a used one through some channel or other.  It’s really wonderful!

The Camel Who Took A Walk
Written By: Jack Tworkov
Illustrated By: Roger Duvoisin
Aladdin Books, 1951

Suitable For: ages 4-8

Themes/Topics: expectation/suspense, cause & effect/chain reaction, unexpected outcomes

Opening:  “The forest was dark and very quiet.
Not a creature was stirring.
Even the wind had stopped breathing.
Not a leaf was falling, not a blade of grass was moving.
And do you know why this was so?
Because
it was just the time between night and day,
when night was ending
and day was about to begin.”

Brief Synopsis:  A very beautiful camel goes for a walk in the forest.  Unbeknownst to her, a tiger waits hidden “by leaves, flowers, vines and grasses.  He was hidden also by the darkness.”  But the tiger is not the only one waiting and watching.  Each of the creatures hidden in the forest has its own secret plan.  What will happen to the very beautiful camel?

Links To Resources: Camel Coloring Pages, Tiger Coloring Pages, Monkey Coloring Pages, discuss cause and effect, read other books where one thing leads to another, like If You Give A Pig A Pancake or Stuck.

Why I Like This Book:  For starters, the language is lyrical.  Just read that opening aloud to yourself and hear the music of those words!  The whole book is like this – simply a delight to read aloud because of the rhythm of the language.  For writers, it’s a great example of how to do language really well.  The description is also beautiful, and not the kind of thing we find so much in PBs these days:
“Night in the forest is very dark, and it creeps away slowly.”
“Suddenly the first glimmer of light trembled in the sky.“
“Her nose smelled the early morning sweetness, and her eyes took in all the blue and pink colors of the sky.”
Isn’t is beautiful?  But aside from the exquisite language, I love the way the book builds tension.  The camel approaches the hidden tiger.  She comes closer… and closer… and you just have to wonder, how will she get out of this?  The ending is deliciously unexpected!

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Also, as you know, I like to thank all the wonderful participants in PPBF for their hard work each month by randomly selecting a blogger to receive a prize!  The winner for April is and the prize is JOANNA!!!  (And lest there be any confusion, as there was with Beth Doozenfloofer, that’s Joanna Marple :))  Please email me, Joanna, and let me know which you would like for your prize: *rummaging in my bag of goodies…* let’s see… your choice of The Writer’s Guide To Crafting Stories For Children by Nancy Lamb, Chloe by Peter McCarty (which I will be posting on PPBF next week or the week after – it doesn’t come out until May 15 but it’s really good!), or a $15 gift certificate to Merritt Bookstore (my own beloved local indie :))

Phyllis is still traveling – I hope you’ve all had a chance to keep up!  There should be posts from North Carolina and Italy, and maybe another from St, Lucia coming up soon!

I also hope you’re all hard at work on your Birthday Contest entries!  I am mulling… and hoping I’ve come up with an idea for the sample… but it remains to be seen 🙂

For those of you interested in Would You Read It (or simply in learning how to write a good pitch) there was an excellent post on Cheryl’s blog: How To Pitch Your Book.  The post uses a novel as an example, but it can easily be applied to picture books.  If you follow the basics rules, it will help you come up with a beautiful 3 sentence pitch.  Just right!

And as for NaPiBoWriWee, I’m happy to report that I’m technically ahead of schedule since as of this writing (on Thursday evening) I have already completed 4 PBs (which means I’m up-to-date until bedtime Saturday when I should have a fifth… which heaven knows how I will get written Saturday… Sunday either… hmm… maybe I’d better stay up a little longer!)  But RIGHT THIS SECOND, I’m ahead of the curve!

Now off you go to hop around the blogosphere and see all the Perfect Picture Books posted today.  PPB bloggers, please add your post-specific link to the list below.

Have a supercalifragilisticexpialidocious weekend everyone!  (I’m allowed to say that because Beth has dubbed me Susanna Poppins! :))

Perfect Picture Book Friday – My Side Of The Car

51 Comments

Happy PPBF everyone!  I’ve got such a good one today – I think you’re going to love it 🙂  And please stay tuned afterwards for the winner of the Lisa Thiesing giveaway, as well as the winner of the Puzzled By Pink giveaway!

OK.  Ready?  Fasten your seat belts because here we go! 🙂

My Side Of The Car
Written By: Kate Feiffer
Illustrated By: Jules Feiffer
Candlewick, April 2011, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 4-8

Themes/Topics: patience, imagination, father-daughter love, optimism

Opening:  “My dad and I are going to the zoo.  We’ve tried to go to the zoo before.  But we never get there.  Something always happens.”

Brief Synopsis:  Sadie and her dad are going to the zoo.  Their plans have been thwarted three previous times, but this time they’re really going.  Except… on the way… it starts to rain.  They can’t go to the zoo in the rain.  But Sadie’s not about to let the fact that her dad sees rain deter her.  “I look out my window, and the sun is shining on my side of the car. People are putting on their sunglasses and heading to zoos all over the world on my side of the car.” While her dad sees nothing but rain, Sadie sees people mowing their laws and eating ice cream.  Is it raining or not?  Will Sadie and her dad get to the zoo this time or will they have to wait for another day?

Links To Resources:  Fun Zoo-Related Activities, Zoo Lessons And Activities, a page in the back of the book tells the true story of what happened (which is always fun :))

Why I Like This Book:  Anyone who has lived with kids knows that their perception of reality is not necessarily the same as yours… especially when they really want something! 🙂  What’s wonderful about this book is both Sadie’s determined optimism and her father’s patience and his loving understanding of how she needs to cope with her disappointment.  This book is also delightful because it’s written and illustrated by a father-daughter team about an incident that actually happened.  I’m not going to tell you whether they get to the zoo or not, though.  You’ll have to go read the book 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Now then!

I know you’ve all been holding your breath in anticipation of the winner announcements, so I won’t make you wait any longer 🙂

The winner of a signed copy of Lisa Thiesing’s wonderful book, A Dark And Noisy Night, is Catherine Johnson!  Catherine, come on down!  Pleas send me an email with your address and who you’d like the book signed to and Lisa and I will get right on the job of mailing it out to you!

And I want to extend a hearty thank you to everyone who tried to help me with my theme struggles.  I got quite a few good examples, and also discovered that I am not alone in my inability to articulate theme in a meaningful way, so all in all, it was a good exercise 🙂  And the winner of Puzzled By Pink is Beth!!!  Thank you ALL for your help! and Beth, you’d better email me your address…. 🙂

PPBF bloggers, please add your post-specific link to the list below so we can all come visit you 🙂

Have a great weekend everyone!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Bear Went Over The Mountain

50 Comments

Today I am thrilled to be showcasing a truly perfect picture book by one of my favorite author/illustrators!  It’s brand new, and if you haven’t had a chance to read it yet, rush right out because it’s wonderful and you’re going to love it 🙂

The Bear Went Over The Mountain
Written & Illustrated By:  Iza Trapani
Sky Pony Press, April 2012, Fiction

Suitable For:  ages 3-7

Themes/Topics: Animals, Language Fun, Nature, Seasons, 5 Senses

Opening:  “The bear went over the mountain,
The bear went over the mountain,
The bear went over the mountain
To see what he could see.
He saw a dragonfly,
A bluebird flitting by,
Three fuzzy rabbits skipping,
Five happy ducklings dipping…”

Brief Synopsis:  The bear goes over the mountain to see what he can see, hear, smell, touch, and taste, and he gets a few surprises while he’s at it! 🙂

Links To Resources:  Classroom Activities, Coloring Page, Maze, Connect-The-Dots, Word Search, Bookmarks.

Why I Like This Book:  This book, like all of Iza Trapani’s books, has impeccable, fun-to-read/sing aloud rhyme, a delightful child-friendly story, and gorgeous art that makes you want to crawl right into the pages and live there 🙂  The bear goes over the mountain and experiences nature through all five of his senses, some in rather unexpected ways.  Children will learn the song quickly because it’s a familiar tune, and they will delight in singing along to the bear’s adventures.  Perfect for bedtime, story time, preschoolers learning about the 5 senses, rides in the car – another winner from Iza!

Iza was kind enough to visit us here recently, and if you didn’t get to see her interview you can read it HERE.

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Now, before we all rush off to read the other PPBs and enjoy our weekends, I have two three other things to tell you:

First, in case you haven’t had a chance to check it out, Phyllis visited Clar in Virginia, and Melissa in Australia.  She is currently flying home from England (I wonder if she’ll have an accent :)) and arrived in South Korea yesterday which was tomorrow over there at the time 🙂  She should be arriving at Saba’s in Washington today.  And this just in, she has been to see Alison in Georgia!

Second, by overwhelmingly popular demand, editor Erin Molta’s visit to our little corner of the blogosphere will be a Q&A, possibly divided into more than one post, so please check the comments from Wednesday’s post to see the questions currently on the table, and add any additional questions here when you think of them (or email me :))  There is not yet a set date for this extravaganza, but you can be sure I’ll let you know! 🙂

Finally, on Monday we will have a visit from the fabulous author/illustrator Lisa Thiesing!  Because I know people in high places (that would be me) I have already read her interview, and I can assure you it is really good!!!  So I hope you’ll all flock over here first thing Monday morning and show her some much-deserved love! 🙂

Now then.  PPB bloggers, please add your post-specific link below, and everyone have a super-fantastic fun-filled weekend!!!

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Cowgirl Rosie And Her Five Baby Bison

58 Comments

Usually when it’s time to pick a Perfect Picture Book for the week, I pop into one of the kids’ rooms, scan the shelves get lost in nostalgia remembering when I used to read all those books to them and almost instantly find a beloved story.

This week, clever lass that I am, I thought to myself, “I’ll go to the library and find something new!“

So off I trotted.  I set myself down in the corner.  I read picture book after picture book after picture book.  And none of them were Perfect.

So I came home, popped into one of the kids’ rooms, scanned the shelves, and almost instantly found this VERY beloved story 🙂  Doesn’t that title just already make you want to read it? 🙂

Cowgirl Rosie And Her Five Baby Bison
Written & Illustrated By: Stephen Gulbis
Little Brown & Co, 2001, Fiction
Suitable For: ages 3-8
Topics/Themes: animals, love, responsibility, right vs. wrong, consequences

Opening: “Cowgirl Rosie lived on a ranch with her five baby bison.  They were the most handsome babies you ever did see.  Every day Cowgirl Rosie brushed each glossy black coat and kissed each shiny nose.”

Brief Synopsis:  Cowgirl Rosie has five handsome baby bison – Bigwig, Bonnie, Beefy, Butch, and Baby B – but those babies are also mischievous!  They have a way of going thisaway and thataway that leaves their little mistress plumb worn out at day’s end.  One day they head to town.  “Stay close,” says Rosie.  But by the time she reaches her destination all five baby bison are GONE!  Where could they be?  And how will she get her beloved babies back?  It’s not what you think!

Links To Resources: Activities For Cowgirl Rosie, Cowboy And Wild West Page


Why I Like This Book:  This story has the flavor of a wild west tall tale.  The art is warm and bright, full of the colors of the desert.  The baby bison are adorable.  Though they disappear, they have not actually been disobedient, and Rosie is called on to be brave and resourceful to get her baby bison back.  The story moves right along and is fun to read aloud, full of western lingo (when the bison disappear the exclamation is “Oh, calamity!” :))  The bad guy gets what’s coming to him, and it’s the girl who saves the day 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Now, before you all rush off to read all the other Perfect Picture Books, I have a couple quick things:

First, I want to thank Cally Jackson very much for bestowing The Versatile Blogger Award upon me.  She also tagged me (as did Cheryl and Corey) in the Lucky 7 Meme, and one of these days maybe I’ll manage to squeeze that in somewhere… but not today!

Second, I’m happy to announce that my little story, Jac And The Beanstalk, (also, coincidentally, about a resourceful girl! :)) is now available from A Story Before Bed!

And third, a World Tour update from Phyllis – she has arrived at Julie’s in Colorado, so we can expect some news from there soon!  She has left Georgia for New Jersey, so I’m guessing we’ll hear something from those quarters soon as well!  Sorry to keep you all hanging, but everyone’s pretty busy this month!

PPB bloggers, please add your post-specific links to the list below, and everyone have a GREAT weekend!!!  🙂

Oh Susanna – What Should A New Author Look For/Watch Out For In A Contract?

41 Comments

I am so full of happy announcements today!  I like to think I’ll be spreading joy and cheer like sunshine 🙂

I assume you all have plenty of Easter candy left over, so feel free to snack while I spread cheer 🙂

First off, I would like to announce the winner of the March Pitch Pick!  As always, all the entries were terrific, and all the entrants were so brave to put their work out there for everyone to comment on.  Thanks to you, we all learn something new each week.  It would be lovely if everyone could win, but since we have to pick one each month, the polls have spoken and this month’s winner is………

Miranda, with Reef Stew!

Congratulations, Miranda!  Your pitch has already been sent to editor Erin Molta for critique, and we will all look forward to her comments!

Next, as you may or may not remember :), I so appreciate all the work the devoted Perfect Picture Book bloggers do each week that I like to spread a little thank-you cheer by randomly selecting one person each month to win a little prize.  Bloggers get one entry for every Perfect Picture Book they post that month, so in March quite a few people got 5 entries!  In case you are wondering, this month 33 bloggers posted anywhere from 1-5 books each, resulting in 128 new books being added to the list!  I didn’t do an exact count, but we now have upwards of 450 books on the list all together.  It’s getting to be quite an impressive resource!  Hopefully, parents and teachers out there are beginning to discover it and put it to good use 🙂

But I digress… 🙂  I was announcing the March gift winner which is

… dddrrruuummm rrrooollllll…

Thank you so much, Kirsten, for your wonderful additions to the list this month, and thank you to EVERYONE who participates in PPBFs – you are all wonderful!!!

So, hmm… let me rummage around in my goody bag and see what I come up with for this month’s prize…  Kirsten, you may email me to receive your choice of one of the following:  The Giblin Guide To Writing Children’s Books, An Egg Is Quiet, or Little Bunny Foo Foo: The Real Story.

My next happy announcement is that you folks seem to like the writing contests over here – thank you so much!  Quite a lot of people voted, and the general sentiment seems to be that we should have the birthday story contest in May because April is just a little too busy.  I am happy to oblige.  I want it to be fun for everyone, not stressful :), so if more people will enter and everyone will enjoy it more in May, than May it shall be!

Next on the happy announcement list is that we should have 5 or so new Tour Posts coming from Phyllis in the upcoming week from Vermont, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Australia, and 2 from the UK… if all goes according to plan… which it doesn’t always 🙂  But do stay tuned 🙂

Also, for anyone who hasn’t seen it yet, Phyllis now has her very own Punxsutawney Phyllis Face Book Page for anyone who wants to like her!  She’s very excited and hoping to become more popular than Punxsutawney Phil, who currently has 20,885 “likes”.  Phyllis currently has 48 “likes” so she has a ways to go, but she is very optimistic 🙂  Phyllis’s page is still evolving, but she will certainly be featuring a Fun Fact Friday!

Finally, my last happy announcement for the day is that I get to babysit for my granddaughter today… which also means I will not be online much as she is 8 months old and crawling 🙂  So please forgive me if I get a little behind in blog post commenting!

Now that you are all hopefully feeling very cheerful, we shall move on to today’s Oh Susanna question.  Donna has a good one.  She asks:

What are some of the key things a new author should find in a “good” contract? The flip side to that would be what are some of “bad” things in a contract that should set off warning alarms for a new author to run for the hills?

Donna, my experience is that contracts are not all that different from publishing house to publishing house. I have dealt with 5 different houses, and they all seem to cover the same basic, standard things.  These include (but may not be limited to):

  • where the publisher has the right to publish your book (USA only, or foreign?)
  • your assurance that your work is original
  • when your manuscript is due in final form
  • the time frame the publisher agrees to publish the book in and at whose expense
  • when galleys and/or proofs will be delivered by the publisher and how much time you have to review them and make any corrections, as well as how much you can change the work without incurring cost to yourself
  • the amount of your advance and when and how it will be paid (full amount on signing, or half on signing, half on delivery of ms, etc.)
  • subsidiary rights (such as book clubs, audio, film rights etc.)
  • how many free copies the publisher will supply the author
  • when statements of account and royalties if they are due will be delivered (usually semi annually, and the publisher will supply the dates)
  • author’s right to examine publisher’s accounts
  • agreement by author not to publish competing work
  • reversion of rights and termination

I don’t think any reputable publishing house would try to hoodwink or cheat an author, but there’s no doubt that publishing is a business. The publisher is laying out the money to produce your book and they want to make sure it’s worth their while, so the contract will likely be written in their favor.  You as an author, especially a first-time author, may have to consider how hard you want to push for things.  Do you really need a bigger advance/higher royalties/to keep the audio rights etc. if by insisting on such things you may cause the publisher to withdraw their offer?  Many people do push.  Other’s (like me) tend to be more complacent.  This is a reason many authors like having an agent – it is the agent’s job to negotiate higher advances, better royalties etc.

I’m generalizing here to give you an idea of what to expect, but I think a typical advance to a new picture book author can be anywhere from $1000 – $5000 (depending on the book and the size of the publishing house and other factors), royalties of 5% on hardcover, 6% on paperback are common, publication in 12-24 months (but it can be shorter or longer), and 10-15 free copies of your book are typical.  I don’t know how frequently you can expect to get audio rights, or foreign rights, or things like that – sometimes I get them, sometimes the publisher does and I don’t have enough data to make a guess.

I’m not really sure what to tell you to be wary of –  certainly any situation where the publisher asks you to pay for things.  Many vanity publishers will do this, but it’s not something that should show up in a traditional publishing contract.  And I guess a contract that varied hugely from the generalities above might be something you’d want to look at pretty carefully.

I would recommend having someone look over your contract if you’re not familiar with publishing contracts.  I believe there are even resources in SCBWI for this, although I’m not sure.

So I hope that answers your questions somewhat, Donna, and I would be most appreciative of any readers who have knowledge or expertise in this area who would be willing to chime in in the comments!

Have a great Monday, everyone.  See you Wednesday for the next pitch – this one a picture book from Rebecca C!