With Valentines Day on the horizon (and the Valentiny Contest fast approaching!) I thought today was a good day for this lovely book about feelings!
Title: In My Heart: A Book Of Feelings
Written By: Jo Witek
Illustrated By: Christine Roussey
Publisher: Abrams Appleseed, October 2014, informational fiction
Suitable For Ages: 2-4 (but I think up to 6 would like!)
Themes/Topics: emotions
Opening: “My heart is full of feelings. Big feelings and small feelings. Loud feelings and quiet feelings. Quick feelings and slow feelings. My heart is like a house, with all these feelings living inside.“
Brief Synopsis: Happiness, sadness, bravery, anger, shyness . . . hearts can feel so many things! Some make us feel as light as a balloon, others as heavy as an elephant. How does your heart feel?
text copyright Jo Witek 2014, illustration copyright Christine Roussey 2014, Abrams Appleseed
Links To Resources: make a collage of different colored hearts to represent your emotions/how you feel; draw a picture of what happy, sad, angry, brave, hopeful, shy, or any other emotion looks like to you; write a haiku or poem about being happy, sad, angry, brave, hopeful, shy, or any other emotion; make heart cookies (recipe HERE) and color the icing so you have a rainbow of emotions!
text copyright Jo Witek 2014, illustration copyright Christine Roussey 2014, Abrams Appleseed
Why I Like This Book: Emotions can be tricky even for adults. For kids, who have less experience of the world and a harder time understanding and articulating emotion, it’s wonderful to have a book like this that describes and shows the feel and the look of different basic emotions. The words are lovely, describing how different emotions feel in lyrical and accessible language (e.g. “Sometimes my heart feels as heavy as an elephant. There’s a dark cloud over my head, and tears fall like rain. This is when my heart is sad.“) And the art enhances the words by showing even further what the emotion looks like. The book is beautifully done, with heart cut-outs that run through the center of the book growing smaller on each page, and I think would be an asset to any library! 😊
text copyright Jo Witek 2014, illustration copyright Christine Roussey 2014, Abrams Appleseed
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!
Roll out the red carpet! It’s time for another Tuesday Debut!
Today I’m delighted to introduce a graduate of Making Picture Book Magic! I am always so proud when one of my students gets published! Not that I have that much to do with it – it is all their own talent, creativity, commitment to their craft, and hard work! But still. . . 😊
So without further ado, let’s welcome Hope Lim and have a look at her beautiful picture book, I Am A Bird!
I AM A BIRD written by Hope Lim illustrated by Hyewon Yum Candlewick, February 2, 2021 Fiction. Age for 3-7.
On her daily bike ride with her dad, a bird-loving little girl passes a woman who frightens her—until she discovers what they have in common.
SUSANNA: Welcome, Hope! Thank you so much for joining us today! We are eager to hear all about your journey to publication! Where did the idea for this book come from?
HOPE: The idea for I AM A BIRD started after an encounter with a stranger in Golden Gate Park. I thought she was strange at first, but I immediately recognized my perception was unfair and started to reflect on our innate fears and biases toward each other. When I came home, my husband told me about how my daughter made joyful birdcalls on their way to school on the back of his bike. I was struck by the contrast between my daughter and my simultaneous experiences. At that moment, I knew I had to write a story about exploring the fear of the unknown and combined it with my daughter’s soaring spirit. That’s how I AM A BIRD was born – a story of celebrating kindred spirits discovered unexpectedly, all told from a child’s perspective.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
HOPE: To answer this question, I looked back at the folder of I AM A BIRD on my computer. The first draft was written in October 2015. I distinctly remember the moment when I felt the urge to work on this story. It was after finishing two poetry books, BOOK OF NATURE POETRY and WINTER BEES. I had already started a draft, but after reading these books, the lines started to pour out of my heart and I simply transferred them onto paper. I realized again the importance of reading poetry for picture books, especially when your mind is still fresh with a story idea. After that first draft, I wrote 14 revisions in the next three months. Over the following year, I revised it several more times while working on other projects.
Hope’s work space
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
HOPE: A resounding yes. I went through many revisions. First on my own, then with my CPs, then with my agent, and finally with my editor. The most dramatic revision was with my editor who encouraged me to look for another way to strengthen the connection between the girl and the woman. Up until then the main focus of the revision was mostly polishing language. It was the first time for me to work with an editor whose vision clearly guided me to look at the story from a new perspective. The moment I discovered another critical connection (the bird calls) felt so exuberant.
SUSANNA:When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
HOPE:This question has always vexed me. First, do what it takes to get the story ready, such as sharing it with CPs, revising, putting it away and revising and sharing again. Second, when it feels as polished as possible, I put it away for at least two weeks. When you read it with fresh eyes and feel something, either joy, sadness, humor, or the emotion you hope your story will evoke, then the story is ready for submission. Once, Mem Fox said, “…the thing that I look for most in a book is something that will change the emotional temperature of the children who are listening.” I use that as a final gauge for each of my stories to see if they are ready or not.
SUSANNA:When and how did you submit?
HOPE: I submitted to agents, mostly, until I found my current agent. I entered a contest once and submitted manuscripts for critiques at a local conference and the LA summer conference. Early on, when I was blissfully ignorant about the publishing industry, I submitted to a few publishing houses directly, which I wouldn’t have done if I knew then what I know now. At that time, my story wasn’t ready, and I had no idea what it takes to get an agent or get a story published. What worked for me was to submit the strongest story widely. Chose the one that represents who you are as a person and a writer. For me, it was MY TREE and when I started to attract positive responses, I knew it was my strongest one and submitted it widely. MY TREE landed me an agent and my first book deal. I think you should have three or four complete and polished manuscripts, in addition to the one you are submitting.
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! )
HOPE:My experiences with submissions have been very different and each story has had a unique journey to find the perfect home. For I AM A BIRD, fortunately, the initial interest came quickly and it ended up having two houses with serious interest. My agent and I decided to go with the first house, for her thoughtful comments helped me see my story in a new way. It was like discovering something buried in the story that I hadn’t thought of before. She didn’t ask for a revision, but I had already revised the story based on her comments and after we sent the revision, we got the call immediately.
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?
HOPE: I shared the news with family and seeing them happy and excited was a celebration itself. That same week, good friends visited from the east coast and we had champagne before dinner at a great place in San Francisco. Little did I know how precious that moment would be given the new norm brought by COVID-19.
SUSANNA:Can you please tell us a little about the editorial process?
HOPE: I remember I was taken aback when I received comments from my editor on I AM A BIRD. The text was already very spare, but she removed a few lines, which I thought were essential for raising tension. After trying to see the story from her perspective, I accepted her most of suggestions, but kept some lines in the text. My editor allowed me to keep those lines until I came to realization that they could go after seeing the text with the illustrations. It was an eye-opening experience for me to learn about how illustrations can sometimes effortlessly replace what the text tries to deliver in PBs.
SUSANNA:What can you tell us about your experience of the illustration process?
HOPE: My experiences with the illustration process have been very rewarding. Trust and respect for the vision of my editor and illustrator is critical, as the author may not be able to influence the final outcome. Still, I believe that my editors get an understanding of my vision through our conversations. I have been involved in that my editor has sent draft sketches and proofs as they became available. I have known from early on that an illustrator will bring depth and layer to a story beyond what is written in the text. I have other books scheduled for publication and the draft illustrations fully evoke the emotions as described in the story. I am thrilled to provide the foundation on which beautiful art can be created.
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc. ? What was that like?
HOPE:My editor emails me advance reviews whenever they are available, and Kirkus gave a starred review to I AM A BIRD.
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
HOPE:I received the offer for I AM A BIRD in July 2018 and the first copy on the first week of November 2020!
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
HOPE: Joining a debut picture book group was very helpful in terms of sharing information and supporting each other. I have done several blog interviews, including yours. and I have found them helpful by keeping the momentum going.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
HOPE: I wrote solo for a year before I realized I had no idea how to improve my stories. That’s how I found your class in 2014 and afterward joined 12×12. I signed with my agent in November 2016, who sold my first book, MY TREE, to Neal Porter in July 2017.
SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
HOPE: Keep dreaming and reading and writing. And enjoy the process before you land an agent. I call that period your time in the cocoon, as you are making something beautiful on your terms, with no time demands. For that reason, it can be cozy and comfortable without worrying about the realities of the publishing industry. Try to focus and be productive in that time and you will be rewarded later with your hard work.
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Hope! We so appreciate your time and expertise! I know I speak for everyone when I wish you the best with this and future titles!
Given that a bitterly cold weekend is on its way in, what better activity than reading a pile of picture books snuggled up in a cozy blanket with a cup of hot cocoa? 😊
My pick for today is an absolutely charming picture book about friendship, something it’s always nice to be reminded to cherish and celebrate. And to make it even better, it was written and illustrated by my friend, Lisa! Wait until you see the art!
Title: A Friend Is. . .
Written & Illustrated By: Lisa Thiesing
Publisher: Aladdin
Suitable For Ages: 4-8 (though I think many 3 year olds would enjoy as well)
Themes/Topics: Friendship
Opening: “A friend is. . . for making. A friend is. . . for skating and for catching. . .“
text and illustration copyright Lisa Thiesing 2020, Aladdin
Brief Synopsis: [from the publisher] For many reasons and through many seasons, people need friends in their lives. Whether sniffing a sweet flower or star gazing, building a snowman or jumping into a pile of leaves, ice skating or playing hide and seek…who better to share everything with than a friend?
text and illustration copyright Lisa Thiesing 2020, Aladdin
Why I Like This Book: This book is so charming! In simple text and delightfully appealing and engaging pictures it celebrates all the many wonderful things about having and being a friend. Friends are for singing and giggling, sharing and listening, playing, and wondering. Friends are always, always there. The story not only shows the joys of friendship, but also serves as a model for how to be a good friend. And I can’t say enough about the art – so sweet! I literally cannot decide which page is my favorite, although singing, giggling, growing, wondering, and the last page are top contenders 😊 Share this lovely book with all your little friends!
text and illustration copyright Lisa Thiesing 2020, Aladdin
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!
We had a kind of a long stretch without any new debuts, but today’s marks the first of at least 9, so get ready to meet some great new authors!
Today I’m thrilled to introduce you to Amy Mucha, whose interview I’m sure you’ll enjoy. It’s entertaining and she has lots of interesting and helpful information to share.
Let’s start with a look at her beautiful book!
A Girl’s Bill of Rights written by Amy B. Mucha illustrated by Addy Rivera Sonda Beaming Books February 2, 2021 Fiction, ages 4-8
In a world where little girls must learn to stand tall, A Girl’s Bill of Rights boldly declares the rights of every woman and girl: power, confidence, freedom, and consent. Author Amy B. Mucha and illustrator Addy Rivera Sonda present a diverse cast of characters standing up for themselves and proudly celebrating the joy and power of being a girl.
SUSANNA:Welcome, Amy! Thank you so much for joining us today! Where did the idea for this book come from?
AMY:I had written the original text years ago, purely for myself, as a pledge to help me be more assertive and confident. I had always heard that agents and editors wanted picture books with characters and plots, and that “concept books” were tough sells, so I never gave much thought to pitching it as a picture book. But when it came time for #PitMad I thought, heck, why not at least try? And go figure, the one that broke all the rules was the one that sold!
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
AMY:The first version took only ten or twenty minutes, burbling out in a single churning flow of resolution. This was one of those books that seemed to know what it wanted to be and didn’t require much kneading or pushing. It’s always nice when that happens!
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
AMY:Very few. I had the original which I wrote for myself, and it only took one or two rounds to get it into picture book form (with the right number of pages, etc.). Then, after it was signed, the editor at Beaming Books asked me to rewrite the ending to make it more positive. The last line of my original draft was, “If you don’t like it you can go eat socks!” It made me laugh, but Beaming Books was absolutely correct; the new ending works SO much better. Once I rewrote it, I took it to my wonderful critique group who helped make sure it was polished and ready. And that was it!
Amy’s workspace and one of her many work buddies 😊
SUSANNA:When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
AMY:Honestly, I didn’t give it too much thought. I had other manuscripts I was actively querying, and those I had spent plenty of time on to make sure they were submission-ready. But A Girl’s Bill of Rights was one I pitched more as a lark.
I should say that one thing I *did* do, and this was key, was hire Katie Frawley (https://katiefrawley.wordpress.com) to write the pitch. I’m dreadful at pitches, and she’s got a gift for them. Without her help I’m sure this never would have happened. I recommend her to everyone who struggles with pitching!
SUSANNA:When and how did you submit?
AMY:Because I’d been actively querying agents and purposefully NOT submitting directly to publishers, I always assumed my first offer would come through an agent. But because of that pitch event, it ended up happening the other way around. Thankfully I had been querying a middle grade novel at the same time that I received the offer from Beaming Books, and I was able to contact the agents who had shown interest in my work and let them know about the offer. That’s how, in what was one of the magical months of my whole life, I ended up signing with the fabulous Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown AND signing my first book contract, all within a few weeks. What a summer!
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 😊)
AMY:I was fortunate to have it all happen in a few months. The pitch event was in early-June and I sent the manuscript within days of it being “liked”. A few weeks later I was sitting in the waiting room of my daughter’s dentist when I received the email from Beaming Books that there was a “strong possibility of acquiring” my book. I did a happy dance right there in the waiting room! It took another month to get the formal offer, then maybe two weeks later I was sitting on the runway in an airplane, having just landed, when I received an offer of representation from Ginger. They had just turned off the seat-belt light and I was so excited I was having joy conniptions in the aisle. Soon three rows ahead and behind me were clapping and congratulating me — I felt like I was in a movie!
SUSANNA:What a great story!!! 😊 How did you celebrate signing your contract?
AMY:I celebrated with strangers on an airplane, lol! It was wonderful.
SUSANNA: What can you tell us about the editorial process?
AMY:As I mentioned above, my editor at Beaming Books, Naomi Krueger, asked me to rewrite the ending to make it more positive, since the original manuscript ended with “If you don’t like it you can go eat socks!” I’ll admit I did have an initial brief pang. The sassiness of the line always made me laugh, and I had envisioned making “Go eat socks!” socks and tossing them out as prizes at school events. But as soon as I had the new ending come to me, I liked it so much better. And the socks? I decided to go ahead and make those anyway! Because who doesn’t want a pair of “Go eat socks” socks? (You can find them on my website: http://www.amybmucha.com.)
SUSANNA: Can you tell us a little about your experience of the illustration process?
AMY:It’s always such a nervous moment for any picture book writer, finding out which illustrator has been assigned to their work. I had the enormous luck of being matched with Addy Rivera Sonda. She is a dream! And because my book has no plot or characters, she had a harder job than most. I hadn’t included any art notes, since I’d been taught that the writer ought to leave all of that to the artist, so the task in front of her must have felt daunting. Take this page, for example:
The text says, “I have the right to say ‘STOP!’ and even the right to SCREAM it!”
Addy could have chosen any situation at all to illustrate this line, using any sort of characters. Choosing to draw a paper airplane being thrown on a school bus was perfect! It’s so relatable, and exactly the kind of situation where we’d want girls to stand up for themselves. It would have been easy to end up with a scenario that was too heavy and serious for the book, or too frivolous. In making perfect choices like this page after page, she turned what had started as a mere pledge or a creed into a complete story. And not only that, but she created an amazing array of diverse, stereotype-busting characters to boot. I will be forever grateful to her for making this book what it is!
text copyright Amy Mucha 2021, illustration copyright Addy Rivera Sonda 2021, Beaming Books
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
AMY: I saw the advance review from Kirkus less than a week ago, and — this is funny — you made me curious so I just now looked it up on Publishers Weekly, and it appears that they’ve posted a review as well! It’s never a guarantee that you’ll get a review from either, so I’m just glad for the notice. And the fact that both were quite positive makes it all the better! Phew!
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
AMY:Let’s see… the offer came in July 2019 and I got my author copies on the last day of 2020. That’s not really fair, though, since my original pub date was delayed five months thanks to Covid. Without that it would have been only a year, which is quite fast in the publishing world.
Amy upon receiving her author copies 2nd week of January 2021
SUSANNA:Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
AMY: First, I created my website, adding activity guides for parents and teachers created by Debbie Gonzales (http://www.debbiegonzales.com). Then I created a line of merchandise (t-shirts, mugs, phone cases, etc.) with the goal of donating my portion of the sales to girl power organizations. I’m also donating a portion of my book earnings, though I haven’t figured out how to publicize any of this yet, so most people don’t know unless they happen to stumble across it on my website.
Probably where I’ve put most of my marketing energy so far is in reaching out to reviewers and interviewers. I made a huge spreadsheet of bloggers, reviewers, Twitter ARC-sharing groups, Instagrammers, YouTubers, local media, etc., then spent days sending emails, thankfully with great response so far. I’m also planning several book giveaways soon, including a “StoryGram” Instagram tour set for the first week of February.
Next on my list is to figure out how to contact independent bookstores and libraries to see if they’d be willing to stock my book. One advantage for those with a big-name publisher (one of the “big five”) is that bookstores and libraries are more likely to automatically stock their book, whereas with a smaller publisher you have to do more of the outreach yourself. I made postcards to mail and will be looking more into that next week.
Among the very wisest choices I made was joining a fabulous debut group (https://oneforthebooks.wixsite.com/2021). A good debut group isn’t just about boosting your book; it’s about sharing wisdom and creating community. I suggest to all writers that they start looking for one immediately after signing their first contract, since good groups fill up fast. They can be tricky to find, too. The best way is to be active on social media and start asking around.
There are a couple common marketing strategies I have NOT done yet. One is plan a book launch party, another is schedule school visits. Thanks, Covid! <eyeroll> Some authors are moving their school visits online, and I do have a couple of those lined up. If those go well and the kids seem to like them, I may add a “Author Visits” section to my website and give it a go.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
AMY:Twelve years, but that was by choice. I spent the first ten in an amazing critique group, learning the craft, learning the industry, and making connections. I didn’t begin querying in earnest until a couple of years ago. From then to signing the offer was only around a year, I think.
SUSANNA:What is the most important/helpful thing you learned on your way to publication? (Or what is your most helpful piece of advice for up and coming writers?)
AMY:Instead of the most important piece of advice, here are several smaller bits:
Join a critique group! Lots of critique groups have moved online. I recommend one of Susie Wilde’s groups if they’re not all filled. (http://ignitingwriting.com)
Join SCBWI and once Covid lets up, go to some of the conferences in person.
Don’t query a picture book until you have at least three polished and ready to submit.
If you’re serious about getting published, get active on Twitter and Instagram, following your favorite writers, agents, and editors. Also join the KIDLIT411 and Sub It Club groups on Facebook.
SUSANNA:Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers! It’s such a valuable opportunity for all of us to get a chance to learn from you, and I know I speak for everyone when I say THANK YOU and wish you the best of luck with this and future titles!
AMY: Thank you Susanna! I really enjoyed this interview!
As I’ve been under the weather for more than a week, I’m totally cheating and sharing a book I’ve shared before because I don’t want to miss another PPBF. (My sincere apologies for missing last week!) Also, I think this book with its storyline of working together to save something precious is a good one as our new administration rolls up its sleeves and prepares to do the same thing. 😊
I hope you’ll like this book as much as I do 😊
Title: Ellie
Written & Illustrated By: Mike Wu
Disney-Hyperion, May 2015, Fiction
Suitable For Ages: 3-5
Themes/Topics: art, helping others, finding your own talents, animals (elephants)
Opening: “On a bright winter day, when Ellie was just finishing her lunch, the zookeeper came by with an announcement.
“Gather ’round!” Walt called. “I have some news.
“It is a sad day,” he said. “The zoo is closing.”“
Brief Synopsis: The animals are heartbroken when they find out their zoo is closing. They wonder if there’s any way they can help prevent it. Perhaps they can spruce the place up? Lucy the giraffe prunes the trees. Gerard the gorilla tidies the path. But Ellie the baby elephant isn’t tall enough to prune trees or strong enough to move rocks. Is there anything she can do to save her beloved home?
text and illustration copyright Mike Wu 2015, Disney-Hyperion
Why I Like This Book: This is a sweet story about friendly animals pitching in to try to save their home. Ellie wants so much to help, but at first she doesn’t think she has any skills that will serve. Quite by accident, she discovers a talent that will not only help, but be the driving force behind saving the zoo, and the story comes to a satisfying ending. The art is gorgeous and so appealing, starting off in soft greens and grays and becoming brighter and bolder as Ellie’s talent develops and her self-confidence grows. And Ellie is such an endearing character she’s hard to resist 🙂 The story is loosely based on a relatively recent headline about elephants who paint, so has some grounding in fact 😊
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 your delightful picks for this week!
Have a wonderful weekend, everyone, and stay well!!! 😊
Welcome back to Perfect Picture Book Friday, Everyone!
Is there anything better than discovering a whole bunch of fantastic picture books in time to go to the library and stock up on great reading material for the weekend? 😊
Especially in winter, it’s lovely to have a big stack of books to curl up with in a nice warm spot somewhere and enjoy.
Given recent events, my choice for today is a book which celebrates letter writing, expressing gratitude, and the fact that someone who is eleven can have the perspective and talent to write a book like this!
Title: Sincerely, Emerson: A Girl, Her Letter, And The Helpers All Around Us
Written By: Emerson Weber (11 years old)
Illustrated By: Jaclyn Sinquett
Publisher: HarperCollins, December 2020
Suitable For Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: non-fiction, letter writing, expressing gratitude, spreading love, being appreciative of others
Opening: “Emerson loved writing letters. She loved writing “Dear.” She loved writing “Sincerely.” Most of all, she loved writing everything that came in between.”
Brief Synopsis: The true story of eleven-year-old Emerson Weber as she writes a letter of thanks to her postal carrier, Doug, and creates a nationwide outpouring of love, gratitude, hope, and recognition for all the essential helpers we see everyday, and all those who go unseen.
Links To Resources: 11 year old Emerson Weber reads her book aloud (video); write a letter to someone you love and/or appreciate to let them know you notice and care; read with other letter-writing books such as DEAR EARTH…FROM YOUR FRIENDS IN ROOM 5 by Erin Dealey, DEAR GRANDMA, or DEAR SANTA by Susanna Leonard Hill (apologies for listing my own books but they are examples of other ways and reasons for writing letters 😊)
Why I Like This Book: For starters, I love that this book was written by an eleven year old – how inspiring for other aspiring young writers! And I love that she can have the kind of perspective shown in this book – from the appreciation of letter-writing which is becoming a somewhat lost art, to the desire to share her life and experiences with others, to her belief that people should be appreciated and thanked for all they do. There are a lot of adults who could learn something from a book like this, never mind kids 😊 This is a wonderful book at any time, but especially in the grip of (and hopefully soon in the wake of!) COVID-19 and all the challenges it has brought to so many, I think this true story celebrates all that people do to make our world function as it does and care for each other. As the book says:
There are lots of ways to help the world go round: Some people collect the trash. Some stock grocery shelves. Some drive buses and trains. Some help people who are sick. Some deliver our mail. And some people write letters.
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!
It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, and not a moment too soon!
Have you looked at the weather forecast for today and tomorrow? There could be no better way to spend the next two days than with a pile of perfect picture books and a cup of cocoa and your favorite little readers (or your favorite little or not-so-little writers. . . yes, you. . . who are reading perfect picture books to learn from the masters 😊)
Today’s Perfect Picture Book is so pretty and so touching I know you’re going to love it!
Opening: “In the front yard of a little house, on the branches of a mighty evergreen, there lived a happy pair of cardinals.”
text and illustration copyright Matt Tavares 2017, Candlewick
Brief Synopsis: [from the book jacket] “Red and Lulu make their nest in a particularly beautiful evergreen tree. But one day, something unthinkable happens, and Red and Lulu are separated. It will take a miracle for them to find each other again. Luckily, it’s just the season for miracles. . . . “
Links To Resources: the afterword contains a brief history of the Rockefeller Center Christmas Tree tradition; what are some holiday traditions in your family? draw a picture, write a story or poem, or make up a song about a special holiday tradition in your family; in the story, the cardinals’ favorite Christmas carol is O, Christmas Tree, which was originally sung in German as O, Tannenbaum. Do you have a favorite Christmas or other holiday carol/song? Was it originally in English, or did it come from another language? Which one?
text and illustration copyright Matt Tavares 2017, Candlewick
Why I Like This Book: This is a such a sweet and lovely story – one of those stories that tug at your heartstrings and make it a little hard to read aloud in some parts past the lump in your throat 😊 Red and Lulu are so happy in their tree, and when the tree is taken, with Lulu still in it, Red flies as fast and as far as he can, determined not to lose Lulu. But a bird cannot fly as fast as a truck can drive. . . I love Red’s devotion and determination which clearly show his love for Lulu. I don’t want to give away the ending. . . so I won’t!😊. . . but it’s just right. The watercolor-and-gouache illustrations are full of detail – so pretty! Don’t miss this heartwarming story!
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!
If you’re like most of the folks around here, you got up from the Thanksgiving table, decked your halls with boughs of holly, put up your Christmas tree, and strung your holiday lights! Maybe you even put one of those gigantic Santa-on-a-motorcycle blow-up air balloon thingys in your yard! After all, Hanukkah begins two weeks from today, and Christmas is four weeks from today!
I am not nearly that organized! If I get a tree up by December 18 I’ll count myself totally on top of things. (And, if I’m honest, I’m a little worried about Violet vs. Christmas Tree… so waiting a little might not be a bad thing… 😊) But all the holiday preparations around me did get me thinking about snow. We barely had any last year, and although I have no need for treacherous roads and the like, a little frosting for the holiday season is so festive!❄️
So I thought this was the perfect book to share today!
Title: Waiting For Snow
Written By: Marsha Diane Arnold
Illustrated By: Renata Liwska
Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, November 1, 2016, fiction
Suitable For Ages: publisher says 4-7… I think 3-6/7
Opening: “Hedgehog found Badger staring at the sky. “What are you doing, Badger?” “Waiting for snow. It’s winter and I haven’t seen one snowflake.”“
Brief Synopsis: Poor Badger is desperate for snow, but no matter what he does the weather won’t cooperate. Hedgehog assures him that everything comes in its own time, but oh! it’s so hard to wait!!!
text copyright Marsha Diane Arnold 2016, illustration copyright Renata Kiwska 2016… a glimpse of ways the friends try to pass the waiting time… 😊
Why I Like This Book: If you’ve ever had a kid… or been a kid… or, well, you’re anyone living life on this earth 😊 you’ve had to wait for things and you know how hard it is! (er, ahem, writers… agency and/or publishing contracts…! Am I right? 😊 ) This sweet, funny, and beautiful book is about a little badger who is waiting for snow. He and his friends try everything they can think of to hurry it along but, as is so often the case when you really want something to happen, nothing works. What he learns in the meantime is the value of good friends. What he learns in the end is that everything happens in its own time. I think we can all take a lesson from Badger’s experience 😊 The soft, fuzzy art is the perfect complement to the text – endearing, engaging, sweet!
text copyright Marsha Diane Arnold 2016, illustration copyright Renata Kiwska 2016
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It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, and what with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to share this wonderful book by Linda Ashman because the song it’s based on always makes me think of going to my grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving when I was a kid! (Although we went by car, unfortunately, not by horse-drawn sleigh! 😊)
Title: Over The River And Through The Wood: A Holiday Adventure
Opening: “Pack up the pooches and load the van. We need to leave by eight! There’s so much to bring. Do we have everything? Come on, we can’t be late!“
Text copyright Linda Ashman 2015, illustration copyright Kim Smith 2015, Sterling Books
Brief Synopsis: Grandma and Grandpa have sent invitations to all the family: Come to our house for the holidays and bring your favorite pie! So all the families pack up and head out… but travel turns out to be trickier than expected!
Links To Resources: Who do you visit for the holidays? Make a photo collage of a family holiday get-together; If you travel on holidays, how do go? Draw a picture or make a model of your transportation – plane? train? bus? car? boat? Make up your own version of “Over the river” and sing who you go to visit and how you get there; Thanksgiving Turkey Rice Krispie Treats (Recipe)
Text copyright Linda Ashman 2015, illustration copyright Kim Smith 2015, Sterling Books
Why I Like This Book: This wonderful story feels new and familiar at the same time; familiar because we all know the song upon which it is based, new because the travel troubles are fresh and fun (and anyone who has ever traveled for the holidays can relate!) The story is written in Linda Ashman’s trademark fabulous rhyme which is so fun to read aloud. And the art is delightful – a perfect complement to the story – and filled with fun little details… like what happens to the pies along the way 😊 And I love that even in this day and age of planes and trains and automobiles, the whole family ends up arriving by horse-drawn sleigh! 😊
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!
text copyright Karen Jameson 2020, illustration copyright Marc Boutavant 2020, Chronicle Books
Why I Like This Book: This is a lovely lullaby of a bedtime book. The rhyming text is lyrical, with such lines as “Meadow hopper clover cropper twilight whispers. Time to furrow. Curl up tight inside your burrow” and “Nectar sipper dizzy dipper stars are twinkling. Flutter. Search. Light upon your leafy perch.” The art is warm, cozy, and inviting, and will make young readers want to curl up and sleep with the woodland animals. As a bonus, elements of nonfiction are included through the animal descriptions and the artistic depiction of their homes/habitat. A sweet, gentle bedtime read!
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!
Susanna Leonard Hill 
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