Curious, creative, caring kids feature in this week’s list of picture books At The Library!
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Happy Book Birthday to ARABELLA AND THE MAGIC PENCIL by Stephanie Ward!
*Title: ARABELLA AND THE MAGIC PENCIL
*Author: Stephanie Ward
*Illustrator: Shaney Hyde
*Publisher: EK Books
*Release Date: September 1, 2019 (Australia/NZ – September 1 2019, USA/Canada – September 10, 2019, UK – September 12, 2019)
*Format: Hardcover
*Summary: Arabella is a beloved only child who has a picture perfect life, until her brother, Avery, arrives. While she loves him, of course, it’s sometimes hard to like him. When he spoils a proper tea party, Arabella erases him from her life for good. But things aren’t the same without him. How can she get him back?
*Author’s Site: https://stephaniemward.com/
Do you have a children’s picture book coming out soon? I’d love to wish it a Happy Book Birthday here on Frog on a Blog! CLICK for more information.
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50/50 rhyme and prose in this batch of picture books AT THE LIBRARY!
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Les Pyjamasques: A Sneaky Way to Get Your Children Interested in Learning French by Leslie Van Zee
Do you have a child who loves to watch the popular animated series PJ Masks? When you visit the library, does your child insist on checking out the PJ Masks picture books, every time? You know what I’m talking about–those small, thin, paperback books that take words and pictures directly from the TV series.
There are a lot of books like that-that were created from a popular children’s television series. But! What if I told you that in the case of PJ Masks, it was the TV series that came from books? No, not the paperbacks I mentioned earlier, but rather, a French book series called Les Pyjamasques. I didn’t know that, you might be thinking. Neither did I, until children’s author Leslie Van Zee shared that interesting bit of info with me. And now, Leslie is here to share more about Les Pyjamasques with you.
Les Pyjamasques: A Sneaky Way to Get Your Children Interested in Learning French
by Leslie Van Zee
Hello, fellow Frog on a Blog Readers! As both an aspiring children’s author and a mom of two preschoolers, I’m an avid fan of picture books. But I also am a working mom, and I confess that my kids get a big dose of video time in addition to reading time.
To assuage my parental guilt over this, I try to at least monitor the programs they are consuming. In doing so I end up getting attached to some of the programs almost as much as my kids do. One of the series that we like in our house is the PJ Masks.
For those who aren’t familiar with them, the PJ Masks are a trio of preschool-aged children who acquire superpowers when they don their special pajamas. Then they go out into the night to thwart the plans of their mischievous arch-rivals.
My kids, ages 5 and 3, love the series. That said, I still would much rather have my little ones reading books, so I went looking to see if there were any picture books based on the series.
Lo and behold, the show is actually based on a series of picture books called Les Pyjamasques that have been popular in France for more than a decade.
Created by author-illustrator Romuald Racioppo, there are 25 books in the series, starting with Les Pyjamasques et le Grogarou (2007) and going all the way up to Les Pyjamasques et la momie d’Apophis, Tome II (2019).
All of the characters in the tv series are drawn from characters in the books, though the names are a little different. The main protagonists are:
- Connor/Catboy from the tv series is known in the books as Yoyo by night.
- Greg/Gekko is known as Gluglu by night.
- Amaya/Owlette is known as Bibou by night, and in the earliest stories was actually a boy.
It is a shame that none of the Les Pyjamasques books have been translated into English, because they really are delightful. The illustrations are rich and full of detail and energy – much more painterly and organic in style than the cartoon series. The plots of each book are far less formulaic as well, and as a result share much more imaginative scenes and scenarios.
I also like that in the books the line between good and bad is more fluid. For example, in one story the Pyjamasques try to stop a gang of archrivals from breaking into a candy machine but then decide that they also want to eat candy and end up sharing the candy all together. I can’t help but adore these little quirks of realism. Yes, it’s good to encourage good morals and teamwork, but the tv series sometimes gets a little preachy about it.
To give you an idea of what the books are like, here is a review of the third book, Les Pyjamasques et Lilifée. Having since read all of the books online, I think this is a good representative of the series.
Synopsis:
It’s a snowy night and a fairy-like creature named Lilifée is descending from the sky to make artistic creations with snow.
She is dainty and cultured, in contrast to the boisterous capers of the three masked little boys who intrude upon her scene.
Who are these masked acrobats of the night? They are Les Pyjamasques: Bibou, Gluglu and Yoyo (who are all three boys in the earliest books).
They are all captivated by her beauty and start vying for her attention. When their antics and one upmanship send a volley of snowballs at Lillifee’s snowman, it comes to life and climbs out of the snowbank to chase them.
Being Lillifee’s creation, however, the snowman is not as dangerous as he looks and just wants to present her with a lovely snow flower. This is the right way to win her favor, the Pyjamasques learn.
My thoughts:
As with all the books, there are some very imaginative concepts here. I like the fact that Lilifée’s snowman is a copy of one of the giant head statues from Easter Island, and that the whole body is underneath it in the snow. The characters are very engaging, one can’t help but smile at their antics. The plot is well-paced for 3- to 5-year-olds, and the little twist at the end is very cute.
I’m not at all fluent in French, so I can’t speak much to the quality of Romuald’s prose. But it strikes me as very authentically French, such as in little details like Lilifée dismissing the Pyjamasque’s snowmen as works of bad taste.
I would encourage even non-French-fluent parents to consider hunting down a copy of one of these books. It is a great way to give your kids some exposure to a foreign language.
I have probably an intermediate-level understanding of French, and with that and handy Google Translate, I am able to figure out the gist of things well enough to satisfy my little ones, as evidenced by regular requests for these books at bedtime.
If you are interested in learning more about this series, there is a great deal of info collected in a wiki here at Fandom.com. You can order the books via Amazon.fr or from the publisher’s website: Gallimard-Jeunesse.
Leslie Van Zee is a mom, children’s author and former euphoniumist who lives with her family in the San Francisco Bay area. By day she develops corporate communications designed to resonate with grown up audiences, and by night she crafts stories to settle her kids in to bed that often get them too wound up to sleep. She loves fusion jazz, podcasts, and singing silly songs while doing housework. Visit her blog stories.leslievanzee.com for more book reviews, original stories and thoughts on balancing work and parenting.
Thank you for stopping by, Leslie! This was so interesting, and I especially like the original illustrations by Romuald Racioppo. Lovely!
Happy Book Birthday to TRUCKER AND TRAIN by Hannah Stark!
- Title: TRUCKER AND TRAIN
- Author: Hannah Stark
- Illustrator: Bob Kolar
- Publisher: Clarion Books/Houghton Mifflin
- Release Date: August 6, 2019
- Format: Hardcover
- Summary: Trucker, the big rig, loves to rule the road with his size, strength, and mighty horn. The other vehicles swerve and shake as Trucker blasts past, expecting them to follow along in awe. Then Trucker meets the louder, stronger, and kinder Train. He sees how the other vehicles gleam and swoon when Train is around. And he wonders, Why don’t they ever gleam at me?Trucker just wants Train to go away . . . until a broken railroad crossing signal changes everything. Can Trucker use his size and strength for the good of his fellow vehicles before it’s too late?
- Author’s Site: www.hannahcarinastark.com
Do you have a children’s picture book coming out soon? I’d love to wish it a Happy Book Birthday here on Frog on a Blog! CLICK for more information.
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Three rhymers, one wordless, and nine perfect prose picture books make up this week’s lovely list. Enjoy!
Stories That Remind Kids Your Difference May Be What The World Is Waiting For by Nancy Churnin
I realized recently that I don’t feature nonfiction picture books or picture book biographies as often as I do fiction picture books here on the Frog. I have a pretty good excuse. Fiction picture books are what I mostly write and, therefore, what I mostly read. So, it makes sense that fiction is what I would mostly share.
But that doesn’t mean there aren’t tons of spectacular and inspiring nonfiction picture books, including biographies, out there. Today, I’m thrilled to welcome award winning author Nancy Churnin! Her wonderful books are all about “outsiders, people that the kids don’t know that I hope will inspire them — people who are different or think differently and find that it’s their different experience or different way of thinking that helps them achieve their dreams and make the world a better place for others.”
Read on for more on this important topic and to meet the inspirational people in Nancy’s books!
Stories That Remind Kids Your Difference May Be What The World Is Waiting For
by Nancy Churnin
After selling eight picture book biographies – six published, two due out in 2020 – it strikes me that the common experience all these diverse subjects share is that they felt different, which leaves them at the start of their journey feeling as if they don’t belong.
Ultimately, through their journey they learn that their difference is their strength – the gift that they bring to the world that makes it more inclusive, that opens the door for others and, ultimately, makes their lives and everyone else’s better.
The truth of it is, as I tell kids on school visits, is that we are all different. Some of us (I remember feeling this way) go through periods where we wonder if we are aliens, because we feel as if we’re wired so differently from everyone else.
Even identical twins are not 100% identical. Too often we waste time being self-conscious about those differences – wishing for straight or curly hair, to be bigger or smaller, to have some admired one’s speed, skills, talent in a particular area.
But ultimately, if we embrace rather than agonize over our differences – whether they’re physical or emotional or even a different way of thinking or processing the world – we may find that we have the missing ingredient that the world needs.
In The William Hoy Story, How a Deaf Baseball Player Changed the Game, kids learn about a Deaf child who was told he couldn’t play baseball because he was Deaf and couldn’t hear the umpire’s calls. The key to William’s story is that his Deafness isn’t a disability. In the book, as in life, William is proud of being Deaf.
Ultimately, William gets the idea of teaching the umpires his language, sign language, for safe and out so he can play the game he loves. Sign language helps break down a wall between the Deaf and the hearing and it makes the game better for everyone because now, even the farthest member of the crowd can see the signs.
It gives me an excuse to teach kids a few simple signs, too, which is always a hit.
In Manjhi Moves a Mountain, we have an ordinary laborer, who sees things differently and is willing to act on his vision to make it come true. Where his neighbors see an impenetrable 300-foot mountain between them and the well-to-do village where there is a school, doctors, work in the fields and markets for food, he envisions a road that cuts through the mountain, making the path easier for everyone.
People laugh at him when he trades his only possessions, three goats, for a worn hammer and chisel and starts chiseling the mountain. Twenty-two years later, when the path is completed, they recognize and applaud his heroism, while children see how important it is to hold fast to your dreams and persist in pursuing them even if others tell you they’re unattainable.
Like William Hoy and Manjhi, Charlie Sifford, the hero of Charlie Takes His Shot, How Charlie Sifford Broke the Color Barrier in Golf, has an unlikely dream. Charlie grows up in the segregated America of the 1930s-1950s where African Americans were not allowed to play on the PGA Tour. The color of his skin makes him different among golfers. At the same time he knows that he has the opportunity, if he persists, to open the door to make the game possible for everyone to play just as his friend, Jackie Robinson did for everyone who wanted to play Major League Baseball.
Later, in the back matter, kids will learn that Charlie Sifford was the one who opened the door that golf superstar Tiger Woods walked through. I also like to share with kids that Tiger Woods named one of his children Charlie in his honor.
In Irving Berlin, the Immigrant Boy Who Made America Sing, Irving Berlin didn’t excel at school. But he had the unusual ability to process the world through sounds. And nothing could stop him from writing the music he heard in his head and pounded in his heart. He was an immigrant, he grew up in poverty and he never learned to read music. He taught himself to pick out tunes on an old piano. Later, he hired a pianist to write the notes for the music in his head.
He used his gifts not only to enrich America musically, by creating songs we still love today, but by dedicating royalties of “God Bless America” to the children of his beloved country by designating them for the Boy and Girl Scouts of America.
Charlotte of The Queen and the First Christmas Tree was a queen, but what I emphasize in the book is how she was a royal who was different from other royals. She didn’t like dressing up or going to fancy balls. Instead, she loved taking care of children and helping her garden grow. She not only became the first royal who made charitable giving part of royal duties, she introduced the first Christmas tree to England in an effort to delight 100 children attending a party at Windsor Castle in 1800.
And now, my new book, Martin & Anne, the Kindred Spirits of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Anne Frank, tells the parallel stories of two people of different genders, races, religions and countries who were born in the same year, 1929, and whose hearts beat with the same hope for a better, kinder world where “all babies would be seen as beautiful. As all babies are.”
Both Martin and Anne lived in a world filled with hate, anger, fear and unfairness, but they had a different view of what the world could be. They used their words to articulate a vision of love and opportunity for all. And while both were taken from us before their time, in this year, which would have marked their 90th birthdays, their words, vision and heart continue to inspire.
It’s my hope that kids who feel different, who worry that no one gets them, who feel like outsiders, will find kindred spirits in these books that celebrate our differences as the very thing that propel humans as a group further along in our journey toward the light.
Nancy Churnin is the author of eight picture book biographies, including The William Hoy Story, on several state reading lists; Irving Berlin, a Sydney Taylor Notable, Manjhi Moves a Mountain, a 2018 South Asia Book Award and Anne Izard Storytellers Choice winner, plus two Social Studies Notables, two Silver Eureka Award winners, a Mighty Girl listing and more. The former theater critic for The Dallas Morning News and Los Angeles Times San Diego Edition, she’s now a full-time children’s book author and peace negotiator between her dog and cats. A member of the Nonfiction Ninjas, SCBWI and 12X12, she lives in North Texas.
For more about Nancy Churnin and her books, visit:
Facebook: Nancy Churnin Children’s Books
Twitter: @nchurnin
http://www.nancychurnin.com
And look for Beautiful Shades of Brown, the Art of Laura Wheeler Waring coming in February 2020!
Nancy, thank you so much for stopping by Frog on a Blog! Not only are your books inspiring for young readers, but you, too, are an inspiration to children’s book authors, like me!
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So many different art styles! Love it!
My View Book Review: ALIANA REACHES FOR THE MOON
Title: Aliana Reaches for the Moon
Author: Laura Roettiger
Illustrator: Ariel Boroff
Publisher/Year: Eifrig Publishing/2019
On the cover: A STEAM book for aspiring scientists!
On today’s date in 1969, the Apollo 11 astronauts returned to Earth after their historic trip to the moon. What better way to commemorate than to share a picture book that uses the light of the moon to celebrate a birthday!
Today’s featured book was written by kidlit friend Laura Roettiger, a regular reviewer here on Frog on a Blog. I’m excited to share her debut picture book with all of you!
In Aliana Reaches for the Moon, a clever young girl, who loves to explore, read, and create, has a special birthday surprise planned for her little brother Gus. Aliana and Gus live with their parents in the Rocky Mountains, and Aliana likes to look up at the moon and stars in the wide-open sky at night.
It’s the moon that inspires Aliana’s super secret birthday surprise. In the two weeks leading up to the big day, Aliana spends a lot of time researching, experimenting, and gathering the perfect materials. The night before Gus’s birthday, the surprise is almost ready. All that remains is the “icing on the cake”, the ultimate ingredient, the moon.
Colorful, full-page, cartoon-style illustrations fill up this cheerful book that salutes science, the moon, and family relationships. I like the inclusion of a diverse family, and the sweet relationship between older sister and younger brother. Aliana’s a wonderful role model for Gus. And Aliana Reaches for the Moon is a superb choice for fans of the moon, those who like to make and create, and for budding young scientists everywhere.
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There’s a whole lot of adorableness in this batch of picture books! 🙂
Random Pic Of Cuteness: Writing Prompt #13
Just for fun, I’m sharing–at random–cute photos to inspire your picture book writing. Perhaps a picture will spark an idea for a character, setting, or even an entire story. Have fun!
*All photos are available in the public domain (or were taken by me), and are free to use and share.
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Random Pic Of Cuteness: Writing Prompt #12
Just for fun, I’m sharing–at random–cute photos to inspire your picture book writing. Perhaps a picture will spark an idea for a character, setting, or even an entire story. Have fun!
*All photos are available in the public domain (or were taken by me), and are free to use and share.
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THE SECRET CAT: Lucy yearns for a pet, so when a mysterious cat named Silvring appears one night, Lucy follow her on an amazing adventure.
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I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all. But I can share them! Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.) Check your local library or bookstore for availability.
I’m a bit behind in my posting, but hopefully you’ll find some titles here that you haven’t yet read. More coming soon!
MIRA’S CURLY HAIR: Mira doesn’t like her very curly hair until she discovers something wonderful about her mother’s beautiful hair.
OTTO AND PIO: A strange creature is left on Otto the squirrel’s doorstep, and he does his best to care for it even though it keeps growing larger.
GOODBYE, SCHOOL: Franny finds a way to say goodbye to the school she loves on the last day of class.
BABYMOON: First-time parents spend time together bonding with their new born baby.
STUBBY: Based on the true story of a brave little stray dog that accompanied a soldier all the way to the front lines during WWI.
RUBY’S SWORD: Ruby wants to play with her older brothers, but they always leave her out of their games, until she starts to build her own castle. Love the art!
I WILL BE FIERCE: A girl conquers her fears on her first day of school just like a fierce warrior off on an adventure.
VACATION FOR DEXTER: Dexter the dinosaur helps his best friend Jack to be brave on their first plane ride.
GROWING SEASON: When El’s best friend Jo suddenly has a growth spurt, leaving El as the smallest student in her class, she begins to feel smaller every day. Sweet story and illustrations!
ERNESTINE’S MILKY WAY: When Mama gives Ernestine a special job–to carry two jars of milk down yonder to Mrs. Ramsey and her children, Ernestine knows she can do it.
Show Me How! with Vivian Kirkfield and Sweet Dreams, Sarah
Folks, we’re back with another wonderful Show Me How! post from kidlit author and friend Vivian Kirkfield. This post is number three in Vivian’s three-part Frog on a Blog series, in which she shares a summary of one of her picture books, followed by a Positive Parental Participation Note, then a craft, and finally, a recipe, just like she does in her book Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. (For more information about Show Me How! and to read my review, click HERE.)
Two weeks ago, we showcased Pippa’s Passover Plate. Last week, we talked Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book.
Today, I’m excited to feature the picture book biography Sweet Dreams, Sarah!
But first, let’s hear a little about the book’s journey to publication.
Sweet Dreams Sarah: The Journey
I am so thrilled to have another opportunity to share a little bit more about my journey to publication. I’m blessed to have five book deals…with five different publishing houses…with five different editors…with five different illustrators…and of course, each of the manuscripts is different.
I wrote Sweet Dreams, Sarah in July 2014, the month after I took an online class in writing nonfiction picture books. I’d always been a fan of nonfiction….as a child, I read the Encyclopedia Britannica for fun. 😊 The teacher of that class encouraged us to surf the internet to find interesting topics…the first this…the first that. And I found Sarah E. Goode, one of the first African American women to get a U.S. Patent. I researched…there was almost nothing about her – and that spurred me on to dig for more because it makes me so sad when someone back in history does something amazing and they are forgotten…or worse, never even recognized in their own time.
Image from Sweet Dreams, Sarah
Reaching out to librarians (HURRAY FOR LIBRARIANS!) and checking census records, I was able to amass enough information to write a story. And here is the process I used to refine it. I gave it to a few critique buddies. Then I revised based on their feedback. I sent it to Rate Your Story. It got an ‘8’. ☹ I revised as per their feedback and gave it to more critique buddies and revised based on that. And sent it to Rate Your Story. It got a ‘3’. Then I revised again and sent it to more critique buddies and polished based on their thoughts. And entered it in the Rate Your Story annual contest, won second place, and knew I had a strong story that I could send out to agents and editors. Which I did. It was Sweet Dreams, Sarah that garnered interest from four different agents. I signed with Essie White of Storm Literary Agency in late 2015, she sent it out immediately, and we had a book deal before the end of the year.
But every book has its own journey, right? Some are quick out of the gate and then slow to be published. Others take time to find the right home and then everything is golden from then on. The journey to publication for this book fell into the former category. There were many frustrations for me as the author because I felt an obligation to honor the subject of my story and I felt responsible to make sure the book was authentic and true. It was a long haul, but I’m happy to say we now have a beautiful book that is getting excellent feedback from the major reviewers. And I’ll be presenting it to four elementary schools and a bookstore in the Chicago area (where Sarah lived and worked and had her store) next week!
SHOW ME HOW!: Sweet Dreams, Sarah
SUMMARY: With freedom in her pocket and hope in her heart, former slave Sarah E. Goode comes north to Chicago. She opens a furniture store, but after listening to her customers, she realizes that much of the furniture sold is too boxy, too bulky, too big for their cramped living conditions. And then, Sarah not only builds a unique cabinet bed that saves space, but she also applies for a patent. Remember, this is 1885, a time when most women don’t even own anything, much less a patent. They can’t vote and many times, they don’t control their own wages. But Sarah was a trailblazer and her courage and ingenuity will inspire young children today.
Image from Sweet Dreams, Sarah
*Positive Parental Participation Note: We all have hopes and dreams – and young children are no different. We can encourage kids by listening to them and by respecting their thoughts. We all need a cheering committee and parents are a child’s biggest fans. Is your child interested in art, science, math, sports, nature, reading, or maybe carpentry, like Sarah? Join together in activities that validate your children and their passions.
CRAFT ACTIVITY: Make a “Build Your Dream into Reality” Chart
There are many simple woodworking crafts to be found in books or online and I hope you will check those out to try with your children so they can be builders like Sarah.
But here’s an idea that may help your children build their dreams into reality.
- Talk about dreams. What are their dreams? A trip to Disneyland? A camping weekend with friends? A room make-over? Becoming a cartoonist or a major league baseball player?
- Make a chart on a piece of poster board or paper. Detailed instructions are here: https://www.imom.com/printable/brilliant-goals-chart-for-kids/#.XOxSbIhKg2w
- List the steps to get to the goal. Your children may have to do research to find out what steps they need to take. Earn money for the trip? Clear out clutter for the make-over. Take art classes/join a team/practice for the life goals?
- As the weeks pass by, check progress on the chart together.
- Goals can change…and we can have more than one goal.
COOKING ACTIVITY: OATMEAL RAISIN COOKIES
I don’t know if Sarah E. Goode ever made oatmeal raisin cookies for her children, but I know I did. And I also know that oats were an important staple in Chicago, and the Quaker Oats Company still has a factory in Illinois that produces granola bars and cereals.
For a detailed ingredient list and instructions, please go to: https://www.allrecipes.com/recipe/10264/oatmeal-raisin-cookies-i/
I’ve made these and they are GREAT! I hope you all get to try them also.
Thank you so much, Lauri, for having me…it was fun stopping by Frog on a Blog. And now I’m off to prepare my presentation for four schools in the Chicago area next week. I’ll also be at the Andersons Bookstore in La Grange on Saturday, June 8 at 11am, reading Sweet Dreams, Sarah. But before I fly off to Chicago, I have a bookstore event in Dedham, MA at Peter Reynolds’ Blue Bunny Bookstore…it’s on Saturday, June 1st at 1pm…I hope if your readers are in either area, they’ll bring the kiddos and stop in for a story and a craft activity…and the kids will get a free Otters activity book.
If you’re going to be in the Chicago or Dedham, MA areas while Vivian is there, I highly recommend you stop in to see her. You won’t be disappointed!
Thanks so much, Vivian, for taking time out of your busy schedule to visit with us here at Frog on a Blog, not once, but three times! We are lucky indeed. 🙂
Writer for children – reader forever…that’s Vivian Kirkfield in five words. She’s got a bucket list that contains many more than five words – but she’s already checked off skydiving, parasailing and banana-boat riding. When she is not looking for ways to fall from the sky or sink under the water, she can be found writing picture books that she hopes will encourage young kids to become lovers of books and reading. She is the author of Pippa’s Passover Plate (Holiday House, Feb 2019); Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book (PomegranateKids, March 2019); Sweet Dreams, Sarah (Creston Books, May 2019); Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe (Little Bee Books, Spring 2020); From Here to There: Inventions That Changed the Way the World Moves (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Fall 2020). Vivian lives in the quaint New Hampshire town of Amherst where the old stone library is her favorite hangout and her young grandson is her favorite board game partner. You can visit Vivian on her website, Picture Books Help Kids Soar, where she hosts the #50PreciousWords Writing Challenge every March. Or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin, and just about anywhere people are playing with picture books.
Random Pic Of Cuteness: Writing Prompt #11
Just for fun, I’m sharing–at random–cute photos to inspire your picture book writing. Perhaps a picture will spark an idea for a character, setting, or even an entire story. Have fun!
*All photos are available in the public domain (or were taken by me), and are free to use and share.
Show Me How! with Vivian Kirkfield and Four Otters Toboggan
Yay! Kidlit author and friend Vivian Kirkfield is back for part two in her three-part series of Show Me How! posts right here on Frog on a Blog. Last week, she featured her picture book Pippa’s Passover Plate. Vivian shared a summary of the book, followed by a Positive Parental Participation Note, then a craft, and finally, a recipe, just like she does in her book Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. (For more information about Show Me How! and to read my review, click HERE.)
Today, we continue the fun and learning with Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book. Read on!
Thank you so much, Lauri, for giving me space on Frog on a Blog again. …I wanted to speak for a moment about the writing journey that many of us are on. It’s not an easy trail to follow…there are twists and turns and boulders that sometimes block the way. Your critique buddies weigh in on your manuscript and you wonder which advice to take…which suggestions to implement. If you send your stories out to agents and/or editors, many may be rejected. Sometimes you don’t even find out because they don’t send a response. But I want everyone to know that I truly believe if you are passionate about being a picture book/children’s book writer, then please, don’t give up. The Only Failure is the Failure to Keep Trying.
Let me share what happened with Four Otters Toboggan. I wrote it back in 2013…it was called ‘Visitors to Deep Pool’ then. I revised it dozens of times with the help of my critique buddies. I sent it out…an agent responded: this is pure poetry…so beautiful…but not for me. UGH! Then after I signed with my agent Essie, she sent it out…numerous times…and editors kept passing on it. One editor wrote: This is the most beautiful lyrical language I’ve ever read. I got lost in the musicality of the words. Every child should have a copy of this book. But sorry, it’s a bit too quiet for my list.
DOUBLE UGH!
But we didn’t give up and, finally, an editor fell in love with it and thought it was perfect for his list. That’s the thing. This business is so subjective…and our stories have to find their way to the person who falls in love with them.
I was lucky because my agent sent some art samples from one of her illustrator clients along with the manuscript. The editor loved the pairing and signed Mirka Hokkanen to do the pictures. The publication process was lovely, and I got to see early sketches. Mirka and I and the Pomegranate team collaborated in an effort to create a book that is beautiful to the ear, and features STEM back matter that makes it a must have for early primary school classrooms.
SHOW ME HOW!: Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book
SUMMARY: Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book (PomegranateKids, April 2019), illustrated by Mirka Hokkanen, is a counting book that introduces kids to ten endangered animals who visit a pristine river where the character of the water changes as quickly as a young child’s moods. Filled with lyrical text and modern woodcuts, we see dragonflies dancing, ballerinas on a liquid stage, river otters tobogganing down a mudslide, and mud turtles stretching their necks as day turns into dusk and the mountains swallow the sun.
*Positive Parental Participation Note: Encourage children to get involved with saving the planet. Small steps like not running the water while brushing teeth will save precious energy…and using canvas shopping bags will cut down on the plastic that pollutes the oceans and endangers sea creatures.
CRAFT ACTIVITY: Make Animal Finger Puppets
Photo courtesy: http://www.auntannie.com/Puppets/ConeFinger/
All you need is a piece of paper, a pair of scissors, glue, and markers or crayons. For detailed instructions: http://www.auntannie.com/Puppets/ConeFinger/
For simpler instructions:
- Cut a small square of paper that fits around one finger when you roll it up and apply glue so that it stays rolled in a cylinder.
- Draw a separate small circle that will be the head of the animal (otter, fox, etc.) or the shape of a butterfly or a fish.
- Add features to the circle or shape…eyes, nose, whiskers, or markings on the butterfly or scales on the fish.
- Glue the circle or shape near the top of the cylinder.
- Make several so that you and your child can role play as endangered animals.
COOKING ACTIVITY: TRAIL MIX
Kids love to help in the kitchen…and there is so much learning that can go on there. Science, Math, Geography, History, Problem Solving…the list goes on and on. Why not make some healthful trail mix to take along on a woodland walk as you look for animals in the ‘wild’…even a day at the playground can yield birds, squirrels, chipmunks, and all types of insects and bugs to the observant child.
Photo courtesy: https://www.elizabethrider.com/delicious-healthy-trail-mix/
Combine your favorite nuts and seeds and dried fruits…almonds, cashews, sunflower seeds, raisins, etc.
Mix well and store in airtight containers or zip-lock bags.
Easy-peasy for kids to help make!
Now I think I need to mix up a batch because I’m hungry for something healthy! And I just might take a bag of this along with me when I go to my upcoming book events. I’ll be at Paul Reynolds’ Blue Bunny Bookstore in Dedham, MA on Saturday, June 1 at 1pm for a story-time, reading FOUR OTTERS TOBOGGAN: AN ANIMAL COUNTING BOOK and also SWEET DREAMS, SARAH. And then I’ll be flying to Chicago the next day and will be at Andersons Bookstore in La Grange, IL on June 8 at 11am for their story hour, sharing OTTERS and SARAH. I hope if any of your readers are in either of those areas, they will COME ON DOWN to say hello and spread the word to friends who have children.
Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Lauri!
So glad you were able to stop in again, Vivian!
Writer for children – reader forever…that’s Vivian Kirkfield in five words. She’s got a bucket list that contains many more than five words – but she’s already checked off skydiving, parasailing and banana-boat riding. When she is not looking for ways to fall from the sky or sink under the water, she can be found writing picture books that she hopes will encourage young kids to become lovers of books and reading. She is the author of Pippa’s Passover Plate (Holiday House, Feb 2019); Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book (PomegranateKids, March 2019); Sweet Dreams, Sarah (Creston Books, May 2019); Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe (Little Bee Books, Spring 2020); From Here to There: Inventions That Changed the Way the World Moves (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Fall 2020). Vivian lives in the quaint New Hampshire town of Amherst where the old stone library is her favorite hangout and her young grandson is her favorite board game partner. You can visit Vivian on her website, Picture Books Help Kids Soar, where she hosts the #50PreciousWords Writing Challenge every March. Or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin, and just about anywhere people are playing with picture books.
Coming up next week: Post number three in Vivian’s Show Me How! three-part series. She’ll be sharing a fun craft and delicious cooking activity for her book Sweet Dreams, Sarah. Stay tuned!
Picture Books At The Library 187
I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all. But I can share them! Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.) Check your local library or bookstore for availability.
QUEENIE QUAIL CAN’T KEEP UP: When Queenie’s watchful eye spots a cat in the grass, she rescues her family from danger and teaches them the value of slowing down.
MAYBE TOMORROW: Optimistic Norris invites melancholy Elba to accompany him on a trip to the ocean. Love the feel good colors!
RUBY’S BIRDS: When energetic Ruby’s neighbor invites her on a nature walk, Ruby learns to quiet down and look for birds.
THE QUIET BOAT RIDE: Unlikely friends, Fox and Chick, enjoy a boat ride, a chocolate cake, and a sunset together.
THE FARMER: Paul the farmer works hard to tend the earth and sow his seeds, but what happens when the water dries up?
SPROUT, SEED, SPROUT: A young boy learns to be patient while waiting for his avocado seed to sprout.
Show Me How! with Vivian Kirkfield and Pippa’s Passover Plate
I’m so excited to feature kidlit author and friend Vivian Kirkfield on Frog on a Blog! When my book The Peddler’s Bed came out a few years ago, Vivian was one of the first bloggers to host me on her fantastic site Picture Books Help Kids Soar. I couldn’t wait to return the favor! And now I’m overjoyed to finally have the chance!
In a series of three posts in three successive weeks, Vivian will offer craft and cooking activities that parents and children can do together after reading one of her picture books. First, she’ll share a summary of the book, followed by a Positive Parental Participation Note, then a craft, and finally, a recipe, just like she does in her book Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. (For more information about Show Me How! and to read my review, click HERE.) How cool is that! Today’s book is Pippa’s Passover Plate.
Hello, Lauri! Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog. Frog on a Blog has long been a favorite of mine and I’m honored to be here.
My journey on this path to picture book publication started decades ago. I wasn’t writing picture books then…I was reading them…first to my kindergarten students and then to my own children. But I never seriously considered writing them until my 64th birthday. You see, I had self-published a guide for parents and teachers, SHOW ME HOW! BUILD YOUR CHILD’S SELF-ESTEEM THROUGH READING, CRAFTING AND COOKING (MoneyPenny Press, 2010). It was the book I had wanted when I was teaching and raising my children – 100 picture book suggestions and a craft project and a cooking activity for each title.
Long story short, my son took me skydiving for my 64th birthday and when my feet touched the ground, I knew that if I could jump out of a perfectly good airplane, I could do anything I wanted. And what I wanted was to become a picture book author. I began blogging to spread the word about the parenting book and met loads of people who also wanted to become picture book writers. I joined challenges. Took classes. Wrote and revised and submitted. And was lucky enough to snag an amazing agent and, over the next few years, received a bunch of book contracts.
This year, three of my picture books launched. And so, when you suggested that we follow the format SHOW ME HOW and provide a craft and cooking activity for each of my picture books, I was thrilled!!!
SHOW ME HOW!: Pippa’s Passover Plate
SUMMARY: Pippa’s Passover Plate (Holiday House, Feb. 2019) illustrated by Jill Weber, is a joyful rhyming tale of courage, friendship, and perseverance. When Pippa Mouse can’t find her special Seder plate, she must face her natural enemies to question each even though Cats and Snakes and Owls make her Quiver, Quaver, Shiver, Shake with fear. But time is of the essence – sun sets soon, it’s getting late…and the Passover holiday will be starting. Spills and chills occur when Pippa goes to ask Golda Fish if she has seen the plate and the little mouse falls in the lake. Oh no! But life is good when friends are near and Pippa and her new friends join together in a wonderful Passover celebration.
*Positive Parental Participation Note: Encourage children to build relationships with friends by arranging playdates with schoolmates. Create finger puppets to role play with your child – sometimes a child will open up and be more honest about things they are afraid of when they can pretend they are someone else.
CRAFT ACTIVITY: Make a Seder Plate
Photo courtesy: PJLibrary.org
Materials needed: Paper plate, cupcake liners, marker or crayons, glue.
Directions: Print the names of the foods at the bottom of each cupcake liner. Glue onto plate. Decorate plate.
COOKING ACTIVITY: MATZO BALLS
(Recipes courtesy of illustrator Jill Weber)
There are two secrets to light and fluffy matzo balls—letting the mixture sit for at least a half an hour. (the mixture will become spongy and thick.) and simmering the matzo balls long enough. To be sure, cut one open to make sure it is cooked through.
Makes about 18 medium sized matzo balls.
3 tablespoons of chicken fat (or canola oil)
3 large eggs
3/4 cup matzo meal
1 teaspoon of Kosher salt
3 tablespoons of chicken stock
Using a fork, blend together the chicken fat and the eggs. Mix in the matzo meal and salt. Finally, add the chicken stock, mix well, and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes. Bring 2 quarts of water, lightly salted, to a full boil. While the water is boiling, form little balls about the size of a walnut from the matzo mixture. Drop into the boiling water. Reduce the heat to simmer and cook for 40 minutes. The matzo balls will double in size and rise to the top. When they are done, remove with a slotted spoon and add to the soup for 10 minutes or so to absorb the flavor of the broth.
MATZO BALL SOUP
We usually serve this with shredded chicken from the stock and about 4 small matzo balls per person.
2 quarts homemade chicken stock
1 cup of sliced carrots
1 rib of celery sliced
salt to taste
Reheat the stock and simmer until the vegetables are tender. Add the matzo balls and simmer another 10 minutes. Serve. Enjoy!
And I hope everyone enjoys the book…so far, the reviews have been lovely. I think this is so much more than a book about the Passover holiday. It’s a story about courage, perseverance, and friendship…qualities that we hope all children will embrace.
Thank you so much for letting me stop by to visit, Lauri.
It’s my pleasure, Vivian! You’re welcome anytime!
Writer for children – reader forever…that’s Vivian Kirkfield in five words. She’s got a bucket list that contains many more than five words – but she’s already checked off skydiving, parasailing and banana-boat riding. When she is not looking for ways to fall from the sky or sink under the water, she can be found writing picture books that she hopes will encourage young kids to become lovers of books and reading. She is the author of Pippa’s Passover Plate (Holiday House, Feb 2019); Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book (PomegranateKids, March 2019); Sweet Dreams, Sarah (Creston Books, May 2019); Making Their Voices Heard: The Inspiring Friendship of Ella Fitzgerald and Marilyn Monroe (Little Bee Books, Spring 2020); From Here to There: Inventions That Changed the Way the World Moves (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Fall 2020). Vivian lives in the quaint New Hampshire town of Amherst where the old stone library is her favorite hangout and her young grandson is her favorite board game partner. You can visit Vivian on her website, Picture Books Help Kids Soar, where she hosts the #50PreciousWords Writing Challenge every March. Or connect with her on Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest, Instagram, Linkedin, and just about anywhere people are playing with picture books.
Everyone, be sure to stop by next week for the second post in Vivian’s Show Me How! series. She’ll be sharing a fun craft and delicious cooking activity for her book Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book. I can’t wait!
Picture Books At The Library 186
I catalog hundreds of new picture books each year, and I read as many of them as I can. Unfortunately, I can’t review them all. But I can share them! Below are a few recent titles. (Summaries have been taken directly from the books whenever possible.) Check your local library or bookstore for availability.
POETREE: Sylvia loves poetry, and even leaves a poem tied to a tree, but she’s surprised when the tree writes back.
I DO NOT LIKE BOOKS ANYMORE: Natalie is excited about reading on her own, but when she tries reading her first book, the letters and words look like scribbles and she becomes discouraged.
BORN TO RIDE: In Rochester, NY, in 1896, Louisa defies convention and ignores her brother’s warnings by learning to ride a bicycle.
LUBNA AND PEBBLE: When a lost little boy arrives in the “world of tents”, Lubna must decide if he needs Pebble more than she does.
A LITTLE CHICKEN: When one of her mother’s eggs accidentally rolls out of the coop, Dot must pluck up her courage to save her soon-to-be sibling.
I LOVE YOU ALL YEAR THROUGH: Cuddle up and celebrate the simple, special moments shared between grown-ups and little ones all year through. Rhyme. Beautiful illustrations!
YOU ARE YOUR STRONG: A child explains how to conquer fear, anger, and other emotions to find your “strong.” Love the gold cover and interior art!
The Whimsical World Of Bilingual Books by Derek Taylor Kent
Please welcome back to Frog on a Blog, author, screenwriter, performer and director Derek Taylor Kent. You may remember Derek’s last visit when he shared “The Mystery of the Picture Book” along with his first El Perro book El Perro con Sombrero: A Bilingual Doggy Tale. (Read that article along with my review of his fabulous book by clicking HERE.)
Derek and his wife author Sheri Fink are the founders of Whimsical World, an empowering children’s brand that publishes books and produces whimsical merchandise, inspiring entertainment, and magical experiences for children of all ages.
I’m happy to report that the sequel to El Perro con Sombrero, El Perro con Sombrero meets Los Gatos con Gelatos (that’s fun to say!) is hot off the presses. I asked Derek to stop in and tell us a little about the book and how it ties in with Whimsical World’s mission “to inspire, delight, and educate children of all ages while planting seeds of self-esteem and high achievement.”
The Whimsical World of Bilingual Books
By Derek Taylor Kent
Hello Frog on a Blog readers! This is Derek Taylor Kent, AKA Derek the Ghost. You may know me as the author of the middle-grade series Scary School, the bilingual picture book El Perro con Sombrero, and many more that have been reviewed right here on this blog.
I’m here today to share with you some exciting insider info about my latest book, the sequel to El Perro con Sombrero called El Perro con Sombrero meets Los Gatos con Gelatos.
But first, in case you hadn’t heard yet, last year I married fellow children’s book author Sheri Fink! (www.SheriFink.com) We are truly the perfect match for each other and have had soooo much fun and so many adventures since we’ve been together. Check out Sheri’s Instagram @Sheri_Fink and you’ll see what I mean.
One of the best parts about our relationship is that we got to combine our imaginations and books together to create a brand new children’s brand called Whimsical World. We say that our mission at Whimsical World is to inspire, delight, and educate children of all ages while planting seeds of self-esteem and high achievement. This mission includes not only our library of books, but also live events such as school visits, book festival appearances, comic cons, plus pop-up experiences like Unicorn Parties and whimsical book launches. We also have whimsical merchandise, lesson plans for schools to accompany our books, interactive fan experiences on our website, and some truly incredible things in the works that we can’t wait to share with you.
Some of you may be wondering how my latest book, El Perro con Sombrero meets Los Gatos con Gelatos, fits in with our Whimsical World mission to inspire, delight, and educate children while planting seeds of self-esteem and high achievement.
All of our books at Whimsical World carry important social-emotional learning messages. They are designed so that every child discovers something new about themselves when they read each story. They can also come to a better understanding of how to be a good person, a good friend, or a good family member. Some of our most popular titles with these messages include The Little Rose, The Little Unicorn and The Little Seahorse. Some of the books are also certified STEM educational books such as Counting Sea Life with the Little Seahorse and Simon and the Solar System.
El Perro con Sombrero meets Los Gatos con Gelatos fits into both categories, as it can be used for educational purposes as well as for social-emotional learning. On the education side, it can be utilized by youngsters learning either Spanish or English. Since the text is written in both languages (see images) children will naturally gravitate toward the language they don’t know once they’ve heard it in their native tongue for the first time. With the first El Perro con Sombrero, parents have often told me that their kids prefer to have it read to them in Spanish even though they don’t speak it! That’s because they know the story so well that hearing it in Spanish makes it a whole new story for them and their brain starts automatically picking up the language. Much to the parents’ shock, the kids start speaking it around the house automatically!
Dual immersion schools also use El Perro con Sombrero because sometimes stories can create a more positive language-learning association than textbooks. When they read the story about Pepe, the homeless dog who chances upon a lucky sombrero that turns his life around, students become excited about language because they see that no matter where you come from, we all love the same characters and stories.
Besides the two El Perro books, I have a third bilingual picture book called Doggy Claus/Perro Noel, about Santa Claus’ dog who takes Santa’s sleigh so he can deliver presents to all the dogs in the world. This one is perfect for language learning during the sometimes distracting holiday season!
In El Perro con Sombrero meets Los Gatos con Gelatos, Pepe has settled at home with his new family and his best friend is the daughter, little Lucia. He waits patiently at her feet while she finishes her homework so they can go outside and play together. But when Lucia accidently drops her homework assignment on the way to school, Pepe decides he must bring it to her before school starts so she can get her A in math. However, his mission turns out to be fraught with peril, including a gang of ice-cream-loving cats called Los Gatos con Gelatos who have other plans for Pepe.
Throughout his journey to the school, Pepe is confronted with a series of obstacles where the easy thing to do would be to give up and go back home, but each time he makes the conscious decision not to give up and come up with clever and creative solutions. The social-emotional learning message in this book is about persistence, hard work, creative problem solving, and how good deeds can end up benefitting you in the long run.
Overcoming multiple trials and errors to accomplish his goal gives Pepe the ultimate feeling of peace and earned self-esteem by the end.
That’s a valuable lesson no matter what language you speak. Olé!
I look forward to hearing your thoughts about the book and how you have been able to use books and stories to teach languages and important lessons to your little ones.
You can learn more about Derek’s books and Whimsical World at www.WhimsicalWorldBooks.com and www.DerekTaylorKent.com. Follow on Social Media @DerekTaylorKent and @WhimsicalWorldBooks
Derek, Sheri and Zander
Derek Taylor Kent is an author, screenwriter, performer and director based in Los Angeles. Best known for his children’s books, his best-selling, award-winning books are treasured in hundreds of thousands of homes across the world. He and his wife, author Sheri Fink, are the founders of Whimsical World, an empowering children’s brand that publishes books and produces whimsical merchandise, inspiring entertainment, and magical experiences for children of all ages.
