Authors, illustrators, and publishing company publicity departments often reach out to bloggers to see if they can feature upcoming picture books. I try to do as many as I can – because I LOVE reading them and I LOVE sharing them with parents, librarians, teachers, and all of my kidlit friends. Sometimes I get a chance to read them to my six-year old granddaughter over Skype…and, when she asks me to read the book again and again and again, I know we’ve got a winner.

That’s what happened with today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday selection. Sophie absolutely loves I AM A THIEF…and I think you will also. PLUS, the author and publisher are donating a copy of the book as a giveaway AND…the illustrator is offering a picture book manuscript CRITIQUE to one lucky winner. Make sure you leave a comment at the end.

But before we get to the review, we have a giveaway to announce.

Several weeks ago, the lovely Shannon Stocker, author of CAN U SAVE THE DAY? was featured on my blog and she offered a Picture Book Manuscript Critique. And the lucky winner is:

ELEANOR ANN PETERSON

Congratulations! I will be contacting you shortly and putting you in touch with Shannon.

And now, back to our regularly scheduled programming.

I AM A THIEF

Written by Abigail Rayner

Illustrated by Molly Ruttan

Published by NorthSouth Books (2019)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Honesty, courage, family

Synopsis: From Amazon:

When Eliza Jane Murphy—line leader, captain of the worm rescue team—impulsively pockets a sparkly green stone from her classroom’s “Exploring Green” display table, her heart crumples.

My heart stopped singing. My letters went wonky. I was too heavy to swing! 

I wanted to put it back . . . But what if someone saw? 

But when she discovers that nearly everyone in her family took something once in their lives—from her baby brother and mom, to her nana with her sausage-stealing dog—Eliza overcomes her shame to make things right.

A hilarious and heartfelt story about stealing and finding the courage to do the right thing.

Why I love this book:

• Filled with heart and humor – from the first page to the last!
• So relatable for all children
• Fabulous illustrations that move the story forward to its VERY satisfying ending

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

Make a Family Tree

Photo courtesy: https://thecraftingchicks.com/my-family-tree-crafts/

So many ideas for family tree activities. For detailed instructions: https://thecraftingchicks.com/my-family-tree-crafts/

Thank you, my friends, for stopping by to visit. Please don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway of a copy of I AM A THIEF and for the picture book manuscript critique. We will have two winners…one person will get the book and another person will receive a pb critique! And if you get to read the book and love it,  why not post a review on Amazon or Goodreads.