Perfect Picture Book Friday: THERE GOES PATTI MCGEE Plus Giveaway

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Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends! One of my favorite books to review is a book written by a friend…and I also love it when a manuscript I saw early on becomes a real book. So, when those two elements align, I’m totally dancing with joy. And that’s what is happening this weekend! I’m so happy for debut picture book author Tootie Nienow – and I’m tickled pink to share her fabulous book with you today…and to sit down and chat with her tomorrow when she joins us for Will Write for Cookies. Please don’t forget to leave a comment at the end of the blogpost and share this on your social media for tickets in the giveaway of a copy of THERE GOES PATTI MCGEE!

THERE GOES PATTI MCGEE!

Written by Tootie Nienow

Illustrated by Erika Medina

Published by Farrar, Straus, & Giroux (February 23, 2021)

Ages: 4-8+

Themes: Courage, Women in Sports, Biography

Synopsis: From Amazon:

Tootie Nienow’s There Goes Patti McGee! is an uplifting picture book biography of the first-ever professional female skateboarder and winner of the 1964 National Skateboard Championship for Women.

Brought to life by Erika Medina’s dynamic and joyful illustrations, There Goes Patti McGee! walks us through Patti first place win in the women’s division of the 1964 National Skateboard Championship. She wowed the judges with with what would become her signature move―the rolling handstand. Inspiring and unapologetic, Patti McGee proves that anyone can skate.

Why I love this book:

  1. I love biographies that empower children to think differently, to believe they can break down barriers – this true story does exactly that!
  2. The illustrations are absolutely perfect – bringing the story to life – and inviting the reader along for the ride!
  3. Beautifully paced and well written!

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

Photo courtesy: https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/mini-skateboards

Oh WOW! With popsicle sticks, some markers, toothpicks, beads, and glue, you and your kids can craft some awesome mini-skateboards! They’d make perfect favors or activity for a birthday party, place-settings (kids can print their name on the board with marker, or even a wall decoration (arrange several in a shadowbox or frame). For detailed instructions, head over to a parent’s site on PBS where you can find loads of neat activities to do with the kiddos: https://www.pbs.org/parents/crafts-and-experiments/mini-skateboards

Tootie and her publisher are generously offering a copy of THERE GOES PATTI MCGEE to one lucky winner – to be entered in the giveaway, please leave a comment below – how about telling Tootie what sport you wish you had tried when you were younger or what sport you did participate in. I loved roller skating – it was really popular in the 1950’s. And if you share the post on social media, you get more tickets in the giveaway hat!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend…and perhaps some of you will be working on your #50PreciousWords entry. The prize list is FANTASTICAL! Please check it out here. But don’t post your story until March 2nd in the contest-specific post named: #50PreciousWords2021 is OPEN.

And please come back tomorrow when Tootie stops by to chat with us about her writing journey and shares a favorite cookie recipe – one passed down from her Grandmother to her Mother to her.

39 thoughts on “Perfect Picture Book Friday: THERE GOES PATTI MCGEE Plus Giveaway”

  1. Congratulations! As a child I loved playing soccer. I wished that I spent more time roller skating. It was something I enjoyed but was too scarred to try a lot of the tricks.

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  3. Sounds like a great and uplifting story. Congratulations and good luck with it.
    As a child growing up in Queens, I roller-skated on my “dead end” street, not in a roller rink. However, my sister and I did ice skate at Flushing Meadows Park (before it was the World’s Fair, and way before it was the site of the US Open). We loved wearing our black velvet skating skirts and red tights.

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  11. This looks fun! Congratulations! Since Vivian said to share about a sport I wished I tried when I was younger…in college I learned to play racket ball! I don’t think that’s how you spell it. It looks weird. But I LOVED playing. I do wish I had gotten interested in hiking much earlier in my life. So many places I’ve gone would have been excellent hiking adventures. Best wishes!

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  12. Love the idea of this book! I used to take gymnastics at the local Y and swimming lessons too. What I really wanted to do more often was ride a bike!

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  14. Tootie! I’m so excited to read your book. Congratulations! I’m impressed with anyone who can skateboard. I never did. After breaking my arm rollerskating I decided it just wasn’t for me.

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  17. This sounds like an awesome book. I grew up in the country and there weren’t many opportunities for me as a child. But I was a really good pitcher in softball and was on several playoff winning teams! I wished I had been able to play tennis and be on a swim team. I experienced field hockey in PE and would have loved to have played that or soccer as well. I was an athlete, though, and also played basketball, volleyball, ran track, and did the high jump.

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  19. This looks like a fun and interesting book! Growing up, I thought I was completely unathletic. But as an adult I fell in love with hockey, and started playing it in my 40s. Sometimes it just takes the right sport and an opportunity!

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