Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends.
Have you ever wondered what life had in store for you? When you were a kid, did you think about what you would become or who you were at that moment in time or what you really wanted to be? Those are the questions that someone poses to Blob…and Blob has some very interesting answers. Author/illustrator Anne Appert used heart and humor in her text and in her illustrations to bring kids a super cool story about being true to yourself. And her debut picture book launches on September 14th!!!!
BLOB
Written and illustrated by Anne Appert
Published by HarperCollins
Ages: 4-8
Themes: Be true to yourself, self-awareness
Synopsis from Amazon:
A humorous picture book featuring a blob (n. a creature that can be anything they want) about embracing who we are and the many things we can be.
Blob is a creature of indeterminate kind. Blob can be a giraffe, cotton candy, and even an octopus. It’s not until a certain someone continuously calls them “Bob” that Blob starts to question who they really are.
After a series of funny yet enlightening discoveries about all the possible things they can be, Blob realizes that the best thing to be is . . .
Blob.
(With the L.)
Author, artist, and auntie Anne Appert creates an irresistible story sure to please fans of What If, Pig?, Tiny T. Rex, and other hilariously charming and meaningful picture books.
WHY I LOVE THIS BOOK:
- I always love when a book combines heart and humor – author Anne Appert does a fabulous job in this story!
- The illustrations are so kid-friendly!
- The messages of self-acceptance and being true to oneself shine!
RELATED ACTIVITIES:
FINGERPAINTING…so much fun for kids! You can finger paint a blob shape and turn it into whatever you’d like using markers or crayons after the paint dries. Or check out this website for more than a dozen awesome finger painting projects: https://www.momooze.com/fingerpainting-ideas-kids/
Here’s a little bit about the author:
Anne Appert spent her childhood in New Jersey with her nose stuck in a book and a wild imagination that transformed her backyard into faraway places and allowed her to be anything she dreamed she could be. She still enjoys spending time in her backyard dreaming, and now her imagination turns her dreams into words and pictures for children. Anne wrote and illustrated her debut book BLOB published by HarperCollins with a second book to follow. She is represented by Charlotte Wenger at Prospect Agency. You can find Anne’s portfolio at www.anneappert.com, and follow her on Twitter at @Anne_Appert or Instagram at @anneappertillustration.
And guess what? Anne was kind enough to stop by to chat a bit about the story behind the story:
ANNE: Blob started as a joke. People confused my animal characters for animals they were not: a skunk was confused for a badger, a squirrel for a cat etc. I said to a friend “I should just draw a blob!” and then I did. Then Blob and I had a conversation about who they were. That became the first manuscript for Blob.
When my publisher asked me to write about why I wrote Blob, I was stumped. It was just a joke that people connected with! However, as I explored this question of why, I realized how much of me is in the book. When I was a kid, I hated having to answer the question, “what do you want to be when you grow up?” I just wanted to be me. I hope that Blob’s journey of self discovery will resonate with readers, and that they will be encouraged to choose to be themselves after reading this book.
Thank you so much, Anne…this book is definitely going to help lots of kids!!
Please don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered in the Giveaway – it’s a fabulous one from Anne – a written critique of a picture book dummy or manuscript (fiction only)!!! A huge thank you to Anne!
Remember that the best way to let an author know you love her book is to buy it, review it, tell friends about it, and ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection.
Have a beautiful weekend, dear friends!
Congratulations on your book Anne. Blob looks great and I love the message of learning to be yourself that the story conveys..
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Thanks, Catherine! Being ourselves is so important!
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Yay, Anne! Congratulations! Kids will love this story! I’m so happy for you and BLOB!
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Hooray! Thank you, Kara!
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I think my reply got eaten! Thank you so much, Kara!
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Oh, I LOVE this book already. I’m adding it to my Christmas wish list (if I can bear to wait that long).
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And…funny story: when I searched Amazon to add it to my wishlist (I buy mostly from the bookstore but keep my list there), Amazon said, “Did you mean bob anne appert?” Hahaha No, Amazon, I mean bLob!!!
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Thanks for adding it to your list! I LOVE that amazon does that. I sometimes search for it there just to see it that. Ha!
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Wow. I love this idea. Kids will surely use their imagination.
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Thank you! I certainly hope so!
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Congratulations! Blob looks wonderful! Can’t wait to read it.
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Thank you very much, Melanie!
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Love the idea! Love the book! can’t wait to read it!
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Aw, Thank you so much, Marla! I hope you love it just as much when you read it.
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This book looks so cute!
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Thank you, Zachary!
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Absolutely wonderful and unique way to let kids know they can just be themselves!! Can’t wait to read to my grands. Congratulations
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I hope your grands love it! I got to read it to my niblings this past week and it was wonderful. Thank you!
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Perfect way to let kids know it’s ok just to be themselves! Can’t wait to read to my grands. Congratulations
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Congratulations, Anne! That’s a fun story about the book and the book looks as entertaining! Can’t wait to read it!
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Thank you! It certainly makes writing for blogs easy when the story is fun. Ha! I hope you enjoy!
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I can’t wait to read this! I also always hated the question, “What do you want to be when you grow up?” I’m glad BLOB will be out in the world to share the message to just be you!
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It really was the worst question. I still don’t really know what I want to be when I grow up. Thank you, Heather!
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I love the humor in this picture book! What a treat for both the children who experience the story and the adults who share it with them! The concept is so creative and clever. Congratulations, Anne!
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Thank you so much for all the kind feedback, Pamela!
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I love how when we dig deep into the “why” of the story, surprising things come up. Thanks for the rec, Vivian. I’ll be adding Blob to my TBR list.
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This why definitely surprised me! And also made complete sense. Thank you so much, Jilanne!
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What a perfect way to dive into such an important topic for kids! Adding this to my lists!
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Thank you so much, Katie!
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This sounds wonderful! I too hated that “which box should I put you in” question.
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Congratulations, Anne, on your debut book! Blob seems to be a very lovable, sweet character, way to go!!
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I love the humor and imagination in your book and can’t wait to get to know Blob. I know kids and all readers with connect with Blob.
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Hooray, Anne! I can’t wait to get a copy for my kiddo (and me)!
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Congratulations! I am super excited to get my hands on this bLook – I mean, book!
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As they say, the best we can be is ourselves. This book shares a mighty important message for kids. I’m escaping from a day of resting up to sneak over to the library. I’ll see if I can find this book.
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