Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. I probably connected with the author of today’s featured book during one of the #50PreciousWords contests (which is coming up soon – March 3-5 – so please stay tuned for details). I don’t know if Kelly Swemba entered a form of MISSING VIOLET, but if she did, I’m sure it was a winner because it’s a wonderful story. The book launches on January 31 (Yup…just a few more days – but it’s available for PRE-ORDER at your local indie bookstores and Amazon). And the lovely Kelly is offering a giveaway – one lucky person is going to win a copy of MISSING VIOLET! Please make sure you leave a comment at the end of the post – and please share on your social media for extra tickets in the giveaway hat.

MISSING VIOLET

Written by Kelly Swemba

Illustrated by Fabiana Faiallo

Published by Beaming Books

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Loss, SEL, friendship

Synopsis: From Amazon:
Life is full of sunshine for inseparable friends Violet and Mia. Until one day, Violet leaves school sick and doesn’t get better. Without her best friend, Mia slips into a gloomy existence. As she moves through the stages of grief like the colors of a rainbow, Mia wonders if she will ever feel like herself again. When Mia reaches out to her classmates, she remembers what she loved most about Violet.

A sensitive and poignant story about the loss of a friend and experiencing the different stages of grief.

Why I Love This Book:
1. Beautifully told SEL story.
2. Illustrations truly capture the emotions of the main character and help the child reader connect.
3. I love stories that parents and teachers will also enjoy reading…this is definitely one of those.

And guess what? Author Kelly Swemba was kind enough to stop by to share a bit about her path to publication for this wonderful story!

KELLY: MISSING VIOLET follows Mia’s journey through grief after her best friend gets sick and doesn’t recover. Like the many colors in the rainbow, she experiences various emotions. I’ so grateful to Fabiana Faiallo for her vision of this story. She really poured so much into these characters and her details really bring the story alive. 

The most challenging part about this story was finding the best way to approach Violet’s death. I wanted to be very gentle with how I presented it, but also knew that I didn’t want any confusion. My wonderful editor Andrea Hall was with me every step of the way, and encouraged me to take another look at the scene. With her support and guidance, I was able to hopefully accomplish a balance of delicate truth. 

To learn more about Kelly and her books:
Kelly Swemba has been passionate about big feelings since she was little. She holds a master’s degree in psychiatric nursing, worked as a preschool intervention aide for children with autism, and is a special education secretary. She’s a member of SCBWI, 12×12, and Children’s Book Insider. Kelly lives with her family in Columbus, Ohio. This is her first picture book. https://kellyswemba.com/

RELATED ACTIVITIES

Photo courtesy: https://liltigers.net/friendship-activities-for-kids/
Please check out the post at this website: https://liltigers.net/friendship-activities-for-kids/ – there are so many activities that can help build friendships for your children. Here are a few:

1. Write a friendship card or letter
2. Make a friendship bracelet
3. Friendship pictures
4. Craft a friendship picturebook
5. Play “Things we have in common”
6. Make a friendship craft
7. Go see a movie together
8. Paint friendship rocks
9. Write a story together

Please make sure you leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of MISSING VIOLET by Kelly Swemba. The best way we can help a favorite book become a success is to buy it, review it, share about it on social media, and request your local library purchase copies for their collection.