Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends! Here comes another book from a dear kid-lit friend, Ariel Bernstein. I met Ariel when my first book, Sweet Dreams, Sarah was supposed to come out in 2017 and I joined the Picture the Books 2017 debut picture book author group. Of course, it turned out that my book was pushed back, first to 2018 and then to 2019. But the other members invited me to stay in the group – and I did. And guess who some of those other members were: Andrea Lonely, Marcie Colleen, Katey Howes, Chana Steifel, Carter Higgins, Jannie Ho, Annie Silvestro…and so many more with long lists of award-winning books…but that was the first year for all of them! So, dear writer friends, if you are in the trenches, searching for an agent or waiting for that first book deal, please take heart…every published author didn’t have any books until they did.
And I know you are going to love this new one, YOU GO FIRST!

YOU GO FIRST!

Written by Ariel Bernstein

Illustrated by Marc Rosenthal

Published by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books (June 13, 2023)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: New Experiences, Friendship, Overcoming Fears

Synopsis: From Amazon:
In the spirit of Mo Willems and Ben Clanton, this “extremely funny and spot-on sensitive” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) picture book shows how a good friend can become even better by trying new things and putting others first.

Cat and Duck are very good friends and play together all the time, so when the new slide gets built, they can’t wait to try it out! Only, the slide is very big and curvy—what if it’s too big for Cat? As Cat and Duck move closer to the front of the line, Cat imagines everything that could go wrong until his worries start to rub off on Duck. Now Duck doesn’t want to go down the slide either.

Cat feels bad that Duck is missing out on the fun because of him. Can he find a way to make it right?

Why I Love This Book:
1. I love stories that all children (and their caregivers) can relate to. We all had/have moments of being afraid to do something!
2. I love the fabulous illustrations – and the diversity of all the animals.
3. I love that the story is filled with heart and humor.

To find out more about author Ariel:
Tweeting @ArielBBooks
Website: http://www.arielbernsteinbooks.com

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

Make Some Ducks

For detailed insturctions on these adorable duck crafts: https://craftsyhacks.com/duck-crafts/

And for those of you who have cat-loving kids: https://www.dltk-kids.com/animals/paper-plate-crafts-for-kids/cat.htm

Crafting with kids develops fine motor and literacy skills – and strengthens parent/child bonds. It’s an opportunity to chat with children and it gives them a chance to talk openly in a relaxed setting.

And dear friends, here’s an opportunity for you to win a copy of YOU GO FIRST. Author Ariel Bernstein is generously offering a giveaway – all you need to do is leave a comment. One lucky winner will be chosen. Maybe you can share your favorite playground activity. Were there any that made you hesitate? And please remember that Amazon reviews are important for all books…new ones and ones that have been out for a while. You’ll be able to review YOU GO FIRST on Amazon when it launches on June 13, but you can already review it on Goodreads! I just left my 5-star review there! And you can pre-order a copy, too.