Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. Today we are shining the spotlight on a debut picture book that just launched last week – and it’s one of my favorite types of books because…it’s a book about BOOKS! Please give a hearty welcome to: A BOOK FOR BEAR!

A BOOK FOR BEAR

Written by Ellen Ramsey

Illustrated by MacKenzie Haley

Published by Flamingo Books/Penguin Random House (July 18, 2023)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Love of Books, creativity, friendship

Synopsis: From Amazon:
“An endearing picture book that showcases the lengths readers will go to find the perfect book . . . this lovely book is one to seek out.”– School Library Journal

In this charming and heartfelt story, a book-loving bear and a book-loving girl hatch a plan to find the perfect book for them to read together.

Bear loves books. When Bear decides he wants a book of his very own, he and his best friend, Ellen, hatch a plan. But sneaking a bear into school, a library, and a bookstore proves to be harder than they thought. Will Bear ever find a book of his very own?

With charming and timeless words from debut author Ellen L. Ramsey and brought to life by MacKenzie Haley, illustrator of Dolly Parton’s Billy the Kid Makes it Big, this is an endearing story of a determined young bear and his journey to find the perfect book.

Why I Love This Book:
1. Flawless text that engages the reader from the first line to the last.
2. Glorious kid-friendly illustrations keep us turning the pages to discover more.
3. A wonderful message of friendship, creativity, and the joy of loving books.

And guess what? Author Ellen Ramsey was kind enough to stop by to share a little bit of her path to publication for this book. Welcome, Ellen!

ELLEN: Hello, Vivian. Thanks so much for featuring me on your blog. I’m delighted to have a chance to talk about the inspiration for A BOOK FOR BEAR.

The inspiration for A BOOK FOR BEAR is my love of books and bears. As a child, I was surrounded by lots of picture books and liked to read them to my favorite teddy bear. As an adult, I live in a house filled with thousands of books, many teddy bears, and a tall, hairy husband who looks rather like a bear. When I thought about how important it is for book-loving children and their book-loving bear friends to find just the right book, this story began to take shape. A BOOK FOR BEAR tells the story of Bear’s search for the perfect book that he and his friend Ellen can read together.

Because the path to publication for this book started many years ago, there have been both bumps in the road and funny incidents. Once after I’d waited for more than a year for an editor to respond to a hard copy submission, I naively assumed the editor was seriously considering the manuscript—maybe even passing it around in the office. Finally, a response arrived. I opened the envelope and saw a large footprint on the first page. They not only rejected it, but stomped on it too! Then I read the apologetic note explaining that the manuscript had been temporarily “misplaced” under a desk.

Fortunately, thanks to the encouragement and advice from many writer friends and publications professionals, Bear’s story is no longer hiding under a desk, but on July 18, 2023, became a BOOK!

Thank you so much, Ellen! I know that all of us enjoy hearing the story behind the story…as well as the patience and perseverance it takes to get a book on the shelves! And thank you for offering a giveaway of a copy of A BOOK FOR BEAR. I hope everyone leaves a comment and shares this post on their social media – that helps so much to get the word out about new books. And now, more than ever, we need to encourage folks to pick up beautiful books like this one that encourage children to…pick up books!

Here’s a little bit about Ellen:

Ellen Ramsey’s love of reading and writing led her to careers as a teacher, a technical editor, and an author of stories for children. Her work has appeared in Highlights, Spider, Ladybug,  Muse, and Fun for Kidz. One of her poems, published in Highlights High Five, won an SCBWI Magazine Merit Award for Poetry. Like Bear, she loves visiting schools, libraries, and bookstores, but unlike Bear, she typically does not need a disguise. She and her husband live in a house filled with thousands of books, many teddy bears, and lots of laughter! Ellen is represented by Liza Fleissig of Liza Royce Agency. You can visit Ellen online at https://www.ellenlramsey.com/ or follow on Instagram @EllenLRamseyBooks, or on Twitter @EllenLRamsey1.
To order signed copies of the book: https://childrensbookworld.net/ramsey-book-for-bear-preorder/
And please remember that Amazon reviews are really important!

A book-loving bear and a book-loving girl search for the perfect book to read together!

Order links for major retailers:

https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/707764/a-book-for-bear-by-ellen-ramsey-illustrated-by-mackenzie-haley/

Order a signed copy from Children’s Book World:

https://childrensbookworld.net/ramsey-book-for-bear-preorder

And here’s a little bit about the illustrator:

MacKenzie Haley is an award-winning illustrator of several children’s books. She lives in Louisville, Kentucky, with her two cats, Booger and Abby. Thanks to her parents, she has been an avid reader since she was very young, and can absolutely understand Bear’s love for books. She’s lucky enough now to be able to create more picture books for future readers to fall in love with. You can visit MacKenzie Haley online at MacKenzieHaley.com or follow her on Instagram @MacKenzie_Haley or on Twitter @MacKenzieLea.

And here’s a few RELATED ACTIVITIES the kiddos might enjoy.

Sometimes hot summer days are the perfect time to take a break indoors…check out these amazing book-making crafts: https://iheartcraftythings.com/childrens-book-crafts.html

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend. And please remember to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of A BOOK FOR BEAR – share the post on social media if you can – that helps a wider audience discover this charming and important story.