Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday times two, dear friends! That’s right! I’m featuring TWO books today – both written and illustrated by the incredible Benson Shum. And guess what? Thanks to Benson’s generosity, we will have TWO WINNERS for the giveaway: one person will win a copy of FIRST NIGHT OF HOWLERGARTEN and another person will win a copy of CINDY AND PANDA!
FIRST NIGHT AT HOWLERGARTEN
Written and illustrated by Benson Shum
Published by Penguin Workshop (August 8, 2023)
Ages: 4-6
Themes: First day of school jitters, belonging, self-acceptance
Synopsis: From the Amazon sales page:
First-day-of-school jitters take on a whole new meaning at howlergarten, where future werewolves prepare for their big transformation!
Most kids go to kindergarten, but there is a special place for those who turn into werewolves. Instead of attending school during the day, these supernatural students go to howlergarten at night! There they practice tracking scents, listening to whispers on the wind, and more. But when one student named Sophie doesn’t seem to possess the basic skills, she worries she won’t become a werewolf at all. What will happen if she remains human when the full moon appears? Will she still be accepted as part of the pack, or will she be cast aside as an ordinary outsider?
Here’s a few words from Benson regarding the inspiration for this story:
BENSON: I love mythology and animals and I wanted to share a story about werewolves! Then I thought, what would happen if a little werewolf couldn’t transform into their were-self? What if they stay human forever? What will everyone think? What will her classmates think? I set the story at Howlergarten (Kindergarten) but I believe we all have that fear of not fitting in in any settings whether we are young or old.
RELATED ACTIVITIES:
Paper Plate Werewolf Craft
For detailed instructions: https://www.gluedtomycraftsblog.com/2019/10/paper-plate-werewolf.html
And maybe the kids can do a werewolf face on one side of the plate and a person face on the other side.
And now, because Benson is such a prolific creator, it’s time for Perfect Picture Book Friday #2!
CINDY AND PANDA
Written and illustrated by Benson Shum
Published by Clarion Books (May 2023)
Ages: 4-8
Themes: Friendship, baking
Synopsis: From Amazon:
For Fans of Lost and Found by Oliver Jeffers comes a perfectly baked story about the messy delight of baking and making new friends from Disney animator Benson Shum.
Cindy loves to bake, but she doesn’t always follow a recipe! One day, she runs out to grab ingredients for a pie and comes back with something sweeter—a panda who wants to help! Their freestyle recipe may lead to chaos in the kitchen and a bit of a messy meltdown, but together, the pair have the perfect ingredients for a sweet-as-pie friendship.
This book includes a pie recipe in the back with its very own freestyle section for young bakers excited to explore!
And Benson also shared his inspiration for this story:
BENSON: The inspiration came from a video I saw of these little pandas playing with the caretakers at a panda sanctuary. They would grab onto their legs, preventing them from their duties and just hang on. I did a painting of that. And an editor saw that painting and asked if I had a story. And from there, we worked on the book together which became Cindy and Panda! We both have a love of Pandas and Pies!
RELATED ACTIVITIES:
Pandas are ADORABLE! And these crafts are sure to engage your kids as they create their own paper pandas. For detailed instructions: https://artsycraftsymom.com/panda-crafts-for-kids/
Please don’t forget that the way to thank authors and illustrators for creating beautiful books is to:
Buy their books! Here are links to Benson’s indie bookstore:
Once Upon a time Bookstore: https://www.shoponceuponatime.com/first-night-howlergarten-hardcover
Children’s Book World: https://www.childrensbookworld.com/book/9780593521274
Review their books on Amazon.
CINDY AND PANDA
FIRST NIGHT OF HOWLERGARTEN
Tell friends about the books (social media sharing is awesome!)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!
And remember to leave a comment to be entered in the DOUBLE GIVEAWAY! Please let us know which book you would prefer if you are one of the lucky winners!
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 
My son is starting Kindergarten next month, so I’d love to win FIRST NIGHT OF HOWLERGARTEN!
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Thank you so much, I hope he will enjoy it! And good luck 🥰
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My 6 year old would enjoy both books, and I would too! Great illustrations and lessons about friendship and inclusion for young ones.
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Great minds DO think alike. I have a double header this week too! Love these two books! What a wonderful twist on Kindergarten and belonging and that panda and boy are such personalities! Great crafts, too. Thanks for highlighting these books.
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Thanks for this twofer! So generous of you, Vivian..well that’s you anyway!!! The covers and titles of these two books are so inviting and kid appealing. Of course new books are always a win but I secretly hope someone with littles will be gifted. (wrong place to say secretly!) Love our writing community.
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What fun books! It’s a tough choice as I love werewolves and pandas! Best of luck with these!!!
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These are adorable!
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Howergarten could not be cuter! Great addition to library read aloud shelves.
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These both look great! Congrats! And thanks for the fun craft ideas 🙂
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Congrats on these two new fun and vibrant books, Benson! Thanks for sharing, Vivian. I would love FIRST NIGHT OF HOWLERGARTEN as it would be a wonderful read for students on the first day of school.
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Great post, Vivian. Congratulations on these two books, Benson Shum. THE FIRST NIGHT OF HOWLERGARTEN sounds like a scream! Could be a great comp title for my WIP. And Pandas and pie, oh my! My grandsons would love either — once I had my fill of them!
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They both look wonderful! Thanks so much for sharing!
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Benson’s books are adorable – both the text and the art. I am especially drawn to the plot of THE FIRST NIGHT OF HOWLERGARTEN because I have a shy granddaughter in pre-K who will be starting “real K” this fall.
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Both of these have themes all readers will relate to and enjoy. As an avid baker and changer of recipes, I would choose Cindy and Panda as my first choice.
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Both of these books looks so sweet! And I love now the ideas evolved. Congrats to Benson!
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Two delightful books!!! Can’t wait to read to my grands!!
Congratulations
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Congratulations, Benson! I love both of these PB’s! Great story ideas! As a Kindergarten teacher I love HOWLERGARTEN! If I were to win though, I would love either PB! 🙂
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Thank you, Susan! I really appreciate that. I hope your class will enjoy both books! I also have downloadable activities and teacher’s guides to go with all my books, if you class is interested! Feel free to check it out and share ☺️
https://bensonshum.com/activities/
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Thank you so much Susan! I hope you’ll enjoy it! I also have teacher’s guides and activities to go with my books if you class is interested! And good luck!!
https://bensonshum.com/activities/
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Both books look like fun stories! I really like the inventive werewolf take on the first day of school in your First Night of Howlergarten!
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SO CUTE!!! I must have these, especially the panda one for my little animal lover. I’m requesting them both at my library but would be thrilled to win a copy of either, as well.
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On a special trip to Denver, I got to drop off my granddaughter at her first day of school. She whispered to me, “Granny, I’m a little bit scared!” I wish I could read HOWLERGARTEN to her.
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Congrats, Benson, on your two newest books! As a panda lover and a baker, Cindy and Panda definitely goes to the top of my list. But both sound perfect for youngsters and their families to read and enjoy together.
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