Happy Book Birthday: OLD TO JOY Plus DOUBLE Giveaway

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One of my favorite blog posts to create is a Happy Book Birthday post – and so, you know I am dancing with joy today! ESPECIALLY because I know the author, long-time educator and talented creative Anita Crawford Clark! And especially because the name of her book is: OLD TO JOY – that’s a perfect title for someone like me!

OLD TO JOY is written and illustrated by Anita and published by Gnome Road Books. I’m really impressed with the quality and beauty and thoughtful content of the books that are coming out from this new publishing house. They care about making books that touch on sensitive topics – and their books are very relatable to young kids!

Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page:

Joy’s Grandmama lives in an old house, on an old street, with old trees and all kinds of old things. And Joy already knows . . . there’s no fun in that!

When young Joy goes to spend the day with Grandmama, she struggles to find beauty in all the old things at Grandmama’s house. None of it looks or smells quite the same as it does at home. But as the day passes, Grandmama patiently helps Joy discover how the old ways can bring joy to any heart. Whether it’s the swaying of stately trees, bubbles dancing in a sink filled with dishes, the sweet scents of a lovingly tended garden, or the memories found in a room packed with hats – if Joy open’s her heart and mind, there is beauty to be found everywhere at Grandmama’s house.

Gorgeous, richly detailed illustrations capture the movement of Joy’s feelings of boredom and doubt to awe and appreciation for her Grandmama’s attitude and way of life. Debut author-illustrator Anita Crawford Clark celebrates her African American lived experience and family heritage in this intergenerational story that is certain to encourage a healthy-aging mindset among readers of all ages and add a spark of joy to any home, classroom, or library setting. A perfect gift for grandparents and grandchildren alike!

And happily, Anita stopped by and shared a bit about the path to publication for this book.

ANITA: I first penned the opening lines for this book in 1998. “Grandmama lived in an old house, on an old street, with old trees, and all kinds of old things.” I was inspired to write these lines based on my experiences as a child at my grandmother’s house where everything seemed old, even the people. Much like Joy, I came to appreciate old things and older people like my grandmother. I appreciated them for their wisdom, courage, experiences, faith, love and so much more. After many rejections of this story in 1998-99, I did not pick it up again until 2020. After multiple rounds of revisions, it was ultimately acquired by Sandra Sutter of Gnome Road Publishing in 2021.

Here’s a little bit about Anita and links for you to learn more about her:
Anita Crawford Clark is a writer and illustrator of fiction and nonfiction books for children. Anita grew up chasing butterflies and fishing crawdads from a nearby creek during scorching Sacramento summers. Her stories and illustrations often reflect those memorable childhood years. Anita is an inaugural recipient of the SCBWI OMA (Out from the Margins) Award for her debut picture book, OLD TO JOY. A veteran K-12 teacher, Anita especially enjoys directing musical theatre productions. The athlete in Anita enjoys shooting hoops. The musician in her enjoys playing the drums, piano, and banjo. Anita draws inspiration from her faith, nature, music, history, and everyday life.
You can connect with Anita on Twitter (@AnitaLClark)
Instagram (@AnitasFavPics)
Or visit her website at AnitaCrawfordClark.com.

We all know how important it is to support our favorite books and their authors and illustrators. We can:
Buy their books – here is the link for a signed copy
Review their books
Add their books to our Goodreads WANT TO READ shelf
Tell friends about their books (via social media is great!)
Ask our local library to purchase copies for their collection.

 And because of Anita’s generosity, we have a DOUBLE GIVEAWAY! One winner will receive a copy of the book + book swag. The other winner will receive an Ask-Me-Anything Zoom chat or a Picture Book Manuscript critique! Please make sure when you leave your comment that you tell us WHICH PRIZE you would like if you are one of the lucky winners.

I hope you all have a beautiful week.

42 thoughts on “Happy Book Birthday: OLD TO JOY Plus DOUBLE Giveaway”

  2. Your book is timely, as children need to know about the “old” things around the older people in a child’s life. The joy of making a pie from scratch, listening to nature, and learning was different without cell phones or the internet. I would love to receive a critique of my Steam ms., which shows how nights don’t sound like the day through the eyes of ZaZaNeen, who lives deep in a cluster of trees just left of the bumblebark bushes, behind a small mound, hidden under a rock no bigger than the palm
    of your hand. Thank You.

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  3. Thanks, Vivian, for boosting other writers/illustrators. Anita’s book looks like a joy, indeed, and I’m looking forward to reading AND reviewing it myself. IF I win, I’d like the book+swag. And thanks, Anita, for writing it.

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  5. I loved my grandmother’s so much and was so lucky to enjoy their homes and ‘older things’. Sharing time with them talking about past things is a treasure to me, now that they have gone beyond. Thankyou for writing something so lovely and important for children.

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  6. This book! My best friend when I was young was old Mr. Mac, who lived beside us. I would go to his house almost every day to hear his stories and watch golf with him. I’ve written about him many times in my life. JOY is definitely what I felt there. And I was so close to my grandmothers and lucky enough to have them both in my life until just a few years ago. The grief hits me hard still. Every day. But, yes, JOY, too. Always, joy. Anyway, obviously, I hope I win this book. That’s my first choice. But either prize would be great. So if the other winner wants the book, I’ll happily let them have it and take the ask me anything. I’m gonna library-request it, and I’m sure I’ll be purchasing it, so I’ll get to read it either way.

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  7. I remember watching your journey as a twitter friend and being so excited when you announced this book. How fun to see it in it’s full glory. It’s beautiful, Anita! Truly lovely. Congrats! Great work.

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  8. Thank you, Vivian, for this wonderful post.
    Can’t wait to read Anita’s joy-filled book Old to Joy. Congratulations! Such a delightful topic for young readers.
    If I win, I would love to get an opportunity to ‘ask me anything’ on Zoom chat.
    Thanks,
    Suhasini

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  10. It’s books like this that I live vicariously through as I never had any grandparents. This book would make an excellent gift for grandparent’s day! Thank you for the chance to win a copy of this beautiful book.

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  13. I’m so happy to share in the birthday celebration of your book, Anita! Huge congratulations to you and like I said on Facebook it was a JOY for me to see you on the panel this summer.
    Vivian, I agree with you about Gnome Road, today I welcomed a Gnome Road author on my blog too! Rachel Hobbs book, Tango Red Riding Hood is a delight too!

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  14. Thank you Vivian and Anita for this fabulous post. Congratulations Anita! Your book looks and sounds like a must-read. I appreciate the time invested in this idea and your persistence with it. If I am a winner I would choose a picture book critique.

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  18. I can’t wait to read this one! I have a PB ms about an older parent that I hope also inspire readers some day. I would love a ms critique if I won. But either way, reading OLD TO JOY will be a win!

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  19. Anita, this book sounds like a treasure. I’ve contemplated writing about my grandmother and her home, so I’d love to win a copy in order to use it as a mentor text. Best wishes to you and continued success!!

    Liked by 2 people

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