WOW…just…WOW! Today is launch day for my newest book, PEDAL, BALANCE, STEER: Annie Londonderry, the First Woman to Cycle Around the World, brilliantly illustrated by Alison Jay and published by the fabulous team at Calkins Creek/Astra headed by my amazing editor, Carolyn Yoder.

I hope this becomes a go-to book for educators because there is so much in the book that aligns with many classroom subjects – history, geography, language arts, and more. Check out my guest post on Beth Anderson’s blog: Especially for Educators. PEDAL, BALANCE, STEER was just selected for the Children’s Book Council HOT OFF THE PRESS SPOTLIGHT. You can order the book from Amazon, B&N, Bookshop.org, or get a signed copy from my local indie, The Bookery in Manchester, NH. PLUS, if you are local to Portsmouth, NH or if you live in the Boston area or somewhere in Maine or Vermont and feel like taking a fun day trip, I’ll be at G.Willikers for a special Women’s History Month book launch event on March 9th from 1:30-3pm. Portsmouth, NH is a charming coastal New England town…with shops and restaurants and so much to do…and I’d love to see you there.

And, guess what!! Today is also the book birthday for several other awesome books written by some of my favorite kid-lit people. And so, because I always love celebrating with my friends, I want to share this birthday party with them!

Congratulations to Rebecca Gardyn Levington on her newest release, AFIKOMAN, WHERE’D YOU GO, illustrated by Noa Kelner and published by PHR/Rocky Pond Books.

Rebecca kindly stopped by and gave me all the information we need to buy, review, promote, and enjoy her newest book:
And for those of you have have upcoming books, you can use what she provided as a template for how to request marketing and promotional help from friends and family. She’s done a fabulous job collecting all the needed information in one place.

Book Title: AFIKOMAN, WHERE’D YOU GO? A PASSOVER HIDE-AND-SEEK
ADVENTURE
Written by: Rebecca Gardyn Levington
Illustrated by: Noa Kelner
Publisher: Penguin Random House/Rocky Pond Books
Release date: February 20, 2024

About the book:
Ask any Jewish child what their favorite part of the Passover seder is and they will
undoubtedly say “searching for the afikoman!” This ritual, in which a piece of broken matzah is hidden for the kids to find after the meal, is always a huge hit!
AFIKOMAN, WHERE’D YOU GO? A PASSOVER HIDE-AND-SEEK
ADVENTURE brings this Passover tradition to life — literally. It is Where’s Waldo meets The
Gingerbread Man — a fast-paced hide-and-seek romp, starring a silly and sneaky piece of
matzah on the run and a group of cousins who will not quit until he’s brought back to the seder table. 
Readers are invited to join the hunt by helping the narrator find the clever Afikoman
hiding in the illustrations on each page. The text is sprinkled with Hebrew words and there is a glossary where readers can learn more about this fun Jewish tradition!
Ways you can help support Rebecca and her newest release!
Buy the book!
[words] in Maplewood, NJ (Rebecca’s local indie): https://tinyurl.com/73xuc3j6
Bookshop.org: http://tinyurl.com/5dw9wa56
Amazon: http://tinyurl.com/24cf77rr
Or B&N.com: http://tinyurl.com/2punyxv7
(And by the way, Rebecca is happy to send personalized signed bookplates to anyone who asks!
Just email her at RebeccaWrites4Kids@Gmail.com!)
Review The Book!
Rebecca is happy to provide a watermarked PDF version of the book to anyone who would like to provide a review. Email her at RebeccaWrites4Kids@gmail.com
Add The Book To Your Good Reads “To Read” Pile! http://tinyurl.com/yex7mk3h
Ask Your Local Library to Order The Book!
May libraries have online forms to make this easy for patrons. You can also just walk into your
local branch and ask! Here’s the ISBN# 978-0593617786

Tell A Friend About The Book!
It doesn’t cost a thing to spread the word! Feel free to send folks to Rebecca’s website here for
more info: https://rebeccagardynlevington.com/books/whered-you-go/
Post About The Book On Social Media!
If you do, please tag Rebecca:
 Twitter/X: @WriterRebeccaGL
 Instagram: @RebeccaGardynLevington
 BlueSky: @rebeccaglevington.bsky.social

We are also singing Happy Book Birthday to GOD;S LITTLE ASTRONOMER, written by my long-time CP and dear friend, Tina Cho and illustrated by Marta Alvarez and published by Waterbrook/PRH.

Here’s a little bit about the book:
Blast off to space and discover how every part of the universe—the planets, the stars, asteroids, meteoroids, and more—display God’s glory, creativity, and, most important, his love for you and me!

“An informative and inspirational bridge between science and religion for Christian households”—Kirkus Reviews

In God’s Little Astronomer, author and educator Tina Cho invites young readers toblast off to see God’s creation in the heavens. From the sun, moon, stars, constellations, and comets, this out-of-this-world introduction to space will teach budding astronomers new words, facts, and concepts, while also encouraging them to see God throughout the universe, and reinforcing the message that the same God loves them too.

Each page includes fact-filled sidebars plus an accompanying Bible verse, making God’s Little Astronomer the perfect combination of faith and science for budding scientists.

And here’s a little bit about Tina:
Tina Cho is the author of four picture books– Rice from Heaven: The Secret Mission to Feed North Koreans (Little Bee Boks 2018), Korean Celebrations (Tuttle 2019), My Breakfast with Jesus: Worshipping God around the World (Harvest House 2020), and The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story (Kokila/Penguin Random House Aug. 2020). Her lyrical middle grade graphic novel, The Other Side of Tomorrow, debuts from Harper Alley in November of 2024. After living in South Korea for ten years, Tina, her husband, and two teenagers reside in Iowa where Tina also teaches kindergarten. 
Twitter: @TinaMCho
IG: @TinaMCho
website: http://www.tinamcho.com

But wait…that’s not all!!! We are also blowing out the book birthday candles for another dear kid-lit buddy who I got to meet for the very first time at NCTE in Columbus, Ohio this past November, Keila Dawson. She’s the author of YUMBO GUMBO, illustrated by Katie Crumpton and published by Charlesbridge.

Making math fun? Beam me up, Scottie! What a great idea. And I love how Keila wove her wonderful New Orleans heritage into the story.
Here’s a little bit to give you an idea of why you need to grab a copy of this vibrant book:
Celebrate diversity, math, and the power of storytelling!

Annabelle’s grandparents are finally going to teach her how to cook gumbo! But the family can’t agree on what type of gumbo to make. They vote for their favorite, but the vote results in a tie. Now what? A playful exploration of data and social-emotional reasoning, featuring Louisiana Creole characters and a glossary of Louisiana Creole words.

Storytelling Math celebrates children using math in their daily adventures as they play, build, and discover the world around them. Joyful stories and hands-on activities make it easy for kids and their grown-ups to explore everyday math together. Developed in collaboration with math experts at STEM education nonprofit TERC, under a grant from the Heising-Simons Foundation.
Find out more about Keila and her books here: https://www.keiladawson.com/

And that’s not all!!! Do you remember (you probably don’t unless you are as old as I am) the commercials with Ron Popeil, the inventor and promoter of the pocket fisherman and dozens of other clever products? He was always giving extra bonuses to add value to the product he was selling…and he’d say: AND THERE’S MORE!!!
And so, here, too, there’s more because we have one more beautiful book to celebrate.

Another of my KidLit4GrowingMinds group, author/illustrator Amy Hevron has a new book: LOG LIFE: A Tiny Habitats Book that launches today from Beach Lane Books.

Here’s a little bit about the book:
Discover the tiny, fascinating world of nurse logs in this first book in an illuminating picture book series that explores how even the smallest habitats play big roles in nature.

Once there stood a giant fir tree that stretched to the sun. One stormy day, a great gust came. The tree creaked, and cracked, and collapsed! And the tree’s new life as a nurse log began…

When old trees fall to the forest floor, they can take centuries to decompose, becoming home to all sorts of organisms along the way. These nurse logs are unique ecosystems that support hundreds of rare and important plants, creatures, and fungi. They provide nutrients for tree seedlings, hideaways for animals, shelters in the winter, and protection from the elements. With snappy text and lush illustrations, this book invites curious readers to step into a tiny ecosystem that’s truly like no other..
To connect with Amy and find out more about her books: https://www.amyhevron.com/

And here’s one more! SEA SMILES by written and illustrated by Bonnie Kelso and published by Gnome Road.

I’m sure there are other books that launched today! And so, I have a request. If you know of another book that we need to celebrate today, please leave a comment and tell us the title and the author and illustrator – we want to welcome all of these new books as they journey out into the world.
Thank you for stopping by, dear friends.