About viviankirkfield

Writer for children - Reader forever - Mom of 3, educator, author of FOUR OTTERS TOBOGGAN: AN ANIMAL COUNTING BOOK (PomegranateKids, PIPPA'S PASSOVER PLATE (Holiday House), SWEET DREAMS, SARAH (Creston Books); MAKING THEIR VOICES HEARD: THE INSPIRING FRIENDSHIP OF ELLA FITZGERALD AND MARILYN MONROE (Little Bee Books); FROM HERE TO THERE: INVENTIONS THAT CHANGED THE WAY THE WORLD MOVES (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Jan 19, 2021); PEDAL, BALANCE, STEER: Annie Londonderry, First Woman to Bike Around the World (Calkins Creek/Astra, Feb 20, 2024) picture book junkie, lover of travel, hiking, fly-fishing, cooking, and playing Monopoly with my grandson.

Gayle C. Krause: Will Write for Cookies plus Giveaway

Posted on June 14, 2019 by viviankirkfield

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

Plate of Cookies

INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION

FOR WRITERS

TODAY’S GUEST

GAYLE C. KRAUSE

I run into today’s Will Write for Cookies guest at so many kidlit online forums, and I even got to meet her at a conference a couple of years ago. But I got to know her a bit better through our interactiion in the #PictureBookBuzz debut picture book author group this year with her beautiful book, DADDY, CAN YOU SEE THE MOON?

As a Master Educationalist, Gayle C. Krause has taught Children’s Literacreative writing, and storytelling techniques to prospective teachers and children’s authors. Her work has been nominated for the Boston Globe /Horn Book and The International Reading Association Award. She’s a PAL member of SCBWI, the 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge, a past member of the Historical Novel Society, and The Poets’ Garage. She serves on Angie Karcher’s Rhyming Revolution Committee, selecting the best nationally acclaimed rhyming picture book award from 2015-2018. Ms. Krause writes Picture Books, Middle Grade, and Young Adult novels. Rebecca Angus of Golden Wheat Literary Agency represents her. You can find the latest news about her books at www.gayleckrause.com Continue reading →

Will Write and Illustrate for Cookies: Raven Howell and Carina Povarchik PLUS Double Giveaway

Posted on June 1, 2019 by viviankirkfield

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

Plate of Cookies

INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION

FOR WRITERS

TODAY’S GUESTS

CARINA POVARCHIK AND RAVEN HOWELL

(That’s Carina up top and Raven below – both portraits were created by Carina)

KABOOM! This is going to be an explosively awesome post, my friends! So much talent in one spot – I feel blessed to Continue reading →

Perfect Picture Book Friday: GLIMMER: SING OF SUN Plus Giveaway

Posted on May 31, 2019 by viviankirkfield

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, my friends.

When spring is in the air, you know it’s time for baseball season. And that means another double-header for us right here! This is truly a double-header in every sense of the word. We have TWO posts this weekend (Perfect Picture Book Friday and Will Write for Cookies) featuring TWO gifted creatives (author Raven Howell and illustrator Carina Povarchik) and you, dear readers, have a chance to win TWO of their wonderful books (Shimmer, Sing of Night and their newest collaboration that launches next week and is available for preorder right now: Glimmer: Sing of Sun).

But first, we need to announce some winners from recent blog post giveaways:

The lovely Callie Metler-Smith donated two copies of HOW TO BABY SIT A LOGAN. And the winners are:

Doreen Robinson and Lisette

The wonderful Mia Wenjen donated a copy of her brand-new picture book, SUMO JOE. And the winner is:

Nancy Ferguson.

Congratulations! I will connect with you all very soon. But now everybody….

…put on your sunscreen, grab a cool drink, and sit back and enjoy!

Glimmer Song of the Sun cover

GLIMMER: SING OF SUN

Written by Raven Howell

Illustrated by Carina Povarchik

Published by Clear Fork/Spork (2019)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Nature, poetry

Why I Love This Book:

Joyful poem after joyful poem that celebrate nature and being outdoors
Fabulous illustration after fabulous illustration filled with light and life and love
Do I need another reason? No problem…this is a sequel to another collaboration of Raven and Carina: SHIMMER: SING OF NIGHT
Do I need another reason? No worries…both Raven Howell and Carina Povarchik are Storm Literary Agency sisters of mine.

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

nature-crafts-square Photo courtesy: https://www.howweelearn.com/breathtaking-nature-crafts-for-kids/

For detailed instructions on many wonderful nature crafts for kids: https://www.howweelearn.com/breathtaking-nature-crafts-for-kids/

Go for a walk in the backyard, playground, or park…and look for nature. Then, you and your child can each choose something you’ve seen and write a poem about it.

If you are looking for more picture book reviews and activities, please hop over to Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Friday website

And if you are in the Boston/Dedham MA area on Saturday, June 1 (that’s tomorrow), please stop in at Peter Reynolds’ Blue Bunny Bookstore at 1pm because I’ll be there, reading Four Otters Toboggan and doing a fun craft activity with the kiddos and chatting about how we can protect wildlife habitats.

Please don’t forget to leave a comment here to be entered in the double-header giveaway! Plus, do come back tomorrow for an extra special (because it’s a double-header, right?) Will Write for Cookies post where Raven and Carina chat about their collaboration and offer something might sweet to eat!