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.

Perfect Picture Book Friday: SHARK NATE-O Plus Giveaway

Posted on April 6, 2018 by viviankirkfield

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends.

First, some announcements.

Congratulations to Amber Hendricks. She was the winner of Patricia Valdez’ wonderful JOAN PROCTOR, DRAGON DOCTOR…and she has already received it…thank you so much, Patricia…you are FAST!

And the winner of Laura Sassi’s DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE is…

ANNE IVERSON…Congratulations, Anne…I’ll connect you and Laura so she can mail you the book.

Today’s wonderful picture book is by debut picture book author, Tara Luebbe and her sister, Becky Cattie. And guess what? Tara and her sister have TWO picture book debuting this year! And guess what else? Tara will be stopping by to chat with us tomorrow and share a yummy gluten-free recipe for a cookie that doesn’t have to be baked. AND, can you stand one more piece of awesomeness? Tara is graciously offering a copy of SHARK NATE-O as a giveaway prize. So, please don’t forget to leave a comment today and tomorrow.

SHARK NATE-O

Written by Tara Luebbe and Becky Cattie

Illustrated by Daniel Duncan

Published by Little Bee Books (April 2018)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Swimming, sharks, overcoming fears

Synopsis: From Amazon:

Nate loves sharks. He reads shark books every day, watches sharks on TV, and talks about them nonstop. He even likes to pretend he’s a shark wherever he goes! However, there is one small problem. . . .

Nate can’t swim.

When his older brother points this out, Nate works hard to overcome his fears and learn how to blow bubbles, use a kickboard, and finally swim without help, as quickly and as gracefully as a shark. Will he be able to beat his brother in a swim tryout and get his bite back? Kids will love this jawsome book complete with vibrant and whimsical art and a list of shark facts in the back!

Why I like this book:

I totally identify with Nate…I, too, was a nonswimmer…and had to overcome my fear of the water when I took swimming in high school and college. I’m still not a fan, but perhaps I could save myself if I had to.
Great text from the opening lines to the satisfying ending.
Super cool illustrations.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

For detailed instructions, please go to: www.frogsandsnailsandpuppydogtail.com

Please make sure you leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway. And come come tomorrow to join us for Tara’s Q&A on Will Write for Cookies.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

If you have a few minutes, don’t forget that writing a review on a book site like Amazon or Goodreads is a wonderful gift to your favorite author.

And for more picture book reviews and activities, please hop over to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Friday link up.

LAURA SASSI: Will Write for Cookies PLUS Giveaway

Posted on March 24, 2018 by viviankirkfield

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

INSIGHT – INSPIRATION – INFORMATION

FOR WRITERS

TODAY’S GUEST

LAURA SASSI

We are so very fortunate to have generous mentors like today’s Will Write for Cookies guest. I’ve been a fan of Laura Sassi for years. Her website is a treasure trove of information and resources for parents, teachers, and writers. So, I was thrilled when she agreed to stop by and chat with us today.

Laura Sassi has a passion for telling humorous stories in prose and rhyme. She is the author of GOODNIGHT, ARK (Zonderkidz, 2014) and GOODNIGHT, MANGER (Zonderkidz, 2015), DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE (Sterling, 2018), and LOVE IS KIND (Zonderkidz, 2018) She lives in New Jersey with her husband, two children, and a black Cockapoo named Sophie.

Welcome, Laura! It’s wonderful to have you here. I know everyone is excited to get to know you a little better.

ME: Who were your favorite authors/illustrators when you were a child?

Laura: I loved reading as a child and my all-time favorite author was Madeleine L’Engle. I loved her writing so much that as a twelve year-old— in quick succession – I read every book she’d written up to that point. And now, with the recent release of the A Wrinkle In Time movie, I’m enjoying rereading that book – which was the first book of hers I ever read – with my daughter. We just finished it last week and it’s as marvelous as I remember. Continue reading →

Perfect Picture Book Friday: DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE Plus Giveaway

Posted on March 23, 2018 by viviankirkfield

They say that time flies when you are having fun. I guess I must be having the most fun in the world because I can’t believe that it is Friday already!

It’s a special day here on Picture Books Help Kids Soar because we are part of Laura Sassi’s book blog tour for her brand-new picture book, DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE. So, it will be no surprise that I am featuring it today! And guess what? Laura is graciously offering a copy of this AWESOME book to one lucky winner!

DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE

Written by Laura Sassi

Illustrated by Rebecca Gerlings

Published by Sterling Children’s Books (2018)

Ages: 3 and up

Themes: Cooperation and teamwork

Synopsis: From Amazon:

Tra la la la! Can an opera house mouse and a disrespectful diva make beautiful music together? Maybe . . . if she learns some manners!
Fernando loves Mozart, Puccini, and Strauss, and lending a paw at the old opera house. Unfortunately, diva Delores wants no help from a mouse. She craves glamour and spotlights and praise—and she’s getting her chance to take center stage. But it’s all going wrong; she’s missing her entrance and flubbing her song. Fernando can save her—but only if Delores behaves. Will Delores hit a sour note? Or will she team up with Fernando . . . and bring down the house?

Why I like this book?

Laura Sassi’s spot on rhyme is delightful!
Rebecca Gerlings’ illustrations and use of the words as part of the art are masterful!
I love the message of cooperation and teamwork.
And the glitter on the cover ROCKS!!!!

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

Photo courtesy: https://thecraftyclassroom.com

Make a Japanese Paper Fan

On the cover, Diva Delores has a feather fan. But kids can make a beautiful Japanese paper fan with just paper, Popsicle sticks, glue, and markers/crayons. And for those Divas in your house, why not add a bit of GLITTER. Detailed instructions here: https://thecraftyclassroom.com/crafts/japan-crafts-for-kids/japan-paper-fan-craft/

Here is the line up for author Laura Sassi’s book blog tour…why not visit a few stops:

Dear friends, please don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway of a copy of DIVA DELORES. Please don’t forget to come back tomorrow when author Laura Sassi stops by to chat and share a yummy cookie recipe. AND, please don’t forget to give your favorite authors some book love by leaving reviews on Amazon, Goodreads, and other book sites. It will make all the difference!

For more wonderful picture book reviews, please hop over to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Friday link up.

Have a safe and happy weekend!