Author Archives: viviankirkfield

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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: PERFECT MATCH

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Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends! I’m so very excited about today’s featured book BECAUSE I know the author and met her at a conference TEN YEARS AGO and I got to see the manuscript before it became a book!!! That’s always fun, right? And the story is especially relevant today because it touches on racial and religious discrimination – and ALLYSHIP!

PERFECT MATCH

Written by Lori Dubbin

Illustrated by Amanda Quartey

Published by Kar Ben Publishing (September 10, 2024)

Ages: 6-11

Themes: Discrimination, courage, tennis

Synopsis: From Amazon:
When Althea Gibson first dreamed of joining the big American tennis leagues, she was denied because she was Black. Angela Buxton dreamed of joining the best tennis clubs in Britain, but she was rejected because she was Jewish. When Angela heard that Althea was coming to Britain to compete, she skipped school to see the match. If Althea didn’t let hatred stop her from playing the game she loved, Angela wouldn’t either.

At the French Championships in 1956, Angela told Althea about her dream of winning Wimbledon with a doubles partner. To win as a team, they would have to stick to their strengths―together.

Why I Love This Book:
1. I love that this is a true story about two women who encouraged and supported each other – and proved to the world that allyship wins over racial and religious discrimination!
2. I love the well-written text – filled with action and suspense – and lots of heart!
3. I love the lively illustrations that help bring the story to life and help connect the reader with the characters!

The book has received wonderful reviews, including being a Junior Library Guild Selection.

And guess what!! Author Dubbin and illustrator Quartey stopped by to chat with us and share a little bit about the story behind the story…and I know we all love that!
Welcome, Lori and Amanda!

LORI: In writing PERFECT MATCH, I found it harder to write about two people instead of just one. I wanted to be able to give Althea and Angela the same amount of time and space in the manuscript…as much as I could. It took a while to find just the right balance for two main characters. Althea and Angela were seven years apart and Althea was already playing in tournaments when Angela was still in high school. I finally figured out I needed to show glimpses of each of them separately, bring them together when they met on tour, and then keep Althea and Angela’s friendship and doubles partnership front and center. That’s when I finally started to hear “the ping of the ball in the racquet’s sweet spot” in the manuscript.

Then during the production stage of the book, I was delighted when I saw Amanda’s illustrations. She captures both players beautifully and takes the heart of the story to another level – by highlighting the warmth of Althea and Angela’s friendship and emphasizing the power of their partnership on the court.


AMANDA: Perfect match challenge
The most challenging part of working on this project was coming up with the initial illustrations for the book. As someone who is not the most familiar with tennis and its history, I made sure to do as much research as possible before hand on both Angela and Althea in order to simulate their real life friendship. While working on ‘Perfect Match’ I was enlightened to many tennis facts which I was not formerly aware of – like the fact that tennis balls used to be white!

It’s fascinating to know that even with the many challenges that pop up on the path to publication, in the end, there will be a beautiful book!

Here’s a little bit about the author:
Lori Dubbin is a writer and former early childhood educator. She enjoys researching and writing about people just outside the framework of history who have made extraordinary contributions to the world and who model kindness, compassion, and perseverance for young readers. When Lori isn’t researching or writing, she likes taking walks, solving crossword puzzles, and reading with her grandson. Her children’s picture book, Perfect Match, The Story of Althea Gibson and Angela Buxton is a Junior Library Guild Selection.
Twitter/X: @LoriDubbin
Website: loridubbin.com

And here’s a little bit about the illustrator:
Amanda was born and bred in London. At the age of 14 she moved to Ghana and studied art at school and later returned to the UK to study graphic design. Her artistic path deviated slightly when she studied Classics at University; and then later started working in finance. But over the years, in a bid to return to her artistic roots, Amanda has built a professional illustration portfolio and is now loving every bit of her illustration career!

And here’s a few ways we can help this important book succeed:
We can buy a copy
We can review the book
We can place the book on our Goodreads Want to Read Shelf
We can tell friends about it (please share this post on your social media)
We can ask our local library to purchases copies for their collection

Thank you all for spending your precious time here with us. Just like Althea and Angela, we can support and encourage each other through challenging times, sharing light, love, and laughter.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Book Birthday: THE OTHER SIDE OF TOMORROW Plus Giveaway

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HURRAY! In the midst of what may right now feel like the depths of despair, there are always beacons of light. Our mission, should we decide to accept it, is to find those beacons of light and nourish them. One beacon of light for me has been the slow but sure improvement in my vision – this is the first blog post I’ve created since my eye surgery in July. It’s definitely been a challenge for someone who was used to spending almost 24 hours a day reading and writing. And it’s given me a greater appreciation for all those who continue reading, writing, and going about daily tasks, even though their vision is impaired. My vision will always be somewhat limited, but I feel blessed that I can be blogging again.

Another beacon of light for me is the fact that writers keep sharing their words and illustrators continue to delight us with their art. Now, more than ever, we need to fill the world with books that entertain, inform, and inspire. Which brings me to the main reason for this post…a glorious celebration of the launch of a new graphic novel written by one of my long-time CPs, Tina Cho, and illustrated by Deb JJ Lee.

Happily, author Cho stopped by to share a little bit about the book and what inspired her to write it – and also to offer a GIVEAWAY…a copy of the book!:
Welcome, Tina!!!!
TINA: “The Other Side of Tomorrow is a lyrical middle grade graphic novel about two kids who escape out of North Korea along the Asian Underground Railroad. While living in South Korea for ten years, I met North Koreans, heard their stories, and wanted kids around the world to know about them. This story started out as a picture book manuscript, morphed into a chapter book, then a novel in verse, and finally into its current form of a graphic novel. “

For more information about the book, the acknowledgements of all who helped, and an educator’s guide, please visit my website, http://www.tinamcho.com.

To buy the book:

The Other Side of Tomorrow

Here’s a little bit about the author:
Tina Cho is the author of Rice from Heaven: The Secret Mission to Feed North Koreans (Little Bee Books), Korean Celebrations (Tuttle), My Breakfast with Jesus: Worshipping God around the World (Harvest House), The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story (Kokila/Penguin Random House), God’s Little Astronomer (Waterbrook), God’s Little Oceanographer June 2025, & The Princess & the Grain of Rice (FSG Fall 2025). Her lyrical middle grade graphic novel, The Other Side of Tomorrow, published from Harper Alley 11/12/2024. After living in South Korea for ten years, Tina, her husband, and two kids reside in Iowa where Tina also teaches kindergarten. 

And here’s a little bit about the illustrator:
Deb JJ Lee (they/them) is a trans nonbinary artist based in Brooklyn, New York. They have appeared in the New Yorker, the New York Times, NPR, Google, Radiolab, and more. They are known for their award-winning graphic memoir, In Limbo, about mental illness and difficult relationships with trauma. Their cat, Marlie, has three teeth.

The book has received glowing reviews all across the board including these:
“Triumphant, moving, and unforgettable.” — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“This gripping graphic novel about childhood under dictator Kim Jong Un balances horror and wonder in both its poetic language and vibrant imagery.” — Publishers Weekly (starred review)

Dear friends, please help important books like this one become a success:
We can share on our social media
We can request our library purchase copies for their shelves
We can buy a copy as a holiday gift for a teacher – maybe she’ll be able to use it in her class
We can borrow the book from our local library
We can ask our indie bookstore if they will carry this title
WE CAN!
And remember to leave a comment and SHARE this post on your social media for a chance to WIN the giveaway copy of THE OTHER SIDE OF TOMORROW.

As the year winds down, I’ve got one more big event coming up…the NCTE (National Council of Teachers of English) conference in Boston from November 21-24. I’m excited for so many reasons…I’m honored to be part of two amazing panels, I’ll be at the Calkins Creek/Astra booth signing PEDAL, BALANCE, STEER: Annie Londonderry, the First Woman to Cycle Around the World, and the very best part of all of this…I’ll get to hug so many kid-lit friends. Here’s a graphic that gives the dates and times of my panel sessions and book signing…if you will be at NCTE, I hope we will connect in person!


Perfect Picture Book Friday: SQUAWK OF SPANISH Plus Giveaway

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Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday! We’ve got a brand-new launching in a week book today from a wonderful author who’s been here before, Gabriella Aldeman. We featured PAULA’S PATCHES last year…and today: SQUAWK OF SPANISH. (And please forgive any typos…ny eye surgery was last week and my visionon’s still very blurry)

SQUAWK OF SPANISH

Written by Gabriella Aldeman

Illustrated by Romina Galotta

Published by Charlesbridge

Ages: 5-7

Themes: Pets, Multigenerational, Languages

Synopsis: Max isn’t confident with his Spanish, especially rolling his Rs, and his cousins always tease him about it. But he loves spending weekends baking with his Spanish-speaking abuela, while Lorito the parrot helps translate. But when Lorito disappears for a day, Max and Abuela must figure out how to communicate. Max’s Spanish doesn’t have to be perfect, and Abuela can attempt a little English. Trying is what counts! 

Why I Love This Book
1. I love the wonderful relationship that Max has with his Abuela!
2. I love the gorgeous illustrations!
3. I love the connection I made with the story – I took so many years of Spanish in school…but was always so shy about speaking…I totally understood how Max felt.

RELATED ACTIVITIES:
Toilet Paper Roll Parrots

Photo courtesy: https://artsycraftsymom.com/parrot-crafts-for-kids/

What to do with empty toilet paper rolls? Make colorful parrots, of course: https://artsycraftsymom.com/parrot-crafts-for-kids/

Author Gaby and I connected the other day and she shared a little bit about the story behind the story of this book.

GABRIELLA: SQUAWK OF SPANISH was inspired by my own family and our lived experience. I am Panamanian American and fully bilingual. But for my son, it’s not always easy. Sometimes his Spanish words knot in his throat and refuse to come out. When his abuela visits from Panama, they speak in board games, video games, hugs, and food. Then after a while, my son’s Spanish words start tumbling out dry and rusty. He is like Max, the main character. And, like Max, he had to learn that trying is what counts (even if you have an accent) and love is a language everyone can speak. 

In this book, I wanted to explore the issue some kiddos face when they don’t feel comfortable speaking their heritage language. This is a book that celebrates effort over outcomes, with a bit of squawk-out-loud humor.

And here’s a little bit about Gaby:
Gabriella Aldeman is a Panamanian American author. She writes picture books in hopes that more children become readers and that all readers feel seen. She is also a professional translator of academic resources and children’s books. Gabriella holds degrees from Georgetown University and the College of William and Mary. Her books include Paula’s Patches and Squawk of Spanish. She lives in Fairfax, Virginia, with her husband and two children.
Please visit her at www.writebetween.com or @write_between on X or Instagram.

And here’s a little bit about the illustrator:
Romina Galotta is an Argentinian author/illustrator, animal lover, passionate foodie, and forever traveler. She has a degree in graphic design from the University of Buenos Aires. Her other talents include bird rescuing, tattooing, pizza making, and knitting cozy sweaters. She lives with her husband and dogs in Buenos Aires, Argentina. http://www.rominagalotta.com

And here’s a link for you to PRE ORDER this beautiful book…there is an English version and also one in Spanish! Excellente!!!
BOOKSHOP.ORG SALES LINK: https://bookshop.org/p/books/squawk-of-spanish-gabriella-aldeman/21303064?ean=9781623543921

please make sure you leave a comment to be entered for a chance to snag a copy of the book!!!