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 & Book Love Blog Hop: LOVE, TWELVE MILES LONG

Posted on February 13, 2015 by viviankirkfield

It’s been a beautiful week – my birthday was on Wednesday – filled with loving messages from friends and family – and yummy chocolate and colorful flowers from hubby and daughter and grandson. Oh yes…and lest I forget…more snow from Mother Nature…because obviously, we haven’t gotten enough.

Since today is Perfect Picture Book Friday and tomorrow is Valentine’s Day, and because I’m participating in Carrie Finison’s Book Love Blog Hop and Kristen Fulton’s 52 Weeks of Charting Non-Fiction, here’s my review of Love, Twelve Miles Long.

LOVE, TWELVE MILES LONG Continue reading →

Perfect Picture Book Friday: I Am Jazz – A True Story About A Transgender Child

Posted on February 6, 2015 by viviankirkfield

Roses are red, violets are blue.

We’ve got so much snow, I don’t know what to do!

Yes, you’ve guessed it. We got more snow during the week and they are predicting another HUGE blizzard within forty-eight hours. As you can imagine, I am now on a first name basis with our lovely snow plow guy. See what his plow looks like after pushing all that snow?

Fortunately, there is so much for a writer to do when stuck in the house. I’m still participating in Kristen Fulton’s 52 Weeks of Charting Non-Fiction Picture Books.

So today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday selection is one of the special stories from that challenge.

But before I get to the review, I wanted to mention another challenge that is near and dear to my heart. Whether you are a writer or a reader, a teacher or a parent, you know that reviews are very important for the success of a book…especially those that are posted to Amazon and other review sites. I’ve been tagged by a dear friend, Carrie Finison, to participate in BOOK LOVE – a Blog Hop

. Anyone can jump on board. And I hope that all of you will. There is only one requirement. Review a picture book (especially one that doesn’t have many reviews) and post it to Amazon. I did that last week for All Different Now – Juneteenth, the First Day of Freedom by Angela Johnson (only had 4 reviews), Elizabeth, Queen of the Seas by Lynne Cox (only had 15 reviews), Skit-Scat Ragetty Cat, by Roxanne Orgill (only had 9 reviews). I’ll be posting my review for today’s selection also, as well as doing a bonus book review (which you will find at the end of this post).

Writers and illustrators work so hard to put quality books on the shelves for our children. I’ve spoken to published authors who tell me Continue reading →

Groundhog Day – Happy 10th Anniversary, Punxsutawney Phyllis!

Posted on February 2, 2015 by viviankirkfield

Today is a very special day! Yes, I know, it is Groundhog Day. And unfortunately, I believe we are in for another six weeks of winter. Right now, we are being hit with yet another BLIZZARD here in New Hampshire.

But it is also the 10^th Anniversary of the publication of Punxsutawney Phyllis, Susanna Leonard Hill’s lovely picture book about a feisty girl groundhog.