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.

#PPBF: Tiny Creatures – The World of Microbes

Posted on January 30, 2015 by viviankirkfield

The snow is falling…again! Here in Amherst, New Hampshire, we were clobbered by a huge blizzard just a few days ago and, as I look out my window, it seems Mother Nature is giving us an encore.

So it’s nice to be inside, cozy and warm, sharing my Perfect Picture Book Friday review with you.

Tiny Creatures: The World of Microbes

Written by Nicola Davies

Illustrated by Emily Sutton

Publisher: Candlewick Press (2014)

Ages: 5 and up

Themes: Science, health, the world around us

Opening Lines:

“You know about big animals, and you know about small animals…but do you know that there are creatures so tiny that millions could fit on this ant’s antenna?”

Synopsis:

From Amazon: “All around the world — in the sea, in the soil, in the air, and in your body — there are living things so tiny that millions could fit on an ant’s antenna. They’re busy doing all sorts of things, from giving you a cold and making yogurt to eroding mountains and helping to make the air we breathe. If you could see them with your eye, you’d find that they all look different, and that they’re really good at changing things into something else and at making many more microbes like themselves!.” Continue reading →

#PPBF – Skit-Skat Raggedy Cat – Ella Fitzgerald

Posted on January 23, 2015 by viviankirkfield

Yay! Double Yay! I’m continuing my non-fiction picture book review journey with an awesome book that came out in 2010.

But first I wanted to share a really fun blog series that a friend of mine, Penny Parker Klostermann, is doing. Every week, on her blog, a penny and her jots, she and her great-nephew collaborate – she writes a little poem and he draws a picture to go with it. AND GUESS WHAT???? Penny invited me and my six-year old grandson to participate – TODAY! So if you have a minute, please click on the link and enjoy A Sweet Dessert.

It was lots of fun working together with Jeremy – kids totally enjoy the time they spend with you…especially if you are enjoying the time as well. Do you love to cook or bake? Your child would love to help. Is walking through the woods more your style? Take your kids with you and see the world with fresh young eyes again. Crazy about music? Turn up the rock, pop, jazz, classical or whatever gets you moving…your children will dance their socks off.

And speaking of music, here’s our Perfect Picture Book for today.

Skit-Scat Raggedy Cat: Ella Fitzgerald

Written by Roxane Orgill

Illustrated by Sean Qualls

Publisher: Candlewick Press (2010)

Ages: 5 and up

Themes: Pursuing your dream, overcoming adversity, music

Opening Lines:

“Ella cranked the handle on the phonograph, and the three Boswell Sisters crooned, with honey in their voices: Continue reading →

Marty Mokler Banks: Will Write for Cookies

Posted on January 17, 2015 by viviankirkfield

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

INSIGHT – INFORMATION – INSPIRATION

FOR WRITERS

TODAY’S GUEST

MARTY MOKLER BANKS

My initial connection with the writing community back in 2010 was with today’s featured author. As one of the Colorado Springs SCBWI leaders, Marty welcomed me warmly and made me feel at home. More than that, she made me feel I had a right to call myself a writer.

Marty Mokler Banks is a children’s author and freelance travel writer. She has published five books and writes a blog on children’s chapter books,

I’m so happy to have her here to share her thoughts with us.

Welcome, Marty!

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

Marty:

I went to Catholic schools where the Arts weren’t promoted too heavily. “Art class” was an hour on Fridays when the math teacher let us use colored markers to make graphs, all with straight lines from our rulers! My dad loved to read Louis L’Amour and Zane Grey books, but I don’t remember anyone else in the house reading. They do now, but since I have five older brothers, my mom was probably too tired and my brothers were busy getting in trouble. I remember I owned and loved a copy of Clifford the Big Red Dog. I had a set of Maurice Sendak’s Nutshell Library, with four tiny books in a box. That was special and I read each one a zillion times. Even then I recognized the excellent illustrations. And in about fourth grade I discovered the transporting qualities of a good book through the middle grade novel The Raft. Continue reading →