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: A GIFT OF LIFE: A Story of Organ and Tissue Donation

Posted on April 12, 2024 by viviankirkfield

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. In 2018, my husband passed away – it was a sad time, yet joy came out of it. He’d always registered as an organ donor – and months after his death, I received thank you notes from several people who had received restored sight or renewed health because of those gifts. And so, when author Rachelle Burk reached out and told me about her newest book, THE GIFT OF LIFE: A Story of Organ and Tissue Donation, I knew I’d want to share it with all of you. April is National Donate Life Month – the perfect time to welcome this much needed book.

Written by: Rachelle Burk

Illustrated by: Benjamin J. Hummel

Publisher: Wiggle Room Books

Ages: 4-10

Themes: Organ Donation, Death & Dying

Synopsis:
Sam has always been a hero to his son, Noah. When a tragedy happens, Sam becomes a superhero to many others. A Gift of Life: A Story of Organ and Tissue Donation is a sensitive picture book that honors organ and tissue donors. It shows how their final gifts change the course of others’ lives, and help their own families find meaning in their loss.

“A unique and meaningful story about a child learning to live with loss, while discovering the powerful, life-saving impact their loved one made through the gift of organ and tissue donation. Any adult supporting a child through loss and donation would benefit from this special book.” ~ Jacqueline Salvatore, MSW LSW, NJ Sharing Network

“Through its gentle narrative and vibrant illustrations, ‘A Gift of Life’ offers a clear and accessible understanding of the profound act of giving and receiving the gift of life. By delicately addressing the complex topic of organ donation with sensitivity, Rachelle is able to explain the importance of giving the gift of life in a way that is easy for young minds to grasp. This book will undoubtedly spark meaningful conversations about kindness, empathy and generosity. ~ Tara Storch, Co-Founder Taylor’s Gift Foundation and Donor Mom

“As a heart recipient of 28 years, I can attest to the power of this book in conveying the significance of organ donation, making it a must-read for anyone seeking understanding and inspiration in this journey of life and gratitude.” ~ Kelly Perkins, MovingHearts.org

“A thoughtful and heartwarming resource for organ and tissue donor families and those touched by the gift of life…an inspiring story of hope and heroes for all ages.” ~ Amanda Tibok, Sharing
Network Foundation

And happily, author Rachelle stopped by to fill us in on a bit of the back story.
ME: Hello Rachelle! Welcome to Picture Book Help Kids Soar! Thank you for visiting. I wanted to tell you that one of the most wonderful things about this book is the diversity, not only the ethnic diversity, but the range of illnesses the book touches on and portrays – like the teacher who uses oxygen in the classroom. How wonderful for the child reader to see this.

RACHELLE:
Thanks so much for featuring the book, Vivian.
My fiction picture book is called The Gift of Life: A Story of Organ Donation and Transplant. It was funded by the NJ Sharing Network, the federally designated organ procurement organization for the New Jersey.

It is the only picture book of its kind in existence (as far as we can tell). Unlike the few other children’s books about organ donation, which tend to follow the journey of a person who receives a transplant, A Gift of Life honors on the life and heroism of the donor from the point of view of his young son, and from the recipients of his gifts whose lives he saves.

I decided to write the book after my daughter, a clinical donation specialist (RN) for The NJ Sharing Network, lamented about their Family Support Services’ lack of resources for children whose loved one died and donated organs and/or tissue.

Although the target audience is relatively small – children whose lives have somehow been affected by organ donation or transplantation – I hope my book will help increase awareness of the importance of organ donation.
The release date has been delayed a few times because the illustrator has a serious illness which has him hospitalized quite often. He’s a liver transplant recipient with an autoimmune disorder. He’s powered through this in time for the book to come out by the spring. That’s because April is National Donate Life Month, a time to promote awareness of organ and tissue donation, and to honor those who gave the gift of life.

Thank you so much,, Rachelle. I know we are all so glad that Benjamin was able to complete the book…the illustrations are fabulous!

Dear friends, please jump on the bandwagon and spread the word about this book. There are many parents and children who need to hear about it. Let’s do what we can:
Buy the book
Review the book
Put the book on your Goodreads Want To Read Shelf
Tell friends about the book (share on social media
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

I hope you all have a beautiful weekend. Please come back tomorrow for a special Will Write for Cookies with several KidLit Clubhouse folks. And Sunday…the results of #50PreciousWords!

Book Cover Reveal: VEENA AND THE RED ROTI

Posted on April 10, 2024 by viviankirkfield

I’m always excited when authors share their covers – it’s like the unveiling of a beautiful piece of art – actually, the covers of picture books ARE works of art…and it’s my pleasure to show you this one – a debut picture written by Namita Moolani Mehra and illustrated by Beena Mistry and published by Kids Can Press.

The color palette is so vivid…and the cover is very engaging and inviting…kids will want to pick up the book and open it to find out more about the girl on the cover.

Here’s a little bit about the story:
Set during the Partition of India, a moving story about a girl who helps others the only way she knows how: by cooking up a small taste of home.

Veena loves her home, especially spending time in the kitchen learning how to make roti. But everything changes when India suddenly becomes free from British rule, and the country is to be divided in two according to religion. Fearing for their safety, Veena’s family flees in the middle of the night. They make their way to a dusty and crowded refugee camp, where life is difficult and her family struggles. Even the roti is different from what Veena remembers from home. She wants to do something to bring hope and comfort to the people at the camp. By making them tasty roti, maybe Veena can use her skills to lift everyone’s spirits.

This poignant picture book is based on the experience of author Namita Moolani Mehra’s grandparents, who left nearly everything behind when they fled Sindh province in 1947 during the Partition of India. Sensitively written, the story can serve as an excellent starting point for classroom discussions of migration and refugees. Veena is an engaging and resourceful girl who helps put a face to the refugee experience. Beena Mistry’s colorful illustrations bring a relatable warmth to the story. The content also connects to social studies lessons on conflict and change, local and global communities, and the cultural importance of food. Back matter includes an author’s note, a map, contextual information about Partition and a glossary.

And how lucky we are! Author Namita stopped by to share the story behind the story. I know that every time I do a school visit, the students want to know WHY I wrote the book…and writers are the same, I think.
ME: Welcome, Namita. Thank you so much for visiting Picture Books Help Kids Soar and allowing us the honor of sharing the cover for your beautiful upcoming book that launches September 3rd, VEENA AND THE RED ROTI.

NAMITA:
My family is originally from Sindh, Pakistan but after the Partition of India, they were forced out of their homes and arrived in India as refugees. The Partition of India is one of the largest mass migrations in history – 14 million people were displaced and lost their homes.

I grew up listening to stories of Partition from my grandparents- stories that were often charged with emotion and trauma. One day, my granduncle said to me– “you are a writer . . . you must tell our family’s story!” His wife’s name (my grandaunt) was Veena and she is the inspiration for the main character in my story.

Veena’s Red Roti is out September 3rd and is inspired by the story of my grandparents who left behind everything to start a new life. It is a story of home, belonging, hope, and memories.

Preorder links
https://www.target.com/p/veena-and-the-red-roti-by-namita-moolani-mehra-hardcover/-/A-90863547
https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/veena-and-the-red-roti-namita-moolani-mehra/1144553734

The biggest challenge for me in writing this book was distilling down some very difficult truths in history and some particularly painful moments in my family’s journey –for example, they had to suddenly leave their home overnight and escape undercover in a freight train. I wasn’t sure how such a traumatic experience could translate as a kid-friendly, picture book. It was also very hard for me to detach from the real events and emotions because it is such a personal story, but thanks to my incredible critique group in Singapore (whom I meet with in person every Wednesday since 2016!) and my amazing editor Kathleen Keenan at Kids Can Press, I was able to fictionalize a bit more and tell a story that will leave young readers with a sense of hope. It took 27 revisions to get to the final story!

April 10 is a wonderful and auspicious date for this cover reveal because it is Cheti Chand- Sindhi New Year, and Veena’s Red Roti is dedicated to my grandparents and all the Sindhi grandparents who survived Partition. I am so grateful to be able to honor my family and my Sindhi heritage through this picture book.

Thank you so much, Namita, for sharing all of this.

What a very special book this is, dear friends! I hope you will check it out – and put it on your Goodreads Want To Read Shelf…and pre-order it…and share this post to spread the word!

And to find out more about Namita and to connect with her:

Namita Moolani Mehra is a children’s book author and the founder of social-impact business, Indian Spicebox, a company that has helped fund over half a million hot meals for underprivileged children in India. Namita’s published books include picture books The Light Within You and Anni Dreams of Biryani. She has also authored children’s cookbooks, including The Magic Spicebox and Superfoods for Superheroes. Namita crafts delightful culinary experiences in Singapore like cooking classes and street food pop-ups, and currently lives in Singapore with her husband and two young children. Namita has over 15 years experience as a digital and creative strategist in advertising and tech. She has worked at companies like Ogilvy and Facebook/Meta. Learn more at namitamehra.com
https://www.instagram.com/indianspicebox
Twitter/X @Namstwit
http://facebook.com/namitamehra

Thank you all for spending your precious time with us…and speaking about PRECIOUS…I’ll be announcing the results of #50PreciousWords on Sunday’s blog post…so don’t miss it!

Perfect Picture Book Friday: DANCING THROUGH SPACE: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights PLUS Giveaway

Posted on April 5, 2024 by viviankirkfield

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. I love when past guests return to Picture Books Help Kids Soar because it usually means they have a brand-new book that just launched…and that’s exactly why the lovely Lydia Lukidis is here today! Hurray! And get ready for a treat because Lydia stopped by to share the story behind the story…AND offer a giveaway. So, stick around and make sure you leave a comment!

DANCING THROUGH SPACE: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights

Written by Lydia Lukidis

Illustrated by Sawyer Cloud

Published by Albert Whitman (April 4, 2024)

Ages:4-8

Themes: Women in Science, STEM, diversity

Synopsis: From the Amazon Sales Page:
“A quick but lyrical character study.”—Kirkus Reviews
“The sky proves no limit in Lukidis’s encouraging biography of Black female astronaut Mae Jemison.”—Publishers Weekly

The true story of Dr. Mae Jemison, whose lifelong passions of science and dance prepared her to become a trailblazing astronaut.

Today, Dr. Mae Jemison is famous for being the first Black woman to travel into outer space. But when she was growing up, she felt torn between two passions: science and dance. It seemed like an impossible choice. There had to be some way to make room for both—and Mae found one. As an adult, she combined her gifts of scientific logic and artistic creativity and became an astronaut.

Why I Love This Book:
1. I love finding out about Women in Science and stories I hadn’t heard before!
2. I love the lyrical writing and engaging narrative!
3. I love the vivid art that puts us right up there in space with Mae – and that helps the reader connect with the story.

RELATED ACTIVITIES:
Shiny Galaxy Slime

Photo courtesy: https://www.simpleeverydaymom.com/space-crafts-for-kids/

For detailed instructions and more space crafts: https://www.simpleeverydaymom.com/space-crafts-for-kids/

Are you still with us? Haven’t blasted off into outer space? Good, I’m glad…because author Lydia just landed and she wants to share a bit about the story behind the story.
ME: Welcome, Lydia! Thanks so much for stopping by.

LYDiA:
Thank you, Vivian! I’m so excited to announce the release of my latest nonfiction picture book Dancing through Space: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights illustrated by Sawyer Cloud and published by Albert Whitman.

I wrote this book as a dual narrative that features both of Mae’s passions. As the story unfolds, the two worlds merge, illuminating how art and science are both essential parts of our world.

But I confess, the road to publication was bumpier than usual and fraught with challenges!

Challenge #1: I wrote the first versions in 2013 and started pitched it at various pitch festivals online. One agent was interested but when I showed her my other books, she passed. Looking back, I was a newbie and had a lot to learn.

Challenge #2: I did a million more pitch festivals (and if you’ve done them, you know how stressful they can be). I got hearts but no offers. After querying a slew of agents, I finally signed with my first agent, yay! We went out on sub with this ms but got rejection after rejection, boo.

Challenge #3: I remember one of the critiques calling my writing “regular.” Looking back, those first versions were pretty terrible. I finally realized the problem: the focus was too wide and there was no hook. After several years of research, I finally found the hook; the intersection of dance and science. Editors responded well to it but still, no offers.

Challenge #4: I dove deeper into the hook and the book improved, but I parted ways with that agent. Boo… I bounced back pretty quickly and started a mad querying rush. I signed with a great agent, but she didn’t vibe with this story, so it was shelved.

Challenge #5: Uh oh, after a year, I parted ways with my second agent. I started to reassess my career at that point and fell into an existential slump. No querying or writing for a while.

Challenge #6: I decided to try to pitch the ms again and one editor was really gung-ho about it, it was Nivair H. Gabriel (from Barefoot Books at the time) so I sent her the ms. She loved it and wanted to acquire it, but asked for some revisions and I got to work. But when I tried to send it to Nivair, I found out she had just left Barefoot Books! I sent the revisions to the new editor but she didn’t share Nivair’s excitement and passed.

Challenge #7: In 2020, I signed with my dream agent Miranda Paul. I showed her the revised ms. She loved it, but worried I had already subbed earlier versions too widely and it would be a hard sell. She told me to be patient.

Then, yay, we got an offer from Albert Whitman! After a 10-year journey and 42 revisions, the book is done and released!

I’m grateful.

ME: And we are grateful, too. For this book, dear Lydia…and for you never giving up. Persistence…where have I heard that before? Oh yes…it’s one of my 5 Ps. Thank you so much for sharing your path to publication…an ELEVEN YEAR journey for this beautiful book!!!

Here’s a little bit about Lydia:
Lydia Lukidis is the author of 50+ trade and educational books for children. Her titles include DANCING THROUGH SPACE: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights (Albert Whitman, 2024), DEEP, DEEP, DOWN: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench (Capstone, 2023) which was shortlisted for a Silver Birch Express (Forest of Reading) award, THE BROKEN BEES’ NEST(Kane Press, 2019) which was nominated for a Cybils Award, and NO BEARS ALLOWED (Clear Fork Media, 2019). A science enthusiast from a young age, she now incorporates her studies in science and her everlasting curiosity into her books.

Lydia is very involved in the kidlit community. She volunteers as a judge on Rate your Story, co-hosts the annual Fall Writing Frenzy competition, and is an active member of SCBWI, CANSCAIP, 12 x 12, and The Authors Guild. Another passion of hers is fostering a love for children’s literacy through the writing workshops she regularly offers in elementary schools across Quebec with the Culture in the Schools program.
Lydia is represented by Miranda Paul from the Erin Murphy Literary Agency.

To find out more about Lydia and her books and to connect with her:
Web: http://www.lydialukidis.com/
Presale links: https://www.albertwhitman.com/book/dancing-through-space/
Blog: https://lydialukidis.wordpress.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LydiaLukidis
FB: https://www.facebook.com/LydiaLukidis/

We all know how important it is to help new books become successful…and we can all help: We can:
Buy the book
Review the book
Put it on your Goodreads WANT TO READ SHELF
Tell friends about it (Share on social media)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection
Please do at least ONE of these things…if you do more, you get extra tickets in the giveaway hat. And make sure you leave a comment because Lydia is happy to give away a free copy of DANCING THROUGH SPACE (US only).

Thank you for spending your precious time with us.
I hope you all have a beautiful weekend.