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.
A couple of years ago, author Karen Greenwald showed me the manuscript for THE MUD ANGELS: How Students Saved the City of Florence. I read it and I told her: THIS IS A BOOK!
And now it is!!! HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO THE MUD ANGELS!!!
The cover is everything we could hope – wonderful color palette…and beautiful art! And I love how the title is sitting in the muck and mud! Olga Lee did a fabulous job!
Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page: Based on real events, this story shows how a team of international volunteers worked together to save priceless artifacts after a flood.
When the Arno River floods the city of Florence, Italy in 1966, it leaves slimy, smelly mud everywhere. A young girl watches students from around the world, many from the US, help save the town’s rare treasures, earning themselves the nickname Gli Angeli del Fango, the Mud Angels.
According to the publisher, the book targets ages 4-8 – but honestly, this is a picture book that also belongs in the upper elementary and middle school classroom! What a fabulous story to encourage young readers to become activists – to get involved with what’s going on around them, in their school and in their community and beyond. So please, dear friends, spread the word: Share on your social media Place it on your GOODREADS WANT TO READ SHELF Review it on Amazon Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection Buy the book
And now, because author Karen is such a sweetheart, she stopped by to share a bit of the story behind the story – what drew her to write MUD ANGELS. ME: Welcome, dear Karen…thank you for coming to chat with us!
KAREN: Hi Vivian, it’s lovely to be here. Thank you so much for joining the celebration for THE MUD ANGELS. When you first begin learning how to write picture books, you start hearing about all the rules. This can feel overwhelming at times. However, there is one that I find myself returning to again and again—the idea that you should write what you feel personally connected to or have experience with. This is advice not to ignore! The Mud Angels touches on many facets of my life, from the environmental aspects to my obvious and enormous love of libraries, from the fact that it was the first-time books were treated as art, to my interest in studying various cultures…and, ultimately, the community of global youth that joined harmoniously to do something important for the world. I have loved researching, interviewing, and learning about this dark (and yet, hopeful) period in history. Along the way, the process has yielded me new friendships, education, and food for thought. It even inspired me to take Italian!
I hope others in kid lit find stories to write that nurture their souls as much as this one does mine!
That’s fabulous advice, Karen. Because when we feel connected with the story we are researching, the writing shows that – and the reader connects, too.
And here’s a totally cool trailer for MUD ANGELS from Italy:
Thank you for spending your precious time with us. Please come back tomorrow for Perfect Picture Book Friday when we welcome Lydia Lukidis and her new book, DANCING THROUGH SPACE!
Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. I’m so glad that March is a long month…31 days…because it’s also Women’s History Month and we’ve been celebrating picture books that feature extraordinary female characters. I’m so excited to share this brand-new book from Lori Alexander and Jen Ely: CACTUS QUEEN: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park. And the lovely Lori, knowing how busy I’ve been with #50PreciousWords, kindly stopped by to share the following information with us – and I just had to add the craft activity. And make sure you hang around to the end of the post and leave a comment because Lori is offering a super amazing giveaway: Winner’s choice of a Picture Book Critique or an Ask-Me-Anything Zoom chat. WELCOME to Lori!!!
Cactus Queen: Minerva Hoyt Establishes Joshua Tree National Park
LORI: Discovering a lesser-known historical figure can be quite a treat for a nonfiction picture book author. When I learned about Minerva Hoyt’s unusual means to garner attention for her cause—protecting her favorite spot, the Joshua tree region of the Mojave desert—I knew this was a story kids would love.
In the early 1900s, this area was being destroyed by construction, harvesting, arson, and general carelessness. Minerva’s methods to combat the damage included trains, planes, automobiles, flower shows, scrapbooking, a letter writing campaign, and ultimately delivering her message all the way to President Franklin D. Roosevelt. Very impressive, as this was a time when not everyone was open to hearing what a woman had to say.
This story is also meaningful to me as I visited Joshua Tree National Park as a child, which wasn’t too far from my home in San Diego, CA. Now I live with my own family in another desert—the Sonora desert of Tucson, AZ. The issues of conservation that Minerva addressed are still relevant to us today. The back matter in CACTUS QUEEN gives additional resources and tips for the next generation of environmentalists. I hope you enjoy reading about mighty Minerva!
WOW! That was fascinating. We always love to hear the story behind the story. And here’s a little bit about Lori and links for you to connect with her and buy her books: In addition to picture books, LORI ALEXANDER writes chapter books about the fascinating history of science and medicine. She won a Sibert Honor Award for All in a Drop: How Antony van Leeuwenhoek Discovered an Invisible World, and A Sporting Chance: How Ludwig Guttmann Created the Paralympic Games was named a Kirkus Reviews Best Book. Her recent release, What’s a Germ, Joseph Lister?: The Medical Mystery That Forever Changed the Way We Heal, is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. Lori resides in Tucson, Arizona, with her scientist husband and two book-loving teens. lorialexanderbooks.com Lori occasionally posts to IG: @lorialexanderbooks or Twitter: @LoriJAlexander Peek into or purchase CACTUS QUEEN here.
Lori is offering a picture book critique OR a 20-minute “Ask-Me-Anything” Zoom to one lucky commenter!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend…please remember to leave a comment and share widely on social media for a chance to WIN the awesome giveaway – an opportunity for a critique or chat with Lori Alexander!
Step right up! Gluten-free cake lovers on the left. Gluten cake lovers on the right. And in the middle, those who prefer to celebrate with a big bowl of ice cream! (and that’s where you’ll find me!). We are celebrating a book birthday for author/illustrator Marietta Apollonio’s new book: WOMBAT AND THE FAMILY TREE. I ‘met’ Marietta last year when my NCTE panel, headed up by the amazing Kathy Halsey, was working on our presentation. Kathy was already connected with Marietta and asked if she’d be kind enough to look over our slides with her artist’s eye. She did…and WOW! She was so helpful – our slides were GORGEOUS! We were so grateful to her! Stick around after you enjoy the cake because the kind and talented Marietta stopped by to chat…and she’s offering a FABULOUS GIVEAWAY.
Written and illustrated by Marietta Apollonio – Published by Tommy Nelson Books
Awww…look at that cover! Wombats are so adorable! Something tells me that this wombat loves to paint. And before we chat with Marietta, here’s a little bit about the story from the Amazon sales page.
Spark curiosity in children about family history, genealogy, and their place within that legacy as Wombat’s family tree project grows into an exploration of his relatives’ wisdom as well as what talent he can add to his community.
Wombat’s family tree assignment turns sour when he realizes that every ancestor has a special something they are good at–everyone except him. He tries all the talents he’s learned about from his family members, from music to carving to cooking, but nothing fits. Then, with a nudge to try again, the family tree branches out to grow into Wombat’s very own something.
Wombat and the Family Tree by Marietta Apollonio is for children aged 4 to 8 and features
a heartfelt and fun exploration of what a family tree is while finding a sense of self within your heritage,
a sweet and energetic main character who wants to do his best,
a supportive family who encourages Wombat to keep trying despite disappointment,
whimsical and nostalgic illustrations that enrich the story with delightful details,
a note from the author about her own adventures in genealogy, and
a blank family tree for children to fill in that allows room for a variety of family structures and caregiving situations.
Join Wombat for an adventure in self-discovery as he answers these questions: Where do I come from? What can I learn from people who have come before me? What are my special skills that I can contribute to my family and community?
ME: WELCOME, Marietta. Thank you so much for stopping by. We all love to hear about challenges on the path to pblication…and also what inspired someone.
MARIETTA: Thank you so much, Vivian. It’s a joyto be here on Picture Books Help Kids Soar. The most challenging moment during my path to publication was a point when I doubted myself and what I was doing. And wanted to quit. I think a lot of people struggle with self doubt. But if we’re lucky, we have people in our lives that help to propel us forward, to help you quell the intrusive thoughts. Who supports you when you need a break, when things move quickly, through frustration, excitement, and joy. They celebrate the wins and help you through the losses. For me that was and still is the Saucy Supremes, a critique group of some very talented women, who were giving of their knowledge, time, and of support when things were hard in life and dreams.
Book Inspiration: The flicker of an idea for Wombat and the Family Tree came before I had an agent and my first published book. At a writing workshop held by the very talented duo, Anika Denise and Chris Denise, we were asked to jot down a list of things that sparked interest for us. Included in my list amongst tiny glass ink jars and dragons, were these two separate items: Wombats (they’re poop is shaped like cubes) and vintage portraits (the kind you find in a basket at thrift or antique shops). We were asked to combine two items from the list. Vintage portraits of wombats. I went home that day and drew one. The outline for the story included a wombat named Wombat, vintage portraits, and included genealogy, which has been an interest of mine for a long time, as I continue connecting the branches of my family’s tree. I particularly like this description from the publisher, TommyNelson Books:
Join Wombat for an adventure in self-discovery as he answers these questions: Where do I come from? What can I learn from people who have come before me? What are my special skills that I can contribute to my family and community?
Yes, we definitely want to join Wombat! And here’s a little bit about Marietta and how you can connect with her and learn more about her books: Marietta Apollonio is the author-illustrator of Jack The Library Cat (Albert Whitman 2023) and Wombat And The Family Tree (Tommy Nelson Books/HarperCollins 2024). Her stories focus on characters who explore their curiosity and are looking for something—a home, acceptance, growth, their place within a family or community, magic. In creating an atmosphere inclusive of diverse characters, her illustrations use traditional materials and digital, with texture, patterns, and vibrant saturated moments pulling readers into universal experiences. Marietta received her BFA in illustration from Lesley University College of Art and Design. She spends her professional time doing what she loves: illustrating and writing for picture books, working with a weekly writers’ group, and mentoring. She is a member of SCBWI, the Boston Authors Club, and the PB23BUNCH. Marietta is a recipient of the 2019 SCBWI Memorial Scholarship for Illustrations, a 2022 PB Rising Stars Mentor, a 2023 PBParty Judge and a 2022 and 2023 mentor with the Andrea Brown Literary Agency’s Big Sur Children’s Writers Workshop. She is represented by Jemiscoe Chambers-Black of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency.
Social Media: X/Instagram/TikTok/Threads: mar_illustrates Bluesky: mariettaa.bsky.social mariettaapollonio.com
And Marietta says: I love supporting my local indie bookshop, https://www.silverunicornbooks.com . Happy to have folks directed to them for purchasing, but also anywhere they buy their books.
Please remember, dear friends, we can help books become successful when we: Buy them Review them Put them on our Goodreads Want to Read Shelf Tell friends about them Ask our local library to purchase copies for their collection
And don’t forget to leave a comment and share on your social media for a chance to win a signed copy of WOMBAT AND THE FAMILY TREE plus some book swag.
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 