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.
It’s time to sing and dance for another new book in kid lit land! Congratulations to long-time blog follower Robin Currie on this beautiful story: JUST ENOUGH ROOM FOR CHRISTMAS, illustrated by Estelle Corke and published by Good Books/Skyhorse Publishing.
A meaningful Christmas picture book sure to inspire and delight young readers.
In a tiny barn in Bethlehem, Old Hannah the cow lives alone until the cold wind drives other animals to seek shelter. One by one, they squeeze in, but when a tiny mouse stirs up trouble, the barn erupts into chaotic mooing, meowing, and barking. Will there be enough room for a little family to have a silent night?
How can we help new books get into the hands of young readers and listeners? Buy the book Review the book Tell friends about the book (Please share this post on your social media) Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection.
I hope you all have a wonderful week, dear friends.
To find out more about the book and how you can get your own copy, visit Skyhorse Publishing.
SO MUCH!!! And when the author is one of the first CPs I ever had…way back when I first started writing…that’s even more fun!
And when I got to see an EARLY draft in the first stages of this amazing story…well, as you can imagine, I am EXCEEDINGLY thrilled to sing Happy Birthday to BEFORE I LIVED HERE, written by Stacy S. Jensen, illustrated by Victo Ngai, and published by Neal Porter Books/Holiday House.
Listen friends…this is a truly special book! Just look at that cover! And wait till you see the inside spreads…you know you want your own copy, right? Thanks to the generosity of author Jensen and her publisher, there is a brand new copy that will be given away to one lucky winner…so please make sure you leave a comment and do your part to spread the word by sharing this post on social media.
And we are ALL lucky today because Stacy has stopped by to chat with us and share some of the story…and the story behind the story. ME: Welcome to Picture Books Help Kids Soar, dear friend! Please tell us a little bit about the story and how it came to be.
STACY: Hello everyone! And Vivian, thank you so much for having me!
BEFORE I LIVED HERE is a book about a little boy who’s living in a new neighborhood. The story goes back in time with each page turn to share a different period of the land. It’s about the history of where you live.
What inspired you to write this book?
I lived in a neighborhood called Banning Lewis Ranch in Colorado Springs. It was an interesting place to live from the day we moved into the neighborhood to the day we left. Before the neighborhood, the land was part of a cattle ranch.
How long to make this book?
I scare people a little when I tell this story. I wrote the first draft in 2013. My son was three years old. When I received my first author copy and he held it, he was 15. While the book has a long journey, I always received nice feedback from professionals and critique partners. Writers, who also worked in classrooms, were always positive and sharing ways the book could be used in a school setting. I kept going and it sold to Neal Porter Books in 2021. Now, it’s a book that teachers and families can enjoy.
When people look at my path to publication, some are surprised. Has it taken a long time? Maybe. Do I love the final product? Yes. The illustrations by Victo Ngai are gorgeous and will entertain young readers. BEFORE I LIVED HERE has received five nice trade reviews — two starred — and is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.
I’ve also met so many nice people along the way like you Vivian and so many others who have read my work and helped me grow as a writer. Hopefully, I’ve returned the favor and helped others along the way too.
Also, as a huge picture book fan, working with Neal Porter, Taylor Norman, Victo Ngai, and the team at Holiday House has been a delight.
Thanks Vivian for sharing this special day with me and your readers.
ME: Thank you, dear Stacy! You definitely exhibited all 5P’s – Passion, Practice, Preparation, Patience, and Perseverance – and I am so very thrilled for you!
And now, dear blog readers, here is a little bit about the author and illustrator:
Stacy S. Jensen is a former newspaper journalist always searching for unique stories for children, which has led her to historical sites, state and national parks, and everyday spots like the grocery store. When not writing, she enjoys time with family, reading, and paper quilling. She also volunteers to support literacy, youth, and children’s programs. Previously a Colorado resident, she now lives in Marietta, Georgia at the base of a mountain with her husband, son, and two Vizslas, who walk their humans daily. Stacy can be found online at stacysjensen.com.
Victo Ngai is a Forbes 30 Under honoree and a Society of Illustrators New York Gold Medalist. Her illustrations have been featured in the New York Times and the New Yorker, among others; she also creates storyboards and art for NBC, Dreamworks, and other animation studios. Originally from Hong Kong, she now lives in Los Angeles.
And don’t forget, there is a GIVEAWAY…please leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of BEFORE I LIVED HERE…maybe you can share what you see when you look out your back window.
Thank you for spending your precious time with us. I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Hip Hip Hooray!!! It’s a Book Birthday Post! Today we are welcoming GILBERT & THE GHOST into the world!
Written by Heather Stigall / Illustrated by Jess Mason Beaming Books / August 19, 2025
Book Synopsis:
The ghost at 632 Savannah Street is real . . . right?
Gilbert often feels invisible, just like the ghost living at 632 Savannah Street. Despite his family’s disbelief, Gilbert leaves gifts for the ghost: a friendship bracelet, a plate of cookies, even a drawing with a note. When each disappears one by one, Gilbert finds that believing and friendship are worth the effort.
For kids who might often feel unseen, Gilbert and the Ghost is a ghostly tale of overcoming obstacles and finding friendship in mysterious places. Gothic, whimsical illustrations make this picture book perfect for spooky season, while its earnest themes make it worth a read all year round.
ME: I love books that can be used year-round! I also love when authors stop by to share a bit about how their books came to be…let’s welcome a dear kid lit friend of mine, author Heather Stigall.
HEATHER: Thank you, Vivian, for celebrating Gilbert and the Ghost’s book birthday on your blog! This story began with two things – a title idea and a childhood memory. The title came about during Tara Lazar’s 2020 StoryStorm challenge. Because I like wordplay, I thought “ghost writer” had potential for a picture book title. The childhood memory came from my happy place – the beach. When I was a child, my parents and aunt and uncle rented the same beach house for a few weeks each summer. One year, before we left our rental for the season, my cousins and I hid a note somewhere in the house, hoping to find a reply when we returned the following year. Surely someone would want to be our pen pal! The next summer, we checked our secret hiding spot. Did anyone reply? No. But our note was missing! Someone must have read it, right? Maybe they did reply, but another renter received the note before us. So, we tried again, for several years, believing that eventually we would become friends with another beach lover, even if we never met. With that memory in mind, I wondered if I could write a story about a child who wrote notes to a ghost he believed lived in his neighborhood, even though no one else believed. A friendship story between a child, who understood what it felt like to be invisible, just like a ghost, and a ghost, who might want a friend too. So, I did!
But the story doesn’t end there. Just like Gilbert in his pursuit to befriend the ghost he believes lives in his neighborhood, this book’s publication journey took persistence, resiliency, and belief. After several revisions and rounds with my critique partners, I began querying the manuscript. Among the usual rejections, I received a few requests for more work from agents and one offer of representation. After signing with my agent, we went out on submission to publishers. That resulted in several passes until an editor from Beaming Books expressed interest. But they didn’t offer immediately. The team had some questions about the story’s ending. So, I explained my vision for the story and crossed my fingers while waiting for a response. I was thrilled (and relieved) to receive a book deal with expected publication in fall 2024 (nope, that’s not a typo). In spring 2023, after I had completed edits and seen cover sketches for the book, my agent decided to step back from agenting, my editor was let go, and Beaming decided to push Gilbert’s publication to fall 2026 (still not a typo). It was a rough spring! Fast forward one more year: I had found a new agent, and Beaming Books decided to published Gilbert in fall 2025. That brings us today. Finally, after years of effort and waiting and believing, Gilbert and the Ghost is out in the world for readers to enjoy!
ME: Oh my goodness! What patience! What persistence! We are so happy you never gave up on this story, dear Heather! And I know that many blog followers will relate to and sympathize with your journey…you give all of us hope!
Heather’s (Author) Bio:
Heather Stigall uses her experience with children and her degrees in Child Development, Psychology-based Human Relations, and Social Work to create stories that speak to kids. She is an active volunteer for the Eastern PA Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, a member of the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge, and a wife and parent to five children and one pup. When she’s not writing, you can find Heather hanging out with her kids (hopefully at the beach), reading, eating chocolate, baking, or creating all sorts of treasures. She is the author of GILBERT AND THE GHOST (Beaming Books, 2025) which Kirkus Reviews praised as “a surefire hit for readers looking for seasonal fun.” Her debut picture book, PAISLEY’S BIG BIRTHDAY (Clavis Publishing, 2023), was a 2023 Keystone to Reading Elementary Book Award nominee and is available in six languages. You can connect with Heather through her website, HeatherPierceStigall.com, and her social media links at https://linktr.ee/HeatherStigall.
Jess Mason’s (Illustrator) Bio:
Jess Mason is an illustrator, cat lover, and avid reader. She graduated with first-class honors in illustration from the University of Worcester in 2018. Since then, she has worked on twelve middle-grade and picture books. Jess happily resides in a tiny cottage in Worcestershire, England with her beloved cat, Steve.
You can find ordering options for Gilbert and the Ghost on Heather’s website as well as free downloadable educator materials
Thank you all for spending your precious time with us…and if you have a few more minutes, you can help this book become a success: Buy the book Review the book Tell friends about the book (Please share on your social media) Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 