Cover Reveal: COSMIC COLLISIONS: ASTEROID VS. COMET

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Woo-hoo! Another fabulous book in the pipeline that I know kids are going to LOVE! COSMIC COLLISIONS: ASTEROID VS. COMET – Just the title will have them pulling it off the shelf…and it’s written by an honest-to-goodness astrophysicist! And it launches on April 2, 2024!

What a FABULOUS cover!!! Illustrator Matt Schu packed a lot of excitement right up front!

Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page:
What happens when two massive hunks of hurtling space debris slam into each other? Welcome to round one in the Cosmic Collisions series—an exciting children’s debut from an expert astrophysicist.

There’s a comet speeding in from the outer solar system, and it’s about to slam into an asteroid. Who will be left standing after this interplanetary smackdown? The pockmarked asteroid, a veteran fighter who’s already seen some action? Or the dazzling comet, with its incredible velocity and a tail that stretches millions of miles? Kicking off a dynamic series on cosmic collisions, Asteroid vs. Comet starts by comparing the two opponents, then offers hints and context to encourage readers to use real science to form a hypothesis. Action-packed full-color illustrations with a graphic, comic-book feel will attract reluctant readers and kids who love smash-and-crash, along with budding scientists. Curious readers can find back matter addressing the question of fact versus fiction, how to become a citizen scientist, and comets and asteroids in the news.

Luckily for us, Dr. Marc Kuchner, the author, stopped by to share a little bit about the story behind the story…the challenges in writing this book…some humorous moments…and more.

MARC: The challenging moment on the path to publication was, of course, COVID. I started showing ideas to people in 2019—calling these books the “Cosmic Battle” series.  News was already circulating of a dangerous virus in China, and my wife, an epidemiologist, was called to testify at a congressional hearing about it.  In March 2020, of course, all heck broke loose.  Nonetheless, Jermey Matthews at MIT Press managed to find time to read my manuscript, and in May of 2020, he encouraged me to submit a proposal for a book series. I sat on that offer for months! Like everyone else, I was struggling to juggle school closures and toilet-paper shortages. Then, unable to take our customary winter trip to see the grandparents, my family holed up for Christmas break in a rented off-season beach apartment, just for a change of scenery.  And while the winter winds swept down the shoreline and my kids baked cookies to occupy themselves, Lisa Amstutz helped me craft a proposal—which I finally submitted in January 2021.  

But there were humorous moments as well. Constructing a book for children means serious discussions about silly topics. Should “WUBBA WUBBA WUBBA SLURB” be all-caps?  My editor, Kristin Zelazko, patiently guided me through a labyrinth of similar dilemmas. But the moment in our editorial conversation that had me rolling on the floor is summed up in this email I sent her late at night after examining some proofs.

“I have refrained from commenting on the text.
I’m making no comments on the text whatsoever.
I want you to appreciate the restraint I’m showing.
Because, for example, the text does not mention a can of beans.
Nonetheless, there is an excellent line drawing of a CAN OF BEANS on spread 14.”
An earlier draft of Asteroid vs. Comet had in fact mentioned canned beans. They
are about as dense as an asteroid.

Dear friends, I love when we are able to see behind the scenes of the path to publication for a book. I know we are all grateful to Marc for sharing all of this with us.
Here’s a little bit about Marc:

Need a Dad joke? Or a long-winded speech on some esoteric topic in astrophysics? Dr. Marc Kuchner can hook you up. He’s the author of the Cosmic Collisions series (Candlewick/MIT Press, 2024) and several other forthcoming STEM books for children.

Marc was born in Montreal, Canada, and he earned his Ph.D. in astronomy in 2001 from Caltech. He’s scienced at Harvard, Princeton and NASA’s Goddard Space Flight Center and written more than 100 scientific papers on topics such as exoplanets, white dwarfs, brown dwarfs, exotic binaries, debris disks, Kuiper belt objects, young stellar objects, gamma ray bursts, and supernovae. Kuchner won the Early Career Award from the SPIE, the international society for optics and photonics, for his work on tools for exoplanet hunting. NASA recently selected Kuchner for an award for excellence in Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA), for his work promoting Citizen Science.

Back in 2011, Marc began writing to help out his colleagues, authoring Marketing for Scientists: How to Shine in Tough Times. Astronomy Magazine called it “lively, engaging” and Neil deGrasse Tyson called it “the first of its kind”. Marc also writes music and lyrics. Many of his songs have been covered by aspiring pop and country artists and have appeared on VH1, MTV, BET, and PBS.

Dr. Kuchner now lives in Rhode Island with his two children, his wife, and a Venus flytrap named Popcorn.
To find out more about his books and to connect with him:
twitter.com/marckuchner
www.instagram.com/marckuchner/
www.linkedin.com/in/marckuchner/
www.marckuchner.com
www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61551814587784

And we hold the power to help make this wonderful book a success doing at least one of these things:
Buying the book
Reviewing the book
Place the book on your Goodreads WANT TO READ SHELF
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Perfect Picture Book Friday: JACKIE AND THE BOOKS SHE LOVED Plus Signed Book Giveaway

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Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. I have a very strong connection with today’s featured book…I was a freshman in college when JFK was assassinated – I remember watching the funeral and the grace with which his widow, Jacqueline Kennedy, conducted herself. And so, when I heard about this new book, I knew I’d want to share it with all of you.

JACKIE AND THE BOOKS SHE LOVED

Written by Ronni Diamondstein

Illustrated by Bats Langley

Published by Sky Pony Press (November 7, 2023)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Books, Jacqueline Kennedy, Be true to yourself

Synopsis: From Amazon:
“There are many little ways to enlarge your child’s world. Love of books is the best of all.” —Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis

Discover a delightful new story about Jacqueline Bouvier Kennedy Onassis, one of the most famous women in the world.

History remembers Jackie as the consummate First Lady, especially for her White House restoration and the cultural events she instituted during her husband’s administration. Jackie was on the world stage in 1963 when President Kennedy was assassinated. She led the nation in grieving the fallen leader with grace and dignity.

In this inspirational celebration of reading, Ronni Diamondstein, with her engaging writing style in this picture book biography, introduces readers to an independent and confident Jackie and the idea of how books guided her life. The insightful story paints the portrait of a child captivated by reading and a love of literature and writing—from five‑year‑old Jackie reading Chekhov stories to a seasoned and confident Jackie at her desk as an editor in the last two decades of her life.

Jackie never wrote a memoir but revealed herself in the nearly 100 books she brought into print. Jackie and the Books She Loved is a dazzling book about the real woman behind this American icon of style and grace brought to life by the whimsical and tasteful artwork of Bats Langley. 

Why I Love This Book:
1. I love that we get such an authentic picture of Jackie as a young girl and how her love of books and reading influenced her life.
2. I love the beautifully written text!
3. I love the engaging illustrations that follow Jackie as her life unfolds – and we get to see the places and people she knew.

Q&A With Author Ronni Diamondstein
ME: Ronni was kind enough to stop by to chat about how she came to write this book.

RONNI: Thank you for spreading the word about my book, Vivian. Jackie and the Books She Loved is a celebration of books, reading and writing and the star of the show is Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis!

I was inspired to write JACKIE AND THE BOOKS SHE LOVED because I always admired Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis. I was eight years old when John F. Kennedy was inaugurated. I remember Jackie, especially how she led the country in mourning her husband. I was always interested in her style and admired her for becoming a book editor. After she passed away, I had an idea for a novel about her and started researching her. I started to interview people who knew her. When I was talking to Margot Datz, the illustrator of Carly Simon’s children’s books that Jackie edited, she suggested that I write a children’s book. I have an extensive library of books about Jackie and the Kennedys. I first wrote a long chapter book that got no traction and then about five years ago I thought a book about how reading and writing were a thread through her life.

ME: Were you in contact with anyone in Jackie’s family regarding the book?

RONNI: I was thrilled to get permission from Ambassador Caroline Kennedy to reprint her mother’s poem “Sea Joy” that she wrote when she was 10 years old. 

ME: We know that quite often, authors don’t have much contact with illustrators, but you mentioned that this book was a true example of teamwork. Can you explain?.

RONNI: I had a great collaboration with the illustrator Bats Langley. I have lots of books about Jackie and the Kennedys was able to provide himwith photographs he could use to incorporate so many realistic details in the illustrations. One day Bats wanted to know about Jackie’s favorite birthday cake was. And of course, I had the answer. I had a book called Cooking with Madam in my collection, so I sent him pictures of Jackie’s birthday cake that you’ll find in our book.

I love to hear that. Thank you so much for stopping by, Ronni.

And here a little bit about Ronni in her own words:

RONNI: I have spent my life surrounded by books and immersed in the world of children’s literature. 

 An avid reader since childhood, libraries, books, and writing are my life’s work. As a school library media specialist and teacher of gifted and talented students in the U.S. and abroad, I nurtured my students’ creativity by sharing my love of reading with them. I took great pride in my collection development as I enriched the lives of my students with extraordinary books, both fiction and nonfiction, that I read and recommended to them. I grew up reading and writing stories and creating writing opportunities for myself. I successfully pitched a column for the school newspaper, so I had a voice. Many years later I gave a voice to my toy poodle by creating the Maggie Mae Pup Reporter column in a local magazine, writing from a dog’s point of view that developed into a blog. I graduated from Syracuse University, attended Bread Loaf Writers Conference, and led writing workshops and open mics to encourage people of all ages to tell their stories. I proudly served on the Board of the Chappaqua Children’s Book Festival and am a Past President of the Chappaqua Library Board of Trustees. I live in Chappaqua, New York with my toy poodle, Maggie Mae.  

For more about me and the book, here’s a link to my website: https://ronnidiamondstein.com


And now, dear friends, how about a related craft activity for the kiddos.
MAKE A BOOK

Thank you for spending your precious time with us…and please remember to leave a comment and share widely on social media for a chance to WIN the fabulous giveaway: A SIGNED COPY of this beautiful book, JACKIE AND THE BOOKS SHE LOVED.

Other things we can do to help books like this one success:
Buy the book
Review the book
Put the book on your Goodreads WANT TO READ shelf
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Happy Book Birthday: DESERT QUEEN Plus Zoom Chat Giveaway

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It’s time to sing Happy Book Birthday to a beautiful new nonfiction picture book biography!!!!

Oh my goodness! What a glorious cover! Illustrator Svabhu Kohli is a genius! And what a wonderful story by Jyoti Rajan Gopal.

Here’s a little bit about DESERT QUEEN from the Amazon sales page:
This picture book biography in verse follows the life of beloved Rajasthani drag performer Queen Harish, known as the Whirling Desert Queen of Rajasthan. Lit by an inner fire and propelled by a family tragedy, Harish defied the gender conventions of middle class Indian life, battled discrimination and intimidation, and eventually grew up to dance with Bollywood movie stars and on stages across the world.

Jyoti Gopal’s rhythmic phrases evoke the particular sounds and beats of the music Harish danced to, and capture the passions and conflicts of his life. The poignant and inspiring tale is interpreted by internationally acclaimed Rajasthani artist Svabhu Kohli in kohl-black lines and shapes and brilliant jewel-like colors.

And here’s a little bit about the inspiration for the book from author Jyoti Gopal:

JYOTI: When we visited Rajasthan, India in Dec 2018 and sat down for the Queen Harish show, little did I know that for the next two hours, I was going to be beguiled and captivated by a master performer. As a child, Harish Kumar loved watching the folk artist troupes in his town of Jaisalmer perform. He was especially fascinated by the female dancers with their bright swirling skirts and their sparkly, jangly jewelry. But he never dared to dream that one day, he would be one of those performers, dancing to cheering, clapping crowds. His path to the stage was not an easy one as he bucked the traditional conventions of his community. But through the ups and downs, he kept his smile, his grace and his humor, and became a fierce advocate for Rajasthani folk music, dance, and gender fluidity. I am honored to have been able to bring Queen Harish’s story to life.

And here’s a little bit about the author:
Growing up, Jyoti lived in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, China and India. She finally settled in New York where she raised two daughters with her husband (who also grew up all over the world). As a child, she adored and devoured books but did not enjoy writing. At all.  

As a grown up, she is a forever kindergarten teacher and mom. She still adores and devours books. But now, she likes to write!    

Her two picture books AMERICAN DESI illus. by Supriya Kelkar (Little Brown) and MY PAATI’S SARIS(Kokila), illus. by art twink, were released in 2022, and this year a picture book biography DESERT QUEEN illus. by Svabhu Kohli (Levine Querido) releases on Oct 24. She has three more releasing in 2024: ONE SWEET SONG illus. by Sonia Sánchez (Jan.16, Candlewick), SISTER DAY illus. by Fanny Liem (July, FSG) and LOVE IS HERE WITH YOU: A LULLABY OF BLESSINGS illus. by Nabi Ali (Fall, Candlewick).
My Link Tree
For a SIGNED COPY: Order DESERT QUEEN at Books of Wonder for a signed copy

Kirkus review of DESERT QUEEN

To connect with Jyoti and find out more about her books:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram        

Please be sure to leave a comment and share this post on your social media for a chance to win a wonderful 30-minute Ask-Me-Anything Zoom chat with Jyoti. And please do at least one more thing as we all need to help books become successful…otherwise, publishers will stop making them.
Buy the book…links are in the post
Review the book (Amazon reviews are especially important)
Place the book on your Goodreads WANT TO READ shelf
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

Thank you for spending your precious moments with us. I hope you all have a wonderful week!