Category Archives: 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge

October: National Bullying Prevention Month and More!

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October is shaping up to be a pretty busy month and it’s only just begun!

First of all, it’s National Bully Prevention Month.

I’m planning on spotlighting books and other resources that can help parents and teachers address this issue.

Second, I’ve signed up for 31 in 31, the brainchild of writer/artist Kathy Ellen Davis.  Kathy is encouraging everyone to read a picture book every day in October.

Since this is what I would like to do 365 days a year, I decided to hop aboard.  Usually, for Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, I review the older classics.  For this challenge, I’m going to pursue the best new picture books of 2011 and 2012.  On Fridays, for Perfect Picture Book Friday, I’ll review the best of the seven (as long as it hasn’t appeared on Susanna’s resource list yet) that I’ve read during the week…and give a list of the others.

Third, thanks to children’s author (Annie’s Special Day), fellow 12x12er and PPBF participant Clar Bowman-Jahn (thank you so much, Clar!), I was reminded of the Muse Online Writer’s Conference in time to register last night!

I’m excited to take part in this FREE writer’s conference that is being held October 8-14.  I’ll try to participate as much as possible…there are workshops and seminars and even a possible opportunity to have your work critiqued.

Fourth, Fire Prevention Week is October 7-14.

Some of you might remember the interview during Susanna Hill’s self-publishing mini-series with Patrick Milne, author of The Adventures of Lucy Snigglefritz.  I’ll be spotlighting and reviewing that book during Fire Prevention Week…if you have the book, you’ll know why!

Fifth, as a participant in Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 in 2012, I’m checking in with my completed September picture book draft.

Over 400 people signed up for Julie’s challenge to try to write a picture book draft each month this year.  Personally, I know that I would NOT have nine picture books drafts sitting on my desk (dining room table) if not for Julie and the inspiration I draw from the other members of this amazing kidlit community.  I pitched two of the stories (The Tomato Turner and Confessions of the Tomato Turner) on Susanna’s ‘Would You Read It Wednesday’ post…and I’m busy working on my October picture book draft, the third in this series of books about how a love for tomatoes helped my son learn some important lessons.

Sixth, we have twelve lucky winners in the Show-Me-How School Initiative!

I’ll be notifying each of the twelve people as soon as possible.

  1. Erik: L R Appleman Elementary School, Pennsylvania
  2. Tracy C: A family who home schools
  3. Stacy J: Banning Lewis Ranch Academy, Colorado
  4. Milka P: Her son’s preschool, California
  5. Jennifer B: Mt. Olive Early Childhood Education Center, Aurora, CO
  6. Barbara P: Lyle Creek Elementary School, Conover, NC
  7. Laura B: Montgomery City Elementary, Montgomery City, MO
  8. Kimberley M: Hollis Elementary, Hollis, Maine
  9. Lesley F: Friends for Mental Health, Montreal, Quebec, Canada

10. Monica D: McKay School, Fitchberg, MA

11. Lisa Winkler: Montessori Netivot, Edison, New Jersey

12. Barbara L: Millstream Elementary, Victoria, BC, Canada

Last, but certainly not least, October means HALLOWEEN!

Do you celebrate Halloween?

Do you buy ready-made costumes or make your own?

Do you go out trick-or-treating with your kids or do you opt for a family or community-run party?

I want to ask all of my readers to do a big favor for me…in return for which I am offering a Halloween prize package…please visit and ‘like’ the new FB page for Show Me How and leave a comment on my wall: http://www.facebook.com/showmehowbuildyourchildsselfesteem

Leave a comment on this post, letting me know you did it…or that you are already a fan of Show Me How…and I will enter your name in a drawing for the prize…it includes a box of cupcake liners and Halloween decorated toothpicks, a fun Halloween board book that uses Cheerios for interactive play…and more!  I’ll announce the winner on October 15…so that I can mail out the package in plenty of time for Halloween!

It’s a Picture Book Party for 12 x 12’ers AND a Giveaway!

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There will definitely be CAKE!  I’m sure Jeremy will be happy to share a piece with you.

 

You are welcome to help yourself to an Overnight Cookie!

And make sure you read through to the end, because there is a prize lurking around!

I’m joining in on the six-month celebration of Julie Hedlund’s 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge.

In January, Julie issued a challenge to picture book writers and illustrators: write a picture book draft each month of 2012.  Hundreds of people hopped aboard the 12 x 12 train and Julie set up an amazing Facebook page to encourage participants to connect with each other.  Her blog posts are a treasure…filled with information and valuable advice…often offered via interviews with editors, authors, illustrators and others in the field of children’s picture books.

I’ve had a life-long passion for picture books…as a child, I loved listening to them…as a teacher and mom, I loved reading them to kids…and for the past forty years, I’ve dabbled in writing them.

Julie’s challenge has spurred me to do more than just dabble…and in the past six months, I’m proud to say that I HAVE written six picture book drafts…and scribbled ideas for quite a few more!

What’s so  special about picture books you may ask?

  • Picture books are usually a child’s first introduction to the written word.
  • Picture books help develop better reading readiness and literacy skills.
  • Picture books introduce children to the world of art.
  • Picture books help parents and children bond with each other.
  • Picture books are a crucial tool for encouraging life-long learning among children.
  • Picture books allow kids to relate their own life experiences to the events in the story.
  • Picture books help build self-esteem in children.
  • Picture books are enjoyable and entertaining.

Here’s an example of one of the classic picture books that I love.

Do those words sound familiar?  This verse comes from one of the most famous picture books every published.  Madeline was written in 1939 by Ludwig Bemelmans, an Austrian author who relocated to New York City.  Madeline is quite the modern day young girl who thinks for herself and has courage and determination.

Maybe one day, my stories will be enjoyed by children all over the world…for now, my grandchildren and the kindergarten classes I visit during the school year are my audience.  In the next few days, I plan to submit one of them to Rate Your Story.

 In January, my picture book draft was a rhyming story about my daughter and her favorite hat: Caroline’s Flower-Sprigged Hat.

 In February, I wrote another rhyming tale about a bunch of unlikely Valentine’s: Whom Do I Love?

 In March, my picture book draft relayed the saga of a little boy who refuses to take off his boots: The Boots of Dylan McGee.

 In April, I entered Susanna Leonard Hill’s Birthday Contest with another rhyme about a little girl who came up with an ingenious idea because she didn’t want her brother to come to her party: No Brother for My Birthday.

 In May, I turned my efforts to prose in a true story about my younger son: The Tomato Turner.

 And this month, I wrote a sequel to the saga: Confessions of the Tomato Turner.

 I can honestly say I’ve never been so happy.  This wonderful kid lit community is filled with picture book authors, illustrators, librarians, teachers and others who love picture books and understand how important they are for children.  I am so fortunate to have connected with them and I look forward to the second half of the year…Thank You to Julie, Susanna, Tracy, Penny, Clar, Joanna, Stacy, Tina, Robyn, Beth, Heather, Catherine, Kirsten, Jennifer Y, Jennifer R, Amy, Jackie, Darshana, Emily, Diane, Renee, Erik…I know I’ve missed a bunch of you…but I’ve enjoyed reading your posts and your comments on mine…and I’ve learned so much!

 

And now for the prize!  This is the 300th post on my blog!  I’m so excited because when I started out almost two years ago, I knew almost nothing about the Internet, blogging and social media like Twitter.  When someone said I could “grab their button” I thought they were talking about the round piece of plastic, metal or wood that you sew onto a coat.  I had no idea how to link a URL to a picture or word…and I also had no idea what a URL was.

In honor of this 300th post, I’d like to give away a lovely copy of The Lap-Time Song and Play Book, edited by Jane Yolen with illustrations by Margot Tomes.  If you’d like a chance to receive this special picture book with favorites like “I’m a Little Teapot” and “The Eensy Weensy Spider”, please leave a comment on this post and let me know you’d like to win it.  When I get back from my trip to Chicago, I’ll use Random.org to pick the winner.

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Sunday Post: What’s Your Nature?

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The dictionary gives us three definitions of the word nature.

 

Nature can be the countryside…mountains….rivers…forests.

 

Nature can be the forces and processes that control the physical world…hurricanes, tornados, high tide and low tide.

Photo credit: dailymail.co.uk

Nature can be the inherent character or basic constitution of a person…loving, generous, spiteful, envious, kind.

Jake at Time after Time has a Sunday Post Challenge and every week he provides a theme…this week’s theme is NATURE.

We are born with a particular disposition or temperament…environment and circumstances do play a role in shaping the person we become…and parents have a role in shaping the person their child becomes.

When natural disasters strike, it always amazes me how many step forward to assist…with their time, money and love.

But often, the problems are not so easily seen and may not be brought to our attention by the media.

Such is the case with our libraries today.  Most public libraries operate on small budgets that are funded by local revenues.  And these days, many libraries are suffering…cutting down on staff hours and putting a hold on ordering new books.

My nature is a sharing one.  I volunteer at local kindergartens, reading and crafting with the children and I donate a portion of the proceeds of the sale of Show Me How to three different children’s organizations.  

I began thinking about the situation the libraries are in and I had an idea! To help celebrate National Library Week (April 8-14) and to enable a bunch of libraries to add new materials to their collections, why not donate some of my books?

 

The Show-Me-How Library Project will enable twenty-five libraries across the country to receive a copy of my book.  If you would like to nominate your local library, please leave a comment on this post or on my Perfect Picture Book Friday post, telling me why you would like your library to receive one of the free books.  At the end of April, we will pick twenty-five libraries (through Random.org).  If your library is chosen and you would like to do a review of Show Me How on your blog/website/magazine/newspaper, I would be happy to send along a second copy, just for you! 

PLEASE HELP SPREAD THE WORD ABOUT THE SHOW-ME-HOW LIBRARY PROJECT!

  •         blog about this
  •         tweet it
  •         post it to your Face Book
  •         start a discussion on your LinkedIn groups
  •         Google+ it
  •         pin it on Pinterest

Whatever you can do to encourage everyone you know to hop on board and nominate their library would be appreciated.  Who knows, I just might have to give away books to more than twenty-five libraries and perhaps this will inspire other authors to make similar donations!

 If you’d like more information about Jake’s Sunday Post:

 http://jakesprinters.wordpress.com/ 

And here are some other bloggers who are doing Jake’s Sunday Post:

1.      http://ruralrouterunner.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/sunday-post-nature/

2.      http://imexcited.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/sunday-post-nature/

3.      http://wp.me/p296YA-5O

4.      http://davidrwetzelphotography.wordpress.com/2012/03/31/sunday-post-nature/

5.      http://writingmuscle.wordpress.com/2012/04/01/sunday-post-nature/

Quick note on the 12 x 12 Challenge I am taking part in…I am happy to say I have completed my March picture book draft!

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