Perfect Picture Book Friday: A FOREST BEGINS ANEW Plus Giveaway

Posted on May 8, 2026 by viviankirkfield

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. I was thrilled when author Louise Aamodt reached out to tell me about the upcoming launch of her debut picture book (in just a few days on May 12). She reminded me that I had done a manuscript critique for her many years ago…and now she has several other books in the pipeline…not that I had anything to do with that…that is all Louise’s talented writing! But I love to hear stories of dedication that leads to success…and I know that all of you do, too. And happily, Louise stopped by to share the story behind the story…PLUS…there is a GIVEAWAY. Make sure you scroll to the end of the post and leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway…and PLEASE, share the post on your social media to help get the word out about this absolutely beautiful book!

A FOREST BEGINS ANEW

Written by Louise M. Aamodt

Illustrated by Elly McKay

Published by Astra Books for Young Readers (May 12, 2026)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Ecology, Forest Rebirth, Hope

Synopsis: Told through lyrical rhyme and stunning 3D cut-paper illustrations, this is the captivating story of a forest’s renewal as it goes from ashes to new growth in the aftermath of a sweeping forest fire.

Set against the backdrop of a devastating forest fire, A Forest Begins Anew unfolds the life cycle of a particularly resilient ecosystem. As smoke jumpers leap from planes and pinecones eventually unseal from the heat of the fire, the story poetically weaves the effects of a forest fire into a vibrant tapestry that reveals a delicate balance between destruction and renewal.

Back matter containing fascinating facts and further reading portrays forest fires not just as destructive forces but as catalysts for growth and rebirth. With its lyrical rhyming text and breathtaking illustrations, A Forest Begins Anew honors nature’s ability to survive against the odds.

WHY I LOVE THIS BOOK
1. I love books that help young readers develop a love of and an appreciation for the wonders of nature.
2. I love books that engage readers with lyrical text…this one is in rhyme…and it is SO GOOD!
3. I love books where the art is such a large part of the story…with illustrations that keep readers turning the pages…and with art that embraces unique media choices.

ME: And now we are so lucky, because Louise is here to chat with us! Welcome to Picture Books Help Kids Soar, Louise…and this book, filled with optimism and hope, is sure to help many kids soar. Please share a little bit about the book and why you wrote it.

LOUISE:
My curious brain never quiets down, so when I came across a few sentences stating that fires can lead to beetles, then woodpeckers, then bluebirds, I needed to know more about that cause-effect relationship. The deeper I dove, the more I felt compelled to share this information with young people, including ‘good’ versus ‘bad’ fires, the balance of nature, and an overall message of cooperation, renewal, and– ultimately– hope.

A humorous incident on the path to publication:

The week my editor was ready for the first round of edits, I was volunteering at Boy Scout summer camp. After making sure the kids didn’t have any bear-attracting snacks in their tents for the night, I’d hike through the dark up to the main camp headquarters to pick up wifi for a surface-level initial fact-check and to download any editor’s comments. Then I’d hike back and padlock my laptop inside the troop’s trailer. The next day, I’d get the boys situated practicing their first aid or fire starting skills, and then I’d draft new stanzas in my ratty notebook. As zany as the process was, it was also the perfect setting to work on a forest story.

The book has been so well-received…here’s a glowing review from Kirkus:

“A devastating wildfire transforms into a story of ecological resilience and hope in this lyrical meditation on nature’s capacity for renewal… A beautiful testament to nature’s—and our own—ability to flourish after devastation.”

Read the full review here.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE AUTHOR:
Louise M. Aamodt (rhymes with ‘comet’) has taught English Learners in public schools for over 25 years. As both a writer and a teacher, she loves igniting curiosity and making complicated concepts accessible. She can be found in the kids’ section of the library, or out watching bugs somewhere. Learn more about her debut picture book, A FOREST BEGINS ANEW, at https://www.LouiseAamodt.com.

A LITTLE BIT ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:
Elly MacKay is an acclaimed paper artist and award-winning children’s bookmaker. She is the author and illustrator of a number of picture books. Before pursuing a career in picture books, she taught in schools and was an educator in galleries. Elly lives in the winter kingdom of Owen Sound, Ontario, where she and her family often search for snow dragons in the gardens and fields nearby.

Social media links
Website
Author’s Facebook
Goodreads
Bluesky
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ME: Thank you so much, Louise. We love hearing how beautiful books get their start!
And now, dear friends, make sure you leave a comment and share on social media to help this beautiful book become a success…and as you help the book, you’ll be qualifying for a chance to win a copy of A FOREST BEGINS ANEW.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Please come back on Sunday for a SPECIAL MOTHER’S DAY blog post that will share the many amazing #50PreciousWordsforKids submissions from all over the country and a few from other countries!

Happy Book Birthday: FINLEY: A MOOSE IN CHARTREUSE

Posted on April 28, 2026 by viviankirkfield

Can you see my big smile? I’m sure you can…because today is one of my favorite days…and my smile is a mile wide because it’s a day to celebrate the birth of a new book!!! YES! It’s a book birthday for FINLEY: A MOOSE IN CHARTREUSE…written by Candace Spizzirri and illustrated by Chantelle & Burgen Thorne and published by Gnome Road.

And YES…I am also so excited because author Spizzirri stopped by to share the story behind the story.
ME: Welcome, Candace! We are so thrilled to have you here! Thank you for stopping by…and I hope you have time to share a little bit about the book…and how it came to be.

CANDACE: Thanks so much for having me on your blog again! I’m delighted to be here! And it’s FINLEY: A MOOSE IN CHARTREUSE’S Book Birthday! Yay!

– A short synopsis of the book.

Finley, the beloved “moose on the caboose,” is back in this hilarious and heartfelt sequel full of fun and high fashion!

Finley wants nothing more than to attend Fashion Week in Paris. He dreams of the sights, the sounds, the smells, and…the perfect suit. But when Finley arrives in the City of Love, the most famous designers refuse to work with a moose. Although feeling defeated, Finley never forgets who he truly is – a very friendly moose, and a helpful one, too! When Finley sees an accident in the making, he races to the rescue. His kindness and quick thinking help him make a new friend … and find his perfect color!

– The inspiration for the story

Several years ago, my daughter, Jenna, was working in Germany, and I flew over to visit her. Since I had never been to Paris, we decided to slip away for a few days and explore the city together. I was already thinking about where Finley’s next adventure might take him, but Paris swept me up immediately—the sights, the sounds, the smells. But most of all…the fabulous fashion!

During our trip, Jenna snapped a photo of me holding FINLEY: A MOOSE ON THE CABOOSE in front of the Eiffel Tower, and I posted it online. Not long after, Chantelle and Burgen Thorne—the brilliant, award‑winning illustrators—commented, “Finley in Paris! A sequel?” Their playful nudge was exactly the spark I needed. In that moment, I knew Paris was destined to be Finley’s next stop.

ME: Good for you, Candace…I went to Paris a few years ago…but I don’t know that I was so creative…not only did you come up with a story…but it is now a real book! Can you tell us if you have anything on the horizon…any more books for us to add to our shelves?

CANDACE: Thanks so much for asking! I have another book coming that I’m incredibly excited about. It’s scheduled for a Fall 2027 release with Gnome Road Publishing. I truly adore my publisher!

The story is inspired by my sister, Amber, and is titled Amber Mae and Her Strays. It was one of the first stories I ever wrote. The super‑talented Carlos Vélez Aguilera is illustrating, and I couldn’t be more thrilled. His vibrant, detailed artwork is the perfect match for my spunky main character.

Here is a summary:

Prepare for a rollicking adventure as Amber Mae, a determined little girl with a soft spot for stray animals, brings home one zany pet after another. When her otherwise patient parents panic and are pushed over the edge, they have no choice but to send her pets packing. Readers will be rooting for clever Amber Mae as she finds the perfect place for each and every one of her beloved animal friends.

ME: What fabulous news, dear Candace! Congratulations! The upcoming book sounds wonderful!

And now, dear friends, here is a little bit about Candace, her illustrators, and links for you to connect with her and get your own copies of her fabulous books!

A Little Bit About Candace:
Candace Spizzirri crafts children’s books with humor and heart. Like her spirited character Finley, she adores Paris, bold adventures, and the color chartreuse. Passionate about education, Candace co-founded an elementary and a high school in Southern California. She loves spending time with her husband, son, daughter, daughter-in-law, and five delightful grandkids. Visit her online at candacespizzirri.com.

A little bit about the illustrators:
Chantelle & Burgen Thorne are a multi-award-winning (married) illustration team. They live in the countryside surrounded by tall trees and an amazing variety of wild birds and animals. When they’re not at their desks illustrating stories for kids, you’ll find them being towed around the woodland paths by their beloved dogs. Find them online at chantelleandburgen.com.

And here are a few links to help you follow Candace:
Website: http://www.candacespizzirri.com
Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/ccspizzirri1?lang=en
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ccspizzirri/
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1000236
Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/candacespizzirri.bsky.social
Amazon

Finley: A Moose in Chartreuse: Spizzirri, Candace, Thorne, Chantelle, Thorne, Burgen: 9781957655598: Amazon.com: Books
Barnes and Noble

Finley: A Moose in Chartreuse by Candace Spizzirri, Chantelle Thorne, Burgen Thorne, Hardcover | Barnes & Noble®IndieBound

Finley a book by Chantelle Thorne, Burgen Thorne, and Candace Spizzirri – Bookshop.org US
Publisher link
Finley: A Moose in Chartreuse – Gnome Road Publishing

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

Happy Book Birthday: EVEN STEVEN

Posted on April 14, 2026 by viviankirkfield

Strike up the band! It’s time to celebrate…a new book is born! And this one is written by one of my long-time CPs, Carrie Finison and illustrated by the fabulous Daniel Wiseman. Back in 2012, when I was first dipping my toes into the world of writing kid lit and had just joined 12×12 in its inaugural year, Carrie reached out on the 12×12 FB page to start a critique group. I hopped on board…and the rest is history! I remember seeing EVEN STEVEN in its earlier drafts…and I can tell you that I loved it even in its infancy.

And now we are so lucky, because Carrie has stopped by to chat with us.
ME: Welcome, Carrie. Thanks for stopping by! Can you share a bit about what inspired you to write EVEN STEVEN? And maybe a little about the path to publication?

CARRIE: I’m so happy to be here, Vivian. And I’d love to share what inspired the story…and more!

The inspiration for Even Steven: A Book About Sharing might have (/PROBABLY DID) come from my children literally using our kitchen scale to weigh out brownies, using tape to make a dividing line exactly in the middle of their seats in the car, and using a timer to make sure no one got more than their fair share of computer time. I’m sure most parents and anyone with a sibling is familiar with these scenarios. Kids love making sure things are even!

Challenges on the path to publication:

I had the title and character name “Even Steven” in my head for quite a few years before I started writing. I imagined the character of Steven to be a kid who wanted everything to be so exactly even that he sometimes got himself into ludicrous situations. But I kept getting stuck with HOW to present this character in a way that kids would consider funny but not ridiculous or baby-ish.

It wasn’t until a year or two after my book Don’t Hug Doug, also illustrated by Daniel Wiseman, was released that I realized that the same format might work very well for Even Steven. I wanted to place the reader in the role of “knowing better” than the main character, Steven. In order to reinforce that, the cast of characters in the book all know better than Steven – and they tell him so!

The format of dialogue balloons, paired with narrative text, enables both the characters in the book and the reader to acknowledge the humor and silliness of the situations that Steven creates with his insistence on perfect evenness. Instead of the reader thinking, “I’m supposed to believe this?” the format places the reader and book on the same side, both saying, “Can you believe this kid?”

At the same time, Steven is very earnest in his desire to share. Sharing becomes a puzzle that he’s trying to figure out – with a little help from the other characters in the book, and the reader. I hope it’s a puzzle that readers will have fun solving with Steven, and in their own lives.

Buy the book:
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/763244/even-steven-by-carrie-finison-illustrated-by-daniel-wiseman/

About the author:

Carrie Finison writes children’s books with humor and heart that are fun to read aloud. Her books include Dozens of Doughnuts and the sequel, Plenty of Pancakes; Don’t Hug Doug, an ALA Notable Children’s Book; Even Steven: A Book About Sharing; Lulu & Zoey: A Sister Story; Hurry, Little Tortoise, Time for School; Pigs Dig a Road; and Touch a Truck Day, a lift-the-flap board book. She lives outside of Boston with her husband, son, and daughter, and two cats who permit her to work in their cozy attic office.

Website: www.carriefinison.com
Instagram: @carriefinison

About the illustrator:

Daniel Wiseman is the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of The World Needs More Purple People by Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart. He has illustrated many books for kids, including Goodbye Brings Hello by Dianne White, Play This Book by Jessica Young, When Your Lion Needs a Bath by Susanna Leonard Hill, and the Baby Scientist series by Laura Gehl. He lives with his family in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Website: www.danieldraws.com
Instagram: @d_wiseman

Thank you all for spending your precious time with us! I should have an update soon on the #50PreciousWords Literacy Initiative. And I’m still in prize distribution mode for #50PreciousWords…I’m about half-way through the list and it’s been a pure joy to connect with so many amazing writers…the people in the kid lit community are very special, that’s for sure! And the prize donors are incredible also…I’m grateful to all of you!