Happy Book Birthday: DESERT QUEEN Plus Zoom Chat Giveaway

Posted on October 24, 2023 by viviankirkfield

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!

Happy Book Birthday: OLD TO JOY Plus DOUBLE Giveaway

Posted on September 5, 2023 by viviankirkfield

One of my favorite blog posts to create is a Happy Book Birthday post – and so, you know I am dancing with joy today! ESPECIALLY because I know the author, long-time educator and talented creative Anita Crawford Clark! And especially because the name of her book is: OLD TO JOY – that’s a perfect title for someone like me!

OLD TO JOY is written and illustrated by Anita and published by Gnome Road Books. I’m really impressed with the quality and beauty and thoughtful content of the books that are coming out from this new publishing house. They care about making books that touch on sensitive topics – and their books are very relatable to young kids!

Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page:

Joy’s Grandmama lives in an old house, on an old street, with old trees and all kinds of old things. And Joy already knows . . . there’s no fun in that!

When young Joy goes to spend the day with Grandmama, she struggles to find beauty in all the old things at Grandmama’s house. None of it looks or smells quite the same as it does at home. But as the day passes, Grandmama patiently helps Joy discover how the old ways can bring joy to any heart. Whether it’s the swaying of stately trees, bubbles dancing in a sink filled with dishes, the sweet scents of a lovingly tended garden, or the memories found in a room packed with hats – if Joy open’s her heart and mind, there is beauty to be found everywhere at Grandmama’s house.

Gorgeous, richly detailed illustrations capture the movement of Joy’s feelings of boredom and doubt to awe and appreciation for her Grandmama’s attitude and way of life. Debut author-illustrator Anita Crawford Clark celebrates her African American lived experience and family heritage in this intergenerational story that is certain to encourage a healthy-aging mindset among readers of all ages and add a spark of joy to any home, classroom, or library setting. A perfect gift for grandparents and grandchildren alike!

And happily, Anita stopped by and shared a bit about the path to publication for this book.

ANITA: I first penned the opening lines for this book in 1998. “Grandmama lived in an old house, on an old street, with old trees, and all kinds of old things.” I was inspired to write these lines based on my experiences as a child at my grandmother’s house where everything seemed old, even the people. Much like Joy, I came to appreciate old things and older people like my grandmother. I appreciated them for their wisdom, courage, experiences, faith, love and so much more. After many rejections of this story in 1998-99, I did not pick it up again until 2020. After multiple rounds of revisions, it was ultimately acquired by Sandra Sutter of Gnome Road Publishing in 2021.

Here’s a little bit about Anita and links for you to learn more about her:
Anita Crawford Clark is a writer and illustrator of fiction and nonfiction books for children. Anita grew up chasing butterflies and fishing crawdads from a nearby creek during scorching Sacramento summers. Her stories and illustrations often reflect those memorable childhood years. Anita is an inaugural recipient of the SCBWI OMA (Out from the Margins) Award for her debut picture book, OLD TO JOY. A veteran K-12 teacher, Anita especially enjoys directing musical theatre productions. The athlete in Anita enjoys shooting hoops. The musician in her enjoys playing the drums, piano, and banjo. Anita draws inspiration from her faith, nature, music, history, and everyday life.
You can connect with Anita on Twitter (@AnitaLClark)
Instagram (@AnitasFavPics)
Or visit her website at AnitaCrawfordClark.com.

We all know how important it is to support our favorite books and their authors and illustrators. We can:
Buy their books – here is the link for a signed copy
Review their books
Add their books to our Goodreads WANT TO READ shelf
Tell friends about their books (via social media is great!)
Ask our local library to purchase copies for their collection.

And because of Anita’s generosity, we have a DOUBLE GIVEAWAY! One winner will receive a copy of the book + book swag. The other winner will receive an Ask-Me-Anything Zoom chat or a Picture Book Manuscript critique! Please make sure when you leave your comment that you tell us WHICH PRIZE you would like if you are one of the lucky winners.

I hope you all have a beautiful week.