Happy Book Birthday: MAMA’S HOME (AND BABY, TOO!)

Posted on October 13, 2026 by viviankirkfield

Welcome back, dear friends! It’s Tuesday…and Tuesday is often the launch day for brand-new books…and so I hope you are ready for Cake and Candles and a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday to You for Dawn Babb Prochovnic’s 20th book and debut board book: MAMA’S HOME (AND BABY, TOO!), illustrated by Adele Dafflon and published by Familius.

I absolutely love the art…so kid-friendly! And the simple rhyming text is guaranteed to put smiles on our youngest story lovers’ faces. Author Dawn and I have been kid lit friends for many years…and so, when I heard she had another new book…and her first BOARD BOOK, I knew I’d want to help her celebate!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MAMA’S HOME (AND BABY, TOO!) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

And guess what? Dawn was kind enough to stop by to share a bit about the story…and the story behind the story.

ME: WELCOME, DAWN! We’re so glad to have you here at Picture Books Help Kids Soar! Can you share What Inspired You to Write This Story, and What Were Some Notable Moments on the Path to Publication?

DAWN: Thank you so much for celebrating this book birthday along with me, Vivian! Mama’s Home (and Baby Too!) is a 95-word story that took over 20 years to become a book. I never gave up on this story; it’s a bit surreal that it’s finally coming to be.

It began as a poem that I jotted down on a scrap of paper as I watched my preschool-aged son blissfully engage in imaginative play at our local children’s museum. For context, that same son graduated from college a couple of years ago.

I loved the idea of a slice-of-life story about child-centered activities that collectively make for a joyful, play-filled childhood. The first working title I penciled in was, Childhood Bliss.

Over time, it became clear that the story would need a stronger hook in order to become a book.

I loved the essence of the story enough to keep working on it, and I experimented with many different approaches, including structuring it as a novelty book that incorporated American Sign Language. Although these approaches generated interest, they did not generate book offers.

I continued to revise the story with different themes in mind. For a couple of years, it was entitled Grandma’s House is Happiness, and associated revisions incorporated elements of connection with an active and engaged grandparent. Eventually, the focus shifted to the excitement and delight in sharing simple, joyful activities with a parent who returns home after being away for an extended period of time. With that angle, the working title became, Mama’s Home!, and I revised the story to incorporate the preparations for and anticipation of Mama’s return . . . from somewhere.

When I submitted Mama’s Home! to Familius, co-founder and CEO Christopher Robbins and team (rightfully!) wondered if I might be open to a more specific reason for Mama being away— the arrival of a new sibling. This brought additional revisions that incorporated the anticipation and preparations for Mama’s return, featuring activities that could be engaged in with a recuperating Mama and new baby.

To bring authenticity to the sibling component, I mined my memories of my younger sister’s arrival, and I looked for opportunities to emphasize and lean into the enduring and evolving nature of the relationship between Mama and an older child.

Additionally, I mined memories about my own mom being away from home for extended periods when I was a child. In her case it was due to health issues, but no matter the reason, it was always such a delight when she returned home.

One of the things I especially love about the final book is the way in which Adèle Dafflon’s illustrations beautifully capture the element of family. Papa and older siblings are together. Waiting. Pitching in. Contributing. Staying close. And once Mama and baby come home, the familial love and joy simply expands and grows.

Eventually, after input from industry sales reps and the publisher’s marketing team, the current title, Mama’s Home (and Baby Too!), came to be.

Despite all the twists and turns this story took along the path to publication and throughout many (many!) revisions, the essence of the story—childhood bliss—remains true. It’s the story idea that took hold of me from the start and insisted on being written. It’s the part of the story that I connected with so deeply when I watched my own child engage in imaginative play and scribbled down a rough poem. It’s the part of the story that kept me motivated to keep working on it until it was just right. A story about a joyful, play-filled, childhood—and now, a unique take on the arrival of a new sibling, and a loving family making room for one more.

ME: Thank you so much for all of this, dear Dawn! My takeaway is…NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR STORY…and also, be willing to revise and to listen to editor advice. I’m so glad you practiced patience and perseverance, my friend.

And now, here’s some info about the author and illustrator…and ways you can connect with them and BUY and REVIEW this important book!

Dawn Babb Prochovnic is the author of over 20 children’s books including Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?, Lucy’s Blooms, and her latest title, Mama’s Home (and Baby Too!). She has devoted her life’s work to initiatives that support literacy and the literary arts, including early literacy enrichment programs, school author visits, writing workshops, and her educational blog. Dawn is the recipient of the Walt Morey Award and the esteemed “Pleasure Reading Award” (her most memorable fifth-grade achievement). She lives in Portland, Oregon with her family and fan-favorites, Pickle the Cat and Sophie the Paddleboarding Pup.

Adèle Dafflon was born in Fribourg, Switzerland, in 1985. She graduated in illustration at École Supérieure des Arts Saint-Luc de Liège in 2012 and began drawing birth announcement cards. Soon, she was contacted for individual and collective projects. Sharing a studio with four artists since 2018, she draws nature, animals, and insects in a colorful style with a dash of genuine humor.

Author and Illustrator’s Websites:

Dawn: www.dawnprochovnic.com
Adèle: https://www.adeledafflon.com/

Author’s Social Media Links:
Substack: @dawnprochovnic.substack.com
Bluesky: @DawnProhovnic.bsky.social
Facebook: @DawnProchovnicAuthor
Instagram: @DawnProchovnic
LinkedIn: @DawnProchovnic
Pinterest: @DawnProchovnic
YouTube: @dprochovnic

Buy Links:
Familius
Bookshop
B&N
Amazon

Just saying, dear friends…if you have any friends or family who are expecting a baby and have a young child already at home, THIS is the perfect gift.
Thank you for spending your precious time with us…I hope you all have a beautiful week!

Happy Book Birthday: PIPPA’S HANUKKAH HUNT Plus Giveaway

Posted on September 29, 2026 by viviankirkfield

Welcome, dear friends! It’s always a pleasure to celebrate the launch of a new book with a Happy Book Birthday post. And today, my joy is unmeasurable…since the new book is actually one of mine!

When my editor asked me to write a sequel to the popular PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE, I was thrilled. And with talented illustrator Jill Weber on board again, I knew the book would be magical…and I was not disappointed! Every page bursts with color and action!

Join Pippa’s generous friends and neighbors as they come together as a community in this joyful companion to Pippa’s Passover Plate.

Filled with rhymes and repetition, this is a perfect title to share and read aloud as you celebrate your own Hanukkah festivities! Pippa loves everything about her Hanukkah latkes—making them; eating them; and most of all, sharing them! But when her ingredients go missing, Pippa’s dinner guests become Hanukkah helpers as she searches the whimsical winter landscape.

When a surprise twist brings the latke ingredients and new guests to her table, Pippa is thrilled to have gathered the most important ingredient for any holiday meal: a community to enjoy it with.

An end note explains the origins and meaning of the holiday—with special attention to everyone’s favorite traditions like chocolate gelt (chocolate coins wrapped in foil) and the game of dreidel (spinning top).

Just in time for Hanukkah, this joyful story will bring smiles to our youngest story lovers…and by following the illustration clues, kids will be eager to solve the mystery of the missing potatoes.

Please help this story about community, compassion, and kindness become a success.
You can:
Buy the book (the link is from Bookshop.org, but you can purchase it on Amazon or from your local indie bookstore)
Review the book (on Amazon or any other review site)
Tell friends about the book (share on your social media and TAG 2 friends)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

To enter the giveaway of a signed copy of PIPPA’S HANUKKAH HUNT, please do at least ONE of the above…and in the comments, let me know what you have done. If you do more than one, you’ll receive extra chances in the giveaway hat.

And, if you didn’t get a chance to see the unboxing video on Facebook, here it is.

Book Birthday: BACKYARD STEW

Posted on September 1, 2026 by viviankirkfield

Hurray! Thank you for stopping by. It’s an exciting day because we are celebrating an early Book Birthday for a fabulous new picture book, BACKYARD STEW, written by the talented Heather C. Morris and brilliantly illustrated by Deborah Schreiber and lovingly published by Gnome Road Press.

It’s always so much fun to celebrate new books…and it’s especially fun when we get to chat with the author…and Heather was kind enough to stop by to visit. I actually met Heather in person last November in Denver at NCTE – and, when I heard she had a book coming out, I knew I’d want to share it with you all and have her tell you all about it.

ME: Welcome, Heather! Thank you for coming to Picture Books Help Kids Soar. Can you tell us a little bit about BACKYARD STEW and how it came to be?

HEATHER:
Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog, Vivian. It’s a joy to be here to tell folks about the book and how it came to be.
Short summary of the story

From the author of the award-winning book TRUNK GOES THUNK! A WOODLAND TALE OF OPPOSITES comes another exploration of the wonder and fun that can be found just outside your back door.

This fun, interactive picture book adventure encourages kids to explore the natural world and exercise their imaginations as they mix up their very own Backyard Stew. As they tap the tops of wild strawberries, wiggle wild onions out of the ground, and rub every dandelion, young readers will delight in making this tried and true “recipe” over and over again. Especially when they discover the secret ingredient!

And here is what inspired me to write this story:

The story behind Backyard Stew just goes to show that inspiration can strike anywhere…and that sometimes you need to be a little bit bored.

One day, I was walking my dog…trying not to be bored. And I passed a gorgeous ginkgo tree. It was Fall, so the leaves were a perfect gold. It made me think, “Hmmm…ginkgo. I think you can make tea out of ginkgo leaves. I wonder what else I could eat around here!” Then I remember – in my neighborhood alone – wild strawberries, honeysuckle vines, wild onions, and more. I thought, “what if some kids got together and made a ‘stew’ that included many of these things?” You know, like making mud pies. BUT THEY DIDN’T EAT IT!!! Then I added interactive elements like tapping, turning the book upside-down, shaking the pages, and more, and the story really sparkled.

ME: That’s wonderful, Heather! And I truly love the interactive elements in the book!

And here’s a little bit about the author:

Heather C. Morris is the author of multiple books for kids, including the picture books, Trunk Goes Thunk! A Woodland Tale of Opposites and Backyard Stew, a ghost story in the Haunted States of America Anthology, and the upcoming picture book, Dribble, Shoot, Swish (2027). She lives in a house with a large backyard, which is perfect for stirring up pots of boredom-busting stew. Visit her online at heathercmorris.com.

As well as a little bit about the illustrator:

Deborah Schreiber is an illustrator from Munich, Germany. She can always be found dreaming of new adventures in life and on paper. Her travels brought her to many different countries and finally to the seaside town of Falmouth, England, which she now calls home.

Inspired by nature, wildlife, and personal experiences, Deborah creates atmospheric and playful illustrations that seek to spark wonder and curiosity amongst children and adults alike. While primarily working with traditional media such as watercolor, gouache and colored pencils, she also embraces digital tools to maintain a flexible creative process.

Outside of illustration, Deborah enjoys spending time with friends and family, exploring the outdoors and sharing a meal together.

This is such a fabulous book…I am sure many of you would like to snag your own copy. Here are a few preferred pre-order or order links

Backyard Stew will be released on September 15, 2026! But you can pre-order a copy through any local independent bookstore, on Bookshop.org, or wherever books are sold.

However, if you’d like a SIGNED copy, you can pre-order through her local indie bookstore, Snail on the Wall, in Huntsville, AL. They ship anywhere within the continental U.S.

https://snailonthewall.com/backyardstew