Happy Book Birthday: MISSY WANTS A MAMMOTH Plus Giveaway

Posted on August 6, 2024 by viviankirkfield

Yay! I am so excited about this brand-new book that launches TODAY! And I’m pretty sure that when you hear more about it, you will be, too! Book 1 of the Missy & Mason series is : Missy Wants a Mammoth, written by Pam Vaughan and illustrated by Ariel Landy.
It is with Pixel+Ink. You can see more details here:

https://silverunicornbooks.com/item/2wJn2c0AgM5Kp0MsTH7gtw

Just look at that cover! So engaging and inviting! I already want to know what is going to happen. Will the mammoth come to life like in the movie Night at the Museum?

So, dear friends, pull up a chair, help yourself to a piece of yummy birthday cake, and let’s join author Pam who stopped by to tell us a little bit about the story – and the story behind the story.

ME: Welcome, Pam! We’ve met at conferences – and I’m ultra-excited to see you again for the Acadia Writing Retreat and Book Festival in October – late October in Acadia National Park should be glorious – and with Eileen Robinson as one of the faculty – WOW! And WOW for MISSY WANTS A MAMMOTH! Can you tell us a little bit about the story?

PAM: Hi Vivian! Thank you so much for the opportunity to be on your blog for my book birthday!!
First-grader Missy pushes the bounds of her imagination—and her older brother Mason’s patience—as she lays out her plan for a new pet. A must-have for fans of Charlie and Lola and Olivia or anyone crafting a case for why they need a new animal addition to the family.At the Museum of Natural History, first-grader Missy has a genius gigantic idea: she wants a wooly mammoth as her new pet. She’ll name him Malcolm. They’ll take bubble baths with strawberry-banana shampoo, and go on picnics, and she’ll swing from his tusks. They’ll be best friends. Older brother, Mason, spots one mammoth-sized problem with her plans. . . . But once Missy gets an idea in her head, nothing (not even the fact that mammoths have been extinct for ten thousand years) is going to stop her from getting her fuzzy new friend.Missy and Mason are a winning new pair for the canon of sibling stories—when Missy dreams a little too big, Mason is always there to help pull her back, and when practical Mason plays it too safe, Missy helps push him to think bigger—and Missy Wants a Mammoth is sure to charm in a massive way.

ME: Oh, I love how this sounds, Pam. And can you share a bit about the journey for this book? We always love to hear about the path to publication.

PAM: Perhaps you can remember back to the time when your debut was about to, well, debut! It’s exciting and so much anticipation of not knowing what to expect. It’s like I’ve been trekking along learning, writing, revising, learning, talking with other writers, getting feedback, reading, learning, writing, revising…you know, all those kinds of things in my little world.

And then, all of a sudden (which isn’t really so sudden), my words are going to be a book! It’s exciting and wonderful and amazing and…(maybe slightly terrifying 😉 ) It’s like a shift in the mind – coming out of that previous trek (learning, writing, revising, learning, talking with other writers, getting feedback, reading, learning, writing, revising) and figuring out the new and exciting world of having a book – go beyond my little world around me and into the wider world.

Of course I am extremely grateful in all ways!!!

Including you! So, thank you! I appreciate YOU and all you do for all of our kidlit friends and community.

One semi-humorous story is that this book, Missy Wants a Mammoth sold in 2020 and was due to come out at the end of 2022. In February of 2022 my editor asked for a meeting with my agent and me to discuss the publication process, publicity timing, next steps, etc. As a new author I was super excited to have a face-to-face (virtual) meeting with my agent and editor together!

I was all smiles when I got on the meeting. But within a minute, my editor says, “I’m just going to rip off the band-aid.” I didn’t even have enough time to process her words when she said that due to COVID challenges, the illustrator has had to step away from the project. They both assured me things would work out for the best and it was all going to be okay. My response was, I feel like we got scored on, but we didn’t lose the game. I don’t think my response was what either of them expected! So, the illustrator search continued. Then, I got a call from my editor. She said she had an illustrator that she really liked…however, she was about to go on maternity leave and she had another project ahead of us. The editor and I both thought the illustrator – Ariel Landy – was worth the wait! So…we waited. The new date was July 2,2024 until…

I received one more call that said the date got pushed out again – but only one more month – August 6, 2024.

As children’s book authors we always hear that patience and resilience are essential attributes in this industry – so there is some proof.

I would also add gratitude. I’m so grateful to be able to write children’s books and to be able to share my books with people of all ages – young and young at heart! I lead with gratitude and appreciation!

Again, thank you for all of your time, hard work, and dedication to the kidlit space and helping authors on their journeys!

ME: And we are all grateful for what you have done as ARA of NESCBWI, lynchpin of Writers’ Loft, and everything else you do for the kid lit community, dear Pam!
To find out more about Pam and connect with her: www.pamvaughanauthor.com

And, dear friends, even though it is Pam’s book birthday, she’s the one giving the present! Please make sure you leave a comment and let us know which gift you would prefer if you are the lucky winner of the giveaway: a copy of MISSY WANTS A MAMMOTH or a 20-minute Ask-Me-Anything Zoom Chat with Pam.

And what can we do to let authors know how much we love their books? We can:
Buy them
Review them
Put them on our Goodreads Want to Read Shelf
Tell friends about them (share this post on social media)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

Happy Book Birthday: HOW TO EAT A MANGO Plus Giveaway

Posted on July 16, 2024 by viviankirkfield

Are you ready to blow out the candles and enjoy a yummy piece of cake? I hope so, because we are celebrating a book birthday today of HOW TO EAT A MANGO, written by Paola Santos and illustrated by Juliana Perdomo and published by Neal Porter Books! And guess what? Author Paola stopped by to chat with us…and she’s offering a giveaway of a copy of this gorgeous new book (USA addresses only) – so please make sure you leave a comment and SHARE the post on your social media for extra tickets in the giveaway hat.

What a gorgeous cover!!! Engaging and inviting…kids will definitely want to grab this one from the library shelves!

Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page:
Abuelita teaches Carmencita that you can’t rush mango-eating: it takes five steps to appreciate the gift and feel the love.

Carmencita doesn’t want to help Abuelita pick mangoes; she doesn’t even like them! They’re messy, they get stuck in her teeth, and it’s a chore to throw out the rotten ones.

But Abuelita adores mangoes, and patiently, she teaches Carmencita the right way to eat them. Together, they listen to the tree’s leaves, feel its branches and roots above and below, and smell and feel the sweet, smooth fruits. Each step is a meditation on everything Mamá Earth has given, and in the Earth’s love, Carmencita feels the love of her Mami, her Papi, her little brother Carlitos, and of course, Abuelita.

When they finally bite in, the juice running down their arms, Carmencita understands. The mangoes are more than just mangoes… and she’s ready for another!

Inspired by her own childhood in Venezuela, Paola Santos’s mango-sweet story is a grounding, life-affirming take on gratitude for nature’s gifts and connection with family and culture. Juliana Perdomo’s cheery artwork brings Carmencita, Abuelita, and their mango tree to life with all the warmth of golden fruit under the sun.

Simultaneously released in Spanish as Cómo se come un mango.

And now we get to welcome Paola to Picture Books Help Kids Soar!

ME: Hello, Paola. Thanks so much for stopping by! We always want to know what inspired an author to write a particular story. Can you tell us about why you wrote HOW TO EAT A MANGO?

PAOLA: Thank you for helping me celebrate the book launch, Vivian. The inspiration for “How to Eat a Mango” came from my abuelita and my deep connection to my Venezuelan roots. I remember her in the backyard, fully immersed in eating a mango, her delight like a poem in motion. Despite initially disliking mangoes, I loved watching her savor every bite. In Venezuela, the matriarchal presence is crucial, and my abuelita, though not as sweet as the grandmother in my book, was a strong, bustling figure in our home. The ripe mangoes often meant work for me, but they also brought moments of community as neighbors took bags of them. Today, mangoes evoke nostalgia for my family and homeland, knowing I may never relive those cherished moments or see my country as it once was.

Thank you so much, Paola! This is a book that will help many children feel seen.

Here’s a little bit about Paola:
Paola Santos is a children’s book author born and raised in Venezuela. After moving to Canada, she found the courage to share the words and stories that had long been enclosed in her imagination. Her stories are now woven with her culture, experience in a new country, hope, happiness, and diversity. Paola holds a bachelor’s and a master’s degree in Literature and Children’s Literature and Reading Promotion. She is the author of How to Eat a Mango / Cómo see come un mango (Neal Porter Books / Holiday House), 2024, and the forthcoming picture book A House in My Barrio (Henry Holt / Macmillan), 2026. She lives in Edmonton.

And here are ways to connect with her and find out more about her books:
Website: www.paolasantos.com
Twitter and Instagram: @pgsantosb
Twitter: https://x.com/pgsantosb
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/pgsantosb/

And here’s a super cool graphic with info about upcoming book launch events:

Please make sure you leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of HOW TO EAT A MANGO. And please share the post widely to help folks find out about this wonderful new book!

What else can you do to help new books success?
Buy the book
Review the book
Place the book on your Goodreads Want to Read Shelf

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

Happy Book Birthday: AVA LIN: BEST FRIEND Plus Giveaway

Posted on June 4, 2024 by viviankirkfield

Hurray! So glad you stopped by! Today’s a very special day because it’s the book birthday of AVA LIN: BEST FRIEND, a brand-new chapter book in a brand new chapter book series. And it’s written and illustrated by someone who holds a very special place in my heart. Vicky Fang approached me back in 2016, right after the first #50PreciousWords, and offered to design a logo for the contest. And then, when I added the challenge for kids in 2018, she created the logo for that as well. And now, when it’s HER book birthday, SHE’S giving the gift…a copy of AVA LIN to one lucky blog follower. Our kid lit community is the BEST!

Take a good look at this engaging cover! I love so much about it – especially the notations that tell us what things are most important to Ava Lin. So many kids will relate to loving tiny treasures…and having a special notebook.

And lucky us…Vicky stopped by to share some thoughts about the path to publication for this book.
ME: Welcome, dear Vicky! Thank you for popping in. It was so good to see you at NCTE in Ohio last year. I love how our paths intersect every now and then.

VICKY: Thank you for having me on to talk about my new chapter book series, Ava Lin! Ava Lin is about a 6-year-old girl navigating school, family, and friends—with a knack for getting herself into (and out of) sticky situations. I wanted to write something intensely funny that featured a Chinese American girl, and I hope that young readers find these books both relatable and hilarious!

Okay, a funny story on the path to publication for this book…

In Book 1, there is a scene where Ava goes to a Chinese restaurant with family friends and another kid puts something gross in her bubble tea. Final art for the book was done, ARCs were in progress, when I did a presentation at my kids’ school and they all said, “ Do you mean boba?” I panicked! I’m familiar with both terms, but I typically call it “bubble tea” and wondered if that was a dated term that wouldn’t resonate with kids! I went down a long and frantic rabbit hole to find out if kids call it “bubble tea” or “boba” or gosh maybe also, “boba tea”, these days. I roped in my editor who kindly did a quick mockup of the book with “bubble tea” replaced with “boba” throughout and helping me weigh the options.

AVA LIN: BEST FRIENDS written & illustrated by Vicky Fang

It turns out, “bubble tea” vs “boba” is a regional thing, and I must have picked up “bubble tea” from my time in New York way back when and passed it along to my kids, while most kids in California say “boba.” Lately, “boba” seems to be gaining traction, though “bubble tea” is still pretty common. Trader Joe’s has a “boba” product, Google maps lists “bubble tea” shops, etc… can you feel the depths of my rabbit hole?? In the end, we decided to stick with “bubble tea” because that’s what my kids and I call it and my editor felt the term was appropriately descriptive for all kids to understand, especially with illustrations.

Phew! All that to say, when a book is getting ready to launch, I have these little panic moments often! It’s hard to let your book baby out into the world. I’m so grateful for my critique partners and my agent and my editors who are so understanding and help me survive the path to launch.

If you do read AVA LIN (and I hope you do!), rest assured that I had a similar panic about the term “pupu platter” and please laugh with me as you read it.

You can order AVA LIN anywhere books are sold, but if you order from my favorite indie bookstore: Linden Tree Books,

Thank you so much for having me, Vivian! For anyone in the SF bay area, come join me for my launch on Sunday, June 9 at 11am at Linden Tree books!

Thank you so much, Vicky…and thank you everyone, for spending your precious time with us! Please remember to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of AVA LIN. And remember that our support helps books get noticed. You can buy the book, review the book, put the book on your Goodreads Want to Read shelf, tell friends about the book (by sharing the post on social media), and you can ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection.
I hope you all have a wonderful week!