Perfect Picture Book Friday: SHARK NATE-O Plus Giveaway

Posted on April 6, 2018 by viviankirkfield

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends.

First, some announcements.

Congratulations to Amber Hendricks. She was the winner of Patricia Valdez’ wonderful JOAN PROCTOR, DRAGON DOCTOR…and she has already received it…thank you so much, Patricia…you are FAST!

And the winner of Laura Sassi’s DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE is…

ANNE IVERSON…Congratulations, Anne…I’ll connect you and Laura so she can mail you the book.

Today’s wonderful picture book is by debut picture book author, Tara Luebbe and her sister, Becky Cattie. And guess what? Tara and her sister have TWO picture book debuting this year! And guess what else? Tara will be stopping by to chat with us tomorrow and share a yummy gluten-free recipe for a cookie that doesn’t have to be baked. AND, can you stand one more piece of awesomeness? Tara is graciously offering a copy of SHARK NATE-O as a giveaway prize. So, please don’t forget to leave a comment today and tomorrow.

SHARK NATE-O

Written by Tara Luebbe and Becky Cattie

Illustrated by Daniel Duncan

Published by Little Bee Books (April 2018)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Swimming, sharks, overcoming fears

Synopsis: From Amazon:

Nate loves sharks. He reads shark books every day, watches sharks on TV, and talks about them nonstop. He even likes to pretend he’s a shark wherever he goes! However, there is one small problem. . . .

Nate can’t swim.

When his older brother points this out, Nate works hard to overcome his fears and learn how to blow bubbles, use a kickboard, and finally swim without help, as quickly and as gracefully as a shark. Will he be able to beat his brother in a swim tryout and get his bite back? Kids will love this jawsome book complete with vibrant and whimsical art and a list of shark facts in the back!

Why I like this book:

I totally identify with Nate…I, too, was a nonswimmer…and had to overcome my fear of the water when I took swimming in high school and college. I’m still not a fan, but perhaps I could save myself if I had to.
Great text from the opening lines to the satisfying ending.
Super cool illustrations.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

For detailed instructions, please go to: www.frogsandsnailsandpuppydogtail.com

Please make sure you leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway. And come come tomorrow to join us for Tara’s Q&A on Will Write for Cookies.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

If you have a few minutes, don’t forget that writing a review on a book site like Amazon or Goodreads is a wonderful gift to your favorite author.

And for more picture book reviews and activities, please hop over to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Friday link up.

Perfect Picture Book Friday: JOAN PROCTER, DRAGON DOCTOR Plus Giveaway

Posted on March 16, 2018 by viviankirkfield

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends!

One of my favorite types of picture books are nonfiction picture book biographies. I love when authors are able to bring history alive for young readers. It’s what I try to do with so many of my stories. And just this past week, a brand-new one launched and I couldn’t wait to share it with you! And guess what? Debut picture book author, Patricia Valdez, is offering a giveaway of a copy of her book!!!! Big congratulations to her on a fabulous story!!! And make sure to leave a comment – you might be the lucky winner!

JOAN PROCTER, DRAGON DOCTOR: The Woman Who Loved Reptiles

Written by Patricia Valdez

Illustrated by Felicita Sala

Published by Alfred Knopf (2018)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Women in science, zoology, reptiles

Synopsis: From Amazon:

For fans of Ada Twist: Scientist comes a fascinating picture book biography of a pioneering female scientist–who loved reptiles!

Back in the days of long skirts and afternoon teas, young Joan Procter entertained the most unusual party guests: slithery and scaly ones, who turned over teacups and crawled past the crumpets…. While other girls played with dolls, Joan preferred the company of reptiles. She carried her favorite lizard with her everywhere–she even brought a crocodile to school!

When Joan grew older, she became the Curator of Reptiles at the British Museum. She went on to design the Reptile House at the London Zoo, including a home for the rumored-to-be-vicious komodo dragons. There, just like when she was a little girl, Joan hosted children’s tea parties–with her komodo dragon as the guest of honor.

With a lively text and vibrant illustrations, scientist and writer Patricia Valdez and illustrator Felicita Sala bring to life Joan Procter’s inspiring story of passion and determination.

Why I like this book:

Fabulous text that takes us from Joan’s childhood days of collecting lizards to her success as a world renowned zoologist.
Vivid illustrations that evoke a sense of fun and adventure – kids will LOVE the pictures of all of the lizards and dragons and other animals.
A story that will inspire children to dream and be different and go out and learn about science.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

photo courtesy: http://www.doodlesandjots.com

Make a leaping lizard. For detailed instructions: http://www.doodlesandjots.com/2012/02/29/leapin-lizards/

Other activities to do with the kiddos:

Visit a pet store or zoo to see the reptiles
Talk about different jobs people have who take care of animals: zookeeper, zoologist, beekeeper, groomer, vet, etc.
If you could be a reptile, which one would you be?

Thank you so much for spending your precious time here. I am working my way through the list of winners of #50PreciousWords, distributing the prizes. Thank you again to all the participants…your stories were fabulous! I know there will be many picture books that emerge from this year’s challenge.

Please don’t forget to leave a comment to be eligible to win a copy of this wonderful book, JOAN PROCTER, DRAGON DOCTOR!

And remember, the best gift you can give an author or an illustrator is to buy their book, tell someone else about their book, ask your local library to get a copy for their collection and/or leave a review on Amazon, Goodreads or other book review sites.

For more super picture book reviews, please hop over to Susanna Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Friday.

Have a safe and happy weekend!

Baptiste Paul: Will Write for Cookies PLUS Giveaway

Posted on March 10, 2018 by viviankirkfield

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

INSIGHT – INSPIRATION – INFORMATION

FOR WRITERS

TODAY’S GUEST

BAPTISTE PAUL

In 2016, I attended the Wild Wild West SCBWI conference in Chicago and got to meet our Will Write for Cookies guest. His wife, our own Miranda Paul, was signing some of her books and I had a chance to chat with Baptiste. I don’t know if he will remember…I’ll have to ask him. But we talked about books and families and it was lovely. And when I discovered he had a debut picture book coming out in March, I knew I wanted to have him stop by to share some of his journey with us.

Baptiste Paul is a man of many talents—from woodworking to gardening to entertaining hoards of children for hours on end. Born and raised in the Caribbean (Saint Lucia), Baptise is a native Creole/Patois speaker and enjoys roasting his own coffee and chocolate. Baptiste holds Degrees in Environmental Studies and Political Science from Bucknell University and currently resides with his family in Green Bay, Wisconsin. His debut picture book, THE FIELD, launched on March 6, 2018.

Welcome, Baptiste! Thank you so much for stopping by to visit with us. I’ve got a bunch of questions and we’d all love to hear your answers, so let’s get started. Continue reading →