Cover Reveal: TIC-ERRIFIC ME!

Posted on November 17, 2025 by viviankirkfield

I always feel so blessed to be part of this incredible kid-lit community. Whether I meet folks in person at a conference or book event, connect via an online class, or read their wonderful submission to #50PreciousWords, it’s a joy! And today’s cover reveal is for a book written by long-time blog follower and #50PreciousWords participant, Alicia Meyers…it’s called TIC-ERRIFIC ME! and I know it’s going to be TERRIFIC!

What an affirming and positive cover this is!!! I love the joy and energy! Kids will want to pick it up…and the story will act as mirrors and windows, helping many children feel seen and heard, while helping other become accepting and empathetic.

Alicia was kind enough to stop by to chat about the book and the story behind the story, so let’s welcome her to Picture Books Help Kids Soar!

ME: Hello, Alicia. It’s so lovely to have you visit. Can you share a little bit about the book and it’s path to publication?

ALICIA: Thank you again for partnering with me to reveal this special book to the world!

I am honored to get to do this with you, as you have been such a support in the Kidlit community to me for so many years.

Short Summary/Synopsis:

Tics are what my body does, they’re part of who I am. In TIC-ERRIFIC ME, we meet a young neurodiverse child diagnosed with Tourette Syndrome: A condition of the nervous system that causes movement and sound tics in the body. She is a unique child with many talents–and any tics that decide to join her. She takes us through how her body responds when she has sounds or movements she needs to let out and talks about techniques that work for her. This story is a simple ode to being truly tic-errific! After all, our tics only add to how great we already are.

TIC-ERRIFIC ME also includes a backmatter board game that encourages readers to try different Ready, Set, Reset strategies that can calm their brain and body.

Why I wrote this book:

Like the girl in this story, I have Tourette syndrome. Some days, my tics fly under the radar. Other days, they are harder to control. Growing up, I felt embarrassed, and worried that the noises and movements my body made bothered people. I tried to hide my tics and hold them in—which only made them worse. But as I got older, I realized how my tics made me, me. There is no one exactly like me. I wrote this story to share my experience living with Tourette syndrome, as well as to empower readers to learn to embrace their tics, and show the world how truly tic-errific they are.

Humorous incident OR challenging moment to share about path to publication

In March 2023, I was a showcase finalist in Mindy Alyse Weiss’ PB Party contest with a fictional, rhythmic story called Tic, Tic, Stop, about a girl’s day-in-the-life with TS. Free Spirit requested the full manuscript, but when I later connected with them–they instead told me about an opportunity to write for their upcoming “Disability Books for Kids” series, where each author lives with the condition. Though Tic, Tic, Stop had to hit the shelf for a bit, this felt like the opportunity of a lifetime–a chance to share my story of TS with the world. I couldn’t say no!

Short Bio for me AND the illustrator:

Alicia Meyers is a second-grade teacher in Washington, DC, and was diagnosed with Tourette syndrome at a young age. As a neurodiverse author and teacher, she hopes to encourage those with TS to embrace their tics as part of who they uniquely are. When she’s not teaching or writing, she can be found singing loudly, curled up with a book, eating pasta, planning her next trip, or reminding others how totally tic-errific they are.
Cait Brennan is an easily excited illustrator from the coastal town of Charleston, South Carolina. Cait credits much of her inspiration to growing up around great Southern storytellers who valued nature, food, family, and humor. At an early age, she discovered that drawing was a great way to make people smile—or, even better, laugh. As a total ham, that was very appealing. Her motivations haven’t changed much, and she loves celebrating joyful moments, big and small, in her work. When she’s not on a deadline, you can find her making big messes in the kitchen, trying to get a laugh, or planning her next trip.

My Social Media Links:

Website: www.byaliciameyers.com

Instagram: @byaliciameyers

X: @byaliciameyers

BlueSky: @byaliciameyers.bsky.social

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/aliciameyers/

Pre-Order Links:

Releases June 2, 2026 during “National Tourette Syndrome Awareness Month”

Published by Free Spirit

Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Tic-errific-Me-about-Tourette-syndrome/dp/B0FWHPB9VQ/

Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/tic-errific-me-alicia-meyers/1148648957?ean=9798885547529

Bookshop: https://bookshop.org/p/books/tic-errific-me-a-book-about-tourette-syndrome-alicia-meyers/1252fe1da5fe31d0?ean=9798885547529&next=t

GoodReads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/242837498-tic-errific-me

TCM: https://www.teachercreatedmaterials.com/products/tic-errific-me-a-book-about-tourette-syndrome-151876

This is all fabulous, dear Alicia. Thank you for sharing. I’m hoping we will get to meet in person at NCTE this week!
And thank you, dear blog followers, for spending your precious time with us. If any of you will be at NCTE, I hope you’ll check out my panel: IGNITING BOLD DREAMS: USING PICTURE BOOKS TO HELP READERS CONNECT WITH HISTORY AND FIND THEIR VOICE: Friday, Nov 21 at 11am to 12:15pm in Room 610 of the Convention Center. I’ll also be signing ONE GIRL’S VOICE on Friday, Nov 21 at 1:30-2pm at the Astra Booth #922.

And if you leave a comment and plan to be at NCTE, please include your panel or book signing times and locations if you would like to share them.

Cover Reveal: THE CABBAGE SEED’S COLOSSAL SECRET

Posted on November 10, 2025 by viviankirkfield

Seeing a new picture book cover is like going to a museum for an opening! So, when my very dear kidlit friend Karen M. Greenwald’s new book cover was ready to make its debut, I knew I had to be the one to share it!

The Cabbage Seed’s Colossal Secret tells the story of a child who plants a tiny seed and wonders what secrets it might hold. As it grows, she nurtures the little plant until it isn’t so little anymore―in fact, it’s COLOSSAL. What does one do with a colossal cabbage? The girl dreams that the cabbage feeds a soup kitchen full of neighbors, inspiring her to grow more veggies to share, inspiring kids country-wide to grow veggies for their own communities. And when she wakes up, she is ready let the world in on the cabbage’s colossal secret.

What an adorable cover! Don’t you love how the child sits on the head of cabbage? I can almost feel her swinging her feet back and forth!

The book is inspired by the true story of Katie Stagliano, her forty-pound cabbage, and the nonprofit Katie’s Krops. Backmatter includes ways for readers to start their own sharing garden.

A hallmark of Karen’s stories is her passion for shining a light on unexpected heroes and the surprising communities they form. In her own capacity, she runs two (or more!) annual book drives aimed at getting brand new books (yay, new book smell!) in the hands of students attending underserved schools across the country. I am sure this newest book will inspire any and all who read it!

Karen M. Greenwald is the author of The Mud Angels and A Vote for Susanna, which was a Kansas 2022 Notable Book and represented Kansas at both the Library of Congress’ National Book Festival and in their Great Reads from Great Places initiative. She cofounded the #SunWriteFun writing contest, founded the annual #BookHero book drive, and works with kidlit charities. Her strategic branding efforts have earned nineteen international awards. Most recently, Karen’s educational marketing efforts won the title, “BEST IN CATEGORY” from the 2024 international Summit MEA competition. She shares her office with a very noisy dog.

Alejandra Ruiz is an illustrator of picture books and visual storyteller. She illustrates stories hoping to build empathy in others and to help children find an infinite love for reading. She lives in Bogotá, Colombia with her boyfriend, two cats, and a whole lot of plants. When she’s not working, you can find her reading, cooking, or baking bread.

The book launches February 17^th on National Cabbage Day!
And guess what? It’s available for Pre-Order

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

Cover Reveal: I WISH THAT YOU KNEW

Posted on October 20, 2025 by viviankirkfield

Hello dear blog friends! It’s another beautiful Monday…so let’s start off the week with a peek at an AMAZING cover from a long time kid lit buddy, Rebecca Gardyn Levington for an upcoming book illustrated by Alyssa Russell, coming out from Little Bee Books on August 25, 2026.

Written by: Rebecca Gardyn Levington

Illustrated by: Alyssa Russell

Publisher: Little Bee

Release date: Aug. 25, 2026

And we are so lucky because Rebecca stopped by to chat with us and share a bit about the story and the story behind the story. Welcome, Rebecca!

REBECCA: Thank you so much, Vivian! It’s a thrill to be here on Picture Books Help Kids Soar.

Summary:

It’s been one year since Grandma died. One year without beach walks, shopping trips, and baking challah together. On this anniversary, the first yahrzeit, a young girl attends Grandma’s unveiling ceremony, taking time to let go of some of her sadness and celebrate the many moments of joy they shared.

This heartfelt picture book is about honoring those we have lost by remembering the happiness, comfort, and wisdom they brought into our lives. It is about the imprints that the people we love leave upon our hearts long after they are gone.

What inspired me to write this book:

The inspiration for this book was my Grandma Charlotte, my Gram, who had been my best friend. So many of the things I have grown to love—reading mystery novels, going to Broadway musicals (and listening to their soundtracks on repeat), purple hydrangeas, homemade lasagna, playing Mah Jongg, Barbra Streisand, visiting the beach—were things she introduced to me as a child and teenager during our family’s annual summer vacations to her home in Far Rockaway, NY.

After I graduated college, Gram invited me to live with her until I landed on my feet, and that’s when we became true besties. Her unconditional support, positive energy, and wise tough-love advice over the years have, without question, shaped how I view the world and myself in it.

Gram passed away in 2013 and a couple years ago I was reminiscing and missing her. I started thinking about how much has happened since she died, how many ups and downs we didn’t get to share, how much of my life she has missed. She never got to see my two sons grow up into the amazing young men they are turning out to be. She never got to see me reinvent myself from a journalist into a children’s book author and poet. She never got to read any of my books.

And so, I did what I usually do when I’m grappling with emotions: I wrote a poem. For her. And for me. I never initially intended this poem to become anything other than a way for me to process my grief, but as I continued to write and revise, I felt like there was a more universal story coming through me that might help others cope with their own loss.

A challenging moment I faced on the path to publication:

Before acquiring I WISH THAT YOU KNEW, my editor, Jaime Gelman at Little Bee, asked me for a Revise and Resubmit. She had two major big picture comments (and was absolutely on point with both of them. Listen to your editors, folks. They know what they’re talking about!)

First, Jaime felt like the text was a tad too sentimental. She thought that my sadness about missing my own grandmother was driving the story a little too much and asked me to take a step back and try to separate own emotions from those of the protagonist. She was, of course, exactly right. As I mentioned, this story was deeply personal and I was very sad when I wrote it. But who wants a sad picture book? Thanks to Jaime’s comments, I realized that what I really wanted was a story that would, of course, validate the sad feelings of any child who may have recently lost a grandparent, but also one that would remind them of all the joy that person brought to their life and how that person’s love helped shape who they are today. I wanted the book to be more about celebrating life than grieving loss. Jaime’s note really helped me make that separation and create a better story. Her note reminded me of the Jane Yolan quote: “Don’t let the truth get in the way of a good story.”

Jaime’s second big note was a question: “How does an unveiling specifically help us process our grief?” The original manuscript focused on the girl missing her grandmother and remembering their moments together, and the unveiling ceremony was simply a backdrop. But Jaime’s question made me realize that I also needed to include more about the importance of the unveiling ritual and how participating in it helps us heal. I did a ton more research and reworked the story to bring the ceremony more to the forefront. I also added an author’s note to explain and expand upon some of the traditions we see the girl and her family engage in within the story.

While it was a challenge to rework the manuscript, I’m SO grateful to Jaime for seeing the story for what it could be. It is so much better now because of her insight. I can’t wait to share it with everyone next summer!

My Bio:

Rebecca Gardyn Levington is a children’s book author, poet, and journalist with a particular penchant for penning both playful and poignant picture books and poems – primarily in rhyme. She is the author of WHATEVER COMES TOMORROW (which has been translated into nine languages and is the winner of a Crystal Kite Honor and a Northern Lights Book Award), AFIKOMAN WHERE’D YOU GO? and FINDING FORGIVENESS (both PJ Library Selections), BRAINSTORM!, LITTLE DREIDEL LEARNS TO SPIN, WRITE HERE WRITE NOW, SOME DAYS I’M THE WIND, DINOSAUR SURPRISE!, and I WILL ALWAYS BE… with many more books forthcoming. Rebecca blogs monthly for the Picture Book Builders and her award-winning poems and articles have appeared in numerous anthologies, newspapers, and magazines. She lives with her family in Summit, NJ, where she enjoys bouncing on a mini-trampoline, playing Mah Jongg, and eating chocolate-peanut butter ice cream (although not usually at the same time!). Find out more and sign up for Rebecca’s monthly newsletter at www.RebeccaGardynLevington.com.

Illustrator’s Bio:

Alyssa Russell is an Illustrator from Austin, Texas. She enjoys creating a feeling of softness and whimsy in her work, reminiscent of the children’s books she grew up reading. A mix of graphite and photoshop techniques are used in her process. Stylistically she aims for a vintage feel while also playing with the more modern shape-based designs she sees today. You can learn more about Alyssa and her work on her Instagram: @alyssarussellillustrates

Pre-Order Links:

We’ll be adding more pre-order links as soon as we get them, but for now, you can get more info at: https://rebeccagardynlevington.com/

Social Media Links:

I would love to invite readers to sign up for my monthly newsletter where I share all sorts of lessons and advice I’ve learned along the way as well as answer questions from subscribers about all the writerly and publish-y things. Feel free to check out past issues and sign up here: https://rebeccagardynlevington.com/resources-for-writers/
You can also find me on Instagram: @Rebeccagardynlevington

ME: I especially love what you shared about the editor Revise and Resubmit…it’s always valuable to see what editors want us to focus on.
And, dear friends…you’ve been so patient…here’s the GORGEOUS cover: