Perfect Picture Book Frday: SAVING THE SUN Plus DOUBLE GIVEAWAY

Posted on September 22, 2023 by viviankirkfield

Hello dear friends! Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday. Today’s featured book, SAVNG THE SUN, is a sequel to a book we shared last year, MENDING THE MOON. And the same dynamic duo created it: author Emma Pearl and illustrator Sara Ugolottii. Make sure you read through the entire post and then leave a comment and share on social media – author Emma’s publisher is offering a copy of this beautiful book AND Emma is offering a Picture Book Critique – remember to let us know in the comment which prize you’d like if you are one of the lucky winners!

SAVING THE SUN

Written by Emma Pearl

illustrated by Sara Ugolotti

Published by Page Street Kids (September 19, 2023)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Creativity, courage, working together

Synopsis: From Amazon:

After an especially sweltering day, the ocean sparkles and twinkles so invitingly that instead of slipping beneath the horizon, the sun plunges into the ocean itself.

When the sun sinks and loses its fire, Luna and Poppa’s yearly vacation on Summer Island suddenly goes dark. Luna knows the sun needs their help―the sky looks all wrong, and it’s neither day nor night! But it’s a big job to do all on their own.

To bring back daylight, they must think of creative solutions, seeking help from the local dolphins, monkeys, birds, and more. With the power of teamwork and imagination, can they find a way to return the sun to its rightful place, and set it ablaze once more?

This imaginative tale will enchant readers as Luna, Poppa, and their new friends of the sea, beach, and air rise to the challenge of fixing the sky once more and―literally―save the day.

Why I Love This Book:
1. I love the engaging and whimsical text that take the reader on a fantastical journey.
2. I love the glorious illustrations that create a magical setting for the story.
3. I love the agency of the child in the story and how problem solving happens step by step.

RELATED ACTIVITIES:
Bring the sunshine inside no matter what the weather is outside.

Photo courtesy: https://www.teachingexpertise.com/classroom-ideas/sun-crafts/

For detailed instructions for these and many other sun crafts: https://www.teachingexpertise.com/classroom-ideas/sun-crafts/

How can we help books we love?
We can buy them.
We can review them.
We can put them on our WANT TO READ SHELF on Goodreads.
We can tell friends about them.
We can ask our local library to purchase copies for their collection.
And here are some other order links so you can order the book from your favorite place:
Barnes & Noble
Books of Wonder
Amazon
Books-a-Million
Bookshop.org

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Please remember to leave a comment and let us know which prize you would prefer if you are one of the lucky winners: a copy of SAVING THE SUN (U.S. addresses only please) or a Picture Book Critique.

Cover Reveal: I LOVE HARRIET KIPPLEY Plus Critique Giveaway

Posted on September 18, 2023 by viviankirkfield

YES INDEED! It’s another COVER REVEAL! These beautiful and important books are coming in faster than I can blog about them! But I’m glad this one came across my radar – and I think you will be, too. I LOVE HARRIET KIPPLEY (don’t you just love the title?) written by Jenny Lynn Pease, illustrated by Alessia Girasole, and published by Free Spirit Press will be launching on April 2, 2024. You won’t be able to get it for many months…but TODAY you can get a peek at the cover!

Continue reading →

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.