Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. I totally needed this book when I was a kid. I loved to draw…I had a big round cookie tin that was filled with broken crayons. I remember the day I got a new box of Crayola crayons…the big 64 color box with the SHARPENER…it was 1958 (that was the first year Crayola released the 64-crayon box with the sharpener) and I was 11 years old – and I felt like I had just gotten the best gift ever! But I didn’t have much confidence in my art – and most of the time, I colored in coloring books…allowing my creativity to be confined within the boundaries of the lines on the page. Danielle Dufayet’s newest book, BENFORD DRAWS A BLANK, is all about creativity and imagination and believing in oneself…and something many of us writers experience – not knowing where to begin! And before you begin reading this post, I want to let you know that the lovely Danielle is offering a fabulous giveaway: winner’s choice of either a signed copy of the book OR a Picture Book Critique! WOW!
Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends! This is the FIRST Perfect Picture Book Friday of 2023 – and it’s special for another reason. I love lifting up new books…and it’s always a thrill when the book is written by a friend…and even more exciting when it’s a friend I’ve met in person! In 2019, I attended the NESCBWI conference in Springfield, Massachusetts – presenting at three workshops with my debut picture books…and also attending that conference was Kim Chaffee with her debut picture book, HER FEARLESS RUN: Kathrine Switzer’s Historic Boston Marathon. And now this talented author has another fabulous book: COURAGE IN HER CLEATS: The Story of Soccer Star Abby Wambach! If you leave a comment and share on social media, you might be the lucky winner of a copy!
COURAGE IN HER CLEATS: The Story of Soccer Star Abby Wambach
Written by Kim Chaffee
Illustrated by Alexandra Badiu
Published by Page Street Kids
Ages: 4-8
Themes: Gender equality, sports, mighty girls
Synopsis: From Amazon: As a child, Abby Wambach was loud and clear about what she wanted and what she didn’t, and she didn’t want to be left out of any competition―especially soccer.
In this powerful biography, readers will dance and dart down fields with Abby as she slingshots–balls thwump… whiz… whoosh–straight into goals, sweating and scoring her way from school league leader to U.S. Women’s National Team star.
The story follows Abby through both success and setbacks because while even pro athletes miss goals, face losses, and can get injured, determined Abby has always been tougher than her toughest challenge.
Readers will cheer on this talented fan favorite as she kicks the legendary U.S. Women’s team toward Olympic fame, while also being reminded that there’s just as much inspiration in Abby’s struggles as in her victories.
Why I Love This Book: 1. I love stories that show that nothing is impossible if you can imagine it – stories that can inspire young readers to follow their dreams – books with heroes who prove that one person can make a difference. 2. I love the flow and pacing of the story – and the text is filled with heart and humor. 3. The illustrations are fabulous – and they engage the reader and keep you turning the pages.
And we are so very lucky because Kim stopped by to share a little bit about her path to publication for this book:
KIM: Unlike Her Fearless Run, Courage in Her Cleats was difficult to draft. It was challenging to find the through line, the heart of the story. Abby was such an incredible athlete, but a book about how awesome someone is isn’t a very compelling angle. I had to dig deeper to present Abby’s soccer story as one kids could connect with. I’m excited for readers to experience Abby’s story, to learn that even Olympic and World Cup Champions suffer setbacks, and to be reminded that they can accomplish anything once they uncover the courage to try.
ME: I love this, Kim! As writers in this business, we often deal with rejection and set-backs– it’s so important to remember that if we don’t give up, we can reach our goals!
I’m so excited about Kim’s book – I hope you will be, too! It launches on January 10th and you can order it at your Indie bookstore as well as on Amazon where you can also leave a review. Reviews are so very important for the success of a book – and they only take a few minutes to post. If a book hasn’t launched yet, you can leave a review on Goodreads. And you can also help your favorite authors and illustrators by requesting their books at your local library!
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! Please be safe.
Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. Today’s featured story reminds me of the folktales I loved as a kid – and I was so happy when author Jacqueline Jules shared the ARC with me. She also stopped by to chat a bit about the path to publication for this book AND she is offering a giveaway of a copy – so please make sure you leave a comment and share the post on your social media.
THE PORRIDGE-POT GOBLIN
Written by Jacqueline Jules
Illustrated byHector Boriasca
Published by Apples and Honey Press
Ages: 5-7
Themes: Courage, ingenuity, Jewish folktale
Synopsis: In The Porridge-Pot Goblin, siblings Benny and Rose are frightened by an invisible goblin, only known by his pranks and his tracks. They fear the goblin is too big for them to stop. But working together, Benny and Rose learn they are much braver than they think. This tale, drawn from Eastern European folklore, includes a working single mom and two siblings who want to let her rest while they get ready for Shabbat. An end note explains the Jewish origin of goblins.
Why I Love This Book: 1. I always loved folktales and, like most folktales, this one is entertaining, engaging, and has a message we all can embrace. 2. I love the ingenuity and bravery of the two children. 3. The illustrations are perfect and help bring the characters to life.
As promised, Jacqueline stopped by to tell us a bit about her path to publication for this book. And I think what she has to say is very encouraging for all of us…I know it convinced me to pull out an old story of mine to see if I could breath new life into it.
JACQUELINE: The Porridge-Pot Goblin was an abandoned manuscript I picked up during the pandemic when there was nothing else to do but stay home and write. Working on a story about handling fears was very comforting at the time. I hope The Porridge-Pot Goblin will make children laugh as they realize that goblins and challenges can turn out to be smaller than they first appear.
Here’s a little bit about the author: Jacqueline is the award-winning author of fifty books for young readers including the Zapato Power series, the Sofia Martinez series, Duck for Turkey Day, The Hardest Word, Never Say a Mean Word Again, and the recently released middle grade verse novel, My Name is Hamburger.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.Please don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of this wonderful book. And if you share the post on social media, you get extra tickets in the giveaway hat.Also, please remember that the best way to help authors and illustrators of the books you love is to buy their books, review their books, tell friends about their books, and ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection.
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 