PPBF: The Hole Story of the Doughnut PLUS GIVEAWAY

Posted on May 20, 2016 by viviankirkfield

The third Perfect Picture Book Friday of every month is pretty special. Many times, I feature one of the books by our Will Write for Cookies author. Tomorrow we will be welcoming the lovely Pat Miller…so today, I’m turning the spotlight on her latest book which launched THIS MONTH!!! And GUESS WHAT??? One lucky person will WIN THEIR VERY OWN COPY!!! Just leave a comment on this post telling me what other topic you’d love to see a nonfiction picture book written about. What would kids love to read about? Pat certainly picked a great subject that would appeal to all children and adults!

The Hole Story of the Doughnut

Written by Pat Miller

Illustrated by Vincent X. Kirsch

Publisher: HMH (2016)

Ages: 6-9

Themes: Doughnuts, American history, ingenuity

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

“In 1843, fourteen-year-old Hanson Gregory left his family home in Rockport, Maine, and set sail as a cabin boy on the schooner Achorn, looking for high-stakes adventure on the high seas. Little did he know that a boatload of hungry sailors, coupled with his knack for creative problem-solving, would yield one of the world’s most prized and beloved pastries.

Lively and inventive cut-paper illustrations add a taste of whimsy to this sweet, fact-filled story that includes an extensive bibliography, author’s note, and timeline.

Opening Lines:

“Few remember the master mariner Hanson Crockett Gregory, though he was bold and bright.

But the pastry he invented more than 166 years ago is eaten daily by doughnut lovers everywhere.

This is his story.”

Why I like this book:

The story is about a fascinating piece of history and the author deftly draws in both reader and listener. I couldn’t put it down!
The illustrations are full of fun and very kid-friendly.
Great read-aloud…the recommendation says for ages 6-9, but younger kids would love it also!
Parents and teachers can use this story as a springboard for discussion about creativity and how people come up with new ideas.

Related Activies:

Make Doughnuts

Photo courtesy: http://allrecipes.com

Click here for detailed instructions – Thank you to Stephy for a super easy recipe that kids would love to help with…just make sure the little ones are nowhere around when you are deep frying.

This post is part of a series for parents and teachers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays hosted by Susanna Leonard Hill. Click on her link and find lots of other picture book suggestions with summaries and activities.

Please share this giveaway post on Facebook, Twitter, or other social media channels. And DON’T FORGET TO LEAVE A COMMENT TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY! Just tell us what topic you think would make a great nonfiction picture book!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, dear friends and readers. And make sure you come back tomorrow.

WILL WRITE FOR COOKIES

WITH

PAT MILLER

PPBF: In the Small, Small Pond PLUS Library Week WINNERS

Posted on May 7, 2016 by viviankirkfield

Yes, I know. It is Saturday already. Which means I missed posting for Perfect Picture Book Friday.

Oh dear…and I promised to announce the three winners in the Show Me How Library Giveaway. So, if it is okay with all of you, I will pretend it is Friday. Does that work?

The past couple of weeks have been a whirlwind of family visits to Chicago and several of its suburbs, as well as an inspiring week at the Wild Midwest SCBWI conference. Presentations by Candace Fleming, Lisa Wheeler, Lisa Cron, Kristen Fulton, Melissa Manlove, Linda Sue Park, Miranda Paul, Pat Zeitlow Miller, Jill Esbaum, and Casey Valiant filled my days. I reconnected with old friends like Kristen Fulton, Sarah Maynard, Angie Karcher, Lisa Rose, Pam Miller, and Stacy Jensen…and also connected with many new ones. If any of you writers or illustrators have not been to an SCBWI conference yet, I heartily encourage you to do so. They are PRICELESS!

My Perfect Picture Book Friday pick comes direct to you from the conference…I was lucky enough to win a copy of In the Small, Small Pond. Are you a fan of writing rhyming picture books? Or do you illustrate your own stories? Then this classic from Denise Fleming will be a great mentor text for you.

In the Small, Small Pond

Written and illustrated by Denise Fleming

Publisher: Henry Holt and Company (1994)

Ages: 2 and up

Themes: Pond life, nature

Synopsis:

From Kirkus:

“In the same format and gorgeous illustrative style, a companion to In the Tall, Tall Grass (1991, Boston Globe-Horn Book Honor), with the succinct rhyming text (“waddle, wade, geese parade”), in bold black, beautifully integrated into art created in the process of making paper from pulp dyed in brilliant colors. This time, the child observer is Oriental; and where the first book moved from noon to night, the implicitly suggested cycle here is from tadpole and gosling to “Chill breeze, winter freeze.” Another perfect introduction to nature for the very young.”

Why I like this book:

Sparse rhyming text encourages young children to join in with the reading.
The illustrations are magnificent…it was a Caldecott Honor Book.
Great read-aloud.
Parents and teachers can use this story as a springboard for a discussion on life cycles of various animals

Related Activies:

The author/illustrator is one of the most creative artists I know. I was blessed to see her in person at the WOW Retreat last year…her presentation on paper-making definitely wowed everyone! Why not try some simple paper-making with your kids?

Photo courtesy: http://tinkerlab.com

For detailed instructions: http://tinkerlab.com/how-to-make-paper/

For more paper-making ideas: http://pbskids.org/zoom/activities/sci/recyclingpaper.html

I hope you all find the time to give paper-making a try…it’s lots of fun!

And now it’s time to announce the winners of our National Library Week giveaway. Thank you so all of you who subscribed to my email list…I haven’t bothered you with any mailings yet…but I am hoping to get my newsletter out soon…and hopefully, that won’t be a bother to you!

As I had mentioned, many libraries are very limited in what new materials they can buy for their collections because of reduced revenues. The winners will be able to present their libraries with a copy of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. In the event your library doesn’t accept patron donations (many do…but some don’t), you are welcome to keep the book…or donate it to a local family shelter.

AND THE WINNERS ARE:

Sue Morris @ Kit lit reviews

Jane Heitman Healy

Sandy @ A Very Busy Mom

CONGRATULATIONS!!! I’LL BE CONTACTING YOU ASAP.

Thank you to all who have signed up already…if you haven’t and you would like to, just click on this link.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, dear friends and readers.

PPBF: My Name is Elizabeth

Posted on April 1, 2016 by viviankirkfield

Happy April Fool’s Day! Is it really April already? And hurray for Friday! That means it’s time to review a wonderful picture book. When you finish reading this post, please hop over to Susannah Leonard Hill’s fantastic group of picture book writers, illustrators, librarians and others who contribute a picture book review and related resources for parents, teachers and children.

I think everyone will be able to relate to my Perfect Picture Book Friday selection. We all have a name…and I’m pretty sure all of us have had people call us by a nickname. Or two. Or three. Poor Elizabeth has FOUR!

My Name is Elizabeth

Written by Annika Dunklee

Illustrated by Matthew Forsythe

Publisher: Kids Can Press (2012)

Ages: 4 and up

Themes: Communication, respect

Opening Line:

“My name is Elizabeth.”

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

“Meet Elizabeth. She’s got an excellent pet duck, a loving granddad and a first name that’s just awesome. After all, she’s got a queen named after her! So she’s really not amused when people insist on using nicknames like Lizzy and Beth. She bears her frustration in silence until an otherwise ordinary autumn day, when she discovers her power to change things once and for all. In the process, Elizabeth learns about communication and respect — and their roles in building better relationships with family and friends.”

Why I like this book:

When I was a kid, my friends called me Viv. When I was teaching, some of my colleagues called me V. People often spell my name Vivien or Vivienne or even Vivianne. Unlike Elizabeth, I was always happy with whatever people felt comfortable calling me. But I totally understand how Elizabeth felt…and so will many children.
I loved the way Elizabeth dealt with the problem…she communicated what was bothering her and she stood up for what she felt was important…but she did allow her little brother to give her a nickname.

Related Activies:

Talk to your child about his or her name. Do they like it? Does anyone make fun of it? If they have a nickname, is it a derivative of their given name or something totally different.

NAME ZENTANGLE OR ZENDOODLE

You will need: Paper, markers or crayons.

Help your child write his name across a piece of paper.
Connect some of the lines to create shapes.
Fill in the shapes with designs.

Photo courtesy: http://imaginationsoup.net

Find detailed instructions for zentangles and zendoodles here: http://imaginationsoup.net/2013/07/15/diy-summer-art-school-zentangle-doodles/

Just a reminder…National Library Week is April 10-16.

In honor of National Library Week, I’m donating THREE copies of Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking. Wouldn’t it be awesome to present a copy of this valuable parent/teacher resource to your children’s librarian? Just subscribe to my mailing list. Three names will be chosen by Random.org at the end of April. Already subscribed? No worries…your name is already entered.

Many libraries are very limited in what new materials they can buy for their collections because of reduced revenues. Help your library receive a resource that will be used by parents and teachers for their kids. Just click on this link and subscribe to my mailing list. Three libraries will be winners!

Do you tweet on Twitter? Are you a fan of Facebook? Have you pinned anything on Pinterest yet? Please help me spread the word about the Show-Me-How Library Project by tweeting, posting and/or pinning.

This post is part of a series for parents and teachers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays hosted by Susannah Leonard Hill. Click on her link and find lots of other picture book suggestions with summaries and activities. And please don’t forget to sign up for my newsletter – doing so will nominate your local library to be the recipient of a copy of Show Me How!

Click here to sign up to receive my newsletter and other awesome stuff.