Category Archives: Perfect Picture Book Friday

Perfect Picture Book Friday: DREIDEL DAY Plus GIVEAWAY

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Hurray for December! Hurray for all of the wonderful holidays that will soon be upon us…Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanza. And hurray for the potpourri of children’s books about them.

Before I share today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, which is a wonderful board book that can help children not only celebrate Hanukkah, but also learn all about that holiday, we need to announce a few giveaway winners!

With all of my travel and book busy-ness, I’ve gotten a bit behind…and I do apologize for that. Back in October, we featured Danielle Dufayet’s  fantastic picture book FANTASTIC YOU. And the winner is…

Mary Rudzinski

We also turned the spotlight on Julie Abery’s new nonfiction pb YUSRA SWIMS. And the winner is:

Keila Dawson

And then Deb Gonzales, author of GIRLS WITH GUTS offered an hour-long consult of marketing/promotion. And the winner is…

Carrie Finison

CONGRATULATIONS to all of the winners…I will be contacting you shortly.

There will be a winner for a copy of today’s book as well, thanks to author/illustrator Amalia Hoffman. Please leave a comment to be entered into the giveaway.

DREIDEL DAY

Written and illustrated by Amalia Hoffman

Published by Kar Ben

Ages: 1-4

Themes: Hanukkah, counting

Synopsis: From Amazon

A sweet and playful cat encourages the reader to count to eight to celebrate Hanukkah. Can you spot the hidden objects? Celebrate Hanukkah, the eight-day Festival of Lights, with Dreidel Day!

Why I love this book:

  • I love the illustrations that are packed with action
  • I love that this book makes the holiday of Hanukka accessible to very young children
  • I love that this book has another layer – it’s a counting book!

RELATED ACTIVTIES:

For the kiddos, Amalia uses puppets to help her read the story.

 

For adults, Amalia gives us a demonstration of how she does cut paper illustrations:

Please leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway…and share on social media for extra chances in the giveaway hat.

I know many of us are busy finding ways to promote and market our books, so I’m sharing Amalia’s wonderful flyer – it’s simple, yet engaging. Well done, Amalia!

Be safe, my friends. Thank you for spending your precious time with me. And for more Perfect Picture Book Friday reviews, please visit Susanna Hill’s blog.

Perfect Picture Book Friday: FANTASTIC YOU Plus Giveaway

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Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, my friends! I’m back from Chicago, just in time to bring you a review of another fantastic book. I met the fantastic author, Danielle Dufayet, in the fantastic debut picture book group, Picture Book Buzz. And thanks to Danielle, we have a fantastic giveaway of Continue reading →

Perfect Picture Book Friday: THE NIGHT BAAFORE CHRISTMAS Plus Giveaway

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Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, my friends! For more wonderful book reviews, don’t forget to hop over to Susanna Hill’s blog.

Before we get to our super book, I need to announced some winners of a past giveaway. Earlier this month, we had a double decker prize: a copy of I AM A THIEF by author Abigail Rayner and a pb manuscript critique by the illustrator, Molly Ruttan.

And the winners are:

A copy of I AM A THIEF – Hedy Frazier

A pb ms critique – Lynn Rogalsky

Congratulations! I will be contacting you both shortly!

And the kidlit awesomeness keeps on coming. I’m SOOO excited about our book today…I’ve known the author, Dawn Young, for almost as long as I’ve been in this incredible kidlit world. She and her publisher are providing a copy of the book as a giveaway…so make sure you leave a comment. She was the genius behind Continue reading →

Perfect Picture Book Friday: NO BEARS ALLOWED and Picture Book Manuscript CRITIQUE Giveaway

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Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, my friends!

Today is the first day of summer…and what could be a more perfect selection for our picture book review? Here’s a story about bears and summer and…well, you’ll find out.  Plus, to celebrate the summer solstice and the launch of this adorable book (July 1, 2019), the author, the lovely Lydia Lukidis, is offering a Picture Book Manuscript Critique as a giveaway! What a fabulous prize!

no bears allowed cover

NO BEARS ALLOWED

Written by Lydia Lukidis

Illustrated by Tara J. Hannon

Published by Blue Whale Press (2019)

Ages: 4-7

Themes: Overcoming fears, friendship

Synopsis: From Amazon:

“Rabbit is afraid of many things, but most of all he’s afraid of gigantic, monstery, BEARS! The very nervous Rabbit is soon confronted by his worst fear who appears to be far more interested in making new friends than causing Rabbit any real harm. Despite his apprehension, Rabbit agrees to join his jovial new acquaintance for dinner, but wait a minute . . . is Bear planning to “have” Rabbit for dinner? In this tender story about a very nervous rabbit and a lovable bear, Rabbit discovers that things aren’t always as scary as they seem, and sometimes you may just have more in common with others than you think.”

“Tara J. Hannon’s whimsical, fun, colorful drawings enhance a fine picture book story highly recommended for either independent pursuit by ages 4-7, or read-aloud pleasure.” — D. Donovan, Sr. Reviewer, Midwest Book Review

“This adventure offers an effective brain exercise in graphic storytelling for young readers. . .” — Kirkus Reviews

Why I love this book:

  • Love the refrain about the pointy teeth and sharp claws
  • Love the humor
  • Love the simple message of friendship helping to conquer fears
  • Bold, bright kid-friendly illustrations will have children turning the pages

RELATED ACTIVITIES

paper-bag-puppet-bear-craft-for-kidsPhoto courtesy: https://www.craftymorning.com/paper-bag-bear-puppet-kids-make/

I think you all know how much I love paper bag crafts…inexpensive and so easy for the little ones to work with. For detailed instructions: https://www.craftymorning.com/paper-bag-bear-puppet-kids-make/

For more information about this talented author, please visit: http://lydialukidis.com/

Lydia Ludikas headshot

And remember, Lydia is giving away a picture book critique…which is AWESOME! Just leave a comment below…and don’t forget the best way to let our favorite authors know how much we love their books is to: buy their books, review their books on Amazon, Goodreads, and other review sites, tell friends about the books, and ask our libraries to purchase copies for their collections.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend!

Perfect Picture Book Friday: ONCE UPON A TWISTED TALE Plus Giveaway

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Hello dear friends! It’s another double-header weekend here at Picture Books Help Kids Soar. Up today for Perfect Picture Book Friday is a brand-new just-about-to-be-launched ONCE UPON A TWISTED TALE. And tomorrow, we’ll be chatting with the author, the lovely Gayle C. Krause who is generously offering the winner of the giveaway the choice of either a signed copy of her new book or a pb manuscript critique…WOW! So please make sure you leave a comment today AND tomorrow…and then you’ll have two chances to win.

But before we get to the review, we need to take care of the prizes from our last giveaway…the fabulous author – illustrator team of Raven Howell and Carina Povarchik. I’m celebrating that they are Storm sisters and the winner will receive a copy of their first book: SHIMMER: SONGS OF NIGHT and their brand-new book: GLIMMER: SING OF SUN. And the winner is:

MARSHAELYN

Congratulations, MARSHAELYN…I’ll be in touch soon for your address to I can send you the books!

And now, back to our regularly scheduled program: Perfect Picture Book Friday

ONCE UPON A TWISTED TALE

Written by Gayle C. Krause Continue reading →

Perfect Picture Book Friday: How to Babysit a Logan PLUS Giveaway

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Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends.

We have a double-decker weekend here – a book giveaway with today’s post and another book giveaway tomorrow thanks to our Will Write for Cookies guest, author/editor/publisher Callie Metler-Smith.

hOW TO BABSIT A LOGAN

HOW TO BABYSIT A LOGAN

Written by Callie Metler-Smith

Illustrated by Cindy Vattahil

Published by Clear Fork/Spork (2019)

Ages: 5-8

Themes: Autism, pet therapy, cats

Synopsis: From Amazon

Thunderbolt the Cat takes his position of babysitting Logan, his human, very seriously. Logan has autism so it is Thunderbolt’s job to protect and provide support for Logan throughout his day. In this heartfelt true story, view the world of living with someone with autism through the eyes of their beloved Cat.

Why I love this book:

  • I love the way the cat states in a matter-of-fact way that Logan like spaghetti and meatballs without sauce, that he needs comfy clothes with particular collars, and that because he prefers to sleep in a small space, they sleep in a tent. These needs are no big deal to the cat, and so they are no big deal to any child reading the story.
  • The illustrations are very vibrant and simple…we see everything from the cat’s vantage point and so we are able to get close into the picture from the cat’s POV.
  • The best way to help kids embrace inclusivity and encourage understanding is to provide stories about people with different needs.

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

cat-crafts-kids-will-lovePhoto courtesy: http://www.playideas.com/25-curiously-cute-cat-crafts-for-kids/

How about TWENTY-FIVE cat crafts? Check out this website for details on each one: http://www.playideas.com/25-curiously-cute-cat-crafts-for-kids/

Did you know that some libraries allow patrons to request particular books be purchased for that libraries collection? Why not check with your library…some even let you do it online. And, when you find a book you love, why not review it on Amazon or Goodreads? Those reviews really help the author by encouraging others to buy books that entertained, educated, or inspired you.

For more wonderful picture book reviews and activities for kids, please hop over to Susanna Leonard HIll’s Perfect Picture Book Friday.

Thank you so much for stopping by to visit. Please don’t forget to leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway of a copy of HOW TO BABYSIT A LOGAN. And definitely don’t forget to be back tomorrow for a wonderful Q&A with editor Callie Metler-Smith!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

Perfect Picture Book Friday: GROWING SEASON Plus Giveaway

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Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, my friends. And I’ve got a wonderful book to review that fits perfectly with this season of spring.

GrowSCOVERJ

GROWING SEASON

Written and illustrated by Maryann Cocca-Leffler

Published by Sterling House Books (2019)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Friendship, gardening

Synopsis: From Amazon:

El and Jo are the shortest kids in class, and they’re inseparable. But what happens when Jo starts to grow? This sweet picture book explores the joys and challenges of friendship and growing up.
 
El and Jo are the smallest students in their class—and best friends, too, like peas in a pod. Even their names are short. But in springtime, something BIG happens: Jo starts growing like a weed, while El feels smaller every day. On the last day of school, their teacher asked every child to pick a plant to care for over the summer. All the other kids reach over El to grab their plant, and she has to take the very last one: a tiny, flowerless aster. At first, she’s disappointed. But as summer progresses, the aster begins to bloom—and so does El! Continue reading →