I am thrilled to have the opportunity to join in with TLC’s Book Blog Tour for Margaret Peot’s debut picture book. Perfect Picture Book Friday is the PERFECT time to showcase this delightful story from Holiday House’s I Like to Read series.
Crow Made a Friend
Written and illustrated by Margaret Peot Continue reading
Hold onto your hats, dear friends. This Perfect Picture Book Friday post is JAM-PACKED!
First of all, the winners of Susanna Leonard Hill’s Halloweensie Contest have been announced. There were 145 entries…if you’d like to read some of them, hop on over: http://susannahill.blogspot.com/2015/11/2015-halloweensie-contest-winners.html
Because Susanna is one of the most generous and loving mentors in this kid lit community, in addition to the top winners, she also awarded a bunch of honorable mentions. And I’m thrilled to have gotten one of those. I even get to pick a prize…a choice from several books on the craft of writing. Putting your work out there can be scary, even if it’s not Halloween, but it’s a great way to grow as a writer and connect with others who are traveling the same path.
Another way to grow as a writer is to participate in Tara Lazar’s PiBoIdMo. The daily inspirational blog posts of Picture Book Idea Month will knock your socks off and get those creative juices flowing! http://taralazar.com/2015/11/05/piboidmo-day-5-david-michael-slater-listens-plus-a-prize/
A third way to grow as a writer is to read lots and lots of picture books. And that brings us to our Perfect Picture Book Friday selection for this week, which, by the way, got a starred reviews from Kirkus, Publishers Weekly and Booklist! But I told you this post would be JAM-PACKED, right?
The author of today’s book, Laurie Wallmark, invited me to be part of her book blog tour. I am thrilled! At the end of the post you can find the link to the other blogs that are participating…I hope you will travel along. PLUS, Laurie has agreed to share some thoughts about Five Important Women in STEM. You’ll find her guest post after the book review. I know many of you are writing nonfiction picture books…or reading them to your kids. Laurie’s debut picture book is a delight and her post is fantastic!
Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine
Written by Laurie Wallmark
Illustrated by April Chu Continue reading
What’s with all those letters in the headline?
Well, Thanksgiving is only one month away. I looked out on my front lawn this morning and I do believe these turkeys have gotten the word…they are on the run.
Finding turkeys in the front yard is one thing…finding a whale in your swimming pool is way more unusual…author/illustrator Joyce Wan was definitely thinking outside the box when she came up with her latest book. So the first bunch of letters in the headline are for Perfect Picture Book Friday. You’ll have to read to the end of this post to discover what the other letters are for.
The Whale in My Swimming Pool
Written and illustrated by Joyce Wan
Publisher: Farrar Straus Giroux (2015)
Ages: 2-6
Themes: problem solving, creative thinking, whales
Opening Lines:
“Race you to the pool! Whoa…a whale?”
Synopsis:
From Amazon
“One sunny day, a little boy heads outside for a swim, but his pool is already taken . . . There’s a big whale in the water and it’s not budging! The boy tries everything to get the whale to leave. Nothing seems to work. Not fetch. Not tag. Not even offering his allowance. What’s a boy to do? Luckily, he comes up with the perfect solution: he decides to chill out on a spray of water over the whale’s spout.”
Why I like this book:
RELATED ACTIVITIES
Photo courtesy: http://tangrila.blogspot.com
You will need: A paper plate, construction paper, markers or crayons, scissors, glue, (optional: googly eye)
Find out about where whales really live: http://www.whalefacts.org/whale-facts-for-kids/
And more information and activities here: http://www.enchantedlearning.com/subjects/whales/
AND NOW FOR THE PIBOIDMO REVEAL
As I mentioned in the beginning of this post, Thanksgiving is just a month away…which means that the month of November is just around the corner.
And if you love picture books, you will love PiBoIdMo!
A month-long challenge: Picture Book Idea Month
http://taralazar.com/2015/10/05/lotsa-winners-and-piboidmo-update/
I want to share a bit about Picture Book Idea Month or PiBoIdMo. I discovered the amazing Tara Lazar and her fabulous picture book idea challenge back in 2011…I was just starting to dip my toes into the world of writing for children. I lurked in the shadows that November, reading the guest posts and leaving a couple of comments. When 2012 rolled around, I wasted no time. I signed up, got a new notebook, and actively participated by reading and commenting and jotting down my story ideas.
And every year since then, I’ve looked forward to November because I know that PiBoIdMo is coming. To be honest, this challenge played a big role in sparking my enthusiasm for writing picture books. So don’t hesitate! It’s free! It’s fun! It’s fabulous! Whether you are a newbie, just thinking about writing for children, or a multi-published author or illustrator, this is the one challenge you don’t want to miss.
What you need to do:
What you get in return:
Registration opens REAL SOON! So hurry over to Tara’s website: http://www.taralazar.com
Have a wonderful weekend, dear friends!
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 