Perfect Picture Book Friday: GOD’S WONDER-FILLED WORLD

Posted on February 27, 2026 by viviankirkfield

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. It’s always a joy to spread the news about new books…and it’s an especial pleasure when the book creator is someone I’ve know for a long time. And we are so very lucky because author Judy Cooper is stopping by to chat with us to share a bit about how her debut picture book, GOD’S WONDER-FILLED WORLD came to be.

GOD’S WONDER-FILLED WORLD

Written by Judy Cooper

Illustrated by Amanda Hillier

Published by OSV (March 9, 2026)

Ages: 5-8

Themes: Nature, Wonder of Creation, Bible verses

Why I Love This Book:
1. I love books that show children the beauty of nature and how they are part of it.
2. I love books where the illustrations are joyful and engaging.
3. I love books that encourage kids to be thoughtful about their world and to believe they are an important part of it…brave and brilliant!

ME: And now, as promised, let’s welcome Judy!

JUDY: Dearest Vivian, Thank you for inviting me to share about my debut picture book. You have been my inspiration for years. So it is an honor to chat with you here.

Summary:

Long ago…
God created light and saw it was good.
But that was just the beginning.

In a fresh and lyrical style, God’s Wonder-Filled World: The Story of Creation tells the story of the beauty and wonder embedded in creation from the foundation of the world.

Inspired by Sacred Scripture, this book shows children their heavenly Father’s joy-filled love for them and lets them know they are part of the ongoing story of God’s creation.

What inspired me to write this book:

Many years ago, I had read a line in a book written by Stormie Omartian that said, “God didn’t say oops when you were born.” I felt that thought was so powerful and at the same time, kid-friendly. I tussled for years trying to figure out how to weave that concept into a picture book.

I then came up with an idea about an oops-filled family that showed ‘everyone says oops sometimes, but that God never says oops ‘, and wove the Creation story in to illustrate the point.
Well, after a mentoring session with Lynne Marie, she suggested that I drop the family angle and research what picture books about Creation were already on the market. I found that none were out there using the same approach I envisioned.

A challenging moment I faced on the path to publication:

Oh, there were many challenging moments in the revision process after my editor, Kate Camden, first contacted me with her interest in the manuscript. She said she could envision this book being a classic on their list but wanted a few revisions before taking it to her acquisition team. Some were very basic word tweaks. No problem. But then, on one spread, the text was simply, “God’s words twirled and whirled weaving you into life.” Kate asked if I could make that more specific to a child.

I was perplexed. How to make it specific to one child if you wanted the text to resonate with a multitude of children? I tossed around suggestions from my critique partners. But nothing was hitting the mark. Then I went into prayer and asked God, “What do You want me to say here?” Miraculously, the text downloaded into my brain within seconds. I grabbed a pen and jotted down the words before they escaped me.

So now the text on that spread reads:

Then God spoke these words…

Be brave and brilliant.

Be kind and caring.

Be wise and wonder filled.

God’s words twirled and whirled,
weaving you into life.

This spread is now one of my favorites in the book. The illustrator created an amazing image for it that you can see here.

There were several more revision challenges along the way. Some times I felt like I just wanted to quit because it was so difficult. But I’m grateful I persevered. Seeing my words come to life through Amanda Hillier’s illustrations is such a blessing.

Here is another example of her beautiful work.

Here’s a little bit about Judy

Judy Cooper’s debut picture book, God’s Wonder-Filled World: The Story of Creation, is scheduled for release on March 9, 2026. A FL-SCBWI Rising Kite Award recipient, Judy has designed and implemented a PreK-4^th grade arts enrichment curriculum. Her short story, The Candy Monster, was featured in a Make-A-Wish Foundation anthology publication.

Judy works as the Manuscript Coordinator for Rate Your Story. She is also a Curatorial Writer and a Docent, specializing in tours for fourth grade students at a Smithsonian Affiliate Art Museum in Central Florida where she marvels daily at its stunning sunsets, swaying palms and leaping lizards – all a part of God’s wonder-filled world.

Here’s a little bit about illustrator Amanda:

Amanda Hillier is an illustrator, printmaker, and designer inspired by the wonder of landscapes and nature. Formally trained as a graphic designer, illustrator, and textile artist, Amanda has over 30 years of experience working for prestigious clients on projects including giftware, puzzles, books, and stationery. Her eclectic style utilizes watercolors, painting, vintage finds, and hand printing to create unique art pieces licensed around the world.

ME: Thank you so much, Judy! We all love to hear the story behind the story. Hearing about challenges that others have overcome always gives us hope for our own manuscripts.
And, dear friends, this beautiful book is launching March 9th…I’m excitedly waiting for my copy…and you can Preorder NOW on Amazon at https://a.co/d/06TAuq7u

Remember…we can help beautiful books become a success:
Buy the book
Review the book
Tell friends about the book (share on your social media)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

And to find out more about Judy:
Wedsite: www.judycooperwrites.com
Personal Facebook page (Facebook)
Author Facebook page: Judy Cooper, Author’ Facebook page. (Facebook)

Thank you all for spending your precious time with us. And speaking about PRECIOUS…

Make sure you come back on Monday, March 2 for the opportunity to enter the #50PreciousWords International Writing Contest…you will have TWO DAYS to submit your story…March 2 and March 3…please check out the guidelines in the Heads Up post: https://viviankirkfield.com/2026/02/07/heads-up-the-50preciouswords-2026-international-writing-contest-is-coming-soon/

Happy Book Birthday: EMILY SAW A DOOR Plus Giveaway

Posted on February 24, 2026 by viviankirkfield

Can you feel the excitement? I can!!! I always feel this way when a new book flies into bookstores and we get a chance to celebrate…and in this case, the author IS flying (he lives in Israel and is in NYC for various book events including a book launch TODAY at The Corner Bookstore on Madison Avenue ) and the book is knocking on bookstores and they are welcoming it with open arms because it’s fabulous…and because the illustrations are amazing…and because the name of the book is…

EMILY SAW A DOOR

ME: And we are so lucky because Mel stopped by to chat with us and tell us a bit about the book and its path to publication! Welcome to Picture Books Help Kids Soar, dear friend. We are so excited to have you here. Please share a bit about the book and your journey with it.

MEL: Thank you so much, Vivian. It’s a joy to be here.
Here’s a short summary of the story

Emily knocks on door after door, seeking to be welcomed inside. After facing one disappointment after another, she realizes that the door that is right for her is the one she must create herself. When another child comes knocking, Emily is there with an open door and a warm welcome.

And here’s the story behind the story…that is, what inspired me to write the story and/or any humorous incidents and/or challenging moments on the path to publication.

As a short, pudgy, left-handed, Jewish child growing up in an anti-Semitic neighborhood in Ottawa, rejection was a regular occurrence. But I think that the main impetus for the story came from the hundreds of rejections I endured as an author trying to break into the world of traditional publishing. Ironically, my story about doors and rejection turned out to be the door that opened and welcomed me in.

ME: Oh Mel…I love that you kept moving forward…and I know that ALL of the writers who read this will connect with your story of rejection, whether they are aspiring authors or multi-published. And not only writers…since EVERYONE deals with challenges and the possible destruction of their dreams. Your words…and your book…give hope…and inspire us to never give up!

A little bit about the author:
Professor Mel Rosenberg is a Canadian-born author, scientist and inventor. His TED-Ed animations have been viewed 14 million times. Mel hosts the Children’s Literature channel of the New Books Network. Emily Saw a Door is his first North American picture book release. He is represented by Liza Royce Associates.

And a little bit about the illustrator:
Orit Magia is a children’s book author and illustrator celebrated for her whimsical visual storytelling and memorable characters. Her art brings emotion and depth to every scene she creates.

MEL: I also want to shout out that the original book was published in Hebrew in 2023, by Meira Firon (publisher, Tal-May) and chief editor Yotam Shwimmer. They picked my story out of the ‘pile,’ worked with me on revision and translation, chose Orit Magia, and created a wonderful book which won awards and has recently been given to 50,000 children in Israel, thanks to PJ Library.

ME: WOW! The story about the book’s journey gets better and better, Mel. And the illustrations are glorious! I can’t wait for my copy to be delivered!
And, dear friends, if you want a chance to speak with Mel (he is kind and brilliant and funny), make sure you leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway of a 30-minute Zoom chat. He says he is willing to talk about any subject…even halitosis (he’s a scientist and inventor, after all).

To learn more about Mel and get in touch with him:
If you are local to NYC, you can attend his LAUNCH PARTY at The Corner Bookstore!

COME CELEBRATE OUR BOOK LAUNCH IN NYC!!!!

Mel Rosenberg, Ph.D., Children’s Author
Co-founder, www.ourboox.
EMILY SAW A DOOR COVER REVEAL
PRE-ORDER BOOK LINK FOR EMILY SAW A DOOR
Author website: authormel.com
linktree: https://linktr.ee/doctormel
Host, Children’s Literature Channel, NBN
And you can also purchase a copy of EMILY SAW A DOOR here!

Thank you all for spending your precious time with us. I hope you have a wonderful week! And I hope that lots of you are working on your #50PreciousWords entries.

HEADS-UP: THE #50PRECIOUSWORDS 2026 INTERNATIONAL WRITING CONTEST IS COMING SOON!!!

Posted on February 7, 2026 by viviankirkfield

Hurray! It’s almost time for the #50PreciousWords 2026 International Writing Contest.

Some of you have been participating since the beginning. But others are here for the first time. So, I’d like to share a bit about the back story of this contest.

In 2012 I had a dream. I wanted to write picture books. One of the most important things I did was to participate in writing challenges like Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 and all of Susanna Hill’s contests. Why was that important? Because it got me writing. It got me revising. It got me submitting. Hmmm….writing/revising/submitting. I believe that if we do those three things enough times, our writing improves, and agents and editors get a chance to see our work. And as much as I am thrilled with my own success, nothing makes me happier than to hear about the success of others in our kid-lit community.

When I first got the idea for this contest back in 2016, I thought a few of my friends might take pity on me and submit a story – to my surprise, there were 128 entries.