Animals | VIVIAN KIRKFIELD – Writer for Children

Welcome! Welcome, everyone! I’m so glad you are here because today we are going to be singing a Merry (because it’s a funny book) Happy Birthday to THE BATTLE OF THE BUTTS by talented author Jocelyn Rish and illustrated by the brilliant David Creighton-Pester. And it’s also a Merry post because Jocelyn stopped by to chat with us AND she’s offering a SIGNED COPY of the book as a Giveaway! WOW!

Written by Jocelyn Rish – Illustrated by David Creighton-Pester – Published by Running Press Kids

Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page, although I think you can pretty much figure out what the book is about just from the cover.

Did you know manatees swim using farts? Or that herrings communicate by passing gas?

Butts are used for breathing, eating, swimming, talking, and even killing in the animal kingdom. Focusing on ten different animals and their derrières, and offering fun facts about their origin, habitat, and “posterior power,” this hilarious book captures the wonder of our ecosystem. Which animal has the coolest butt power? That’s up to you to decide!

ME: Oh my gosh! I know a bunch of kids who are going to LOVE this book! And the lovely Jocelyn was kind enough to stop by to share a little bit about how this book happened. Howdy, Jocelyn! It’s lovely to have you here.

JOCELYN: Hi, Vivian! It’s lovely to be here. Confession: I didn’t read much nonfiction as a kid. Or as an adult. I’ve always loved learning, especially about science and animals, but I always read bite-sized trivia rather than nonfiction books. So when I started writing, of course it was going to be fiction.
When I took a course through the Institute of Children’s Literature over fifteen years ago, we had to turn in a nonfiction assignment, and mine was terrible, clearly written in the voice of one of the adults from Charlie Brown “Wah Wa Wa Wah Wa Wa.” My poor instructor was like: Okay, clearly you’re a fiction writer, so we’ll focus on that.
And focus on fiction I did. Until I had the idea for BATTLE OF THE BUTTS. And I knew it was THE ONE. So then I figured out how to utilize my fiction-writing skills to make the book funny !and voice-y. And I’m thrilled with how it turned out, and I can’t believe it’s now released into the world today. I hope y’all have as much fun reading it as I did writing it!

That’s great, Jocelyn! We never know where along our writing journey we will find the ideas that become books. I’m excited that you used the skills you already had to fine-tune this one!

To find out more about Jocelyn:
Jocelyn Rish is a writer and filmmaker who never imagined her cheeky sense of humor would lead to a book about animal butts. When she’s not researching fanny facts, she tutors kids to help them discover the magic of reading. Jocelyn has won numerous awards for her short stories, screenplays, short films, and novels and lives in South Carolina with her booty-ful dogs. Learn more at: www.jocelynrish.com

Links:Website: www.jocelynrish.comFacebook: https://www.facebook.com/JocelynRish.AuthorTwitter: https://twitter.com/JocelynRishInstagram: https://www.instagram.com/jocelynrish/

And remember, dear friends. The best way to thank an author for a book that you love is to: buy a copy, review it, tell friends about it, ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection. Make sure you leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway. Maybe you can share what animal make you smile.

One of Jocelyn’s favorite spreads in the book!

I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. Kids often complain about their school. They don’t like the teacher. Their best friend isn’t in their class. And the work is too hard or too boring. The pandemic didn’t help matters – going to school with a mask or attending remotely was definitely a challenge for kids as well as parents and teachers. But it’s Becky Scharnhorst to the rescue with this hilarious new book about a school where the challenges are WILD! And the lovely Becky is offering a super cool giveaway: a copy of this awesome book or a picture book critique – winner’s choice! Make sure you leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway.