One of my favorite blog posts to create is a Happy Book Birthday post – and so, you know I am dancing with joy today! ESPECIALLY because I know the author, long-time educator and talented creative Anita Crawford Clark! And especially because the name of her book is: OLD TO JOY – that’s a perfect title for someone like me!

OLD TO JOY is written and illustrated by Anita and published by Gnome Road Books. I’m really impressed with the quality and beauty and thoughtful content of the books that are coming out from this new publishing house. They care about making books that touch on sensitive topics – and their books are very relatable to young kids!

Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page:

Joy’s Grandmama lives in an old house, on an old street, with old trees and all kinds of old things. And Joy already knows . . . there’s no fun in that!

When young Joy goes to spend the day with Grandmama, she struggles to find beauty in all the old things at Grandmama’s house. None of it looks or smells quite the same as it does at home. But as the day passes, Grandmama patiently helps Joy discover how the old ways can bring joy to any heart. Whether it’s the swaying of stately trees, bubbles dancing in a sink filled with dishes, the sweet scents of a lovingly tended garden, or the memories found in a room packed with hats – if Joy open’s her heart and mind, there is beauty to be found everywhere at Grandmama’s house.

Gorgeous, richly detailed illustrations capture the movement of Joy’s feelings of boredom and doubt to awe and appreciation for her Grandmama’s attitude and way of life. Debut author-illustrator Anita Crawford Clark celebrates her African American lived experience and family heritage in this intergenerational story that is certain to encourage a healthy-aging mindset among readers of all ages and add a spark of joy to any home, classroom, or library setting. A perfect gift for grandparents and grandchildren alike!

And happily, Anita stopped by and shared a bit about the path to publication for this book.

ANITA: I first penned the opening lines for this book in 1998. “Grandmama lived in an old house, on an old street, with old trees, and all kinds of old things.” I was inspired to write these lines based on my experiences as a child at my grandmother’s house where everything seemed old, even the people. Much like Joy, I came to appreciate old things and older people like my grandmother. I appreciated them for their wisdom, courage, experiences, faith, love and so much more. After many rejections of this story in 1998-99, I did not pick it up again until 2020. After multiple rounds of revisions, it was ultimately acquired by Sandra Sutter of Gnome Road Publishing in 2021.

Here’s a little bit about Anita and links for you to learn more about her:
Anita Crawford Clark is a writer and illustrator of fiction and nonfiction books for children. Anita grew up chasing butterflies and fishing crawdads from a nearby creek during scorching Sacramento summers. Her stories and illustrations often reflect those memorable childhood years. Anita is an inaugural recipient of the SCBWI OMA (Out from the Margins) Award for her debut picture book, OLD TO JOY. A veteran K-12 teacher, Anita especially enjoys directing musical theatre productions. The athlete in Anita enjoys shooting hoops. The musician in her enjoys playing the drums, piano, and banjo. Anita draws inspiration from her faith, nature, music, history, and everyday life.
You can connect with Anita on Twitter (@AnitaLClark)
Instagram (@AnitasFavPics)
Or visit her website at AnitaCrawfordClark.com.

We all know how important it is to support our favorite books and their authors and illustrators. We can:
Buy their books – here is the link for a signed copy
Review their books
Add their books to our Goodreads WANT TO READ shelf
Tell friends about their books (via social media is great!)
Ask our local library to purchase copies for their collection.

 And because of Anita’s generosity, we have a DOUBLE GIVEAWAY! One winner will receive a copy of the book + book swag. The other winner will receive an Ask-Me-Anything Zoom chat or a Picture Book Manuscript critique! Please make sure when you leave your comment that you tell us WHICH PRIZE you would like if you are one of the lucky winners.

I hope you all have a beautiful week.