Hurray! Thank you for stopping by. It’s an exciting day because we are celebrating an early Book Birthday for a fabulous new picture book, BACKYARD STEW, written by the talented Heather C. Morris and brilliantly illustrated by Deborah Schreiber and lovingly published by Gnome Road Press.
It’s always so much fun to celebrate new books…and it’s especially fun when we get to chat with the author…and Heather was kind enough to stop by to visit. I actually met Heather in person last November in Denver at NCTE – and, when I heard she had a book coming out, I knew I’d want to share it with you all and have her tell you all about it.
ME: Welcome, Heather! Thank you for coming to Picture Books Help Kids Soar. Can you tell us a little bit about BACKYARD STEW and how it came to be?
HEATHER:
Thank you so much for inviting me to your blog, Vivian. It’s a joy to be here to tell folks about the book and how it came to be.
Short summary of the story
From the author of the award-winning book TRUNK GOES THUNK! A WOODLAND TALE OF OPPOSITES comes another exploration of the wonder and fun that can be found just outside your back door.
This fun, interactive picture book adventure encourages kids to explore the natural world and exercise their imaginations as they mix up their very own Backyard Stew. As they tap the tops of wild strawberries, wiggle wild onions out of the ground, and rub every dandelion, young readers will delight in making this tried and true “recipe” over and over again. Especially when they discover the secret ingredient!
And here is what inspired me to write this story:
The story behind Backyard Stew just goes to show that inspiration can strike anywhere…and that sometimes you need to be a little bit bored.
One day, I was walking my dog…trying not to be bored. And I passed a gorgeous ginkgo tree. It was Fall, so the leaves were a perfect gold. It made me think, “Hmmm…ginkgo. I think you can make tea out of ginkgo leaves. I wonder what else I could eat around here!” Then I remember – in my neighborhood alone – wild strawberries, honeysuckle vines, wild onions, and more. I thought, “what if some kids got together and made a ‘stew’ that included many of these things?” You know, like making mud pies. BUT THEY DIDN’T EAT IT!!! Then I added interactive elements like tapping, turning the book upside-down, shaking the pages, and more, and the story really sparkled.
ME: That’s wonderful, Heather! And I truly love the interactive elements in the book!
And here’s a little bit about the author:
Heather C. Morris is the author of multiple books for kids, including the picture books, Trunk Goes Thunk! A Woodland Tale of Opposites and Backyard Stew, a ghost story in the Haunted States of America Anthology, and the upcoming picture book, Dribble, Shoot, Swish (2027). She lives in a house with a large backyard, which is perfect for stirring up pots of boredom-busting stew. Visit her online at heathercmorris.com.
As well as a little bit about the illustrator:
Deborah Schreiber is an illustrator from Munich, Germany. She can always be found dreaming of new adventures in life and on paper. Her travels brought her to many different countries and finally to the seaside town of Falmouth, England, which she now calls home.
Inspired by nature, wildlife, and personal experiences, Deborah creates atmospheric and playful illustrations that seek to spark wonder and curiosity amongst children and adults alike. While primarily working with traditional media such as watercolor, gouache and colored pencils, she also embraces digital tools to maintain a flexible creative process.
Outside of illustration, Deborah enjoys spending time with friends and family, exploring the outdoors and sharing a meal together.
This is such a fabulous book…I am sure many of you would like to snag your own copy. Here are a few preferred pre-order or order links
Backyard Stew will be released on September 15, 2026! But you can pre-order a copy through any local independent bookstore, on Bookshop.org, or wherever books are sold.
However, if you’d like a SIGNED copy, you can pre-order through her local indie bookstore, Snail on the Wall, in Huntsville, AL. They ship anywhere within the continental U.S.
More pre-order links:
Bookshop.org – https://bookshop.org/p/books/backyard-stew-heather-c-morris/35ff3278c5068790?ean=9781957655710&next=t
From the publisher – https://gnomeroadpublishing.com/products/backyard-stew?_pos=1&_sid=8242dd60d&_ss=r
Thank you, dear friends, for spending your precious time with us. We have a couple of other posts coming up this month…on Friday, we’ll welcome one of my long-time writer friends, Doris Imahiyerobo-Umoinyang for a Perfect Picture Book Friday and her debut, MEET FREIDA AMENZE FRIDAY…and there is a Giveaway! Then on September 18, we’ll welcome another long-time friend and CP, Alayne Kay Christian with another Perfect Picture Book Friday featuring her newest book, TURKEY ON THE RUN. And, while all of that is going on, I’ll be traveling…first to New Jersey to spend a few days with ANOTHER long-time friend (Jane and I have been friends since we were TWO YEARS OLD…that’s almost 78 years of friendship)…and later in the month, I’ll be traveling to Vienna and then on to Greece with my son.
I hope you all have a wonderful weekend…see you soon!
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 