WOW…just…WOW! Today is launch day for my newest book, PEDAL, BALANCE, STEER: Annie Londonderry, the First Woman to Cycle Around the World, brilliantly illustrated by Alison Jay and published by the fabulous team at Calkins Creek/Astra headed by my amazing editor, Carolyn Yoder.
Hello dear friends. To celebrate the launch of PEDAL, BALANCE, STEER: Annie Londonderry, the First Woman to Cycle Around the World, I’m cycling the blogsphere and I’ve got a bunch of guest blog post coming up. I thought it would be a good idea to give you all a heads-up so that you can be on the look-out…some of the posts have giveaways attached to them…so please visit those blogs and leave a comment.
1. January 2: Writers’ Rumpus
2. January 25: Why We Write Podcast
3. February 6: Kathy Temean’s Blog
4. February : Darlene Bock Jacobson’s Blog
5. February 16: Beth Anderson’s Blog
6. February 19: Maria Marshall Picture Book Buzz Blog
7. February 20: Book Birthday on Erin Dealey’s Blog
8. February 23: Q&A on Picture Book Builders Blog
9. March 27: March On With Mentor Texts
I also wanted to let everyone know that I’ve got a Facebook Birthday fundraiser going on in support of the Stuart Kirkfield Scholarship at Highlights Foundation. This scholarship was spearheaded by Maria Marshall and Sheri Jones Rivers when my husband passed away in 2018 – and several writers have already received funds to attend Highlights’ retreats. And I’m committed to seeing it continue helping folks follow their dream. You can donate right on my Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/donate/1108264050308830/
Or, you can go directly to the Stuart Kirkfield Scholarship page on the Highlights Foundation website: https://www.highlightsfoundation.org/stuart-kirkfield-scholarship/
And when the fundraiser is over, I’ll award a 60-minute Zoom Ask-Me-Anything Zoom chat to a randomly chosen winner – you can get a ticket in the giveaway hat in one of several ways:
1. Donate to the scholarship fund in any amount or
2. Share the Facebook post or
3. Share the Twitter post or
4. Share this post on your favorite social media platform
And last, but certainly not least, on February 11, get set for the Heads-Up-The-Contest-is-Coming post with all of the guidelines for #50PreciousWords right here on Picture Books Help Kids Soar.
Sharpen your pencils, dear friends…we’ve already got editor and agent critiques and submission opportunities, plus author feedback, seats in Picture Book Writing classes, Ask-Me-Anything chats, and signed picture books…and of course, the Paula Cohen Martin Big Dreams Mentorship.
Have a wonderful weekend, dear friends. Thank you for spending your precious time here.
Hurray!!!! A new book from one of my favorite authors and CPs, Beth Anderson!!!
Here’s a bit from the Amazon sales page:
Thomas Jefferson is one of the most famous founding fathers, but did you know that his mind was always on science? This STEM/STEAM picture book tells how Jefferson’s scientific thinking and method battled against faulty facts and bias to prove that his new nation was just as good as any in the Old World.
Young Thomas Jefferson loved to measure the natural world: plants and animals, mountains and streams, crops, and weather. With a notepad in his pocket, he constantly examined, experimented, and explored. He dreamed of making great discoveries like the well-known scientific author, Count Georges-Louis Leclerc de Buffon.
But when Buffon published an encyclopedia of the natural world, Jefferson was furious! According to the French count, America was cold and swampy, and filled with small and boring animals, nothing like the majestic creatures of the OId World. Jefferson knew Buffon had never even been to America. Where had Buffon gotten his information? Had he cherry-picked the facts to suit his arguments? Was he biased in favor of Europe?
How could Jefferson prove Buffon wrong? By using the scientific method, of course! This first picture book to emphasize Jefferson’s use of scientific methods is an accessible and entertaining approach to a lesser-known side of Jefferson.
And here’s a bit about why Beth wrote this story:
BETH: The possibilities of this story grabbed my attention in spring 2018. And with the times we were in – and are still in – I knew I wanted to go after the importance of truth and the dangers of bias, misinformation, and faulty facts. As I wrote and revised, the scientific inquiry process emerged, focusing on questioning and verifying. I was obsessed. And was thrilled when the manuscript went under contract in 2019. Then BOOM, Covid hit along with more misinformation and turmoil in the world of science, and the publishing timeline stretched longer. But it was totally worth the wait. I’m thrilled to share the cover with just one of the fantabulous, creative, and marvelously detailed images from illustrator Jeremy Holmes. This story with history, humor, and science will appear in bookstores – and at your doorstep if you pre-order – May 14, 2024!
And here’s where you can grab a copy:
Available for PRE-ORDER at booksellers near you and Bookshop.org • IndieBound • Amazon • Barnes & Noble • Books a Million
And here’s a little bit about the talented and amazing Beth:
Beth Anderson, a former educator, has always marveled at the power of books. Driven by curiosity and a love for words, she writes untold tales, hoping to inspire kids to laugh, ponder, and question. She’s the award-winning author of CLOAKED IN COURAGE, FRANZ’S PHANTASMAGORICAL MACHINE, REVOLUTIONARY PRUDENCE WRIGHT, TAD LINCOLN’S RESTLESS WRIGGLE, “SMELLY” KELLY AND HIS SUPER SENSES, LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT!, and AN INCONVENIENT ALPHABET. Beth has more historical picture books on the way.
I am so excited for this book – I saw early drafts of it and loved it then – and now it’s going to be brought to life with AMAZING art by Jeremy Holmes! Please put this on your Goodreads WANT TO READ shelf
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 