Tag Archives: Courage

Cover Reveal: DIVYA FAR FROM HOME

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Every summer when I was a kid, my favorite thing to do was go to the library and take out a stack of books and sit in the backyard or on the stoop (what’s a stoop, you ask? If you grew up in NYC, you’d know. It’s the front steps to a house) and read, read, read. One chapter book after another. All of Louisa May Alcott’s stories. And Nancy Drew. And the Hardy Boys. And Walter Farley’s Black Stallion series. I was a lover of chapter books. And I know that if Sita Jit’s upcoming DIVYA FAR FROM HOME had been available, that would have been in my stack, too. That’s why, when Sita told me about her new book, I knew I’d want to share it with all of you.
GET READY! GET SET! COVER REVEAL!!!

Oh yes…I love this cover…and I can really identify with it…girl with notebook and pencil, wearing glasses…that was ME as a kid…and I’m sure lots of young readers will feel the same way.

Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page:
Nine-year-old Divya’s life is turned upside down when her family moves from Delhi, India, to a new city halfway across the world. Divya goes from living as an only child with her own quiet bedroom to sharing a room with her cousin in a crowded home with extended family. Plus, everything is different at her new school too. Everyone keeps saying change is good–but not if you didn’t want to leave home in the first place!

WOW! And now I’m feeling even more connected to the main character in this book. When I turned 10, my family moved from Manhattan to Brooklyn. But that’s only a distance of a few miles and they are both boroughs of New York City, you might say. True. But WORLDS apart in flavor. Living in the projects and going to school on the Lower East Side was like Baskin Robbins ice cream…remember the 31 flavors tagline (now there are over 1400!). And living in the Midwood section of Brooklyn and attending school there was like…vanilla.

But there is nothing vanilla about Sita’s fabulous book…and here’s a bit about how the book came to be:

ME: Welcome, Sita! Congratulations on your upcoming book We are so excited. Thank you so much for stopping by to share a little about the story behind the story.

SITA: A few years ago, my eldest son became interested in chapter books.  We spent a lot of time at the library and book stores looking for the next series for our bedtime read aloud. I found myself enjoying chapter books as much as he did and it was then that I began plotting out my first book and to my surprise, it came to me fairly quickly.  I was really inspired to write a story about a family like mine.  Similar to Divya, I lived in an Indian first-generation multi-family home that was always busy and full of love. My parents also made sure we were close to our extended family in India who we would visit every few years.  Looking back, I really cherish these memories with my family, extended family and cousins who lived both near and far and thank them for inspiring this story.

ME: I love books that are based on the author’s own experiences!
And here’s a bit about Sita and the illustrator, Abhilasha Khatri , and their contact information so that you can connect with them and find out more about their books.

Sita Jit is a children’s book author and elementary school teacher. Just like Divya, she grew up close with her extended family in Canada and India. In her free time, Sita loves to read, listen to music, and play board games. She lives in Ontario with her husband and three children.

Abhilasha Khatri is a children’s book illustrator based in India. She transitioned into the whimsical world of children’s books after working as an architect for over a decade. She loves to work on multicultural, inclusive, and diverse children’s books. In her free time, Abhilasha loves gardening, traveling, DIY, cooking and baking, and playing with her daughter and her cats.

Social Media Links:
Sita:
Instagram: @sitajit
Website: www.storiesbysita.ca
X: @storiesbysita

Abhilasha:
Website: www.abhilashakhatri.com
Instagram: @abhilashakhatri0603

The book launches from Stone Arch Books on August 1, 2024
Pre-order links:
Barnes & Noble
Amazon

And I love that Sita provides us with a handy pronunciation guide for her name:
Sita Jit   (hear name)

Please help upcoming books like this one become a success. We can:
Preorder it – see links above
Review it – same links as for preorder
Put it on your Goodreads WANT TO READ SHELF
Tell friends about it (please share on your social media)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

Thank you so much, dear friends, for spending your precious time with us.
I hope you all have a wonderful week – and please come back for Perfect Picture Book Friday!

Cover Reveal: UNICYCLE DAD Plus Incredible Giveaways

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Hurray! I’m so glad you are here…because Cover Reveals are very special…a first peek at a new creation! When Sarah Hovorka told me she had a book launching next year from Amicus Ink entitled UNICYCLE DAD, my curiosity was peeked – and when I found out more about the book, I knew I’d want to share it with my blog followers. Even more wonderful, Sarah, and illustrator Alicia Schwab, stopped by to share a bit about the path to publication for this book…PLUS, EACH OF THEM IS OFFERING A FABULOUS GIVEAWAY! Sarah is offering a picture book manuscript and query critique! And Alicia is offering an art portfolio critique! That is so very generous!
And now, the cover of UNICYCLE DAD!

Just look at this amazing cover! This is definitely a book that kids will want to pick up!
Here’s a bit from the Amazon sales page:
Sarah knows her unicycle-riding dad is special–even as Sarah cooks, takes care of her brother, and does homework on her own. When her dad finally graduates from high school, gets a second job, and eventually lands a promotion, Sarah realizes there’s so much more that’s special about him. Unicycle Dad shares the inherent struggles and quiet joys of a single-parent, impoverished household. Raised by a single, teenage father in poverty, author Sarah Hovorka grew up in a family structure lived by many but seldom represented in children’s books. Illustrator Alicia Schwab captures the story with warm, expressive art.

And here’s what author Sarah had to say about the inspiration for the story:
SARAH: Unicycle Dad is based on my childhood being raised by a single, teenage father in poverty. As a child, I admired his skill with the unicycle… he always seemed to soar before my eyes. As I aged into adulthood, I realized there was so much more to admire about him from earning his GED while raising two kids to working two jobs so we could have shoes for school. I hope Unicycle Dad helps children see the strength in their own parents and caregivers, and ultimately, in themselves.

And here’s a little bit about Sarah and how you can connect with her:
Sarah Hovorka writes lots of stuff from big-hearted picture books to horror-ridden novels. Unlike Goldilocks, every genre she tries feels just right, though children’s literature is her primary focus. She is the author of Hattie Hates Hugs and Same Love, Different Hug with two more picture books coming in 2024. 

Beyond reading and writing, Sarah loves to play games, homeschool, eat chocolate, and enjoy trees with her husband and three sons in California. You can find out more about her, her books, and follow her blog at www.SarahHovorka.com. 
Twitter: https://twitter.com/HovorkaSara
FB: https://www.facebook.com/SarahHovorkaAuthor/
IG: https://www.instagram.com/authorsarahhovorka/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/21315820.Sarah_Hovorka

Here is a bit about the path to publication for illustrator Alicia:
“I was so excited to illustrate Unicycle Dad, a story all about falling down and getting back up again, that I took the inspiration too literally and fell while hiking, breaking my leg. Despite my mishap, I persisted and finished all the art on time.”

And here’s a little bit about Alicia and how you can connect with her:

Illustrator Alicia Schwab was raised by two bookworms in the Madison, Wisconsin area, working several jobs to support Alicia and her siblings. Alicia started making books when she was little and has gone on to write, illustrate, and design books in Germany and the USA. Alicia specializes in characters that prevail over misfortune, including her debut middle-grade, LITE: The High Treason Incident, a 2023 IPPY Bronze Medalist. Alicia garners creativity by hiking/biking around Minnesota, where she lives with her family and their adventurous dog. www.aliciaschwab.com
Twitter /aschwabart
Facebook /aschwabart
Blue Sky social https://bsky.app/profile/aschwabart.bsky.social
Instagram /schwab.alicia
Threads /schwab.alicia

We all know how important it is to show support for books we love. Please do at least one of these things for this book:
Buy the book.
Here are several pre-order links:
Indie bound
Amazon
Barnes and Noble
Review the book.
Put the book on your Goodreads WANT TO READ shelf.
Tell friends about the book (share on your social media & follow these creators)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection.

And of course, don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win one of the two amazing giveaways. In your comment, please let us know if you’d rather win the Picture Book Manuscript and Query Critique from Sarah or the Art Portfolio Critique from Alicia.

I hope you all have a beautiful week!


Perfect Picture Book Friday: THE PORRIDGE POT GOBLIN Plus Giveaway

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Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. Today’s featured story reminds me of the folktales I loved as a kid – and I was so happy when author Jacqueline Jules shared the ARC with me. She also stopped by to chat a bit about the path to publication for this book AND she is offering a giveaway of a copy – so please make sure you leave a comment and share the post on your social media.

THE PORRIDGE-POT GOBLIN

Written by Jacqueline Jules

Illustrated by Hector Boriasca

Published by Apples and Honey Press

Ages: 5-7

Themes: Courage, ingenuity, Jewish folktale

Synopsis:
In The Porridge-Pot Goblin, siblings Benny and Rose are frightened by an invisible goblin, only known by his pranks and his tracks. They fear the goblin is too big for them to stop. But working together, Benny and Rose learn they are much braver than they think. This tale, drawn from Eastern European folklore, includes a working single mom and two siblings who want to let her rest while they get ready for Shabbat. An end note explains the Jewish origin of goblins.

Why I Love This Book:
1. I always loved folktales and, like most folktales, this one is entertaining, engaging, and has a message we all can embrace.
2. I love the ingenuity and bravery of the two children.
3. The illustrations are perfect and help bring the characters to life.

As promised, Jacqueline stopped by to tell us a bit about her path to publication for this book. And I think what she has to say is very encouraging for all of us…I know it convinced me to pull out an old story of mine to see if I could breath new life into it.

JACQUELINE: The Porridge-Pot Goblin was an abandoned manuscript I picked up during the pandemic when there was nothing else to do but stay home and write. Working on a story about handling fears was very comforting at the time. I hope The Porridge-Pot Goblin will make children laugh as they realize that goblins and challenges can turn out to be smaller than they first appear.

Here’s a little bit about the author: Jacqueline is the award-winning author of fifty books for young readers including the Zapato Power series, the Sofia Martinez series, Duck for Turkey Day, The Hardest Word, Never Say a Mean Word Again, and the recently released middle grade verse novel, My Name is Hamburger.

And here are some links to find out more about her and her books:
Please visit her website at www.jacquelinejules.com.
Connect with her on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/BooksbyJacquelineJ/

And here are some links where you can buy The Porridge-Pot Goblin
Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/p/books/the-porridge-pot-goblin-jacqueline-jules/18389819?ean=9781681155913
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Porridge-Pot-Goblin-Jacqueline-Jules/dp/1681155915/ref=nosim?tag=jacquelinejul-20


RELATED ACTIVITIES:
FLATBREAD GOBLIN FACES

Photo courtesy: https://funfamilycrafts.com/goblin-flatbreads/
What fun! Grab some prepared pizza dough or mix up a batch of your own and follow the directions to create goblin faces – bake and eat! Serve with hummus, salsa, peanut butter or your favorite topping: https://funfamilycrafts.com/goblin-flatbreads/

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. Please don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of this wonderful book. And if you share the post on social media, you get extra tickets in the giveaway hat. Also, please remember that the best way to help authors and illustrators of the books you love is to buy their books, review their books, tell friends about their books, and ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection.