Happy Book Birthday: MAMA’S HOME (AND BABY, TOO!)

Posted on October 13, 2026 by viviankirkfield

Welcome back, dear friends! It’s Tuesday…and Tuesday is often the launch day for brand-new books…and so I hope you are ready for Cake and Candles and a rousing rendition of Happy Birthday to You for Dawn Babb Prochovnic’s 20th book and debut board book: MAMA’S HOME (AND BABY, TOO!), illustrated by Adele Dafflon and published by Familius.

I absolutely love the art…so kid-friendly! And the simple rhyming text is guaranteed to put smiles on our youngest story lovers’ faces. Author Dawn and I have been kid lit friends for many years…and so, when I heard she had another new book…and her first BOARD BOOK, I knew I’d want to help her celebate!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU! HAPPY BIRTHDAY DEAR MAMA’S HOME (AND BABY, TOO!) HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!

And guess what? Dawn was kind enough to stop by to share a bit about the story…and the story behind the story.

ME: WELCOME, DAWN! We’re so glad to have you here at Picture Books Help Kids Soar! Can you share What Inspired You to Write This Story, and What Were Some Notable Moments on the Path to Publication?

DAWN: Thank you so much for celebrating this book birthday along with me, Vivian! Mama’s Home (and Baby Too!) is a 95-word story that took over 20 years to become a book. I never gave up on this story; it’s a bit surreal that it’s finally coming to be.

It began as a poem that I jotted down on a scrap of paper as I watched my preschool-aged son blissfully engage in imaginative play at our local children’s museum. For context, that same son graduated from college a couple of years ago.

I loved the idea of a slice-of-life story about child-centered activities that collectively make for a joyful, play-filled childhood. The first working title I penciled in was, Childhood Bliss.

Over time, it became clear that the story would need a stronger hook in order to become a book.

I loved the essence of the story enough to keep working on it, and I experimented with many different approaches, including structuring it as a novelty book that incorporated American Sign Language. Although these approaches generated interest, they did not generate book offers.

I continued to revise the story with different themes in mind. For a couple of years, it was entitled Grandma’s House is Happiness, and associated revisions incorporated elements of connection with an active and engaged grandparent. Eventually, the focus shifted to the excitement and delight in sharing simple, joyful activities with a parent who returns home after being away for an extended period of time. With that angle, the working title became, Mama’s Home!, and I revised the story to incorporate the preparations for and anticipation of Mama’s return . . . from somewhere.

When I submitted Mama’s Home! to Familius, co-founder and CEO Christopher Robbins and team (rightfully!) wondered if I might be open to a more specific reason for Mama being away— the arrival of a new sibling. This brought additional revisions that incorporated the anticipation and preparations for Mama’s return, featuring activities that could be engaged in with a recuperating Mama and new baby.

To bring authenticity to the sibling component, I mined my memories of my younger sister’s arrival, and I looked for opportunities to emphasize and lean into the enduring and evolving nature of the relationship between Mama and an older child.

Additionally, I mined memories about my own mom being away from home for extended periods when I was a child. In her case it was due to health issues, but no matter the reason, it was always such a delight when she returned home.

One of the things I especially love about the final book is the way in which Adèle Dafflon’s illustrations beautifully capture the element of family. Papa and older siblings are together. Waiting. Pitching in. Contributing. Staying close. And once Mama and baby come home, the familial love and joy simply expands and grows.

Eventually, after input from industry sales reps and the publisher’s marketing team, the current title, Mama’s Home (and Baby Too!), came to be.

Despite all the twists and turns this story took along the path to publication and throughout many (many!) revisions, the essence of the story—childhood bliss—remains true. It’s the story idea that took hold of me from the start and insisted on being written. It’s the part of the story that I connected with so deeply when I watched my own child engage in imaginative play and scribbled down a rough poem. It’s the part of the story that kept me motivated to keep working on it until it was just right. A story about a joyful, play-filled, childhood—and now, a unique take on the arrival of a new sibling, and a loving family making room for one more.

ME: Thank you so much for all of this, dear Dawn! My takeaway is…NEVER GIVE UP ON YOUR STORY…and also, be willing to revise and to listen to editor advice. I’m so glad you practiced patience and perseverance, my friend.

And now, here’s some info about the author and illustrator…and ways you can connect with them and BUY and REVIEW this important book!

Dawn Babb Prochovnic is the author of over 20 children’s books including Where Does a Pirate Go Potty?, Lucy’s Blooms, and her latest title, Mama’s Home (and Baby Too!). She has devoted her life’s work to initiatives that support literacy and the literary arts, including early literacy enrichment programs, school author visits, writing workshops, and her educational blog. Dawn is the recipient of the Walt Morey Award and the esteemed “Pleasure Reading Award” (her most memorable fifth-grade achievement). She lives in Portland, Oregon with her family and fan-favorites, Pickle the Cat and Sophie the Paddleboarding Pup.

Adèle Dafflon was born in Fribourg, Switzerland, in 1985. She graduated in illustration at École Supérieure des Arts Saint-Luc de Liège in 2012 and began drawing birth announcement cards. Soon, she was contacted for individual and collective projects. Sharing a studio with four artists since 2018, she draws nature, animals, and insects in a colorful style with a dash of genuine humor.

Author and Illustrator’s Websites:

Dawn: www.dawnprochovnic.com
Adèle: https://www.adeledafflon.com/

Author’s Social Media Links:
Substack: @dawnprochovnic.substack.com
Bluesky: @DawnProhovnic.bsky.social
Facebook: @DawnProchovnicAuthor
Instagram: @DawnProchovnic
LinkedIn: @DawnProchovnic
Pinterest: @DawnProchovnic
YouTube: @dprochovnic

Buy Links:
Familius
Bookshop
B&N
Amazon

Just saying, dear friends…if you have any friends or family who are expecting a baby and have a young child already at home, THIS is the perfect gift.
Thank you for spending your precious time with us…I hope you all have a beautiful week!

Perfect Picture Book Friday: NIGHTY NIGHT, DINOS

Posted on June 12, 2026 by viviankirkfield

Hello dear friends…and Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday! I had taken a step back from blogging last month to prepare for and attend the New England SCBWI conference in Stamford, CT…which was AMAZING. And also to enjoy a trip to Scotland and England…which was INCREDIBLE. If you are on social media, hopefully you saw some of the photos…I even got to enjoy a high tea at Jane Austen’s house in Bath…and try on some period costumes. But, when I discovered that a dear friend, Deb Williams, had a debut picture book launching on June 16, I knew I’d want to spread the word and share it with all of you.

NIGHTY NIGHT, DINOS

Written by Deborah Holt Williams

Illustrated by Anna Doherty

Published by Familius (June 16, 2026)

Ages: 3-5

Themes: Bedtime, Rhyming, Dinosaurs

Why I Love This Book
1. I love lyrical, many-layered books – this one is so relatable for young children – focusing on the importance of sleep – using dinosaurs and rhyming text to entertain.
2. I love illustrations that engage and keep kids turning the pages.
3. I love new bedtime stories…I think we never have enough of them.

And now, dear friends, because we are SO lucky…and because author Williams is SO generous, we get to chat with her…and learn the story behind the story.

ME: Welcome to Picture Books Help Kids Soar, dear Deb. I know that everyone is excited to learn more about you…and how this wonderful picture book came to be.
Is Nighty Night, Dinos your first published book?

DEB: I have five small early readers published for the educational market, but this is my first hard-cover picture book, and I’m delighted with it!

ME: Did you always envision Nighty Night, Dinos as a picture book?

DEB: Actually, it began in 2020 as an entry in a bedtime story contest that did not win. But I really liked it, so I started submitting it as a board book. Familius responded the day after I sent it in 2021, but they had quite a few dino books already. We kept in touch though, and in 2023 the publisher at Familius asked if I would add a few more stanzas so it could become a 32-page picture book. I was thrilled!

ME: When did you first start submitting your writing?

DEB: I started to get serious about writing and submitting when the youngest of my five children went to school full-time. I joined SCBWI in 1998 and started sending stories out.

ME: Do you have an agent?

DEB: I’ve had two agents in the past and we parted amicably. I am currently un-agented, which is fine because I’ve had better luck on my own.

ME: Between when you started submitting in 1998 and your first picture book contract in 2026, did you have any stories that came close to being published?

DEB: Yes. I had a New Mexican version of The Gingerbread Man called Biscochito Man (that’s the state cookie of NM) and it made it to the acquisitions committee at a major publisher. But the final “No” came while I was going through chemo for breast cancer. (That was 14 years ago and the treatment was successful. Yay!) Then 5 years ago I had a contract with a publisher for a lyrical biography of the glass artist Chihuly, with an illustrator who knew and loved Chihuly’s work, and the week it was to go out on sub the agent left the agency and decided she would no longer represent picture books. I had to write to the agency and request the termination of my contract. That was painful! But the agent and I still keep in touch and she’s happy for my success.

ME: With so many years of collecting rejections, how did you stay motivated to keep going?

DEB: At a Highlights workshop in Chautauqua, NY in 2011, author Eileen Spinelli handed everyone a little rubber ball to remind us to bounce back from rejections, and I still have mine in my writing desk. I keep going because it’s been a dream of mine to be an author since I learned how to write in first grade, and I know the only guaranteed way to fail is to quit. Plus I had successes along the way with poems and non-fiction pieces sold to magazines and websites for kids. Entering and doing well in contests helped, too. I find I’m more motivated to succeed now that I have grandchildren, because I want them to see that they should follow their dreams. And I want to make them proud of their Nana!

ME: Tell us about the illustrator of your book.

DEB: Her name is Ana Doherty and she is Scottish but lives in Switzerland. She’s been illustrating books since 2017 and this is her third book with Familius Publishing. She says she enjoyed creating the little touches she added to the pictures, like the tiny bunny slippers under the triceratops’ bed. Familius has been very good about asking for my input on her illustrations. When they told me she was thinking of clouds for the end papers, I asked if the clouds could be shaped like puffy dinosaurs, and that’s what she did.

ME: Do you have other books coming out and are they also written in rhyme?

DEB: Yes, I’m happy to have contracted with Familius for two more in the series, due to be released in 2028: Nighty Night, Puppies and Nighty Night, Bears. Like the dinosaur book, they are also rhymers. It’s often said that rhyme doesn’t sell, because it doesn’t always translate well for foreign markets. But children love it, and I really enjoy the challenge of writing in rhyme.

ME: What advice would you give to aspiring children’s book writers?

DEB: Get involved: join SCBWI and participate with your local chapter, join a critique group, follow other writers like Vivian on social media, read books on writing, take classes, follow sites like Kidlit411, Harold Underdown’s Purple Crayon and Literary Rambles, enter contests, write and submit a wide variety of work from poems to stories to non-fiction pieces, and volunteer at your local library once a week to see what’s new in kids’ books. I go in and wipe down the picture books and check for books in the wrong place, and I often snap a picture of a publisher’s name when I see a book that looks like one I might submit to.

ME: What is one of the best things about writing for children?

DEB: The best thing is reading your words to a child and seeing the enjoyment on that little face. And I love that writers can keep on being writers all their lives. I’m in an online group of women authors over 60 who are all “late bloomers,” finally having time to devote to writing and submitting, and getting published. I feel like I’m hitting my stride at the age of 74, and I plan to keep at it!

ME: Can you tell us about yourself?

DEB: I live in the mountains of Colorado with my husband and three adopted senior pets, a cat and two dogs. I have five children and six grandchildren, and my hobby is making enormous bubbles for events.

Thank you so much, dear Deb! I LOVE that you never gave up…and I am so very happy to help you celebrate your success!

Dear friends…if you’d like to learn more about Deb and her books
Website: deborahholtwilliams.com
Blog: https://deboraholtwilliams.blogspot.com
@debwriter on bluesky and Instagram
Email: williamsdeborahholt@gmail.com
Facebook page: Deborah Holt Williams

To purchase her book, please visit Bookshop.org or her local bookstore Alpenglow in Glenwood Springs, Colorado.

Thank you all for spending your precious time with us. I hope you have a safe and wonderful weekend!

Happy Book Birthday: JUNE MOON Plus Giveaway

Posted on May 21, 2024 by viviankirkfield

Today’s a very special day for a very special board book because today is the Kindle Book Birthday for JUNE MOON – May 28 will be the print copy birthday! Two birthdays for one little book baby…that’s totally special, right? And we are blowing out the candles and serving up cake and congratulations to author Lynn Becker and illustrator Nate Carvalho.

WOW! What a beautiful cover! And trust me, the inside pages are just as glorious. Plus the lyrical rhyming text will soon be a favorite of our littlest story-lovers.

Here’s a bit about the book from the Amazon Sales page:
Author Lynn Becker and illustrator Nate Carvalho’s board book June Moon is a whimsical bedtime story that sparks imagination and laughter as the moon mirrors a child’s playful actions, becoming a cherished favorite for young readers year-round and a perfect bonding experience for parents and children before sleep.

Rising moon
Shining moon,
Magic as a June moon.

A story of seasides and summertimes, in June Moon, the rising and setting of the moon mirrors a child’s imaginative play and bedtime routine, all bathed in the natural magic of an evening in June.

With gorgeous illustrations and seamless transitions between reality and the fantasy of a child’s view of the night sky, readers of all ages will reach for this lilting bedtime poem again and again.

And here’s a little bit about the author:
Lynn Becker grew up in New York, spent many years in the Southern California desert, and now lives in Colorado. She’s a children’s book reviewer with Shelf Awareness, and also the author of Monsters in the Briny, a picture book illustrated by Scott Brundage.
To connect with Lynn and find out more about her books: https://www.lynnbeckerbooks.com/

And here’s a little bit about the illustrator from his website:
Nate Carvalho is a Background and Visual Development Artist in the animation industry as well as a published Children’s books Illustrator.
My skills include Design, Colour, Illustration and making awesome coffee!
I’m a storyteller and I can’t shut up about it, but in the rare moments that I do, you can find me playing my violin, my ukelele or playing video games.
https://natecarvalho.myportfolio.com/work

And here are a few things we can all do to help beautiful books like this one succeed:
Put it on your Goodreads Want to Read Shelf
Buy it
Review it
Tell friends about it (share this post on your social media)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

Please don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of JUNE MOON!

I hope you all have a wonderful week. This morning I’ll be delivering the #50PreciousWords Literacy Initiative books to Beech Street School in Manchester – I’ll share some photos on Facebook this week. The Bookery manager Cassie already brought several boxes of books to Weston Elemenary and McLaughlin Middle School last week.
216 Juvenile Picture Book donations
25 Young reader
The Bookery donated 50 books (THANK YOU SO MUCH, CASSIE)
plus we added in the books directly mailed to me that brought to the bookstore a few weeks ago…