Perfect Picture Book Friday: LITTLE LENA AND THE BIG TABLE Plus Double-Header PB Manuscript Critique Giveaway

Posted on June 28, 2019 by viviankirkfield

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends!

Today’s picture book is so darn relatable for kids – in fact, it stirs memories of my own. I’ll bet lots of you can remember family gatherings and wanting to sit at the ‘big’ table. Well, author Pj McIlvaine has tapped into those memories to create a story that is sure to strike a chord with everyone who reads it. And the lovely Pj is offering not one, but TWO Picture Book Manuscript Critiques as a giveaway!!!! So please make sure you leave a comment.

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LITTLE LENA AND THE BIG TABLE

Written by PJ McIlvaine

Illustrated by Leila Nabih

Published by Big Belly Books (2019)

Ages: 4-8

Themes: Growing up, family

Synopsis: From Amazon

Little Lena has her heart set to sit at the big table. But every year her family tells her she’s just not big enough. Little Lena is determined to show everyone how big she is.

Why I love this book:

Sweet story about something most kids will be able to relate to
Charming illustrations with a hint of Mary Engelbreit
I think this will be a favorite at all holiday times and family gatherings

RELATED ACTIVITIES

Make a Placemat

pic-cutout-placemat Photo courtesy: https://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/placematsartscraftideaskids.html

Kids love creating! They love cutting! They love pasting! And these placemats can be designed for any holiday or occasion. All you need: a sheet of paper, two sheets of wax paper for each placemat, pictures cut from magazines, catalogs, old greeting cards, glue, scissors. To make: cut pictures and glue in place on sheet of paper. Lay paper on one piece of wax paper which is about an inch wider and longer than the decorated paper and cover with the other piece of wax paper. The next step must be done by an adult! Press a hot iron over the wax paper…the wax paper sheets will stick together all around the edges and will form a lovely waterproof placemat. For more detailed instructions and directions for other placemats: https://www.artistshelpingchildren.org/placematsartscraftideaskids.html

And as much as kids love creating, they love feeling useful even more. Give your children’s self-esteem a boost by including them in the planning of your next family event. They can help with the shopping and with the food prep and with getting the house ready. Feeling useful and needed builds self-worth.

With the summer upon us, some things slow down while others speed up. Please don’t be too busy to take a few minutes to review a favorite book or recommend it to a friend or to your local library…other than buying the book (which is also a lovely thing to do), those are the best ways we can help our favorite authors!

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend. I will be away in Massachusetts, cheering my son and son-in-law as they compete in the Tough Mudder. Here’s a photo from last year’s event.

tough mudder hand in air

Perfect Picture Book Friday: A Family is a Family is a Family PLUS Giveaway

Posted on August 18, 2017 by viviankirkfield

Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends!

The summer is winding down. School has already started for some kids. And I’m thrilled to feature a picture book today that belongs in every preschool and early elementary classroom.

When I grew up, most kids I knew came from two parent families…a mom and a dad…and often, it was the dad who went out to earn money while the mom stayed home and took care of the children. But these days, there has been a tremendous shift in that cookie-cutter type family. We desperately need more books that portray the various family units that exist. Thanks to author Sara O’Leary and illustrator Qin Leng, we have the perfect one!

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A FAMILY IS A FAMILY IS A FAMILY

Written by Sara O’Leary

Illustrated by Qin Leng

Published by Groundwood Books (2016)

Themes: families, diversity

Opening Lines:

“We were talking about families at school. The teacher asked us what we thought made our family special. I went last because I wasn’t sure what to say. My family is not like everybody else’s.”

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

When a teacher asks the children in her class to think about what makes their families special, the answers are all different in many ways — but the same in the one way that matters most of all.

One child is worried that her family is just too different to explain, but listens as her classmates talk about what makes their families special. One is raised by a grandmother, and another has two dads. One is full of stepsiblings, and another has a new baby.

As one by one, her classmates describe who they live with and who loves them — family of every shape, size and every kind of relation — the child realizes that as long as her family is full of caring people, her family is special.

Why I like this book:

Talk about diversity. Not only do we find a varied array of family units…we also find characters of all sizes, shapes, and colors!
Very simple text will appeal to young listeners and early readers!
The illustrations are fabulous!

Related Activities:

Popsicle Stick Puppets

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Photo courtesy: http://kidsactivitiesblog.com

What a super bunch of Popsicle crafts for kids here! Take your pick of several that highlight the family. Why not help your child make a puppet for each member of the family and role play various situations. Let the fun begin!

You will need: Popsicle sticks, markets, scissors, glue, photos of family members or construction paper to draw your own pictures.

For detailed instructions: http://kidsactivitiesblog.com/58976/childrens-crafts-with-popsicle-sticks

Dear readers, thanks to author Sara and her publisher, Groundwood Books, we will have a giveaway of a copy of A FAMILY IS A FAMILY IS A FAMILY. (U.S. or Canadian addresses only). Please make sure you leave a comment to be entered. If you get to read the book, remember that reviews on Amazon and/or Goodreads are the best gift you can give to an author. I just posted my review of the book on Amazon.

And hurry back tomorrow for a super Will Write for Cookies Q&A with author Sara O’Leary who is sharing awesome insights and an AMAZING Ginger Shortbread recipe with us…and oh, how I LOVE ginger!

Have a safe and happy weekend!

Perfect Picture Book Friday: MONSTER TRUCKS

Posted on October 21, 2016 by viviankirkfield

Last weekend I attended the SCBWI ENCORE presentation at Mount Wachusett Community College in Gardner, Massachusetts. I’m thankful for kid lit friends, Mona Pease, who drove all the way from Maine, and Beth Gallagher, who picked us up and chauffeured us to the event. The fall foliage was astonishingly beautiful and the day-long conference was filled with inspiring and informative programs.

Next weekend, another book event takes place…the Keene State College Children’s Book Fair. I’m hoping to be able to go. The only problem with going to these book events is that it’s tempting to buy every book!

Today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday selection is one I actually didn’t have to buy. At our local indie bookstore’s Teacher Appreciation Week, I placed my name in a raffle bowl. And I could hardly believe my ears when the manager from Toadstool Bookshop called and informed me that I was a winner of a picture book which is perfect for this Halloween-is-around-the-corner season. To read all of this week’s Perfect Picture Book reviews, hop over to Susanna Hill’s website.

MONSTER TRUCKS

Written by Anika Denise

Illustrated by Nate Wragg

Publisher: Harper Collins (2016)

Ages: 3 and up

Themes:

Courage, never give up, you don’t have to be the biggest in order to win

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

Readers will delight in this lively read-aloud story with a clever and surprising twist at the end—perfect for Halloween and year round!

Ready, set, go! The monster truck race is on in this frightfully delightful picture book. On a spooky speedway, Monster Trucks moan! Monster Trucks grumble! Monster Trucks groan!

Join Frankentruck, Zombie Truck, Ghost Truck, and more as they race to the finish line. But one of these trucks isn’t quite who you think.

Why I like this book:

Love the clever simple rhyme that is matched perfectly with illustrations full of kid-appeal
Totally a new twist on a Halloween story for children that has just the right amount of tension and suspense without being scary

RELATED ACTIVITIES

Let your children design their own monster trucks.
Make up silly Halloween rhymes with your children…take turns with each line.
Check out other great Halloween picture books here: http://childrensbooks.about.com/od/holidays/tp/halloween.html

This post is part of a series for parents and teachers called Perfect Picture Book Fridays hosted by Susannah Leonard Hill. Click on her link and find lots of other picture book suggestions with summaries and activities.

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend, dear friends and readers. If you enjoy writing children’s stories, don’t forgot about Susanna’s Halloweensie Contest. I’ll be posting my entry to the contest next Friday right here on my blog. But if you want to find out more about the contest, click on this link.