Happy Book Birthday: DESERT QUEEN Plus Zoom Chat Giveaway

Posted on October 24, 2023 by viviankirkfield

It’s time to sing Happy Book Birthday to a beautiful new nonfiction picture book biography!!!!

Oh my goodness! What a glorious cover! Illustrator Svabhu Kohli is a genius! And what a wonderful story by Jyoti Rajan Gopal.

Here’s a little bit about DESERT QUEEN from the Amazon sales page:
This picture book biography in verse follows the life of beloved Rajasthani drag performer Queen Harish, known as the Whirling Desert Queen of Rajasthan. Lit by an inner fire and propelled by a family tragedy, Harish defied the gender conventions of middle class Indian life, battled discrimination and intimidation, and eventually grew up to dance with Bollywood movie stars and on stages across the world.

Jyoti Gopal’s rhythmic phrases evoke the particular sounds and beats of the music Harish danced to, and capture the passions and conflicts of his life. The poignant and inspiring tale is interpreted by internationally acclaimed Rajasthani artist Svabhu Kohli in kohl-black lines and shapes and brilliant jewel-like colors.

And here’s a little bit about the inspiration for the book from author Jyoti Gopal:

JYOTI: When we visited Rajasthan, India in Dec 2018 and sat down for the Queen Harish show, little did I know that for the next two hours, I was going to be beguiled and captivated by a master performer. As a child, Harish Kumar loved watching the folk artist troupes in his town of Jaisalmer perform. He was especially fascinated by the female dancers with their bright swirling skirts and their sparkly, jangly jewelry. But he never dared to dream that one day, he would be one of those performers, dancing to cheering, clapping crowds. His path to the stage was not an easy one as he bucked the traditional conventions of his community. But through the ups and downs, he kept his smile, his grace and his humor, and became a fierce advocate for Rajasthani folk music, dance, and gender fluidity. I am honored to have been able to bring Queen Harish’s story to life.

And here’s a little bit about the author:
Growing up, Jyoti lived in Thailand, Indonesia, Myanmar, China and India. She finally settled in New York where she raised two daughters with her husband (who also grew up all over the world). As a child, she adored and devoured books but did not enjoy writing. At all.

As a grown up, she is a forever kindergarten teacher and mom. She still adores and devours books. But now, she likes to write!

Her two picture books AMERICAN DESI illus. by Supriya Kelkar (Little Brown) and MY PAATI’S SARIS(Kokila), illus. by art twink, were released in 2022, and this year a picture book biography DESERT QUEEN illus. by Svabhu Kohli (Levine Querido) releases on Oct 24. She has three more releasing in 2024: ONE SWEET SONG illus. by Sonia Sánchez (Jan.16, Candlewick), SISTER DAY illus. by Fanny Liem (July, FSG) and LOVE IS HERE WITH YOU: A LULLABY OF BLESSINGS illus. by Nabi Ali (Fall, Candlewick).
My Link Tree
For a SIGNED COPY: Order DESERT QUEEN at Books of Wonder for a signed copy

Kirkus review of DESERT QUEEN

To connect with Jyoti and find out more about her books:
Facebook
Twitter
Instagram

Please be sure to leave a comment and share this post on your social media for a chance to win a wonderful 30-minute Ask-Me-Anything Zoom chat with Jyoti. And please do at least one more thing as we all need to help books become successful…otherwise, publishers will stop making them.
Buy the book…links are in the post
Review the book (Amazon reviews are especially important)
Place the book on your Goodreads WANT TO READ shelf
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

Thank you for spending your precious moments with us. I hope you all have a wonderful week!

Perfect Picture Book Friday: I DISSENT: Ruth Bader Ginsberg Makes Her Mark

Posted on October 7, 2016 by viviankirkfield

OCTOBER is National Bully Prevention Month. Next week is International Day of the Girl Child. And today is Bald and Free Day. (For a detailed list of EVERY wacky and not-so-wacky special day in October, click here.

Bald and Free Day might not apply to all of us, but the first two definitely need to be uppermost in our minds, as parents, educators, and writers. And today’s Perfect Picture Book Friday selection is a Mighty Girl book that addresses both. For more wonderful picture book reviews and activities, please visit Susanna Hill’s website.

I DISSENT: RUTH BADER GINSBURG MAKES HER MARK

Written by Debbie Levy

Illustrated by Elizabeth Baddeley

Publisher: Simon and Schuster (2016)

Ages: 4-8

Themes:

Gender discrimination, women’s rights, self-worth

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

Get to know celebrated Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg—in the first picture book about her life—as she proves that disagreeing does not make you disagreeable!

Supreme Court justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg has spent a lifetime disagreeing: disagreeing with inequality, arguing against unfair treatment, and standing up for what’s right for people everywhere. This biographical picture book about the Notorious RBG, tells the justice’s story through the lens of her many famous dissents, or disagreements.

Opening Lines:

“You could say that Ruth Bader Ginsberg’s life was one disagreement after another.”

Why I like this book:

A mighty girl book about a woman who refused to accept the role that society handed her – and she used her dissent and disagreement in a constructive way.
I love that the story begins when she is a child…and we see how supportive her mother was and how growing up surrounded by books was such a positive influence on her life.
Fabulous text…language is so powerful…and lots of action.
Incredible illustrations…and I love how the words of ‘dissention’ are set apart and bolded.

RELATED ACTIVITIES

Most kids love to listen to a story. But we can extend the learning by discussing and asking questions or participating in follow up activities. You and your child can:

Draw a picture of a favorite character or scene from the story. Mount it on cardboard and cut into pieces to make a puzzle.
Make a list of special words from the book. Older children can construct a word find puzzle.
Think of a different ending.

Here are some other ideas: http://www.kumon.com/resources/20-things-to-do-before-and-after-you-read-to-your-children/

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.

Monday is Columbus Day…and my grandson’s 8^th birthday…I bought him a pile of…you guessed it…chapter books…went to our local indie bookstore and lost myself there for a couple of hours. I was going to take a photo of all of the books, but I had to leave them there until Monday…they are having a 25% off sale for educators and retired educators. I love our local bookstore…I walked in and the manager said,”Oh, do you have another book coming out?” Indie bookstores support the community and local authors…let’s keep them strong and vibrant.

For Jeremy’s birthday, are going to an indoor skydiving facility…this grandma is just going to watch…I did the actual skydive a few years ago…it was so much fun…but once was definitely enough: Click here if you’d like to see this daredevil jump out of a perfectly good airplane. (if you do go to the link, there should be a space for my email: viviankirkfield@gmail.com and my zip code: 03031…at least that’s what it asks me. http://www.lifepursuitvideo.com/asppublic/Video60520.aspx?VF=46836#.V_gdOOArKCz

Thank you so much for stopping by…I hope you all have a wonderful weekend.

PPBF: Ballots for Belva PLUS THE WINNER!

Posted on June 3, 2016 by viviankirkfield

Life has gotten very busy. The WOW (Week of Writing) Retreat is only one month away. I’m so excited to see dear friends again, like Kristen Fulton, the fearless leader and founder of WOW, and connect with critique partners and other kid lit friends, many whom I’ve never met in person. I’ll also be able to hug my incredible agent, Essie White…she is one of the faculty mentors. I’ve been working feverishly on getting my manuscripts polished. Since many of them are nonfiction picture books, my library has been inundated with requests from me for mentor texts. So it was almost impossible to pick just one story for Perfect Picture Book Friday. I finally decided on one that was written back in 2008 by one of the shining lights in this kid lit community, Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen. With the Presidential election just around the corner, I thought it was a perfect choice.

Oh…and when you finish with the picture book review, don’t forget to keep scrolling down…because today we announce the WINNER of a brand new copy of The Hole Story of the Doughnut.

Ballots for Belva

Written by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen

Illustrated by Courtney A. Martin

Publisher: Abrams (2008)

Ages: 5-9

Themes: Determination, courage, women’s rights, Presidential election

Synopsis:

From Amazon:

“In 1884, when men were the only people allowed to vote in national elections, Belva Lockwood took a bold but legal step: She ran for president! Though her campaign was difficult, Belva never wavered in her commitment to equality, earning the respect of many fellow citizens. A little-known but richly deserving American historical figure, Belva is an inspiration for modern-day readers.” Continue reading →