Hello dear friends! It’s time to sing another Happy Birthday to a book by a long-time kid lit friend, Joy Wieder.
What an adorable cover!!! And what a beautiful book. Here’s a little bit about the story:
When the Katz family moves in, C.J. the mouse is scared. Nibbling jelly doughnut crumbs in the kitchen, he hears a soft voice say, “Hello.” The Katz family is spinning a dreidel and eating chocolate coins. It looks like fun, but a mouse can’t play with cats! “Hello again,” says the soft voice. “Please don’t go. I could use a friend.” Can C.J. overcome his fear and make some new friends just in time for Hanukkah?
Joy is both the author and illustrator…her characters encourage kids to connect to the story…and I know this book will soon become a Hanukkah favorite!
ME: And we are so lucky because Joy stopped by to share a couple of special things with us. Welcome, Joy!
JOY: Hello everyone! It’s lovely to be here. Thank you, Vivian, for sharing this good new I’m having a giveaway for signed copies of the book for 2 lucky winners until Oct. 26. Here’s a link: https://gleam.io/MbBk5/the-mouse-who-loved-latkes-giveaways about my book.
I know that writers enjoy hearing the story behind the story…so here’s a little bit about how THE MOUSE WHO LOVED LATKES:
This book began many years ago as an image in my mind of a mouse up on a rafter, looking down at a Jewish family chanting a Hebrew blessing. The mouse is afraid and worries that this strange, new family is trying to put a spell on him. That image evolved into a Hanukkah book about an unlikely friendship between the mouse and a family of cats named Katz! I love latkes, so I realized a mouse might love them, too, and that food often acts as a bridge between cultures.
I also wanted to share a link for the awesome trailer that will give you a tiny peek inside the book:
Oh, I’m such a fan of book trailers…I’ve never done one, but seeing this one, I’m going to have to give the idea more thought…this is adorable!!!
Here’s a little bit about Joy:
Since childhood, Joy dreamed of joining her two passions – art and books – by writing and illustrating books for children. Her dreams were fulfilled with the publication of her first book in 1999. She has now authored nearly 30 books for young readers. Click on books to read reviews or make a purchase.
Joy has written both beginning chapter books and picture books for young readers. Her whimsical illustrations are created in a variety of drawing and water based mediums as well as digital media. See Joy’s portfolio to view her artwork.
To learn more about Joy and her books:
Joy Nelkin Wieder
jnwieder.com
Twitter: @JoyWieder
Instagram: @jnwieder
Facebook: joynelkinwieder
And dear blog followers, what can we do to help this beautiful book become a success? We can:
Buy the book
Review the book
Tell friends about the book
Ask your local library to purchase copies of the book
I hope you all have a wonderful week! Thank you for spending your precious time with us.
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 