Welcome, dear friends! It’s always a pleasure to celebrate the launch of a new book with a Happy Book Birthday post. And today, my joy is unmeasurable…since the new book is actually one of mine!
When my editor asked me to write a sequel to the popular PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE, I was thrilled. And with talented illustrator Jill Weber on board again, I knew the book would be magical…and I was not disappointed! Every page bursts with color and action!
Join Pippa’s generous friends and neighbors as they come together as a community in this joyful companion to Pippa’s Passover Plate.
Filled with rhymes and repetition, this is a perfect title to share and read aloud as you celebrate your own Hanukkah festivities! Pippa loves everything about her Hanukkah latkes—making them; eating them; and most of all, sharing them! But when her ingredients go missing, Pippa’s dinner guests become Hanukkah helpers as she searches the whimsical winter landscape.
When a surprise twist brings the latke ingredients and new guests to her table, Pippa is thrilled to have gathered the most important ingredient for any holiday meal: a community to enjoy it with.
An end note explains the origins and meaning of the holiday—with special attention to everyone’s favorite traditions like chocolate gelt (chocolate coins wrapped in foil) and the game of dreidel (spinning top).
Just in time for Hanukkah, this joyful story will bring smiles to our youngest story lovers…and by following the illustration clues, kids will be eager to solve the mystery of the missing potatoes.
Please help this story about community, compassion, and kindness become a success. You can: Buy the book (the link is from Bookshop.org, but you can purchase it on Amazon or from your local indie bookstore) Review the book (on Amazon or any other review site) Tell friends about the book (share on your social media and TAG 2 friends) Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection
To enter the giveaway of a signed copy of PIPPA’S HANUKKAH HUNT, please do at least ONE of the above…and in the comments, let me know what you have done. If you do more than one, you’ll receive extra chances in the giveaway hat.
And, if you didn’t get a chance to see the unboxing video on Facebook, here it is.
Reason #1: It’s World Read Aloud Day! I’ll be sharing ONE GIRL’S VOICE with all of the 4th graders at P.S. 97 in the Bronx, NY.
Reason #2: Today is the anniversary of my very first published book. PIPPA’S PASSOVER PLATE, illustrated by Jill Weber and published by Holiday House, is 8 years old!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY, DEAR PIPPA!
And Reason #3: We are revealing the cover of Pippa’s next adventure…PIPPA’S HANUKKAH HUNT…which launches this coming fall on September 29!
Oh my goodness…I LOVE this cover…and I hope you do, too! Jill Weber, the illustrator, really knows what young kids love! Her art is JOYFUL! I’m so excited for children to turn the pages and discover the MYSTERY of the Missing Potatoes. There are clues for the reader on every page, not in the text, but in the illustrations. Great picture book illustrators somehow find a way to show other layers to the story in the pictures…I’m grateful to Jill!
This wonderful book will be flying onto bookstore shelves on September 29…delighting children with Pippa’s search for the missing potatoes. Because Hanukkah is coming and Pippa wants to make potato latkes for all of her friends – and SOMEONE has been taking all of the potatoes.
Do you love Pippa? Did you enjoy the first book? While we wait for the new book to launch, there are a few things followers of Pippa can do: 1. Pre-order the book: At any local bookstore or on Amazon 2. Review the book on Goodreads 3. Ask your local library to purchase copies of the book 4. Tell your friends (Sharing this post on your social media REALLY helps!)
I also wanted to thank folks who have been reviewing ONE GIRL’S VOICE. In my previous blog post, I mentioned that even though that book is a finalist for a Golden Kite in the nonfiction for younger readers category and has received other awards and accolades, it only had 35 reviews on Amazon as of a week ago. After my post, 9 more reviews appeared…THANK YOU to everyone who left early reviews or recent ones! Remember, it’s never too late to review a book! It’s such a worthy book, I hope there will be more reviews. And I will let you all know what happens on Friday night when the SCBWI Golden Kite winners and honor books are announced.
Please make sure you return on Saturday when the Heads-Up-The-Contest-Is-Coming-Soon post goes live…with the huge list of INCREDIBLE prizes for the 2026 #50PreciousWords International Writing Contest. I and my awesome judges, Maria Marshall, Carmen Castillo Gilbert, Leah Moser, Pamela Courtney, Amber Bouchard, Shirin Shamsi, and Diane Tulloch, are so excited to read all of your precious words!
I hope you have a wonderful rest of the week…and find joy in every day, no matter how challenging it may be.
SO MUCH!!! And when the author is one of the first CPs I ever had…way back when I first started writing…that’s even more fun!
And when I got to see an EARLY draft in the first stages of this amazing story…well, as you can imagine, I am EXCEEDINGLY thrilled to sing Happy Birthday to BEFORE I LIVED HERE, written by Stacy S. Jensen, illustrated by Victo Ngai, and published by Neal Porter Books/Holiday House.
Listen friends…this is a truly special book! Just look at that cover! And wait till you see the inside spreads…you know you want your own copy, right? Thanks to the generosity of author Jensen and her publisher, there is a brand new copy that will be given away to one lucky winner…so please make sure you leave a comment and do your part to spread the word by sharing this post on social media.
And we are ALL lucky today because Stacy has stopped by to chat with us and share some of the story…and the story behind the story. ME: Welcome to Picture Books Help Kids Soar, dear friend! Please tell us a little bit about the story and how it came to be.
STACY: Hello everyone! And Vivian, thank you so much for having me!
BEFORE I LIVED HERE is a book about a little boy who’s living in a new neighborhood. The story goes back in time with each page turn to share a different period of the land. It’s about the history of where you live.
What inspired you to write this book?
I lived in a neighborhood called Banning Lewis Ranch in Colorado Springs. It was an interesting place to live from the day we moved into the neighborhood to the day we left. Before the neighborhood, the land was part of a cattle ranch.
How long to make this book?
I scare people a little when I tell this story. I wrote the first draft in 2013. My son was three years old. When I received my first author copy and he held it, he was 15. While the book has a long journey, I always received nice feedback from professionals and critique partners. Writers, who also worked in classrooms, were always positive and sharing ways the book could be used in a school setting. I kept going and it sold to Neal Porter Books in 2021. Now, it’s a book that teachers and families can enjoy.
When people look at my path to publication, some are surprised. Has it taken a long time? Maybe. Do I love the final product? Yes. The illustrations by Victo Ngai are gorgeous and will entertain young readers. BEFORE I LIVED HERE has received five nice trade reviews — two starred — and is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.
I’ve also met so many nice people along the way like you Vivian and so many others who have read my work and helped me grow as a writer. Hopefully, I’ve returned the favor and helped others along the way too.
Also, as a huge picture book fan, working with Neal Porter, Taylor Norman, Victo Ngai, and the team at Holiday House has been a delight.
Thanks Vivian for sharing this special day with me and your readers.
ME: Thank you, dear Stacy! You definitely exhibited all 5P’s – Passion, Practice, Preparation, Patience, and Perseverance – and I am so very thrilled for you!
And now, dear blog readers, here is a little bit about the author and illustrator:
Stacy S. Jensen is a former newspaper journalist always searching for unique stories for children, which has led her to historical sites, state and national parks, and everyday spots like the grocery store. When not writing, she enjoys time with family, reading, and paper quilling. She also volunteers to support literacy, youth, and children’s programs. Previously a Colorado resident, she now lives in Marietta, Georgia at the base of a mountain with her husband, son, and two Vizslas, who walk their humans daily. Stacy can be found online at stacysjensen.com.
Victo Ngai is a Forbes 30 Under honoree and a Society of Illustrators New York Gold Medalist. Her illustrations have been featured in the New York Times and the New Yorker, among others; she also creates storyboards and art for NBC, Dreamworks, and other animation studios. Originally from Hong Kong, she now lives in Los Angeles.
And don’t forget, there is a GIVEAWAY…please leave a comment for a chance to win a copy of BEFORE I LIVED HERE…maybe you can share what you see when you look out your back window.
Thank you for spending your precious time with us. I hope you all have a wonderful week!
