Tag Archives: Inclusion

Happy Book Birthday: EMILY SAW A DOOR Plus Giveaway

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Can you feel the excitement? I can!!! I always feel this way when a new book flies into bookstores and we get a chance to celebrate…and in this case, the author IS flying (he lives in Israel and is in NYC for various book events including a book launch TODAY at The Corner Bookstore on Madison Avenue ) and the book is knocking on bookstores and they are welcoming it with open arms because it’s fabulous…and because the illustrations are amazing…and because the name of the book is…

EMILY SAW A DOOR

ME: And we are so lucky because Mel stopped by to chat with us and tell us a bit about the book and its path to publication! Welcome to Picture Books Help Kids Soar, dear friend. We are so excited to have you here. Please share a bit about the book and your journey with it.

MEL: Thank you so much, Vivian. It’s a joy to be here.
Here’s a short summary of the story

Emily knocks on door after door, seeking to be welcomed inside. After facing one disappointment after another, she realizes that the door that is right for her is the one she must create herself. When another child comes knocking, Emily is there with an open door and a warm welcome.

And here’s the story behind the story…that is, what inspired me to write the story and/or any humorous incidents and/or challenging moments on the path to publication.

As a short, pudgy, left-handed, Jewish child growing up in an anti-Semitic neighborhood in Ottawa, rejection was a regular occurrence. But I think that the main impetus for the story came from the hundreds of rejections I endured as an author trying to break into the world of traditional publishing. Ironically, my story about doors and rejection turned out to be the door that opened and welcomed me in.

ME: Oh Mel…I love that you kept moving forward…and I know that ALL of the writers who read this will connect with your story of rejection, whether they are aspiring authors or multi-published. And not only writers…since EVERYONE deals with challenges and the possible destruction of their dreams. Your words…and your book…give hope…and inspire us to never give up!

A little bit about the author:
Professor Mel Rosenberg is a Canadian-born author, scientist and inventor. His TED-Ed animations have been viewed 14 million times. Mel hosts the Children’s Literature channel of the New Books Network. Emily Saw a Door is his first North American picture book release. He is represented by Liza Royce Associates.

And a little bit about the illustrator:
Orit Magia is a children’s book author and illustrator celebrated for her whimsical visual storytelling and memorable characters. Her art brings emotion and depth to every scene she creates.

Illustrations by Orit Magia

MEL: I also want to shout out that the original book was published in Hebrew in 2023, by Meira Firon (publisher, Tal-May) and chief editor Yotam Shwimmer. They picked my story out of the ‘pile,’ worked with me on revision and translation, chose Orit Magia, and created a wonderful book which won awards and has recently been given to  50,000 children in Israel, thanks to PJ Library. 

ME: WOW! The story about the book’s journey gets better and better, Mel. And the illustrations are glorious! I can’t wait for my copy to be delivered!
And, dear friends, if you want a chance to speak with Mel (he is kind and brilliant and funny), make sure you leave a comment to be entered in the giveaway of a 30-minute Zoom chat. He says he is willing to talk about any subject…even halitosis (he’s a scientist and inventor, after all).

To learn more about Mel and get in touch with him:
If you are local to NYC, you can attend his LAUNCH PARTY at The Corner Bookstore!

COME CELEBRATE OUR BOOK LAUNCH IN NYC!!!!

Mel Rosenberg, Ph.D., Children’s Author
Co-founder, www.ourboox.
EMILY SAW A DOOR COVER REVEAL
PRE-ORDER BOOK LINK FOR EMILY SAW A DOOR
Author website: authormel.com
linktree:   https://linktr.ee/doctormel
Host, Children’s Literature Channel, NBN 
And you can also purchase a copy of EMILY SAW A DOOR here!

Illustration by Orit Magia

Thank you all for spending your precious time with us. I hope you have a wonderful week! And I hope that lots of you are working on your #50PreciousWords entries.

Perfect Picture Book Friday: WAT TAKES HIS SHOT Plus Giveaway

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Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. I’ve taken a step back from blogging this summer because I have a couple of overseas trips plus eye surgery in the coming months. But I do have a number of posts already scheduled for July and August. And when I heard that Cheryl Kim’s new book, WAT TAKES HIS SHOT: The Life and Legacy of Basketball Hero Watara Misaka, had just launched this week, I knew I’d want to share it with all of you. And we are so lucky…the lovely Cheryl stopped by to share a bit of her path to publication and she is offering a giveaway of a signed copy of the book and book swag to ONE LUCKY WINNER.

WAT TAKES HIS SHOT: THE LIFE AND LEGACY OF BASKETBALL HERO WATARU MISAKA

Written by Cheryl Kim

Illustrated by Nat Iwata

Published by Lee & Low Books

Age: 6-12

Themes: Sports biography, diversity & inclusion, determination

Synopsis: From Amazon:
The stirring biography of Japanese American basketball star Wataru Misaka–the first person of color to play in the NBA!

As a kid, Wataru Misaka channeled his endless energy into playing sports. Every Sunday, he raced to the park where his Japanese American community came together to play basketball. Wat wasn’t the tallest on the team, but he was fast and loved the game! Encouraged by his father to always do his best, Wat applied this mentality to every aspect and challenge in his life.

Wat was a college student when the US government forced more than 122,000 Japanese Americans living on the West Coast into incarceration camps during WWII. He overcame racism and segregation to join his college’s basketball team but despite Wat’s impressive skills, he was treated as an outsider because he was Japanese American. Wat kept his eye on the ball, and his team-player mentality made him shine on and off the court. He became an inspiration to his Japanese American community. After helping Utah University’s basketball team win the national championship in 1947, Wat was drafted by the New York Knicks, making him the first person of color to play in the NBA.

Wat’s motivational story of rising to any challenge and bringing your best to everything you do is a reminder of the power we each have to inspire others–if we just take our shot!

Why I Love This Book:
1. I love books that tell stories of real people who overcame great odds to succeed – and that hard work, determination, and never giving up are three elements necessary for success!
2. I love books that open a page of history to truthfully tell what happened – so that we can hopefully learn from history and do better and not make those same mistakes!
3. I love books with strong text, great page turns, and bold art!

RELATED ACTIVITIES:

Photo courtesy: https://www.redtedart.com/basketball-crafts-for-kids/

Take a look at these cool basketball crafts: https://www.redtedart.com/basketball-crafts-for-kids/

ME: And now let’s welcome Cheryl to Picture Books Help Kids Soar!

CHERYL: Thank you so much, Vivian. It’s a pleasure to be here.
A challenging moment on the path to publication:
My agent and I went out on submission with high hopes and over the course of a year, the rejections starting rolling in. We received one revise and resubmit and several no’s for various reasons. 

I spent the next year and a half going through more rounds of revision before resubmitting again. Putting so much time into a project without knowing the outcome is hard! But ultimately, I’m thankful for all the feedback which helped make the manuscript stronger and for the eventual “yes” that came along! 

Here’s a little bit about Cheryl and how to find out more about her books:
Cheryl is a second grade teacher from California.  She and her family have lived in Thailand for the past 9 years. Her husband works with an anti-trafficking organization and she teaches at Grace International School. She is also a writer for Kane Press’ Sports Illustrated Stars of Sports series and Eureka! The Biography of an Idea series. Two things she loves: Spending time with family & friends and drinking all kinds of tea from boba to chai lattes. 

Website:https://cherylkimbooks.com/
Instagram/X/Threads: @cheryltkim


And please remember, dear friends, we can help new books succeed if we:
Buy them
Review them
Place them on our Goodreads Want to Read Shelf
Tell friends about them (please share this post on your social media)
Ask our local library to purchase copies for their collection

I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! I’ll be packing for my trip…I’m flying to Vienna with my son on Monday…and will be gone till July 11 – and I am NOT taking my computer…but I’ll have my phone so I’ll be able to check emails and messages.
And don’t forget to leave a comment for a chance to WIN a signed copy of WAT TAKES HIS SHOT and book swag.

Happy Book Birthday AND Perfect Picture Book Friday: JUST FLOWERS

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Sometimes a book comes along that is so inclusive, I want to HUG the author and illustrator! And guess what? This brand-new, just-launched-today book by author Erin Dealey and illustrator Kate Cosgrove is exactly that! Each page BURSTS with individuals who have long been marginalized…and they appear in the most natural and organic of ways – huge congratulations to the publisher, Sleeping Bear Press, for giving the world such a beautiful and much-needed book!

I hope you’ll join me in a rousing Happy Birthday to You for JUST FLOWERS!

JUST FLOWERS

Written by Erin Dealey

Illustrated by Kate Cosgrove

Published by Sleeping Bear Press

Ages: 4-8

Themes:

Synopsis from Amazon:
Izzy’s new neighbor is a bit of a grump–though they are both botanically inclined. When the neighbor discovers unwanted flowers–again and again–in his precious rose garden, he bids Izzy to take them away. Izzy does–and uses the blooms to brighten someone else’s day. Before long, the town is bursting with Izzy’s flowers. The grumpy neighbor doesn’t see the fuss. “They’re JUST FLOWERS!” he yells. “Just flowers” that brought joy and color to everyone in town. Can Izzy finally get that neighbor to accept the bloom of friendship? Back matter includes a seek-and-find and information on the flowers mentioned in the book.

Why I Love This Book:
1. I love stories that encourage children to have hope and share kindness.
2. I love stories that burst with inclusivity – important characters and characters in leadership roles have all types of disabilities – we see the principal has a prosthetic leg, a child in a wheelchair – and are of all nationalities and colors and genders.
3. I love stories that are filled with fabulous art – the illustrations are so joyful – even the grumpy old neighbor!

RELATED ACTIVITIES:
Flower Crafts for Kids

Photo courtesy: https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/52654/21-flower-crafts-for-kids/

Check out this link for detailed instructions on 25 awesome flower craft activities for kids: https://kidsactivitiesblog.com/52654/21-flower-crafts-for-kids/

And please remember that the best way to help beautiful books become a success is to:
Buy them
Review them
Add them to your Goodreads Want to Read Shelf
Tell friends about them (please share this post on your social media
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

Thank you all for spending your precious time with us. Speaking about precious…
we are still working our way through all 672 awesome contest submissions…not sure if another week will do it…but I’ll keep you posted.
Meanwhile, I spoke to Cassie at The Bookery bookstore in Manchester. She says she has about 70 books in the #50PreciousWords pile. Thank you to all who have purchased books! And I also have about 30 books that have been mailed to me by authors…plus about 50 books sent to me from publishers which I plan to add to the pile.

Of course, I’m hoping we are not done – please remember there are kids out there whose lives will change because of the books they read in their classroom or school library – and with the Literacy Initiative, we are helping to provide those books. If you participated in #50PreciousWords and haven’t ordered a book yet but are able to now, here is the bookstore online website: https://www.shopbookerymht.com/
And here is their phone number if you prefer to order with a person: (603) 836-6600
Maybe someone will order JUST FLOWERS! Or CHRISTMAS AHOY! Or DEAR EARTH: FROM YOUR FRIENDS IN ROOM 5 or some of Erin Dealey’s other fabulous books!

And here is a link to the latest PW issue that features a Q&A celebrating Women’s History Month – I think you’ll recognize at least one of the authors! I’m honored to join such an A-list group.

Have a wonderful weekend, dear friends. And remember the message of JUST FLOWERS! Please share beauty and kindness. The Universe needs to be fed positive energy – and that energy comes from us.