A couple of years ago, author Karen Greenwald showed me the manuscript for THE MUD ANGELS: How Students Saved the City of Florence. I read it and I told her: THIS IS A BOOK!

And now it is!!! HAPPY BOOK BIRTHDAY TO THE MUD ANGELS!!!

The cover is everything we could hope – wonderful color palette…and beautiful art! And I love how the title is sitting in the muck and mud! Olga Lee did a fabulous job!

Here’s a little bit about the book from the Amazon sales page:
Based on real events, this story shows how a team of international volunteers worked together to save priceless artifacts after a flood.

When the Arno River floods the city of Florence, Italy in 1966, it leaves slimy, smelly mud everywhere. A young girl watches students from around the world, many from the US, help save the town’s rare treasures, earning themselves the nickname Gli Angeli del Fango, the Mud Angels.

According to the publisher, the book targets ages 4-8 – but honestly, this is a picture book that also belongs in the upper elementary and middle school classroom! What a fabulous story to encourage young readers to become activists – to get involved with what’s going on around them, in their school and in their community and beyond.
So please, dear friends, spread the word:
Share on your social media
Place it on your GOODREADS WANT TO READ SHELF
Review it on Amazon
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection
Buy the book

And now, because author Karen is such a sweetheart, she stopped by to share a bit of the story behind the story – what drew her to write MUD ANGELS.
ME: Welcome, dear Karen…thank you for coming to chat with us!

KAREN: Hi Vivian, it’s lovely to be here. Thank you so much for joining the celebration for THE MUD ANGELS.
When you first begin learning how to write picture books, you start hearing about all the rules. This can feel overwhelming at times. However, there is one that I find myself returning to again and again—the idea that you should write what you feel personally connected to or have experience with. This is advice not to ignore! The Mud Angels touches on many facets of my life, from the environmental aspects to my obvious and enormous love of libraries, from the fact that it was the first-time books were treated as art, to my interest in studying various cultures…and, ultimately, the community of global youth that joined harmoniously to do something important for the world. I have loved researching, interviewing, and learning about this dark (and yet, hopeful) period in history. Along the way, the process has yielded me new friendships, education, and food for thought. It even inspired me to take Italian!

I hope others in kid lit find stories to write that nurture their souls as much as this one does mine!

That’s fabulous advice, Karen. Because when we feel connected with the story we are researching, the writing shows that – and the reader connects, too.

To connect with Karen and find out more about her books: https://www.karengreenwald.com/

And here’s a totally cool trailer for MUD ANGELS from Italy:

Thank you for spending your precious time with us. Please come back tomorrow for Perfect Picture Book Friday when we welcome Lydia Lukidis and her new book, DANCING THROUGH SPACE!