Perfect Picture Book Friday: DOLL TROUBLE Plus Giveaway

Posted on August 14, 2026 by viviankirkfield

Hello dear friends! Happy Perfect Picture book Friday! I’m thrilled to share a BRAND-NEW picture book with you. And we are so fortunate because…author Kim Larson stopped by to share the story behind the story…her inspiration for this book AND she and the publisher are offering a GIVEAWAY…later in the post I’ll explain how to enter the giveaway AND how to receive an extra ticket in the giveaway hat!

Title: Doll Trouble

Written by: Kim A. Larson

Illustrated by: Nataša Vertelj

Publisher: Clavis Publishing

ISBN#: 979-8890631220

Suitable For Ages: 3-8

SYNOPSIS:
A heartwarming story about loss, courage, and empathy.
Emma takes her beloved doll Mia everywhere she goes. They play, laugh, and cry together, but one day something happens that makes Mia look less than perfect. The children in the neighborhood tease Emma about her broken doll, so she hides Mia and plays with her new, beautiful doll instead. But no matter how hard she tries, Emma can’t forget Mia. When she meets Sophia, who doesn’t have a doll, Emma suddenly knows what to do.

WHY I LOVE THIS BOOK:
1. I love heartwarming stories that inspire children to be kind and compassionate.
2. I love books that are filled with glorious illustrations that help kids engage with the story.
3. I love stories that empower young readers and listeners to hold strong, even when they have to stand alone.

ME: And now it’s time to welcome author Kim A. Larson! Hello, Kim! Thank you for stopping by. We always love to hear the story behind the story. Can you share what inspired you to write this book?

KIM: Thanks so much for helping me celebrate the beautiful book, Vivian. I’d be happy to share.
As the oldest of five siblings, my toys rarely “lived” to see old age. Between a house full of kids and a particularly destructive brother, I spent a lot of my childhood figuring out how to keep loving my dolls after they ended up with missing limbs or shaved heads. Those early lessons in empathy—loving something even when it isn’t “perfect”—became the heart of this story.

But the spark for Doll Trouble really ignited when I watched the kids next door playing while their dad mowed the lawn. It brought back the memory of my cousin, who lost several toes in a lawnmower accident as a child. I wanted to weave those two worlds together: a story that celebrates the resilience of a well-loved toy, while gently alerting children to the very real dangers of lawnmowers. It’s my way of helping kids stay brave, empathetic, and most importantly, safe.

ME: THANK YOU SO MUCH, KIM! I love the intention you brought to writing this story.

RELATED ACTIVITIES:
DIY DOLL-MAKING TUTORIAL

Here’s a little bit about author Larson:
Kim A. Larson writes humorous and lyrical picture books and more. She is the author of Doll Trouble (Clavis Publishing, 2026) and Goat’s Boat Won’t Float (The Little Press, 2024). She was honored to receive the SCBWI Ann Whitford Paul Award, two Minnesota State Arts Board grants, and three Lake Region Arts Council grants. Kim lives in Minnesota, and when she’s not writing, you may find her gardening or playing Sequence with her husband. Visit Kim’s website to learn more about her and her work, or connect with her on social media via linktr.ee.

To order a copy of DOLL TROUBLE, you can go here.

To be entered in the giveaway of a copy of DOLL TROUBLE, please leave a comment and share this post on your social media platforms. This giveaway is open to US and Canadian addresses only.
To qualify for the Bonus Giveaway
Subscribe to Kim’s newsletter by August for another chance to win (US & Canada only). You’ll also receive a PDF copy of her first published book of short stories and poems: Love, Laughter, and a few Happily Ever Afters.

Thank you all for spending your precious time with us. I hope you have a beautiful weekend.

Happy Book Birthday: EVEN STEVEN

Posted on April 14, 2026 by viviankirkfield

Strike up the band! It’s time to celebrate…a new book is born! And this one is written by one of my long-time CPs, Carrie Finison and illustrated by the fabulous Daniel Wiseman. Back in 2012, when I was first dipping my toes into the world of writing kid lit and had just joined 12×12 in its inaugural year, Carrie reached out on the 12×12 FB page to start a critique group. I hopped on board…and the rest is history! I remember seeing EVEN STEVEN in its earlier drafts…and I can tell you that I loved it even in its infancy.

And now we are so lucky, because Carrie has stopped by to chat with us.
ME: Welcome, Carrie. Thanks for stopping by! Can you share a bit about what inspired you to write EVEN STEVEN? And maybe a little about the path to publication?

CARRIE: I’m so happy to be here, Vivian. And I’d love to share what inspired the story…and more!

The inspiration for Even Steven: A Book About Sharing might have (/PROBABLY DID) come from my children literally using our kitchen scale to weigh out brownies, using tape to make a dividing line exactly in the middle of their seats in the car, and using a timer to make sure no one got more than their fair share of computer time. I’m sure most parents and anyone with a sibling is familiar with these scenarios. Kids love making sure things are even!

Challenges on the path to publication:

I had the title and character name “Even Steven” in my head for quite a few years before I started writing. I imagined the character of Steven to be a kid who wanted everything to be so exactly even that he sometimes got himself into ludicrous situations. But I kept getting stuck with HOW to present this character in a way that kids would consider funny but not ridiculous or baby-ish.

It wasn’t until a year or two after my book Don’t Hug Doug, also illustrated by Daniel Wiseman, was released that I realized that the same format might work very well for Even Steven. I wanted to place the reader in the role of “knowing better” than the main character, Steven. In order to reinforce that, the cast of characters in the book all know better than Steven – and they tell him so!

The format of dialogue balloons, paired with narrative text, enables both the characters in the book and the reader to acknowledge the humor and silliness of the situations that Steven creates with his insistence on perfect evenness. Instead of the reader thinking, “I’m supposed to believe this?” the format places the reader and book on the same side, both saying, “Can you believe this kid?”

At the same time, Steven is very earnest in his desire to share. Sharing becomes a puzzle that he’s trying to figure out – with a little help from the other characters in the book, and the reader. I hope it’s a puzzle that readers will have fun solving with Steven, and in their own lives.

Buy the book:
www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/763244/even-steven-by-carrie-finison-illustrated-by-daniel-wiseman/

About the author:

Carrie Finison writes children’s books with humor and heart that are fun to read aloud. Her books include Dozens of Doughnuts and the sequel, Plenty of Pancakes; Don’t Hug Doug, an ALA Notable Children’s Book; Even Steven: A Book About Sharing; Lulu & Zoey: A Sister Story; Hurry, Little Tortoise, Time for School; Pigs Dig a Road; and Touch a Truck Day, a lift-the-flap board book. She lives outside of Boston with her husband, son, and daughter, and two cats who permit her to work in their cozy attic office.

Website: www.carriefinison.com
Instagram: @carriefinison

About the illustrator:

Daniel Wiseman is the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of The World Needs More Purple People by Kristen Bell and Benjamin Hart. He has illustrated many books for kids, including Goodbye Brings Hello by Dianne White, Play This Book by Jessica Young, When Your Lion Needs a Bath by Susanna Leonard Hill, and the Baby Scientist series by Laura Gehl. He lives with his family in Knoxville, Tennessee.

Website: www.danieldraws.com
Instagram: @d_wiseman

Thank you all for spending your precious time with us! I should have an update soon on the #50PreciousWords Literacy Initiative. And I’m still in prize distribution mode for #50PreciousWords…I’m about half-way through the list and it’s been a pure joy to connect with so many amazing writers…the people in the kid lit community are very special, that’s for sure! And the prize donors are incredible also…I’m grateful to all of you!

Cover Reveal: MUSIC PLANTS HOPE

Posted on October 6, 2025 by viviankirkfield

Hello dear blog friends! It’s Monday…and I wanted to provide you with a positive start to your week. And what could be better than a COVER REVEAL!

The kid-lit community is filled with incredible people…and when long-time friend Tonnye Fletcher reached out to let me know she had a new book, MUSIC PLANTS HOPE, illustrated by Natalia Bruno, launching next May, I knew I’d want to help her celebrate! It’s an honor to welcome her to Picture Books Help Kids Soar.

ME: Thank you so much for stopping by, Tonnye. Our readers love to find out the story behind the story – and we appreciate your time.
Can you tell us a little bit about the book?

TONNYE: It’s a joy to be here, Vivian. I’m so happy to be sharing the cover of my debut picture book on your blog!

MUSIC PLANTS HOPE, illustrated by Natalia Bruno and published by Reycraft, flies into bookstores on May 26, 2026

It is the story of the concert for plants in Barcelona during the Covid 19 Pandemic. The brief prologue and epilogue tell the facts of the story, but the rest tells the story of the impact of the music – a lyrical retelling of the concert from the moment the string quartet steps onto the stage until they exit the stage.

ME: What inspired you to write this story?

TONNYE:
On June 25, 2020, Alice Fugate tweeted this:”I don’t know how exactly just yet but could there be a picture book story in this quirky delightful scene? 🙂 #mswl” (https://x.com/AliceSFugate/status/1276122872352845824) I took her up on her challenge and wrote 3 different versions of the story: an expository nonfiction account of the concert, a story that followed one of the plants from the nursery, through the concert and home with the healthcare worker, and this lyrical account of the concert.

ME: Can you share a humorous incident and/or challenging moment on the path to publication?

TONNYE:
Well, I wrote three versions, inspired by Alice’s tweet, went on to polish all three stories through several critique groups, sent her all three with the hopes that she would like one of them, but no, it was a rejection for all three of them. Not even a R&R – nothing. She said, “I enjoyed learning a little more about this musical event (and listening to Puccini’s piece). I’m afraid however that these various versions seem to lack focus and structure, and I’m not as in love with them as I would want to be in order to move forward and will therefore stand aside.” I queried the story and pitched it many more times before Winsome Bingham of Reycraft picked it up from a pitch party in Feb. 2023.

ME: Oh…a pitch party! Many writers ask me if those are worth doing…and I guess, based on your experience, the answer is YES! Thank you so much for sharing all of this with us!

ME: Dear blog followers…here’s a little info about Tonnye:
Tonnye Fletcher is an M.Ed, National Board-certified veteran teacher with experience in second and third grade classrooms, as well as k-2 music. Tonnye is a strong literacy advocate, leading a local council of the NC Reading Association and volunteering within NCRA in various capacities. She is passionate about reading, music, and the intersection of those two. To that end, she hosts PBJamz, a multimedia blog series highlighting picture books with musical hooks. Tonnye participates in SCBWI and in Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 Picture Book Challenge. She is represented by Joyce Sweeney of the Seymour Agency. At home, Tonnye and her husband, Shane, and a few feline fur-babies, live on a family farm they share with extended family. There are many family dinners around the table in the 1882-built Victorian farmhouse that they will be renovating for years to come.

And here’s a little info about the illustrator:
Natalia Bruno is an illustrator who lives in a small town called Veronica, in the Buenos Aires province of Argentina, with her husband and two cats. She has always loved telling stories and has been drawing since she could hold a pencil. Her journey down the path of visual arts began when she studied photography a couple of years ago. At the same time, she became interested in the world of illustration and picture books, which led her to take several art workshops. Her work tools are traditional: gouache, acrylics, oil pastels, and colored pencils on paper.

We all know that there are ways WE can help new books become a success. We can:
Buy the book
Review the book
Tell friends about the book (please SHARE on your SOCIAL MEDIA)
Ask your local library to purchase copies for their collection

Here are some pre-order links
Bookshop.org https://bookshop.org/p/books/music-plants-hope/2e574b409cd3665e?ean=9781478890805&next=t

Amazon.com
https://www.amazon.com/dp/1478890800?ref_=cm_sw_r_ffobk_cp_ud_dp_XCND19CABBW2W5FJ6PC3&bestFormat=true
B&N” https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/music-plants-hope-tonnye-fletcher/1148124460?ean=9781478890805
Reycraft

social media links:
BlueSky https://bsky.app/profile/tonnyef.bsky.social
Twitter/X https://x.com/tonnyef
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/tonnyefletcher67/
Pinterest https://www.pinterest.com/tonnyef/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/TWFauthor
YouTube https://www.youtube.com/@tonnyefletcher1523 Website https://www.tonnyefletcher.com/