Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, dear friends. #50PreciousWords 2025 is over…at least until next year. I’m immersed in distributing prizes, but don’t know if I’ll get through the entire list before I leave on my next trip. YES…I’m just getting ready for another trip…to Vienna and Salzburg (Sound of Music) in Austria and Lisbon and Porto in Portugal…my vision may be blurry, but I am moving forward with life – because forward is the way to go. And I’m excited to share a brand new book from one of my favorite kid lit folks, Rosie J. Pova.
SALLY’S MUSICAL TALE
Written by Rose J. Pova
Illustrated by Claire Zhang
Published by Yeehoo Press
And hurray…we are very lucky because Rosie has stopped by to tell us a little more about the book and the story behind the story! Welcome, Rosie!!!
ROSIE: Hello Vivian! Thank you so much for inviting me to chat about my newest book!
Here’s a little bit About the book’s journey to publication
This story idea sparked during a writing exercise at an all-day, in-person workshop with Tammi Sauer back in 2015. After that, I drafted the manuscript, revised it, and began submitting it to agents and publishers over time.
Along the way, the story caught the attention of several publishing professionals, which was both encouraging and validating. I even received multiple offers of representation from agents. Ultimately, this manuscript found its perfect home with Yeehoo Press, the same publisher behind The School of Failure: A Story About Success.
Now, in 2025, I’m thrilled to finally share this book with readers—ten years after the idea first took root. Its journey to publication has been long, but I truly believe it’s arriving at just the right moment.
What makes this release even more special is that the book will also be translated into Chinese, debuting in the year of the Snake—how perfect is that?
Yeehoo Press has some exciting plans for educators, including a fun poster with snake facts, a Teacher’s Guide, and other classroom resources. I can’t wait to see teachers and librarians use these tools to engage their students and share the story!
Here’s a little bit about Rosie:
Rosie J. Pova is an award-winning children’s book author, poet, writing coach, and speaker. Her picture book Sunday Rain was featured in The New York Times and Parents magazine and has been translated into Arabic. She received a silver medal from the Readers’ Favorite Awards for The School of Failure: A Story About Success, and her latest book, Sally’s Musical Tale, was just released.
Rosie enjoys visiting schools to inspire children to read, write, and pursue their big dreams. As a writing coach, she has guided many aspiring picture book authors toward publishing success through her Mentorships, Picture Book Writers’ Hub Mastermind, and Picture Book Mastery course.
Follow Rosie on social media and find out more about her and her work at www.rosiejpova.com
Here’s a little bit about the book:
Sally is an ambitious snake who dreams of playing the piano. Everyone says, “It’s hands-down impossible!” But she’s determined to succeed…
And, because we know how important it is to support new books, here are Book Order links:
Local indie, Interabang: https://interabangbooks.com/book/9781953458803
Barnes & Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/sallys-musical-tale-rosie-j-pova/1145986523
Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/Sallys-Musical-Tale-Rosie-Pova/dp/1953458807/
Thank you, dear readers, for spending your precious time with us! I hope you all have a wonderful weekend! And even though I won’t be here from April 10 through April 24, I’ve scheduled a couple of posts – because Martha Self Simpson has a new book, A RING FOR A KING – and we’ll be celebrating with a Perfect Picture Book Post on April 11…and Dana Miroballi has a new book, INVENTIONS TO COUNT ON, and we’ll be celebrating with a book birthday post on April 15 – that’s tax day, right? Have you filed yours yet?
VIVIAN KIRKFIELD - Writer for Children 