It's Mother Goose Day!

Mother Goose nursery rhymes are enjoyable for young children to be able to hear the playful side of our language. In honor of Mother Goose Day...

    chime in 

       this story-time

             full of rhyme!

A Mother Goose collection not to be missed! It's Mother Goose with a twist...

Grumbles From the Town

by Jane Yolen, Rebecca Kai Dotlich and Angela Matteson

published by Wordsong

This newly published story brings the Mother Goose characters in for the win...

Mother Goose to the Rescue!

by Nate Evans, Stephanie Gwyn Brown and Jessica Gibson

published by Penguin Workshop

This oldie but goldie was my son's favorite book, many moons ago. There's more than we know about the day in the life of that teeny-weeny spider...

The Itsy Bitsy Spider

by Iza Trapani

published by Charlesbridge

My favorite accomplice for writing in rhyme is Rhyme Zone! There's so much more than meets the eye - give it a try!

The Circle of Life

I hadn't planned to write this post. But after the recent passing of my 97 year old grandma, it is on my heart to curate a few books on the subject because...well, we all face it at some point. My children were young when my dad died. Their Poppa was only 62. I wish I had thought to get books together for them.

ida, ALWAYS

by Caron Levis and Charles Santoso

published by Antheneum Books for Young Readers

From Goodreads:

Then one sad day, Gus learns that Ida is very sick, and she isn’t going to get better. The friends help each other face the difficult news with whispers, sniffles, cuddles, and even laughs. Slowly Gus realizes that even after Ida is gone, she will still be with him—through the sounds of their city, and the memories that live in their favorite spots.

Dance like a Leaf

by A.J. Irving and Claudia Navarro

published by Barefoot Books

From Goodreads:

As her grandmother's health declines, a young girl begins to lovingly take the lead in their cozy shared autumn traditions. Poetic prose paired with evocative illustrations by Mexican illustrator Claudia Navarro make for a beautiful celebration of life and a gentle introduction to the death of a loved one.

the remember balloons

by Jessie Oliveros and Dana Wulfekotte

published by Simon Schuster Books for Young Readers

From Goodreads:

James’s Grandpa has the best balloons because he has the best memories. He has balloons showing Dad when he was young and Grandma when they were married. Grandpa has balloons about camping and Aunt Nelle’s poor cow. Grandpa also has a silver balloon filled with the memory of a fishing trip he and James took together.

But when Grandpa’s balloons begin to float away, James is heartbroken. No matter how hard he runs, James can’t catch them. One day, Grandpa lets go of the silver balloon—and he doesn’t even notice!

Grandpa no longer has balloons of his own. But James has many more than before. It’s up to him to share those balloons, one by one.

National Let's Laugh Day! (a day late)

 

Everyone loves to laugh. And it's good for you, too! We all may find different things funny - and that's ok! Here are some of my recent funny finds!

Funny Fiction Favorites:

Potato Pants!

by Laurie Keller

published by Henry Holt & Co

Chicken Break! A Counting Book

by Cate Berry and Charlotte Alder

published by Feiwel & Friends

Knockout Nonfiction: A playful look at nature!

I See Sea Food: Sea Creatures that Look Like Food

by Jenna Grodzicki

published by Millbrook Press

Explore More - Online Jokes!

National Bird Month

I have a newfound love of birdwatching. I even asked for a better pair of binoculars for my birthday. 

So, in celebration of National Bird Month...

Childhood Favorite! Yes, I DO still have my copy, as loved as it is! 

The Best Nest

Written and Illustrated by P.D. Eastman

Published by: Random House Books for Young Readers

New Fun Fiction! This sweet Wordy Birdy has a few things to say. 

Wordy Birdy 

written by: Tammi Sauer

Illustrated by: Dave Mottram

Published by: Dragonfly Books

Knockout Nonfiction! I want this one on my bookshelf!

Audubon Birding Adventures for Kids

Written by: Elissa Wolfsen

and Margaret Barker

Published by: Cool Springs Press

Explore More - Online!

 National Geographic Kids Birds 

National Thesaurus Day - January 18

A Thesaurus is a must-have book for writers. You can look up any word and find synonyms, or words that mean the same thing. In honor of National Thesaurus Day, I will share some of my favorite, favored and prized books.

A fun fiction story using synonyms throughout!

A child friendly biography about Peter Mark Roget, the creator of the Thesaurus! Gorgeous illustrations!

One of my favorites for writing! Unique!

And my ALL-TIME favorite series!

And a visit to thesaurus.com is sure to help with your perfect word-choice needs.

The Promise of a New Year

I always love the promise of a new writing year. This one, of course, exponentially so! 

Renewing my memberships. 

Looking over my juicy To-Read shelf on Goodreads.

Setting writing goals.

Embracing my morning pages.

Looking forward to the new webinars, blog posts and contests.

It's such an energizing time of year. Though I'm never ready by Jan 1, I'm usually ready by the second week of January. And here I am! 

This year, I have a new accountability partner for my writing life. I've found new motivational newsletters. And I'm excited to read new stories, new manuscripts and new books. This kid-lit world is the best!

#PBCritiqueFest

Whoa...calling all writers! Look at this fantastic opportunity to win a critique by an author, illustrator, or agent. The list is amazing, and I'm SO appreciative of their time!  

Author Bios

Illustrator Bios

Agent Bios

Check out #PBCritiqueFest on Brian Gehrlein's blog PBSpotlight.com. You can also sign up for his blog posts to come directly to your email. I highly recommend it. He has great posts!

Fall Writing Frenzy

I have taken the challenge... the Fall Writing Frenzy challenge! Hop over and take a look at all the photos. See if one inspires a story, poem, or any other musings. Then enter the contest. Hurry! It's only open for three days. A huge THANK YOU to all the donors for prizes and, of course, to the hosts, Kaitlyn Sanchez and Lydia Lukidis and to the whole kid lit community! 

I selected this sweet picture and was inspired to write a little poem.

THE PUMPKIN PATCH
(Image 5)

Pirates wear a black patch.
And fairies wear a leaf patch,
a splotchy reddish tree patch.
Come and twirl with me. 

Flutter through the sun patch.
Then sputter through the light patch,
a shiny yellow bright patch.
Come and swirl with me. 

Slide along the frost patch.
Or bounce along the rough patch,
a hidden bumpy tough patch.
Come and whirl with me.

Pick one from the orange patch.
And stuff the scarecrow’s knee patch.
Then zag into the maze patch. 
Come and furl with me.