Blog Tour & Giveaway: That's (Not) Mine

That's (Not) Mine
by Anna Kang; Illustrated by Christopher Weyant
Two Lions (September 1, 2015)
Audience: Ages 3 to 6 years
Fiction * Sharing * Friendship
Curriculum Guide
Amazon * WorldCat
 

Description from Publisher:
Two fuzzy creatures both want to sit in the same comfy chair. The trouble is, they can’t agree who it belongs to. They get madder and madder, until…

With expressive illustrations and simple text, this giggle-inducing tale about (not) sharing and (not) being a good friend features the endearing characters from Theodor Seuss Geisel Award winner You Are (Not) Small.

My thoughts on the book:
Early on Monday morning, February 2nd, I sat with the other members of the Schneider Family Book Award jury having breakfast as we waited for the Youth Media Awards to begin. Since we already knew our winners, we were taking guesses at what books would win other awards. Some of our members had previously served on the Geisel Award Committee and as we chatted about criteria for the Geisel Award, I boldly proclaimed that You Are (Not) Small would win. I did not have any insider knowledge. I just loved the book and felt that it was the perfect choice. When the announcement came that You Are (Not) Small had indeed won the award, my committee members turned to smile and give me a "thumbs up". I had called it. Maybe luck, but the Geisel committee had great taste in books. 

Of course, I was excited about another book from husband and wife team, Weyant & Kang. Could they deliver as they had with their debut book? Sometimes picture book sequels fall horribly flat. The wonderful concept and characters in a first book may seem fresh and new but when done again leaves you wanting more. However, I am here to report good news. Kang & Weyant have brought back their lovable animal characters (Are they bears? Who cares...they are really cute.) and this time a chair is the center of their attention. Is it yours or is it mine? No worries.  Everyone is a winner because as readers we have a follow-up that is just as delightful as its predecessor. 

Themes of friendship and sharing are front and center and the exclamations of "That's mine." and "Mine" will resonate with both the child and adult reading this book.  The perfect read aloud look for young readers to request this one over and over again.  Also, kindergarten students will celebrate being able to read this one aloud without help as they learn to read the individual words that comprise this text. 

If you loved You Are (Not) Small, then you will want That's (Not) Mine.  And on January 11, 2016 in Boston at the next Youth Media Award announcements, I am hoping for another shiny sticker for team Kang & Weyant. 

Look for this book at a local bookstore or at your public library.  

About the author and illustrator: 
Husband-and-wife team Anna Kang and Christopher Weyant are the creators of You Are (Not) Small, which won the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award and was named a Notable Children’s Book by the American Library Association. They live in New Jersey with their two daughters, Kate and Lily, a guinea pig named Athena, and a hermit crab named Olaf.

Anna, a native New Yorker, grew up believing everything was hers until one day she realized it was her brother’s, too. She received a master’s degree in fine arts from the USC School of Cinematic Arts, where the visual storyteller in her was awakened, forever changing the way she saw art, life, and everything in between. In addition to writing, Anna loves to read, travel, laugh, eat, and nap. Visit her online at www.annakang.com      Twitter: @annakang27  

Christopher is a cartoonist and illustrator. His work can regularly be seen in the New Yorker. His cartoons are syndicated worldwide and have been featured on the Today Show, Meet the Press, and World News Tonight. Christopher likes to share everything but his personal space on the subway. Visit him online at www.christopherweyant.com    Twitter:  @chrisweyant05 

Check out the other stops in the blog tour:

August 31, 2015           Watch.Connect.Read
September 1, 2015       Jean Little Library
September 2, 2015      Teach Mentor Texts
September 3, 2015      Kid Lit Frenzy (that's here)
September 4, 2015      Unleashing Readers
September 7, 2015      The Children's Book Review
September 8, 2015      proseandkahn
September 9, 2015      The Library Fantatic
September 10, 2015     Sharpread
September 11, 2015      Bluestocking Thinking
 

Don't miss the giveaway: 
One lucky winner will receive a copy of THAT’S (NOT) MINE plus an adorable full-color poster. (U.S. addresses; allow 6-8 weeks for delivery.)

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Lizard Radio by Pat Schmatz - Guest Post & Giveaway

Lizard Radio
by Pat Schmatz
Candlewick Press (September 8, 2015)
Audience: Young Adult
Fiction * Dystopian * Gender Identity
Reviews: SLJ | Kirkus
IndieBound * WorldCat

About Lizard Radio: 
Fifteen-year-old bender Kivali has had a rough time in a gender-rigid culture. Abandoned as a baby and raised by Sheila, an ardent nonconformist, Kivali has always been surrounded by uncertainty. Where did she come from? Is it true what Sheila says, that she was deposited on Earth by the mysterious saurians? What are you?people ask, and Kivali isn’t sure. Boy/girl? Human/lizard? Both/neither? Now she’s in CropCamp, with all of its schedules and regs, and the first real friends she’s ever had. Strange occurrences and complicated relationships raise questions Kivali has never before had to consider. But she has a gift—the power to enter a trancelike state to harness the “knowings” inside her. She has Lizard Radio. Will it be enough to save her? A coming-of-age story rich in friendships and the shattering emotions of first love, this deeply felt novel will resonate with teens just emerging as adults in a sometimes hostile world.

We are excited to welcome Pat Schmatz to Kid Lit Frenzy.  Thank you Pat for sharing your creative process during the writing of Lizard Radio.

It was winter in Wisconsin, snow-deep and long dark days. I was grinding my way through the third draft of Lizard Radio – or maybe the fourth. I had the characters and the setting down (the fun parts) but the plot was elusive. I had decided that for once in my life, I was actually going to follow advice and have a book with rising action, a crisis and climax and denouement, just like you see in the graphs. I was using Martha Alderson’s book The Plot Whisperer to help fit my mish-mash of characters and scenes and feelings and dialogues into a story with a shape and a resolution. I found it very, very difficult.

I was at my very small town’s local library working on a computer. Well, not really working. More like staring at the screen. I don’t even remember why I was there. But in my staring, I noticed the row of CDs stacked on the shelf above the computer desk. One of them was John Coltrane. I’d never listened to any of his music, but on a whim I checked the CD out and took it home with me.

It was an odd whim, because I’m fairly ignorant when it comes to music, and not particularly adventuresome. But I did it without thinking. I couldn’t even tell you which album it was, but that CD immediately spoke to the lizard in me and I played it constantly for a few days. Then I downloaded Coltrane’s A Love Supreme and put it on my iPod.

For weeks, I followed the same routine. I went outside at daybreak to cross-country ski. Then I came inside, put on Coltrane, and played solitaire. I might do that for an hour before I started writing. His music is so non-linear and such a breakaway from predictable form that it set something loose in the depths of my brain. I felt like it was carrying out a secret subterranean design while the front of my brain was busy with linear questions about plot and my hands were busy with black-red and numbers. Then when I’d sit down at the computer, the words and images flowed.

Sometimes I’d put Coltrane on at night as I was going to sleep and listen to him all night. The sheets of sound, the rise and fall, the struggle and beat were in my head all the time as I worked through that revision, and by spring I had an actual story with a plot.

The process reminded me that the world is full of art, and each new creation enters the world by riding the waves of those who have come before – whatever the medium. As a writer, it’s my job to stay open to the world and move with the currents that connect me to the other arts. They fill my stories out and give them depth and flavor.

I don’t know what Lizard Radio would have been without John Coltrane, but it would not have been the same book. 

About the author:
Pat Schmatz is the author of Bluefish, which garnered three starred reviews and about which School Library Journal said has “all the hallmarks of a classic.” About Lizard Radio, the author says, “I keep a notepad with sketches and ideas, and one day, a lonely lizard wearing headphones came out of my pencil. When I tuned in, I found this story.” Pat Schmatz lives in Wisconsin. 
Website: www.patschmatz.com  Twitter:  @schmatz5

Check out the other stops on the blog tour:

Monday, August 31, 2015                   YA Book Central
Tuesday, September 1, 2015              The Pirate Tree
Wednesday, September 2, 2015        Teen Reads
Thursday, September 3, 2015            The Children's Book Review
Friday, September 4, 2015                 Kid Lit Frenzy
Saturday, September 5, 2015             The Book Rat
Monday, September 7, 2015               Swoony Boys Podcast
Tuesday, September 8, 2015              Gay YA

Enter to win a copy of Lizard Radio - You must be 13 years old or older and have a US mailing address to enter. 

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Ginny Louise and the School Showdown Giveaway & Interview with Tammi Sauer

Ginny Louise and the School Showdown
by Tammi Sauer; Illustrated by Lynn Munsinger
Disney-Hyperion (June 16, 2015)
Audience: Ages 3-5
Fiction * Social Issues * Friendship
IndieBound | WorldCat

About the book: 
The Truman Elementary Troublemakers are a bad bunch. Especially these three: Cap'n Catastrophe, Destructo Dude, and Make-My-Day May. But they are no match for Ginny Louise, the new hedgehog in school. Her unwavering cheerfulness in the face of their bullying will make young readers holler with glee. Full of rhymes, wordplay, and comic misunderstanding, this book will lend itself well to reading aloud as well as discussions about peer dynamics.

My thoughts on the book:
How can you not love a group of scallywags with monikers such as Cap'n Catastrophe, Destructo Dude, and Make-My-Day May. I just might want to borrow that last one. 

And then in comes Ginny Louise, who seems to be everything that the others are not. 

When Make-My-Day May tells Ginny Louise: "Yer gonna pay." Ginny Louise replies: "I'd love to stay! Thanks, new best friend!" Well maybe Ginny Louise is onto something. Hear what you want to hear, and ignore the rest. 

These classroom troublemakers cannot seem to figure out what to do with Ginny Louise, who has a way of charming herself into everyone's life, especially Make-My-Day May.

However, just in case you thought that Ginny Louise was too perfect for stirring up a wild ruckus, guess again.

Though this book is filled with a number of things that will make you smile and charm even the most cantankerous listener, there are a number of lines and actions in this book that can provide a way to talk with students about welcoming new students, and how to work with others and maybe even a way to be brave in the face of bullies. 

Look for Ginny Louise and the School Showdown at your local indie bookstore or public library.

Interview with Tammi Sauer: 

If you could describe your book in 2 sentences, how would you describe it to someone?

The Truman Elementary Troublemakers are a bad bunch, but they are no match for Ginny Louise, the new hedgehog in school.  Her irrepressible cheerfulness has what it takes to turn even the scowliest, growliest crowd around.

Ginny Louise and the School Showdown has an element of friendship, belonging, or the hope for something very special, what did you draw on to get the emotional element just right in the story?

No one is 100% bad or 100% good. Make-My-Day May is the ringleader of the Truman Elementary Troublemakers. I wanted to show that underneath her rough and tough exterior is raccoon who appreciates moments of kindness, too. I also wanted to show that Ginny Louise isn’t perfectly sweet. In the end, it’s clear she has a touch of orneriness as well.

Any new projects that you are working on that you can share with us?

Next summer, more mayhem takes place at Truman Elementary in Ginny Louise and the School Field Day.

I also have two new titles coming out soon. Your Alien (Sterling), illustrated by Goro Fujita, hits shelves on August 4, and Roar! (Paula Wiseman Books/S&S), illustrated by Liz Starin, arrives on the scene on September 29.

Summer and vacations go hand-in-hand. If you could go on vacation with your favorite book character (either in your own book or from someone else's book) who would you vacation with and what would you do?

Hmm! I would like to travel to Hawaii with Crocodile from The Watermelon Seed. I love his energy. I love his personality. And, truth be told, I LOVE watermelon. The two of us would spend our days on the beach eating big slabs of (seedless) watermelon. At night, we would attend various luaus (preferably ones that served watermelon).

About the author:
Tammi Sauer grew up on a farm and graduated from Kansas State University with a B.S. in Elementary Education. She has ten kid-friendly picture books to her credit, including Nugget & Fang, Me Want Pet! and Oh, Nuts!. In addition to being a writer, she has taught summer school, pre-kindergarten, and the middle school electives Creative Writing and Storytelling; she also spent two years serving as a library  media specialist. Tammi lives in Edmond, Oklahoma with her husband, son, and daughter. You can find her here: website | twitter | facebook  Photo credit: Dana Lang Photography 

Thank you to Disney Hyperion for offering a giveaway of this very special book. To enter the giveaway, please complete the rafflecopter below. Winners must be 13 years or older and have an US mailing address.

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WISH Giveaway and Interview with Author/Illustrator Matthew Cordell

WISH
By Matthew Cordell
Disney-Hyperion (3/03/2015)
Audience: Ages 3 – 5
Indiebound | WorldCat

About the book: 
As an elephant couple embark on a life together, thoughts of children are far away–at first. But as the desire for a child grows, so do unexpected challenges. And it's only after thwarted plans and bitter disappointment that their deepest wish miraculously comes true.

Check out the official book trailer:

Quick thoughts on the book:
I have been a fan of Matthew Cordell's work for quite awhile. I love his style and the books that he chooses to create or work on. I had an opportunity to see WISH as a folded and gathered (an advanced copy of the book). It was charming and you could feel the depth of emotion felt by the elephant couple in the story. 

Here are some glimpses of the inside interior of the book:

The planning, and hoping, and waiting and passage of time. 

The text and the illustrations compliment and reach out and touch the heart of those who read this book. 

WISH is a personal story (see the interview below) and one that couples in your own life may relate to on various levels and have different meanings for each reader. WISH is an inspirational book. I was super impressed in how it inspired Margie Myers-Culver, a Michigan Librarian, to donate 200 copies of WiSH to her community hospital to giveaway to families of newborn babies in memory of her mother. Here is a link to the letters she exchanged with Matthew, click here.  Matthew followed up with a blog post of his own, here. And here is a link to a final post with a special video created by Margie to capture the process. 

Now if all of this hasn't convinced you to find a copy of WISH and read and share it, I am not sure what else will. :-) So what are you waiting for? You can pick up a copy of WISH at your local indie bookstore or public library. 

Interview with Matthew Cordell:

If you could describe your book in 2 sentences, how would you describe it to someone? 

Wish tells the story of the incredible, emotional journey that is welcoming a child into the world. The inexplicably amazing moment of first meeting a child, but also the very highs and lows that can turn up along the way.

WISH has an element of friendship, belonging, or the hope for something very special, what did you draw on to get the emotional element just right in the story?

This book is very a personal one for me. My wife and I struggled for years before becoming pregnant with our first child. And again with our second. It was a difficult and, at times, very heartbreaking road. It can be a very grim and isolated place to be. As time went on, we realized that so many couples everywhere are dealing with the same struggles that we were. I wanted to share our story in a picture book so that parents who had endured similar challenges could share with their children just how meaningful and important it was that these children--these families--could become a reality.

Any new projects that you are working on that you can share with us? 

I'm currently working on illustrating a picture book by authors Audrey Vernick and Liz Garton Scanlon titled BOB NOT BOB with Disney-Hyperion. Also writing and illustrating my first wordless picture book with Feiwel and Friends.

Summer and vacations go hand-in-hand. If you could go on vacation with your favorite book character (either in your own book or from someone else's book) who would you vacation with and what would you do? 

Hmm... since the elephants in WISH are based on my wife and myself... There's no one else I'd rather go on vacation with than my wife. And we couldn't leave without our kiddos. I'd love it if we all got to go to Australia. (We could even be elephants!)

About the author: 
att Cordell personally knows what it's like to wish. In fact, this book is the heartfelt windfall of him waiting for his wish come true a second time.  Other books Matt has written and illustrated include hello! hello!, Another Brother, and Trouble Gum. He lives in Chicago with his wife, a young daughter, and an even younger son. Visit matthewcordell.com to learn more.

Thank you to Disney Hyperion for offering a giveaway of this very special book. To enter the giveaway, please complete the rafflecopter below. Winners must be 13 years or older and have an US mailing address.

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Penny & Jelly Blog Tour & Giveaway: Interview with Author Maria Gianferrari

Thank you Maria Gianferrai for including Kid Lit Frenzy in your Blog Tour for Penny & Jelly: The School Show. My niece and I really enjoyed the book. Also, thank you for answering some of her questions as part of your stop.

KK to Maria:   How did you come up with the idea for the story?

Maria:  Penny and Jelly was literally inspired by my daughter, Anya, and her dog sister, Becca. Anya’s very artistic and creative, like Penny, and as an only child, Becca has been her best friend and playmate. We adopted Becca as a rescue when Anya was 4 (now she’s 13), so they’ve grown up together. Here’s an early cute picture of them together.

KK:  What inspired you to become a writer?

Maria: I don’t think I was really inspired. In a way it chose me. I’ve always loved expressing my ideas in words, but I was initially afraid of failing at it—I liked the idea of being a writer, but it took awhile to actually commit to the hard work of day-to-day writing, and all of the rejections that are involved in wanting to become a published one. But, I persisted and persevered, and I’m proud of myself that I didn’t give up when I easily could have.

KK: Did you ever participate in a Talent Show in school and what did you do for the talent show? If so, were you successful?

Maria: I’ve never participated in any kind of public talent show. I was quite shy as a child (still am), so I definitely would not have enjoyed it. When I was a kid, we used to make up plays and perform in our garage for our friends and neighbors. We also used to do a holiday play at one of our neighbor’s houses for our parents. It was a lot of fun to pretend, and it was a more comfortable environment.

KK: Will there be any more Penny & Jelly stories? And are you working on any other books that you can tell us about?

Maria:  Yes! A second book, PENNY & JELLY SLUMBER UNDER THE STARS, is slated for release in June 2016. See if you can find the character that illustrator Thyra Heder modeled after me. I just love Thyra’s expressive illustration style. It has such warmth and humor.

I’m working on several different fiction and nonfiction picture book manuscripts at the moment. The one I’m currently having the most fun with is a nonfiction book about rats called RAT-tastic!

This is a photo of our rat sisters, Lucia and Nera (Lucia is white, Nera is black). Nera died on Christmas day last year which made it impossible to celebrate.

And this is our first pet rat, Sky.

We really miss Nera and Sky. Rats are very sweet and affectionate creatures, and they make great pets.

Thanks Maria for letting us also chat with Penny. 

KK to Penny: What are you plans for the summer break? And do you have any books that you are looking forward to reading?

Penny:  Lots of swimming in the lake with Jelly and my friends. Playing in my treehouse and catching frogs and fireflies and butterflies (don’t worry, I always let them go).

I love to read! I want to read the new biography on Jane Goodall called Untamed, and the new Penderwicks book. And Jelly keeps asking me to read his favorite picture book, Gaston.

KK: I really like doing gymnastics. Do you have any favorite sports?

Penny: I like to play soccer—it’s fun!

KK: What kinds of things do you like doing with your friends?

Penny:  We like to play games outside, like hopscotch and tag. We also like to climb trees.

**Penny has a question for KK:  Is KK your nickname? What does it stand for?  Penny’s my nickname, but my real name is Penelope. But Jelly is just Jelly. 

KK: KK is a nickname and stands for my first and middle initials. My first name is Kayla but everyone at home calls me KK.

Thanks for interviewing us, KK & Alyson!   ~Penny & Maria 

Hey Maria, This is Alyson. Guess what?! I saw on your website that you grew up in Keene, New Hampshire. What a small world since I went to college at Keene State College.  

About the author: Maria writes both fiction and nonfiction picture books from her sunny, book-lined study in northern Virginia, with dog, Becca as her muse. Maria’s debut picture book, Penny & Jelly: The School Show, illustrated by Thyra Heder, will be released on July 7th, 2015 (HMH Books for Young Readers). A second Penny & Jelly book titled, Penny & Jelly Slumber Under the Stars, will be released in June 2016. Maria has five additional books forthcoming from Roaring Brook and Boyds Mills Presses as well as Aladdin Books for Young Readers in the coming years. To learn more about Maria, visit her website: www.mariagianferrari.com or on facebook. 

And you can visit Penny & Jelly at their website: pennyandjelly.com, and on Instagram: @pennyandjelly.

Check these blogs for more fun with Maria, Penny, and Jelly:

Friday, June 26th: Kidlit411/Sylvia Liu & Elaine Kiely Kearns
Monday, June 29th: Miss Marple’s Musings/Joanna Marple
Tuesday, June 30th: Pragmatic Mom/Mia Wenjen
Wednesday, July 1st: Watch Connect Read/Mr. Schu
Thursday, July 2nd: Kidlitfrenzy/Alyson Beecher
Friday, July 3rd: Writing for Kids While Raising Them/Tara Lazar
Monday, July 6th – Friday, July 10th: Emu’s Debuts virtual book week launch
Monday, July 13th: Bildebok/Cathy Ballou Mealey
Tuesday, July 14th: HMH Picture Book Parade

Enter to win a copy of PENNY AND JELLY by completing the rafflecopter below. Winners must be 13 years or older and have a US mailing address.

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