Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Cover Reveal - Seashells: More Than a Home

Though I love many of Melissa Stewart’s books. one of my favorites is Feathers: Not Just For Flying.

When I heard about a companion book, I selfishly wanted it to be released immediately. Yet, writing and illustrating and publishing takes time. I might want to wish for a book to be released quickly but honestly, I want an author or illustrator to do their best work and if that means waiting, then I wait.

I am excited to share that the creative team of Melissa Stewart and Sarah S. Brannen are back with their companion book, Seashells: More Than a Home.

And now for the cover reveal…

When I first saw the cover of the book, I wanted to reach out and touch the picture. I almost expected to be able to feel the sand on the cover of the book.

Here’s a description of the book:
Young naturalists discover thirteen seashells in this elegant introduction to the remarkable versatility of shells. A dual-layered narrative highlights how shells provide more than a protective home. The informative sidebars underscore characteristics specific to each shell. Elegant watercolor illustrations create a scrapbook feel, depicting children from around the world observing and sketching seashells across shores.

Now for a sneak peak of the inside…

Stewart is a master at crafting engaging text. I always feel like each and every word is chosen with care to communicate content but to also draw readers in and keep them reading. Seashells: More Than a House is another excellent example of Stewart’s skill in writing for young readers. I look forward to sharing this with students and utilizing the book as a mentor text for writing.

Congratulations to Melissa and Sarah. Seashells: More Than a Home was selected as a Junior Library Guild pick. Now mark your calendar for April 2, 2019 so you won’t forget when it comes out.

About the Author: Melissa Stewart is the author of more than 180 science-themed nonfiction books for children, including award-winning A Place for . . . series. She holds a degree in biology from Union College and a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. Melissa believes that nothing brings nonfiction writing to life like firsthand research. While gathering information for her books, she has explored tropical rain forests in Costa Rica, gone on safari in East Africa, and swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. www.melissa-stewart.com

About the illustrator: Sarah S. Brannen is the author and illustrator of Madame Martine, Uncle Bobby’s Wedding and the illustrator of Feathers: Not Just for Flying; Digging for Troy: From Homer to Hisarlik; and At Home in Her Tomb: Lady Dai and the Ancient Chinese Treasures of Mawangdui. She lives in Massachusetts. www.sarahbrannen.com

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen ©2017

Don’t forget to link up your nonfiction reviews…

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Cover Reveal: Power Up by Seth Fishman

Back in December 2017, I did a guest post with Seth Fishman about his book A HUNDRED BILLION TRILLION STARS. You know I really like a book when I keep including it on lists or through recommendations, blog posts, and in special posts about math and science books. 

So, when I was invited to do a cover reveal for Seth's upcoming book POWER UP: YOUR INCREDIBLE, SPECTACULAR, SUPERCHARGED BODY, I definitely said "yes". 

Here is what Seth has to say about his upcoming book:
"Power Up is a follow up to Isabel and my first picture book, A HUNDRED BILLION TRILLION STARS, but instead of looking at big numbers in the world all around us, the book turns inwards, to the amazing things our bodies can do, both literally and theoretically. For me, the book is just as much about empowerment as it is about fun facts, and I hope readers enjoy and gather as much inspiration as information when reading the pages." 

Are you ready to see the new book cover? Well here goes...

Power Up: Your Incredible, Spectacular, Supercharged Body
by Seth Fishman; Illustrated by Isabel Greenberg
Greenwillow Books
Nonfiction * Science & Nature * Biology
Pub date: March 19th, 2019
Preorder: IndieBound | Amazon | Barnes & Noble

Description of Power Up: "An exploration of the relationship between the human body and all the energy that it takes to make it go"--

Don't you love the new cover? I know that I am excited to see the final version of this book. Mark your calendar for March 19th or pre-order it on IndieBound or Amazon or Barnes & Noble. 

About the author: Seth Fishman is a native of Midland, Texas (think Friday Night Lights), and a graduate of Princeton University and the University of East Anglia in Norwich, England. He spends his days as a literary agent at The Gernert Company and his nights (and mornings) writing. He is the author of two young adult books, THE WELL'S END and THE DARK WATER, and the picture book A HUNDRED BILLION TRILLION STARS, which won the Mathical Book Prize and was named a Boston Globe/Horn Book Award Honor.  He lives in LA with his wife and son. 

About the illustrator: Isabel Greenberg is a London-based illustrator and writer. She studied illustration at the University of Brighton and has done work for The Guardian, The National Trust, and The New York Times. Greenberg is the author and illustrator of two graphic novels for adults, The Encyclopedia of Early Earth, which won the Best Book category at the British Comic Awards, and The One Hundred Nights of Hero.

Artwork by Sarah S. Brannen ©2017

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Cover Reveal: Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers

Sometimes a request comes and you are honored to be the one asked. I am excited to be able to host the cover reveal for author, Melissa Stewart's 2018 title - Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs (Peachtree Publishers). I had the opportunity to read a very early copy of the book and I love it. Melissa uses her skill as a writer, understanding of the animal world, and knowledge of what children will love to create a fabulous new book that you need to add to your "list of books to read". 

Thank you Melissa for sharing the cover of your upcoming book and telling us a little about it. Let me turn the blog over to Melissa for her thoughts on the cover and ideas behind the book.

Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs
by Melissa Stewart, Illustrated by Stephanie Laberis
Peachtree Publishers (September 2018)

Don't you just love this cover? 

Okay, now here's the back. It's just awesome right?

Stephanie Laberis is crazy talented! The animals she creates are scientifically accurate and a whole lotta fun. Her style is absolutely perfect for this book.

Here’s the publisher’s description:
“Puny? Poky? Clumsy? Shy? Written in a lively and playful voice, Pipsqueaks, Slowpokes, and Stinkers: Celebrating Animal Underdogs introduces young readers to a variety of “animal underdogs” and explains how some of the surprising characteristics we see as weaknesses actually play a critical role in their survival.”

There are lots of books out there about the biggest, fastest, tallest, strongest animals. You know,
creatures we admire. If they were people, we’d give them shiny gold medals. But our book isn’t
about them. Instead, it focuses on some of the world’s underappreciated animals and shows that
they’re pretty amazing too.

Even though the information is presented in a fun way, the book’s central nugget, its creative
core is serious. I was severely bullied as a child, and this book is my way of offering hope to
children who might be facing something similar right now.

Here’s my favorite spread in the book:

I was a clumsy, uncoordinated, unathletic kid, so the western fence lizard is kind of my hero. See how its “weakness” helps it catch prey? Let’s face it. Eating is pretty important if you want to stay alive, and this lizard has come up with a completely unique way to getting the job done.

Everyday across America, children get picked on for being small or slow or shy or overweight or clumsy, but sometimes these perceived flaws turn out to be a core part of what makes them successful adults. Using examples from the animal world, I encourage children to flip their thinking, and to be kind to one another. 

Thank you Melissa for stopping by and sharing your new cover and a few thoughts on your upcoming book.

About the Author: Melissa Stewart is the author of more than 180 science-themed nonfiction books for children, including award-winning A Place for . . . series. She holds a degree in biology from Union College and a master’s degree in science journalism from New York University. Melissa believes that nothing brings nonfiction writing to life like firsthand research. While gathering information for her books, she has explored tropical rain forests in Costa Rica, gone on safari in East Africa, and swum with sea lions in the Galapagos Islands. www.melissa-stewart.com

Illustrator Bio:  Stephanie Laberis is a character designer and Illustrator who specializes in creating art for animation and children’s publications. She has illustrated several picture books, including My Little Golden Book of Sharks and Grumpy Cat ABC Book. She lives California. Visit her website at www.stephlaberis.carbonmade.com.

Don't forget to link up your nonfiction reviews...

Cover Reveal: The Dollar Kids

Thank you Jennifer Richard Jacobson for stopping by Kid Lit Frenzy and talking about your hybrid middle grade book, The Dollar Kids, coming in 2018 and sharing the fabulous cover. 

Love the Cover!
The cover for The Dollar Kids makes me swoon.  Lowen’s family, as well as four other families, relocate to a former-mill town to purchase a foreclosed home for a dollar.  When I share this premise with school kids, their eyes light up.  Imagine buying a home for a single dollar bill!  Of course, nothing is as easy as it sounds. 

Comic book artist and illustrator Ryan Andrews captures this uphill battle beautifully!   The mill houses are truly dilapidated, the requirement (that the houses be renovated within a year) steep. Shadows loom. As the Dollar Kids and the Millville kids live side-by-side, misunderstandings ensue. So do friendships.  I love that Ryan was able to capture a feeling of opposition in black and white tones splashed with red.

The lettering has a distinct comic book feel.  That’s intentional.  In addition to having to move to a new and puzzling town, Lowen is grieving the loss of his young friend.  An aspiring artist himself, Lowen processes his grief through comics.  Ryan not only created the cover for The Dollar Kids, he drew all of the interior comic art.  In fact, the story itself begins with a series of comic strips.  For me this cover captures everything wonderful about this collaboration.

About the author and illustrator: 
Jennifer Richard Jacobson is the author of several books for children and young adults, including the middle-grade novels Small as an Elephant and Paper Things, and the Andy Shane early chapter books, illustrated by Abby Carter. She lives in Maine.

Ryan Andrews is a comics artist and illustrator living in Fukuoka, Japan. Two of his web comics have been nominated for Will Eisner Comic Industry Awards.

And now here is the cover...

The Dollar Kids by Jennifer Richard Jacobson; Illustrated by Ryan Andrews (Candlewick Press, Spring 2018)

About the book: 
When a family buys a house in a struggling town for just one dollar, they’re hoping to start over — but have they traded one set of problems for another?

Twelve-year-old Lowen Grover, a budding comic-book artist, is still reeling from the shooting death of his friend Abe when he stumbles across an article about a former mill town giving away homes for just one dollar. It not only seems like the perfect escape from Flintlock and all of the awful memories associated with the city, but an opportunity for his mum to run her very own business. Fortunately, his family is willing to give it a try. But is the Dollar Program too good to be true? The homes are in horrible shape, and the locals are less than welcoming. Will Millville and the dollar house be the answer to the Grovers’ troubles? Or will they find they’ve traded one set of problems for another? From the author of Small as an Elephant and Paper Things comes a heart-tugging novel about guilt and grief, family and friendship, and, above all, community.

Nonfiction Picture Book Challenge: Cover Reveal: Can An Aardvark Bark?

Do you have a favorite author or illustrator? The one author or illustrator that when you hear that they have a new book coming that you mark your calendar or place a pre-order? The author or illustrator that your students or readers are always excited to read? I know I do. 

Both Melissa Stewart and Steve Jenkins fits this for me. For a book to be written by Melissa Stewart and illustrated by Steve Jenkins, it is a dream book. So, mark your calendars because in June of 2017 there will be a new book you will want to add to your personal, class or school library.

And I am excited to be able to share with all of you the cover for Can an Aardvark Bark. 

In talking with author, Melissa Stewart, I asked her to share what inspired her to write this book. Here is her response: 

"Can an Aardvark Bark? was inspired by a question my nephew asked me in 2010 while we were on a family trip to Disney World. It lead to a google search, which satisfied him, but only made me ask more questions. I set off on a fascinating research journey in which I eventually compiled a list of more than 300 animals that bark, bellow, chirp, chatter, grunt, growl, and more. That’s when I knew I had the makings of a book.

"It took four long years to find the perfect format and text structure for the book. When it was acquired shortly before Christmas in 2014, I couldn't wait to share the news with my nephew. He was gobsmacked. He couldn't believe I'd been thinking about his question for all those years. But that's what nonfiction writers do. They become obsessed with ideas and information and don't give up until they find a way to share it with other people."

Can an Aardvark Bark? 
by Melissa Stewart; Illustrated by Steve Jenkins
Beach Lane Books (June 13, 2017)
Audience: Preschool to Age 8
Nonfiction * Animals

Description from GoodReads: 
From award-winning author Melissa Stewart and Caldecott honoree Steve Jenkins comes a noisy nonfiction exploration of the many sounds animals make.

Can an aardvark bark? No, but it can grunt. Lots of other animals grunt too…

Barks, grunts, squeals—animals make all kinds of sounds to communicate and express themselves. With a growling salamander and a whining porcupine, bellowing giraffes and laughing gorillas, this boisterous book is chock-full of fun and interesting facts and is sure to be a favorite of even the youngest animal enthusiasts.

Don't forget to link up  your nonfiction reviews below: