I’m a tea lover, and I’ve enjoyed my fair share of chai tea. But once I read this picture book, I knew I had to follow the recipe for myself and make homemade chai.
Masala Chai, Fast and Slow
Written by Rajani LaRocca
Illustrated by Neha Rawat
Candlewick Press, 2023
I may have mentioned once or twice that I really enjoy reading picture books about food. Being able to learn about traditions and families and such deliciousness is a treat for my heart. Masala Chai, Fast and Slow plus deep sips from a pretty teacup. Ahhh.
I watched a webinar where Rajani was sharing about her picture book and masala chai. Thanks, 12×12! After I requested my library purchase a copy, I was the first one to check it out (I love that). I kept it out for the maximum of time. Later, I checked it out again. But this time (also nearing the maximum time=number of renewals I can do) I made sure to collect all the ingredients to steep my own masala chai.
The recipe makes quite a bit of chai, so I needed to make it on a weekend when I could share. Which is the point of masala chai. Sharing and connecting with family and friends.
I gathered the ingredients suggested by Rajani in the back matter recipe (I love it when recipes are included in a picture book, and back matter is the bomb): milk, black tea bags, cinnamon sticks, black peppercorns, cardamom pods, whole cloves, fresh ginger, and sugar (or honey).
I decided to actually follow the recipe the first time around. Shocker, I know, since I usually wing it when trying new recipes. The resulting chai tea was delicious! Warm, spicy, fragrant. Ahhh. This recipe is a keeper. Good thing too, because I have a big bag of whole cardamom pods.
Masala Chai, Fast and Slow is delighfully tasty. I can’t wait to brew another batch.
This adorable (and on a scale of adorable, it’s a 12) picture book is a delight to read. With much thanks to Jena Benton and Kim-Hoa Ung, I was gifted a copy of A Gift for Nai Nai. Thank you!
The beautiful illustrations pulled me in, and the special relationship between the little girl and her Nai Nai – which, thanks to the short glossary, I now know means paternal grandmother – added heart and love.
This picture book reminded me of my own mother who loved to crochet. She spent hours, days, and weeks creating gifts and clothing not just for her own family, but so many others in her circle of family and friends. I read this book with a large dose of nostalgia.
I enjoyed not only the crochet connection, but also seeing through the illustrations that Nai Nai uses a wheelchair to get around. My mother-in-law was limited to a wheelchair after breaking her hip. Despite losing some of her mobility, Nai Nai continues to create a beautifully crocheted hat she gives to Lyn Lyn each year. Framed photos on the wall showcase a few of the fun hats.
Nai Nai has a birthday coming up, so Lyn Lyn decides she wants to learn to crochet. The struggle is very real (my own mother tried to teach me to crochet). With an AWW-some ending, A Gift for Nai Nai is a satisfying and warm-hearted read.
I had to share the “undie” from A Gift for Nai Nai. An undie is the cover beneath the paper book jacket. Sometimes illustrators create new scenes on the undies, just like Kim-Hoa Ung did for this picture book. Love it!
Plus! Kim-Hoa Ung included directions for making a simple crocheted hat similar to the one Lyn Lyn made for Nai Nai. This picture book is colorful, engaging, and filled with all the coziness of a warm fire on a snowy day.
This pink Easter egg ducky is a gift my mother crocheted for me many years ago. The egg is resting on blanket squares I crocheted (cough cough) several years ago. They wait for me to connect them. This is about the limit of my crocheting abilities.
A Paula Wiseman Book, Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers, 2024
Oh, this is the one to read today! This picture book is filled with hope and love, beauty and patterns. Beautiful!
Thanks to Kathy Temean and her blog, Writing and Illustrating, I won a copy of Gabi’s gorgeous book. Thank you both!
Each time I’ve read Look, I’ve been filled with the JOY of discovery and delight. There is so much to be found on each page, and the colors and words make the journey effortless and thoroughly engaging. With the detailed cut-paper illustrations, patterns pop from the page.
My Goodreads review:
This book is absolutely gorgeous! Filled with hope and love and a search for patterns, the poetic words by Gabi and the cut-paper illustrations by Samantha combine to make a beautiful journey for a young reader. A day in the life of a young child who goes out and about with his mother. LOOK helps the reader see the wonder of it all and allows them to take a peek at the grander picture of the whole world, but also at the tiniest of details. Ten thumbs up.
Hippo Park, an imprint of Astra Books for Young Readers, 2025
Joyce Wan celebrated the book birthday of Be My Yummy ABC just recently on January 14. Congratulations, Joyce!
Thank you, Hippo Park, for sending me a copy of Be My Yummy ABC. I requested a copy through PW Grab a Galley and was happily surprised when my grand brought me a package. I wasn’t expecting any books, but there it was. All bright and shiny and pink and gorgeous. And TASTY. Sorry, but my phone camera did not catch the true vibrant colors.
I may have mentioned a time or two that I love books centered around food. Ahem. Still true. This alphabet book delivers. But let’s talk about layers. The more layers there are in a picture book, the more hooks there are for different readers. A hook is what grabs a reader and keeps them coming back for more reads.
Be My Yummy ABC has numerous layers and hooks:
~food (pretty much everyone I know is invested in food)
~multicultural foods (plus pronunciations, thank you!). I love this connection to the wide world around us
~alphabet, which is always a hit with me and any other preschool or kinder teacher
~alphabet chart included! Yes. This is so clever. Joyce designed the thick book jacket cover to include a vibrant alphabet chart on the back. One just needs to unfold the book jacket and voila, a yummy food-based alphabet chart.
~valentine connection. Be My Yummy sounds just like a valentine greeting, so this book can also be used during the month of pinks, reds, valentines, and love
~rhyming! Wow. I can only imagine the challenge to create a picture book with foods beginning with each letter of the alphabet, adding fun words, and making it all rhyme! But Joyce did a wonderful job and it’s a fun read aloud book.
~wide age range. The brightly colored illustrations will appeal to babies, toddlers, preschoolers, and early elementary students. What a nice span!
~great gift-ability, as I can see parents and grandparents giving this alphabet book as a gift
~back matter giving food name pronunciations and information about each food
~I’m sure there are more layers I’ve missed.
Be My Yummy ABC is a tasty treat for my eyes, my mouth, and my mind!
P.S. In case you think I’m going to eat the book, I will clarify: my eyes (looking at the delightful illustrations), my mouth (the words are tasty to read aloud), and my mind (I can learn more about language, the alphabet, and multicultural foods).
Spying on Spies, How Elizebeth Smith Friedman Broke the Nazis’ Secret Codes
Written and illustrated by Marissa Moss
Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2024
I usually feature picture books on my blog, but after receiving and reading a copy of this book from Darlene Beck Jacobson, I thought there might be others who would be fascinated by the tenacity and brilliance of code breakers!
Secret codes are a thing! Decoder rings, special clues, ciphers, and so on are intriguing. I love watching movies where puzzles and special codes are solved on the journey to success (whatever that goal might be). But being clever enough to solve intentionally secretive and difficult secret codes-eek!
Spying on Spies was an amazing chapter book to read. The strategies, machines, and secrecy kept me captivated. I loved that this book focused on a woman code breaker. Go girls! Each chapter begins with a short cartoon/graphic novel type illustration, and then jumps into the chapter. The back matter is glorious! There is not just a glossary, but also photos, additional information and explanations about ciphers and codes, notes, timeline, and bibliography, all of which provide more opportunities to dive deep into the world of code breaking.
You can read more about this book in Darlene’s post here.
Two thumbs up for this fascinating historical book! Perfect for the code breakers in your life!
Written by Darlene Beck Jacobson, Wishes, Dares, and How to Stand Up to a Bully might be just what your middle grade reader needs! OR maybe you also write for middle grade and want to do some research about middle grade books. Either way, thanks Darlene, for this opportunity!
Darlene is offering a copy of her book to someone who comments over on Kathy Temean’s blog. I mean, I would love to hear from you as well (wink, wink), but to get in her drawing, you need to hop over to Kathy’s blog and comment there.
Click the link below to comment. Happy reading, everyone!
Today is World Kindness Day and the perfect time to consider how I can extend kindness to others. Not just today, I hope, but as a growing habit as I journey through this life with the people around me.
Random acts of kindness are always nice, and I’m thinking that going the extra mile to make that personal connection would really make someone’s day. The day is just beginning, so I’ll have to keep my eyes open for ways to show kindness.
Whenever I hear the word “kind,” I think of the days I was a kindergarten teacher at Harrah Community Christian School. One of the Bible verses we learned together was Ephesians 4:32a. I often combined motions and movement as we practiced our verses, and for this one, we marched around the room, urging each other to “Be kind and compassionate to one another (Ephesians 4:32a).” I don’t know about the kindergartners, but every time I see that reference or hear “kind,” our rhythmic rendition pops into my head.
So today, how will you be kind and compassionate to others? I’d love to hear.
Go forth and be kind.
Be Kind, Make Friends is available at WMUstore.com.
It was so cute to watch my honey bring in the mail the other day. He was so excited to show me the cover of Be Kind, Make Friends on the slip sheet of the Mission Friends Winter Leader Kit! I mean, it does look awesome to me as well. But his excitement was super adorable.
With a little help from Enkidu (Enk or Enki for short), I’m here to announce the winner of a copy of Goat’s Boat Won’t Float! Enki is one of my neighbor goats. What a cutie! I must admit, the chickens wanted in on the party, and the turkeys refused to come close . . . it was all about Enki.
Drumroll please . . .
Congratulations, Shaunessy Sinnett (shaunessysinnett), you are the winner of a copy of Goat’s Boat Won’t Float from The Little Press! Author Kim A. Larson will be in touch with you soon. I’m sure you will enjoy this adorable story.
Thanks to everyone who stopped by to congratulate Kim and read more about this goat and turkey early reader. So. Much. Fun! Thank you, The Little Press, for bringing this book into the world and sharing copies so others can enjoy it too!
Congratulations, Kim! And thanks so much for visiting this blog and sharing about your new book. All the best wishes to you!
Friends, you can read Kim’s book birthday interview here.
You can reach Kim on her website at KimALarson.com and on Facebook,Twitter/X,Instagram, and Bluesky. If you sign up for her quarterly newsletter, you’ll receive a PDF copy of her first published book of short stories and poems: Love, Laughter, and few Happily Ever Afters.
Happy book birthday, Kim! Goat’s Boat Won’t Float is finally here! I’m so excited for you! Now Goat and Turkey are out in the world and ready for readers to have a blast!
Friends, Kim is one of my fabulous critique partners. I love reading her manuscripts, and she always has wonderful insights for me when she reads my work. Be sure to read to the end to learn about a special giveaway of Kim’s book by The Little Press.LEAVE a message on this blog post for a chance to win a copy of Goat’s Boat Won’t Float!!!
But enough about me. Kim, welcome to the blog! Thanks for celebrating your book birthday with us!
Tell us about your writing journey.
I wrote as a hobby for many years (but I wrote very poorly). Then in 2010, I was laid off after a 23-year career in mortgage lending. It had always been my dream to write full-time, and with our two sons almost grown, my husband gave me his blessing. I took three creative writing classes at the same college my son attended, then I started a critique group that met in my home for many years. I published twelve short stories and poems in regional anthologies and also wrote a few picture books. However, it wasn’t until I stumbled onto a local SCBWI writing group in 2018 that I switched to writing for children exclusively. Goat’s Boat Won’t Float (The Little Press) is my debut picture book. My second is Doll Trouble (Clavis Publishing) and it will be released in 2025.
I love learning about your journey of becoming a picture book author!
What was your inspiration for Goat’s Boat Won’t Float?
My grandchildren’s fainting goats inspired the main character.
Having grown up on a farm, I’m drawn to stories with anthropomorphic animals. The story itself was inspired after watching an SCBWI webinar by Ann Ingalls in 2020 on how to write early readers. I learned that most early readers use sight words, which are common words kids recognize without sounding them out. On the kindergarten list was the word “goat,” and I knew I had my main character.
That is awesome! Early readers are so important for young readers. What perfect characters! Our neighbor raises goats (but not the fainting variety). They are such unique funny animals. 😊
What special plans do you have to celebrate the October 1 release of Goat’s Boat Won’t Float?
The day will probably be like any other day, Lol. I have my first bookstore signing on October 5, so that will make it feel more real. I’ll be featured on several blogs throughout the month, so I’m sure I’ll be interacting with friends, family, and readers on social media who will help me celebrate the entire month.
A perfect plan!
What are you working on now?
I’m working on my presentation for the schools I will visit this fall. At the same time, I’m also trying to find time to draft a new picture book idea. I highly value receiving feedback on my stories, so I’m determined to share something with my critique group every other week.
Kim also visited the blog in August and shared some of her strategies for promoting Goat’s Boat Won’t Float. You can read more here.
Do you have any tips you would give to a new picture book author or illustrator?
Never stop learning. Never give up. Never lose your joy in writing. These tips are best accomplished by staying connected with other authors—and the KidLit community is the greatest. Everyone shares their knowledge and encourages and supports one another. It’s truly a community that makes a writer’s life more fun.
This is absolutely true!
Surprise us! What else would you like to share?
Here’s a fun fact: goats don’t really faint. Certain breeds of goats have a genetic disorder called myotonia congenita. This makes their muscles seize when startled, causing them to topple over.
Animal facts are amazing!
Congratulations, Kim! I have my own copy to read and reread! Such a fun read!
Kim A. Larson grew up surrounded by every imaginable farm animal—except fainting goats. Her grandchildren introduced her to these skittish creatures, and she knew she had to write about them. Goat’s Boat Won’t Float is her debut picture book, the first in the Goat & Turkey series. Her second book, Doll Trouble, will be released in 2025 (Clavis Publishing). In 2021, Kim won the Ann Whitford Paul Award for most promising picture book manuscript. She was a #PBParty finalist in 2022 and 2023. When she’s not reading or writing, you may find Kim gardening or playing her favorite game Sequence. She and her husband live in Moorhead, Minnesota.
You can reach Kim on her website at KimALarson.com and on Facebook,Twitter/X,Instagram, and Bluesky. If you sign up for her quarterly newsletter, you’ll receive a PDF copy of her first published book of short stories and poems: Love, Laughter, and few Happily Ever Afters.
*GIVEAWAY ALERT
The Little Press is offering a copy of Goat’s Boat Won’t Float (US only) to one winner. All you have to do is leave a copy on this blog post! Ta-da!
Love, Laughter, and Life 