The most mysterious gift Pink received for Valentine’s Day was a shiny, heart-covered box.
But saving the best for last, Pink first snooped through the house, using her feline nose, super whiskers, and strong kitty body to locate other special day treats.
What’s in the bag? thought Pink.
Lick,
sniff,
snort.
“Meooowww, I smell kitty snacks.”
What’s under the bed? thought Pink.
Creep,
grab,
drag.
“Yow-wlll! I want that catnip mouse.”
What’s on the table? thought Pink.
Leap,
twist,
bump.
“Grrrrrr, I don’t like dog bones.”
What’s hanging over the chair? thought Pink.
Stretch,
jump,
hook!
“Roooaaarrr! Give me that yarn!”
What’s through the cat door? thought Pink.
Race,
run,
skid.
“Pffttt. Go ahead, fly away flutter-by.”
Pink sat in the lovely sunshine, pausing to groom her soft fur. Stretching, she dug her claws into the door frame, a forbidden treat. But only if she got caught.
“Pink!” growled Mama Mauve. “Stop sharpening your claws.”
Putting on her best innocent face, Pink strolled back through the cat door.
There sat the most mysterious, shiny, heart-covered box Pink had ever seen.
And it was all hers.
What’s in my beautiful box? thought Pink.
Dig,
claw,
rip.
“Mmmmm. A furry, fluffy, fantastic pink blanket for me!”
Look at the cute guy! He asked me to marry him back in the days of Polaroid pictures. He took this picture and had to mail it to me (snail mail). 1981! What a great year.
We graduated from high school in 1981 and I went off to college. Poor fellow. He thought he would never see me again, lost to one of those studious university boys.
Four years later, after too-many-to-count phone calls (ring twice and hang up to let the other know we were thinking about him/her), boxes of letters and cards, miles and miles traveled to visit each other (I chose a university that was over four hours away from home), and alternating weekend visiting schedule, we were married at our home church.
After a honeymoon to Disneyland (yes, we are a COOL couple), we settled in the lower Yakima Valley to raise our children and pursue our careers.
How long was our dating and engagement period? The total is about seven years. We met in high school, started dating, took a year off, then got back together for good. 35 years later, we are still best friends and more in love than ever.
And they said it would never last.
Take your time, youngsters. Be patient. Wait for the right person. Make sure you are best friends first. And then commit for the rest of your life.
LOL. Old lady Quantrell giving marriage advice. Best ever piece I can give? Base your relationship on faith in Jesus. God has kept us going through good and bad times, and we’ve had plenty of both.
Now, I know this Throwback Thursday only goes back to last fall (October), but look at the beautiful book I received in the mail from Little Bee Books! I thought I would share the cover and a few inside pages again. Just because.
You can read the original posts (throwbacks) by clicking the links below.
***The Giveaway mentioned in the Author Interview post has concluded.
About Vivian Kirkfield (Author)
Vivian Kirkfield’s career path is paved with picture books. From shelving them in a children’s library and reading them with her kindergarteners, to writing them, her goal has always been to help kids become lovers of books and reading. She is the author of many picture books including: Four Otters Toboggan: An Animal Counting Book; Pippa’s Passover Plate; From Here to There: Inventions that Changed the Way the World Moves; and Sweet Dreams, Sarah. Her parent-teacher guide, Show Me How! Build Your Child’s Self-Esteem Through Reading, Crafting and Cooking is a valuable resource for child-care facilitators. Vivian lives in the quaint New England village of Amherst, New Hampshire, where the old stone library is her favorite hangout and her ten-year-old grandson is her favorite Monopoly partner. Visit Vivian’s website.
About Alleanna Harris (Illustrator)
Alleanna Harris has been drawing for as long as she can remember. As a little kid, she would draw on every page of her mom’s legal pads, her notebooks at school, and on the programs at church. She graduated from the University of the Arts with a BFA in animation with honors, and it was during this time she realized her love for illustration. Alleanna finds inspiration in the beauty of everyday things. She seeks to create images that are immersive, rich in color, and have a sense of warmth. She lives in New Jersey. Find out more about her at alleannaharris.com.
I hope you’ll find a copy of Making Their Voices Heard and enjoy it yourself.
Yellow Jacket, An Imprint of Little Bee Books; 2020
Thank you, Yellow Jacket Books, for this review Advanced Reader’s Copy of The Boy Who Grew Dragons. I’m happy to announce that I totally enjoyed reading this middle grade novel.
Honestly, I can’t say enough about this fun read. Dragons with explosive poop, an unsuspecting boy and his friends, an interesting gardening experience, trouble with neighbors, and adventures galore provided a very entertaining read of The Boy Who Grew Dragons.
Why I Love This Book:
~ Dragons! Tiny dragons who bond with humans, drop explosive poop, and get into trouble. Books with imagination always catch my attention.
~ A mysterious tree in the garden grows funny (weird) fruit. Dragon fruit tree? Is there not a real life fruit called dragon fruit? Does that fruit also grow dragons? I digress.
~ Tomas is a believable, interesting main character. I enjoyed all of the characters, even the not-so-nice neighbor.
~ The cover and internal illustrations are fantastic and perfectly compliment the story. Yes, this middle grade novel is illustrated with funny, clever, and enticing artwork.
~ Great writing and engaging story
I think young readers will devour The Boy Who Grew Dragons.
Yellow Jacket Blurb:
This hilarious middle-grade novel with illustrations throughout sees Tomas discover that he can grow dragons in his own garden!
When Tomas discovers a strange old tree at the bottom of his grandfather’s garden, he doesn’t think much of it. But he takes the funny fruit from the tree back into the house and gets the shock of his life when a tiny dragon hatches! The tree is a dragon fruit tree, and Tomas now has his very own dragon, Flicker!
While Tomas finds out that life with Flicker is fun, he also finds that it is very…unpredictable. Yes, dragons are wonderful, but they also set fire to your toothbrush and leave your underwear hanging from the TV antenna. Tomas has to learn how to look after Flicker—and quickly! And then something extraordinary happens: More dragon fruits appear on the tree! Now it’s official, Tomas is growing dragons.
Foo-Foo. Not technically our rabbit. Though I have recently informed my honey that this is my rabbit. Not rabbit soup. (No guarantees for others in the bunny market, as it were…coyotes, hawks, eagles, and other larger predators who roam freely. Like the playground cougar sighting at the school where 3 of my grands attend.)
Poor bunny Foo-Foo. Someone released him. Or he escaped. He is quite the digger, as evidenced by the ditch beneath our Mabel Gate. Or she. I feel like it is a he though.
Charcoal. Again, not our pet. I can’t even claim him, because he really belongs to the neighbors on the east side of the pasture. They would know if we adopted this funny guy. Also thought he was a she and hoped for a random egg now and then. But she began crowing all hours of the day. This daily visitor will either help our garden grow (by eating pests and fertilizing) or keep it from growing (by nibbling greens and digging up tender shoots). Either way, not our chicken.
Speaking of…just as I was finishing this post, who trots in from the pasture with a fresh snack?
Monet. This one is really our pet. She adores pasture life and voraciously hunts other pasture pets of the rodent and avian varieties. By our pet, I mean she sleeps in at night (to avoid cat/dog/coyote fights in the wee hours), we feed her on a regular basis, and pay her worming and vet bills. We used to have her twin sister, Mabel, until a pack of dogs decided she was snack worthy. Those dogs were definitely NOT our pets. And they are the reason we now have a Mabel Gate.
Ginger. Not our pet. Though we are doggy grandparents. She loves visiting us in the pasture. More for chasing the ball and occasional cat (Monet) or jumping in the ditch filled with mud and water. But still. If we would let her, she would visit inside the RV. What fun that would be! So. Though she is not our pet, technically, we have adopted her as a family member. Neighbor. Just over the fence.
Other “not our pets” include (but not restricted to) hawks, eagles, coyotes, skunks, goats, ducks, quail, geese, voles, mice, rats, woodpeckers, blue jays, magpies, doves, cats, dogs, frogs, snakes, water rats (I really don’t know what they are…but they are big and swim in the irrigation ditch), crows, worms, slugs, song birds, and lots and lots of insects.
Need a trip to the pasture zoo? Come spring, we will be open for business. I mean, the hibernators will be out and about, the frozen will thaw, eggs and litters will hatch, and who knows what else will spring to life. Bring a lawn chair and a camera. We’ll treat you to the habitats and adventures of Pasture Pets.
Write a Valentine story for these little ones? You bet!
Hey, writer friends! OR Hello friends who would love to try their hand at writing a short Valentine story for young readers!
This is your opportunity to join Susanna Hill’s Valentine writing challenge contest. Lots of fun, new friends and connections to be made, and a neat way to share your story. Or if you just love to read, join the adventure and read what other writers dream up. We are a crazy, creative, imaginative bunch.
Head on over to Susanna’s blog for the details.
Until then, I’ll be dreaming of Valentine’s Day and something fun to put in a story.
Ribbon’s Traveling Castle was gifted to me for review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day. Thank you, Elizabeth Godley, for sharing your book with me!
Ribbon’s Traveling Castle is an imaginative picture book about a young girl who faces the changes that come with moving (and life). Through creative situations, Ribbon explores what is going on in her life. Each imaginary person Ribbon encounters joins her in this tale as they play together.
Why I Like This Book:
~ imagination is KEY to enjoying this story
~ the story explores change, which is pretty scary to most people
~ clever illustrations, gradually transforming from mostly monochromatic to color
~ the fun story
~ the focus on play, which is pretty important to young readers
~ Ribbon’s trust in her dad to take care of her
Amazon Blurb:
This heartwarming, silly story with a dash of magic, illustrates that a big heart grants you tolerance. And it’s okay if things change, they’re supposed to shift. Change happens to everyone and the solution to the struggle is love, love for yourself and others.
Ribbon, traveling with her father, encounters a group of bizarre individuals in need of simple guidance. Ribbon rises above the worries of the day to day with the joy of play and love as her compass. Her example is an inspiration to everyone.
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.
Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.
MCBD 2020 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board
We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.
Butterfly and Five Little Children at the Zoo are two books I was gifted to review for Multicultural Children’s Book Day (#MCBD). Thank you, Elvy P. Rolle, for sharing your books with me!
Butterfly
Written by Elvy P. Rolle
Illustrated by Maksym Stasiuk
Nature’s Pages, 2nd Edition, 2016
Butterfly is a beautifully illustrated picture book about butterflies. Geared towards young readers, the simple text shares the movement and exploration of butterflies and the enjoyment of boys and girls as they interact with these flowers of nature.
What I Like About This Book:
~ the simple text and poetic form
~ the wonder of butterflies enjoyed by children of many cultures
~ the nature focus
~ the “Find the Butterflies” page
~ the butterfly glossary
~ the hidden butterfly found on each page
~ the peaceful, quiet, beautiful book
Five Little Children at the Zoo
Written by Elvy P. Rolle
Illustrated by Max Stasuyk
Aspect Books, 2016
Five Little Children at the Zoo is the tale of an adult taking five young children for a walk through the zoo. One by one, counting down from five, each child stays with a specific animal. And then, one by one, counting back up to five, each child is gathered into the group. A happy day at the zoo is enjoyed by all.
What I Like About This Book:
~ any trip to the zoo is an adventure
~ fun rhyming words
~ counting down and counting up
~ animal sounds
~ colorful illustrations
~ lots of parent/guardian support and suggestions in the backmatter
Amazon Blurb:
It’s always a great day to visit the zoo! In this delightful counting book, your child will meet playful kangaroos, colorful peacocks, gentle doves, and inquisitive cows while learning number concepts. The book was inspired by author Elvy Rolle’s field trips to the zoo while she worked with preschool children as a speech-language pathologist. “As I observed the children, it occurred to me that an interactive book on this theme would be a fun way for them to revisit the zoo,” she says. “I hope that Five Little Children at the Zoo will inspire the imagination and creativity of young children, as well as enhance their oral language and early literacy connections, as they listen to and interact with the story.”
Multicultural Children’s Book Day 2020 (1/31/20) is in its 7th year! This non-profit children’s literacy initiative was founded by Valarie Budayr and Mia Wenjen; two diverse book-loving moms who saw a need to shine the spotlight on all of the multicultural books and authors on the market while also working to get those book into the hands of young readers and educators.
Seven years in, MCBD’s mission is to raise awareness of the ongoing need to include kids’ books that celebrate diversity in homes and school bookshelves continues.
MCBD 2020 is honored to have the following Medallion Sponsors on board
We’d like to also give a shout-out to MCBD’s impressive CoHost Team who not only hosts the book review link-up on celebration day, but who also works tirelessly to spread the word of this event. View our CoHosts HERE.
Love, Laughter, and Life 