Monet tried to take a break from her cozy nap to announce the winner, but could not keep her eyes open.
The winner of a copy of Laura Sassi’s Happy Easter, Risen King! is
ROBIN CURRIE
Congratulations, Robin! Please contact me with your mailing address so I can get it to Laura and Paraclete Press so they can mail you a copy! I hope you enjoy this beautiful Easter board book!
Thank you, Laura Sassi and Paraclete Press, for offering a copy of Happy Easter, Risen King! to one reader! What a special gift!
Author Laura Sassi is joining us today with some great tips for reading board books to our littles. As a special treat, Paraclete Press is offering a copy of Laura’s newest book Happy Easter, Risen King! to one reader. Please comment on this blog post to get your name in the hat (US only). A winner will be chosen one week from today.
Welcome, Laura!
Every night when my kids were little – starting when they were babies – we wrapped up our day with some cozy reading time, followed by a lullaby and a prayer. It was precious time on many levels as we enjoyed the joy of togetherness, the cozy calm of settling down for the night, the connections we were making through the board books we explored, and the faith seeds that were planted as we sang of God’s love and wrapped it all up in a prayer.
Now, in celebration of the joy of doing all of the above using board books as the hook, here are 8 tips for reading board books with babies and toddlers, using my newest board book Happy Easter, Risen King! as the joyful model.
Tip #1: Make reading time special. Get cozy. Snuggle. Remember, reading the board book at hand is about more than just reading. It’s about bonding, interacting and fostering a love of books and storytelling, and in the case of exploring faith-based books, letting your children know, from the very beginning, how much God loves them.
Tip #2: Pause as you read to ask simple, interactive questions. In Happy Easter, Risen King! for example, you could ask: “Where’s the sun?” “Who is in the garden?” “What’s the angel doing?”
Tip #3: Add simple actions and/or sounds. In Happy Easter, Risen King! for example, you could have your children squeak like the little mice that appear in almost every spread. For actions, they could pretend to carry jars of perfume or to be picking up petals along the path in the story.
Tip #4: Vary the delivery. Sing the story. Use different voices. My children especially loved when I sang the stories we read. Try singing Happy Easter, Risen King! to the tune of “Happy Birthday to You” and see how it goes. Fun, right?
Tip #5: Let toddlers turn the pages. Anticipate together what will happen on the next page. Then see if you were right.
Tip #6: Point and name things as you read. In Happy Easter, Risen King! for example, you can have your toddler point to and name the colors, etc.
Tip #7: Extend the story with an activity. For Happy Easter Risen King! it might be fun to go on a color hunt or paint a rainbow. Another idea would be to build a cave tomb, similar to the one in the story, by putting a blanket over a couple of chairs. Then, with your child, take turns peeking in and rejoicing because Jesus isn’t there! He has risen, just like He said he would!
Tip #8: Read the same stories again and again… if they ask! That’s how they learn and grow. And remember, to wrap it all up in with a hug and a prayer.
Thank you so much, Laura! These are great tips for reading board books with the littles. Everyone, be sure to comment below to get your name in the hat to win a copy of Happy Easter, Risen King! Thank you, Paraclete Press! Laura’s board book is just right for Easter!
This adorable board book is just perfect for Thanksgiving AND any other day of the year when we want to express thanks to someone we meet. As you can tell by the cover, this is not a Thanksgiving book, yet I can see how fun it would be to share it with little readers to give them ideas of how to tell (and show) others thank you. As far as the rest of the year, The Thank You Book is just right.
Colorful illustrations and simple text come together in a delightful package. The rhymes roll easily off the tongue, making it fun to read aloud. From the back cover:
Thanking is easy. Thanking is fun. Can you find a way to thank someone? This lovely book shows us all the ways we can be thankful!
I love how we read about not only ways to say thank you with words, but ways to say (and show) thanks in other ways.
So to you, my readers, thank you for stopping by today! I appreciate you!!
This adorable board book has it all: board book quality, gorgeous illustrations, perfect little nature-based haiku poems, lift-the-flaps (always a favorite with the young crowd), hide-and-seek animals. PEEK-BOO-HAIKU is written across the seasons, so add that to its charm and discussion possibilities.
I love to write haiku, and Danna is one of the best haiku writers I’ve had to pleasure to interact with. I’ve admired many of her books. PEEK-A-BOO HAIKU is now one of my mentor texts.
PEEK-A-BOO HAIKU will make a wonderful gift for my almost 11-month-old granddaughter. IF I can give it away. Or maybe she gets her own copy.
Choo-choo! Hop aboard this hard-working nighttime freight train!
Written by Danna Smith and illustrated by Jon Andersen, this sturdy board book will delight train lovers of all ages. 🙂
Thank you, Danna Smith, Lynne Marie, and Rate Your Story March on with Mentor Texts! After participating each day, reading posts, commenting, and reading/studying mentor texts (picture books worth a closer read), everyone was eligible for prizes offered by blog guests. Fortunately for me, my name was pulled and I won a copy of Danna Smith’s adorable board book Wake Up, Freight Train!
Thank you to everyone for a fantastic month of reading, studying, and learning!
Why I Love This Book:
~ adorable!
~ fun, rhyming text
~ trains, an ever popular subject matter for young readers
~ word play and train-specific words
~ answers to “What does a freight train do at night?”
~ bright colors, animals and wildlife, shaped board book
~ plenty of onomatopoeia so readers can join in the fun!
Hop aboard this train-shaped board book that introduces each car of a freight train during a nighttime adventure!
Blow the train whistle, shovel more coal. Here we go, freight train! Get ready to roll! Toot-toot goes the horn, Blink-blink go the lights, Clang-clang goes the bell, all through the night.
Featuring all the cars of a freight train, this board book is perfect for young readers who love trains! And since freight trains ride at night, there are adorable sleepy animals throughout for little ones to find.
First, congratulations are in order to announce the winner of Baby’s First Nativity by Nomar Perez (Little Bee Books).
The winner is: Melissa!
Watch your mailbox, Melissa. I hope you enjoy this adorable Christmas board book. Merry Christmas!
And now, on to the book report.
All Colors
Written and illustrated by Amalia Hoffman
Schiffer Publishing, 2019
I won a copy of All Colors from Kathy Tremean’s blog Writing and Illustrating and Amalia Hoffman. You can read more about Amalia Hoffman here. Thank you to Kathy and Amalia!
Why I Love This Book:
~ The colors! I’ve seen colors represented in books many times, but usually the colors are introduced on a white background. It’s very interesting to see them on black.
~ The friendship theme (spoiler alert). We need books about being friends with others even if they are different than we are.
~ The board book. This is one durable book. Nice and sturdy for lots of use.
~ Kid-friendly. I read this one to my two youngest grands, and one immediately said, “Again!”
~ The art approach. I know this book can be used to help young readers feel confident in drawing pictures (instead of just coloring them). Each step is easy to replicate, no matter the age.
Amazon Blurb:
This board book introduces children to colors, textures, and parts of the body while conveying a message about friendship, celebrating diversity, and inclusion. As the reader turns the pages, colors are added one by one, creating the image of a boy. Different strokes and textures make up each body part, and at the end the boy joins his friends, all made of different combinations. All Colors shows that all people are made up of the same pieces, yet are all unique and full of color!
Thanks for stopping by. Have a great day!
Need a fun board book that teaches colors AND how to draw a simple person? Check out ALL COLORS by Amalia Hoffman. #boardbooks #picturebooks #kidlit
Welcome! I’m excited to introduce you to Nomar Perez. Thanks to Vivian Kirkfield, I was sent a copy of Baby’s First Nativity by Nomar Perez. After reading this adorable board book, I reached out to Anna Howland of Little Bee Books and she connected me with Nomar. Thank you, Anna, Paul Crichton, and Little Bee Books.
Without further ado, here’s Nomar Perez! Be sure to read to the end and find out how to get your name in the hat for a drawing to win a copy of Baby’s First Nativity.
Baby’s First Nativity
Illustrated by Nomar Perez
Little Bee Books, 2019
1. I was delighted to receive a copy of Baby’s First Nativity (September 17, 2019) from Little Bee Books. I love the colors of the illustrations and the patterns you’ve chosen to use to add texture. When were you asked to illustrate this adorable board book? How did you connect with Little Bee Books?
I was approached to work on the Baby’s First Nativity board in September of last year. Little Bee connected with my agent to have me work on this and another board book. It has been a delightful project to work on. Especially being such wonderful story that I grew up listening to it. Also is a very special story that I truly value during the Christmas time.
2. Tell us about the process you used to illustrate Baby’s First Nativity.
The process was pretty simple. I was giving some style and technique direction. This was a bit of a change in style that I normally work on. The process starts with sketching lots of ideas of how the characters will look like. Once the publisher and me feel we are in the right direction on look and style. I begin to put together the rest of the animals, characters, and scenes. I was delighted to create something new and different from what I’m use to doing.
3. What is your favorite part of illustrating picture books?
I enjoy the entire process of creating a book, but my favorite part is when I have all my sketches finalize and I start to paint and add color. This is really exciting because you start to see the book in such a wonderful new way.
4. Tell us a little about your background. What was your path to becoming an illustrator?
I’m originally from Puerto Rico. I came to the United States at the age of 10. I’ve always love to draw and paint. I still remember drawing in my notebooks from school. Once here in the USA I went to school for Computer Animation and Digital Art. After college I was given the opportunity to work at a wonderful company called American Greetings. I’ve been working as an Illustrator for over 17 years as a Senior Illustrator and as a Freelance illustrator.
5. What other illustration projects are you working on?
Currently, I work on a variety of school publishing work. But one thing that I am most excited about is a book I’m currently writing and illustrating called “Coqui in the City” this will be my first book as an Author and Illustrator. It will be a semi-autobiographical children’s book of my experiences coming from Puerto Rico to America.
6. Fantastic news! Does Coqui in the City have a book birthday yet? Have you completed any illustrations?
The release of the book will be the fall of next year. Here is a sneak peek at what I’ve been working on.
Congratulations, Nomar! I look forward to reading Coqui in the City. Thank you for visiting with us today and sharing your journey. Best wishes as you continue to illustrate and write.
About Nomar Perez
Nomar Perez was born on the beautiful island of Puerto Rico, where he grew up in the city of Ponce, a unique city with new and Old Spanish colonial architecture and an amazing array of colors, sounds, and flavors. These aspects of his Puerto Rican culture have influenced Nomar throughout his artistic life. After leaving his homeland at the age of 10 for the U.S., Nomar found himself in touch with all types of media, including animation, puppetry, and computer art. He studied computer animation and painting at Bowling Green State University in Ohio, and since then has worked as an illustrator and designer on humor, kids, and young adult products for over 17 years in the social expressions market. Nomar has had the opportunity to work on a variety of children books including both educational and mainstream markets.
Love, Laughter, and Life 