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Badger Tales: The Teacup Fliers – Meghan Tibbits

“Badger Tales” is inspired by the whimsical and imaginative artwork my mom painted for us when I was little. Growing up, my world was filled with fantastic creatures like the brave Mr. and Mrs. Mouse. “The Teacup Fliers” is based on two of her original paintings: Mrs. Badger reading from the book “Badger Tales”, and two little mice flying a teacup parachute. Now that I am older, I am thrilled to bring her characters to life and put into words the stories I dreamed up for them as a child.

My mom and I have always bonded over storybooks and other creative projects. We are big fans of Beatrix Potter, and sought to channel some of her old-fashioned simplicity into our book. In a fast-paced and rapidly changing world, we wanted to create a story that parents and children could read together. It is so important to slow down for a moment and appreciate what you have. Our first tale, “The Teacup Fliers”, is about living in the moment and realizing what you’re searching for has been in front of you all along.

Link: Interview From Ottawa Life Magazine

Where To Find Meghan:

Instagram: @badger.tales

Website:  www.badgertales.ca

Where to buy Badger Tales: The Teacup Fliers

Barnes & Noble

Indigo Canada

Amazon

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Footprintsink’s Fruit Snacks & Animal Crackers - Matt Reid

I’m Matt Reid and I’m an educator currently teaching high school Special Education. I’m working on my Master’s degree in Education with a certification in Social Studies at Arcadia University. I have over 15 years of experience in working with students from all types of backgrounds at multiple school districts. So I’ve been inspired by the youth for quite some time. 

As a kid, I never dreamed of being an educator; I dreamed through drawing. So the notion of creating something was always inside my mind. I never was an art major in school; I just drew for fun. 

In addition to my career, I have a wife named Lauren, a daughter named Sage, a son named Kingston, and a Yorkshire terrier named Beemer. My family has been a major inspiration in the process of creating my stories, concepts, and characters. When my daughter Sage was a baby, I read to her as much as I could. However, I could never find enough books that represented who she is as a young Black woman. That was the birth of creating my own children’s book with Sage as one of the main characters. Sage’s cousin Nasir is the other main character. But I needed more. 

What would I write about? I thought. I’ve always been a fan of A.A. Milne’s classic Winnie the Pooh and Friends, Bill Watterson’s Calvin and Hobbes, Charles M. Schulz’s Peanuts and many more. Creations all fueled by imagination! I wanted to create something similar yet, with more representation of what I look like and where I come from. 

I always wondered what my friends would look like as cartoons or illustrations: the animal characters in Fruit Snacks & Animal Crackers are inspired by my closest friends since childhood. Raspy the Bear was inspired by Nasir’s father, Rian, (one of my best friends) who appears as a silhouette in his son’s bedroom doorway on the first page of ‘Who Are You?’ He’s asking that powerful question that we all need to ask our kids. 

Whoo the Owl keeps that question alive throughout the theme of the book.  In the story, on Nasir’s bedroom wall, there’s a poster that reads Goals Over Obstacles (G.O.O.) Goo is Rian’s nickname turned acronym that we all use back home in Pottstown, PA as motivation to accomplish our goals by any means. I felt as though making our kids characters in a children’s book is one of the most empowering things I could do for them. 

In addition, I needed a concept; how do I explain the characters I’ve created? Inspired by conversations with students during lunch time, I focused on one of the many things that connects them all; food. All of us are taught not to play with our food as kids yet, every day I would see at least one child in the cafeteria using their imagination in playing with their snacks before consuming them. BOOM! That was the epiphany I had for Fruit Snacks & Animal Crackers.

Nasir and Sage forgot about the snacks in their book bags and the snacks magically turned into friends who share stories with the kids to help them solve problems. My wife Lauren is a psychologist who does a lot of research on the development of babies in order to give our son Kingston the best in all he needs. One of those things is allowing him to play with his food so that he can figure out what he likes and dislikes. It’s all brain development. All about finding out who you are as an individual. That’s why the slogan for Fruit Snacks & Animal Crackers is “...play with your food!”

To join the adventures of Fruit Snacks & Animal Crackers you can follow the author Matt Reid on Instagram: @fruitsnacksandanimalcrackers

To purchase a copy of ‘Who Are You?’ you can click on the link as follows: http://www.amazon.com/dp/1707713286/

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Children’s Book Author Stories - Helga Hopkins – Captain Blownaparte

About the Author:

Swiss Author Helga Hopkins grew up in the beautiful northern part of Switzerland and has many happy memories of long hot summers canoeing on the River Rhine and playing pirates with her brother and sisters. She is the oldest of four children and loved creating stories to entertain her siblings with exciting tales, and never lost her love of creating entertaining stories.

The joyful adventures of Helga’s characters are underlined with fun and friendship, with particular emphasis on helping and caring for each other. As a child she always loved funny stories with happy endings which made her feel good, and this remains the central ethos towards her young readers. ‘All my characters are like friends to me’, says Helga, ‘and I send them on adventures that I would enjoy myself!’

Fast forward to the new decade, and Helga lives in Southern England with her husband and ginger cat Wizzy-Woo. In her other life she’s a Chiropractor and her role as a children’s author is regularly discussed with patients and their little ones. “Children are obviously the most critical readers of children’s books” says Helga, “and their amazing comments about what they like helps me shape my stories. It’s fair to say that their astute influence often determines the way the way things turn out for my characters”. Helga’s books are currently in development for television.

About Captain Blownaparte!

Captain Blownaparte is a lovable pirate inspired by my childhood adventures on the River Rhine. The Pirate Captain, with his brainy parrot Prosper and bright little nephew Sproggie are an unbeatable team! They and the Captain’s loyal crew have a hilarious approach to problem solving, and their crazy secret weapons mean they always win the day. So far there are seven books in the Captain Blownaparte series, with more waiting on the runway.

Captain Blownaparte - Pirate Superstar

Every Pirate needs a secret weapon, and Captain Blownaparte has two - sticky toffee cannonballs, and Prosper the clever parrot! In this adventure the Captain covers his enemies in sticky toffee to rescue a bunch of poor capture parrots.

Captain Blownaparte and the Golden Skeleton. Parts 1-4

A golden skeleton in desperate trouble desperately needs to find his lost golden bones. The Captain and his loyal crew decide to come to his rescue – but little do they know what amazing adventures await them!

Captain Blownaparte and the little Dragon

A tiny baby dragon, a very angry dragon mum, and a nasty enemy pirate bring brand new excitement to the Captain’s latest adventure!

About Wizzy-Woo!

My wonderful cat Wizzy-Woo is the inspiration for my original picture-book series about a gang of furry friends and their hilarious adventures around the neighborhood. The adventures began when the children in my large family begged me to tell them stories about the real Wizzy-Woo, and that became the starting point to writing all about him in my children’s books. These days, the real Wizzy likes to keep an eye on the proceedings by sleeping in the nice warm gap between keyboard and computer! But nothing is finally agreed until Wizzy has stamped his paw on it!

Wizzy-Woo and His Brand New Friends

Cuddly kitten Wizzy-Woo joins the big wide world as we follow him from the farm where he was born to his new life with a happy cat-loving family. There, Wizzy quickly makes some wonderful new friends and encourages them to set off in search of his first big adventure.

Wizzy-Woo and the Big Snow

The friends team up again for an amazing adventure in the snow! This time, they rescue a sleepy hedgehog from the big winter freeze, and clamber on a toboggan for a super-speed ride down a steep and snowy hill! I wonder if they’ll fine some sizzling hot sausages waiting for them?

Wizzy-Woo and the Pirate Treasure

A long-lost pirate treasure gets discovered by Wizzy on the friends’ day out. But how on earth will they get rescued from the deep hole they’ve fallen into, and could they become local heroes for finding the treasure?

How to find Helga Hopkins: Instagram:  @captain.blownaparte, @wizzywoo.cat, @ wizzywoo.book Facebook:   Wizzy-Woo, Captain Blownaparte Amazon:     amazon.com/author/helga.hopkins

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Children’s Book Author Stories – Katherine Barralaga – This is Freedom

About the Author:

Katherine Barralaga is the author of the upcoming children’s book series titled “This is Freedom” that shares the journey to liberation of various animals in captivity.

She was inspired to write this series after discovering for herself the kind of lives that animals live in captivity.

Her mission for writing is to educate children about the welfare of animals in captivity and to inspire them to be the change they wish to see in the world.

Creative Process:

I was inspired to write this series after discovering for myself the kind of lived that animals live in captivity. As a little girl, I always loved visiting circuses, zoos, marine parks, etc. Anywhere I got the chance to see wild animals up close and personal. I especially loved visiting the circus as elephants are my favorite!

It wasn’t until a visit to the Ringling Brothers Circus at the age of 19 that I was left questioning the way animals are treated in the circus. I began to do research and what I found was heartbreaking. I had no idea of the abuse these animals had to endure. This event led me to my passion for animal rights.

I began joining protests outside of circuses and marine parks. I started petitions and met people who shared the same passion. During a meditation in April of 2016, an idea was sparked to write Rayna's story. I had never thought of myself as a writer before then. It took a lot of getting over self-doubt and fear but finally in 2019 "This is Freedom: Rayna's Story" was published. The process of writing a children's book and being able to share it with the world has been so rewarding for me that I decided to write a series.

Currently I am working on writing the second book in the series "Lola's Story" about a captive orca's journey to liberation which will be published in May 2020.

Find Me:

www.katherinebarralaga.com

https://www.amazon.com/This-Freedom-Raynas-Katherine-Barralaga/dp/0578548941

Instagram: thisisfreedomseries

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Children’s Book Author Stories – Darryl Silver – Poppi the Okapi

About the Author:

Darryl Silver is a TV Producer/Writer/ Creator. Darryl is the owner of The Idea Factory (www.tiftv.com), a production company. I also own a Brand of Tequila called Calavera Tequila. www.calaveratequila.com

Creative Process:

I have always been a creative person and have had some great success in the past and still do today.

This is actually my first entrance into writing children's books and it has been an adventure to say the least.

In my early career I was blessed to have great mentors. One in particular told me, "write what you know about better than life itself." What this means is write about what you know and it will come out honest and real. I truly believe this.

When my kids were little I used to take them to the zoo almost every weekend. I did this to give my wife a break as she took care of the kids during the weekdays. It was at this time that I became fascinated by the okapi. I was actually more obsessed with the word and I created a rhyming game that my children and I used to play when we would go there. This game continues even today as they are all grown up. I always knew that this would make a great children's book and one day I just had to get it out of my head and down on paper.  

About two years ago I finally decided to sit down and write it. The writing process took me about three months and I got a great response from friends, family and educators that I had shown the work too. Since I am a TV producer/writer, I am represented by an agent. It was at this time that she submitted the manuscript to several children's book publishers. We instantly got a great response. However, during the phone calls that I had with the publishers I found experience to be creatively stifling.

My book is long. It's 48 pages long, and, when publishers looked at the manuscript their notes were, "the book is too long", "the book needs to be half the length", "there are too many words on the page" and "some of the words are too big". Being someone who is in control of my creative work in my other business I did not respond very well to these notes. The nail in the coffin for me was actually when I asked them what they thought about an illustrator and they informed me that that would not be my choice – publishers would assign an illustrator to the project.

I decided that If was going to write I book I wanted it to be how I wanted it and not someone else's vision. This is not to say I did not listen to others when they gave me notes, this just means that if your creative vision is going to be decimated then what is the point in writing the book.

It was at this time but I decided that I would go at it by myself and that I would self-publish via Kickstarter.

But, first things first. I had to find an illustrator. I met with a bunch of illustrators domestically and I wasn't overwhelmed with any of their art. The one person that I did think was just okay wanted $170 a page. To spend $8,000 on art, for a first time book writer, was too big of a risk for me to take.  I had had great experiences with my other businesses working with fiverr.com and thought that maybe I could find somebody somewhere else in the world who might be more reasonably priced.

I put out an audition and found about a dozen artists and sent them one page of the book and all I asked them to do was illustrate the page with their style of artwork. I was blown away by the level of quality that was sent to me and the person I finally settled upon was a woman named Mary who lived in Pakistan. I can tell you that her art was far more superior than anyone I had seen stateside. It was then that I hired her to do the artwork for the book at a fraction of the price.

The way I approached her was we started with a few pages at a time and then as we went along I would pay her for between 5 to 10 pages at a time to ensure that she would actually finish the project as sometimes people on this platform either don't finish the work or disappear. I made sure that she sent me the masters with each group of pages so that I always had all the work in my possession.

Because of my inexperience I had no idea that it would take another year-and-a-half to finish the art, but in retrospect 48 fully Illustrated pages done in a year-and-a-half isn't too bad. I was very lucky that Mary was so great because as we went along there were a lot of changes to the book not only the illustrations but with the words. It is amazing how you realize what works and what doesn't as the process moves along.  Mary was amazing and even though there was a slight language barrier we got the job done.

Once the book was finished (or what I thought was finished), it was time to print a sample of the book. It was at this time that I realized that the formatting that Mary had done was completely wrong. This was not her fault nor my fault but just both of our lack of experience. It was during this time that I started speaking with printers in China. I used www.Alibaba.com and had conversations with over 20 different book printers. I settled upon a couple different printers who gave me amazing help in understanding how to format a book. They were extremely patient with me and we just kept going back and forth via Alibaba and Skype until the actual formatting was done correctly.

I'm very lucky that I have a great friend of mine and somebody has worked for me for years Andrew who knows how use Adobe in such a professional way that he was able to sit with me and we were able to go frame by frame word by word and make changes to the small artwork and formatting issues until the book was actually properly formatted. This was NOT an easy process.

I believe it's important for independent book writers and publishers to figure out the most financially responsible ways to get the job done. We are taking on all the risk to achieve our goals.

I also think it is super important for the writers to understand the process from beginning to end. Each time you hire someone to figure out something for you is one less thing that you understand in this very complex process.

A great resource that I believe every independent writer should join is https://www.ibpa-online.org/. This organization was a godsend in helping me in getting the project done and done correctly.

There are no shortcuts to learning how all this is done it is HARD work.

During this process I wasn't afraid to ask for help. I asked family. I asked friends. I went online and asked strangers for help. You would be shocked at how many people are willing to share their experience and their skills with you.

I am now at the point that I am launching the book. I chose to do it on Kickstarter because I have a great social media network due to my television background. I am relying on lots of friends and associates to help me drive sales of the book. I spent a lot of time looking at how other people were launching their books on Kickstarter and found the most successful ones. I am trying to emulate what they did. But there is no easy shortcut. I know that going forward this is going to take a lot of work and the only person who can do that work is me since I am the best advocate for my own work.

The first thing I did when the formatting was done was print one book via www.bookbaby.com. The reason I did this was that in theory you think you know how the books going to look when it's printed but only once you get a copy in your hand are you able to truly understand the nature of what you've done. I would say at this point my book is about 90% done and when it goes to the final printing we are going to be making the final changes.

I've actually partnered with a charity https://www.okapiconservation.org/ and I have found that they have been super helpful and promoting my book as well as connecting me with lots of people in the Okapi community.  They have even connected me with our local zoo who are also going to help me promote the book. I even had the opportunity to meet an Okapi and many other animals in a VIP behind the scenes tour. During all these events I filmed myself to use in my social media for the launch of the book. The Okapi zookeeper even gave me a stellar book review. The more people on camera and in print who give your book a great review, the better it will be for your launch.

I have also spent a lot of time on social media pre-promoting my book. When you settle on a title it is imperative that you get all your usernames locked down for your social media. Well before you launch the book you should be promoting the book and creating a social media community that you think would be interested in the book. As of today I have not sold one book and my Instagram is over 700 people.  It is crucial to create a buzz for your book well before you launch your Kickstarter pre-launch and your final launch page.

I've also been using my television contacts and there's an opportunity for my book to be featured on a children’s show this summer.

I always tell my kids if you are going to do something you should do it right.

You only have one shot to launch a book the first time and you should put all your effort energy and resources into launching that book.

I also believe that it's very important to have great focus groups. Within days of getting my first copy printed I met with teachers, friends and children of my friends to read them the book. I've had the great opportunity to read it to several kindergartens to see what reaction they had. It is never too late to figure out what you did wrong so you can change things before the final printing. I will always consider this book a work in progress and anytime I can make it better I will.

I'm cautiously optimistic for the launch of my book but you never know what's going to happen. I could sell 100 books or 100,000 books. You never know until you try.

I believe that it is important to pay it forward so if anyone reading this needs help...

Find me:

Here is the Kickstarter page for my book: https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/darrylsilver/poppi-the-okapi

E-Mail: poppitheokapi@gmail.com Website: www.poppitheokapi.com Instagram: @poppitheokapi Twitter: @poppitheokapi Facebook: www.facebook.com/poppitheokapi

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Children’s Book Author Stories – Burt Kempner – the School of Animal Magic Adventure series

About the Author:

Writer-Producer Burt Kempner has worked professionally in New York, Philadelphia, Washington, D.C., and Florida. His work has won numerous major awards, and has been seen by groups ranging in size from a national television audience in the U.S. to a half-dozen Maori chieftains in New Zealand. Spurred by his love for young people, he started writing children's books in 2015. Larry the Lazy Blue Whale was his first published book, followed by Monty the Movie Star Moose, The Five Fierce Tigers of Rosa Martinez and the School of Animal Magic Adventure series: Maisha the Educated Elephant, Dolphins in Distress and The Salmon Who Wanted to Run.

Creative Process:

All my books have been about animals. The first three covered topics such as accepting who you are, war as a very last resort and using the mind to help overcome illness. My latest three, The School of Animal Magic Adventures series, tackle endangered species. It took me a while to get the balance I wanted. On the one hand, I didn't want to diminish the seriousness of the subject; on the other, I didn't want to frighten or depress my young readers unnecessarily. Each adventure consists of an action team -- a young, impetuous female elephant, a wisecracking cattle egret and a mysterious white lion who's an emissary from the stars -- dispatched from the School of Animal Magic to come to the aid of a threatened species. I'm quite satisfied how the series turned out. The trilogy consists of:

Maisha the Educated Elephant Dolphins in Distress The Salmon Who Wanted to Run

The fourth and final volume of the series, The Purple Wave, will be available Spring 2020

Links:

Website: burtkempner.com Amazon: amazon.com/Burt-Kempner/e/B012HI8H6Q Facebook: facebook.com/burt.kempner Linkedin: linkedin.com/in/burt-kempner-9867581

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Children’s Book Author Stories – Inger Brown – The Bobbling

About the Author:

Inger Brown was born in Cornwall and grew up in Somerset. She created The Bobbling whilst at art college for which she achieved a distinction for the first story. After finishing art college Inger took a detour and studied jewelry making and lampworking which is making glass beads.  She did this for several years and then returned to her first love of illustration. Initially starting off with studies of fantasy creatures, manga and Chinese brush painting developing her own style, Inger started experimenting with a dragon character and self-published her first book “Dragon’s Don’t”. In July 2017 “The Bobbling and the Flood” was published and he was launched as a character for children. The book has been nominated for The International Rubery Award and has gained many positive reviews.

In common with most authors and illustrators nowadays Inger has decided to self-publish and release more Bobbling stories through Amazon print on demand.

About the Books:

The Bobbling is a series of books about a cute poodle who goes on lots of adventures.

“The Bobbling and the Flood” - His house and the land all around is flooded. What will he do? Bobbling sets out in his umbrella in search of the plug hole.

“The Bobbling and The Cake” - The Bobbling’s birthday cake disappears. What will he do? This story takes Bobbling on a journey learning forgiveness.

“The Bobbling’s Space Adventure” - Bobbling goes off in his spaceship and discovers a whole new world where he meets a space poodle a Bulblet.

“The Bobbling and The Christmas Choir” – It’s Christmas time and the little Umbrella Birdies are too sick to sing. Can Bobbling help them in time?

Creative Process:

Unlike most I see myself as an illustrator rather than an author. My approach to writing is not the same as others but it works for me; I see my books in pictures. I start with ideas as that is easier than just writing. I am a firm believer in quality over quantity so I don’t sit and write for hours; I would be more inclined to sketch for hours.  I let an idea come to me and this has triggers. Those ideas are through life, music, pictures or something happening and it generates an idea like a lightning bolt. I write it down and it then gets written and re-written and I can start on the artwork which is what I love.

Links:

www.thebobbling.co.uk https://www.instagram.com/the_bobbling/ https://twitter.com/TheBobbling

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Children’s Book Author Stories – Rhonda Brooks – The Box, The Adventures of Katie and Karl Wallaroo

About the Author:

I have been an Early Childhood Educator for over 4 years and a mentor for at risk adolescents for over 7 years, so I understand the importance of fostering the natural curiosity and creativity of children and young adults.  I have been fortunate to work with some amazing children and their families in various places from Mississippi, Tennessee, New York, and Florida. ��My biggest joy is learning about others, building relationships, and making lasting connections with others.  I hold a bachelor’s degree in Counseling Psychology and working towards a master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.  When I have down time, I enjoy being outside, diy projects, eating, dancing in the mirror, and spending time with my family and friends.  If I had to describe my personality in three words it would be silly, bubbly, and colorful!

Inspiration for The Book:

I am the co-author and co-creator of the new fun book The Box, The Adventures of Katie and Karl Wallaroo.  

My dad Rodney Brooks is also the author and creator of The Box he came up with the concept and the characters 4 years ago.  He presented the idea of a children’s book series about learning and adventure with two brother and sister kangaroos to me, I thought it was an interesting idea, but I did not jump at the opportunity to begin writing.  I sat on my dad’s idea of creating a children’s book with these two characters for 4 years, because in my head I was not an author I was just a teacher.  Bless my dad’s heart he was so patient with me, but he constantly reminded me that I CAN and WILL be a great author and creator because I understand children.  Once again, I did not take him too seriously because he is my dad he is just trying to encourage me that is what a dad is supposed to do, well that was not the case.  

One day he sent me his manuscript to edit, once I read the first couple of pages, I decided I needed to just tweak a few things.  My dad’s story was good, and it had great learning information, but it was lacking that childlike element.  So, I began to write about things I witnessed in my classroom from my kids on a daily basis.  One of the main things that would go on in my classroom were the kids dumping all my toys in the middle of the floor and they would play with all of the boxes.  I would get frustrated with them dumping perfectly good toys on the floor, but my frustration would quickly turn into curiosity and then amazement.  The kids would be so creative and imaginative with the empty boxes, they would make houses, buildings, cars, all kids of things with those boxes.  I was so inspired by their creativity and their imaginations it inspired me to take my dad’s original story about learning the colors to transforming it into these two kangaroo characters using their imaginations to take them on amazing adventures with using just a simple box.  It took me 4 years to come around to writing this book, but I am so happy my dad believed in me and I am so happy I had some amazing creative little kiddos in my classroom.

How to Find Rhonda Brooks:

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Box-Adventures-Katie-Karl-Wallaroo/dp/1977215386

Website: www.thewallaroosla.com

Instagram: @thewallaroosadventures  

Facebook: The Adventures of Katie and Karl Wallaroo  

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Children’s Book Author Stories – Elizabeth Crocket – Happy Haiku

About the Author:

Elizabeth Crocket is an author and poet, who has had two Japanese short form poetry books published by Red Moon Press. One of them was shortlisted for the prestigious American Haiku Foundation Distinguished Book Award. She always wanted to write for children, but first she wanted to write a full-length novel. Elizabeth has two women’s fiction novels published with Crimson Cloak Publishing, with a third on the way. She recently released her first picture book, Happy Haiku, beautifully illustrated by Jack Foster. When Elizabeth, who is a grandma of six, saw her youngest granddaughter reading Happy Haiku, it was a dream come true.

About the Book:

The book is filled with happy stories from nature, lessons on life, great ideas for children to try, and lots of family love. The 26 haiku - as many as the letters in the alphabet - present fine examples of alliteration "birthday bat", expression "cutting teeth", suspense "suddenly..." and hinge question, "do you love me?" Short and simple to read on 3-lines following the form of traditional Japanese poetry, these haiku can inspire children from as early as two to become creative writers too. -David McMurray (Asahi Haikuist columnist in Japan)

These 26 delicious scenes retrieved from childhood help us, young and old, to revisit those times and to share them anew. - Jim Kacian, Editor-in-Chief, Haiku in English: The First Hundred Years

How to Find Elizabeth Crocket

Facebook: www.facebook.com/elizabeth.crocket.7923

Instagram: www.instagram.com/elizabethcrocketauthor/

Amazon: www.amazon.com/Happy-Haiku-Elizabeth-Crocket/dp/1681606925ia:

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Little Legends: Exceptional Men in Black History

Vashti Harrison

Little, Brown BYR 

An important book for readers of all ages…brings to life true stories of black men in history. Among these biographies, readers will find aviators and artists, politicians and pop stars, athletes and activists. The exceptional men featured include artist Aaron Douglas, civil rights leader John Lewis, dancer Alvin Ailey, filmmaker Oscar Micheaux, musician Prince, photographer Gordon Parks, tennis champion Arthur Ashe, and writer James Baldwin. The legends in this book span centuries and continents, but what they have in common is that each one has blazed a trail for generations to come.

Ages: 8 and up

Grades: 3 and up

Pages: 96

Available at👉🏿| Amazon | IndieBound 

Find more children’s and young adult books by Black authors here

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If you believe BCBA provides a valuable service, please take a few minutes and give to our 4 Dollar Donation Drive in support of our mission to promote awareness of children’s and young adult literature by Black authors. 

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#OnThisDay…

November 26, 1883, Sojourner Truth, abolitionist and women’s rights activist, died in Battle Creek, Michigan. Truth was born in 1797. The exact date of her birth is unknown, so many observe today, the date of her death, as Sojourner Truth Day. The following books are picture and middle-grade biographies.

Sojourner Truth’s Step-Stomp Stride 

Andrea Pinkney

Brian Pinkney 

Jump at the Sun, 2009

Sojourner Truth: Ain’t I a Woman?

Patricia C. McKissack

Fredrick McKissack

Scholastic

Find more children’s and YA books by Black authors here

<> Follow BCBA on Twitter | Instagram <> Subscribe to Our Newsletter <>

If you believe BCBA provides a valuable service, please take a few minutes and give to our 4 Dollar Donation Drive in support of our mission to promote awareness of children’s and young adult literature by Black authors. 

Thank you! 🙏🏿

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Children’s Book Author Stories - Shanita Allen - Sleep, Tiny Dreamer

About the Author:

Shanita Allen was born and raised in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA), serving individuals with Developmental Disabilities for over 16 years in the Tampa, Florida area. She has written a series of 9 children's books. The first book, released in September 2019, titled Sleep, Tiny Dreamer, is a short bedtime story encouraging young minds to dream big. There is also Sleep, Tiny Dreamer: The Coloring Book! The remaining 8 books in the series feature Little Ari and her talking dog, Pepper. Join Little Ari and Pepper as they go on adventures in their dreams… meeting new friends and learning important lessons about friendship, diversity, acceptance, and bullying along the way.

Creation of My Books:

When I was younger, I wrote poetry and short stories all the time, but once I went to college to get my degree in Psychology, my writing got sidetracked by course work. In 2018, while attending a motivational conference, I was inspired to pursue my childhood dream of becoming a published author of children’s books. I got the concept for my books from the things that I learned during the conference; the power of positive thinking and never giving up on your dreams. I thought to myself, “Wouldn’t it be great if children knew these things at a young age?” Especially children in the African American community. I decided to write a story encouraging young minds to reach beyond the clouds. The sky is never the limit… it's only the beginning. They need to know that they can be and do whatever they set their minds to.

Once I decided to follow my passion and write a book, all these ideas just started coming to me. Ideas would come to me at all times of the day, during random moments. Before I knew it, one book turned into 9 books! My stories aren’t just for children; they are for adults to enjoy as well, since we are all children at heart. I want to encourage children to read, as well as encourage parents to read to their children. Growing up in a single parent household, I recognize the value of spending quality time with your children and building a nurturing relationship.

The response that I have gotten so far from Sleep, Tiny Dreamer has been overwhelming. I am humbled by all of the positive feedback and reviews. The idea of people reading my words and being touched by my story is priceless. If I can inspire just one child, or even one adult, then I have served my purpose… and for that, I am truly grateful.

How to Find Me:

Website: www.LetsGoDreaming.com

Facebook: Let's Go Dreaming (www.facebook.com/letsgodreaming11)

Instagram: @LetsGoDreaming11 (www.instagram.com/letsgodreaming11)

YouTube: Let's Go Dreaming

Twitter: @LetsGoDeaming1

Amazon: Sleep, Tiny Dreamer (www.amazon.com/dp/173337390x) and Sleep, Tiny Dreamer: The Coloring Book! (www.amazon.com/dp/1733373934)

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Children’s Book Author Stories - Danielle Gillespie-Hallinan - Moose Mischief

About the Author:

I graduated from the University of Oregon with a degree in journalism and worked as a newspaper reporter in Oregon and California for seven years before becoming a children’s book author and illustrator. In college, I worked part-time at a daycare, and I loved reading to the kids at story time. This experience inspired me to create my own children’s book.    

About the Book:

I came up with the idea for Moose Mischief in 2010 after my husband, Peter, told me an endearing story about befriending a moose when he was a child. Peter grew up in Fairbanks, Alaska and one summer a moose started coming by his house every day around lunchtime to eat crab-apples off the tree in his front yard. Realizing this, Peter made himself a peanut butter and jelly sandwich and waited for the moose, so they could have lunch together. They soon became buddies! Since I had wanted to write a children's book series for some time, I decided to create one about a boy named Cooper and his friend, the moose. 

I named the series Moose Mischief because I envision Cooper and the moose getting into lots of mischief!  In my first book, Cooper has the clever idea of making his mom breakfast for her birthday, and the moose offers to help, claiming he’s the best chef in Alaska. The zany moose has grand ambitions for the breakfast, which leads to one MESSY kitchen! This comedic book encourages thoughtfulness and teaches an important lesson: You have to clean up when you make a mess! 

I am now working on another mischievous story about the moose and Cooper's Hawaiian vacation, which I hope to release soon.

Creative Process:

It took me six years to publish my book because I did not know how to draw or paint, and I was determined to illustrate the book myself. I took art classes during that time with the goal of making this book.

I began by developing my characters. I created my moose first, deciding early on that I wanted him to walk on two legs like Bugs Bunny and Porky Pig so that he had a human quality about him. I then conceptualized Cooper with the goal of making him stand out from other cartoon boys. After trial and error, I eventually decided that to make Cooper distinguishable, he would always wear a fun hat. After I developed my characters, I figured out what scenes I needed for the book. Then, I asked my husband and my art teacher's son to pose as the moose and Cooper, respectively. I took photos of them acting out the scenes, so that I could accurately capture what my characters would look like moving through space. I also used photographs of Alaska's great outdoors, cabins and my mother's kitchen as inspiration for the backgrounds.

I drew all 32 scenes, which is the size of a standard picture book, on sketch paper. Afterwards, I used a projector to redraw those scenes onto watercolor paper, and I painted them with gouache. I inked all my paintings with India Ink, using both burnt sienna and black. 

It was a fun and exciting process, and I learned a lot along the way. I am now taking similar steps to create the second book. I actually know how to draw and paint this time around, so I am completing this book much faster. Cooper and the moose truly spark my imagination, and I can’t wait to see what they inspire me to make next! 

How to Find Me:

@moosemischief on Instagram 

www.moosemischief.com 

https://www.facebook.com/moosemischief/

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Children’s Book Author Stories - Jennifer Robinson - Learning With Ernie - Diversity

About the Author:

Jennifer R. Robinson is an accomplished graphic designer for more than 20 years. Since childhood, Jennifer’s creativity stems from her clear vision and imagination conveyed through a variety of work such as graphic designs, arts and crafts, drawings and paintings, hand-made jewelry, and much more. Growing up, Jennifer always had a love for cartoons, so with her design background, a dedication in mind, and a story to tell, she decided to write her first children’s book. Jennifer, along with her sister, Alissa Robinson are the co-founders of Underdog Innovations, a business endeavor that honors their late brother, Glenn Robinson and his legacy. Underdog Innovations is inspired by Glenn's creativity, entrepreneurial spirit, and his fearless nature for taking risks and never giving up. Jennifer resides in South Florida and to view her portfolio of work visit http://www.jracqueldesigns.com

About the Book:

Learning with Ernie – Diversity is about a little girl, Emmy who is going through a tough time after moving to a new town. Her parents get Emmy a new rescue pup, Ernie to help her cope. While Emmy and Ernie are at the neighborhood park, they are teased by other kids. Emmy and Ernie find the confidence to confront diversity and bullying issues with responses other children will find useful in similar situations. In this book, diversity is displayed through multi-cultural children and dogs of different breeds. The message of this book is conveyed through simple text and rhymes along with inviting illustrations, making it easy for young readers to understand.

https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/learning-with-ernie-diversity

Creative Process: 

Writing a children’s book has always been on Jennifer’s bucket list. It was just a matter of timing and the right story to tell. Jennifer fell in love with her brother's Boston Terrier, Benny. When she found out a litter was born from Benny's dad, she couldn't resist and along came Ernie. Unforeseen circumstances forced Jennifer to find Ernie a new home. Fortunately, Jennifer keeps in touch with Ernie and his wonderful new owner. With Jennifer's love for Ernie, creativity, and passion for writing, this book series concept was born. Jennifer wanted to create a book series with a purpose. Each book will focus on a relevant topic that will bring awareness, mindfulness, and most importantly open a dialogue between adults and children.

Learning with Ernie - Diversity is dedicated to Jennifer's late brother, Glenn, who sadly passed away before the book was published. Fortunately, Jennifer was able to share the initial concept of her book with Glenn and he was so supportive and encouraging in pursuing her dream of becoming an author.

You can follow Jennifer on Instagram: @learningwitherniebookseries @underdoginnovations

Available to Pre-Order now and scheduled to be released on September 19, 2019: Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/0578507285   Barnes and Noble: https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/1132951457 Target: https://www.target.com/p/-/A-78202315

Press Release: https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/new-childrens-book-learning-with-ernie--diversity-by-jennifer-r-robinson-empowers-kids-to-confront-bullying-and-accept-differences-300909442.html?tc=eml_cleartime

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Children’s Book Author Stories – Donnabelle Pineda - The Dragon and the Rat Tale

About the Author:

     Donnabelle Pineda immigrated to the United States with her family from the Philippines at a very young age. Her early high school years got her writing nursery rhymes for her English Show and Tell assignments. She thought it was not only fun but also had enormous educational value and could be used as a great teaching tool. She also took interest in poetry as an "outlet" realizing that stringing words together with a beat was "good for the soul". Her poems were typically short, but largely emotional. Writers of poetry like Donna get in touch with sentiments they might not have known they had until it was all down on paper. Donna believes that for those who have a harder time expressing themselves, reading poetry can also have a similar positive effect as writing it. 

     Moving to Arizona in the late 90's and blessed with a beauteous brood that includes two granddaughters, she pictured herself reading to them a bedtime story version of her own personal quest for true romantic love done in fairy style fashion. Like all stories, fairy tales are meant to entertain, but to Donna, that's secondary. Unlike today's novels, she wanted a fairy tale to give a moral in a way the audience will remember. She wanted to come up with something that is "personal" to her and that would exist to teach a clear lesson. Donna has honed her craft in creative writing well as The Dragon and Rat Tale masterfully resonates and connects the "lessons" to her audience all told in an entertaining fashion.

About the Book:

     This absolutely beautiful fairy tale by author Donnabelle Pineda is as wonderful to read as it is to look at and an audio book should be in the works. Donna's mesmerizing story echoes old fairy tales in their quest to explore society and humanity through superstition. Two creatures brought together by fate who discover themselves through each other. Serendipity at its finest and inspired partly by the Chinese Zodiac which reflects several superficial similarities to the Western Zodiac. Both are widely associated with a culture of ascribing a person's personality or events in his or her life to the supposed influence of the person's particular relationship to the cycle. 

     For most of us, fairy tales are our first brush with good and evil, romantic love, magic — and storytelling itself. Set in medieval times the book evokes the War of the Roses, those glorious days of yore; of knights, kings, castles queens and princesses.

     Delicately immersed in the psyche of the story is Donna's life experiences as a single mom. Born in the Year of the Rat and despite all the travails and curved balls of life, she refuses to marry for money, power and convenience. In similar fashion, the central character, Princess Arabella sees through her mother's (Queen Juliana's ) real intentions and defies her seeking true love instead..

     The Dragon is a mythical creature; an embodiment of the lovers of the past, present and future who thought love is just a conquest. Dragon and Rat Tale subtly tells us that man can find true love when he surrenders to it; when he surrenders his heart and his being to his or her life's partner. This is only one of the hidden things you can unravel from reading this masterpiece of a book. 

     The "Dragon and Rat Tale enthralls. It stirs us because we see those same scenes unfolding around us---- conflict---- tension--- suspense--- drama.  

The Dragon and Rat Tale features characters with big dreams facing impossible odds. Maybe their desires seem foolish from an outside perspective, but we can’t always know how things will turn out until we try. As we make sense of the overarching narrative of this fairy tale, we begin to think deeper into what life is really about. We begin to make sense of our own lives. We begin to believe that life lessons from these tales do come to life and this is what The Dragon and Rat Tale masterfully articulates.

 How to Find Donnabelle:

Facebook and Instagram: the_dragon_and_rat_tale

Barnes & Noble: The Dragon and Rat Tale

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New Book Release

Get Up, Stand Up

Bob Marley

Cedella Marley

John Jay Cabuay

Chronicle Books 

Bob Marley’s music has inspired millions of listeners around the world with messages of peace, love, and truth. This third picture book adaptation of one of his beloved songs has a timely message for children: To counter injustice, lift others up with kindness and courage. As a young girl goes on with her day in school, she comes across several instances of teasing and intimidation. But with loving action and some help from her friends, she’s able to make things right for herself and others. With exuberant pictures by John Jay Cabuay accompanying Marley’s iconic lyrics, Get Up, Stand Up is a vibrant testament to the power we all have to make a difference.

Available at👉🏿| Amazon | IndieBound

Find more children’s and YA books by Black authors here

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Children’s Book Author Stories - Aaron White - Australian Firefighters, Australian Mining Machines, Mining Machines Colouring Book, Australian Paramedics, Australian Defence Force Machines, Australian Surf Lifesavers, Australian Police Vehicles

About the Author:

    Aaron White lives in Perth, Western Australia.  He is the self-published author of Dave The Dump Truck and 7 other children's books.  Aaron has also published the novel FIFO, What Really Happens When the Plane Takes Off.  Aaron is the proud father of two wonderful boys, Tyler and Jayden.

About the Books:

    I started making books in 2015 when my son Tyler turned 2 years old, this is because I could not find a book to show him what I did at work. I was and still am a Dump Truck/Haul Truck operator on a gold mine. (I’m also a qualified Firefighter.)     So I You Tubed and Googled how to self-publish a book and taught myself how to do it using photos. My first book was Dave the Dump Truck.     After the third book I employed an illustrator from a website called fiverr.com to illustrate the next 5 books.     I have enjoyed writing the books while in the truck and during my lunch breaks. I found the illustrators on fiverr.com very affordable, but you have to have a good eye for detail to let them know what changes need to be made as they miss a lot. Ha ha.     I will learn to illustrate my own books in the future but at the moment I still love the writing process and will continue to do that.    My mission is to show children what their parents, grandparents and others in the community do at work.

How to Find Me:

Children’s Books: Australian Firefighters, Australian Mining Machines, Mining Machines Colouring Book, Australian Paramedics, Australian Defence Force Machines, Australian Surf Lifesavers, Australian Police Vehicles www.childrensbooksbyaaronwhite.com Facebook and Instagram: @childrensbooksbyaaronwhite Youtube: Children’s Books By Aaron White

Novel, as Aaron Weston: FIFO, What Really Happens After the Plane Takes Off www.store16596019.ecwid.com Facebook and Instagram: @aaronwestonauthor