UPCOMING EVENTS!

Here are some upcoming writing events that might interest you or the teen in your life.

Ten Steps on Your Path to Publication

When I moved to Matthews, NC a few years ago I was delighted to discover Matthews Christian library walking distance from my home. Of course, I introduced myself to the librarian, Tiffany Slack, and told her about my passion for books and writing. 

Recently, Tiffany contacted me and asked if I would be willing to participate in their 25th anniversary celebration. She asked if I would talk about getting published since many of their patrons ask about that.

It just so happened that had been my topic at a recent workshop for a library in the Charlotte Mecklenburg system, and so I replied with a proposal.

And just like that, this is going to happen in May!

                                        🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊

WOW! A Week of Outstanding Writing

Do you have a tween or tween who loves writing? In June I will lead a fun writing camp for kids. Please pass this information along to teachers or parents who know a child who might love learning more about writing a short story. I'll use activities from my book, Teaching the Story: Fiction Writing in Grades 4-8.

                                        🖊🖊🖊🖊🖊

Writing Christian MG or YA Fantasy

If you dream of writing middle-grade or young-adult fantasy, the virtual Write2Ignite Master Class still has a few spots open. For an interview with speaker Amy Earls, click here. 

Questions about any of these events? Feel free to email me.

Congratulations to Marci Whitehurst who won a copy of Linda Phillips' book, CRAZY.

A Holiday GIft: Haikus from Two Friends Plus Two Announcements

 I'm going to end my blogging for 2023 with some delicious word morsels from two writer friends. They'll take you less than a minute to read, yet I suspect it took Jo Hackl and Michelle Nott hours to craft them. Savor each verb and taste every image. Let the flavor of their figurative language roll around on your tongue.

These word treats pack no calories--just pleasure!

HAIKUS

Leaves fell but still I

cling, waiting wafts of wind, to

glide to waiting soil.  -- Jo Hackl

Image courtesy Jo Hackl

Leaves in shades of wine

Dance with secrets on a breeze

Encore and applause. -- Michelle Nott 

 

 

Image courtesy Jo Hackl

Irresistible

Straw basket beckoned me near

and now it is mine. -- Jo Hackl

 

Image courtesy Michelle Nott. Photo taken in Savoie, France while snow-shoeing.

 

Grains of dust, frost-kissed

Crystallize, waltz, bow, whisper

Warm wishes to all. -- Michelle Nott

ANNOUNCEMENTS

💗 Congratulations to Erin Hecker who won THE MEMORY QUILT which comes out on January 9.

💗 I will be leading writing workshops again in 2024. My first one is Ten Steps on Your Path to Publication at Steele Creek Library in Charlotte, NC on March 19. Join me in this hands-on workshop as I share ten steps toward making your writing dream a reality. We will also touch on the pros and cons of self-publishing.

The workshop is free and all attendees will take home a journal to inspire them on their path to publication. Registration is required and opens on January 1. 

                                                                ❄❄❄❄

Happy Holidays to all of you. I'm taking some time away from blogging and will welcome you back here in 2024 for book reviews from myself and my team of tween and teen bloggers; giveaways, and more!

TWO FRIENDSHIP PICTURE BOOKS BOOKS + TWO GIVEAWAYS + ONE AUTHOR INTERVIEW

 It's time for another double review and giveaway courtesy of Sleeping Bear Press!

LUNA'S Green Pet

This is a delightful debut picture book by Kirsten Pendreigh and illustrated by Carmen Mok about a girl who feels left out because no pets are allowed in her apartment.

Her friends make suggestions but none of them felt right. Until one day Luna finds something very unusual.

She names her plant, reads to it, and even takes it for walks--which usually works out well.

Her pet was perfect, even if her friends disagreed. 

But,  one day, strange clumps of bumps appeared. Luna worried.

During the night, the bumps burst open! A powerful perfume woke Luna...Stephanie's sweet scent wafted through the building.

Luna was thrilled. And when the pet parade walked down her street, Luna was proud to display Stephanie.

Stephanie offered one more surprise. She grew a pod!

I love the sweet ending that shows seeds floating away on the night wind with Luna saying. "Someone out there is waiting to love their own Stephanie."

The back matter includes why houseplants make great pets, recommendations for which houseplants to try, and information about Stephanotis Floribunda.

Mr. Thatcher's House

Kristin Wauson wrote and illustrated this clever and funny debut book. Make sure you read her author interview below to see how she came up with her ideas.  

In the beginning, the reader finds Mr. Thatcher building the perfect house. (Aha! The character and his goal in one simple sentence!)

But no matter how hard he tried, something always seemed missing. So, he kept on working and the house grew and grew--but it still wasn't perfect. (Aha #2! We get the character's internal drive and obstacles!)

One morning, his work was interrupted by one of his neighbors.

Of course, Mr. Thatcher doesn't want her to stay in his imperfect house, but the witch makes herself at home baking goodies.

There's another knock on the door.

Mr. Thatcher is suddenly surrounded by the sound of music provided by the three pigs.

Who should also need a house? None other than,

Mr. Thatcher went back to work, but there were MANY interruptions. And the next time he heard knocking, he panicked.

Mr. Thatcher had enough. He moved out. 

But then he stopped and looked inside his house and saw that cakes were baking and a stew was bubbling. There was music and laughter and the comforting crackle of logs in the fireplace. For the first time, his house felt like home.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW WITH KRISTEN WAUSON

 CAROL: I would like to know how you came up with this fun idea! I love how you integrated the fairy tale characters into the story. Can you tell my readers a little bit about how you developed that idea? What was your inspiration? 

 

KRISTEN: In 2018 I wrote down the idea that became Mr. Thatcher’s House. I was participating in Tara Lazar’s Storystorm, which is something I always like to do. My husband and my father-in-law build Craftsman-style homes and I was inspired by my father-in-law, who has been remodeling his own house, in his spare time, for the past 30 years. It’s going to be perfect one day—if he can ever finish.

 

I started thinking about all the classic stories I remembered from childhood and realized that many of those stories involved a house problem. In the most obvious one, a trio of pigs had their houses reduced to rubble by a pesky wolf. But, I started having a lot of fun thinking of all the reasons different fairytale characters might need new homes. The bears had suffered a home invasion by Goldilocks, and Hansel and Gretel keep eating a poor elderly woman’s house.

 

And what did all these characters need? They needed a master carpenter – someone to build them the perfect house!

 

CAROL: Is this your debut book as an author-illustrator? 

 

KRISTEN: Yes. This is my first published book!

 

CAROL: Can you tell us about your path to publication?

KRISTEN: I always liked to draw, and I worked as a graphic designer before coming to children’s books. I left my job in 2015 after my youngest son was born. In 2016, I joined SCBWI and attended my first conference. I knew very little about children’s books, so was extremely lucky to be awarded a mentorship with a published illustrator at that conference.

 

In 2018 I put together the dummy for Mr. Thatcher’s House, which helped me connect with my agent, Adria Goetz during a #PBPitch event. After I signed with her, we polished the dummy and she sent it out for submission in late 2019. Then 2020 happened and everything slowed down considerably, but we accepted an offer in February of 2021, the book was announced in May and it came out in the fall of 2022.

GIVEAWAY

Please leave me your name and email address (if you are new to my blog) and which book you'd prefer to win--I try to honor requests. This giveaway ends on April 21. American addresses only. Subscribe to my blog and/or share this on social media and I'll enter your name twice. 

JALEN'S BIG CITY LIFE: Four Chapter Books, an Author Interview, and a Giveaway

 Dorothy Price and I go way back. We were members of the Charlotte SCBWI critique group I don't know how many years ago! I was delighted to share her debut picture book, Nana's Favorite Things, and today I'm happy to share her new chapter book series, JALEN'S BIG CITY LIFE (Capstone: August 2022). The bright, lively illustrations are by Shiane Salabie. 

Each three-chapter book begins by introducing 7-year-old Jalen, his family, friends, and his city apartment. Every book shows Jalen on an adventure in which he has a problem to solve. Written for K-2 readers, there is a glossary, activity, and two pages titled "Let's Talk" and "Let's Write." Teachers will love how these pages can be used to build on their students' reading experience.

FRIENDSHIP FLOWERS

Jalen's got a problem. He wants to go with his grandparents to the Flower Festival but he also wants to go to the zoo with his friends. He decides he can do both until delays make him nervous. He finds a way to resolve the situation and in the end, gets to share a special flower with his friends. 

BONUS: Nana is a botanist and Pop-Pop changes baby Maya's diaper.

LAUNDRY DAY OVERLOAD

Responsible kid that he is, J.C. volunteers to help his mother with the laundry. But, when there's only one unoccupied machine he doesn't quite follow her instructions. He loads all of the dirty clothes into the machine and since there are extra clothes...that calls for extra detergent, right? Wrong! When the washing machine overflows, J.C. finds the maintenance man. Between the two of them, they suck up the suds and J.C. learns an important lesson. 

BONUS: Without preaching to the reader, J.C. learns there are consequences to not following directions.

MUSEUM MIX-UP

J.C. and his classmates are excited about going to the Famous Black Americans Museum. He's doubly excited because his artist father is one of the chaperones. But things get tricky when J.C.'s group gets separated from the other students. Fortunately, J.C. had studied a map and was able to lead his group through the museum. The kids are inspired by the men and women they learn about and J.C. saves the day.

BONUS: The fun page at the end when J.C.'s father can't find his way home.

SHARING THE MOUND

Since baseball used to be J.C's favorite sport in his old neighborhood, he signs up to be on a community team--expecting he'll impress his friends with his skills. But things don't turn out as he plans. After he strikes out and doesn't get to show off his pitching talents, he feels bad. In the end, he gets a home run but tells his friends that the best part was playing with his friends.

BONUS: I loved it when J.C. gave up his goal of being the best and decided to play in order to have fun. YAY, J.C!  (And YAY for Dorothy who wrote that line.😀)

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

CAROL: What was your inspiration for Jalen and his adventures? 

DOROTHY: The inspiration for this series came from personal experience visiting my grandmother, aunts, and cousin in New York City growing up. I spent many weekends in their apartment building and had tons of wonderful memories to lean on.

CAROL: How did you find Capstone? Did you query them or find their call for submissions through Twitter? 

DOROTHY: Jalen's Big City Life was the result of my former agent submitting a picture book I wrote, that the editors passed on. But since the setting was similar to a series they were looking to publish, they asked me if I was interested in writing it. And of course, I said, yes!

CAROL: I know Capstone publishes for the school/library market. Did you write these as work-for-hire? Were there specific guidelines you had to follow in terms of vocabulary or Lexile level? 

DOROTHY: Yes, the series was a work-for-hire. But I doubt I would have been selected, had it not been for my agent. And yes, there were specific vocabulary, sentence lengths, and Lexile levels specifically for grades K-2. That was new for me, but I always wanted to write chapter books, so I enjoyed learning the process since it is different from writing picture books.

CAROL: Did you pick the subject matter for each book or did Capstone?

DOROTHY:  Capstone wanted a Black boy joy chapter book series (set in a big city) and that's pretty much all they gave me to go on. So I created a list of story ideas, and they selected the four they liked best. Those ideas became the four that are now published!

CAROL: How did winning the We Need Diverse Mentorship program further your writing career?

DOROTHY Winning the mentorship was the confirmation I needed to keep writing after years of rejection. Had I not entered the mentorship program, I never would've won, which may have been the end of my writing career. So I have to give a huge thank you to Tara Cattie for nudging me to apply!

For more information about Dorothy, visit her website or read this interview on the Capstone website.  You can also find her on Twitter. 

GIVEAWAY

To celebrate Dorothy's debut chapter books, I'm going to give you lots of chances to win this four-book set. Make sure you leave your name and email address in the comments if you are new to my blog. Every week folks leave anonymous entries (or just a first name) and these won't qualify. You can also email me if you don't want to share your email publicly.

1. If you follow my blog and leave a comment I'll count your name twice.

2. If you become a new follower I'll count your name three times.

3. If you share this post on social media, I'll give you an extra chance. Make sure you tell me what you do!

4. If you are a teacher, media specialist, or home school educator I'll give you another extra chance. 

GIVEAWAY ENDS 8 PM on September 21st. So get, moving!

A PENNY'S WORTH: A Picture Book Review, Giveaway, and Mini-Author & Illustrator Interviews

 

"Hot off the minting press, Penny sparkled." That's the first line of Kimberly Wilson's debut picture book, A PENNY'S WORTH (Page Street Kids, 2022). With engaging illustrations by Mark Hoffman, this STEM story of a pretty copper penny will find a special place in a preschool - second grader's heart. 

REVIEW

Penny launches into life ready to be spent. But she soon finds out that while other money appears useful, she is ignored, forgotten, or worse--stuck to a piece of gum. "This is non-cents! she thought."

She sets off on a journey to prove her worth. 

First she tries her hand at following Quarter into an arcade slot. CLINK, CLANK, CLUNK Penny is returned. "I wish I measured up, Penny thought."

Next, she tries her hand at buying some penny candy. 

But, as Dime points out, a penny won't buy a lollipop like it used to. 

Penny takes a tailspin and goes over the edge when she reads this headline:

She peers down and imagines life as a sewer cent...

"....Ignored. Forgotten. Stuck." (I assume if this was a novel this would be her "Dark Night of the Soul" moment.)

A friend comes alongside and leads her out of despair. "Heads up," another penny said, "we're good luck when we put our best face forward!" 

Penny follows and finds herself by the side of a fountain filled with pennies. A little boy picks her up and she listens to his whispered wish. 

"She beamed. He can count on me!"

As you can tell, Kimberly is a punny writer (Sorry! I couldn't help it!) and includes world play and puns so that adults will enjoy reading it also. To find out more of Kimberly's "Two Cents on Picking the Perfect Pun," click here for her recent SCBWI-Carolinas post.

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR INTERVIEW

Carol to Kimberly: How did you come up with the idea for A Penny's Worth?

Kimberly: A Penny’s Worth began as a Storystorm 2019 idea. I looked at the coin jug on my kitchen counter and saw something more––a plucky penny on a mission to prove she’s cent-national, despite her face value. Through Penny’s journey, I realized I not only had the opportunity to make readers laugh with countless puns and introduce them to money math, but also to show them the importance of self-worth.

Carol: What was your path to publication?

Kimberly: The writing journey for this book took me to a NJ SCBWI conference in June 2019 where I was asked to revise and resubmit to Page Street Kids. I was thrilled, and after working with them on a few rounds of revisions, they made an offer approximately a year later!

Carol: What did you think of Mark Hoffman's illustrations?

Kimberly: I am a huge fan! When I first saw the character sketches, I was captivated by the colors, dimension, and expressions––and who doesn’t love a penny in pants! When I saw the final art, one of many things I was taken with was the retro feel Mark gave to the arcade and candy shop. 

Carol: What's next?

Kimberly: A DOLLAR'S GRAND DREAM (Spring, 2023, Page Street Kids).

                                                                                ****

Carol to Mark: What medium did you use?

Mark: Acrylic.

Carol: What was it like illustrating this book?

Mark: The book was a lot of fun to work on because it had so much going on with each spread. This meant I got to think of the page like a collage of moments. Hopefully that comes across in the reading of it. 

Carol: Why did you use green so much in the illustrations?

Mark: I wanted to capture a hint of the oxidized copper.

(Carol to herself: And I thought it was because the book was about money!)

A Penny's Worth comes out April 5! Join Kimberly and Mark for their virtual launch which will be moderated by SCBWI-Carolina's own Ashley Belote. And, if you're in Charlotte, NC, come meet Kimberly at Park Road Books (THE independent bookstore in Charlotte) on April 24 for story time and reading. 

GIVEAWAY

To enter this giveaway, just leave me a comment. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IF YOU ARE NEW TO MY BLOG! If you already subscribe to my blog, I'll put your name in twice. If you don't already subscribe but decide to follow my blog, I'll add your name for a second chance. Giveaway ends April 7.

Congratulations to Gail Cartee, who edged her way to the front of the crowd last week and won THE VERY OLDEST PEAR TREE.

THE VERY OLDEST PEAR TREE: A Picture Book Review, Mini-Author Interview, and Giveaway

 I'm delighted to introduce you to a new author friend of mine, Nancy I. Sanders. Nancy has published scads of books and her blog is full of information for writers, teachers, and readers. Take your time to look around her site and you'll be impressed as I am with her experience and generosity! If you want to get to know more about Nancy's passion for picture books, check out this interview. 

In today's post I'm highlighting one of her picture books, The Very Oldest Pear Tree (Albert Whitman & Co., 2020). This informational book for readers from 5-8 years old, tells the inspirational story of how the Endicott pear tree grew up with our nation. Click here for links to classroom resources.

REVIEW

The year is 1630. The main character is a pear tree sapling that is shipped to the governor of Salem, John Endecott.  He has missed the fruit trees in England and is determined to start an orchard.

Governor Endecott picked the little pear tree to grow right in front of his house, hoping that it would live a long time. "The tree was small yet strong. Though young, its roots reached deep."

Twelve years later a fire blew through the orchard, destroying hundreds of trees--but the Endecott pear was spared. Generations passed. The family changed the spelling of their last name, the Governor's house crumbled, but the Endicott pear tree--with its new name, stood.  

By the time our second president of the United States, John Adams, ate one of its pears, the tree had become a legend. It inspired Massachusetts poets like Henry Wadsworth Longfellow and  Lucy Larcom. 

The tree survived a hurricane in 1938 and vandalism in 1964. Tree experts were unable to graft new branches. But, the Endicott pear tree tree sent out roots and "almost miraculously, a hundred tiny branches sprouted along the trunks. It survived!"

In 1997 a cutting was used to grow a new Endicott pear tree. Clones were made, seeds stored in a storage bank, and now Endicott pear trees have been planted across the nation--including this one, that Nancy planted and is now six feet tall!

Today, about four hundred years old, the Endicott pear tree is the oldest living tree cultivated in America. When John Endecott first planned it in front of his house, he expected the pear tree to outlive him by more than a hundred years. But no one imagined its story could still be told today.

The Endicott pear tree is a survivor. It's older than America itself. And it's still standing strong.

MINI-AUTHOR INTERVIEW

CAROL: How did you get interested in this topic? 

NANCY: I wanted to write a picture book every elementary teacher would want to use in the classroom. I figured that would be a highly commercial topic. So I knew children study Pilgrims in Kindergarten/first grade. So I started reading about Pilgrims to see if I could find any new topics about Pilgrims that hadn't been written about before. I discovered they planted an orchard of apple trees!

I started researching their orchard of apple trees because I love trees...and each time I searched for that on the Internet, links would come up for a pear tree that the Puritans had planted...that was still alive and growing strong! I started clicking on those links, learned about the Endicott Pear Tree, and was hooked. I fell in love with it right from the start!

CAROL: What type of research did you do?

NANCY: First I read everything I could about it. There's actually a lot online from the historical society that still helps care for it.

Then I contacted Bill Endicott, the president of the family's descendants who originally planted the tree. He gave me a lot of information.

Then I took a trip to Boston and Salem and Danvers to actually visit the tree and take lots of photographs. That was so exciting to actually touch the tree and sit near it!

CAROL: What was your path to publication? 

NANCY: This was one of the rare times in my career that I wrote the entire book before I queried a publisher. I sent the manuscript to my agent Cyle Young who submitted it. And Albert Whitman picked it up!

CAROL: Any thoughts on the illustration style?

NANCY: I was so excited to learn that Yas Imamura was picked up to illustrate this book. I was already familiar with her name and her style because she had illustrated some very nice nonfiction picture books at that time. I love her style which has a nice Americana and historic feel.

GIVEAWAY

Leave me a comment with your email address if you are interested in winning a copy of this book; U.S. addresses only. Giveaway ends April 2. This will make a great homeschool or classroom resource--or just a wonderful book for your bookshelf!

Congratulations to Natalie Aguire who won Picturing a Nation from last week's post.

JACKIE AND THE MONA LISA- PART II: An Interview with the Author and Illustrator

 Thanks for returning to my blog for this second post featuring JACKIE AND THE MONA LISA. (Click here if you missed Part I). Deborah Robin Murphy graciously agreed to answering a few questions about her debut picture book, and I'm happy to also have illustrator Jen Bricking join the conversation. 

Deborah Rovin Murphy, Author

Carol: How did you get interested in Jackie and the Mona Lisa? 

Deborah: I have always been a fan of art, history, and museums. I read an adult book about Jackie Kennedy and the Mona Lisa, and I was so fascinated and surprised when no one I talked to about it really knew about the story…even those old enough to have possibly seen it in a newspaper or heard about it on TV. I love stories that have “fallen through the cracks” and aren’t well known. The Mona Lisa is so iconic and famous, and I couldn’t believe that it was actually in the United States. I have also always admired Jackie Kennedy and all she did as First Lady and beyond. 

Carol: What was your path to publication?

Deborah: I wrote the first draft of this story about seven years ago. It looked a lot different than the final story you see in the book today. I submitted to many publishers using the Children’s Writers and Illustrators Guide and connections I made from being a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI) as a guide.  Five years and multiple rejections later, my awesome editor at Sleeping Bear Press liked the story and offered me a contract. I literally screamed when I saw the email… to a writer that is like winning the lottery-especially with years and years of trying with this and other stories I have written.

Carol: What went into researching the text? Do you have any personal connection to Jackie? 

Deborah: I love research! For me, the library still remains one of the best places to look for information. I like to be able to find books that explore my topic and make use of the traditional tools such as using the index and exploring the chapters of the book myself because I may find a piece of information that wouldn’t have come up on an internet search. Of course, the internet is definitely a great tool for research; however, like any tool, I think you have to know how to use it efficiently and effectively. I believe that you want to approach your research with a plan. Where will you find the best and most accurate information? For me, finding the John F. Kennedy Presidential Library website was invaluable. I could access their archives and see actual documents, speeches and photographs that tied in with Jackie and the planning that went into Mona Lisa’s visit to America. I researched Mona Lisa’s background as well. I like to get all of the information I can and start to whittle it down to the important parts I want to include in the book.

I guess my personal connection to Jackie would be that I remember my mom telling me how much she admired her when she was First Lady in the 1960’s and how she herself had outfits modeled after Jackie’s style. My mom even had a pillbox hat with her wedding veil! As I grew older and read more about her, I loved that Jackie was such an amazing mother who made raising her children her number one priority. As a mother myself, I value that.  My favorite Jackie quote is, “If you bungle raising your children, I don’t think whatever else you do matters much.”

 

Debbie has loved visiting museums since her class trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art when she was in elementary school. An elementary school teacher herself, she even considered becoming an art teacher because of her love of art. She was so inspired by Jackie Kennedy when she read about what she did to promote the arts in America and amazed when she found out Jackie was responsible for getting the Mona Lisa to come to the USA. She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania and was lucky enough to have seen the Mona Lisa on her trip to France.  

 
Jen Bricking, Illustrator

Carol: What went into researching the illustrations? Do you have any personal connection to Jackie?

Jen: Researching and the early sketch phase are two of my favorite parts of the picture book making process, and I love to doodle while I collect reference! Once I received the manuscript, I basically did a deep dive into all things Jackie. I researched historical photos, watched videos and movies, and read everything I could find about Jackie, the time period and, of course, the Mona Lisa. I wanted to make sure my illustrations were historically accurate (aside from minor details to pump up the charm), so I combed through the JFK Library and The National Archives. They have a comprehensive collection of resources from Jackie’s time as First Lady, her White House restoration, and when she brought the Mona Lisa to the United States. I relied heavily on these collections, along with other websites and blogs dedicated to Jackie’s life. I collected around a thousand reference images and even made a Jackie Pinterest page. 

Other than what I learned in history classes or saw on TV as a kid, I didn’t know too much about her life before or after being First Lady. I especially didn’t know about some of the fun and interesting facts this book reveals. I remember both of my grandmothers having a great fondness for her, and I’ve always admired her for her contribution to the arts and her pursuit in making it accessible for everyone.

Carol: What was your medium and what influenced your choice of that medium and your choice of the color palette?

Jen: I used pencil and digital to create the illustrations. I sketched some of the initial character designs and layouts with pencil on paper, but I primarily used my iPad and computer to sketch and paint all of the illustrations. I painted digitally in the same manner as using watercolor to give it a soft, traditional, and timeless look, perfect for Jackie! Because Jackie was also known as a very influential fashion icon, I referenced a lot of 1960’s fashion illustrations, magazines, catalogues, and advertisements. I wanted to evoke a nostalgic yet modern visual style, and so the color palettes of the fashion of that era, especially Jackie’s colorful dresses and pillbox hats, were a big influence. It was all very vibrant but soft, and I wanted that to come through in my illustrations.

Jen has seen the Mona Lisa twice and, like Jackie, loves everything French. She works as an illustrator and artist for video games and animation. Her other books include Ten Magic Butterflies, Jane and Me series for the Jane Goodall Institute and various illustrated novels. When she isn’t drawing, she likes to travel, ride her bicycle and skateboard. You can follow her on Instagram at jenbricking or visit her at jbricking.com.

GIVEAWAY

For a chance to win this book, leave a comment with your email address, or send me an email if you prefer. If you follow my blog you get another chance. Giveaway ends Monday, March 21. U.S. addresses only.