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Defining Greatness

The Greatest Kid in the World by John David Anderson

We hear the word “great” all of the time. For some of us teachers, it’s the generic word that comes out of our mouthes as we respond to a story, or we write it on the top of graded work. Other times it might sarcastically roll off a tongue as a far from excited response. And yet other times it might be that one word adjective to describe a truly amazing experience. With that said, how does one define if their own kid is great? Are they helpful? Good at chores? Do they commit to never arguing with their siblings?

You may have a vision in your head of who, or what, you would argue as a “great kid”, and most like, main character Zeke Stalhs would not make the cut. So when the letter came in the mail that he was one of the five finalists in a contest for the World’s Greatest Kid, you can imagine his surprise…and the surprise of everyone else who knows Zeke. He’s known as a trouble maker and a prankster, so it was a big surprise to him and his family when he was nominated. But despite his flaws, you root for him. You root for the kid who lost his dad, you root for the kid whose mom works all the time to make ends meet, you root for the kid who can’t seem to catch a break. But does that make him the Greatest Kid in the World? Even Zeke doesn’t understand, or know, who would nominate him, but the prize money would help his family out a lot, and he decides to enter the contest. Throughout the book he wonders what really does make someone great? And who gets to decide?

As with all of the John David Anderson novels I have read, this one is also going to be a hit. My students will be able to relate to the characters lives and are sure to find a little bit of themselves in Zeke or his siblings, as well.

Educator’s Guide

Thinking about reading The Greatest Kid in the World with your class? Checkout the educators guide here!

From the beloved author of Posted comes the story of Zeke Stahls—a thoroughly average twelve-year-old who somehow finds himself in a competition to be named the World’s Greatest Kid.

Zeke Stahls is not the best kid in the world. Some days he struggles just to be good. He’d rather be pulling pranks than doing extra credit, and he’s too busy performing experiments on his little brother, Nate, or tormenting his older sister, Jackie, to volunteer for charity.

Which is why Zeke and his entire family are shocked when they receive word that he has been selected as a contestant in an online competition to find the World’s Greatest Kid.

Zeke has no idea how he was chosen for this, and he knows that measuring up to the other nominees–a saintly lineup of selfless, charming and talented do-gooders with photogenic smiles and hearts of gold–is hopeless. Still, with a $10,000 cash prize on the line, and Zeke’s mom struggling to hold the family together on her single-parent salary, he decides to give it his best shot.

As Zeke concocts various plots to show the world just how “great” he is, however, he finds himself wondering what that word even means, and who gets to decide. And what kind of kid he wants–and needs–to be.

About the author

John David Anderson is the author of many highly acclaimed books for kids, including the New York Times Notable Book Ms. Bixby’s Last Day, Posted, Granted, One Last Shot, and Stowaway. A dedicated root beer connoisseur and chocolate fiend, he lives with his wonderful wife, two frawesome kids, and clumsy cat, Smudge, in Indianapolis, Indiana. You can visit him online at www.johndavidanderson.org.

Read other reviews here:

9-May	Unleashing Readers	@unleashreaders
10-May	Teachers Who Read	@teachers_read
11-May	Satisfaction for Insatiable Readers	@grgenius
12-May	Nerdy Book Club	@nerdybookclub
13-May	Maria’s Melange	@mariaselke
15-May	StoryMamas	@storymamas
15-May	LitCoachLou	@litcoachlou
16-May	A Library Mama	@librarymama

Dog Park Virtual Tour

Dog Park by Kathryn Kazoleas is an early middle grade novel all about an adventurous day at the dog park. Told from the point of view of a dog, we get a first hand experience of what’s happening. Your dog-loving students will love to read about what happens when Gibson becomes a dog park ambassador and has to help a new puppy!

Follow the links to enter the book giveaway! This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Kathryn Kazoleas. All opinions are our own.

Publisher’s Book Summary: Gibson the Labradoodle is about to begin her first day of training to become a dog park ambassador, something she has been dreaming about her entire life. Dog park ambassadors hold a very high honor within the dog park community and have many important roles to make sure the dog park is a fun and safe place to be. She has so many great ideas and cannot wait to get started.

While Gibson is training alongside lead ambassador and trainer, Meistro the bulldog, things don’t go as planned. Gibson meets challenge after challenge and isn’t allowed to introduce any of her new ideas. Being a dog park ambassador isn’t what she thought it would be, so she starts to question whether the role is really for her. At the end of her very first training shift, and just as she’s about to give up and tell Meistro she isn’t cut out to be a dog park ambassador after all, there’s an emergency at the river. One of the dog park’s new puppies, Clover, has swum too far out and cannot get back to shore.

Gibson’s best friend and greatest supporter, Stretch the dachshund, convinces her she must help. Gibson springs into action, with Stretch at her side and encouraging her the entire time. Gibson saves the day…almost! Having been swept downstream and far away from the dog park, Gibson is forced to lead the trio back to safety. There’s only one way back through a dark forest with strange sounds and smells. The sun is starting to go down and everybody is tired and scared. But Gibson knows she has to get her friends back home, despite what or who gets in her way.

Enter for a chance to win an autographed copy of Dog Park and its sequel Dog Daycare!

One (1) grand prize winner receives:

A signed copy of Dog Park

A signed copy of Dog Daycare

Two (2) winners receive:

A signed copy of Dog Park

Scaredy Squirrel new release

Three Questions About Scaredy Squirrel Visits the Doctor

What was your inspiration for the Scaredy Squirrel series and for this particular title?

The first Scaredy Squirrel book was published back in 2006. Scaredy was already fearful of germs and had his rubber gloves and mask handy! My idea was to make a book about a nervous, cautious character who stuck to his routine and avoided taking risks—he had food and shelter in his nut tree!

I was inspired by our often fear-driven media and by safety warnings (think exit plans in airplanes). Many of us want things to be under control and to know what to expect. I thought it would be great if Scaredy Squirrel discovered something about himself by taking an accidental risk (a leap into the unknown). When Scaredy discovers he’s a flying squirrel, he realizes that he’s capable of more than he ever imagined! That’s how the series started soaring. I think everyone can relate to fear, like fear of making new friends, fear of traveling, fear of the dark. It only made sense, especially in these times, to have an adventure about Scaredy’s fear of visiting the doctor (in his case, Dr. Vet).

We love the way the books are organized. How did you come up with the structure of Scaredy Squirrel’s story?

My Scaredy Squirrel stories are told using nutty graphics, lists, and diagrams. It’s a lot of fun to do! I was inspired by instruction manuals, for sure. I studied graphic design and really enjoy breaking up ideas in visual ways to keep readers interested. I like to surprise the reader at every page turn!

What do you hope children take away from Scaredy Squirrel’s doctor visit?

I hope my books trigger discussions with young readers, parents, and teachers! I think kids can see the exaggeration in Scaredy’s fears and find comfort in knowing that Scaredy can overcome what he is afraid of, one small step at a time.

Also, I’d like kids to understand that information is power! The more you learn about something, the less you fear it. In Scaredy Squirrel Visits the Doctor, Scaredy is worried about not knowing what happens during a check-up and thinks it could be painful. Scaredy tries to avoid the vet by staying as healthy as he can. But he eventually sees that getting a check-up, and knowing he is a-okay, outweighs all his worries. And Dr. Vet gives Scaredy helpful tips for what to do when he feels panic taking over.

Three Questions About You

If you weren’t a writer, what would you want to be and why?

Funny thing—I never thought I’d be a writer! I started out studying graphic design and imagined I’d end up working in advertising. The first time I tried writing was when I wrote and illustrated a school project (a book about color called Leon the Chameleon). My teacher sent my project to a publisher, and I started making books. I like being creative and have been since I was a kid. So I’d be doing something in the arts, for sure!

What book has stuck with you since you’ve read it?

I’d say The Power of Now by Eckhart Tolle. I read it a while ago and learned that being in the moment is key to a calmer existence. It’s something I have had to work on over the years, because it’s easy to go into a worry mode when we’re not in the present. And in a way, when Scaredy plays dead for two hours, he stops everything (he stays still, like he’s meditating) and lets things pass. Taking some time to be in the moment, breathing deeply, can be what we need to get back on track.

What item in your fridge tells us something about you?

I always have some spaghetti sauce handy. Makes an easy lunch for when I’m running out of time. Plus, pasta is a family favorite. My son can’t get enough of it!

*Giveaway** & Review: The House That Wasn’t There

The House That Wasn’t There is written by award winning author, Elana K. Arnold. Thank you to Walden Pond Press for having us on the book’s blog tour. We are so happy to share Elana’s latest middle grade book with you.

When I saw the cover months ago, I knew I had to read this book. When the ARC (advanced reader copy) arrived, I was immediately drawn to the story and the two main characters, Alder and Oak. Each have very different and unique in personalities, but qualities I know readers can easily see in themselves. Alder, who is more quiet and reserved. Oak is outgoing, and has an easier time making friends. When Oak moves in next door, Alder is not sure what to make of her and her family. Oak’s family decides to cut down the oak tree that is between their houses, a special tree for Alder and his mother. As the book continues, we learn of many odd coincidences that draw Alder and Oak close. But when a weird, unexpected chance encounter happens to them together, a friendship begins to take place.

I enjoyed how the book has so many realistic elements with just the right amount of magic and mystery thrown in! A taxidermy opossum is an important symbol & character in the story and I am not sure I can see an opossum in the same light again. Elana’s descriptive writing had me excited as the lives’ of all the characters unfold.

This book will be a hit with many kids! I am excited this book is officially published, so I can discuss with readers how the ending was both surprising, magical, and fulfilling. Read below to see how you can win a copy and then reach out and let us know what you think!

To win a copy of The House That Wasn’t There courtesy of Walden Pond Press, please follow our blog, comment on this post and head to our other social media pages for more chances to win! US only. Giveaway ends 4/16/2021 @ 8pmET.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Elana K. Arnold is the author of critically acclaimed and award-winning young adult novels and children’s books, including the Printz Honor winner Damsel, the National Book Award finalist What Girls Are Made Of, and Global Read Aloud selection A Boy Called Bat and its sequels. Several of her books are Junior Library Guild selections and have appeared on many best book lists, including the Amelia Bloomer Project, a catalog of feminist titles for young readers. Elana teaches in Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults program and lives in Southern California with her family and menagerie of pets.

Tour Stops:

March 28 Nerdy Book Club @nerdybookclub

March 29 YAYOMG @yayomgofficial

March 30 Unleashing Readers @UnleashReaders

March 31 Teachers Who Read @teachers_read

April 2 Maria’s Mélange @mariaselke

April 7 Bluestocking Thinking @BlueSockGirl

April 10 A Library Mama @librarymama

April 12 Storymamas @storymamas

Spi-ku: A clutter of Short Verse on Eight Legs

Leslie Bulion does it again with her newest poetry book about creepy crawly spiders, Spi-ku! It’s filled with amazing facts and information about the different types of spiders, how and what they eat, how they catch their prey and so much more! We loved reading the informational parts of the text along with her creative poems. My three boys especially love the back and forth poems about the trickster spiders! The way illustrator, Robert Meganck, integrates the spiders and their webs is beautiful and engaging! We loved picking out the different spiders and searching for them on the pages. This book is wonderful to learn about nonfiction text and poetry, looking at different types of poetry, learning about spiders, inspiring a spider nature walk; there are just so many ways to learn while reading Spi-ku!

Looking at an artificial spider while reading about the different kinds of spiders and how they move.

I was familiar with Leslie’s work because she writes such wonderful and informative poems. Last year my third graders and I did an author visit with her on World Read Aloud Day about her book, Superlative Birds. It was so wonderful to hear about how she comes up with poems that are interesting, factual and yet fun to read! We loved speaking with her and hearing about her process! We were just getting ready to write nonfiction pieces ourselves and it was a wonderful segue to show how information text can be gathered and written; not just in paragraph format but also in other ways like the beauty that is poetry! See below for some bonus insider information from our interview with Leslie! Thank you Leslie for taking the time to answer our questions and being a part of our celebration of poetry this month!

Taking a look at the big and hairy Goliath Bird-Eating Spider while we were watching for birds!

Thank you Peachtree Publishing for a copy to review. All opinions are our own.

Interview with Leslie

About her books:

What are your memories about learning poetry?

When introducing poetry to our class, my fourth-grade teacher, Mrs. Brownworth, asked us to memorize and recite a poem. I memorized “Sneezles” by A.A. Milne from his collection NOW WE ARE SIX. I loved the rhyme, the rollicking rhythm, the made-up words, the sly silliness, and the last line, a loving and gentle zinger. Those are still favorite elements I use in my own poetry. We wrote lots of poems that year, and my first was “The Grass is Green.” It’s about…leaf litter critters! How’s that for story circularity?

What advice would you give to a child who sees poetry as “boring”?

Let’s share poetry love with readers the same way we help readers who may not have found their spark book/genre…yet:

Explore together! Maybe funny poetry, like A HATFUL OF DRAGONS, will open the door for one reader. Verse novels may grab another. They’re written at all levels and genres from LOVE THAT DOG and INSIDE OUT AND BACK AGAIN to THE CROSSOVER and THE POET X. Try a poetry collection about a particular interest (spiders, anyone??), or a particular poetic form such as the concrete poems in A POKE IN THE I. Spoken word poetry is having an amazing moment thanks to the remarkable work of Amanda Gorman, and spoken word events are exciting! By the way, reading all poetry aloud—hearing the rhythms and speaking the words—brings its music to life. Explore lyrics to a reader’s favorite song—that’s poetry, too!

How do you know so much about spiders?

I chose the topic because I wanted to learn! I read (and reread) widely, then more specifically. I visit museums, contact scientists, and follow their science communications online. I always do my own hands-on, boots-on explorations. For SPI-KU (and still!) I don my headlamp for nighttime spider hunts. I take photos and post some on insect enthusiast groups for help since spiders are tricky to identify!

About Leslie:

If you weren’t a writer, what would you want to do and why?

I love taking field ecology classes, going on nature adventures, and sharing what I learn with others. I’ve had wonderful adventures visiting our national parks—they are such treasures—so I think I should be a US National Park ranger in my next life.

What is one book that has stuck with you since you’ve read it?

There are so many books I carry with me that I can’t possibly pick one, or even ten! So I’ll reach back to the cusp of my own coming of age for an answer. I was a voracious independent reader from third grade on, and mostly chose books with an element of fantasy or magic. THE PIGMAN, an assigned book for our sixth grade English class, broke my heart open with its portrayal of realistic teens, questionable choices, and consequences.

What is one item in your fridge that tells us about you?

Pickles! Especially salty, garlicky, spicy, surprising ones—so fun! I can still taste the long-gone “ginger hots” I found at a farmer’s market while traveling two years ago…let me know if you find any!

The In-Between

When we saw Rebecca Ansari was writing another middle grade book we knew we needed to get our hands on it! Her first book, The Missing Piece of Charlie O’Reilly, was a page turner and The In-Between is no different.

What a griping, mystery/fantasy read! It’s a story with so many elements. There are realistic feelings and experiences woven together into a mysterious, fantasy plot. There were a few times while reading I felt my mouth drop open at the twists and turns. Rebecca does an amazing job writing the characters and as a reader you feel deeply for them. I felt hopeful, scared, happy, lonely, sad and so many other feelings that leapt off the page through her descriptions.

I won’t give any spoilers but the ending was my favorite part. The last few chapters are exactly what so many young readers need to read. They will identify with the intense feelings of needing to be seen and understood. And the notion that much of life can be out of our control, but there is hope and love on the other side of all the hurt and pain that we experience throughout life. What an amazing, well-written book for readers.

Thank you Walden Pond Press for sending us a copy to review. All opinions are our own.

The Rescue Rabbits Are Here!

The Rescue Rabbit team is there to help, no matter the job! Four rabbits team up to help the other animals when they need it. When Prince Rex the Rhino gets stuck in a tree with chopsticks up his nose and ants in his pants, the Rescue Rabbits get the call. But this time, they can’t fix all of his problems…and this time, it’s Mama Rhino’s turn to help. Rex thinks his mom will be angry with him for breaking her ant farm, but it turns out she doesn’t care much about the ants and more about him being alright.

The Rescue Rabbits by Eric Seltzer has good messages about helping others, and that it’s ok to make mistakes. This book is written in a captivating way with key words written in red, the dialogue written in speech bubbles, and bright, colorful illustrations by Roland Garrigue. This book is great for a young audience!

Eric Seltzer received his BFA from the College for Creative Studies in Detroit, Michigan. He worked as a TV graphics designer and an advertising art director before writing and illustrating children’s books. His book Four Pups and a Wormwas an IRA/CBC Children’s Book Choice, and The Long Dog was named a Gryphon Award Honor Book. He recently published the board book Arf! Buzz! Cluck! illustrated by David Creighton-Pester. Eric lives with his family in Michigan.
Roland Garrigue is a prolific children’s book illustrator from Paris who attended art school in Strasbourg, France. His recent books include Cavekid Birthday, written by Cathy Breisacher, and Mother Ghost: Nursery Rhymes for Little Monsters, written by Rachel Kolar. Follow him on Instagram and Twitter @rolandgarrigue.“Readers will see in these pages a gentle spoof of cartoons and blockbusters that include endless product tie-ins, but the story also offers an amusing tribute to competency-themed pretend play.” —Publishers Weekly

Check out our Rescue Rabbits giveaway on instagram or Twitter! One lucky winner will receive a copy of The Rescue Rabbits, courtesy of Two Lions (U.S. addresses).

Meet the Exceptional Maggie Chowder

The Exceptional Maggie Chowder (Hardcover) | Albert Whitman & Company

We were so excited to meet The Exceptional Maggie Chowder! Author Renee Beauregaud Lute has invited us to join the book’s blog tour which releases this week! This story is one that will warm your hearts and leave you feeling like you’ve made some new friends along the way!

We meet Maggie Chowder who aspires to be just like her comic book hero, the Exceptional Eagirl. Like Eagirl, Maggie is hoping to become a forest ranger one day. When Maggie and her family move to a smaller house she tries hard to make the most of what she’s given. With many obstacles in the way, a brother who many don’t seem to understand like Maggie does, a mom who is exhausted from work each day, a best friend who has moved away into a huge house (and a puppy) and her grandma who comes to stay with them and is less than thrilled about her enjoying comics.

With each written chapter comes a short comic about the Exceptional Eagirl. Renee has cleverly paralleled the superheroes adventures with circumstances in Maggie’s life. It is a fresh take on storytelling that I enjoyed. I think this will give readers a chance to stop and reflect after each chapter. I also liked how authentic I felt the characters were. The problems Maggie encounter can easily be ones the children reading this book might face.

Renee was kind enough to answer 3 questions about the book and three questions about herself!

3 ?s about The Exceptional Maggie Chowder

What are three words you would use to describe this book?

Funny, family-oriented (is that two words?), full of adventure (that’s definitely three words. I’m on the first question and I’ve already broken the rules, but the alliteration is so worth it!)

We adored how we got a glimpse into The Exceptional Eagirl’s world at the end of each chapter, how did that structure come to be?

I really love comics and graphic novels. When I started writing The Exceptional Maggie Chowder, I had the thought–”wouldn’t it be cool if this character (Maggie) loved comics, and I got to invent a comic book and write comic scripts, and the comics kind of paralleled Maggie’s story?”–and I went for it! I had so much fun writing The Exceptional Eagirl comics, and I really can’t imagine this book without them. Luna Valentine is the comic artist, and she did such an amazing job!

Fill in the blank:

Fans of _Caterpillar Summer___ would really enjoy The Exceptional Maggie Chowder!

3 ?s about You

What is your “go-to” kidlit book to give as a gift and why?

I can’t stop gifting (nor talking about) The Vanderbeekers of 141st Street by Karina Yan Glaser. I love this series so much. My kids are ages 8, 6, and 4, and I read the first book out loud to them at the beginning of this pandemic. All three of them loved it, and that’s a really rare magic in a book!

If you could have a dinner party with three people (dead or alive), who would you invite and why?

I would invite Shirley Jackson, because she was so wonderfully strange and talented, and because I recently started reading through her memoirs about motherhood, which are incredibly relatable. She was a mom-writer who struggled to balance her mom life with her author life, and I feel that deeply, especially this past year. I would invite Jordan Peele because even though his movies terrify me, I am obsessed with them. He’s ridiculously funny (I miss Key and Peele) and can tap into his strange side, so he and Shirley would have lots to talk about, and it wouldn’t be an awkward dinner party. Finally, I would invite Steve Martin, because he’s also a pretty great writer with a funny/weird side, but additionally he plays the banjo, and I feel like this dinner party could use some music.

What is one item in your refrigerator that tells us about you?

The oatmilk coffee creamer. This tells you that I drink coffee (so much coffee. I love coffee) and that I’m lactose intolerant. (What a weird note to go out on. I am so sorry.)

Thank you for having us on your blog tour and for Albert Whitman for providing us with an advanced copy to read. All opinions are our own.

GIVEAWAY Rosie the Dragon and Charlie Say Goodnight

A playful and silly read that may just be like looking in the mirror for many parents and children! Charlie and his pet dragon, Rosie face the challenging feat of bedtime! Charlie has prepared for every possibility during bedtime procrastination making sure to have all the supplies beforehand: writing a bedtime schedule together, extra towels for bath time, a fan for overheating in footie pjs and some other well-prepared ideas. Even after all the prep work bedtime is still a long process but Charlie learns being prepared sure does help! But just when Charlie settles in for a spa moment in the tub a surprise ending puts him back to work. Sound familiar parents?

I don’t know about you but my three boys struggle every night to fall asleep, even on days where I think I wore them out completely. Reading Rosie the Dragon and Charlie Say Goodnight with them was a fun one because we definitely identified with all the procrastinating Rosie does before she finally falls asleep! You might be thinking you don’t want to give your kids any more ideas on how to perfect bedtime procrastination but reading this book gave us a moment to laugh at all those long drawn out nights…and that’s something I need sometimes! The illustrations also brought a sense of playfulness to the story and we loved the bright color pallet. As a reader and teacher I loved seeing the different colored fonts between when Charlie was narrating the book and when he was talking to Rosie. This gives the reader a clear view of the story and is a great teachable moment to notice with children. After reading this one I can’t wait to get my hands on the other book in the series, Rosie the Dragon and Charlie Make Waves. Which you could win if you enter our giveaway! See below for entry information!

Thank you so much to Blue Slip Media for sending us a copy to review. All opinions are our own.

GIVEAWAY!

One lucky winner will receive a copy of both Rosie the Dragon books! Rosie the Dragon and Charlie Make Waves and Rosie the Dragon and Charlie Say Good Night, courtesy of Two Lions (U.S. addresses only please). To enter please follow our blog and comment on this post. Feel free to enter on our social media pages too for extra entries! Giveaway closes on Thursday, September 10, 2020 at 11:00 CST. Winner will be picked at random and contacted soon after.

About the Author

Lauren H. Kerstein is an author and psychotherapist. She lives in Colorado with her husband, Josh; their dragons…er, daughters, Sarah and Danielle; and her rescue dogs, Hudson and Duke. Learn more about the author at www.LaurenKerstein.net. Twitter: @LaurenKerstein Instagram: laurenkerstein

About the Illustrator

Nate Wragg works as a production designer and illustrator for animation and book projects. He lives in Southern California with his family. Learn more about the artist at https://natewragg.tumblr.com.

Reviews

“This humorous story is a sweet representation of care-taking and patience, with a parallel that can extend to older and younger siblings as well as to parent-child relationships, perhaps making young readers a bit more self-reflective and empathetic. This dramatic bedtime tale…will satisfy many.”

—Kirkus Reviews

GIVEWAY To Meet One Purrfect Kitty

I have to start by saying that I lied in the title of my post, this wasn’t one purrfect kitten, but that’s what I loved about this book! Let me explain. Clover Kitty Goes To Kittygarten is about a kitten who starts kittygarten but soon becomes overwhelmed with the closeness of people, noises of the room and lack of time to be alone. Kitty finally has enough and refuses to go back to school. During her time at school, one student took a fondness for her and goes to her house to check in on her each day she isn’t at school. After a few days, Kitty finally decides she is ready to return. Geared with “survival gear” she is prepared and learns how to make the experience of kittygarten a wonderful one.

When I first got this book I felt something inside having the story about someone starting kindergarten. My son is entering kindergarten and I know he won’t have the noisy block corner or close circle time mentioned in this book. But I have to say a few pages into the book I started to shed the sadness and look at this book in a whole new light. It isn’t a kindergarten book, it’s an “everyone who might be starting something new” book. I adored how this character wasn’t purrfect, and that she loved being alone and that being in large groups is not something that she feels comfortable with. This book can be used to teach many social emotional lessons. I see Kitty as an introvert, a character trait we don’t often see. We also see her get so fed up with her environment that she “quits” kittygarten, a boiling point we’ve seen our kids and students come to. And at the end when she comes back with her survival tools is a great to show kids that we also have tools we can use to help in uncomfortable situations.

Let me leave you with the last line “kittygarten has its ups and downs (mostly ups).”

The was the purrfect ending to a story that had my emotions up and down (but mostly up!). Thanks for making this story happen Laura and Hiroe!

And thank you Blue Slip Media for sharing this with us! All opinions are our own!

More about the author: Laura Purdie Salas is an award-winning author of more than 125 books for children, including her recent books Snowman – Cold = Puddle: Spring Equations, illustrated by Micha Archer, and Lion of the Sky: Haiku for All Seasons, illustrated by Mercè López. Her books have received such honors as Bank Street College of Education’s Best Books for Children, IRA Teachers’ Choice, the Minnesota Book Award, and NCTE Notable book. Laura went to kindergarten in Florida and now lives in Minnesota. She hates crowds and knows a good friend makes everything better. Learn more about the author at www.laurasalas.com. Twitter: @LauraPSalasFacebook: @LauraPSalas

Illustrator: Hiroe Nakata grew up in Japan and moved to the United States when she was sixteen. She is a graduate of the Parsons School of Design. Artwork from her first picture book, Lucky Pennies and Hot Chocolate, was chosen for the prestigious Society of Illustrators Annual Exhibition. Since then, she has illustrated numerous books for children, including her recent titles, Baby Builders, written by Elissa Haden Guest, Baby’s Blessings, written by Lesléa Newman, and One More Hug, written by Inside Edition’s national correspondent Megan Alexander. Hiroe vividly remembers her daughter’s struggles in kindergarten and is happy to report that, at fourteen, her daughter excels in school and plays in the school band.Instagram: @hiroenakata

“Young readers will identify with Clover’s feelings about starting school or any new adventure… A perfect story to share at the beginning of the school year.” —School Library Journal“Salas shapes a read-aloud that will spark conversation with first-timers who are sensitive to stimulus, while Nakata humorously conveys the resolute feline’s emotions in expressive watercolor images.” —Publishers WeeklyCheck out the book trailer, activity sheets, and more at https://laurasalas.com/clover/

Giveaway! One lucky winner will receive a copy of Clover Kitty Goes to Kittygarten courtesy of Two Lions (U.S. addresses). To win follow our blog and comment on this post. You can also enter on our Instagram, Facebook and Twitter pages.