Memorial Day Picture Books and Memories

By Susan J Berger
We all know Memorial Day is not just for picnics. But sometimes, that's easy to forget.

I remember Memorial Day parades from my childhood in the 1950's. In those days we not only had soldiers from World War II and the Korean War. Riding in autos draped in bunting were soldiers from the Spanish American War, World War I, and even the Civil War. A parade of wars going back almost a century. I remember marveling at the Civil War veterans. Fewer of them each year.
I haven't been to a memorial Day Parade since I left the small towns I used to live in New York and Connecticut. I am sure those parades still exist. 
I also remember fondly teen books by Janet Lambert set against a background of World War II and a bit before. The Penny Parrish series are still available as Kindle books. So are some of the Jordan Family books. I read the first one, Just Jennifer over and over. It was published in 1945 and is only available in hardback.
I mention these because these books could be considered source material. I am unaware of any current books set against a background of WWII in America. Maybe one of you would like to write one?
I did find three picture books about Memorial Day and one about soldier moms.
I deep searched and found a few self published ones with no reviews.
Any one want to add to the field?  Here are my finds. I wish you inspirations for new books and a Happy Memorial Day.

Kate Messner's new picture book Rolling Thunder illustrated by Greg Ruth, pays tribute to Washington DC's Memorial Day Parade.
Every Memorial Day in Washington, DC, more than a million veterans and their supporters gather for the Rolling Thunder® Ride for Freedom, a demonstration that pays tribute to the men and women of the US armed forces. This lyrical story honors the bravery and sacrifice of those American heroes -- the ones who have returned home, and the ones who haven't.

Here are the first lines:

Lines of bikes are miles long,
Shining, half a million strong.
Rumbling, grumbling engines roar.
Peace signs. High  Fives
Spirits soar.

Of course the inimitable Eve Bunting has a picture book about Memorial Day. The Wall. It's illustrated by Ronald Himler.

This is the wall, my grandfather's wall. On it are the names of those killed in a war, long ago.
"Where is Grandpa's name?" I ask.

The Poppy Lady Moina Belle Michael and Her Tribute to Veterans by Barbara Walsh. Illustrated by Layne Johnson
When American soldiers entered World War I, Moina Belle Michael, a schoolteacher from Georgia, knew she had to act. Some of the soldiers were her students and friends. Almost single-handedly, Moina worked to establish the red poppy as the symbol to honor and remember soldiers. And she devoted the rest of her life to making sure the symbol would last forever. Thanks to her hard work, that symbol remains strong today. Author Barbara Elizabeth Walsh and artist Layne Johnson worked with experts, primary documents, and Moina's great-nieces to better understand Moina's determination to honor the war veterans.

Hero Mom by Melinda Hardin. Illustrated by Bryan Langdon

Our Mom's are superheros.
My mom doesn't leap over tall buildings—she builds them.

 My mom doesn't fly in to save the day—well, sometimes she does.

My mom doesn't command animals—she works with them to find missing people and dangerous objects.

 

Do you know any other Memorial Day picture books? Please share.

 

Andrea J Loney on Preparing for Publication

By Susan J Berger and Andrea J Loney

Meet Andrea J Loney, whose first picture book Bunnybear will hit the shelves January 31st.
Blurb:
Although Bunnybear was born a bear, he feels more like a bunny. He prefers bouncing in the thicket to tramping in the forest, and in his heart he's fluffy and tiny, like a rabbit, instead of burly and loud, like a bear. The other bears don't understand him, and neither do the bunnies. Will Bunnybear ever find a friend who likes him just the way he is?

Sample Editorial Reviews:
"Despite the lighthearted tone, Loney's story has important things to say about identity and acceptance, and is valuable both as entertainment and a conversation-starter." Publishers Weekly, November 7, 2016

"A sweet story of friendship and acceptance…the message of being true to one's nature is one many children need to hear." Kirkus Reviews, December 15, 2016

Susan's review. Funny, charming, An implied message we all need right now. I plan to buy a copy for each of my grandchildren. I loved it.

Andrea's first ever Book signing is at Children's Book World this Saturday, Feb 4th, 2:30-4:00 PM
There will be puppets and sweet things and games.
address: 10580 W. Pico Blvd, Los Angeles 90064
More book signings at the end of this post.

Bunnybear is not actually her first book accepted by a publisher. Andrea won the 2014 Lee & Low New Voices Award for her biographical picture book, Take a Picture of Me, James Van Der Zee. It's illustrated by Keith Mallett ( http://www.keithmallett.com/ ) and will make it's way onto the shelves in May, 2017. 

 In other news. Andrea will be inducted as a Brown Bookshelf Honoree on February 1st.

And this just in from Publisher's Weekly:
Erin Clarke at Knopf has bought world rights to Andrea J. Loney's Double Bass Blues, illustrated by Rudy Gutierrez, a picture book celebrating music and family in which a black boy shoulders his beloved double bass from his suburban school to his city neighborhood. Publication is slated for spring 2019. Jill Corcoran at Corcoran Literary Agency represented the author and the artist represented himself. I couldn't be happier for Andrea, and for her agent, Jill Corocran

I asked Andrea how she prepared for her book launch. here's her answer.

Preparing for Publication

One of the things I did not know when I first started writing picture books is how long it actually takes to get them out in the world. It can take a long time. Three years from sale to publication is not unheard of, and it can take years to get a book ready for sale. I’ve heard this process described as “hurry up and wait."

 

But once a book is sold and printed and about to hit the shelves, things can speed up at a dizzying rate. I’ve heard this phase described as “wait and hurry up.” So as soon as I sold my first book, TAKE A PICTURE OF ME, JAMES VANDERZEE!, I started searching for information on how to publicize my book. Most places mentioned getting a website, staying active on social media, connecting with bloggers, and things like that. Then I found this 15-tab book marketing preparation spreadsheet  It took me a few days to even read through it, but there were so many of great ideas for promoting a book online and offline, and through various forms of media. I downloaded this spreadsheet. It's incredible. A great author tool.

 

Also as a book gets closer to publication, the publisher’s publicity department sends out an author questionnaire. This multipage list asks questions about the author’s publishing contacts, local magazines and newspapers, organizations that might be interested in the book, and more. Then the publicity department combines the author's information with their own contact information to circulate advance reading copies of the book-to-be-published. So far I’ve filled out these forms for two publishers since both books will be published in the next five months.

 

Bookstore visits and signings are also very important for promoting a new book. Luckily, my publisher connected me with Tracie, the publicist, and she booked me to read BUNNYBEAR at three local bookstores and a children’s museum. There are lots of things that Tracie is doing behind the scenes, which is great because then I can focus on promoting my book by writing blog posts, engaging potential readers on social media, and inviting everyone I know to my book events.

Thank you, Andrea. I'm definitely going to the Children's Book World signing, bar flooding or famine. You are one of the most creative teachers I know and I can't wait to see what you have planned.

Andrea other events so far:

 

The Zimmerman Museum
Thursday, February 16 at 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM6505 Wilshire Blvd. #100, Los Angeles, CA 90048

 

Vroman's Bookstore
Saturday, February 18 at 10:30 PM - 11:30 AM
695 E Colorado Blvd, Pasadena, California 91101

 

Pages Bookstore Monday, February 20 at 10:30 AM - 11:30 AM (President’s Day)904 Manhattan Ave., Manhattan Beach, CA 90266

 

7 first Lines/Paragraphs from Books published in 2016

Seven is my favorite number and it's 2017. I pulled the picture books from the NY Times Notable Book list. The other two are my favorite reads of the year

They All Saw A Cat Written and illustrated by Brendan Wenzel (debut book)

The cat walked through the world with its whiskers, ears, and paws . . . and the child saw A CAT, and the dog saw A CAT, and the fox saw A CAT. Yes, they all saw the cat.

I AM PAN! Written and illustrated by Mordicai Gerstein

LONG AGO WHEN THE WORLD WAS JUST A BABY, A FAMILY OF GODS LOVED IN GREECE. THEY LIVED ON MOUNT OLYMPUS ABOVE CLOUDS THAT LOOKED LIKE WHIPPED CREAM. THEY WERE ALL GODS OF ONE THING OR ANOTHER . . .

THE JOURNEY Written and illustrated by Francesca Sanna (debut book?)

I live with my family in a city close to the sea. Every summer we used to spend many weekends at the beach. But we never go there anymore, because last year, our lives changed forever . . .

LEAVE ME ALONE! Written and illustrated by Vera Brosgol. 

An Epic tale about one grandmother, a giant sack of yarn and her quest to finish her knitting.

There was once an old lady who lived in a small house.

 

Teacup by Rebecca Young Illustrated by Matt Ottley  (Looks like a debut book.)

Once there was a boy who had to find his home . . . and find another.

 

Now my two favorite reads for the year.

 

 

The Seventh Wish by Kate Messner  

I’ve only seen the ice flowers once. It was winter vacation when I was six and Abby was twelve. She came flying into my bedroom in her green flannel pajamas. “Charlie, wake up! You have to come see before they are gone.

 

I read this book because I was going to be reading it to fifth graders at Leo Politi. I thought it was going to be about a wishing fish and wishes and best friends and Irish dancing. My kind of a read. Nah! It’s a chocolate chip cookie of a book that, on page 102 ,turned into a steak dinner. It’s really brilliant and I cannot recommend it highly enough. But I am so glad I did not get to page 102 with the fifth graders. I think it should be required reading for middle school.

 

 

Full Cicada Moon by Marilyn Hilton.
I wish we had flown to Vermont
instead of riding
on a bus, train, train, bus
all the way from Berkley.
Ten hours would have soared, compared to six days.
But two plane tickets--
one for me and one for Mama--
would have cost a lot of money,
and Papa already spent so much
when he flew home at Thanksgiving.

Mama is sewing buttons on my new slacks
and helping me fill out the forms
for my new school in Hillsborough, our new town.
This might be a new year
but seventh grade is halfway done,
and I'll be the new girl.

I'm stuck at the ethnicity part.
Check only one, it says.
The choices are:
White
Black
Puerto Rican
Portuguese
Hispanic
Oriental
Other

I am
half Mama,
half Papa,
and all me.
Isn't that all anyone needs to know?
But the form says All items must be completed,
so I ask,  "Other?"
Mama pushes her brows together,
making what papa calls her Toshirô-Mifune face.
"Check all that apply," she says.
"But it says just one."
"Do you listen to your mother or a piece of paper?"

I do not usually read verse novels. This one captivated me.  Written in verse the book tells the story of a half black, half Japanese girl who moved with her family to Vermont to be the new girl halfway through seventh grade. It's 1969 and she dreams of being an astronaut. 
I raced through it, loving every sentence.
The what was not said was as important as what was said. Highly recommend. 

What is your favorite book from last year? If you have a diversity one, all the better.

 

 

Happy Thanksgiving

 by Susan J Berger

Happy Thanksgiving to all of you.

I wish you a day of remembering the good things in your life. A day free from worrying about all the things that may be making you fearful about your future. About our future.

I plan to watch the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade, go see Fantastic Beasts and maybe top off the evening with pumpkin pie and Miracle on 34th Street.

I will not be watching the news.

 

There are so many thanksgiving books for children to choose from, Here are a few. You will note I've decided to emphasize turkeys. That word has been coming up a lot in my head.

I am grateful for so many things. My children and grandchildren, the rain currently falling outside my warm and safe house, the turkey reposing in my refrigerator, the current book I'm reading and the pile of books waiting for me to read. And for the books I will be adding to my TBR pile, some of them not yet published.

I am grateful for family and friends and laughter. For the wonderful acting jobs I've had this year and the ones yet to come.

I could go on for a long time.

I am truly grateful for indoor plumbing and warm blankets and a comfy armchair. For the glass of wine I plan to have when I finish this post. And for the washing machine in which I am about to immerse my laundry.

I am grateful for the times I manage to sit down at the computer and get words on paper. I am REALLY grateful for my computer. If I had to hand-write this stuff, it would never see the light of day. And I am so grateful for my critique groups.

 

I emailed Hilde and Lupe and asked for three things they were grateful for. I didn't want t o overwhelm them. Hilde replied. My health. My husband. My kids.

And my dog, Buddy.

Lupe replied My wife. My step-daughters. My cats.

Right at this moment, what are you grateful for?

PS if you have a favorite Thanksgiving book, please mention that in comments too. I have grandchildren to collect for.

 

 

 

Writers and Readers

by Victoria Krol

Hi guys! I’m back. I went to a local author’s showcase at the Buena Vista Branch Library. I met lots of people, but unfortunately I ran out of time so I didn’t interview everyone (I suppose that’s what I get for sleeping through half of it).

The first author I interviewed was Michele Ramos and her book was about learning the colors, with a bear named Strizie. Her website is www.bearigworld.com.

The  next author I talked to was Cheryl Holt. I think I might have interviewed her last year. Her books are all Romance and I said I would have to wait a little before I read those. She also said that she was the best author and that made me laugh. I think I sounded a little flustered.

After Cheryl, I questioned Jane DiLucchio. http://www.janedilucchio.com/

 Her books sound really suspenseful. They were Murder Mysteries.  I think I shivered as she gave me the plot of one.

Katherine Jeffries had some really interesting things to tell too. Her books were Thrillers with Romance.  

After that, I took a little break from the Center of the room and moved to the left side. Here, I met Kaaron Williams and her books were on Cruises. They are tips for the best cruise experience.

https://www.amazon.com/20-Cruise-Tips-Platinum-Cruiser/dp/1478712538

Then, I jumped from the very front of the left side to the very back right. Here I met Jen Klein, Sarah Vance-Tompkins, E.V Fairfall, Candance Jane Kringle, and Elizabeth Marks. Jen Klein’s book was a Buffy vampire/ Veronica jones type of thing. Her website is http://jenkleinbooks.com/books/

Sarah Vance-Tompkins book was called Kisses on A Paper Airplane. I believe she put it like this “ 1 ginger pop star +  1 shy actress + 1 international flight = 1 perfect first kiss” .  Her website is www.sarahvancetompkins.com.

E.V. Fairfall was showcasing two books. They were both on split personality disorder. Waking Gabriel and Sleeping Tom.  Basically, Gabriel during the day was really mean and cruel and during the night he turned into Tom, a really sweet, kind-hearted boy. It sounded really good. She also mentioned to me Book tube. Book tube is a YouTube site where people post videos about their books. It was really cool and I checked it out. E.V. Fairfall’s channel is: https://www.youtube.com/c/booktubecouple

Candace Jane Kringle’s book is a memoir on “her” life as a High school-er at North Pole High and her adventures of dating a boy on the Naughty List. Twitter account is: @CandycaneClaus Here is her Goodreads link. https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6477195.Candace_Jane_Kringle

Elizabeth Mark’s book was about growing up in Armenia in World War I.

Now, I jumped around a lot. I went from the bottom right to Sue’s table and interviewed Lilly Rowe and Joel Guerrero. They had created a book of poems that were full of courage. Joel Guerrero illustrated them and Lilly Rowe wrote them. The drawings were really nice.

Then I went to Zenobia Neil and I don’t think she realized that I cared about what she wrote and she only gave me the title: Cupid and Psyche.  

Next to Zenobia, I met Leanne Hansen. These books were Ghost Stories and Romance. I thought that was cool, how she tied in Romance to Ghosts.

Then I went to Bill Scollon and he gave me some information on his Disney books. He had  a biography on Walt Disney and some books on Mickey Mouse and other Disney characters

Stephen McCarthy’s books were spy novels and a few on Road trips. I thought it was interesting on how he had such a variety of books and he was able to write them even though he had vastly different published works.

Now I went to the other side of the room and talked to David Davis,  Adrienne Childers, and  Leandra Chergey.  David Davis published a biography on Duke Kahanamoku. He also had a 1984 Olympic picture album. I thought that was pretty amazing. I would have stayed longer looking at the photos, but they announced there was only 20 minutes left, so I had to hurry. 

Adrienne Childers had written a book called Dear Deer.  We were talking and I told her what I liked to do and such. As I left her table, she noticed my moose pencil. She called me back over. She asked me if I had a deer pencil topper. It was a moose I told her, but moose are cousins of the deer.  She asked me If I liked to read. Me, being me said yes. Then, she proceeded to surprise me very much so. She gave me a FREE  AND SIGNED BOOK! I couldn’t keep the smile off my face. She took a picture of my Moose and me with the book.

I proceeded to run over to Sue and show her. She was equally excited.  The book was about a deer who had decide to hang out near the character’s house. At first it stayed far away but it gradually came closer. There was real pictures in there too. 

Leandra Chergey’s book was about a journey with Autism. This interested me because I had recently read M.J.’s  A Boy Called Hopeless. She was handing out bracelets that had wish charms on them and the legend was that when the string frayed and the cord snapped in two, your wish came true.

I put mine on, but sadly it came off two days later due to football practice. I still think that my wish will come true without the bracelet. My face lit up when Leandra told me of the Legend.

The library announced that the showcase had ended.  The last two authors I interviewed were Sisan McNeil  and Joshua Henaman.

 Sisan McNeil is an interviewee. I interviewed her last year. She actually remembered me. She has one new book coming out in 2017 about Western segregation.

Joshua Henaman made a graphic novel about Bigfoot with a broadsword. He told me that there was a piece of NASA footage that showed a blurry image of something on Mars. Word got out and people started saying that there was “bigfoot on mars”. I thought this was incredibly funny. He told me to google bigfoot on mars. I have been busy but I am planning on checking it out soon.

Interview With Beth Navarro and Cami Abel

By Susan J. Berger

Beth Navarro has a new book coming out September 7th. Kiko is a charming picture book about a wave too scared to be big. When Beth told me about it, I couldn't imagine how you would humanize a wave. But illustrator, Cami Abel did a brilliant job. My review is on Goodreads. And Pen and Ink has a copy to give away. (US only, please since it is a hardcover.) There's a Rafflecopter at the end of this post.

Beth, Tell us about Kiko the Hawaiian Wave

Beth: I wrote Kiko after a trip to Hawaii. What a gorgeous place (to point out the obvious). Hanging out on the beach and watching the surfers carving up the warm crystal waters got me thinking about the connection surfers have with the ocean. So of course my mind leapt to, “What if a wave was too scared to leave the safety of shore to fulfill his dream of finding his surfer and becoming a big wave?” I wrote it without really thinking about the illustrations. When Cami signed on to do the illustrations I realized, oh this might be a challenge…. But she did such a beautiful job! Every page is a work of art.

Humanizing a wave looks to me like a huge problem. How did you get there? 

Cami: YES! this was tricky, my background is Scientific Illustration and Fine Art so going to the abstract was something I dabbled in in college but a leap for me professionally, it was really interesting to play and experiment. Because of how Beth described the waves, I worked to give them personality and maybe reflect the struggles that a new surfer would feel.

What do you want kids to get out of this book?
Beth: This story is really about taking the leap. Believing in yourself and stepping out of your comfort zone. What would you do if you had the courage? If someone reading this book gets that, I’ve done my job.

Beth and Cami, Are you working on anything else right now?
Beth: I am! I am working on a sequel to my first book, Grambo. It’s called Grambo and the Art Thief and this time it’s in comic book form! I’m also working on two different young adult books right now. One a contemporary story with a little bit of alien magic and another a historical fantasy. Very excited about all these stories!

Cami: just finished a project for the City of San Diego, doing trail signs for Tecolote Nature Center. This summer Im working on a kids nature trail guide as part of a collaboration for the Clairemont Mesa Education Foundation and Tecolote ESCAPe program, connecting local school kids with our neighborhood canyons. I also work for a local wine company designing their domestic wine labels, and I'm a family/ lifestyle photographer.

I love firsts, so tell me about the moment when a publisher told you they wanted to publish your book.
Beth: Thrilling! To hear someone else get as excited about your story as you are is exciting. When I heard from Mary and Allison at Be There Bedtime stories I’m pretty sure I was jumping up and down.

Cami: I have to 'ditto' Beth, it was super thrilling to get the call from Be There Bedtime Stories! I jump from one project to another rather quickly so I was really excited to be able to come back to Kiko and work with the publisher for fine tuning. Be There Bedtime Stories has been fantastic to work with.

Other than your own, who are your favorite (heroes/heroines/writers) in your genre?
Beth: My favorite PB writers… oh man there are so many. Drew Daywalt, Chris Van Allsberg, Samantha Berger and Dan Santat, anything he writes or illustrates I love (Beekle, you are are the very best.)

Cami: I truly love the artwork of Jim Kay, he is such a inspiring and gifted artist, I really study his drawings. I also follow Russ Cox of Smiling Otis Studio and Alice Tillotson Ratteree who provide me with constant inspiration via Facebook and Instagram, they are all tremendously talented.

What is your favorite pastime, other than writing?
Beth: When I’m not chasing my daughters around I love cooking. I obsessively watch the Food Network. (Chopped!) I also love anything nerdy. San Diego Comic Con is the land of my people.

Cami: I chase kids too! I have two boys (10 and 8) and we spend the vast majority of our time in the water and on the beach here in San Diego, we swim, snorkel and the boys are becoming really good surfers. I have been an open water swimmer in La Jolla for over 20 years.

Any advice for new writers just starting out?
Beth: It takes work. There is no secret formula. No short cut. If you want to be a writer, you have to get your butt in the chair and write. And if you want to get into children’s book writing, join SCBWI. Starting out that helped me in so many ways. Meeting other writers, hearing amazing speakers, just getting into that world. It taught me (and continues to teach me) so much.

Cami: Suggestions for new Illustrators-Draw Draw Draw, take classes, study the experts, experiment. I bring a sketch book everywhere with me. I think the more diverse an illustrator is the more work there is out there, but classical training seems to usually be the best place to start. Be brave and be humble.

And finally, where can we find you?
Beth: You can find more about me at www.bethnavarro.com. Sign up for my email newsletter and quarterly I’ll send you cool links about writing and reading and share a little bit of writing you won’t find anywhere else.

Cami: My websites are: www.camiabel.com and www.coastalfolks.net
Other stuff!

To preorder Grambo, go to www.bethnavarro.com. Get a signed book and special deals when you preorder through Be There Bedtime Stories!

Thank you for being here, Beth and Cami. Enter to win a hardcover of Kiko, the Hawaiian Wave below.

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