The Little Crooked Cottage : Mr. Pig Live! . . . with Maggi and Milo (plus a GIVEAWAY!*)

Hello and welcome to another exciting episode of my hit talk show, Mr. Pig Live!

Fans of Ladybug Girl will love today's guest! She's an excellent adventurer, a pretty good songwriter, and an aspiring scientist. You can usually find her looking for frogs with her best friend, Milo the Border Collie.

Let's give a warm Enchanted Woods welcome to

MAGGI!

Maggi is the star of Maggi and Milo, a charming new picture book by Juli Brenning and illustrated by Priscilla Burris.

Great to have you on the show, Maggi! What's your full name?
Maggi Beatrice Bartholomew

What is the best thing about being you?
My dog, Milo.

The worst thing about being you?
My brother, Charlie. He’s 12 so, therefore, he’s annoying.

Right. When do you feel the happiest?
When I’m singing a song outside while jumping in a puddle.

Would you rather fly or be invisible?
I think I’d rather fly. I wouldn’t want to be invisible because then no one could see me. They’d only be able to hear which I guess would be okay, but I kinda like to be seen and heard.

I can tell. What is your favorite word?
Indeed.

Good choice indeed! What is your least favorite word?
Broccoli . . . ugh.

What is your special talent?
I am a world class tree climber.

If you could dine with three characters, from other books, who would they be?
Ladybug girl, Olivia, and Madeline. We’d eat macaroni and cheese and have chocolate milk. That would be so fun.

What's in your pocket?
I have a sparkly rock, a piece of ribbon, and a penny.

What is your pet peeve?
I don’t like places that won’t allow me to bring Milo. That’s a silly rule.

What are you reading right now?
My mom is reading Winnie the Pooh to me right now. My favorite is Piglet.

Me, too. What was it like working with Juli Brenning?
Juli Brenning is my friend. She makes me laugh and she says it’s okay to have ice cream for lunch sometimes.

Ooh, that sounds delicious! Speaking of lunch, Nina from Lunches with Love has created an amazing Maggi and Milo bento lunch especially for YOU! Go here to check it out. Thanks for visiting, Maggi!

*WIN YOUR OWN COPY OF MAGGI AND MILO! LEAVE A COMMENT OR TWEET THIS POST TO ENTER. THE WINNER WILL BE ANNOUNCED ON MONDAY, JUNE 9th!

About the Book

MAGGI AND MILO
by Juli Brenning, illustrated by Priscilla Burris
Dial Books (April 2014)
ISBN 978-0803737952

"Move over Ladybug Girl, there’s a new spunky gal-and-canine twosome in town." --Kirkus Reviews

"The digitally created illustrations are bright and appealing, especially those of the lovable black-and-white pup, who is almost twice Maggi’s size . . . a 'ribbeting' read-aloud." --School Library Journal

"Brenning tells the story in a roundabout way, with a few breezy tangents, some musical interludes, and a happy ending in which Maggi and Milo cuddle up and listen to the frogs’ nighttime songs. Further adventures would be welcome." --Booklist

Visit Maggiandmilo.com to hear Maggi's favorite song!

About the Author

Juli Brenning grew up in a small town in southern Ohio and went to school in Indiana where she studied music, literature, and film. She then moved to New York City and worked briefly in magazine publishing before returning to Ohio to receive a teaching certificate in English, but soon left the classroom to be a stay-at-home mom. Juli now lives in Nashville, Tennessee with her husband, two kids, an ill-mannered dog, and a very fat cat. Maggi and Milo is her first picture book.

For more info about Julie, visit her website: http://julibrenning.com.

About the Illustrator

Priscilla Burris graduated from The Fashion Institute of Design & Merchandising. Since then, she's illustrated several children's books, including the Heidi Heckelbeck chapter book series. She enjoys cake painting and creating art for products such as murals, greeting cards, and rubber stamps. Priscilla lives in Southern California.

To see more of her work, visit www.priscillaburris.com or her blog, burrisdraw.blogspot.com.