Today, we have the honor of revealing the cover of a follow-up to one our favorite books of 2016, RACE CAR DREAMS by Sharon Chriscoe.
Make way for BULLDOZER DREAMS (illustrated by John Joven), coming October 3, 2017 from Running Press!
Sharon stopped by the Cottage to tell us a bit more about the book — and generously offered a signed copy of RACE CAR DREAMS, to one lucky reader!
Leave a comment below to enter to win. Winner will be announced next week!
What it's all about... “After a day at the construction site, pushing and piling dirt, a bulldozer is tired and ready for sleep. He scrubs clean his track, sips up some supper, and chooses a book to read with his cone. Underneath the stars, he drifts off to sleep, he lowers his blade . . . and dreams of finishing his important work!”
My favorite line(s)… Of course, as the author of each line, I love them all. But I think my favorite lines are “He pulls in the station, sipping each slurp. His belly pan swells, and up comes a burp.” The idea of a bulldozer’s belly pan swelling until he lets out a burp is simply hilarious. And the illustration for those lines is equally funny and cute.
A sneak peek inside the book...
(c) 2017 John Joven; from Bulldozer Dreams published by Running Press
Why kids will love it… Kids will love how bulldozer is just like a kid. From his friendly smile to his funny burps and sleepy yawns, kids will understand that even bulldozers need a little shut eye.
Why grown-ups will love it… Grown-ups will love the gentle, rhythmic text and vivid illustrations as they snuggle with their little ones to enjoy this special bedtime story.
Sharon Chriscoe never saw a bulldozer clearing the way for a new playground, but she did enjoy doing a little dozing of her own in the sandbox. She is the author of Race Car Dreams and forthcoming Fire Truck Dreams, both illustrated by Dave Mottram, and The Sparrow and the Trees, illustrated by Susan Detwiler. Sharon and her husband live in Pilot Mountain, NC. They have three children and one grandchild, and a large variety of pets. In addition to her books, she has been published in Highlights High Five, Highlights Hello, The Old Farmers Almanac for Kids, The Mailbox, and more. She is represented by Jessica Sinsheimer of the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency. Please visit her online at sharonchriscoebooks.com. - -
Comment below to enter to win a signed copy of Race Car Dreams, race flag swag and bookmark!
Race Car Dreams by Sharon Chriscoe illustrated by Dave Mottram (Running Press, 2016) "The story unfolds in rhythmic four-line stanzas and is composed with a calm, soothing tone that makes this perfect for reading aloud before bed. Largely bathed in a cool nighttime palette of greens, blues, and violets, Mottram's colorful cartoon illustrations bring charming expressions to anthropomorphized vehicles and tools. VERDICT This sweet bedtime offering is ideal for vehicle and auto-racing enthusiasts." —School Library Journal
"Chriscoe's crisply rhyming text is enlivened by lots of punny expressions and colorful language...All in all, clever, bouncy fun." —Kirkus
Today in the Cottage, we're thrilled to welcome Sharon Criscoe, who writes for children of all ages. From very young picture books to upper middle grade novels, Sharon is passionate about creating lively worlds for children to grow and
learn in. Her latest book is RACE CAR DREAMS, a picture book we're "wheely" excited about!
Tell us a little bit about RACE CAR DREAMS, Sharon!
***
First, thanks so much for having me, Mr. Pig. I love your
blog!
RACE CAR DREAMS is a rhyming bedtime story about a little race car
getting ready for bed.After his high octane filled day at
the track, he washes his rims at the Tickle-and-Wash, fills his tummy with oil
at Guzzle-and-Gulp, and chooses a book from the Speedy-Reads Library that’s all
about speed. Then, once toasty and warm, he drifts off to sleep, shifts into
gear . . . and dreams of the race!
What inspired
you to write the story?
A couple years ago while I was reading the super-talented
Jane Yolen’s How Do Dinosaurs Say Goodnight? for around the tenth time, I found myself wanting my very own unique twist on a bedtime story. After
much brainstorming, and some trial and error, it hit me . . . full throttle! A
race car! Kids love race cars and I had never read about a race car getting
ready for bed. I spent the next few weeks in my mobile office drafting those
first words.
Yep. That’s right, my office is not only mobile but it’s
the passenger seat of a bread truck in which I work alongside my super
supportive husband on our bread route.
It took almost another year of tweaking the story,
revision after revision, draft after draft (nearly 50 in total!) before Race
Car became a book that was submission worthy. And I am so thankful to my
wonderful critique partners and the SCBWI Blueboard members who encouraged me
and helped me to get him all polished and shined.
If you
were a CAR, what make and model would you be?
VERY cool question! Let’s see, if I were a CAR, I’d be a 427
Chevrolet Corvette! And I’d be a convertible so that way when the weather is
perfect, I could vroom around town with the sun shining down on me.
What do
you love to do when not writing zippy bedtime tales and other stories?
I don’t think there’s anything in the world that can top
spending time with my family. So that will always be first on my list. And of
course, if we can have some of that quality time together while at the beach,
it’s that much sweeter! I love the ocean and I’d spend the entire summer there
if I could.
For our
teachers and librarian readers: which titles would you pair RACE CAR DREAMS with for a car (or
bedtime) themed story hour?
Oh! A car (or bedtime themed) story hour would be so much fun!
If I were in charge of creating this story hour (how awesome would that be!)
I’d definitely bring along Goodnight Lightning (Pixar Cars); Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site;Goodnight Moon; Bedtime in the Meadow; and Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?
What’s
up next for you?
Thank you so much for asking! My next book is a companion
book to RACE CAR DREAMS titled BULLDOZER DREAMS. It was actually my wonderful
editor and publisher’s idea. Julie, my editor, said she and my publisher had a
fun discussion about what types of vehicles would make for a great book two,
and construction vehicles was an instant thought. Julie sent the BULLDOZER
DREAMS title to me along with an optional one they had discussed. When I read
the email, my thoughts were “A Bulldozer! YES! I want to do that!” Now
BULLDOZER DREAMS is with John Joven, the illustrator — I’ve recently seen the
proofs and they are so adorable!
Thanks so much for visiting, Sharon!
About the Book
RACE CAR DREAMS
by Sharon Chriscoe
illustrated by Dave Mottram
Running Press (September 2016)
ISBN 978-0762459643
After a day at the track of zipping and zooming, a race car is tired and ready for bed. He washes his rims, fills his tummy with oil, and chooses a book that is all about speed. All toasty and warm, he drifts off to sleep, he shifts into gear . . . and dreams of the race!
About the Author
Sharon
Chriscoe may not vroom around a race track, but she does zip and
zoom around in a bread truck with her husband, Ricky. Fueled with fresh bread,
snacks, and writing tools, Sharon has made this her mobile office! She and her
husband live in Pilot Mountain, North Carolina. They have three children and
one grandchild on the way, as well as an assortment of dogs, cats, bunnies and
occasionally a groundhog. In
addition to RACE CAR DREAMS, she is the author of BULLDOZER DREAMS (a companion
book to RACE CAR DREAMS, Running Press Kids, 2017), and The Sparrow and the Trees (Arbordale Publishing, 2015). She is also a contributor to several
magazines such as Highlights High Five,
Highlights Hello, and The Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids. She is a member of
The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators and is a graduate of
The Institute of Children’s Literature. She is represented by Jessica
Sinsheimer of the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency. To learn more about
Sharon, her books, and future events, visit her website: www.sharonchriscoebooks.com
Today on the Little Crooked Bookshelf: A COVER REVEAL for RACE CAR DREAMS! And author Sharon Chriscoe is here to tell us why kids (and grown-ups) are going to love this book...
RACE CAR DREAMS by Sharon Chriscoe illustrated by Dave Mottram
Available September 13, 2016 Running Press Kids
What it's all about...
“RACE CAR DREAMS is about a little race car who’s getting ready for bed. As his lights blink on and he rolls off the track, he heads for the Tickle-and-Wash for a bath, the Guzzle-and-Gulp for a nightcap, and the Speedy-Reads Library for a bedtime story . . . and soon he’s dreaming sweet dreams of winning first place!”
My favorite line(s)…
“Hmm… that’s a tough one since I love them all. But I have to say my favorite lines are, He’s sleepy and full and ready to read. He chooses a book that’s all about speed. Those lines make me smile every time I read them: even little race cars love a good bedtime story! Plus, the illustrations for that page are adorable!”
Why kids will love it…
“Kids will love the colorful illustrations, the characters, and the super cute race car. They will have fun seeing the little race car get ready for bed, just like them!”
Why grown-ups will love it…
“Grown-ups will love the soothing bedtime rhythm that will leave their little ones drifting happily off to dreamland.”
Thanks, Sharon! Parents are going to want to race right out and get this one when it releases in September—including cottager, Kara LaReau, whose little boy is crazy about cars!
Sharon Chriscoe may not vroom around a race track, but she does zip and zoom around town in a bread truck with her husband, Ricky. Fueled with fresh bread, snacks and writing tools, Sharon has made this her mobile office! She and her husband live in North Carolina. They have three children and an assortment of dogs, cats, bunnies and occasionally a groundhog, when he pops in to graze in their backyard. Sharon is also the author of The Sparrow and the Trees. In addition to her books, she has been published in Highlights High Five, Highlights Hello, The Old Farmers Almanac for Kids, and The Mailbox. She is represented by Jessica Sinsheimer of the Sarah Jane Freymann Literary Agency. Visit www.sharonchriscoebooks.com to learn more.
