THE LOVE LETTER sneak peek!!!

ICYMI, librarian extraordinaire Margie Myers-Culver recently revealed the cover of THE LOVE LETTER (HarperCollins, October 2019) by our very own Anika Aldamuy Denise and illustrated by Lucy Ruth Cummins!

Check out the full interview on Margie's booktastic blog Librarian's Quest!

The Little Crooked Bookshelf and A GIVEAWAY!!!*

BIKES FOR SALE
by Carter Higgins

Illustrated by Zachariah OHora

(This week’s pick is from Cottager Jamie Michalak, who once had a sparkly gold bike with a banana seat and misses it every day. -->)  

What it’s all about …
Maurice rides his bike to his lemonade shop every day. Lotta rides her bike to collect sticks every day. One day, a branch and a lemon peel leads to the end of their bikes. Or do they? BIKES FOR SALE is a sweet story about friends who were meant to meet.

Why I love it …
Maurice and Lotta's tale keeps the reader guessing, and the meet-cute ending is satisfying. OHora's art is as fresh and funny as ever.

Favorite illustration …

From BIKES FOR SALE by Carter Higgins. Illustration copyright 2019 by Zachariah OHora.

Favorite lines ...
Sid knew all about the bikes.
The satchel told stories of sugar.
The bell ding-a-linged of a ditch.
The sprocket remembered lemons, twigs, and mint.

Why will kids love it?

Higgins sees the world through a child's eyes, and offers a relatable experience. Plus, kids will spot lots of humorous details in OHora's exuberant art -- even the endpaper's map is engaging.

After you read the book . . .

Ask your child to describe and draw their dream bike. What does it look like? What makes it special? Where will they ride it?

Where to find/buy …

Indie Booksellers
Amazon
Barnes & Noble

Or at a school or library near you!

ENTER WIN A COPY BY LEAVING A COMMENT BELOW! DO YOU REMEMBER YOUR FIRST BIKE?
Winner announced on twitter on Tuesday, Feb. 26.

About the Author
Carter Higgins is an elementary school librarian and the author of Everything You Need for a Treehouse and This Is Not a Valentine. She lives in Los Angeles, California. Visit her at Design of the Picture Book. 

About the Illustrator

Zachariah OHora is the illustrator of the New York Times bestseller Wolfie the Bunny, among many other beloved books for kids. He lives and works in Narberth, Pennsylvania. Visit him at his website.

WE'RE BACK! How we've missed you!

Happy Valentine's Day! We're celebrating by re-opening our doors to share our LOVE of books! 

But first, Anika, Jamie, and Mr. Pig are thrilled to introduce our new roomie at the Cottage, elementary school librarian rock star . . . Melanie Roy! Get to know her and the rest of us, and stay tuned for a brand-new year of book picks, interviews, studio tours, giveaways, and more!

Melanie Roy

Library Teacher of Fourth and Fifth Graders

Favorite Valentine’s Day book: Somebody Loves You, Mr. Hatch

5 Things I Love That Aren’t Books or People: planning fun surprises, baking, flavored lip gloss, trying new restaurants, traveling

Books I Loved as a Kid (and Still Do!): Caps for Sale, Ramona, Mrs. Piggle Wiggle, Bunnicula, Nancy Drew

Some of My Past Jobs: swim instructor, penny candy seller, ice cream scooper, florist delivery girl, H & R Block receptionist, waitress, tutor, grocery store clerk

Anika Aldamuy Denise

Author of Planting Stories: The Life of Librarian and Storyteller Pura Belpré, Starring Carmen, and a few more!

Favorite Valentine’s Day book: Never Too Little To Love

5 Things I Love That Aren’t Books Or People: The Moth Radio Hour, the Adirondack Mountains, wandering in a city with no schedule, coffee, writing with my cat curled up next to me

Books I Loved as a Kid (and Still Do!): From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, Time At The Top, The Snowy Day 

Past jobs: associate film producer, newspaper columnist, chamber maid, breakfast waitress, storyhour lady

my little sister and me

Jamie Michalak

Author of Frank and Bean (coming this September!), the Joe and Sparky early reader series, So You Want to Catch Bigfoot?, and more!

Favorite Valentine's Day Book: Groundhug Day

5 Things I Love That Aren't Books or People: food trucks, coffee, karaoke, tiny things, and my dog, Lucy Caboose
Books I Loved as a Kid (and Still Do!): Harriet the Spy, The Monster At the End of This Book, Charlie and the Chocolate Factory

Past jobs: children's book editor, giant mouse impersonator, waterpark lifeguard, waitress, toy namer, paper girl

Mr. Pig
Talk Show Host and Famous Children's Book Star

Favorite Valentine's Day Book: Mr. Prickles: A Quill-Fated Love Story

5 Things I Love That Aren't Books or People: ascots, brick houses, tea, travel, and interviewing other children's book characters
Books I Loved as a Piglet (and Still Do!): The True Story of the Three Little Pigs, Charlotte's Web, and Miss Piggy's Guide to Life

Past jobs: Writer, lyricist, actor, and dean emeritus of the Children's Book Character School in New York City

Loved to Pieces . . . with Kathi Appelt!

Today we have the pleasure of inviting the Newbery Honor winning author, Kathi Appelt to share her first favorite books with us.

Many of Kathi's novels and picture books include a mix of memorable, emotionally engaging animal and human characters, so it is not at all surprising to hear that for Kathi — it all began with a horse.

                     ************************

You know that old question: what came first, the chicken or the egg? When it comes to me, the question could have been: what came first, the book or the horse? More specifically, it should be: what came first, Marguerite Henry’s books or the horse?

I was one of those girls who could not get enough horse. They galloped through my dreams, they wandered in and out of my thoughts, and they tugged at my heart in a way that has only been matched by a few members of my family and friends, and possibly a cat or two.

I can say with honesty that hardly anything in my life ever filled me with so much yearning as my deep desire for a horse of my own. Looking back, however, I can’t help but wonder if the reason I loved them so much was because my grandmother, starting before I could actually read, gave me a new Marguerite Henry book for each birthday and Christmas until I was well into my teens.

Reading the stories of Misty and her foals, the Godolphin Stallion, Gaudenzia, the white stallions of Lippiza, filled me right up. I pored over the beautiful illustrations by Wesley Dennis whose art seemed to capture the actual motion of the horses on the page. It was easy to fall into the story, easy to feel the wind in my hair.

It’s testament to both Henry and Dennis, that even now, when I open the pages of their books, I’m immediately taken back to those days when hardly anything else really mattered. I also have a keen knowing that the theme that runs through their body of work is kindness. Kindness and gentleness come to the rescue time after time.

Marguerite and Wesley couldn’t grant me the dream of my own horse, but they gave me something better—a way to be in the world. By riding through the landscape of their stories, I always had the horse of my dreams, right there on the page. Right there.

************************

 

Kathi Appelt is the New York Times best-selling author of more than forty books for children and young adults.

Her first novel, THE UNDERNEATH, was named a National Book Award Finalist, a Newbery Honor Book, and the PEN USA Literature for Children Award. That was followed by KEEPER, which was named an NCTE Notable Children’s Book and a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year. Her memoir, MY FATHER’S SUMMERS (Henry Holt, 2004) won the Paterson Prize for Young Adult Poetry. Ms. Appelt was presented with the A.C. Greene Award by the Friends of Abilene Public Library, which named her a “Texas Distinguished Author.”

Her newest novel, THE TRUE BLUE SCOUTS OF SUGAR MAN SWAMP, was named a National Book Award Finalist and won the Green Earth Award and the Judy Lopez Memorial Award.

Her newest picture book, MOGI, THE HEART OF THE HOUSE, illustrated by Marc Rosenthal (Atheneum 2014), is about the real-live dog, Mogie, who lives at the Ronald McDonald House in Houston.

In addition to writing, Ms. Appelt is on the faculty in the Masters of Creative Writing for Children and Young Adults at Vermont College of Fine Arts.

She and her husband Ken live in College Station, TX with five adorable cats, Django, Peach, Mingus, Chica and Jazz. They are the parents of two even more adorable sons, Jacob and Cooper, musicians who both play the double bass. For more information, check her website: www.kathiappelt.com.