Tuesday, June 26, 2012

Ginormously Wonderful, Bodaciously Caring Writer, Kevin McGill Is Giving Back, Peeps!

He's giving away 1000 FREE SIGNED copies of his teen fantasy,

Nikolas and Company on July 6th!!!!!!!!!!

Here's the announcement from his blog:  

On July 6th, Aero Studios will mail 1000 free signed copies of my book, Nikolas and Company: The Merman and The Moon Forgotten to those who get their orders in first. You don’t have to pay for the book or shipping and handling. To be eligible: Be between the ages of 10 and 17 (If you know someone between 10 and 17, feel free to order it for them) and live in the U.S.


BUT WAIT?? I’m a kid at heart!
No worries. Adults can also download a free digital copy

 Here's the linkage, y'all: Free copies of Nikolas and Company: The Merman and The Moon Forgotten!
YES PEEPS! You big guys and gals can order a FREE digital copy. 
May I thank this guy??? THANK YOU, KEVIN! You are a ginormously wonderful, bodaciously caring guy!!!!!!!!!!! 

*group hug* *sniff*
 

Friday, June 15, 2012

Perfect Picture Book Friday, y'all. Two for the price of one!

Hairy Maclary's Bone Written and illustrated by Lynley Dodd        
Tricycle Press (June 4, 2001)
Suitable for:
Ages 4 and up
Theme:
Big and small, etc. and overcoming obstacles.
Opening:
Down in the town
by the butcher's shop door,
sat Hairy Maclary
from Donaldson's Dairy.
Out of the door
came Samuel Stone.
He gave Hairy Maclary
his tastiest
bone.
Synopsis:
Simple story, lovely illustrations, beautiful, easy to remember rhyme, repetition. The kids will have this book memorized. You need to read the first Hairy book (He meets the other dogs in this one.) first. That way you know all the characters. It is called Hairy Maclary From Donaldson's Dairy.
Why I loved it:
These books are so simple. I should have put ages 2 and up. Yes, two year-old children can understand these precious stories. The illustrations jump right off the page. The dog names are so funny too. Shnitzel von Krumm with a very low tum, Hercules Morse as big as a horse, you get the picture. :-)
Resources:
Hairy Maclary's one more or less game
Children can make Hairy Maclary badges, stickers, and finger puppets here.
Please visit the beautiful Susanna Leonard Hill for more wonderful picture book stories.

And...
Snutt the Ift Written and illustrated by Helen Ward    
Little Pickle Press; 1ST edition (2011)
Suitable for:
Ages 4 and up
Theme:
Friendship
Synopsis: (From Amazon)
Two explorers from different worlds discover the wonders of a strange new planet. Soon each becomes lonely. When they finally meet each other, they discover something even more wondrous-that friends help us blossom and shared experiences make all the world more beautiful.
Why I loved it:
What's not to love? Huge double spread illustrations that are absolutely beautiful! The text is equally beautiful with  like  sticky-footed flewimols and blossiblums just to name two. As Snuft looks at the beautiful world around him, he cannot even do his measuring and recording he's so in awe. To me it teaches us to look for the loveliness around us. It's there. Just look. 
Resources:
Since this book is about two courageous explorers I have two wonderful links for you to check out: Explorers and teacher resources for explorers.
Head over to Little Pickle Press and sign up for the newsletter. You'll automatically be entered in a contest to win the grand prize of nine Little Pickle Press books including their two foreign-language titles. And check out all their beautiful award winning books while you're signing up.
Check out more super duper picture books over at Susanna Leonard Hill's place.
Perfect Picture Book Friday will be back in September. Have a beautiful weekend. :-)*Waving* xoxo

Monday, June 11, 2012

Heeere's Phyll!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

The weekend Phyllis came to our farm was the same time that all the bad news began to hit about my sis-in-law. So I'z late for this very important date! For those who don't know, Phyllis is Susanna Leonard Hill's precious groundhog star of the Phyllis picture books. They are beautifully illustrated by Jeff Ebbeler. But now, she's a rodeo weather queen.
Phyllis and I picked all the strawberries from the patch and she insisted on posing with these. (She's a bit of an extrovert.)  She was saddened to hear that strawberries don't come right back after you dead head them. (Her words) She wanted to stay around long enough to snatch some grapes and blueberries. I told her that would be later this summer. (She made a sad face.) Kinda like this> :(



Here she is in the grapevines searching for some grapes. It was not her day, I tell you.
Phyllis helped with the gardens. She particularly loved my lettuce garden. She stood by it waiting for the different varieties of lettuce to grow. (She would not let me snap the picture of her tears.)






Here she is on our swing. Isn't she lovely all dressed up in her boot?












Then she got a hankering for some juicy blueberries. Much to her dismay they were not ripe. *deep sigh* from Phyllis.










It was time for the rodeo and Phyllis turned out to be an excellent barrel racer. I put her on Mister Ed. (He really loves that groundhog.)  And lemme tell y'all, Phyll dazzled the crowd at the rodeo with her riding skills. (I had the camera in slow motion as she rounded the turn around the barrel.) Mister Ed and Phyllis want to tour the circuit. They were FAST!                                    
After the rodeo, Phyll sprayed the sunscreen on and got lazy by the pool. Like her bikini? I picked it out for her. :-)
She played hide and seek in my flowers.












 Phyllis also played hide and seek with Snowball. He was ready to pounce when I snapped the pic.








She checked the hen nests for eggs. (I heard her mumbling something about disgusting chicken scat.) I'd already gathered the eggs. She made a face at me.
Phyllis picked some spices for dinner that day. She's a huge help around the farm. :-)

We were all sad when we had to put her on the plane.








Mister Ed could hardly contain himself!
(He's sobbing) Hysterically! (Er, um, we have an airplane strip on our farm. We do!) No really.We do!

It was nice to have a rodeo star visit our farm. She was a lot of help, but I believe I heard her mumbling something about slave labor. Hmmmm.
Huge thanks to Susanna Leonard Hill for putting up with me and waiting patiently for this post to go live. (I've always wanted to say the part about going live.)
If you have children, you HAVE to buy Susanna's books. She's super duper fantastic.

Friday, June 8, 2012

And The Winner of Suffocate, the Novella By S.R. Johannes Is...

Nutshell! Yippee woman! I'll be in touch. And next Friday, June 15th will be the last Perfect Picture Book Friday for the summer. Please join me for my pick. See you on Monday for Phyllis's (Susanna Leonard Hill's crazy Phyllis) awesome visit at our farm.

Thursday, June 7, 2012

SORRY!!!!!!!!!!

Friendship isn't a big thing - it's a million little things.                
~Author Unknown


 I feel I must apologize,
 for things I left undone,
I'm not trying to dramatize,
my remorse has just begun. (A poet I ain't!)

My sister-in-law is dying, my brother-in-law had surgery and is still not out of the woods, and my precious dog Frodo has been very, very sick. *sigh* 

I am tired,
but required
to ask your mercy,
great gramercy. (I told you I am not a poet!)

I will announce the winner of Suffocate tomorrow and please join me Monday June 11th for Phyllis's (Susanna Leonard Hill's crazy Phyllis) awesome visit at our farm. 

I'll try to do better. *Waving*