Goodbye, summer... Hello, school!

After weeks of soaking up the sun and floating the hours away on vacation, we returned home, entering the quiet in-between. The final days of summer.

One of my first to-do’s when we got back was to pick up my daughters’ dance costumes. The ones they were fitted for in January, and supposed to wear in a May recital, but never got to use, because of COVID.

The outfits were so cute! It broke my heart that they would never be worn, outside of basement dress up. I texted my friend Heather, a phenomenal dance teacher and human being, and told her that she was gonna need to choreograph some routines for us, so the girls could dance in these darling dresses, at least once.

She said yes, of course, then instantly added: What if we did an outdoor socially distant dance camp? One week later, my driveway was alive with music and friends. Our engineer husbands drew a grid to keep the girls separated six feet. (Some little sibs shared squares.) Heather brought the music and two company members to help lead two groups of 10. Then they got to work. And by work, I mean fun. Like, the most fun we’d had all summer. (Lake vacation included.)

After just three days of rehearsals, we hosted a Saturday night recital in our front yard. Parents sat 6+ feet apart in the lawn while the girls rocked it in whatever costumes they wanted. It was a hodgepodge of color and style, and the energy was contagious.

The camp was the first-ever class and recital for my oldest, Miss E, who has Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome. It was a little challenging because she’s often pretty tired after dinner, but she did great! Miss E danced one number (the jazz song) out of her chair…

And one song (ballet) seated. I clicked off her breaks and Miss E swirled around in her ruby sequin dress and pretty bow. Just beautiful.

All the thanks in the world to Heather for making the whole thing look so easy. She accepted not a penny for her time, but rather donations to the local food bank. Yep, she’s amazing. Follow her lead, and donate to your local food bank here!

After recital weekend, we quickly shifted gears to school - taking inventory of existing supplies, filling our digital cart with needed items, and mentally preparing for the year ahead, which included a library haul full of titles to get us in the mindset for school.

Several books in our borrowed stack really stood out. I recommend all of these recent releases to anyone who is helping a young one get ready for a school year that will likely include some blend of remote learning, Zoom meetings, masks, frequent hand washing, and the like. Here’s a quick Kidlit Spotlight on five great back-to-school reads…

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I LOVE ME!

By LaRonda Gardner Middlemiss

Illustrated by Beth Hughes

(Beaming Books)

This story is brimming with affirmations, giving kids an extra dose of confidence as they head into new learning environments. The art reflects children from diverse backgrounds and includes the repeated phrase “I love me!”, which can be programmed into a switch for an interactive read along.

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THAT’S LIFE!

By Ame Dyckman

Illustrated by Cori Doerrfeld

(Little, Brown)

Meet “Life,” this fuzzy little gray character, who can be messy and pretty weird. In this story, “Life" acts out many of the idioms and sayings we use when talking about everyday happenings. The tone of this tale is humorous and gentle, resulting in a sweet and touching mantra for navigating the unexpected days ahead.

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CLOVER KITTY GOES TO KITTYGARTEN

By Laura Purdie Salas

Illustrated by Hiroe Nakata

(Two Lions)

Clover Kitty forgets all about kittygarten until the morning it begins. From the moment she arrives at school, through the end of the day, Clover is inundated with overwhelming stimuli. This story is particularly great for children with anxiety and/or sensory sensitivities. It’s honest about the ups and downs of Clover’s day, and also delivers a fun read aloud, filled with clever puns and satisfying internal rhyme.

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A WHALE OF A MISTAKE

By Ioana Hobai

(Page Street Press)

Mistakes happen every day, but sometimes they can feel so glaring, embarrassing, and just plain big. In this story, a mistake is embodied by a giant whale. As the story progresses, the child is able to see that the world is full of mistakes, and that mistakes do grow smaller and smaller in time, becoming little waves in the vast waters of our world.

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GRACE GOES TO WASHINGTON

By Kelly DiPucchio

Illustrated by LeUyen Pham

(Little, Brown)

Election years can provide a great opportunity for talking to our kids about government and democracy. In this story, Grace learns how the United States’ three branches of government work through a real-life experience, as students in Grace’s school decide how to spend their bake sale money. This story explains a complex concept with clarity, character and charm.

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I hope you’re able check these titles out - they’re all excellent! Wishing everyone a very safe, healthy and happy school year. It won’t be easy, but we’ve got this… I think!

And now, how about a little weekend fun? Hop over to my author Instagram @anitraroweschulte to enter to win a copy of CLOVER KITTY GOES TO KITTYGARTEN!

Plus!!! One lucky person will win two of the books featured in this back-to-school book roundup. (A big thank you to authors Ioana Hobai and LaRonda Gardner Middlemiss for sharing signed copies of their books!) Here are the details…

*** Win 2 books! ***

Signed copies of A WHALE OF A MISTAKE and I LOVE ME!

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 8/30/20 

(Submit a blog comment below and get a BONUS ENTRY!)

GOOD LUCK!

How Does Your Garden Grow?

I love lots of things about our house. But the no-man’s land behind the garage has never been one of them. This barren, uninspired spot once served as the foundation for a hot tub. So imagine, if you will, hundreds of deep, spiky dandelions embedded in six inches of compressed river rock.

Horrendous.

On the upside - I’m an optimist, there has to be an upside - the area gets tons of sun. So my husband and I had a vision: Raised garden beds. Two of them. We’ve always had flower boxes of basil, rosemary, mint and oregano. But we are homeowners now. It was time to step it up.

Little did we know, we were in for a two-year rollercoaster. Creating this simple garden zone became an exercise in persistence. A constant reminder that nothing fruitful ever comes easily. Gosh, isn’t so much of life just like gardening?

You enter in with an fuzzy picture of what could be.

You make room. You create space.

You clear the debris - all 2,000 back-breaking pounds of it - so something new can take root.

You build the framework.

Suddenly, you can see it.

Next comes the basics.

Soil. Compost.

Seeds. Water. Sun.

Barefoot companionship.

Then, hark! Things bloom! Things grow!

Things get wild…

Weed.

Eat.

Repeat.

With a smidgen of success, it’s again time to plan.

Dare you think it, time to expand?

Well into year two, it finally comes through!

Friends draw near.

Some too close. Too hungry.

Yet on the whole, you see… white hope.

… green buds.

… sweet red fruit.

Plenty.

Gardening sure exposed the limitations of my green thumb. The cauliflower was a bust. (I always meant to wrap it! Why didn’t I wrap it?) We didn’t learn how to properly prune spinach until it was too late. And the collard greens are way too dense.

But we didn’t give up. And as a result, we haven’t needed to buy greens or cucumbers during a pandemic! And the tomatoes on the way hold the promise of salsa and caprese salad well into September.

Bottomline, though my fingertips turned to sandpaper cleaning those mud-caked rocks, and my husband raked his way to Nebraska and back, we kept at it. And the garden grew.

And right alongside it, we grew as gardeners, too.

Kidlit Spotlight: Kat and Juju

When I first locked eyes with new picture book character Kat, I couldn’t help but feel like I already knew the charming protagonist. She was spirited and unique. And there was something about her headband… it was like I’d seen it before…

The red bow that our daughters wear year-round looks so much like Kat’s cat ear headband. This accessory delights me to no end. I wish I knew it where it came from! We get a lot of hand-me-downs, and sometimes items that belong to friends land in our basement… and stay. But at this point, someone would have to pry the headband from their crowns, or from my hands, to get it away from us. We love it SO.

The girls wear their ruby points whether they match their ensemble or not. Summer or winter. Rain or shine. And shine they do, when this red bow is atop of the spice that they’ve got. (And that’s a lot.)

KAT AND JUJU, the debut picture book of author-illustrator Kataneh Vahdani, just celebrated its book birthday on July 1, 2020. The cover - which features Kat’s red cat ear headband - first caught my eye on Twitter. When I looked closer, I learned it was from Two Lions, the publisher of my debut DANCING WITH DADDY (Fall 2021). I had to check it out! How eye-catching is this red, white and blue-tiful cover? Meet Kat and Juju…

New picture book KAT AND JUJU centers around Kat, a raven-haired girl, who sees the world differently and does things her own way. But she is shy and afraid to share her ideas with other kids. On her birthday, a special surprise arrives - Juju! Her very own best friend. Red-feathered Juju is confident and brave and not at all like quiet Kat. When a problem lands in their midst, Kat is presented with a chance to help. But that means overcoming her worries. Will she do it? Here are three things that I love about KAT AND JUJU…

Rich Texture & Limited Palette

The aesthetic of this story was the first thing to grab me. I just needed into this world! Texture is everywhere. Faint washes of blue watercolor. Smudges and splatters of black ink. Spongy splotches of red. The color is shaped and held by simple, elegant lines - sometimes lightly gestured, other times dark and firm. And layered upon that? Graphic elements with repeated patterns, elements completely saturated in color, and precise marks and details. So, so much. While undoubtedly complex, it all blends together in a clear, unfussy and gentle way, offering page-after-page of magical marks to explore.

Kat’s ensemble - red headband, black bob, checkered dress - is iconic, and the entire setting of the story complements and extends her look. The limited palette of black, red, white, and blue conveys intense artistic focus, but never gets boring. That’s because the lens, so to speak, is always moving. Sometimes, readers are observing Kat straight on, learning the basics about her. Other times, readers are taking in her profile, close on her furrowed brow and blushing cheek, digging more deeply into her complex heart. The variety of the art shows readers how Kat’s worry manifests itself differently in different situations.

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Contrast in Character

In stark contrast to Kat’s artistic and timid personality is fluffy and lovable bird Juju. He is the opposite of Kat, a fact that is driven home in many ways. Juju is big / Kat is small. Juju is silly and messy / Kat is quiet and tidy. Juju is uninhibited / Kat is extremely guarded. They are a sweet odd couple, and their differences play out not just in Kat’s reactions to Juju’s exuberance, but also in the faces of Kat’s peers - a trio of other young children (and their animal pals) present throughout the story.

Conversation bubbles add yet another layer of interest to the story, injecting opportunity for read-aloud fun, as storytellers imagine the voice of funny Juju. While the characters take turns in the spotlight, the story remains, ever, Kat’s. Her wishes, her fears, her hopes, and her gestures of kindness show young readers that changing and growing into bravery often isn’t a bold, overnight transformation. It can happen quietly and gradually - in a picture book, and in real life, too.

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Taking Chances and Growing

Kat and Juju’s personalities seem fixed, until the characters stumble upon a third character in need of a helping hand. Kat doesn’t hesitate to step in, but she does worry. That she isn’t up to the challenge. That helping will put her in uncomfortable situations. And of course, it does, leading Kat to feel all kinds of awkwardness and doubt. Which makes it all the more satisfying when she lets loose and lets her joy ring out loud.

KAT AND JUJU is a story that reminds readers that trying new things, and meeting new people, will grow and stretch you in incredible ways. But these changes won’t take you farther from who you are. Rather, they bring you closer to everything that makes you YOU.

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KAT AND JUJU is Kataneh Vahdani’s debut picture book. Kataneh is a director, storyteller, professor, and mama bird. Her animated films have been screened at many festivals, including Sundance Film Festival and New York International Film Festival. She worked for many years in the story department of Walt Disney Animation Studios and taught story, design, and animation at CalArts and College of the Canyons. She is currently directing an animated feature. Follow Kataneh on Twitter at @katanehv, and follow her characters Kat and Juju at @KatandJujuLove.

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One lucky reader will win KAT AND JUJU, signed by Kataneh Vahdani!

*** Win KAT AND JUJU ***

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 7/17/20 

(Submit a blog comment below and get a BONUS ENTRY!)

GOOD LUCK!

Meet PB Debut Troupe 21!

I’m so excited to share some super fun writerly news with you! Today we launched PB Debut Troupe 21, a group of 14 debut picture book creators, who have stories coming out in 2021. Our adorable banner was created by Troupe member Neesha Hudson.

The members of the Troupe (left to right) are Gloria Amescua, Anne Appert, Kira Bigwood, Jess Hernandez, Philip Hoelzel, Leah Hong, Neesha Hudson, Anna Lazowski, Diana Lopez, James McGowan, NoNieqa Ramos, Anitra Rowe Schulte, Debra Kempf Shumaker, and Brittany J. Thurman.

(Read our bios here!)

Troupe titles will be published by the following children’s publishers: Abrams, Atheneum, Boyds Mills & Kane, Capstone, Dial, Doubleday Books for Young Readers, HarperCollins, HMH/Versify, Little, Brown Young Readers, Running Press Kids, Simon & Schuster/Dlouhy, and Two Lions.

Fiction, non-fiction, biographies… an amazing array of stories!

Be sure to visit our Troupe website often. There will be SO much to explore on the site in the coming days, weeks and months, from cover spotlights and author interviews, to pre-order info and more. Hope you’ll join along as we venture into 2021, sharing our new stories with you… and these cute Troupe friends!

PS: You can find us on social, too!

Twitter: @PBTroupe21

Instagram: @pbtroupe21

See you out there, and back here, soon!

Author Spotlight: Pat Zietlow Miller

Who misses their library?

Omgosh, me, me, ME! My list of books to-be-read grows by the day. As writer who jumped feet-first into the world of children’s literature, I read about every new picture book I can get my hands on.

At an average of 10 new books a week, I guesstimate that I’ve read 1,000 to 1,500 picture books in the past three years. Over time, I’ve developed a pretty clear idea of the storytelling I connect with most, and favorite authors have definitely emerged - writers who have perfected the craft and are telling kids the BEST stories in unforgettable ways.

I keep a list of these storytellers in a little bronze book. I never want to miss their latest project, to see how they are evolving and to learn more about picture book magic from these creators.

Author Pat Zietlow Miller is in that little book. So you can imagine my surprise and delight when Pat reached out last fall to donate books to Holiday Book Drive Chi. The delivery of her warm, adorable story LORETTA’S GIFT to this Bronzeville class in Chicago was one of my favorite moments of Delivery Day 2019.

After last year’s book drive, I started looking for 2020 new releases for my TBR pile. I always keep my eyes peeled for stories with spirit and heart and am eternally drawn to hopeful, cheerful, yellow covers. So when I saw this adorable book was written by Pat, I had to read it…

MY BROTHER THE DUCK by Pat Zietlow Miller, illustrated by Daniel Wiseman (Chronicle Books), is a story about a young scientist named Stella, who has many reasons to believe that her new baby brother is a duck.

Stella’s worries begin before the baby arrives, when Mom’s waddling prompts Dad to joke, “We must be having a duck.” Then, when brother comes home from the hospital (scrawny and wrapped in yellow), Stella decides research is required.

She gets to work, and to her chagrin, all of the evidence points to duck. His fuzzy hair. His squawking. Even his name, Drake (which Stella discovers is “a fancy word for a boy duck”).

MY BROTHER THE DUCK is a charming and exceedingly clever story about older sibling stresses and working your way to a new normal - no matter how strange that new normal may be. The delightful humor found on every page continues all the way through the end, as the story resolves with a new hypothesis for Stella to test.

Fans of Pat Zietlow Miller, and authors looking to learn from one of the best, it’s now my pleasure to introduce Pat, who is stopping by the blog this week to answer three questions… and give away a signed copy of her new book! I hope you enjoy this Author Spotlight with the incredible Pat Zietlow Miller:

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3 Questions with Pat Zietlow Miller

Tell us about your inspiration for MY BROTHER THE DUCK. Where did the idea for this story come from?

I’ve always been fascinated by how kids can hear adults say things and take what they say very literally and very seriously, even if the adult is joking.

Like, once, my youngest went to summer art camp and the instructor told her if she kept asking so many questions, he’d have to charge her extra. She came home quite concerned that we’d be getting an extra bill, and I had to reassure her that was not the case.

So, I thought it would be fun to have a character – Stella Wells – overhear something her parents said in jest – that her future baby brother would be a duck – and take it seriously. And then, I thought it would be even more fun to have the kid be just self-aware enough to know that she should try to find out if that statement was true or not.

At first, I had the character be a detective in training trying to crack the case. But then, the character turned into a fledgling scientist with a hypothesis to test. That ended up working out well. Because Stella understands the scientific process and uses it to learn things that are true, but because she’s a kid, she still misinterprets what she finds out.

MY BROTHER THE DUCK is full of clever quack ups, from the baby name (Drake) to perfectly placed idioms ("That didn't fit the bill"). But never veers into groan territory. Any tips to share for striking this balance? Hitting so many notes without overplaying your hand?  

That’s a good question. I thought of every duck pun that I could and tried to work as many as possible in without compromising the story structure. The puns had to fit within the picture book framework and not distract from the story, so that was the test. Even if a pun was funny, if it stuck out or made the story lose its flow, I didn’t keep it.

This isn’t really a pun, but I was so proud to fit in a reference to the classic children’s picture book MAKE WAY FOR DUCKLINGS, written and illustrated by Robert McCloskey, which won a Caldecott medal in 1942. I hope readers understand the shout-out and check out this book if they’re not already familiar with it. (And, if they ever get to Boston, they can visit the statue in Boston’s Public Garden that honors the book.)

Your books make the best gifts, from seasonal titles (SOPHIE’S SQUASH), to stories with evergreen themes, great for graduations (WHEREVER YOU GO) and new arrivals (LORETTA’S GIFT, MY BROTHER THE DUCK). What comes first, the chicken (or duck) or the hook? 

For me, the story almost always comes first. After that, sometimes I try to add a hook and, other times, the hook surprises me.

For example, the hook surprised me in SOPHIE’S SQUASH. I got several rejections that said the story was too quiet and didn’t have enough of a hook. But once the book was published, the hook ended up being that a lot of little people wanted to carry a squash around like a baby, just like Sophie does in the book. Suddenly, I was getting pictures of kids carrying vegetables. I don’t think the publisher or I saw that coming.

I was also surprised with MY BROTHER THE DUCK. I mean, it totally is a new baby story, but I never looked at it that way when I was writing it. To me it was a story about science and exploration and discovering what’s true.

WHEREVER YOU GO is the one story that I consciously wrote hoping it would be a graduation book. My oldest daughter was finishing up high school when I was writing it, and I put everything I wanted to tell her into that book. So I’m very happy to see it being used that way.

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Thank you for the wonderful interview, Pat!

Pat Zietlow Miller is the author of many books for children, including REMARKABLY YOU (HarperCollins), WHEN YOU ARE BRAVE (Little, Brown), LORETTA’S GIFT (little bee), WIDE AWAKE BEAR (HarperCollins), BE KIND (Roaring Brook Press), SOPHIE’S SQUASH (Schwartz & Wade), WHEREVER YOU GO (Little, Brown), and more.

If you’d like to order a signed copy of MY BROTHER THE DUCK (who doesn’t love signed copies?), you can do so through Mystery to Me, an independent bookstore in Madison, Wisconsin. Just call the store and leave a voicemail at (608) 283-9332, or send the store an email at info@mysterytomebooks.com. Then, Mystery to Me will ship you the signed copy.

One lucky blog reader will win MY BROTHER THE DUCK, signed by Pat! Here's how to enter:

*** Win MY BROTHER THE DUCK ***

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 6/5/20 

(Submit a blog comment below and get a BONUS ENTRY!)

GOOD LUCK!

A Different Kind of Mother's Day

Mother’s Day has me feeling… well… different this year.

It’s not the feeling of fresh flowers or a sunny family brunch.

I’m not sure if I should be seeing my mom yet (because, coronavirus). So I won’t be able to give her a hug or see her smile in person. And I’ve spent so much with my children, during the stay-at-home order, that motherhood at the moment has an unfamiliar flavor.

For the first five weeks, everything was truly fine. Homeschooling was going well, and the gorgeous days were actually really, really good. Lovely, even. I wasn’t exactly sure what my friends, who weren’t immediately impacted or risking their lives on the front lines, were lamenting.

Then I hit a wall. It was the week that my daughters’ summer camps were cancelled. The local summer festival (that was going to include a special needs day, two years in the making) was canceled. It was announced that certain parks, like a local swimming spot, wouldn’t open. And I got the notification that my daughter’s summer school was going virtual.

These developments made me realize that not only was social distancing not going anywhere, but summer would not be the same. At all.

About this time, it also dawned on me that I’d never gone this long without some kind of help with my eldest, who has Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome. Without a visit from my parents or my husband’s parents. Without a babysitter or mother’s helper. Without school or church childcare or Buddy Break. Without a date night or a morning alone at a coffee shop. Without any break of any kind.

Meanwhile, my back and neck were really hurting from lifting my daughter (who is 50 pounds). All day, every day. And my husband’s recent bike accident (don’t worry, he’s ok now!) meant that weekends were the same as weekdays. Not a lot of help with the physical demands there for a while.

Over the course of all of this, my momming was going downhill. Like, down. From exhaustion, but also from not getting to do what I want to do. I need to write, and let’s just say my computer has been… occupied.

Flipgrid, GoTo Meeting, Google Classroom, Microsoft Outlook, HelpKidzLearn, BookFlix, Happy Numbers, Mystery Doug, ABCYa, plus Gmail, to check all the messages that all three of them are getting, from multiple people, all day long. Please don’t get me wrong, I’m grateful for these platforms. I just miss my laptop. And at night I’m too tired to touch it, a resentment that’s grown dark roots, like my unhighlighted hair.

Now there’s a millimeter of separation between I’m-fine and completely melted. And I know the rest of my family is feeling it. The other night, as I was tucking in my middle, in desperate need of validation, I whispered to her…

“Am I a mean mommy?”

I held my breath waiting for her answer.

“Oh, no mommy!” she said with impassioned objection. “No, you aren’t!”

I exhaled, and we locked our hug in a little tighter. I felt silly that I needed to hear this from her, but I did. My mom report card, through self evaluation, was about a D+. The house. The groceries. The cooking. The teaching. The therapy. The position changes. The house. The groceries. The cooking. The teaching. The therapy. The position changes. These are the things I know I’m doing. I’m checking these boxes. All I’m doing is checking these boxes.

But the hugs. The kind words. The encouragement. The kisses. The laughter. The tender moments. These have been few and far between. These hallmarks of motherly love have been hard to deliver, while delivering all the rest. Not being able to give love, as I’m used to doing, has made me feel like someone else. I miss the mom I was before all of this.

Then I hear them playing “mom” in the basement…

“Oh, sweetie. Let me help you with that.”

“Ok, sweetie. But first you need to fix this.”

“That’s OK, sweetie.”

The moms they are pretending to be don’t remind me of the mom I am right now. But they are a reflection of a mom they know well. Maybe I’m still her, even though I can’t see her or hear her or feel her.

I’ve always hated the term self care. The idea of self love. I don’t like to be told how to take care of myself. You all know I’m proud like that. But one day, I threw myself in bed and finally grieved the loss of the life I’ve been living for so many years.

Then, quietly, I started talking to my friends about it.

I needed ideas. I needed to find ways to cope. I don’t like asking for help. But this helped.

So much.

I haven’t wanted to go for a jog - something I previously enjoyed. Or go for a walk. But one of my friends suggested I go for a bike ride. I kinda forgot this was something I could do by myself. Usually, biking is an all-family affair that involves pulling 70 pounds (Burley cart + oldest child) behind me.

I went for a ride, which Dan pretty much forced me to go on, truthfully. But I did it. And it felt like flying. I wanted to share with my friend that I followed her advice, so I had my middle take this pic…

“I love you more than anything,” I say to them.

“You always say that, mommy,” they say back.

This holiday, I have a feeling the tears will spill a little easier. Their taste will be a little saltier. Their temperature will feel hotter than usual on my cheek. But if my girls feel the deep, endless love I have for them, that is enough. That, and the beautiful memories we’ve made during this crazy, crazy time. Happy Mother’s Day, mommas.

Kidlit Spotlight: Tiara's Hat Parade

Spring is here, and our backyard is full of new life - including three tiny black kittens nestled in our wood shed. Whenever my eldest daughter and I are swinging together beside this blooming bush, taking in its newness and beauty, something in my heart longs to see my mom.

This pretty lady right here…

I love hearing about her day, then flipping the camera so she can see the crazy things my girls are up to in the yard. I know that she will delight in their wild creativity just as much as I do. Our deck box, in particular, is has given my youngest a literal platform for her imagination this spring.

My mom knows our wacky, wonderful all-girl world well because she lived it, too. Just like me, she had three daughters in the span of three years. She watched as our imaginations soared, solving problems big and small, and getting fancy when the day required it. Here we are at our most fabulous, in this exact season of life 35 years ago. (That’s me on the left.)

This photo makes me think of a brand new picture book, out this spring, which celebrates family love and childhood ingenuity. A fresh-yet-classic feeling story, TIARA’S HAT PARADE (Albert Whitman, April 2020), arrived in bookstores just in time for Mother’s Day. Isn’t this joyful pastel cover completely gorgeous?

TIARA’S HAT PARADE by Kelly Starling Lyons, illustrated by Nicole Tadgell, is a tender and spirited tale about shared dreams and mother-daughter love that puts a spotlight on the importance of supporting local entrepreneurs. What a message for this current moment in time, as mom-and-pop shops struggle to stay afloat and keep the hope. Here are the three things that I love about TIARA’S HAT PARADE…

A Mother-Daughter Dream

TIARA’S HAT PARADE is about a girl named Tiara and her mother, a beloved local milliner (or hat maker). Tiara is Momma’s go-to hat model. She dons colorful creations and struts around the studio for cheering customers, whose laughter jingles “like silver charms.” Momma and Tiara’s world of creativity and community is textured and technicolored, popping with playful dialogue and imagery-sparking simile.

But when customers slow “to a drip,” Momma must shutter her business and put her dreams on the shelf. Tiara is heartbroken. Hat making and selling is a dream that she and Momma share. In pages violet and gray with disappointment, they pack up Momma’s shop and box up the hats. But Tiara - who believes in her Momma and what they built together - can’t give up on the business.

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Childhood Ingenuity

Momma gets a job as the art teacher at Tiara’s school and quietly moves on. Meanwhile, Tiara secretly carries the torch, saying silent prayers for Momma’s business at dinner. Then, one day at school, Tiara gets bold, suggesting that the art class makes hats on Fun Friday. Momma is on to her, but can’t help but be swept up in the joy of creating again. This gives Tiara a big idea.

We call it agency in storytelling - that thing you want your main character to have. The drive that invites them to rise to the occasion and change the narrative. Tiara is a character whose agency you believe wholeheartedly. Her investment in the family business and in her mother’s happiness are the heartbeat of the story. So when she sets out to bring back customers back to Tracy Rose Millinery, you not only believe her, you join her. And you may cry a little. (It’s OK, I did, too.)

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Community Camaraderie

What does Tiara do? I’ll keep the details a secret, but let’s just say that she sets the stage for a celebration of her mother’s work, which brings people together and reminds everyone how much energy and life Tracy Rose Millinery contributed to the fabric of their neighborhood and city.

TIARA’S HAT PARADE is a story for moms and daughters, but also for families and communities. The feather in the cap of this fabulous story is the informative backmatter - a celebration of three famous black milliners (Mae Reeves, Mildred Blount and Vanilla Beane).

Those looking for a picture book to give this Mother’s Day should definitely consider investing in this story, which combines community, history and family love in one beautiful bouquet. TIARA’S HAT PARADE can be ordered through your local independent bookstore (now is a great time to support them… they need you!) and through the online retailer of your choice.

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Kelly Starling Lyons is the author of many books for children, including the 2020 Caldecott Honor Book GOING DOWN HOME WITH DADDY, illustrated by Daniel Minter (Peachtree Publishing Company), the TY’S TRAVELS series (HarperCollins), the JADA JONES series (Penguin Workshop), DREAM BUILDER: THE STORY OF ARCHITECT PHILIP FREELON, illustrated by Laura Freeman (Lee & Low Books), SING A SONG, illustrated by Keith Mallett (Nancy Paulsen Books), and more.

Nicole Tadgell is the illustrator of A FIST FOR JOE LOUIS AND ME by Trika Hakes Noble (Sleeping Bear Press), FOLLOW ME DOWN TO NICODEMUS TOWN by A. LaFaye (Albert Whitman), ASTRONAUT ANNIE by Suzanne Slade (Tillbury House Publishers), REAL SISTERS PRETEND by Megan Dowd Lambert (Tillbury House Publishers), FRIENDS FOR FREEDOM by Suzanne Slade (Tillbury House Publishers), IN THE GARDEN WITH DR. CARVER by Susan Grigsby (Tillbury House Publishers), and more.

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One lucky reader will win TIARA’S HAT PARADE, signed by Kelly Starling Lyons!

*** Win TIARA’S HAT PARADE ***

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 5/8/20 

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GOOD LUCK!

Kidlit Spotlight: Dream Big, Little Scientists

How’s everyone doing? I hope you’re finding a new normal, in the midst of shelter-in-place and so much change. We are healthy and at home. The good weather days really help our family, and this weekend was a beauty in Chicagoland. So incredibly grateful for that.

With the weekend behind us, it’s back to business! Our dining room table - no longer set for a rushed weekday breakfast - is once again a one-room schoolhouse. We start the day with a morning meeting, to discuss the date, season and weather, then move on to spelling, writing and math.

Smooth and simple, right?

No way, of course not! Just as soon as I get one girl started on a lesson, another has finished her task and is asking for more work. All the while, the oven alarm is going off. My oldest, who has Wolf-Hirschhorn syndrome, needs frequent mobility changes and regular G-tube bolus feedings. I set a timer as a reminder to make the transitions, or we get way behind schedule. So every 20 minutes - BEEP, BEEP, BEEP - from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. (and, in truth, well beyond).

I usually reserve our afternoons for science. Perhaps it’s because I like to get the worksheets done first. But I imagine, more likely, it’s because in the morning we’re still warming up, and science asks us to work our minds a little differently. To question and consider. To wonder and test. These moments of hands-on learning are such a nice departure from the paper shuffle.

We’ve dabbled in chemistry, to understand why the Statue of Liberty is green…

We’ve tried our hand at hydrology, to determine what floats and sinks…

We’ve dug into ecology, exploring our backyard habitat…

I’ve gotta say, these have been some of my favorite learning moments, and I’m eager to continue encouraging my little scientists’ curiosity. But science isn’t my area of expertise, and I don’t always know where to start. New picture book DREAM BIG, LITTLE SCIENTISTS (Charlesbridge, 2020) provides an approachable and memorable introduction to twelve branches of scientific study - a great fit for us during remote learning. Here’s the dreamy and delightful cover...

DREAM BIG, LITTLE SCIENTISTS by Michelle Schaub, illustrated by Alice Potter, is a bedtime book that follows kids who love science as they prepare for a good night’s sleep. Poetic, layered and beautifully inclusive, this wonderful story is especially great for April, which holds Earth Day (April 22) and also is National Poetry Month (through April 30). Here are three things that I love about DREAM BIG, LITTLE SCIENTISTS…

Poetic Introduction to Science

DREAM BIG, LITTLE SCIENTISTS is, first and foremost, a cozy bedtime story. In the opening, twelve children stretch and yawn, preparing for sleep. Schaub’s poetry speaks to readers directly, inviting them to enter a dreamland rich with possibility: “Dream big, little scientists, and close your sleepy eyes…”

Then, grab your telescope, because this book is zooming in - right into the lives and bedrooms of each of the twelve little scientists. First, we meet a child who adores astronomy. Then, we meet a child who thinks geology “rocks.” One by one, readers get a glimpse into each little scientist’s interests and passions. Composites of the kid enthusiasts, and their areas of scientific study, begin to form.

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Layers of Meaning

What kind of science is featured here? Children are encouraged to scour each spread for clues. Schaub and Potter contribute equally to the hunt. The rhyming text gives hints (“Slumber’s been a part of life since prehistoric days”), while the art hides Easter eggs. Look at the picture below - the labels on the files, the objects on the desktop, the posters on the wall.

Once the scientific branch is uncovered, children who are interested in digging deeper may choose to research a person featured in a portrait (such as English paleontologist Mary Anning, below) to learn more about the life and contributions of a real scientist. Though the detail in each page turn is rich, the touch is light, allowing readers to wonder and dream without losing the cadence of the bedtime rhyme.

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Incredible Inclusivity

I always cheer when I come across a picture book that allows many children to see themselves in the pages of a story, and this is one such book. Boys and girls. Children with brown skin and light skin. Differently abled children, too. Lots of kids will see their likeness reflected in these pages.

And not just in the twelve children, but also in the scientists featured on the walls of the bedrooms: anthropologist Mizuko Ito, environmental activist Wangari Maathai, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, and many more. It’s clear that great care went into the presentation of each scientific field. This representation matters so very much to children exploring what their future might hold, if they are bold enough to dream it.

It’s really quite remarkable how many hats this story wears. A picture book that explores science broadly, while also lulling children to sleep, is a pretty tall order. But this gentle and inspiring bedtime story accomplishes both with style and substance - delivering a story that can be enjoyed many times over, in many different ways.

DREAM BIG, LITTLE SCIENTISTS can be ordered through your local independent bookstore (support them if you can!) and through the online retailer of your choice.

Michelle Schaub is the author of FINDING TREASURE: A COLLECTION OF COLLECTIONS, illustrated by Carmen Saldana (Charlesbridge) and FRESH PICKED POETRY: A DAY AT THE FARMERS’ MARKET, illustrated by Amy Huntington (Charlesbridge). Alice Potter is the illustrator of THE FANTASTIC PINEAPPLE by Brick Puffinton (Cottage Door Press).

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One lucky reader will win DREAM BIG, LITTLE SCIENTISTS, signed by Michelle Schaub!

*** Win DREAM BIG, LITTLE SCIENTISTS ***

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 4/24/20 

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GOOD LUCK!

Kidlit Spotlight: Frog Boots

There’s been very little sunlight in Chicagoland lately. Lots of cloud cover. Lots of quiet. Since the coronavirus pandemic led to school closure about two weeks ago, it’s been on us, as a family, to find our glow.

We look for it everywhere, without even realizing we’re searching. We seek sparkle in made up and wildly unsafe activities (rollerskating basketball, anyone?) and in dependable places, like our puddle-covered neighborhood path.

And in books, of course.

A few hours before our local library closed, due to coronavirus, we picked up about two dozen titles that I had on hold. What an important stop that was! Stories have been an essential part of our new and strange stay-at-home life.

While home 24/7, I’ve also been on the lookout for a brand new title. A book that might deliver a little extra color, a little bit of shine, a sprinkle of hope. Something all of us need right about now. FROG BOOTS by Jill Esbaum, illustrated by Joshua Heinsz, splashed into our home at just the right time…

FROG BOOTS (Sterling Children’s Books, March 2020) is a story about discovering something new and exciting, only to find that others see it, well… differently. In this tale, a boy named Dylan is about to start at a new school. He’s looking for just the right thing to wear on his first day when he sees an awesome pair of rain boots. He wears them with pride, until someone tells him that his boots are for girls. Hurt and embarrassed, Dylan must decide if his boots are meant to hide or shine. Here are three things that I love about FROG BOOTS…

Heart & Happiness

Dylan goes shopping with his mom, looking for something new - something to make his first day at a new school special. After a string of disappointments, he sees the perfect item: Poison dart frog rain boots! Dylan is so pumped that he doesn’t notice his mom’s hesitation. He simply has to have the galoshes.

As diamonds of color dance around his new boots, Dylan dances across the pages of the story. His smile? Irrepressible. Dylan is so excited, in fact, that he wears the boots to bed, which is how he discovers that they are even cooler than he had originally thought, because… they glow in the dark! His joy bubbles over, making it abundantly clear: These boots are tethered to Dylan’s heart.

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School-Day Dynamics

Dylan is sure that his new classmates will think he’s as cool as his boots. So when he arrives at school, he can’t help but flaunt his new fashion. The other kids stare, alright. But not for the right reason. “That boy’s wearing girl boots,” a student says. Dylan is crushed.

Esbaum’s word choice powerfully conveys Dylan’s discomfort and sadness. (“Dylan slowly pulled back his feet, feeling sweaty and prickly and dumb.”) Meanwhile, Heinsz vividly captures how quickly Dylan’s pendulum swings from top-of-the-world to so-very-small. Without vilifying Dylan’s classmates, the school-day dynamics in FROG BOOTS connect, viscerally and relatably.

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Bold & Beautiful

Once back in the safety of his home, Dylan works through some complicated feelings. He tries to push his anger and sadness away, but his dreams remind him that the boots are more than fashion - they are a reflection of something he loves (science!) that just happens to be purple. In time, Dylan finds his footing, as well as a brave path forward. These scenes of realization are rich and saturated, awash with the kind of color that you can feel when you’re walking tall, true to yourself and no one else.

Spirited, emotive and victorious, FROG BOOTS shows how when one boy steps into what he loves, he also steps into who he wants to be. Exactly himself. FROG BOOTS publishes Tuesday, March 31, 2020. It’s available online and also can be ordered through your local independent bookstore - just give them a call!

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Jill Esbaum is the author of many books for children, including WE LOVE BABIES (National Geographic Kids), HOW TO GROW A DINOSAUR, illustrated by Mike Boldt (Dial), FRANKENBUNNY, illustrated by Alice Brereton (Sterling), IF A T. REX CRASHES YOUR BIRTHDAY PARTY, illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova (Sterling), TEENY TINY TOADY (Sterling). ELWOOD BIGFOOT: WANTED: BIRDIE FRIENDS, illustrated by Nate Wragg (Sterling), I AM COW, HEAR ME MOO! illustrated by Gus Gordon (Dial), and many more.

Joshua Heinsz is the illustrator of numerous books for children, including EXCEPT WHEN THEY DON’T by Laura Gehl (Little Bee), A PAINTBRUSH FOR PACO by Tracey Kyle (Little Bee), RAINBOW RANGERS: THE QUEST FOR THE CONFETTI CRYSTAL by Summer Greene (Imprint), CHIP AND CURLY by Cathy Breisacher (Sleeping Bear Press), and many more.

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One lucky reader will win FROG BOOTS, signed by Jill Esbaum! Here's how to enter:

*** Win FROG BOOTS ***

Simply...

1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)

2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter

3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 4/3/20 

(Submit a blog comment below and get a BONUS ENTRY!)

GOOD LUCK!

The Birthday Party: The ups and downs of an invitation to celebration

We recently had an exciting development at the Schulte house. My oldest daughter, age 8, received her very first birthday party invitation! It popped up in her backpack by surprise. A present in and of itself.

We’ve attended many birthday parties as a family, and Miss E (who has Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome) has always been a welcomed guest. We are blessed to have the most amazing friends - more than a family could ever hope for. These folks embrace us exactly as we are. And each of their invitations has mattered. Immeasurably.

But without a doubt, this invitation was different. It came addressed to my girl only. And it came from a school friend I’d never met.

Out of love, and out of necessity, my daughter and I do almost everything together - therapy, appointments, activities, errands, you name it. I know virtually everyone she comes into contact with in a given day. So, this invitation was more than a gesture of friendship. It was a symbol of Miss E’s independence.

From the day the invitation arrived, I had to remind myself that this party was not about me. Even though I’ve wanted this for Miss E for as long as I can remember, this was her invitation. I needed to stay in the background.

I tried, I really did.

The first mom overreach came when we went to pick out the gift. I found myself wanting to get something big, something equal in value to the gift that the birthday girl’s family had given us - the opportunity to experience a childhood right of passage. But that was silly and desperate, frankly. Anything more than a $15 or $20 gift would’ve been weird. We settled on an adorable stuffy. Kinda big. SUPER cute.

The second mom snafu came on the day of the party. I was so focused on the gift in the front seat of the van that I left Elsa’s PODD book at home. Her words, for crying out loud. A U-turn on our town’s busiest thoroughfare brought us back to our door, so I could snag it.

We would have been among the first to arrive, but now we were the last. (Three strikes for mom.) Nevertheless, when we arrived, the birthday girl’s mom was there to greet us and make sure we found the party room. When we wheeled into the space, she directed us to a spot reserved for Miss E’s wheelchair, already set up with crayons and coloring sheets.

SO nice. SO thoughtful.

I should pause to say: When kindness is sent in my direction, it’s a delight. But when it’s directed at my girl, I can’t quite handle it. Any gesture of generosity and heart that shows real care and planning can knock me off balance. It’s so touching that it almost hurts. Cue mom tears. The uncontrollable variety.

Perhaps you can see where this is going…

As we listened to music and colored in the party room, I resisted the urge to chat up the other second-grade girls and boys about The Descendants, L.O.L.s, and Girl and Boy Scout life. (Even though this is for sure my wheelhouse.) Good thing I kept my mouth shut, because all of the kids were pretty immersed in their coloring and not talking much. Blend in, momma. Easy does it.

Miss E used her PODD to choose the hues for her coloring sheet, and we chilled and had a super time. Right before we went into the movie, we hit the bathroom. It was a completely normal stop, in that it was time consuming and took us four times longer than everyone else. When we finally got back to the lobby, the rest of the party guests were posed for a picture, patiently waiting for Miss E to join in.

Ugh, here we go.

I took Miss E out of her wheelchair and sat her in with the other kids. (I could have had her walk over, but everyone seemed like they’d been sitting a while, and I wanted to speed things along.) I set her down on the ground, said a quick prayer, and walked back over where the other parents were standing. They started taking pics. The first few photos went OK. But then Miss E started hitting herself. Hard. A behavior we rarely see anymore.

Time stood still for a moment as I looked at the group of kids, in its entirety. All were united in making silly faces, while my girl was whaling on herself, in complete distress.

Maybe I pushed it. Maybe we shouldn’t have come. Maybe this thing, this simple birthday thing - this thing that other kids do every month of their lives - can’t be for us.

Just as quickly as I had swooped Miss E into the picture, now I was swooping her out. Disrupting the picture process. Knowing that 20 sets of eyes were on us as I tried unsuccessfully to stay cool and calm Miss E down. The next five minutes were kind of a blur. The kids and chaperones must have started filtering into the movie theater at that point. I’m pretty sure someone asked if we were OK. I vaguely remember saying, “Yep, we’ll be in in just a minute.” My head was tucked in so tight, trying to keep everyone from seeing my mom tears. My you’ll-never-know-this-hurt mom tears. Tears meant for shut doors and rooms of one.

I pulled myself together, to about the 40 percent mark, and headed into the theater, only to find that the birthday hosts had reserved special seats just for us, with special signs. The kindness of these beautiful people. Lord, have mercy. My control dwindled to about 20 percent at that point. Start the previews someone, please...

I tell you what, I’ve ever been so happy to see Jim Carrey in all my life. I laughed my face off in that movie (SONIC THE HEDGEHOG), and I swear his comedy saved me and saved this day. By the time the film was over, I was composed again. This time, when someone asked me if I needed help carrying things (I was juggling Miss E’s AFOs, which I had to remove during the movie, as well as her syringe and her food thermos), I could say “no” with composure, like the proud fool I am.

Then we returned to the party room for presents. The kids were so excited to see the birthday girl open her gifts that they were almost in her lap. Totally adorable. As Miss E waited patiently for her present to be opened, we talked about what was happening, using the “Special Events” page in her PODD book.

At last, it was time to open the gift from Miss E. The birthday girl LOVED it. Like completely beaming, grinning, dimples-out loooooved it. It made Miss E so happy that she started smiling and giggling, for the first time that day. Then, two other party guests, who know my girl from school (Miss E joins the typical second-grade class for library, music and special events) came over to say hello.

Just like that, the event was a huge success!

As we were leaving, the birthday girl’s dad said something incredibly kind to me. When you have a child with complex needs, you know you’re being seen. You can’t avoid the eyes. But his comment made me feel seen as a mom, and that elicits a different kind of mom tear altogether. The strong, brave, happy kind.

I’ve never felt like such a delicate flower as I did on this day. Holy moly. In the end, trying to make the day NOT about me sure proved to be quite the opposite. But we did it. And, for Miss E, I’m so glad we did.