Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!
Where we celebrate new books by Michigan's children's book authors and illustrators
Congratulations to Maria Dismondy on the release of her new book, Sunny Side Upbringing!
Congratulations on the release of Sunny Side Upbringing! What inspired you to write this parent’s guide?
I have been blogging about my parenting journey since 2011. I have been researching child development since 2000, and even more after I left the classroom and began traveling as a speaker to schools and conferences. Several colleagues have told me that this is a book I needed to write. They felt that I had a way of sharing research in a simple way that left parents feeling empowered and ready to take action versus fall asleep reading about what they should and should not be doing to raise good kids.
You’re well known for your publishing company, Cardinal Rule Press, and your children’s books! How does writing a guidebook for parents compare to writing picture books for kids?
These areas are connected in so many ways. I write for children and educate them in school assemblies each year. As a parent educator, I have been speaking at conferences and events for what seems like forever, but I didn’t have a book to share my message in a more cohesive way. Writing Sunny Side Upbringing feels like I hit the nail on the head and found the missing puzzle piece to the work that I do!
You know better than anyone, parenting is a topic that spans a lot of detail, and has been written about in many different ways! How did you go about researching and organizing all that content into this guide?
Common themes started to populate in my research and I realized that parents today are up against a lot and getting back to the basics is the answer to a lot of these issues. The difference between this guide and other parenting books is that it is all inclusive. Each chapter is broken down by a character trait and talks about issues around that trait. I chose the traits based on a few reports claiming our current college graduates are missing essential skills when entering the work force. Basic skills like communication, problem solving, creativity and more!
What was the design process like? How much communication was there between you and the designers and photographers?
The process was organized but when you are working with glue, glitter and young children, there are a lot of unknowns! The photoshoots were extremely stressful. The photographer was awesome and helped make the sessions go smoothly. The designer was amazing as well. The book was over 70K words when delivered to her. There was so much content. Some of which had to be taken out. We had big plans for the layout, which turned out far better than we ever thought it would. The book is a hardcover with a concealed spiral so the book lays flat when open which is every parent's dream. Especially since the book won’t close when you are trying to do an activity and check back on the directions. There is also an interactive poster in the back of the book in a little pocket that folds out for families to use together. The book is at a wonderful price point, $22.95, and the soft cover will be released in the Fall at $19.95.
Your guide features a lot of crafts and activities for parents to do with their kids! How did you develop these crafts? What were the inspirations?
I was a teacher for over a decade and crafting brings me joy! My children and I spend a lot of time getting messy with projects and I always had my hands in creating something since I was young. My entire family is artistic-my mom and sister especially.
If there’s just three key things that parents could take away from this guide, what would you want them to be?
Spend more time with your children, be intentional about that time (model the character traits you want to instill in them) and be your child’s advocate. Your children will grow up before your eyes and if you have dreams of who you want them to be, be a part of the process! For example, something important to my husband and I is work ethic with a healthy balance of fun. These are two values we are constantly modeling to our children and talking to them about.
What’s next for you? Any new books in the works, or events coming up? How can people learn more about you and your work?
Beginning March 1st I will be speaking at schools in Michigan daily for March is Reading month while squeezing in book signings and media events for the release of Sunny Side Upbringing. This will be my last book for awhile. I am focused on the publishing side of my work; acquiring new authors and mentoring them as they prepare for the release of their books with our company, Cardinal Rule Press. I love to connect with others in the industry and am still a bit old fashioned when I say “Email me!” However, I am active on Instagram and both my author platform and publishing website are up to date. MariaDismondy.com and CardinalRulePress.com.
A little bit about the book:
A month-by-month parenting companion packed with activities, inspiration and nuggets of research based knowledge to help navigate the real-life ups and downs of parenting while remaining rooted in your core family values.
Research suggests that college students today are graduating without essential skills like communication, problem-solving, creativity and more. Scary stuff! Sunny Side Upbringing was written in response to this research and my desire to flip the script. It’s a tool that provides actions parents can take to raise kind and caring kids. Of course, we don’t have time to read every piece of parenting research, so this book has done the heavy lifting for parents so they can jump in and make an immediate impact.
A little bit about the author:
After the release of her award-winning title “Spaghetti in a Hotdog Bun,” Maria resigned from a decade of teaching and worked on growing her business and her family. Fast-forward to present day, Maria is a trusted leader in the industry, having penned ten books, is a parent educator, and a sought after public speaker. She lives on a little lake in the heart of Metro Detroit with her husband Dave and three book-loving children. Find out more at www.MariaDismondy.com.
I have been blogging about my parenting journey since 2011. I have been researching child development since 2000, and even more after I left the classroom and began traveling as a speaker to schools and conferences. Several colleagues have told me that this is a book I needed to write. They felt that I had a way of sharing research in a simple way that left parents feeling empowered and ready to take action versus fall asleep reading about what they should and should not be doing to raise good kids.
You’re well known for your publishing company, Cardinal Rule Press, and your children’s books! How does writing a guidebook for parents compare to writing picture books for kids?
These areas are connected in so many ways. I write for children and educate them in school assemblies each year. As a parent educator, I have been speaking at conferences and events for what seems like forever, but I didn’t have a book to share my message in a more cohesive way. Writing Sunny Side Upbringing feels like I hit the nail on the head and found the missing puzzle piece to the work that I do!
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| Cardinal Rule Press, founded by Maria Dismondy, is a traditional publishing company located in southeast Michigan. Learn more about Cardinal Rule Press here. |
Common themes started to populate in my research and I realized that parents today are up against a lot and getting back to the basics is the answer to a lot of these issues. The difference between this guide and other parenting books is that it is all inclusive. Each chapter is broken down by a character trait and talks about issues around that trait. I chose the traits based on a few reports claiming our current college graduates are missing essential skills when entering the work force. Basic skills like communication, problem solving, creativity and more!
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| Some of the themes covered in Sunny Side Upbringing |
What was the design process like? How much communication was there between you and the designers and photographers?
The process was organized but when you are working with glue, glitter and young children, there are a lot of unknowns! The photoshoots were extremely stressful. The photographer was awesome and helped make the sessions go smoothly. The designer was amazing as well. The book was over 70K words when delivered to her. There was so much content. Some of which had to be taken out. We had big plans for the layout, which turned out far better than we ever thought it would. The book is a hardcover with a concealed spiral so the book lays flat when open which is every parent's dream. Especially since the book won’t close when you are trying to do an activity and check back on the directions. There is also an interactive poster in the back of the book in a little pocket that folds out for families to use together. The book is at a wonderful price point, $22.95, and the soft cover will be released in the Fall at $19.95.
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Your guide features a lot of crafts and activities for parents to do with their kids! How did you develop these crafts? What were the inspirations?
I was a teacher for over a decade and crafting brings me joy! My children and I spend a lot of time getting messy with projects and I always had my hands in creating something since I was young. My entire family is artistic-my mom and sister especially.
 |
| This page from Sunny Side Upbringing features a variety of letter and mail-themed activities |
If there’s just three key things that parents could take away from this guide, what would you want them to be?
Spend more time with your children, be intentional about that time (model the character traits you want to instill in them) and be your child’s advocate. Your children will grow up before your eyes and if you have dreams of who you want them to be, be a part of the process! For example, something important to my husband and I is work ethic with a healthy balance of fun. These are two values we are constantly modeling to our children and talking to them about.
What’s next for you? Any new books in the works, or events coming up? How can people learn more about you and your work?
Beginning March 1st I will be speaking at schools in Michigan daily for March is Reading month while squeezing in book signings and media events for the release of Sunny Side Upbringing. This will be my last book for awhile. I am focused on the publishing side of my work; acquiring new authors and mentoring them as they prepare for the release of their books with our company, Cardinal Rule Press. I love to connect with others in the industry and am still a bit old fashioned when I say “Email me!” However, I am active on Instagram and both my author platform and publishing website are up to date. MariaDismondy.com and CardinalRulePress.com.
A little bit about the book:
A month-by-month parenting companion packed with activities, inspiration and nuggets of research based knowledge to help navigate the real-life ups and downs of parenting while remaining rooted in your core family values.
Research suggests that college students today are graduating without essential skills like communication, problem-solving, creativity and more. Scary stuff! Sunny Side Upbringing was written in response to this research and my desire to flip the script. It’s a tool that provides actions parents can take to raise kind and caring kids. Of course, we don’t have time to read every piece of parenting research, so this book has done the heavy lifting for parents so they can jump in and make an immediate impact.
A little bit about the author:
After the release of her award-winning title “Spaghetti in a Hotdog Bun,” Maria resigned from a decade of teaching and worked on growing her business and her family. Fast-forward to present day, Maria is a trusted leader in the industry, having penned ten books, is a parent educator, and a sought after public speaker. She lives on a little lake in the heart of Metro Detroit with her husband Dave and three book-loving children. Find out more at www.MariaDismondy.com.
Congrats on your new book, Maria. Sounds like you've got a busy month of speaking engagements for it.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book! Sharing this with my friends.
ReplyDeleteCongratulations, Maria! Best of success on all your endeavors.
ReplyDelete