Resolutions Anyone? by Ann Finkelstein

Hi novelists! Once again, SCBWI-MI is here to help you with your New Year’s Resolutions.

Resolution #1: Finish the draft of your novel.

If that seems daunting, check out these posts by Kristin Wolden Nitz on the Institute of Children’s Literature blog:

How to write a Novel in Only 15 minutes a Day

The Energy of Groups

Wooing the Muse

Resolution #2: Write a synopsis.

No one said this was easy. Consider directing your synopsis to answer these questions:

What does the main character want?

Why can’t the main character achieve this goal?

How does the main character change in the attempt?

Resolution #3: Apply for one of the novel mentorships.

And now, the fun part! SCBWI-MI is offering mentorships with Patrick Flores-Scott and Kelly J. Baptist.

The submission window for both mentorships opens April 25, 2022 and closes on May 16, or when we receive 30 applications, whichever comes first.

All entrants receive constructive comments from three superstar judges.

Everything you need to know can be found on the mentorship page of the SCBWI-MI website.

 

Still have questions? Email Ann Finkelstein, SCBWI-MI mentorship coordinator.

Ann Finkelstein is a former scientist who discovered that writing novels is more fun than wrangling test tubes. She coordinates the SCBWI-MI mentorship program.

7 Things to Include on Your Author Website by Lauren Ranalli

As an aspiring or self-published author, having your own website is incredibly important. But there’s a big difference between having a site that simply exists to “check a box” and having an author website that is engaging, intentional, up-to-date, and designed to connect with readers.

Looking to create or improve your author website? Here are some must-add features. Need some real-life examples? I’ve included links to my own website so you can see how I’ve put these tips into action.

7 Things to Include on Your Author Website

1.  About the Author- this may be your reader’s first introduction to you and your work. So, take a moment to tell them your story! It’s great to include details about what inspired your books, why you chose to become an author, or link to additional features they can find on your site.

2.  Book Reviews- Do you happen to have any book reviews that live on Amazon and nowhere else? Yep, me too. But don’t forget that your website is one of the primary places you should post your reviews! I like to go in and swap out my reviews every 6 months or so to keep the site feeling fresh.

3. Free Download or Giveaway- having a freebie is a great incentive for people to visit your author website. This could be anything from free coloring or activity pages, discount codes, discussion guides, or other content that is relevant and useful to your readers. One option is to provide a direct link to a free download (check out this example), but you can also create “gated content” where your readers provide you with their email address in order to receive the freebie (like this free social media training). Having gated content on your site is a great way to build your newsletter list! Which leads me to item #4…

4.  Newsletter Sign-Up- you want to have a newsletter. Don’t think you need a newsletter? Let me repeat, you want to have a newsletter. Email marketing is one of the most effective ways that you can reach your readers! So be sure your site has some feature that allows you to capture email addresses. Not sure what you would include in your newsletter? Check out this blog post on 6 Emails Authors Should Send to Readers

5.  Media Links- do you have recent interviews, guest blog posts, or links to media appearances? Be sure to include them on your site! Don’t have any of these yet? Use this as an opportunity to highlight photos from any author readings, book fairs, or other events.

6.  Social Media Links- social media is a great way to build a loyal reader following. So be sure to make it easy for people to find your online!

7.  Contact Me- every author website should have an option for readers, book buyers, media coordinators, or others to get in touch with you. But don’t just have a standard form, give people ideas on WHY they should contact you! Check out this example from my site.

Personally, I love to use my author website as a place to showcase my work. Which means I also make it a priority to keep my site updated, relevant, and useful for my readers. And you can do the same! Start off with these 7 tips and see how it will make a difference for you.

 

More About Lauren

Lauren Ranalli is an award-winning self-published children’s book author, the Director of Marketing and Communications for an international non-profit, and the mom of two high-spirited children. Visit her on Instagram at @lauren.ranalli_author or at www.laurenranalli.com to receive 2 FREE resources, Finding Social Media Success, and Daily Marketing Strategies for Authors. 

 

 

Hugs and Hurrahs

We’ve almost reached the end of another year. It’s been a very difficult one for many people in many ways, which is why I’m so glad to be able to celebrate some good news from some of our members:

Rhonda Gowler Greene had two picture books released this fall. This Magical Musical Night (illustrated by James Rey Sanchez; Little Bee Books) was released on September 7 and selected as a 2021 Best Picture Book by School Library Journal, received starred reviews from Kirkus and School Library Journal, and rights were sold for a French-Canadian edition.

Her first touch-and-feel book, Christmas in the Stable (illustrated by Virginia Allyn Scholastic/Cartwheel) was published on September 21, 2021.

 

Wow, Rhonda! That’s fantastic!

 

Kristin Bartley Lenz's poem "Soccer Rules" was published in the anthology, Rhyme & Rhythm: Poems for Student Athletes. 

 

Congratulations, Kristin!

 

Lisa Wheeler has a new book coming out on February 22, 2022,  Dino-Easter illustrated by Barry Gott (Lerner/Carolrhoda). This is the 4^th book in the Dino-Holiday series. This series features the same dinosaurs kids know and love from the Dino-Sport series.

 

That’s great, Lisa!

 

Katherine Higgs-Coulthard’s YA book, Junkyard Dogs, was picked up by Jonah Heller at Peachtree Teen. Publication is planned for spring 2023.

 

How wonderful, Kat!

 

Neal Levin has had several poems published in magazines recently. “Amazing Pete’s Amazing Feet” and “A Pledge” were published over the summer and “Cinderella a Cappella,” “Nervous Circus,” and “Fireworks” were published in November in The School Magazine, a children’s magazine in Australia. “Night Lights” was published in the August issue of Highlights Hello and “Pumpkins” was in the October 2021 issue of Highlights High Five. “Bee Yourself,” which he wrote and illustrated, was published in the July/August issue of Fun For Kidz.  His feature “10 Smart Facts About Owls” was published in Fun for Kidz. This was his 50^th double-spread color cartoon in the “10 Facts” series, featuring a different theme in each issue.

Good for you, Neal!

 

Tammy Layman Hall sold her first kid lit story,  “Outside with Hippo” to Highlights High Five Magazine.

 

How exciting, Tammy!

 

Monica A. Harris has sold eight informational passages to Data Recognition Corp. and their work with South Carolina and Alabama assessment. Topics include: biographies, art therapy, organism relationships, dietary patterns, and the evolution of fashionable items in society.  

 

Yay, Monica!

 

Joe Kimble’s book, Mr. Mouthful Learns His Lesson, got an honorable mention from the podcast Science Direction, a spinoff of NPR’s Science Friday (listen at 9:20 of the November 2 podcast). 

 

Excellent, Joe!

 

Amy Leskowski signed with her agent, Keely Boeving at WordServe Literary, in November.

 

That’s fabulous, Amy!

 

On Giving Tuesday, Paulette Sharkey took part in an Amazon Live event featuring fifteen members of AlzAuthors, a community of 300+ authors who write about Alzheimer’s disease and other dementia. Paulette talked about the experiences that inspired her picture book, A Doll for Grandma (Beaming Books, 2020).

 

What important work, Paulette!

 

That’s our last Hugs and Hurrahs post of 2021. Congratulations to all of you! Have a good rest of the year! Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays to those of you celebrating! Happy New Year, everyone! We are looking for someone else to take over the Hugs and Hurrahs posts in 2022. It’s been my honor and pleasure to hear everyone’s good news and celebrate with you. Now that I’ve taken on more editing responsibilities for The Mitten, it would be great to have someone else join the team to do the Hugs and Hurrahs posts. If you are interested in this role or you have news for the next Hugs and Hurrahs, please email me at sarah.prusoff.locascio@gmail.com.

 

Featured Illustrator Brianne Farley

Can you tell us about the process of designing the new banner for the SCBWI-MI website? What was your inspiration? Can you share any early sketches?

Sure! Rebecca and Katie reached out to me about creating a new logo and banner. They were so nice to work with, and gave me a ton of creative leeway. I wanted to draw something to represent the entire state of Michigan and all the creative members of SCBWI MI, which felt pretty intimidating. Sometimes, when I have SO MANY options, my mind goes totally blank. 

So I started listing things associated with Michigan--the state bird, state flower, state reptile (the painted turtle!), Motown, cars, the Great Lakes--and things I love about Michigan. Living in Traverse City, I am always inspired by the water and the dunes. I tried a bunch of different directions for this logo, but ultimately decided to draw what I know and love.

You were also the featured illustrator in The Mitten in 2017. What’s changed for you between then and now? (Feel free to include anything, professionally or personally, including the books you’ve had published.)

Yes, thank you! That was a fun project too. Since then, a couple books I've illustrated have come out, I've done some murals, and I got married! Getting married came with a very nice guy, a move across town, and a cute dog. I made a mural for my favorite bar and food
truck spot, Little Fleet, a lovely chocolate shop called Grocer's Daughter, and the new climbing gym, Elev8. The books I've illustrated since then include Charlotte the Scientist is Squished and Charlotte the Scientist Finds a Cure, both by Camille Andros; Building Books by Megan Wagner Lloyd; Dozens of Donuts by Carrie Finison; and No Buddy Like a Book by Allan Wolf. Right now I'm working on writing and illustrating a book. I haven't sent the manuscript and dummy off to my agent yet, but I have my fingers crossed it works out.

Is there anything else you’d like to share? I'm not sure about anyone else, but the pandemic was pretty rough on me creatively. This book I'm working on has been VERY slow going, but it's nearly ready to send out. I think some people go through stressful times and are inspired by it (see: the blues and heartbreak ballads), and others are impeded. If you felt laid low or slowed down in your creative work, you're not alone!

Website and social media links? My website is briannefarley.com. Twitter is @briannefarley and Instagram is @briannehfarley (my middle initial is "H").

Get Involved with The Book Fairies by Lindsay Gizicki

There’s been a campaign to encourage readers and spotlight authors in Michigan for a few years now. Maybe you’ve heard of it, or maybe you’ve yet to discover the charm of The Book Fairies. The Book Fairies launched in March 2017 in London and are now sharing books worldwide.

As Cordelia Oxley, our Book Fairy in Chief, writes: “The idea of The Book Fairies is simple. There are people who like to read, and to share the amazing books they’ve read.” And who doesn’t love finding a surprise? “These two things come together with The Book Fairies—giving people a chance to pop a sticker and some ribbon on a book and leave it somewhere to be discovered!”

You’d be surprised how happy this simple act can make people. As the Michigan-representative, I’ve received hundreds of messages from happy readers, ecstatic to find books waiting for them. The opportunity to pass on my own love for books has been something I’ve cherished the last few years I’ve had the honor to be a part of this initiative.

Back in 2019, fairies around the globe participated in a campaign for the movie Little Women. Emma Watson (who helped hide books around London in March of 2017 for Women’s History Month) wrote notes that were included inside books for fairies to leave. The campaign was a success and people went wild for it. We also did a similar campaign for the theatrical release of The Secret Garden last year.

On November 5, 2021, Emma hid over 300 books with our organization for an event we called #COPBookFairies. This event involved sharing books related to climate change, activism, and caring for our planet in partnership with the COP26 conference—the biggest summit the UK has ever hosted.

We’ve even had the honor of doing a campaign with HRH The Duchess of Cambridge to celebrate the release of Hold Still, published by the National Portrait Gallery to create a unique collective portrait of the UK during lockdown.

We also celebrate monumental days and events such as Indie Author Day, LGBTQ History Month, Black History Month, etc. Over the years, we’ve worked with many authors and publishers to promote their books.

Many authors have used our services simply as a self-promotional tool with either Michigan, national, or international campaigns. With every social media post, we share the plot of the book, author, and publisher accounts and any relevant hashtags.  

For more information on who we are and how you can get involved, visit https://ibelieveinbookfairies.com/about-the-book-fairies/, follow the hashtag #ibelieveinbookfairies on social media, or email me directly at bookfairiesmi@gmail.com.

Lindsay Gizicki graduated from Central Michigan University and pursued her passion for journalism. She is currently the editor of an architecture magazine based in Troy, Michigan and writes for publications all across the country. Lindsay is an avid book lover and the Michigan-representative for The Book Fairies Worldwide, leaving hidden books for potential readers all around the state. She’s also a frequent contributor for Detroit Mom. In her spare time she fishes Lake St. Clair with her husband, Cyle, and speaks nonsense with her 3-year-old daughter, Harper, and her 18-month-old son, Henry. Her debut children’s book, To the Moon and Back, launches February 28, 2022.

 

It Starts with Hello

Isabel Estrada O’Hagin

Do you remember the moment when you entered your first Shop Talk or SCBWI-MI workshop with a tinge of nervousness, and then someone in the room smiled and said hello? These friendly gestures led you to feel welcomed and allowed you to feel like you belonged—so you stayed! Fortunately, we’ve been able to adjust through the covid19 protocols and have said hello through our screens and monitors!

As your Outreach Coordinator, I invite you to share these moments with our community to celebrate and reaffirm the importance of how we foster relationships within SCBWI-MI. Our new column, It Starts with Hello, will highlight these positive personal memories that may inspire others. Based on my own experiences, I can attest those welcoming moments made me feel seen and valued. From the Conference Organizers and Shop Talk Coordinators who ask for first-time participants to stand and be recognized, to the empathetic person who invites you to join their table at lunch, together we form a network of creative kidlit professionals. Many of these relationships develop into long-lasting friendships and a support system we often need in our line of creative work.

The stories you submit will be shared on The Mitten blog throughout 2022. Send your It Starts with Hello submission (under 300 words) to Isabel Estrada O’Hagin by December 20, 2021 at: ohaginib@gmail.com

Note: I will post a second call for these submissions in 2022 as a reminder. Start thinking about which welcoming moment you’d love to share with us! 

 

7 Wintery Social Media Post Ideas by Lauren Ranalli

I don’t know about you, but this is typically one of my busiest times of year. Between family holidays, school vacations, book events, and the general end-of-year-rush, I can easily get overwhelmed. And I’ll be the first to admit that when I get overwhelmed, I sometimes fall behind. So, I’m trying to put systems in place to stay ahead of the game!

One way that I stay on top of things in my business is to plan out my social media content at least 1-2 weeks in advance. How does that sound to you? Useful? Daunting? Somewhere in the middle? Well, to help us get organized (I’m including myself here!), I’ve put together a list of book-themed ideas that we can post about this winter. Let’s take advantage of some upcoming social media celebrations by posting about these events: 

December – National Read a New Book Month: This should really be every month, don’t you think? But let’s highlight #ReadANewBookMonth by creating some great social media posts! Consider how to showcase your own books for people to discover and read. This is a great opportunity to share some of your recent reviews! In addition to posting your own books, give us a snapshot of your own “to be read” list- what’s on your bookshelf, nightstand, or e-reader? I always love seeing what my fellow authors are reading!

December 10^th – Dewey Decimal System Day: What a perfect way to show your local library some love! Post a snapshot from the stacks or simply tell us about what libraries mean to you. Be sure to tag them in your content and use #deweydecimalsystem to get more traction on your posts.

January 2^nd – National Science Fiction Day: Let’s give some love to all the #ScienceFictionWriters out there! Do a roundup of your favorite titles or ask your followers for recommendations. It’s a great way to discover new books! And use #NationalScienceFictionDay to connect with others.

January 28^th – Multicultural Children’s Book Day: I’ve been a sponsor of this wonderful event for the past two year because of their mission to “not only raise awareness for the kid’s books that celebrate diversity but to get more of these of books into classrooms and libraries.” Use #ReadYourWorld and plan some social media posts that highlight your favorite diverse books. Follow @readyourworldmcbd on Instagram or @MCChildsBookDay on Twitter to get more ideas.

February 2^nd – World Read Aloud Day: Celebrate #WorldReadAloudDay by posting a video of you reading an excerpt from your books! Or showcase photos of your books being read aloud to kids around the world. Or do both! Tag @litworld on Instagram and @litworldsays on Twitter so they can share your posts as part of this celebration.

February 1^st-7^th – Children’s Authors and Illustrators Week: Whoohoo! An entire week to celebrate our work! Take advantage by scheduling multiple posts that highlight your own books, some of your best reviews, and give a shoutout to some of your favorite children’s book authors and illustrators. Consider offering a special discount code to your readers for purchasing books during this week. Bonus points if you mention SCBWI and the great work that they do!

Whatever you decide to post this winter, just be sure to mix it up! Tell us about your books, give us a glimpse into your writing life, promote the work of other authors, and share some of your favorite writing moments. And, above all, have fun with it!

More About Lauren

Lauren Ranalli is an award-winning self-published children’s book author, the Director of Marketing
and Communications for an international non-profit, and the mom of two high-spirited children. Visit her on Instagram at @lauren.ranalli_author or at www.laurenranalli.com to receive 2 FREE resources, Finding Social Media Success, and Daily Marketing Strategies for Authors. 

The Friendly Friday Folly! by Shutta Crum

When the first round of Covid hit last year, it seemed like everything stopped. And in that stoppage was the monthly critique group I’d been part of since about 2001 (though the group had been around much longer). During that hiatus, I thought if I could just keep myself motivated—keep that little spark of inspiration which was usually fueled by the critique group—that would be wonderful. I feared my pen was drying up (or my computer had lost its oomph!). So, once I got the hang of Zoom, the Friday Follies were born on the first Friday of September 2020.

What It Is

It’s quick. We meet online for no more than 30 to 45 minutes. The idea is simple: I give the group a writing prompt and we all write for 7 to 10 minutes. If anyone ones to share, they may. No pressure. No critiquing. (Afterall, this is automatic writing. We don’t expect polish.) But a participant may comment on somebody’s piece if they want to. It’s all very laid-back; just basically to get our pens/computers going for a few moments and then to see what happens.

It’s easy. Part of the problem of planning any meeting is settling on dates when a majority can attend. We made the Friday Follies as easy on folks as possible. No having to email back and forth a zillion times. There is a standing date and time (1st and 3rd Fridays at 1:30 pm). And no need to RSVP. Whoever shows up, shows up. Just mark it as a standing meeting on your calendar.

What Can Happen

While it’s fun, what happens can, also, be fruitful! For example, take a look at this quickie dialogue written by Doug Kasischke to this prompt:

“ . . . comedian, Tim Hawkins, compares the flavor and taste of a Krispy Kreme donut to “eating a baby angel.” How true is that . . .

 

Now, think about one of your favorite foods. Write a scene in which a character is trying to describe that taste to someone who’s never eaten that food. (Could be someone new to the U.S.) Use as many metaphors/similes as you need to.

 

OR:

 

Write a scene in which one character argues with another about how a favorite food tastes. The two characters have widely differing opinions on the matter.

Doug’s Campfire Enchilada Dialogue response (with some punctuation added later):

“It’s an enchilada.”

 “I know. I ordered it.”

 “You know it’s just a slice of cheese inside a corn tortilla.”

 “With sauce.”

 “Sure, but…”

 “It’s warm.”

 “I hope so.”

“No, the taste, like riding up to a campfire.”

“You ride horses?”

“No, but if I did… Let’s say it’s night, with a blizzard—the snow pelting your face like a million little icicles; and up ahead you see a campfire, and as you near, you feel the warmth. The snow feels it, too, and softens. The wind itself grows warmer, and the fire—it’s warmth—melts the snow, even dries it, and leaves a warm breeze; and your hands thaw, and your face, and you can feel again. That’s what an enchilada, at Compadre’s in Napa, California tastes like.

Wow! That last paragraph! It’s so difficult to describe tastes and smells. But Doug really delivers by setting a whole scene and getting into the details. Now, granted, the results are not always this great. But I’ve heard numerous workable and imaginative ideas, lines, paragraphs, scenes, poems read by the Friday Folly writers.

The Prompts

For me, coming up with prompts keeps me on my toes—thinking and reading about writing. I try not to use the common kinds of prompts which are subject oriented and can be found all over the internet. Such as “Write about a time you . . .” The prompts are directed at writing techniques: structure, setting, dialogue, characterization, plot, lateral thinking, etc. All the nitty gritty. And I write to the prompts, as well.

Join Us

We are open to new folks joining us! You just have to send me (shutta@shuttacrum.com) your email address so you can be included on the weekly reminder and the link email. Then join us with pen and paper on the 1st and 3rd Friday of each month at 1:30 pm. And ask your writing buddies to come along. No pressure—just show up and write for a few moments. Share if you want to.

Many writers fight sitting down and writing. Here’s a way to reinforce good writing habits in a fun and stress-free way. Won’t you join us?

Shutta Crum is the author of several middle-grade novels and many picture books, poems, and magazine articles. THUNDER-BOOMER! was an ALA and a Smithsonian Magazine “Notable Book” of the year. Her books have made Bank Street College lists as well as state award lists. She has won four Royal Palm awards (Fl), including one for WHEN YOU GET HERE, a collection of poems for adults. A second collection of poetry is expected in 2022. In addition, she writes the monthly Wordsmith’s Playground newsletter, blogs regularly for the Florida Writers Association, and hosts a column in the OPAP magazine (Of Poets & Poetry) for the Florida State Poet’s Association. For more information see www.shutta.com.

Book Birthday Blog with Kathleen Marcath

 

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors and illustrators.

 

Congratulations to Kathleen Marcath on the release of My Monster Truck Goes Everywhere with Me

 

 

 

How did you come up with the idea for your book?

 

While studying ASL and Deaf culture, I noticed the need for more children's books, inclusive of ASL, and was inspired to write My Monster Truck Goes Everywhere with Me. My three-year-old grandson and his love for monster trucks are the basis for this first book. It started as a poem and unfolded into a story of childhood fun and imagination with ASL illustrations on each page. My goal is for children and families, both hearing and d/Deaf, to see ASL as normal—just like any other language.

What is something you hope your readers will take away from your book?

 

I hope my readers get the magical experience of ASL. My introduction to ASL came at a retreat. A woman taught us several songs, but one was in my head and on my hands all week. When our group signed "Our God is an Awesome God" the following Sunday, something came over me and has not left. I believe ASL is an untapped resource we can all benefit from. The potential is limitless. I hope our readers find it valuable and purposeful.

Research shows that children who learn sign language, even baby signs, can improve their vocabulary by 15-20% compared to non-signing peers. I hope ASL Picture Books will be a catalyst to bring ASL into the classroom from preschool through high school. Our talented team's videos offer lessons with each of the 32 signs, with native signers Diana Campbell and Michelle Osterhout brilliantly telling the story. In addition, Detroit's own Dennis Neubacher narrates a vibrant tale of My Monster Truck Goes Everywhere with Me for the English student. You can read all about them in our blog article, "Award Winning Team."   The videos are all available with a QR code in the book. You can pick up a copy wherever books are sold. Oakiebees.com is offering special discounts now through December!

What inspires you to write?

 

I continue to be inspired by readers, reviews, and awards. We were so honored to receive the Kirkus Starred Review and were selected in April to be spotlighted by the Kirkus Indie editors. Readers' Favorite gave us the silver five-star seal and the bronze medal and RWYK Certified Great Reads! The best inspiration comes from our readers' reviews and big smiles on little faces.

Writing itself comes from the heart. Children are our most precious gifts and for any one of them to be given less than their peers breaks my heart. I believe all children also have a gift to give. They need the space and opportunity to express their unique purpose in life, to do that thing that only they can. 

During my studies at Madonna University, I heard the story of Alice Cogswell and a thousand other stories throughout history where our educational system or society did not allow d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing folks to thrive. As a result, I am inspired to write with gentle kindness and open doors to children not yet seen or heard. I always share Alice’s story with students at school visits. I believe it also inspires them. When I hear or see children light up seeing or using sign language, I am inspired to keep writing. 

What was the most difficult part of writing this book?

 

The first step! That is always the hardest. To step out and face my fears. Finally, doing something I had dreamed about but knew nothing about and stepping on the scene of Facebook and Instagram. 

You see writing a book and building your social media platform go hand in hand. I wanted nothing to do with social media. All I heard was "the drama" and "be careful." I am delighted to say that on my Instagram I have met so many beautiful people. Other authors, educators, moms, thoughtful people willing to reach out and give a hand and who are making a significant impact in our world with their presence and participation. I am also on Facebook but I find Instagram to be my favorite. I have learned so much writing My Monster Truck Goes Everywhere with Me.

What's next for you? Any events coming up or new books in the works?

 

I have HUGE news coming in December. Unfortunately, I cannot say what it is yet, so subscribe to our website to be the first to hear the exciting top-secret information.

I am currently building our platform with a monthly blog, where we talk about d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing education, share news, insights, and research. In addition, we hope to have some guest authors share insights and resources. 

Our website offers other books I have found and highly recommend. We offer free downloads, and additional educational materials related to My Monster Truck Goes Everywhere with Me, including an ASL alphabet chart so you can begin practicing fingerspelling, which is a great memory-building skill for spelling tests!

My granddaughter, who told everyone I was writing a book, held me accountable to complete it. Together we are working on a story, and my grandson Dylan has a list of stories he believes we should write. 

Please email me for information on school visits or direct bulk sales! We love hearing stories from our readers and would love to hear from you.

 

A little bit about the book . . .

 

Every day brings a new adventure for the curly-haired protagonist as he plays with his favorite shiny purple Monster Truck. He is also learning American Sign Language and knows how to sign the words for his favorite truck's color and sounds. Each page is beautifully illustrated with one or more signs that parents and children can learn together.

A little bit about the author . . .

 

Kathleen Marcath has a B.A. degree in Deaf Community Studies. Years of experience as a special Education Sign language supporter have kindled her passion for helping children reach their educational potential. Kathleen is delighted to help fill the need for picture books illustrated in American Sign Language. She is a wife, mother, and grandmother and resides in Michigan.