Lauri Fortino's Blog, page 10
June 21, 2022
Happy Book Birthday to FRIENDS COME IN ALL SIZES by Raven Howell!
Title: Friends Come in All Sizes
Author: Raven Howell
Illustrator: Audrey Day
Publisher: Lawley Publishing
Release Date: June 21, 2022
Format: Hardcover and paperback
Summary: Patience and kindness are important when you want to make new friends, but it’s hard not to consider what it would be like to have a gangly giraffe or chilled-out polar bear as a pal. A friendship mission prompts two boys to regard would-be companions of many shapes and sizes, and their imaginative ad...
May 30, 2022
Five Amazing Picture Books About Bicycles That Your Kids Will Love by Maria Monte
Kids across the globe love bikes. Kids also love stories. So what could be better than books about bicycles? Here today to share “Five Amazing Picture Books About Bicycles That Your Kids Will Love” is author Maria Monte, just in time for World Bicycle Day on June 3.
Learning to ride a bicycle is a rite of passage for many kids—we all remember the wobbly starts and stops, the falls, bumps, and collisions, and those wonky training wheels that always seemed to get stuck in every little cr...
May 17, 2022
Happy Book Birthday to SOME DADDIES by Carol Gordon Ekster!
Title: Some Daddies
Author: Carol Gordon Ekster
Illustrator: Javiera Maclean Alvarez
Publisher: Beaming Books
Release Date: May 17, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Summary: This rollicking showcase of daddies celebrates the incredible diversity of modern fathers. The inclusive cast of characters–including a two-dad family, a single dad, and a stay-at-home dad–highlights the bond between daddy and child as they play, learn, comfort, and laugh their way through everyday life. This o...
April 22, 2022
Brian Russo and Yoga Bunny Honor Mother Earth
Happy Earth Day everyone! I’m excited to welcome children’s book author/illustrator Brian Russo to Frog on a Blog! Brian’s book A Friend for Yoga Bunny was published on February 22, and is a follow-up to Yoga Bunny, a book that features an adorable little bunny in yoga poses, and encourages kids to wind down and relax. Brian is passionate about helping animals and the environment through his art, which I think is fantastic and something I can really get behind. Let’s hear from Brian!
H...
April 6, 2022
With Heartfelt Gratitude, I Am Overjoyed To Share Some Incredible News!
Dear Readers,
I am elated and incredibly honored to share that my story, JINPA AND THE DUST CLOUD DOG, has been chosen as the 2022 winner of the Kate Dopirak Craft and Community Award!
In late January, with no expectations, I entered a story in the Kate Dopirak Craft & Community Award contest. The award is offered in celebration of Kate Dopirak, an amazing picture book author. Two days ago, I received an email from the Kate Dopirak Award Committee congratulating me. I had won the award...
April 1, 2022
Author/Illustrator Gabe Jensen Talks Art Process (+ win a pb manuscript critique!)
Please welcome children’s book author/illustrator Gabe Jensen to Frog on a Blog! Gabe stopped by to talk a bit about the art process he used when he created his book Neverwoof, which was just published this past September by Familius. This rollicking read-aloud has already garnered several positive reviews. I don’t know about you, but I love hearing about how artists create their art and why they choose the style that they do. Let’s hear from Gabe!
Gabe Jensen sharing Neverwoof.For NEV...
March 15, 2022
Happy Book Birthday to THE HAPPIEST KID by Sarah Bagley Steele!
Title: The Happiest Kid
Author: Sarah Bagley Steele
Illustrator: Elsa Pui Si Lo and Clarice Yunyi Cai
Publisher: Yeehoo Press
Release Date: March 15, 2022
Format: Hardcover
Summary: Sally is usually the happiest kid. She wakes up every morning with a bright sun shining over her bed, and she knows it’s going to be a good day. One day she wakes up feeling different and with a gloomy cloud hanging over her instead. She doesn’t know why it’s there, but she doesn’t want anyone t...
November 28, 2021
The Spirit Of Giving (a giveaway)
Hello, all you lovely people out there. It’s the holiday season, and to help me–and you–get into the spirit, I’m giving away a signed copy of my book The Peddler’s Bed to one blog follower who comments on this post. Just say hi, hello, how’s it going, or any other greeting that strikes your fancy.
The Peddler’s Bed is all about giving, caring, generosity, and kindness, and is perfect for the holidays or any day. Can’t we all use a bit more kindness in our lives?
Just leave your comment by...
September 18, 2021
Henry Herz’s Smoke “Cycle”
Henry Herz’s latest picture book I Am Smoke is already receiving a lot of praise, including a starred review from Kirkus! Travis Jonker, an elementary school librarian and book reviewer for School Library Journal, included I Am Smoke on his 2021 list of The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Children’s Books. And Matthew Cordell, author/illustrator of the Caldecott Medal-winning book Wolf in the Snow, said, “I’ll never look at smoke the same way again!” With so much buzz about I Am Smoke floa...
September 7, 2021
The Top 10 Picture Books You Need For Your Preschool Classroom by Amanda Leemis
Please welcome author and artist Amanda Leemis to Frog on a Blog. Amanda and I share a passion for literacy and picture books! Amanda stopped by with an awesome list of her top ten picture book picks for the preschool classroom. With schools all over the U.S. opening up again, her post couldn’t be more timely. Let’s take a look!
The Top 10 Picture Books You Need for Your Preschool Classroom includes wonderful indie authors and illustrators you absolutely must discover along with some class...
