Karl Beckstrand's Blog, page 2
October 12, 2023
Multi-nation Gifts
We are pleased that Brazilian educational giant, Árvore now offers our multicultural/multilingual content in schools across that huge nation! See who else distributes our books and lesson plans (below).
**There’s still time to get our 225 multicultural book products at pre-inflation prices: Order by Oct. 25—before our prices go up. KidsWorldBooks prices always beat Amazon’s—plus every book purchase gets you a free ebook or lesson plan.**
Look who’s building educational content around our bestseller, GROW: How We Get Food from Our Garden:
Oregon Agriculture in the Classroom FoundationVirginia Tech (via the USDA)The Library of CongressThe Georgia Farm BureauOther top-selling books this year:
4 Spanish-English Books for Kids
Gopher Golf: A Wordless Picture Book
Anna’s Prayer: The True Story of an Immigrant Girl
Bright Star, Night Star: An Astronomy Story
The Dancing Flamingos of Lake Chimichanga
Be sure to see our award-winning western, To Swallow the Earth, short stories, and self-help—audio and ebook too. Is your child not a reader? Try our wordless and beginning reader books!
DID YOU KNOW?
Our audio books are half price through the end of the year!
Don’t miss our kids’ book bundles: Sports books, career books, Spanish books, STEM books, true immigrant stories/biographies (October is Family History Month), holiday books, food books, fables, mysteries, true pet stories, and wordless books—with nods from Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, The Horn Book, and School Library Journal.
See our latest multicultural children’s book trailers here. Or on Youtube.
Catch my latest author interview here.
Join us on Goodreads or other social media—and share these holiday gift ideas with educators, librarians, booksellers, family, and friends.
Distributed via: Amazon/Kindle, Apple/iBooks, Baker & Taylor, Barnes & Noble, Biblioboard, Brodart, Hertzberg/Perma-Bound, ChildrensPlusInc, EBSCO, Follett, Gardner’s, Ingram, Kobo, Library Direct, Mackin, MagicBlox, Odilio, OverDrive, SCRIBD, Walmart.com, Target.com, and KidsWorldBooks.com
July 10, 2023
New Site, Books & Press
We’ve renamed our site! KidsWorldBooks.com is the new place to find kids’ books with black, white, Asian, Islander, First Nations/Native American, and Hispanic characters! Please explore our new products (mostly book bundles, ebooks, and lesson plans—teachers: see below).
Every purchase gets you a free ebook or lesson plan. Sign up for more free ebooks/lesson plans—and leave comments/stars on our children’s books.
PremioBooks.com is now our nonfiction site. Get our new relationships self-help title (also an audio book) here: God Adores You. If you have Kindle Unlimited, you can read the ebook free. The secular version of this book is called, Abundant Paths. Read the author interview here, or hear him speak about it.
See our latest videos on YouTube and TikTok; and follow us on Goodreads, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, Pinterest, Twitter, and Amazon (add your comments/stars to books needing love or books you love:)
SCHOOL/EDUCATOR LESSON PLANS (some bilingual):
ANIMAL FINDING LESSON (30 min.) based on Ma MacDonald Flees the Farm, ages 4 – 8
ASTRONOMY LESSON (45 min.) based on Bright Star, Night Star: An Astronomy Story, ages 4 – 8
CAREER & BUSINESS LESSON based on The Bridge of the Golden Wood: A Parable on How to Earn a Living, ages 6 – 15
COLORS/CULTURES/CAREERS LESSON (English/Spanish, 30 min.) based on Great Cape ‘o Colors – Capa de colores, ages 4 – 7
COOKING LESSON (45 min.) based on Bad Bananas: A Story Cookbook for Kids, ages 4 – 10
COUNTING or MUSIC LESSON (30 min.) based on The Dancing Flamingos of Lake Chimichanga, ages 4 – 8
FICTION WRITING LESSON based on Horse & Dog Adventures in Early California: Short Stories & Poems, ages 9+
GARDENING LESSON (30 min.) based on GROW: How We Get Food from Our Garden, ages 4 – 8
INSECT/REPTILE FINDING LESSON (English/Spanish) based on She Doesn’t Want the Worms – Ella no quiere los gusanos: A Mystery/Un misterio, ages 4 – 8
INSOMNIA FEELINGS LESSON (30 min.) based on Why Juan Can’t Sleep: A Mystery? Ages 4 – 7
INTERROGATIVE LESSON (Engl./Span.) based on Crumbs on the Stairs – Migas en las escaleras: A Mystery/Un misterio, ages 4 – 7
MONEY MANAGEMENT LESSON based on The Bridge of the Golden Wood: A Parable on How to Earn a Living, ages 6 – 12
NONFICTION WRITING LESSON (200 min.) based on Anna’s Prayer [or Ida’s Witness]: The True Story of an Immigrant Girl, ages 8+
NONFICTION WRITING LESSON based on Agnes’s Rescue: The True Story of an Immigrant Girl, ages 8+
NONFICTION WRITING LESSON based on Samuel Sailing: The True Story of an Immigrant Boy, ages 8+
NOUN & VERB LESSON (Engl./Span.) based on Ups & Downs at the Boardwalk / Arriba abajo en la playa, ages 6 – 8
PREPOSITIONS LESSON (Engl/Span) based on It Came from Under the High Chair: A Mystery / De la silla de Iván, Salió… Un misterio, ages 7 – 9
SOUNDS/FACING FEAR LESSON (English/Spanish) based on Sounds in the House – Sonidos en la casa: A Mystery/Un misterio, ages 3 – 8
STORY LESSON based on Butterfly Blink: A Book Without Words, ages 3 – 5
STORY LESSON based on Gopher Golf: A Wordless Picture Book, ages 3 – 5
STORY LESSON based on Polar Bear Bowler: A Story Without Words, ages 3 – 5
WRITING LESSON based on Muffy & Valor: A True Dog Story, ages 7 – 8
P.S. While prices may go up soon, almost all of our books are free or discounted this month on Smashwords.com.
Enjoy KidsWorldBooks.com!
December 8, 2022
Why Children’s Books Need Variety, Diversity & Fun
As PremioBooks.com enters its nineteenth year of educational book publishing, we thought it would be good to justify our existence. Not only do our award-winning, best-selling books feature Hispanic, Asian, black, white, Filipino, Indian, Pacific Islander, and Native American characters, they have been lauded by Kirkus, Publisher’s Weekly, The Horn Book, and School Library Journal. A quick description of our multicultural children’s book genres and series sums it up nicely:
4 STEM Books for Kids: Fun & Learning for Families Includes critically acclaimed Bad Bananas: A Story Cookbook for Kids; Bright Star, Night Star: An Astronomy Story; She Doesn’t Want the Worms: A Mystery (English & Spanish with pronunciation guide); Butterfly Blink: A Book Without Words—each with family activity: measure and make treats, find constellations, identify insects & habitats; tell/write the story (science, technology, engineering, and math books for children ages 3 – 10 years, Pre-k – 5th grade).
4 Sports Books for Kids: Individual Sports Illustrated for Beginner Readers Includes popular picture books: Polar Bear Bowler; Gopher Golf: A Wordless Picture Book; Arriba Up, Abajo Down at the Boardwalk: A Picture Book of Opposites; Great Cape o’ Colors: Career Costumes for Kids. You tell the stories and count the sports: Acrobatics/tumbling, bowling, climbing, fencing, golfing, horseback riding/equestrian, extreme sports, surfing, ballroom dancing, swimming, wrestling (200 words for boys/girls ages 3 – 7 years, preschool – 2nd grade; Easy to read & level 1 ESOL/ESE).
Career Books for Kids Includes award-winning children’s books Bright Star, Night Star (for aspiring astronomers), Great Cape o’ Colors – Capa de colores (careers, cultures, costumes & colors), Ma MacDonald Flees the Farm (about a woman-owned business), and The Bridge of the Golden Wood: A Parable on How to Earn a Living—selected by the State of Vermont for primary school financial literacy curriculum. Job & business ideas, plus money management tips (all ages)
Diverse Bedtime Stories for Wide Awake Kids Bright Star Night Star; Sounds in the House: A Mystery; The Bridge of the Golden Wood; Why Juan Can’t Sleep: A Funny Mystery. Hidden pictures and laughter for kids 2 – 8 years, preschool – 3rd grade.
Fables & Folktales for Kids Sometimes we just need a good legend, myth, fairy tale, or nursery rhyme (it doesn’t hurt if you laugh or learn something too)! Includes It Came from Under the High Chair: A Mystery (learn prepositions); The Bridge of the Golden Wood: A Parable on How to Earn a Living; The Dancing Flamingos of Lake Chimichanga (learn music styles/dances and foods); Ma MacDonald Flees the Farm (learn animals and food dishes). For ages 2 – 8 years, preschool – 3rd grade.
Food Books for Kids Includes fan favorites GROW: How We Get Food from Our Garden; The Dancing Flamingos of Lake Chimichanga; Bad Bananas: A Story Cookbook for Kids; Crumbs on the Stairs: A Mystery; Ma MacDonald Flees the Farm; and She Doesn’t Want the Worms: A Mystery. Recipes, hidden pictures, critters, and culture (for ages 3 – 10).
Kids’ Animal Books Muffy & Valor: A True Dog Story (children’s nonfiction); Horse & Dog Adventures in Early California; GROW: How We Get Food from Our Garden; Ma MacDonald Flees the Farm (zoo and farm animals); Polar Bear Bowler; Gopher Golf; The Dancing Flamingos of Lake Chimichanga; She Doesn’t Want the Worms (insects and reptiles); Arriba Up, Abajo Down (marine life); Sounds in the House (pet dog); Why Juan Can’t Sleep (cat and dog). For ages 3 – 10
Mini-mysteries for Minors (Giggles, goosebumps, gross ghosts & grammar for growing goblins) Includes best-selling children’s mysteries: Sounds in the House, It Came from Under the High Chair, Crumbs on the Stairs, and Why Juan Can’t Sleep. Each kids’ mystery has a counting or finding activity (bears, bugs, sounds) and features multicultural characters (for kids 2 – 8 years, preschool – 3rd grade). “Comically freaking out…suspenseful without ever getting too intense for younger readers.” – Kirkus Reviews (Sounds in the House). The Millerville Mysteries (Middle grade chapter series) In the mid-1950s, strange happenings in Millerville, Kansas prompt school children to sleuth. The young detectives must outsmart adults to find clues and solve the real riddle. Book I: The Mystery of the Grinning Buddha, 31,000 words; Book II: The Mystery of the Ugly Bottle, 52,000 words; Book III: The Mystery of the Haunted Lighthouse, 35,000 words. 158 – 210 pages for ages 8 – 12, grades 3 – 7
Spanish-English Books for Kids – Libros bilingües para niños. Best-selling bilingual picture books: Crumbs on the Stairs – Migas en las escaleras: A Mystery; She Doesn’t Want the Worms – Ella no quiere los gusanos; Sounds in the House – Sonidos en la casa; It Came from Under the High Chair – Salió de debajo de la silla para comer; Arriba Up, Abajo Down; Great Cape o’ Colors – Capa de colores; and 4 Spanish-English Books for Kids – 4 libros bilingües para niños—all professionally edited by native Spanish language editors. Each includes a pronunciation guide in both languages. Learn nouns, verbs, animals, opposites, prepositions, and interrogatives (question words; for boys/girls ages 3+/ESL, preschool & up; Easy to read & level 1 ESOL/ESE, 1,200 words, 100 illustrations).
Spanish Books for Kids (Libros para niños, Language learning) Best-selling diverse books with pronunciation guide in English: Migas en las escaleras: Un Misterio; Ella no quiere los gusanos; Ruidos en la casa; Arriba, abajo en la playa; Capa de colores; De la silla de Iván, Salió; Boliche polar: Un cuento sin palabras y 4 libros para niños. Learn Spanish nouns, verbs, animals, opposites, and interrogatives with pronunciation guide in English (question words; for boys/girls ages 3 – 8 years, preschool – 3rd grade; 100 paginas).
Tongue Twisters for Tots TRY and read these funny fables out loud! Includes popular Bright Star, Night Star; GROW; The Dancing Flamingos of Lake Chimichanga; Why Juan Can’t Sleep; Ma MacDonald Flees the Farm; and She Doesn’t Want the Worms: A Mystery (for kids ages 3 – 8 years).
Trains, Travel & Transport for Tykes Samuel Sailing: The True Story of an Immigrant Boy; The Bridge of the Golden Wood; Polar bear Bowler; Bright Star, Night Star; Agnes’s Rescue; Ida’s Witness; Anna’s Prayer: The True Story of an Immigrant Girl; The Dancing Flamingos of Lake Chimichanga; Arriba Up Abajo Down; Ma MacDonald Flees the Farm; and Why Juan Can’t Sleep. For ages 3 – 10 years
Stories Without Words help children cement extant vocabulary and seek new words (older kids can write what they see in the pictures). Polar Bear Bowler: A Story Without Words, Butterfly Blink: A Book Without Words, Gopher Golf: A Wordless Picture Book on seasons and sports (for children ages 1 – 6).
Young American Immigrants (Illustrated biographies) This four-book nonfiction picture book series tells the true stories of four immigrant children, each seeking a better life: Agnes’s Rescue (Book I, Scotland/Ireland), Ida’s Witness (Book II, Sweden), Anna’s Prayer (Book III, Sweden), Samuel Sailing (Book IV, South Africa). “Tapping into the most powerful interest on the planet—the hunger to know who we are and where we come from.… for young and old.” – Jeff Gallup, TV producer. Standalone tales of courage and faith for all ages (4 years & up, hard/soft/ebook, 1,000 – 2,000 words each)
See our middle grade/chapter books (western, short stories, romance, sci-fi, humor, self-help).
All of our children’s books are available in hard/soft/ebook versions and average 26 pages per book. Many have online secrets, videos, and lesson plans. Available via Premiobooks.com, libraries, and all major distributors. None of our kids’ books discuss gender or orientation.
See how our multilingual/multicultural books fit as gifts for most holidays: https://premiobooks.com/childrens-holiday-books
September 12, 2022
June 18, 2022
Holiday & Birthday Gift Ideas
We have multicultural gift books for kids and adults for just about any occasion (they include black, white, Asian, Islander, Native American Indian & Hispanic characters):
New Year’s Eve/Day……Arriba Up, Abajo Down at the (beach) Boardwalk: A Picture Book of Opposites (fireworks, food, and theme park fun!)
Birthday……Polar Bear Bowler: A Story Without Words (praised by Publisher’s Weekly) / To Swallow the Earth (classic western novel and audiobook with non-stop action—International Book Award winner)
Valentine’s Day……She Doesn’t Want the Worms: A Mystery (praised by School Library Journal. Available in Spanish) / A Sky So Big: A clean YA romantic adventure
St. Patrick’s Day……It Came from Under the High Chair: A Mystery (also in Spanish with a pronunciation guide in both languages)
Easter/Spring Break/Passover……Butterfly Blink: A Book Without Words (environment/ecology)
April Fool’s Day……No Offense: Communication Guaranteed Not to Offend (gag book) / Crumbs on the Stairs: A (funny) Mystery – Our best seller! (in Spanish too)
Cinco de Mayo……4 Spanish-English Books for Kids (with pronunciation guide in both languages)
Mother’s Day……Ma MacDonald Flees the Farm: It’s Not a Pretty Picture…Book (humorous, diverse) / Muffy & Valor: A True Dog Story (heartwarming!) / Anna’s Prayer: The True Story of an Immigrant Girl
Memorial Day……Agnes’s Rescue: The True Story of an Immigrant Girl / Horse & Dog Adventures in Early California (short stories & poems – semi-autobiographical)
Father’s Day……Gopher Golf: A Wordless Picture Book / Bright Star, Night Star: An Astronomy Story (stargazing with Dad) / To Swallow the Earth (classic western)
Graduation……The Bridge of the Golden Wood: A Parable on How to Earn a Living (selected by the State of Vermont for primary school career/financial literacy curriculum) / Great Cape o’ Colors (cultures, colors, costumes, careers—in Spanish too)
Juneteenth……Bad Bananas: A Story Cookbook for Kids (yummy recipes and characters of color) praised by The Horn Book
4th of July/Independence Day……Ups & Downs at the Boardwalk: A Picture Book of Opposites
Pioneer Day……Agnes’s Rescue: The True Story of an Immigrant Girl (more fireworks!)
Vacation……The Dancing Flamingos of Lake Chimichanga: Silly Birds (food, music, dance, and laughter)
Baptism/Confirmation……Ida’s Witness: The True Story of an Immigrant Girl
Wedding Day/Anniversary……Horse & Dog Adventures in Early California / Samuel Sailing: The True Story of an Immigrant Boy
Labor Day……Samuel Sailing: The True Story of an Immigrant Boy / Ida’s Witness
Halloween……Sounds in the House: A Mystery (in Spanish with pronunciation guide. Praised by Kirkus) / Why Juan Can’t Sleep: A Mystery? (laughs in Spanglish)
Thanksgiving……GROW: How We Get Food from Our Garden / Crumbs on the Stairs
Christmas/Hanukkah/Kwanzaa……..Anna’s Prayer: The True Story of an Immigrant Girl / Boliche Polar (wordless)
Find these in hard cover, soft cover, ebook (and audiobook for To Swallow the Earth) at PremioBooks.com.
__ATA.cmd.push(function() { __ATA.initDynamicSlot({ id: 'atatags-26942-62ae1fe78777d', location: 120, formFactor: '001', label: { text: 'Advertisements', }, creative: { reportAd: { text: 'Report this ad', }, privacySettings: { text: 'Privacy', } } }); });March 12, 2022
Our Best-selling Children’s Books
Over 18 years of publishing, we know which of our diverse picture books is the standout bestseller overall; but until this year, we could never predict which of our new titles would become popular. Despite meticulously tracking sales and marketing, we were always surprised by which book became a favorite in any given year.
Of course, we think all of our multicultural kids’ books are exceptionally well-written and gloriously illustrated—educating while entertaining. But we’re tickled to finally be able to state which titles will continue to please readers for years to come. Some of the data shocked us; we’ll explain…
First, we know you’re dying to learn which of all our books has sold the most. It’s Crumbs on the Stairs – Migas en las escaleras: A Mystery written and illustrated by Karl Beckstrand. This was the second book we published—and the first bilingual one. We feel that the anticipation and surprise ending, along with a Spanish-English pronunciation guide and colorful images of diverse characters, have contributed to the more than 10,000 copies in circulation (thousands more including ebooks).
Okay, here’s what surprised us over the past 18 months: Two of our most popular books were released years ago—and, frankly, didn’t do very well as new releases: The Dancing Flamingos of Lake Chimichanga, illustrated by Ashley Sanborn and Muffy & Valor: A True Dog Story, illustrated by Brandon Rodriguez. Both books floundered on publication, but hit number 3 and 5, respectively, for our 2021 sales. These funny and touching stories written by Beckstrand continue to trend well.
Sanborn’s other titles, If Cancer Was a Fish (written by Tiffany Berg Coughran) and Polar Bear Bowler: A Story Without Words (written by Beckstrand and praised by Publisher’s Weekly) are rising in popularity in connection, we feel, with the surging popularity of The Dancing Flamingos.
We had clear standouts from the gate with new releases, GROW: How We Get Food from Our Garden, illustrated by Zanara, and Gopher Golf: A Wordless Picture Book, illustrated by Jordan C. Brun. GROW came out with a bang and will soon overtake Crumbs on the Stairs in our all-time number one slot. It has not been difficult to predict the success of these two books by Beckstrand; they are clearly reader favorites.
Our second biggest seller of all time (also soon to be overtaken by GROW) is a collection: 4 Spanish-English Books for Kids by Beckstrand, which includes Crumbs on the Stairs; Sounds in the House – Sonidos en la casa: A Mystery (illustrated by Channing Jones); She Doesn’t Want the Worms – Ella no quiere los gusanos (illustrated by David Hollenbach); and Arriba Up, Abajo Down at the Boardwalk—children’s books (bound in one volume) with nods from Kirkus and School Library Journal.
Another Spanish/bilingual kid’s book that did well (coming in seventh in 2021): It Came from Under the High Chair: A Mystery. Our Spanish and bilingual books come with a language pronunciation guide in English and/or Spanish.
A solid performer year after year is Bright Star, Night Star: An Astronomy Story by Beckstrand and illustrated by Luis F. Sanz (who also illustrated Why Juan Can’t Sleep: A Mystery). It came in sixth place for 2021.
Two new additions to our Young American Immigrants series by Beckstrand round out our top sellers for 2021: Nonfiction children’s biographies, Agnes’s Rescue: The True Story of an Immigrant Girl (from Scotland) and Samuel Sailing: The True Story of an Immigrant Boy (from South Africa). Others in the series are Ida’s Witness and Anna’s Prayer (Swedish sisters).
Many of these books have been number one in their category on Amazon. Two more of Beckstrand’s titles are recommended for learning activities: Bad Bananas: A Story Cookbook (illustrated by Jeff Faerber) and The Bridge of the Golden Wood: A Parable on How to Earn a Living (selected by the State of Vermont for career curriculum). You’ll find sweet treats, laughs, and family fun time. Ask your librarian/major distributor for any of our 160 products! Premio Publishing & Gozo Books
Our Bestselling Children’s Books
Over 18 years of publishing, we know which of our diverse picture books is the standout bestseller overall; but until this year, we could never predict which of our new titles would become popular. Despite meticulously tracking sales and marketing, we were always surprised by which book became a favorite in any given year.
Of course, we think all of our multicultural kids’ books are exceptionally well-written and gloriously illustrated—educating while entertaining. But we’re tickled to finally be able to state which titles will continue to please readers for years to come. Some of the data shocked us; we’ll explain…
First, we know you’re dying to learn which of all our books has sold the most. It’s Crumbs on the Stairs – Migas en las escaleras: A Mystery written and illustrated by Karl Beckstrand. This was the second book we published—and the first bilingual one. We feel that the anticipation and surprise ending, along with a Spanish-English pronunciation guide and colorful images of diverse characters, have contributed to the more than 8,000 copies in circulation (thousands more including ebooks).
Okay, here’s what surprised us over the past 18 months: Two of our most popular books were released years ago—and, frankly, didn’t do very well as new releases: The Dancing Flamingos of Lake Chimichanga, illustrated by Ashley Sanborn and Muffy & Valor: A True Dog Story, illustrated by Brandon Rodriguez. Both books floundered on publication, but hit number 3 and 5, respectively, for our 2021 sales. These funny and touching stories written by Beckstrand continue to trend well.
Sanborn’s other titles, If Cancer Was a Fish (written by Tiffany Berg Coughran) and Polar Bear Bowler: A Story Without Words (written by Beckstrand and praised by Publisher’s Weekly) are rising in popularity in connection, we feel, with the surging popularity of The Dancing Flamingos.
We had clear standouts from the gate with new releases, GROW: How We Get Food from Our Garden, illustrated by Zanara, and Gopher Golf: A Wordless Picture Book, illustrated by Jordan C. Brun. GROW came out with a bang and will soon overtake Crumbs on the Stairs in our all-time number one slot. It has not been difficult to predict the success of these two books by Beckstrand; they are clearly reader favorites.
Our second biggest seller of all time (also soon to be overtaken by GROW) is a collection: 4 Spanish-English Books for Kids by Beckstrand, which includes Crumbs on the Stairs; Sounds in the House – Sonidos en la casa: A Mystery (illustrated by Channing Jones); She Doesn’t Want the Worms – Ella no quiere los gusanos (illustrated by David Hollenbach); and Arriba Up, Abajo Down at the Boardwalk—children’s books (bound in one volume) with nods from Kirkus and School Library Journal.
Another Spanish/bilingual kid’s book that did well (coming in seventh in 2021): It Came from Under the High Chair: A Mystery. Our Spanish and bilingual books come with a language pronunciation guide in English and/or Spanish.
A solid performer year after year is Bright Star, Night Star: An Astronomy Story by Beckstrand and illustrated by Luis F. Sanz (who also illustrated Why Juan Can’t Sleep: A Mystery). It came in sixth place for 2021.
Two new additions to our Young American Immigrants series by Beckstrand round out our top sellers for 2021: Nonfiction children’s biographies, Agnes’s Rescue: The True Story of an Immigrant Girl (from Scotland) and Samuel Sailing: The True Story of an Immigrant Boy (from South Africa). Others in the series are Ida’s Witness and Anna’s Prayer (Swedish sisters).
Many of these books have been number one in their category on Amazon. Two more of Beckstrand’s titles are recommended for learning activities: Bad Bananas: A Story Cookbook (illustrated by Jeff Faerber) and The Bridge of the Golden Wood: A Parable on How to Earn a Living (selected by the State of Vermont for career curriculum). You’ll find sweet treats, laughs, and family fun time. Ask your librarian/major distributor for any of these titles!
__ATA.cmd.push(function() { __ATA.initDynamicSlot({ id: 'atatags-26942-622d51c1cfe34', location: 120, formFactor: '001', label: { text: 'Advertisements', }, creative: { reportAd: { text: 'Report this ad', }, privacySettings: { text: 'Privacy', } } }); });May 14, 2021
Children’s Biographies & Co-authoring with Dead Writers
I’ve completed my third collaborative work and—again—I didn’t have any drama with my co-author, never have (probably doesn’t hurt that I’ve only worked with dead writers!).
Last month I released the third title in my Young American Immigrants nonfiction picture book series for kids, Agnes’s Rescue: The True Story of an Immigrant Girl. It’s about my Scottish-Irish great-great-grandmother Agnes Caldwell who walked over 1,000 miles across the country to get to her U.S. destination.
I almost called it “Agnes’s Feet.” At the time, the transcontinental railroad hadn’t been completed, so Agnes and her family had to walk west from Iowa City into the Rocky Mountains, with only a handcart to hold their belongings. Not surprisingly, Agnes’s shoes soon wore out—but she kept on in bare feet.
Even when they became snowbound by an early blizzard, Agnes’s feet (and life) were preserved in a marvelous way. I love to gain inspiration from family stories and want others to gain courage from these examples. Agnes’s Rescue is free on Kindle Unlimited this month.
My co-author was Agnes’s youngest daughter, Veara Southworth Fife, who I met as a child on a visit to Utah. After I moved to Utah, I obtained permission from Veara’s daughter to use Agnes’s story (I presume, dictated to Veara her by mother). Special thanks to Sean Sullivan for the cover and sketch work.
My first collaboration with a dead author was my grandfather Ransom A. Wilcox. I polished and expanded a western manuscript he’d written many years ago—and we won an International Book Award for To Swallow the Earth. I also published a book of short stories he’d penned.
Now I’m completing the art for the fourth book in my children’s immigration series, Samuel Sailing. It’s the true story of my great uncle, whose family had to leave him behind in South Africa after he contracted typhoid fever.
The family wasn’t entirely cold-hearted. They had sold everything to purchase passage to America before Samuel’s diagnosis. With the outbreak of WWI, it was quite unlikely the family would have been able to make the trip again anytime soon. Samuel’s parents agonized over what to do. They felt directed by God to go ahead with the journey. Other Americans in South Africa promised to bring Samuel to them once he was well; but the family had no idea whether he would recover.
This children’s book is taken from Samuel’s autobiography, his father’s account of the move, and my grandmother’s (Samuel’s sister) recollections. I don’t understand when I hear of conflicts between authors when they collaborate. I’ve always had the easiest time!
__ATA.cmd.push(function() { __ATA.initDynamicSlot({ id: 'atatags-26942-609f159747e13', location: 120, formFactor: '001', label: { text: 'Advertisements', }, creative: { reportAd: { text: 'Report this ad', }, privacySettings: { text: 'Privacy', } } }); });February 9, 2021
Wordless Golf Book a ‘Hole in Fun’
Picture book cements vocabulary as kids tell the story
MIDVALE, Utah – Sometimes kids want to tell the story. Today they can — guided by author and media professor Karl Beckstrand’s concepts and art by Jordan C. Brun. Beckstrand’s 23rd book, “Gopher Golf: A Wordless Picture Book,” depicts the joy — and trials — a couple of gophers feel while golfing (with help from other critters).
“Children love to make up stories,” says Beckstrand of his third wordless book, which includes an animal finding activity and online secrets for children ages 2 – 6. The colorful sports book with silly characters definitely has a story progression, “but how it’s expressed in words is up to the ‘reader,’” he says.
“Asking kids to tell what’s happening in the pictures can bring a different story every time you read it,” says Beckstrand. His Stories Without Words series can serve as curriculum for non-readers or early writers because it helps cement vocabulary and sentence structure in young minds. The illustrations by themselves can prompt uncontrolled snorts of laughter.
Beckstrand, who won an International Book Award for his western novel “To Swallow the Earth,” has children’s books on careers, astronomy, immigration and five books on food. His other no-words books include playful “Polar Bear Bowler: A Story Without Words” and “Butterfly Blink: A Book Without Words,” which highlights insect habitat conservation.
Many of Beckstrand’s books have multicultural characters, and many are Spanish/bilingual mysteries with language pronunciation guides. Most have online extras and surprise endings. Beckstrand’s work has been praised by Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, The Horn Book and School Library Journal. All may be found at Amazon, BN.com, iBooks, Ingram, https://PremioBooks.com, Target.com and Walmart.com.
November 10, 2020
Blog Tour & Giveaway
Grow! How We Get Food from Our Garden (Food Books for Kids, Book 3) Free on Kindle Unlimited (or $2.99 for ebook) by Karl Beckstrand, Genre: Children’s Book. Opened at #1 in five categories. Giveaways below
A black child and grandfather till, plant, and harvest fruits, vegetables, flowers, herbs, and grains in a colorful picture book. This tongue twister for children ages 4 – 7 (preschool – 2nd grade) includes online tips for starting your own garden. Kids love to see things grow. Learn basic gardening and find the animals (revealed in online extras). 325 dyslexic-friendly words by award-winning author and media professor Karl Beckstrand (She Doesn’t Want the Worms: A Mystery [English- Spanish] Goodreads * Amazon
Media professor Karl Beckstrand is the bestselling and award-winning author/illustrator of 23 multicultural/multilingual books and more than 60 ebook titles (reviews by Publisher’s Weekly, Kirkus, School Library Journal, The Horn Book, ForeWord Reviews). Raised in San Jose, CA, he has a B.A. in journalism from BYU, an M.A. in international relations from APU, and a broadcast/film certificate from Film A. Academy. Since 2004 he has run Premio Publishing. His survival western, To Swallow the Earth, won a 2016 International Book Award. Beckstrand has presented to Taiwan’s Global Leadership for Youth, city and state governments, festivals, and schools. His nationally lauded Y.A. stories, ebook mysteries, nonfiction, Spanish/bilingual/ESL, wordless, career, and STEM books feature ethnically diverse characters–and usually end with a twist. Website * Facebook * Twitter * Instagram * Bookbub * Amazon * Goodreads
Follow the tour HERE for special content and a giveaway (starts Nov. 11)! $15 Amazon giftcard – 1 winner—plus book one of the food book series: Bad Bananas: A Story Cookbook for Kids – 20 ebook winners! a Rafflecopter giveaway
