And the Winner Is…

Today I am pleased to announce the winner of the Bounding for Books Blog Tour posted comments. I’ll be sending off over the vast internet an autographed copy of our book, “Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa” and a copy of the Activity book that goes with it.

Congratulations go out to April who left this comment:

What a fabulous looking and sounding book! I'm having such a blast discovering all these great new children's book authors and books!! Excellent tour!

Thank you April. Your prize will arrive in your email box soon.

posted by Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Check out what’s going on at the zoo!
Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog

Bounding for Books Blog Tour: Crash! By Mayra Calvani

Today our final author in the “Bounding for Books Blog Tour” is Mayra Calvani. She is a multi-published author in several different genres. “Crash!” is her latest children’s book. Before we get going here, let’s see where the rest of the authors are today.

* * * * *

Jennifer Gladen visits with Mayra Calvani at Mayra’s Secret Bookcase Mayra’s Secret Bookcase.

Joy Delgado pops in to chat with Shari Soffe at “Out of My Mind” About Books for Children.

Shari Soffe and Margot Finke talk over at Margot’s blog.

Margot Finke can be found at Topsy Turvy Land with Donna Shepherd.

Donna Shepherd over at Daily News with Kim Chatel.

Kim Chatel chats with Jennifer Gladen at Jen’s Blog Jen’s Blog.

* * * * *

Have you ever owned a puppy? Mayra’s book “Crash!” is all about getting your first puppy.
“Marcelo is thrilled when he gets a golden retriever puppy for his birthday, but now he faces one of the toughest jobs of his life, not only because owning a pet is a huge responsibility, but because he has to find the perfect name for it—and that’s hard!”

Mayra loves golden retrievers and it shows. She donates 50% of her royalties to the “Almost Heaven Golden Retriever Rescue and Sanctuary” where you can learn more about adopting or sponsoring a golden retriever in need. She also has links to many retriever sites on the Crash the puppy blog. One more thing, she runs the Pets and Their Authors blog.

Another of Mayra’s many talents, she’s the Latino Book Examiner over at Examiner.com. Speaking of that, Crash! Is now available in Spanish! I personally think it’s great when books are available in more than one language. More children can now enjoy Crash!

Let’s see how Mayra takes Crash! Beyond reading. Over at the Crash the puppy blog she has links to coloring pages, puzzles, games and more. Also, woven into the story are tips on naming and taking care of your puppy.



Where can you get your copy?
Guardian Angel Publishing

A special thanks goes out to Blazing Trailers for creating all the trailers featured in this blog tour. If you want to see them all again, you can over at the Blaizing Trailers website.

Monday I’ll announce our winner of the autographed copy of “Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa” book and activity book. So, leave a comment for a chance to win, and thank you for joining us on the book blog tour.

posted by Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Check out what’s going on at the zoo!
Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog

A Star in the Night by Jennifer Gladen

Today we are visiting with Jennifer Gladen and her book A Star in the Night as part of the “Bounding for Books Blog Tour.”

* * * * *

Before we get started, let’s see where the rest of the gang is to today.

Mayra Calvani pops in to chat with Shari Soffe at “Out of My Mind” About Books for Children.

Joy Delgado and Margot Finke talk over at Margot’s blog.

Shari Soffe can be found at Topsy Turvy Land with Donna Shepherd.

Margot Finke over at Daily News with Kim Chatel.

Donna Shepherd chats with Jennifer Gladen at Jen’s Blog.

Kim Chatel visits with Mayra Calvani at Mayra’s Secret Bookcase.

* * * * *

Jennifer’s book, A Star in the Night has a very special beginning. In a time of great need, Jennifer saw how wonderful a community can be. Neighbors and friends came together and helped the Gladen family out, no strings attached.

Here is a peek into the story for you.

On a cold Christmas Eve night, David rushes from the mall to buy Mr. Rennetti’s special Christmas cookies. After visiting the store and buying the only two cookies left, David makes his way home. On the way, he has three encounters, which makes him rethink the meaning of Christmas. David faces challenges and tough decisions, even ones that Mom may not approve of. All the while a sparkling star seems to be following him. Join David on his adventurous way home.

Jennifer and Guardian Angel Publishing hope the book will be out by Christmas. So, put it on your list of ‘must buys’ for all those children on your list. You can check on it over at Guardian Angel Publishing. In the mean time, why not pop into Jennifer’s online Catholic Christian magazine, My Light Magazine? It’s full of stories, crafts and more.

So, let’s see how you can take this book beyond reading. How can you help out in your community? Below is a quick list. I’m sure you can come up with more.

Give Back to your Community

Help an elderly neighbor by:
* Taking their trash cans out each week
* Walking their dog for them when they’re sick
* Bringing them a get well card or a Happy Birthday card you made for them
* Just sit and talking with them
* Mow their lawn, rake up their leaves

When someone new moves in:
* Help your mom bake them cookies to take to them
* Get the other families/children on the block together for a welcoming party

Be a ‘big sister/brother’ to the new kid on the block:
* Show them around school
* Introduce them to your friends
* Invite them to go with you and your friends next time you go out together
* Show them around town

Bring your friend’s homework to them when they’re sick. They might not thank you, but you’ll be helping them not fall behind in their classes.

Go through your toys, books and clothes. Pick out the ones you don’t use or wear anymore that are still in decent condition. Donate them to a local shelter, either for homeless people or other cause.

There are many places you can volunteer in your community. Here are a few ideas to get you started.

* Serving at the local soup kitchen
* Helping out at the pet shelter
* Reading stories to younger children at the library
* Collecting cans for a local food drive

Okay, this list should get you started. Be creative and come up with your own ideas of how you can make a difference in the lives of your friends and neighbors by helping out.

See you back on Friday for a visit with Mayra Calvani and Crash!

posted by Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Check out what’s going on at the zoo!
Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog

A Talent for Quiet by Kim Chatel

Today we are visiting with Kim Chatel and her book A Talent for Quiet as part of the “Bounding for Books Blog Tour.”

* * * * *Let’s see what the rest of the gang is up to today.

Jennifer Gladen pops in to chat with Shari Soffe at “Out of My Mind” About Books for Children.
Mayra Calvani and Margot Finke talk over at Margot’s blog.
Joy Delgado can be found at Topsy Turvy Land with Donna Shepherd.
Shari Soffe over at Daily News with Kim Chatel Daily News with Kim Chatel.
Margot Finke chats with Jennifer Gladen at Jen’s Blog.
Donna Shepherd visits with Mayra Calvani at Mayra’s Secret Bookcase.

* * * * *Kim’s A Talent for Quiet is a book many children can relate to. Here’s a little peek inside.

Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing
Release Date: February 2009
Print ISBN: 978-1-935137-56-6
ebook ISBN: 978-1-935137-57-3

Reanie is a shy girl. She has a new step dad whose shoulders seem to fill their small house. Afraid to disappoint him, she retreats to her room whenever Bill asks her to play. But when he invites her on a photo safari in the creek, Reanie can’t resist. As the father and daughter splash through the water, they encounter many creatures. Bill teaches Reanie how to handle a camera, and her new step-dad doesn’t seem so strange anymore.

Illustrated with Kim Chatel’s photography, this is more than a story. It is a journey with Reanie as she finds her voice and her artistic talent. The back of the book includes 4 nonfiction pages about photography: a glossary of terms, tips on taking better pictures and historical tidbits about photography.





You can purchase the book here:
G.A.P.
Amazon

So, how does Kim take her book beyond reading? A Talent for Quiet is a book about photography. There are several pages of photo tips, a glossary of terms and historical facts included in the book. She also created a ‘Stuffed Animal Memory Game’ that’s a lot of fun. Here is a reprint from Kim’s web page.

One hot July afternoon, when Genna was 2 years old, I put her down for a nap and then snuck all her favorite stuffed animals out to the back yard. I set them up in 10 little scenes. The cows played soccer against the sheep (with a Border Collie as referee). The naughty bunnies got into the garden. Ching, the siamese cat, stalked a toad in a toad house. CopyCat, the orange tabby finally learned to use the potty.

I chuckled all the way as I set up the scenes. Finally, I had found a use for the dozens of stuffed animals in our house! Before Genna woke up I snapped a picture of each scene.

Of course, Genna was only 2 at the time, so when she saw all her animals having fun in the backyard, it seemed perfectly natural to her. I suspect older children would find the dioramas more surprising. We walked around the yard and interacted with each scene. We had tea with the teddy bears and helped Oscar take a bath in the birdbath. It was a lovely, quiet afternoon.
Later, I had two of each photo printed and laminated in plastic. We used these as a memory game. Not only did the game help Genna with cognitive and motor skills, but each time we played, we remembered the afternoon with the animals outside.

Older children might have fun setting up their own animal scenes and even taking the pictures. My picture book A Talent for Quiet has simple tips for kids to take better pictures. Here are a few examples:

-Zoom in on the subject of your picture to get rid of background clutter.
-Try forcing your flash to fire, even in bright sunlight to eliminate harsh shadows.

Want to see a slide show of Kim’s Animal Memory Game? Go here.

I asked Kim to share a few things about herself. This is what she said.

My writing has opened up many opportunities for me in my community. I visit schools and libraries, reading my books to kids and presenting workshops on fiber art and photography. Once a month I have a booth at a different local craft fair, to sign books and sell my felt ornaments. So I spend most of my evenings creating fiber art sculptures to sell at these fairs. This year, I am on the fundraising committee for our local zoo. My picture book “A Talent for Quiet” was shot in the creek at the zoo’s nature preserve. I am very exciting that this book will be part of the 2010 fundraising drive.

What I do for fun, when I’m not at my computer, at a reading or making felt art? I just started horse-back riding. My daughter and I volunteer at Last Chance Ranch, a no-kill shelter for horses, dogs and just about any abandoned animal. I love to river-walk and go on photo safaris too.

Thank you Kim for letting us see beyond your life as an author, photographer and fiber artist.

I hope you enjoyed reading about A Talent for Quiet. Come back Wednesday when Jennifer Gladen comes for a visit to talk about her upcoming book A Star in the Night.

posted by Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Check out what’s going on at the zoo!
Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog

Donna Shepherd’s Dottys’ Topsy Tale

Today on the “Bounding for Books Blog Tour” trail, I have Donna Shepherd and her book Dottys’ Topsy Tale.

* * * * *

Before we get started with Donna’s book, be sure to visit the rest of the tour today. Here’s where you can find them.
Jennifer Gladen and Margot Finke talk over at Margot’s blog.
Mayra Calvani can be found at Topsy Turvy Land with Donna Shepherd.
Joy Delgado over at Daily News with Kim Chatel.
Shari Soffe chats with Jennifer Gladen at Jen’s Blog.
Margot Finke visits with Mayra Calvani at Mayra’s Secret Bookcase.
Kim Chatel pops in to chat with Shari Soffe at “Out of My Mind” About Books for Children

* * * * *

Dottys’ Topsy Tale is the second Tospy Turvy tale to come out. First there was Chizzy's Topsy Tale. Kevin Collier illustrated both of these adorable rhyming stories. With Donna’s talent for story telling and Kevin’s imagination, the artwork is full of color and whimsy.

There are lots of places you can find Donna and her books. Here are a few of my favorites:
Topsy Tales
Dotty's Own Blog
Donna’s website
FaceBook Fan Club

So, how does Donna’s book go beyond reading? Here are two things to share today. First we have a coloring page. Copy it and have fun coloring.
Have you ever wondered how to draw a hippo? Watch as Kevin shows up how he drew Dotty.

You can purchase Dottys’ Topsy Tale at the following locations:
G.A.P.
Amazon

Donna has started a fan page on Facebook and she'shaving a drawing Wednesday, June 3. Drop by to enter.

Remember, comment to be entered to win stuff at all our blogs on this tour. Here you’ll win a pdf set of Zooprise Party/ Fiesta Zoorpresa. The picture book will be autographed and the activity book will be just plain fun.

See you all back here Monday when I host Kim Chatel. Have a great weekend!

posted by Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Check out what’s going on at the zoo!
Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog

Rattlesnake Jam by Margot Finke

Today’s featured guest in the “Bounding for Books Blog Tour” is Margot Finke. Another multi-published author, her latest book Rattlesnake Jam is a great book for al those reluctant readers out there.

* * * * *

Before we get into Margot’s book, be sure to visit the rest of the tour today. Here’s where you can find them.
Jennifer Gladen can be found at Topsy Turvy Land with Donna Shepherd.
Mayra Calvani is over at Daily News with Kim Chatel.
Joy Delgado chats with Jennifer Gladen at Jen’s Blog.
Shari Soffe visits with Mayra Calvani at Mayra’s Secret Bookcase.
Donna Shepherd pops in to chat with Shari Soffe at “Out of My Mind” About Books for Children.
Kim Chatel and Margot Finke talk over at Margot’s blog.
Remember to leave comments along the way. You might just win one of the prizes being offered.

* * * * *

Okay, back to Rattlesnake Jam. Her are all the particulars.
Reading level: Ages 5 –10
Paperback: 28 pages
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc (G.A.P) - May 2008
** eBook ISBN 13: 978-1-935137-24-5 -

(BUY - Fictionwise, G.A.P, Author's Website)
** Print ISBN 13: 978-1-935137-00-9 -
(BUY - Amazon, B&N, G.A.P, Author's Website )

A FREE Link to an AUDIO of Margot reading this book comes with every Autographed soft cover copy purchased from her website .

* * * * *

Want to know what the book is about?
"Rattlesnake Jam" is a rhyming romp for reluctant readers - especially boys!
Pa hunts rattlers, and Gran cooks them up into her gooey green rattlesnake jam. Good for whatever ails you, Gran sells her concoction to folks near and far. However, Pa yearns for rattler over rice, or maybe rattlesnake pie: but can he persuade Gran to cook them for him?
Kevin Collier is the illustrator. He really knows how to make a book jump off the pages. You can smell and taste Gran’s rattlesnake jam just by looking at them.

* * * * *

So, how does Margot take this book beyond reading? She starts with a coloring page. Print it out and have fun coloring!

We also have a tasty treat for you. Skewered Rattler, yum? Check it out and maybe you can cook some up for dinner tonight.

If that’s not enough, go to Gran's Kitchen – for more ideas.

There's lots more information about Margot and her writing. You can visit her website for more inovative ideas. Also, follow her through this blog tour and remember to leave comments.

I hope you enjoyed reading about Rattlesnake Jam. Come back Friday when Donna Shepherd comes for a visit and we talk about Dotty and her friends.

posted by Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Check out what’s going on at the zoo!
Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog

Nothing Stops Noah by Shari Lyle-Soffe

“Bounding for Books Blog Tour” is here and my first guest is Shari Lyle-Soffe. She is a multi-published author of four picture books. Her latest is Nothing Stops Noah.

* * * * *

Nothing Stops Noah is a fun story. How many of us can remember helping out just to have everything seems to go wrong? Noah wants to buy a present for his mom, but he doesn’t have any money. He asks his grandpa if he can work in his pet store. When grandpa leaves him alone in the store and all the animals get out of their cages, see how Noah fixes the problem.

Kevin Collier’s illustrations are great. He has a way with facial expressions that really bring this story to life.

To help take this book beyond reading we have two things for you today. First is a coloring page. Right click on the coloring page to copy and print.

Noah likes to count. He can count to 10. How high can you count?

Let’s play a counting game with the cover of the book.
How many animals are there?
How many blue eyes do you see?
How many drops of water are there?
How many colors do you see on Noah?
How many feathers are flying?

Now, look around you. How many things do you see in your room that are the same colors as Noah’s shirt?
What other counting questions can you come up with? Share your ideas here, and who knows, you just might be our winner at the end of the tour.

* * * * *

I asked Shari to share a little bit about herself. Here’s what she said:

I live in Southern Oregon with my husband, one dog and one cat and a pond full of goldfish. My yard is frequented by raccoons, deer, oppossum, squirrels, skunks, and all sorts of birds. We has even been visited by bear and cougar.
When I was a child I loved the "Little House Books", "White Fang" and "The Bobbsey Twins" books.

* * * * *

You can buy Nothing Stops Noah at the following locations:
Guardian Angel Publishing

Amazon

Want to see more of Shari’s work? You can find her at:

Nothing Stops Noah page

Rooter and Snuffle

A Horse of Course

Crafty Fun for Kids

Shari's Books

Shari's coloring pages

Watch the trailer for Nothing Stops Noah.

* * * * *
Check out the rest of the tour. Here’s where you can find the Bounding for Books Blog Tour gang today.

Jennifer Gladen is over at Daily News with Kim Chatel.

Mayra Calvani chats with Jennifer Gladen at Jen’s Blog.

Joy Delgado visits with Mayra Calvani at Mayra’s Secret Bookcase
Margot Finke pops in to chat with Shari Soffe at “Out of My Mind” About Books for Children
Donna Shepherd and Margot Finke talk over at Margot’s blog.
Kim Chatel can be found at Topsy Turvy Land with Donna Shepherd.

Come back Wednesday when Margot Finke and I explore her book Rattlesnake Jam.

posted by Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Check out what’s going on at the zoo!
Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog

Join the Fun at The “Bounding for Books Blog Tour”

Kick your summer of right. Join me here from June 1st to 14th, 2009 where I’ll be participating in a book blog tour. Each of the six days I’ll be featuring a different book and author. My schedule is as follows:
June 1st “Nothing Stops Noah” by Shari Lyle-Soffe
June 3rd “Rattlesnake Jam” by Margot Finke
June 5th “Dotty’s Topsy Tale” by Donna Shepherd
June 8th “A Talent for Quiet” by Kim Chatel
June 10th “A Star in the Night” by Jennifer Gladen
June 12th “Crash!” by Mayra Calvani

See how each of these books goes beyond reading.

You can follow “Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa” each day as follows:

June 1st I’m visiting with Mayra Calvani over at Mayra’s Secret Bookcase.

June 3rd I’ll be popping in at Jen’s blog with Jennifer Gladen.

June 5th Donna Shepherd is hosting me at Topsy Turvy Land.

June 8th Visit with me at Chatel Daily News where I’ll be sharing inspirational ideas whit Kim Chatel

June 10th Margot Finke and I will be having a great time over at Margot’s BOOKS for KIDS + Writing News.

June 12th The grand finale of the tour I’ll be spending the day with Shari Lyle-Soffe over at Shari Lyle-Soffe “Out of My Mind” About Books for Children.

Get a head start by popping over to the Trailer page and see what each book is about.

I hope you can all join us on this tour. All the books are great summer reading for you and your children.

Spread the word, we’d all appreciate it.

posted by Joy Delgado
We go Beyond Reading
Laughing Zebra – Books for Children
Check out what’s going on at the zoo!

Zooprise Party / Fiesta Zoorpresa blog