Have you read my Easter book BUNNY FINDS EASTER? It released with Zonderkidz last Spring and both then, and now, it’s my hope, that it will be used as a fun introduction to the real meaning of Easter with littlest ones. The story is bouncy and colorful and fits right into an Easter basket.
It was my joy to write and I love how illustrator Ela Jarzabek’s colorful renderings of Bunny and friends complement the joyfully rhyming text.
Though I carefully crafted every line, I must confess that I have a favorite. It comes near the end, when Bunny finds herself in church. All through the book she’s been on a hunt to find what Easter signifies. She’s dyed eggs and nibbled hot cross buns and hopped through an Easter Egg Hunt. But, though all those things can be fun clues, it’s not until this moment near the end of the book that she has that heart moment, when deep inside, she makes the connection and figures it out.
Here’s that scene recapped: Bunny is in her pew as all stand to sing the Easter news.
“Who came to take our sins away? And rose again on Easter Day?”
Here’s the moment:
And on the next spread she joyfully sings the answer: “Jesus!”
This, my friends, is what I pray for all of our children. Not that their whiskers twitch, but that this Easter, deep inside they feel that glow of knowing Jesus came and died and rose again for them.
Happy Easter!
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One of the joys of having a new book out is getting to chat about it in meaningful and fun ways. This week I have three special interviews to share with you. First up, on February 22nd at approximately 9:45 am, I had my first ever LIVE tv interview. The lovely Colleen from Catholic Faith Network interviewed me as a part of their morning show. Here’s the segment. It’s just under six minutes and I hope you are keen to take a peek. =)
Next, that very same day, I had an early afternoon chat with author and interview host Valerie Fentress over on her Instagram page. Valerie does monthly interviews with Christian authors and asks really fun questions. (And in the super fun department, I will be hosting her on my blog later this month with Five Fun Facts about her Easter book, so stay tuned for that.)
BOOK SALE! Finally, now through Easter, my publisher is offering a special price for both MY TENDER HEART BIBLE and HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD. When you order through them, use the code SASSI! to receive 20% off either title on the Paraclete Press website.
Did you know that MY TENDER HEART BIBLE, which released earlier this month with Paracete Press, is part of a series? The second book MY TENDER HEART PRAYER BOOK will release this coming fall. And in the super neat category, my publisher Paraclete Press has created a special website for the series: https://mytenderheartbooks.com
It’s your go-to spot for all things MY TENDER HEART starting with oodles of fun stuff related to MY TENDER HEART BIBLE including:
The link to the MY TENDER HEART BIBLE story time which aired with Paraclete Press last week
A downloadable activity kit for MY TENDER HEART BIBLE which includes:
Printable Bible verse “Tender Heart Moment” cards
Printable Greeting Cards for Kids to color and give on special days
Printable Tender Heart Stickers
A special preview of My Tender Heart Prayer Book – coming this Fall!
Easy links for purchase from a broad array of vendors
The beautiful book trailer produced by Paraclete
A regularly updated listing of all my events
An “About the Creators” section
A contact tab so you can reach out to me or them
And this LOVELY endorsement from best-selling author Crystal Bowman:
The title says it all! My Tender Heart Bible is a sweet Bible storybook, just right for little hands and little hearts. Written in rhyming verse and paired with adorable illustrations, this collection of favorite Bible stories will help young children learn about people and events from the Bible, while reminding them of God’s unconditional love. I need it for my grandkids!
Crystal Bowman—award-winning, bestselling author of more than 100 books for children including, Our Daily Bread for Kids
I hope you will bookmark it for easy reference. (I’ll also include on my website’s designated book page for MY TENDER HEART BIBLE.)
Every day recently, I’ve been doing a little something special to get ready for my newest board book to release. Last week these special efforts included filming a short video introducing MY TENDER HEART BIBLE. Well, I just noticed that the video is now up on Paraclete’s website as well as their YouTube channel, so that means I can share it!
I hope you have time to take one minute and 37 seconds to listen. It’s short, but you wouldn’t believe how much time I spent getting my part just right! I hope it inspires you to order copies for the little ones in your life. Check my website’s designated book page for quick links to order the book through several major vendors.
Stay tuned for more fun bookish news in the coming days! Blessings, all!
Last week Bunny (the sweet protagonist from Bunny Finds Easter) and I were invited to our first 2023 Easter Egg Hunt! On Palm Sunday, I’ll be reading Bunny’s story at this event that typically attracts several hundred people. Do you know what that means? It means it’s time to take out my Bunny-inspired Easter bonnet! It also means it’s time to share some ideas for how we as parents, teachers and the church can help our littlest ones understand what Easter is all about.
In Bunny Finds Easter (Zonderkidz, 2022), Bunny is on a quest to find out if Easter is all about chocolate eggs and jelly beans or if it might just be about a little bit more? As the story unfolds, Bunny encounters many of the fun traditions surrounding Easter but it’s not until she arrives and church and they sing an Easter song that she realizes JESUS is the reason we celebrate Easter. Indeed, amidst all the fun of jelly beans and Easter bunnies, it can be hard for little ones to understand that Easter is about Jesus. With that in mind, here are…
Five Fun Ideas to Point Little Ones to JESUS at Easter
Read some faith-filled Easter board books (and picture books too!) With simple text and engaging illustrations an Easter-themed board book that touches on the real meaning of Easter is a cozy, fun way to spark conversation with little ones that Easter is about Jesus and His great love for us – a love shown through the atoning grace of the cross, the joy of His resurrection, and the gift of new life we have in Him.
Do some Easter baking. Little ones love baking and eating sweet treats. That’s why Bunny nibbles hot cross buns in Bunny Finds Easter. According to tradition, hot cross buns were first baked by monks in the 12th century with a cross marked in the dough to commemorate Good Friday. They are relatively easy to make and a delicious reminder of Jesus and the cross. Resurrection rolls are another fun and meaningful baking option that can be used to point little ones to Jesus at Easter. You can find many recipes online for baking and enjoying either or both of these baked items with your little one.
Use jelly beans to point to Jesus. As you and your little ones nibble Easter jelly beans, let them serve as a sweet reminder of Jesus’s love for them and the world. Before sampling each color, think about how it might remind us of Jesus. For example, yellow can remind us that Jesus is the light of the world. Green can remind us of the new life we have in Him. Purple, the color of royalty, can remind us that He is our loving King. Red can remind us that he died and rose again for us. And so on.
Include Jesus in the Easter basket. Fill your children’s Easter baskets with colorful, engaging items that remind them of Jesus. Consider having a faith-based Easter board book serve as the centerpiece. Round it out with small items such as candies, stickers, and other little toys etc. that are in some way connected to Jesus and Easter. Examples: a little lamb (we are His sheep), a glow-in-the-dark cross, chocolate hearts (because Jesus loves us), little chicks and bunnies (to represent new life in Christ) etc.
Sing some “Jesus loves you!” songs. Songs learned, even as young as toddler and preschool age, can have a lasting faith impact on the human soul. Just think of the songs you remember from your childhood and beyond. Do any of them speak of Jesus? If so, they can be a special way to introduce Jesus to your little ones at Easter and throughout the year. Some Easter-y favorites that we love at our house (that are good for little ones too) include: He Lives,Jesus Loves Me, Amazing Grace and more.
OTHER IDEAS for using Bunny Finds Easter specifically:
Have a Bunny Finds EasterBook Walk. This fun intergenerational activity has the feel of an Easter Egg Hunt – and can even include jelly beans and other goodies – but the “hunt” is walking along a trail (outside or inside) to discover progressive spreads of the story BUNNY FINDS EASTER mounted on boards culminating in a craft or activity table at the end of the walk. Get all the details plus the FREE downloadable instruction sheet here.
Get FREE downloadable BUNNY FINDS EASTER activity kit designed especially for littlest ones. The six-page kit includes:
Decorate the Easter Egg
Help Bunny Find Her Way to Church on Easter Morning
How Many Eggs Can You Find?
Draw More Easter Lilies for Bunny
Send an Easter Card to Someone You Love ( foldable printable card)
Interested in ordering Bunny Finds Easter? It’s available wherever books are sold. Happy Monday, all!
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With less than three weeks to go until MY TENDER HEART BIBLE officially releases, I’ve been busy getting ready. In anticipation, here are just a few of the things I’ve had on my to-do list:
1. Training Teddy, who has been my special bear since I was two, to be my storytime companion. He’s holding a tooth brush because the theme of our visits will be establishing cozy bedtime routines that include brushing teeth, getting in jammies, praying and snuggling up with a favorite stuffy to read books like MY TENDER HEART BIBLE!
2. Scheduling school, library, and bookstore events for the winter and spring. If you would like me to visit your school, library or bookstore, please reach out to me via my contact page. I’m also offering a handful of free 20-minute virtual visits, so reach out to me there as well if that is of interest. Check out the visits I have set up so far on my Upcoming Events page.
3. Setting up a small, but enthusiastic, book launch team to do things like share the book in their communities, recommend the book for purchase at their local schools and libraries, share about the book on social media etc.
4. Arranging and then preparing for a virtual book tour that includes stops at blogs, podcasts and more. Let me know if you’d like to be one of the stops.
5. Creating extension activities and crafts for teachers/parents to use after reading MY TENDER HEART BIBLE.
6. Being intentional about connecting and engaging daily on my various social media feeds. I hope you’ll join me there. There are buttons in the header and footer here for easy connecting.
7. Updating my author bio info on various book-related websites.
8. Preserving daily time in the midst of all this to write new stories, poem, and picture books. (I have several in progress.)
9. Remembering to BREATHE and ENJOY the process…
LEARN MORE about the book, including links for where to purchase, on my website’s dedicated MY TENDER HEART BIBLE book page.
Note: If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to my blog using the subscribe button in the footer or sidebar. I post once or twice weekly with book news, inspirational reflections, tips, interviews and more.
I’m delighted to share that my 2022 Easter-themed board book BUNNY FINDS EASTER published by Zonderkidz and illustrated by Ela Jarzabek has won a Northern Lights Book Award in the Holiday/Notable Days Category.
Per their website, “The Northern Lights Book Awards considers children’s books to be an art form and honors books that excel in aesthetic and literary qualities with an emphasis on permanency. We are seeking works that will leave a lasting impression, ones that will resonate with the reader not only now but in years to come.”
Their judging panel “consists of industry experts in the fields of education, publishing, and writing. Not only are they seeking works that will resonate with the reader in years to come, but they are especially interested in books that are enriching, uplifting, and promote goodwill.”
Wow! Bunny and I are honored to be recognized in this way and we can’t wait to visit schools and churches this coming Easter season. In the meantime, order a copy for your church or school, or your children’s Easter basket, if you haven’t already, and enjoy this fun book trailer that Zonderkidz created for the book’s release last spring.
This will be my last post of 2022. See you in January with brand new inspiration for your inbox!
Note: If you enjoyed this post, please consider subscribing to my blog using the subscribe button in the footer or sidebar. I post once or twice weekly with inspirational reflections, tips, interviews and more.
On this chilly November Friday, as we head into what feels like the start of wintry celebrations, with Thanksgiving first up, I thought I’d take a moment to give thanks for all the support and encouragement I have experienced with the release of my new book, HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD. It’s a simply told board book that uses counting and rhyme to introduce littlest ones to real gift of Christmas – Jesus- and the feedback I’ve gotten so far is that it’s striking a tender chord in hearts of all ages. Today I thought I’d share five endorsements the book has received – including one from a Children’s Ministry Director!
I’m also delighted to share that HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD is the featured book today over at Susanna Leonard Hill’s Perfect Picture Book Friday. The post there includes a review and a craft/game from the author – me! Here’s the link for that. Oh, there’s a giveaway there as well. So be sure to head on over. Happy Friday!
“A fun and engaging introduction to the Christmas story.” —School Library Journal
“You will not be able to read this book without smiling! Every single page of this counting Christmas offering from Laura Sassi is filled with delight. From one stable to ten tiny toes, this book is a joyous, fun, interactive way to celebrate the season with little ones.” —Glenys Nellist, author of Snuggle Time Christmas Stories and Good News! It’s Christmas!
“A creative re-telling of a timeless story—young children will smile with the turn of each page.” —Christine Voegeli, Director of Children’s Ministry at New Providence Presbyterian Church
“Happy Birthday, Christmas Child has everything I’m looking for in a faith-based picture book—lilting rhymes, a sweet story, and, most importantly, Biblical truth! It deserves a place in your holiday book basket.” —Kristin Wynalda, creator of Big Books, Little Ears
“Simply told in lovely rhyme, Happy Birthday Christmas Child is presented in a way that is true to the bible’s telling but written for youngest readers to enjoy, with things to count on every page along the way – from 1 stable to 10 tiny toes.” —Susanna Leonard Hill, New York Times bestselling children’s author
My decision to use puppets at author visits began quite by chance. Since a pair of skunks play an important role in my first book GOODNIGHT, ARK, and figuring that some of my very youngest readers might not be familiar with the species, I thought having a pair of skunk puppets would be a fun way to introduce the story.
The skunks were such a great hit, that when my second book, GOODNIGHT, MANGER, came out, I knew I wanted a new, book-specific puppet. Thankfully, without too much trouble, thanks again to Folkmanis, I found the perfect companion — Rooster!
My third book, DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE, stars a diva seal and opera-loving mouse. And again, they are the warm-up act to my story times and, boy, are they a hit! Delores even sings opera! (She gets the kids to sing too… and the parents and teachers!)
My fourth book, LOVE IS KIND stars Little Owl and that puppet was made for me by the very kind director at one of the programs I visited. She said, “I can make you a puppet that looks just like Little Owl!” and then a few days later a delightful package arrived in the mail. Isn’t he darling!
For LITTLE EWE, I opted for a stuffed toy made by Gund rather than a puppet. I named her Little Ewe, of course, and doesn’t she look like she’s just hopped off the cover of the book – ready to share her story with children everywhere at author events?
For BUNNY FINDS EASTER, and inspired by that kind ministry director who made Little Owl, I fashioned my own felt Bunny puppet and she was indeed a hit at visits, though the bunny hat I later made I think out dazzled her.
And now, with two weeks to go until my first HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD school visit, I’m delighted to introduce you to Mouse, my newest puppet, who arrived in the mail today. Designed by The Puppet Company I can’t wait to share him and the book this Christmas season.
If you decide to bring a puppet along to your next author visit and want a few tips for creative ways to incorporate puppets into your presentation, stay tuned for next week’s blog post with 10 tips for doing just that!
I have FOUR fun newsie bits for today’s post. (Perfect for a book about counting.)
First, it’s been one week since HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD released and over the weekend I got my first glimpse of the book being read “in the wild” by a lovely grandmother/grandaughter pair at my book signing down in Ocean Grove. I loved watching the interaction between the two as they turned the pages together – with granddaughter proudly counting. So cute. And they purchased the first copy that day!
Second, since counting is such an integral part of this little Christmas board book, you may wonder if I had it in mind from the beginning. Find out today over at author Darlene Beck Jacobson’s blog as I reveal that plus Five Counting Tips to Get the Most our to HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD. Paraclete Press is also providing one copy for a giveaway, so you have two fun reasons to head over there.
Third, be sure to check out Sally Matheny’s review of HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD. Her reviews are always so thoughtful. Here’s the link. While you are there, I hope you will enjoy exploring her many other reviews as well.
Fourth, check out the SCHOOL LIBRARY JOURNAL REVIEW!!! I was delighted to discover last weekend that School Library Journal reviewed HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD in their September issue. (Thanks to my librarian for letting me have a peek.) It’s a good one. What’s their verdict? See below. It’s a YES!
Now, a SPECIAL REQUEST. Will you help this book reach little hands by recommending it for acquisition at your local library?
Want to purchase copy? It’s available wherever books are sold. Links and more on my new designated book page.
Laura Sassi Tales 