AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: Five Fun Facts about YOSHI’S BIG SWIM with Author Mary Wagley Copp

 

Today I’m delighted to have picture book author Mary Wagley Copp as my guest sharing five fun facts about her latest picture book YOSHI’S BIG SWIM: ONE TURTLE’S EPIC JOURNEY HOME, illustrated by Kaja Kajfež and published by Capstone. Here’s the official description per the publisher’s website:

“Yoshi’s Big Swim chronicles the impressive true story of Yoshi, a loggerhead turtle who was rescued by fishermen, then rehabilitated and cared for by scientists for many years. The scientists adored her, and Yoshi was happy in her aquarium home. But then, many years later, Yoshi let them know that it was time for her to move on. Would Yoshi be safe? Would she know what to do? After lots of preparation—and plenty of friendly back scratches for Yoshi—the determined loggerhead set off on her journey. Discover an amazing story celebrating teamwork, science, and an animal hero who swam more than 22,000 miles to her true home—the longest journey of any animal ever tracked. In addition to being awe-inspiring, Yoshi’s story underlines the importance of wildlife conservation and the power of one animal to unite people around the world for a common cause.“

Beautifully crafted, both in word and illustration, this book is a wonderful addition to any school, town, or home library. Now enjoy this special post as Mary shares five fun facts about the book and writing. Thank you, Mary!

Fun Fact #1:

Like Yoshi, I love to swim! My mother used to recount the first time I saw a pool, I leaped in – no floaties, no life preserver – I just jumped! I couldn’t swim (I think I was about 2 ½ years old) but that didn’t stop me! Of course, I was quickly rescued feet first. My mother said I coughed up some water but wanted to jump in again! And, to this day, if I see water I usually jump in! I love to swim! I think that is one reason I was so excited to learn about Yoshi, the amazing loggerhead turtle who swam 22,000 miles to her natal beach! 

Here I am swimming across Buzzards Bay:

 Fun Fact #2:

After I read many articles about Yoshi and watched television clips about her, I reached out to the aquarium where she was cared for for 20 years. I was able to interview the director – which was such an honor for me. I had seen her on TV, listened to her on podcasts and here I was talking to her about her most famous resident – Yoshi! She reaffirmed the fact that Yoshi was a magnificent turtle but also that there was such a large community of people who loved her and cared for her – throughout her life.

 Fun Fact #3:

I have been working and re-working some picture manuscripts for a few years. I love revising and I love the challenge of really getting a story the best it can be. It is such a joyful feeling to polish a story and push ‘send’ in hopes that it turns into a book. However, unlike the other manuscript, YOSHI’S BIG SWIM seemed to almost write itself! After the bulk of research, I wrote the entire manuscript in a day and then spent a few weeks pondering it, changing some words and deleting an extraneous scene – or two. But, really, Yoshi told her own story and I just typed away. It was a very cool experience – one that is very atypical for me as a writer!

 Fun Fact #4:

I now follow a lot of turtles online! They have satellite tags affixed to their shells so interested people around the world can track their migrations. It is fascinating AND you can get very attached to these wonderful creatures as you witness their journeys.

 Fun Fact #5:

Every spring, I watch nesting peregrine falcons through my local Audubon Society’s webcam that is placed on an office building where the pair lives. I love wacthing their journey as parents. From the time the pair makes their nest until the last fledgling leaves, I am hooked! I have seen the parents bring back a lot of birds, which is hard to watch – but it is also so neat to see the hatchlings grow, learn from their parents and then learn to fly. Animals are amazing!! 

BIO: Mary graduated from Smith College and earned an MPH from UNC – Chapel Hill. Her career has been primarily focused on strengthening non-profit, social justice organizations – both as a management consultant as well as an executive director. Mary also spent several years in the filmmaking world. For one documentary, Mary and her team followed a family in an Ethiopian refugee camp to their new home in Providence, RI. This film – and the people featured – was the inspiration for her debut picture book, Wherever I Go (Atheneum/S&S, 2020), illustrated by Munir D. Mohammed. Mary is also author of the nonfiction picture book, Yoshi’s Big Swim: One Turtle’s Epic journey Home, illustrated by Kaja Kajfez (Capstone, 2023). Yoshi is a record-breaking magnificent creature and her long journey back to her natal beach.As well as writing for children, Mary teaches ESL to newcomers in her area. Mary loves to swim and garden. She lives in Westport, MA with her husband, Allyn. They have 3 grown children.

Connect with Mary on the web: marywagleycopp.com
Twitter @Maryfkwc
Instagram @marywcopp
FB Mary Wagley Copp

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Five Fun Facts about WOOF! THE TRUTH ABOUT DOGS with Author Annette Whipple

Today I’m delighted to have children’s author and animal lover Annette Whipple here to share five fun facts about her newest book WOOF! THE TRUTH ABOUT DOGS published by Reycraft Books. Here’s the official teaser from the publisher’s website:

“How do dogs communicate? Why do dogs sniff butts? Are dogs just tame wolves? These and other questions are answered by the author, along with some extra information provided by the dogs themselves in this second book in THE TRUTH ABOUT series.“

As a former teacher and parent, I give this book hearty “woof” for interest and appeal. Annette has done her research well and managed to pack the book full of fascinating facts about dogs.The accompanying photographs are engaging and the layout is appealing to both kids and grown ups. And now Annette has agreed to be my guest today sharing fun tidbits about the book. Enjoy!

Fun Fact #1

Woof! The Truth About Dogs is the second book in The Truth About animal series. The first book, Whooo Knew, featured owls. Dogs were a natural choice for the second book. With so many photographs included in the books, I knew pooches would make readers smile. I knew I’d learn a lot while researching and writing—and I did! Did you know some puppies are born with green fur? I didn’t! (The color changes over time.) 

Fun Fact #2

Dogs talk with barks and growls, but they also communicate with their bodies! Watch their tails, ears, and even lips for more canine communication.  

Fun Fact #3

Puppies are born with closed eyes because they only have the chance to develop for two months within their mothers. After a couple of weeks their eyes open and their hearing develops. That’s when they get more active, too!

Fun Fact #4

Dogs sniff butts to learn more about other pooches. With one big whiff they can even tell the mood of their new canine companion. (Of course, they learn a lot about you when they smell you, too!) 

Fun Fact # 5

I don’t have a pet dog now, but my first dog was named Dog. He was a wonderful Lab/golden retriever mix. I have many fond memories with him, including dancing together to my dad’s 45s (before CDs were available). 

Thanks so much for letting me share about Woof! The Truth About Dogs with these five fun facts. The book includes even more facts and science about our furry friends. A big bonus: The hardcovers of this series include posters that kids love. Laura, maybe I can return to share more facts for my upcoming books in the series featuring spiders, frogs, and cats because FACTS ARE FUN! As you might imagine, my recent research fascinates me.

About the Author:

Annette Whipple celebrates curiosity and inspires a sense of wonder while exciting readers about science and history. She’s the author of ten fact-filled children’s books including The Laura Ingalls Wilder Companion: A Chapter-by-Chapter Guide (Chicago Review Press) and The Truth About series (Reycraft Books) including Whooo Knew? The Truth About Owls and Scurry! The Truth About Spiders. Get to know Annette and explore her resources for writers at www.AnnetteWhipple.com. 

[Note: Thank you to the author for the opportunity to preview the book with a digital ARC that I was under no obligation to review. The views and opinions expressed on this blog about books and other things are purely my own.]

AUTHOR SPOTLIGHT: A Chat with Laurie Wallmark in Celebration of her Latest Release – GRACE HOPPER: QUEEN OF COMPUTER CODE

Today I’m delighted to have children’s author, Laurie Wallmark, as my guest. Laurie and I met several years ago at the NJSCBWI annual conference, and I’ve been impressed by her passion for highlighting the careers and lives of notable women in the science field.  Her first book, Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine (Creston Books, 2015), celebrated the life of a 19th-century female mathematician who is considered to be the world’s first computer programmer.  Her newest book, Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code (Sterling, 2017) celebrates the life of Grace Hopper, a 20th century female trailblazer in the field of computer programming.  Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code is engaging, informative, and fun and has already earned strong reviews from Publishers Weekly, Kirkus Reviews and more. Welcome, Laurie and let’s get started.

Q: What inspired you to write Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code?

A: Since I teach computer science and am a former programmer, the early years of computing fascinate me. Grace was among the first computer scientists. I’m amazed at how her insight and creativity shaped the world of computers today

Q: There are so many fun – and fascinating – moments in this delightful picture book biography, including one particularly amusing moment involving a bug. What was your research process like? Were there any amazing moments where you discovered something completely new to you? 

A: It’s interesting that you ask about that computer bug. I had always heard that Grace discovered a moth in a computer relay, which caused her to coin the word “bug.” Well in doing the research, it turns out neither part of this sentence is quite true. Grace was not the person who discovered the bug, but rather someone on her team did. And as far back as Thomas Edison, the word “bug” was used to describe a glitch in a mechanical device. Grace was the first person to use the term “computer bug,” though. This is why research is so important when writing nonfiction for children.

Q: Most of your text is written in creative nonfiction, but on many spreads you also have special text that is set apart in large and colorful fonts. Can you share with us why you chose this distinction? 

A: Grace was known for her witty sayings, and the set-apart text contains some of the most interesting ones. Because not all of her quotations would easily fit as part of the story, we chose to separate them out like this.

Q: Katy Wu’s illustrations really enhance your text. I love the mid-century funky feel she creates in each spread.  What was it like to work with Katy?

A: In general, and that was true in this case, the author doesn’t work directly with the illustrator. Instead, my notes and suggestions went through my editor and the art director. I provided Katy with lots of pictures of Grace, computer equipment, and even a math problem to show on the blackboard. I was fortunate that Sterling solicited my opinions on the illustrations. That’s not common.

Q: Finally, teachers and parents are always looking for ways to tie picture books into the curriculum, and I think that’s especially true for a STEM rich book like this. Do you have any extension activities your readers might enjoy? 

A: On the teacher page of my website (http://www.lauriewallmark.com/teachers.php), I have a discussion guide for use with this book. Among other things, it includes the following activity:

Is there some gadget or gizmo you wish existed? Write the name of your invention and what it does on a blank sheet a paper. Draw a picture of what your invention might look like. Share you invention with your classmates and describe how it works. Listen as they explain about their own inventions.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Laurie.  I wish you the best with this remarkable new book.

BIO:

Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark’s debut picture book, Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine (Creston Books, 2015), received four starred trade reviews (Kirkus, Publishers Weekly, Booklist, and School Library Journal) and several national awards, including Outstanding Science Trade Book and the Eureka Award. It is a Cook Prize Honor Book. Her recently released picture book biography, Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code (Sterling Children’s Books, 2017), earned a Kirkus star and was well-reviewed in several trade journals. Laurie has an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from VCFA. When not writing, she teaches computer science at Raritan Valley Community College.

Click here to join Laurie as she travels from blog to blog to introduce her picture book biography, Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code.

Follow Laurie on:
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/laurie.wallmark
Twitter: @lauriewallmark
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/lauriewallmark/

 

Family M.E.S.S. – Children’s Librarian Lauren Antolino Chats about an Award-Winning STEM Program for Little Ones

Each year the New Jersey State Library bestows the Best Practices in Early Education Award to four outstanding New Jersey public libraries that provide exemplary literacy programs for children from birth to six years, their families and caregivers. The award comes with a $1,000 honorarium, a certificate, and promotion of the winning library as a model program for other libraries. 

This year the Cranford Public Library (my local library!) was selected to receive one of four of these statewide awards for its Family M.E.S.S. (Math, Engineering, and Science Saturday) program. Children’s Librarian Lauren Antolino is the creative organizer behind Family M.E.S.S.,  a popular bi-monthly educational program where kids ages 2 – 10 and their caregivers participate in a variety of hands-on experiments and problem-solving challenges related to math, engineering and science.  

I’m delighted that Lauren has agreed to an interview today. Thanks so much for joining us, Lauren!  Let’s get started.

The Family M.E.S.S program is not only popular with your young patrons, it’s now *award* winning!  What do you think is the secret to its success?

The community! Cranford is a great town, full of parents who are interested in opportunities to learn and play with their children. We’ve found that a large number of our patrons, particularly younger children, love science, engineering, and/or math, so the interest is definitely there. Many parents are actively seeking fun, educational activities for their children, especially on weekends. One of our goals in creating the program was to engage families in “learning by doing” at the library, and it turns out they were looking for the same! 

Another huge factor, of course, is that the children who attend the program love making a mess, and parents love not having to clean it up!

Describe for us what a typical Family M.E.S.S. session looks like. 

As the name suggests, Family M.E.S.S. often involves making a mess! We provide families with stations of simple, open-ended activities: one based around math, one around science, and one around engineering. Families spend about 10 minutes at each station before rotating to the next activity. There’s typically a lot of excitement for the science station, which is always our messiest! We’ve made “elephant toothpaste,” “rainbow milk,” and DIY slime.

My favorite part of the program is listening to the conversations between the parents and children. Families are engaging in high-level conversations that I am always so impressed by. Mrs. Queenan, a lovely staff member who has been an indispensable part of the program since it started, said it best: “during the program, parents talk up to their children. They don’t talk baby talk, they enjoy being a co-teacher and learning together.”

With so many wonderful hands-on activities, it seems like preparing for Family M.E.S.S. sessions and then presenting could be quite involved.  Do you have any prep/management tips to offer other librarians and/or teachers who might be interested in engaging their young library patrons or students in something similar?

There’s no need to reinvent the wheel! I first heard of the idea of Family M.E.S.S. at a “STEM made Simple” class, and used it as a springboard for an ongoing program. There are so many great programs out there, it’s just a matter of finding the right one for your community. Everyone has limitations, for us, it was important to take those into account and present a version of the program that would work here. We have limited staff, which led us to add a journal that would help us easily communicate instructions. It ended up being a great addition, because families leave with everything they need to reproduce the activities at home. It also added this wonderful reading/writing component to the program, which we love!

Family M.E.S.S. is just one of many engaging programs you’ve organized for our library.  Other programs include weekly story times for all ages, including  the popular “Story Time Yoga” for ages 2 – 5.  You even have a book club for older kids called “Page Turners”. How do you decide what types of programs to put together?  Which have been the most popular?

I inherited some fantastic programs when I started here in 2014: Therapy Dogs, an amazing Summer Reading Carnival, and Story Time Yoga. Many of the other librarians and library staff have been working here for a very long time, so we spend a lot of time talking about programs that sound interesting and brainstorming ways to make them work at our library. I cannot stress enough what a valuable resource they are! We all keep an eye on the books that go out, listen to feedback from program participants, and consider programs that have been successful in the past. 

We recently had a “Minecraft Circuits in Real Life” program, created by a group called Soldering Sunday, that was a huge hit! It was an introduction to circuitry that might otherwise be a hard sell, but the Minecraft aspect caused it to quickly fill up.

Is there a final question you wish I had asked? If so, please share.  =)

“Where do you see this program going?” I’d really like to find a way to integrate technology while maintaining the parent/child dynamic that we’ve established. The library’s Friends group generously donated five iPads last year, and we’re working on finding the best way to incorporate those into the program. We’re in a good position to act as “media mentors” and guide parents in their use of media with their children, so a tech component would be a great addition! 

Thanks so much for joining us, Lauren. Three cheers for wonderful librarians and vibrant programs for kids at our local libraries!