COVER REVEAL: Rosanne L. Kurstedt’s AND I THINK ABOUT YOU (Plus an Interview!)

THURSDAY JOY! Picture book author Rosanne L. Kurstedt has a new picture book releasing this September with Kids Can Press and the cover is just starting to pop up on the web, so I asked if she’d be my guest for a cover reveal and interview. She said yes!  

First a little introduction: 

Written by Rosanne L. Kurstedt and illustrated by Ya-Ling Huang, AND I THINK ABOUT YOU poignantly captures the love and connection shared by a working mama bear and her cub. During the day, they are apart, but they are always thinking of each other. Told with the feel of a letter (or love song) from mama to child, it is just the kind of story I would have loved to snuggle up with with my own kids when they were little. Rosanne’s warm text pairs nicely with Ya-Ling’s dreamy watercolor illustrations. It’s delightful.

And now, the interview:

Laura: Thank you for joining me here today, Rosanne. What inspired the story?

Rosanne: The story was inspired by a bedtime ritual my older son and I developed.

Laura: I love how a simple bedtime ritual turning into a special bonding tradition.  It makes me remember fondly some of the seemingly little things I did with my kids, that became rituals or traditions of their own kind – but none exactly like this. 

Laura: What are you most excited about for its release in September?

Rosanne: There are so many things I’m excited about – but what I’m most excited about is connecting with families—hearing them talk about the book and also learning about some of the rituals they’ve developed. 

Laura: Thanks again for joining me here today, Rosanne. I can’t wait for the book to release. I am certain it will spark rich conversation, not only at your visits, but also afterwards, as parents and children use your delightful story as a spark to build their own special together-time traditions.

Learn more about Rosanne and her books here:

Website: https://www.rlkurstedt.com

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RLKurstedtAuthor

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/rlkurstedt/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/RLKurstedt

COVER REVEAL: Introducing HAPPY BIRTHDAY CHRISTMAS CHILD: A Counting Nativity Book

MONDAY JOY! I have a Christmas board book coming out this October with Paraclete Press and the cover is just starting to pop up on the web, so I thought I’d share it here too.

The book is called Happy Birthday, Christmas Child: A Counting Nativity Book. Hasn’t illustrator, Gabi Murphy, done a sweet job of capturing your attention with her charming cover design?

Here’s the scoop from Paraclete Press:

Join Mary and Joseph, angels, shepherds, sheep, and various stable critters as they celebrate the birthday of a very special baby in this rhyming counting book for little readers and their families. 

Written by bestselling author Laura Sassi and illustrated by Gabi Murphy, Happy Birthday, Christmas Child! celebrates the warmth, wonder and excitement of the night Jesus was born. Written in gentle rhyme with bright illustrations and lots of things for little ones to notice and count, it’s sure to be a Christmas favorite. 

Happy Birthday, Christmas Child is:

• sturdy board book perfect for little hands

• a charming introduction to the wonder and joy of Christmas

• a spark for conversation about how Christmas is when we celebrate Jesus’ birth 

• a fun way for toddlers and preschoolers to practice counting and naming things

• a great gift option for Christmas, birthdays, baby showers, children’s ministry, preschool programs and more

Thank you, Paraclete Press, for bringing this one into the world. I can’t wait for it to release. 

If you are thinking of adding this to your own collection or giving it as a gift this Christmas, will you take a moment to pre-order a copy of Happy Birthday, Christmas Child today and/or mark it as “to-read” on Goodreads? Those are two wonderful and easy ways to help a new book make a lovely little splash when it releases.

Thank you, and, happy reading!

Cover Reveal – LITTLE EWE: THE STORY OF ONE LOST SHEEP

Guess what? I have a new picture coming out in 2020 with Beaming Books!  LITTLE EWE: THE STORY OF ONE LOST SHEEP is scheduled to release November 17, 2020, just in time for the holidays.

Here’s the scoop from Beaming Books:

“Little Ewe would rather jump on logs and investigate spider webs than follow the shepherd when he calls. But what happens when she gets lost? How will she find her way home? Told in whimsical rhyme, this humorous counting book for our littlest ones is a delightful reminder that, like a loving parent, our Shepherd will find us and care for us, even when we wander from the path.

In Little Ewe: The Story of One Lost Sheep, award-winning author Laura Sassi and illustrator Tommy Doyle tell an endearing tale of a distracted sheep and her persistent shepherd, inspired by the Parable of the Lost Sheep in Luke 15.”

Thank you, Beaming Books, for publishing this next picture book. And now for the moment you (or at least I) have been waiting for… the COVER REVEAL! Thank you, Chirping Moms for hosting. The cover reveal plus an interview (and maybe even a sneak peek at an interior spread!) can be found by pressing here.

Happy Peeking!

FUN NEWS: LOVE IS KIND Cover Reveal!

Guess what? I have another new picture coming out soon with Zonderkidz!  LOVE IS KIND is scheduled to release August 7, 2018,  which, gulp, is almost right around the corner.

Here’s the scoop from Zonderkidz:

“Love Is Kind, written by bestselling author Laura Sassi and illustrated by Lison Chaperon, tells the sweet story of Little Owl who discovers the real meaning of love on his quest to find his grammy the perfect gift. Told in simple prose, this heartfelt and humorous picture book is a sweet reminder that real love isn’t found in a box – even one filled with chocolates.  Love Is Kind takes a charming and gentle approach to teaching kids the true meaning of love as described in 1 Corinthians 13, while celebrating the bonds that kids have with their grandparents, and the many forms that love and happiness can take.”

Thank you, Zonderkidz publishing this next picture book (and I am especially excited about this one because LOVE is a message we can never hear enough about)!  And isn’t that Little Owl standing in that heart-shaped pile of leaves adorable?  I’ve seen the interior spreads too, and each illustration is cuter than the next. I can’t wait for this one to hit shelves everywhere.

Happy Reading!

COVER REVEAL: Diva Delores and the Opera House Mouse (Sterling, Spring 2018)

Today I’m delighted to share with you the cover for my next book, DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE (Sterling Children’s Books, Spring 2018), which is scheduled to hit bookstores everywhere this coming March.  Illustrator Rebecca Gerlings has a gift for whimsy and I LOVE her depiction of Delores and Fernando, the mouse.  I’ve seen the inside too and each and every illustration makes me want to sing!  (But, don’t worry, I’ll refrain from letting loose my vibratto.) Instead, I’ll just say, “Thank you, Sterling Children’s Books, for pairing us together and thank you, Rebecca, for bringing this story to delightful life with your illustrations.”

This book is now available for pre-order at several online retailers, should you happen to want to reserve a copy.