Did you know that today is WORLD KINDNESS DAY? But where does this gift of kindness and love begin? It begins in our hearts — and in the hearts of our children. And it’s never too early nor late to nurture it. One easy way to do that is to let children brainstorm concrete ways that they can show kindness each day.
So today, in celebration of World Kindness Day (and really every day should be kindness day), I’m over at Noelle Kirchner’s blog with a special LOVE IS KIND guest post sharing a list of ways to be kind from kids from across the country! My wish is that their heartwarming ideas will jumpstart a nice conversation with your own children!
So grab that cup of coffee and head on over. I’ll make it easy for you. Here’s the link.
Oh, and there’s a GIVEAWAY for one brand new copy of LOVE IS KIND!
I’m delighted to announce that the winner of last week’s special giveaway, a fresh off the press two-book bundle of Glenys Nellist’s adorable new board books, GOD MADE MOMMY SPECIAL and GOD MADE DADDY SPECIAL, illustrated by Estelle Corke and published by Zonderkidz, is…
Jennifer S.!!!!!
Congratulations! I will be in touch with you today so we can get the book to you.
Thanks again, Glenys, for sharing your five fun facts about your newest books. I’d also like to thank Zonderkidz for providing the winning book bundle. Happy Friday, all!
Today I’m delighted to feature the wonderful Glenys Nellist as my guest. Glenys is the author 12 fabulous books – including her best-selling LOVE LETTERS FROM GOD series with five books out and more on the way. She’s also the author of the adorable SNUGGLE TIME series. Last December, she was here for an interview to celebrate the release of her clever and gorgeous ‘TWAS THE EVENING OF CHRISTMAS, a heart-warming Christmas tale told to the cadence of Clement C. Moore’s famous poem. And today we’re here to celebrate the release of two darling rhyming board books that celebrate the special bonds between and mothers/children and fathers/children. With simple rhyming text and sweet illustrations, these are sure to be a perennial hit. And now, as a fun way of introducing the books, here’s Glenys with FIVE FUN FACTS about the books. (And be sure to enter the giveaway at the end of the post!) Take it away, Glenys!
FIVE Fun Facts About GOD MADE MOMMY SPECIAL & GOD MADE DADDY SPECIAL
by Glenys Nellist
FUN FACT #1: They Weren’t my Idea!
That’s right—you did read that correctly… GOD MADE MOMMY SPECIAL and GOD MADE DADDY SPECIAL were not my idea! Almost three years ago I pitched a new children’s book manuscript to my editor and anxiously awaited her response. When it came, it went something like this:
Hi Glenys, thanks for submitting your new book proposal. Unfortunately, it’s not a good fit for us at the moment. However… I am looking for new titles featuring mommies & daddies. If you have any ideas for those sorts of books, I’ll be happy to take a look.
Any author would be crazy not to give their editor what they are looking for… and the books were born! Now, whenever my editor and I meet for lunch, I always ask her this five-word question: What are you looking for? Then I come home and try to write it.
FUN FACT #2: Why the Mommy Cover Has a Heart-Shaped ‘O’…
Take a peek at the cover of GOD MADE MOMMY SPECIAL…
Can you guess why the ‘O’ is heart-shaped? It’s because in England, where I’m from, and where I’ll shortly be marketing the book, we don’t say Mom. Instead, we say Mum. So the marketing team at Zonderkidz decided to shape the ‘O’ so that it could also be seen as a ‘U’. Aren’t they clever?
FUN FACT #3: The Books Can Be Used in a Fun Guessing Game
One of my favorite things to do as an author is to visit schools and read to children. With these books, I’ve found a wonderful guessing game that children LOVE to participate in. Before showing them the pictures, I read each poem and they have to guess the animal. Listen carefully, I tell them. The clues are in the words.
Try it with your little one. Read this poem and have them guess thedaddy animal. (Answer below)
Come and meet my daddy
He stands up nice and tall.
And even though he’s on one leg,
I’ve never see him fall.
Every time I wobble,
He helps me stand up straight.
God made Daddy special—
He’s really, really great!
FUN FACT #4: The Illustrations are Better Than I Imagined
It’s a very scary thing for an author to hand their manuscript over and trust that the illustrator will be a good fit. I needn’t have worried at all with these books!Estelle Corke did a FABULOUS job, especially with Daddy Skunk, which is my favorite part of the daddy book!
FUN FACT #5: There Might Be a Grandma and Grandpa Version in the Wings…
Sshh… don’t tell anyone, but I already have GOD MADE GRANDMA SPECIAL and GOD MADE GRANDPA SPECIAL written in my head! Depending on sales of the mommy and daddy books, then I’m hoping that Grandma and Grandpa will be joining them on the shelves… fingers crossed for that!
Thank you, Glenys, for those five fun facts. And best wishes for your continued success!
BIO: Coordinator of Children’s Ministry for the West Michigan Conference of the United Methodist Church. Zondervan children’s book author of twelve titles, including two popular series: Love Letters from God and Snuggle Time. Glenys is a writer with a passion for God, her family, and children’s ministry. Find out more about Glenys and her books here:
If you’d like a chance to win a FREE two-book bundle that includes one copy each of GOD MADE MOMMY SPECIAL and GOD MADE DADDY SPECIAL both written by Glenys Nellist and illustrated by Estelle Corke, let me know in a comment below. (NOTE: Must be U.S. resident with a street address (as opposed to a P.O. Box and at least 18 years old to enter.) The giveaway ends Monday, 5/21/18 at 12:01 am EST. The winner will be announced that day!
Finally… the answer to the poem in FUN FACT #3 is: Daddy Flamingo!
To celebrate the upcoming release of DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE, Sterling Children’s Books is giving away FIVE copies in a pre-release Goodreads Giveaway!
Here’s the scoop: Written by Laura Sassi and illustrated by Rebecca Gerlings, DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE tells the story of a new diva and the little mouse who wants to help her, but thinks she deserves BIGGER help than a mouse! Celebrating artistic collaboration and the importance of even the smallest helping hands, it makes a lovely addition to any home, school, or library collection.
Giveaway ends Tuesday, March 6th, 2018 – release day! Click here to get to the GOODREADS GIVEAWAYpage. And if you’re not on Goodreads yet, sign up! It’s loads of fun. US residents only for giveaway, per Goodreads rules.
I’m delighted to announce that the winner of this week’s special giveaway, a brand new copy of Glenys Nellist’s and Elena Selivanova’s beautiful picture book ‘TWAS THE EVENING OF CHRISTMAS, published by Zonderkidz, is…
AMY!!!!!
Congratulations! I will be in touch with you today so we can get the book to you.
Thanks again, Glenys and Elena, for sharing your thoughts with us in this week’s interview. I’d also like to thank everyone who took the time to comment and to my daughter, once again, for lending me one of her snazzy hats for the drawing.
Today, I’m thrilled to be a part of the ’TWAS THE NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS blog tour. At this stop, I’m pinching myself because I get to host author Glenys Nellist and illustrator Elena Selivanova in their first ever joint interview! It’s always a treat to interview an author or an illustrator, but it’s extra special to have both chiming in at once, especially since Elena lives in Russia and speaks Russian!
ABOUT THE BOOK: ’Twas the Evening of Christmas, written by Glenys Nellist and illustrated by Elena Selivanova and published by Zonderkidz, echoes the familiar language and rhythm of Clement Moore’s beloved poem, but instead of focusing on Santa, it focuses on Baby Jesus, who is, after all, the true hero of Christmas.
Get a preview with the book trailer, then join us for the interview below, which has been edited for clarity. I thank both women for joining me and apologize if anything was lost in my understanding of the translation.
Thanks so much for joining us today, ladies. Well let’s get started with my questions bolded.
Question #1: Please tell us a little bit about yourselves and your journey into the world of children’s book writing/illustrating.
Elena:Ever since I can remember, I have always drawn. Perhaps, it was predestination? I was born in Siberia, but grew up south of Kazachstan. Later I moved to Moscow, where I had an excellent education at the Moscow State University of Printing Arts which gave me incredible freedom and confidence. I studied world literature, the theory of composition, fine art, history of religion, material culture, history of costume and more.
What a rich background you bring to the drawing table. No wonder your illustrations sing. And let me also add from the book flap that Elena has worked for twenty years in children’s book illustration and has illustrated over 100 books!
Glenys: I have loved reading, writing and anything to do with words ever since I can remember. It all began at primary school in England, where one day a week, I was one of the lucky few withdrawn from the classroom to sit in big, comfy armchairs in the teachers’ lounge and write. When I became a primary school teacher myself, I wrote poems and stories to use in my classroom, but it wasn’t until my husband and I came to pastor a small church in the United States, that the publishing world opened up for me. It was at that little church that I began to write my own curriculum, to be used in children’s ministry, and pretty soon had this crazy dream of writing a children’s storybook Bible. It was a dream that would take me ten years to fulfill, but it was worth pursuing!
And I’m so glad you followed that dream, Glenys!
Now, Glenys, can you tell us a little bit about the inspiration behind the story?
Glenys:Well, I’m sure like many families, when my four sons were young we would gather round our candle-lit Christmas tree on Christmas Eve and read the much-loved words of Clement C Moore’s ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. Even though we only heard it once a year, it’s such a classic poem that we all knew it by heart. When I began writing for children, that poem popped up in my memory and I wondered if I could rewrite it, using Moore’s familiar rhythm and rhyme, but instead of basing the story around Santa, it would be based on Jesus—the real hero of Christmas.
Elena, your magnificent illustrations bring beautiful fullness to the book. What drew you to Glenys’s ’TWAS THE EVENING OF CHRISTMAS story?
Elena:Probably this is the most exciting and magical story in world literature
and Glenys’s delightful accents gave a powerful impetus to the work.
And you did a glorious job! I just love how your intricate illustrations bring Glenys’s text to life in a special way on each spread.
And now a question for both of you: What would you like readers to take away from this story?
Elena:Serenity and peace.
Glenys:I never intended this story to replace the Christmas classic, but I hope that it might be used alongside it, so that little ones won’t lose their focus on the One who would change the world. I hope they take away a real sense of the love God has for them, in sending baby Jesus to earth.
Your shared story is indeed a wonderful companion piece for the Christmas season. I will be reading your delightful collaborative work with my Sunday School classes in a couple of weeks and I can’t wait to see their eyes light up as the story unfolds in this charming new way.
Finally, since this book celebrates Christmas, do you each have a favorite Christmas tradition that you’d like to share with our readers?
Glenys:I am from England, where my four sons grew up, and so our Christmas traditions are quite different to those in the USA! (For example, in a British home, you won’t find folks decorating cookies….you’ll find them making mince pies!) But I think my favorite tradition has to be pulling Christmas Crackers at the dinner table before we eat our turkey, sprouts and roast potatoes! I think you might know these as ‘poppers’. The idea is that two of you grasp both ends of a cracker and pull. It ‘pops’ open and you get to keep what’s inside. There’s always a corny joke or two, a little plastic toy, and the iconic paper hat, which everyone in England wears for Christmas dinner. Here’s the photo to prove it…
Elena: Every year my family waits, as eager as children, for the arrival of a huge Christmas tree (see picture below). It’s a sparkling tree and the most charming sight ever. It’s a great tradition in my family!
Thank you, again, Elena and Glenys, for chatting with me! Zonderkidz sure knew what they were doing when they teamed you up for this book! Blessings to both of you as we celebrate the Christmas season.
Find out more about Glenys and her books here: Author Website
If you’d like a chance to win a FREE copy of ‘TWAS THE EVENING OF CHRISTMAS, written by Glenys Nellist and illustrated by Elena Selivanova, let me know in a comment below. (NOTE: Must be U.S. resident with a street address (as opposed to a P.O. Box at least 18 years old to enter.) The giveaway ends Thursday, 11/30/17 at 11:59 pm EST. The winner will be announced on Friday! The GIVEAWAY is now over. A winner has been selected. Thank you to all who entered.
Something readers don’t often realize is that it’s highly unusual to actually meet your illustrator – especially when you live on different continents! That’s why I was thrilled last summer to have the delightful privilege of meeting Jane Chapman who illustrated both GOODNIGHT, ARK and GOODNIGHT, MANGER.
While were together enjoying this rare gift of meeting in person, we had the idea that it might be fun to sign a couple of books. So now, to kickoff the holiday season, I’m giving one away!
Before I share the details (below) I thought you might enjoy a few snaps of our lovely meeting last summer:
Finally, without further ado, here are the details for my GOODREADS GIVEAWAY!
Enter to win a very special copy of GOODNIGHT, MANGER (Zonderkidz, 2015,hardcover edition), signed by BOTH author Laura Sassi and New York Times best-selling illustrator Jane Chapman.
Story Summary: It’s bedtime for baby Jesus, but who knew a stable could be so loud? Mama, Papa, and all of the animals try to lull the baby to sleep, but between itchy hay, angels singing, and three kings bearing gifts, it’s too noisy. Cuddle up as everyone tries working together to shepherd Baby into peaceful dreams.
Giveaway ends December 4th, so I can send you the book in time for Christmas. Click here to get to the GOODREADS GIVEAWAYpage. And don’t forget to add GOODNIGHT, MANGER to your “Want to read” list.
I thought it would be fun to kick off fall with a GIVEAWAY!!! That’s right, to celebrate the release of GOODNIGHT, MANGER, the board book edition, Zonderkidz is offering FIVE copies of the new edition in a Goodreads Giveaway!
For those of you unfamiliar with the story, it’s bedtime for baby Jesus. Mama, Papa, and all of the animals try to lull the baby to sleep, but between itchy hay, angels singing, and three kings bearing gifts, it’s too noisy. Cuddle up as everyone works together to shepherd Baby into peaceful dreams.
Giveaway ends Tuesday, October 11th – which is the official release day! Click here to get to the giveaway page.
I’m delighted to announce that the winner of last week’s special giveaway, a brand new copy of Miranda Paul’s adorable bedtime picture book 10 LITTLE NINJAS, published by Knopf Books for Young Readers and illustrated by Nate Wragg, is…
JODY!!!!!
Congratulations! I will be in touch with you today so we can get the book to you.
Thanks again, Miranda, for giving us insight into the book’s dedication and for inspiring us with your writerly journey. I’d also like to thank everyone who took the time to comment on this week’s post and to my daughter, once again, for lending me her snazzy hat for the drawing.
To celebrate the upcoming release of GOODNIGHT, MANGER, Zonderkidz is giving away FIVE copies of this new holiday picture book in a pre-release Goodreads Giveaway!
Here’s the scoop: It’s bedtime for baby Jesus, but who knew a stable could be so loud? Mama, Papa, and all of the animals try to lull the baby to sleep, but between itchy hay, angels singing, and three kings bearing gifts, it’s too noisy. Cuddle up as everyone tries working together to shepherd Baby into peaceful dreams.
Illustrated by New York Times bestselling artist Jane Chapman, GOODNIGHT, MANGER offers a unique twist on the classic manger tale, weaving together the comforting and familiar routines of bedtime with the special magic and wonder of the manger story.
Giveaway ends Tuesday, October 6th. Click here to get to the GOODREADS GIVEAWAYpage. And don’t forget to add GOODNIGHT, MANGER to your “Want to read” list.
I’m delighted to announce that the winner of last week’s special giveaway, a fresh off the press two-book bundle of Glenys Nellist’s adorable new board books, GOD MADE MOMMY SPECIAL and GOD MADE DADDY SPECIAL, illustrated by Estelle Corke and published by Zonderkidz, is…
BIO: 
To celebrate the upcoming release of DIVA DELORES AND THE OPERA HOUSE MOUSE, Sterling Children’s Books is giving away FIVE copies in a pre-release 
Something readers don’t often realize is that it’s highly unusual to actually meet your illustrator – especially when you live on different continents! That’s why I was thrilled last summer to have the delightful privilege of meeting Jane Chapman who illustrated both GOODNIGHT, ARK and GOODNIGHT, MANGER.
I’m delighted to announce that the winner of last week’s special giveaway, a brand new copy of Miranda Paul’s adorable bedtime picture book 10 LITTLE NINJAS, published by Knopf Books for Young Readers and illustrated by Nate Wragg, is…
To celebrate the upcoming release of GOODNIGHT, MANGER, Zonderkidz is giving away FIVE copies of this new holiday picture book in a pre-release 