Welcome, Readers!

The contest Save the Picture Book has ended. Telling people about funny, informative, beautiful, or generally awesome picture books continues. I also share middle grade books, book apps, and educational apps that my kids and I like.

Monday, January 31, 2011

February: Save the Sweetness! (and the Sweet Picture Book)

Save Everything! (and the Picture Book) allows kids to:

1. Read picture books.
2. Write (or draw) reviews.
3. Win picture books.

Teachers and school librarians can win books for their classrooms and libraries, too.

February's theme is Save the Sweetness! (and the Sweet Picture Book.)

It includes lots of sweet books for the younger picture book set. If your library or bookstore doesn't have a book on the list, choose any new-ish sweet picture book.

It's FREE to participate. The purpose of this program is to show the wide range of picture books available for all ages and interests. They're great for literacy, family time, and imagination (not to mention fun!)

Here is the printable February flyer, which includes book review worksheets for little and big kids:



Thank you for Saving the Sweetness! (and the Sweet Picture Book.)

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

The Plaza Library Loves Picture Books!

I met with April Roy, youth services director of the Kansas City Public Library, the other day. April was recently elected to the 2012 Caldecott Committee, so throughout the year, she'll receive more than a 1,000 picture books from publishers to read and consider. Luckily, April loves picture books!

And...she's going to promote Save Everything! (and the Picture Book) through the library. At the Plaza Library, there will be a Save the Picture Book! display beginning in February. This will include books from the "official" list, which will be posted on February 1, and other picture books that follow that month's theme.

In February, the theme is Save the Sweetness! (and the Sweet Picture Book.)

They will be mostly new books, as one purpose of this promotion is to show that though we all love the classics, lots of wonderful picture books are being created today...and many will be our children's classics.

April is also bundling picture books with chapter books, to show older kids, and their parents, that if they love a chapter book, they'll also love this similar picture book.

I'm doing a Friday Family Fun Night in March, when the theme will be Save the Bookworms! (and the Picture Books They Eat.)

April has lots of other great ideas that I'll let you know about when the time comes. This is an exciting partnership with a great library!

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Save Everything! (and the Picture Book) January Printables

View and print the Save Everything! (and the Picture Book) January flyer and book review worksheets here:

Tuesday, January 11, 2011

Be the Hero! Save the World! (and the Picture Book)

This package arrived on our snowy doorstep yesterday:



It contained one of our super secret February books by Janee Trasler...plus a couple October prizes! A fringe benefit of this contest: reading the picture book prizes to my family. After reading two books from the white box to my youngest son, he surprised me by reading the third book on his own--for the first time ever!

Also received a May girl power book by Diane Adams...and a thrilling book about something that zooms. My two older sons sometimes read chapter books while I read my youngest picture books. I love when, after hearing the first couple lines of the picture book, they set down their novels to listen to the rest, which is what they did with these books.

Now, would you like to have your own box of picture book joy delivered to your home or classroom?

To find out how to participate in Save Everything! (and the Picture Book) in January, skip forward to the next post.

Here are our four picture prizes for January...plus world puzzles and Guinness World Records 2011.









Here are a few ways people are participating in Save Everything! (and the Picture Book:)

A school librarian is having her eighth grade participate as part of a picture book unit. A fourth grade teacher is doing the project with her class. And a mother is using the lists for a reading project with her son. With him off to sports practices frequently with his dad, she wanted to spend some mother-son time.

Finally please check out the author/illustrator Web sites on this page. They have been updated to include those who have generously donated their books to be used as prizes (or whose books have been donated by their publishers.) A big thanks for their support of Save Everything! (and the Picture Book.)

Thursday, January 6, 2011

How to Participate in Save Everything! (and the Picture Book) in January

Picture books are imagination factories. And with imagination, anything is possible.

How to Save the World! (and the Picture Book) in 6 Easy Steps

1. Choose One (or More):

Garbage Helps Our Garden Grow: a Compost Story by Linda Glaser, photos by Shelley Rotner



The Curious Garden by Peter Brown

Here Comes the Garbage Barge by Jonah Winter and Red Nose Studio

Redwoods by Jason Chin

One Well: The Story of Water on Earth by Rochelle Strauss, ill. by Rosemary Woods

How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz



Living Sunlight: How Plants Bring the Earth to Life by Molly Bang and Penny Chisholm

One World, One Day by Barbara Kerley

All the World by Liz Garton Scanlon, ill. by Marla Frazee




When It’s Six O’Clock in San Francisco: a Trip Through Time Zones by Cynthia Jaynes Omololu and Randy DuBurke



□ Did you know that larvae were the original recyclers—by digesting waste and enriching the soil? That’s why What to Expect When You’re Expecting Larvae: a Guide for Insect Parents (and Curious Children) by Bridget Heos, ill. by Stéphane Jorisch, completes our Save the World! List. Watch for it this Spring from Lerner/Millbrook!



2. Check the picture book out from the library, or buy it.

3. Read it to kids (or have them read it.)

4. Have them write a review. Little kids can draw a picture and a smiley face if they like it. Big kids can write a couple paragraphs, complete a book review worksheet, or do something creative. For ideas, see the next post.

5. Send the reviews to authorbheos@gmail.com or 7443 Walnut, K.C., MO 64114. Include the child's first name and age, and the parent's or teacher's email address (which won’t be shared.) If you are a teacher sending in reviews, please send them in together. Watch for select reviews to appear here.

6. Give yourself a gold star. You have saved the world! (and the picture book.) You may also have won a prize.

Teacher Prizes! The first teacher to send in 20 book reviews will win Guinness World Records 2011, a 60-piece sphere world puzzle, and one of our featured picture books: When It’s Six O’Clock in San Francisco: a Trip Through Time Zones by Cynthia Jaynes Omololu and Randy DuBurke.

Kid Prizes! One book reviewer’s name will be drawn to win a U.S.A./Canada map puzzle and a picture book.

Be sure to check back in February for a sweet book list and some sweet prizes!

Wednesday, January 5, 2011

A Tall Picture Book Prize




This tall tale is our latest Save Everything! (and the Picture Book) prize. It was beautifully illustrated Laura Huliska-Beith, who also donated it. I heard Laura speak at the Kansas City Plaza Library, and she told how she would add to the collage illustrations, scan them, and then add more. You will be amazed at the details in this book--she even used peanut brittle!

The author is Kimberly Willis Holt whose also written several award-winning YA novels.

We now have more than 20 books ready to give away to classrooms and kids who read picture books and write reviews!

Check the post: "Save Everything! (and the Picture Book)...January edition" for information on how to participate.

Saturday, January 1, 2011

The Best Picture Book Year of All



Happy New Year!

The Best Pet of All, by David LaRochelle, ill. by Hanako Wakiyama, is now one of our Save Everything! (and the Picture Book) prizes. Not to drop names but (yes! to drop names!)...Reese Witherspoon read this at the White House Easter Egg Hunt!

I love when people highlight new picture books at events like this. If given the chance, today's picture books will be tomorrow's classics. Thanks to author David LaRochelle for this fun new prize.

Remember, if you are a teacher looking for a fun back to school activity on Monday or Tuesday, check out Save Everything! (and the Picture Book)...January edition. Choose one of the books on the list, check it out from the school or public library, read it aloud, and have your class write reviews.

Or email me at authorbheos@gmail.com, and I'd be happy to send you a very user friendly Save Everything! (and the Picture Book) flyer, which includes the book list and picture book review worksheets for little or big kids.

The first teacher to send in 20 student reviews wins Guinness World Records 2011, a world map puzzle, and one of our featured picture books: When It's Six O'Clock in San Francisco: a Trip Through Time Zones, by Cynthia Jaynes Omololu, ill. by Randy DuBurke. All classes that participate will be recognized for their efforts to Save the World! (and the Picture Book.) And students will be entered to win an individual prize.

Together we can make 2011 the best Picture Book Year of All.