This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Kristina Tanso. All opinions are my own.

Milo and His Magic Skateboard
​Written by Kristina Tanso
Illustrated by Sofie Engstrom Von Alten
Ages 4+ | 36 Pages
Publisher: Life Unfiltered Books | ISBN-13: 9781738414000
Publisher’s Book Summary: Join Milo – an adorable French Bulldog – as he embarks on his very first adventure! Simply by clapping his little paws together and jumping on his magic skateboard, Milo takes flight and explores Europe! This fun, heart-warming adventure will charm children and adults alike, while exploring different iconic places and cultures!

Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a signed hardcover copy of Milo and His Magic Skateboard and a customized sketch of Milo!
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This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Elisa Stad. All opinions are my own.

Mama’s Love Language: Sometimes Love Tastes Like Hainan Chicken Rice
​Written by Elisa Stad
Illustrated by Ry Menson
Ages 5-10 | 31 Pages
Publisher: Ginger Lotus Press | ISBN-13: 9798988378518
Publisher’s Book Summary: Jade is a girl who lives in two worlds and, coming from a multicultural family, she’s on a quest to understand her identity and where she truly belongs.
She is trying to find her place in the world but feels different from the other kids at school. Back home, Jade’s parents have their unique approach to love and care. Sometimes Jade is embarrassed by Mama’s accent and she can’t understand why she is not just like any other mother she knows.
The real adventure unfolds when Jade starts rebelling against her mother’s traditional ways of showing love, especially through food. It’s a struggle that takes her on a path of discovery, as she learns about her family’s rich heritage and her mother’s challenging past in Vietnam and as an immigrant.
Jade then discovers that even though Mama doesn’t hug or say I love you, the healing aroma of ginger, green onions, and chicken broth does. “Mama’s Love Language” is a heartwarming children’s book that addresses the universal theme of belonging and the beauty of cultural diversity. Through Jade’s story, children will learn that being different is not only okay but something to be celebrated, and that love can come in many shapes and forms.

I'm excited to share my interview with Elisa. She spent the majority of her career, as a brand and international business executive for luxury goods and consumer product companies. After experiencing working in over 40 countries, she acquired a passion for globalization and the sharing of cultures based on her experiences. Elisa is also focused on inspiring the youth through her efforts in healthcare inequities through Stad Center of Pain, Palliative, and Integrative Medicine and serves on college boards at USC, UCSF and Harvard.Elisa grew up in a mixed-race household, as a daughter of a Vietnamese refugee mother and American father. She grew up in a multicultural home, searching for identity. She also moved homes often in her childhood including to Asia and within the US to Idaho and California.
She always wanted to share with other young children the beauty of humanity and how we can celebrate our unique gifts. You can find her enjoying ballet, visiting local Asian street markets, practicing yoga, and focusing on her spiritual practice. Elisa lives in Southern California with her husband, 3 children and a bernedoodle.
For more information, visit https://www.elisastad.com/

Where did you get the inspiration for Mama's Love Language: Sometimes Love Tastes Like
Hainan Chicken Rice?
I grew up in a mixed-race household as a daughter of a Vietnamese refugee mother and an
Scottish-Irish American father. My search for identity has been a constant question- having
been raised in a multicultural home and never feeling I fit in. With my Chinese family, I was
white. With my white family I was Chinese. When I lived in HK I was very American. When I
lived in Idaho I felt like my Chinese traits stood out. It was my lifelong dream to write a book to
share with young children that everyone has a place and should be celebrated just as they are.

What was your writing process like for this book?
I started writing this book on a returning flight from Hong Kong. I felt compelled to share my
story with other young children who could identify with feeling out of place with the mix of
cultures and race. I went back to this piece during the start of the pandemic and then put it down. I finally had the courage to get this piece published when my children started to ask about when the book could be in a library.

What is your favorite part about writing books for kids?
I love hearing the conversations the children are raising with Mama’s Love Language.  All
children can relate to Jade in different ways: emotions she feels, wanting to fit in, and trying to
understand herself. I'm very passionate about spreading diversity and this book gave me the
opportunity to show children from multicultural and multiracial homes that being different makes
us unique.

What are you working on now?
I’m focused on getting Mama’s Love Language to different communities, libraries, bookstores
and schools. In the coming months we will see what Jade evolves into. I’m also working on the
launch of a Pediatric Integrative medicine center at UCSF. At the end of the year I will start
writing my next book.

What is your favorite book?
As mother of three elementary school kids the Roald Dahl series are a must read, such as
Matilda or BFG. I was an addict of Roald Dahl from 2nd grade on. As an avid adult reader my
favorite authors are Amy Tan and Lisa See. I just finished Lady Tan’s Circle of Women by Lisa
See which connects Eastern medicine modalities and is a historical fiction piece. I keep
exploring a piece of my heritage and history through the lenses of authors like Tan and See.

Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a copy of Mama’s Love Language: Sometimes Love Tastes Like Hainan Chicken Rice, signed by Elisa Stad, and a $50 Amazon gift card!
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This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Alysson Foti Bourque. All opinions are my own.

Alycat and the Sunday Scaries
Written by Alysson Foti Bourque
Illustrated by Chiara Civati
Ages 4+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Pelican Publishing | ISBN-13: 9781455627790
Publisher’s Book Summary: It’s Sunday, the day before the school week begins, and Alycat is nervous. She just knows that Monday is going to be the Mondayest Monday ever! On the playground, Alycat realizes she isn’t the only one suffering from the Sunday Scaries. It’s hard to ride a bike. What if Kit falls? The treehouse is so high. Will Spotty make it safely back down? The kittens band together to overcome their fears, but can they turn the Sunday Scaries into a Sunday Funday? The themes of the books in the Alycat Series all reflect a reliance on friendships, imagination, and creativity toward problem-solving.
Fans of Alycat and her friends will enjoy spotting references to the kittens’ daily adventures within these pages. Tips for a successful lemonade stand are included!

I'm excited to share my interview with Alysson. She began her career as a teacher after graduating from the University of Louisiana at Lafayette with a degree in Elementary Education and went on to earn a law degree from Southern University Law Center in 2007.After practicing law for nearly eight years, it was time to trade in writing trial briefs for writing children’s books and collaborating with non-profits to support philanthropic initiatives such as Foster the Love with First Lady Donna Edwards, Lafayette Walk to Defeat ALS, The Family Tree, Operation Shower, Wild Cat Foundation, and Hayley’s Bracelet fundraiser to benefit Lurie Children’s Hospital.
Her series has won over 23 awards and has received glowing reviews.
Find Alyson and Alycat online at  www.alycatseries.com.

Where did you get the inspiration for Alycat and the Sunday Scaries?
Writing the last book in the week-based series made me scared that the series would end. I
channeled this feeling into the context and lessons of the book, which helped give me tools to
fight through the fear. This fear and the ways to deal with them inspired this story.

What was your writing process like for this book?
I wrote down a list of worries that I had in this world and a list of worries a child might have in this world. It became apparent that the way to deal with worries are the same no matter how old you are. Coping techniques and healthy lifestyles are important in conquering fears and worry. I used these worries and techniques to create a problem-solving manuscript that could help
readers young and old.
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What is your favorite part about writing books for kids?
My favorite part is when a reader tells me that they started to like reading after reading The Alycat Series. Author visits are also my favorite! I love meeting the Alycat fans!

What are you working on now?
I am working on the storyboard illustrations for Alycat
and the Copycat and soon to start illustration descriptions for another top secret Alycat
book.

​What is your favorite book?
My favorite book is Happy Birthday, Moon. Bear discovers that he and the moon share the same birthday and he wants to give his nighttime friend a present. But what do you buy the moon? It’s a heartwarming story of generosity, imagination, and friendship.

Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of the book and three adorable Alycat plush toys!
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This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Kat Chen. All opinions are my own.

Play with Me
Written by Kat Chen
Illustrated by Lorraine Nam
Ages 1+ | 24 Pages
Publisher: Rise x Penguin Workshop | ISBN-13: 9780593659717
Publisher’s Book Summary: This board book series invites young readers to take part in a playdate activity of their choice, thereby empowering them with autonomy and validation. The picnic playdate models balanced and shared play, creating a positive experience that will provide readers with a reference for what caring and considered friendship looks like. Many toddlers and preschoolers consistently ask for someone to play with them, and this book provides just that for the quieter moments of the day. Simple language and gentle questions will help children develop their social skills by practicing conversations, all while engaging them in fun and familiar topics.

I'm excited to share my interview with Kat Chen, author of Play With Me. Kat serves on the advisory board for Books for Newborns. After becoming a grandmother and spending most of her free time helping with “the fun stuff”—conversations, crayons, and crawling—she was inspired to delve into children’s books and help kids master the art of simple conversation through shared play. Learn more about Kat and her work atkat-chen.com.

Where did you get the inspiration for Play with Me? 
Do you want the official answer or the truth? Official answer: I saw a TED talk about how kids
learn to talk with questions. Someone asks, what’s your name? They answer. Someone asks,
What color do you like? They think about it and answer. It’s how most conversations begin—a
question and an answer. So that’s what I wrote. (That’s all true, it’s just not the full truth. For
that…see below.) 
 
The secret, unofficial answer is that I watched a relative reading to my granddaughter and was
surprised that he just read the words. There was no pausing, no interacting, no questions with
the child. That’s when I realized many people don’t know how to read with a toddler. They
need help learning how to engage the child with the book. So, I wrote the questions and the
interactions to help the adults engage with their child and the book together. 
 
What was your writing process like for this book? 
Once I had the idea, it was all about putting together activities and art with simple questions.
This is a board book, not a picture book, so it’s meant for very young children. Simple questions,
simple colorful art.  That was my idea, but I only wrote the words. Once I started working with
the brilliant editor Nicole Fox at RISE, we shaped the activities and the questions together. It
was a true collaboration. 
 
What is your favorite part about writing books for kids? 
It’s the best and the worst part. It’s all about the idea. Once I have the right idea, it’s so fast to
write. At least that’s how it feels. I can write the manuscript in an hour (as opposed to my adult
novels that take months.)  However, I end up spending hours then refining one word here, one
word there. The detail to every word can be exhausting. So the short answer is: my favorite part
about writing books for kids is that the idea is everything, the writing is fast, and picture books
are short and quick. Which means if the idea is crap, no amount of time will fix it. And the short
amount of words means every single one has to be perfect.  
 
What are you working on now? 
Right now I’m focused on adult novels as Jade Lee, but I’m always writing new picture books.
That’s the joy of having two grandbabies. Every time I’m with them, I get a new picture book
idea.  
 
What is your favorite book? 
My favorite kids books is The Little Mouse, the Red Ripe Strawberry, and the Big Hungry Bear by Audrey and Don Wood.  That’s quite a long title, isn’t it? I love everything about this book. The artwork is amazing, the story is delightful, and it is the pinnacle of picture books for me.

Enter the giveaway for a chance to win a signed copy of Play with Me and a $25 Amazon gift card.
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This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Expound Publicity.  All opinions are my own.

Fairy Day Games
Written by Mari Sherkin
Illustrated by David Gnass
Ages 4+ | 38 Pages
Publisher: Mascot Kids | ISBN-13: 9781637555064
Publisher’s Book Summary: Get ready for fun at the Fairy Day Games! Join children’s author Mari Sherkin as she peeks inside a secret world, where magical creatures come together to prepare for the most festive Fairy Day of the year!!

Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a signed copy of the Fairy Day Games! 
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This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and P. J. Davis. All opinions are my own.

Nemesis and the Vault of Lost Time
Written by P. J. Davis
Illustrated by Thomas Peacock
Ages: 8+ | 234 Pages
Publisher: Philaments | ISBN-13: 979-8990031616
Book Summary: “…it’s hard to prove the world’s most important substance is missing when no one knows it’s gone.”
“Substance? What substance?” asks thirteen-year-old Max Kellerman. “Why time itself!” exclaims the strange professor who Max meets in the back of his uncle’s bookstore. In fact, he says, time is being sucked out of every living person by invisible thieves and stored away in a deep, dark netherworld.
Could the professor possibly be right… or just plain crazy?
It depends on whether Max can unravel the mysterious clues in the tattered manuscript the professor leaves behind. With the help of his best friends Derek and Samantha, Max begins a quest to find this dark realm and to discover its hidden secrets. But with the time clock ticking and the professor gone missing, Max uncovers a truth he never thought possible.
Max must unravel the mysteries of Nemesis to save not just his world, but the very fabric of time itself.

G​I am excited to share my interview with PJ Davis. He lives in the tiny mountain town of Brevard, North Carolina overlooking the Blue Ridge Mountains. He lives there with his wife, youngest son, three sleepy cats and three noisy ducks. For his day job, he names things, such as companies, products and services. he even named the town’s annual White Squirrel Festival.
​For more information, visit http://www.PJDavisAuthor.com

Where did you get the inspiration for Nemesis and the Vault of Lost Time?
It started with a feeling of empathy for the main character Max, who’s this kid that’s sort of
lost in his own thought bubble. I could relate to how that internal world can lead to isolation and misunderstanding at school and in life in general. So I started to write about him, explore the character and let it play itself out with all of his ruminations and imaginations. Then I just followed the threads of his thoughts to see where it took him, and it took him to some pretty interesting places.

What was your writing process like for this book?
I would describe my process as inspired fits and spurts. When the ideas flow, they really flow.
It’s almost like I’m a witness to the writing and there’s an internal dictation going on that I
can barely keep pace with. But then the story will suddenly turn cold and just sit there for a
while. So I typically let it do just that… sit. And then I come back and tinker a bit and see if I
can pick up the trail again. Sometimes I ask the story what it wants to say, as if the story itself
is a person. My goal is to get out of the way as much as possible and let the story tell itself. So
it comes in waves, ebbing and flowing. Then there’s the more tedious process of synthesizing
it, reviewing it, sending it to my editor for input, and doing the revisions and fine tuning. So
it’s both inspiration and dedication, there’s no cutting corners.

What is your favorite part about writing books for kids?
My favorite part of writing middle grade fiction is the anticipation that comes with knowing
who I’m writing for – those bright, bubbly, and unbridled young minds. In fact, I write with a
very specific mental image of my intended audience. For this book, I pictured a ten or eleven-
year-old boy coming up to my table at a future book signing alongside his mother. He asks
questions about my book that even I don’t have adequate answers to. Why? Because he’s so
fully invested in the story that he’s made this new world his very own. And when that moment
arrives, I’ll know that my goal in writing this book was absolutely accomplished.

What are you working on now?
I have a strong suspicion that Max, Derek and Samantha will be back. There is some
unfinished business they’ll need to attend to, and the forces at work are still very much at
work. For a clue, look at the last illustration in the book at the very end… and stay tuned!

​What is your favorite book?
Tough question as probably most would agree. But in terms of impact, I would say The
Twenty-One Balloons by William Pene du Bois. I have a soft spot for fantastical adventures and this book about a man’s globetrotting visit to a remote island of millionaires really
captured my imagination. I was in fifth grade at the time and it helped spur a love of reading ​and misadventure.

Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a copy of Nemesis and the Vault of Lost Time autographed by P.J. Davis, a Galaxy Flying Orb Ball, and a $100 Amazon Gift Card!
​

This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review.  All opinions are my own.

Cattitude
Written by Bianca Schulze
Illustrated by Samara Hardy
Ages 3+ | 32 Pages
Publisher: Clever Publishing (2024) | ISBN-13: 9781954738362
Publisher’s Book Summary: Meet Cleo, a cat with an attitude—and she’s not afraid to show it! Cleo is a misunderstood feline with a penchant for mischief and a heart of gold. Her quirks and antics reveal a cat who marches to the beat of her own drum. From hiding behind bookshelves to getting stuck in tight spots, Cleo’s adventures teach her family valuable lessons about love, patience, and the true meaning of companionship. Get ready for a heartwarming tale of feline charm and the power of unconditional love. Cleo proves that behind every mischievous whisker lies a world of affection and loyalty.

Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a 4-book set of Schulze and Hardy’s internationally bestselling Dragon series, including Don’t Wake the Dragon, and a $50 Bookshop.org gift card.
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This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Maya Nurtures.  All opinions are my own.

Guess How Marion Feels
Written by Miss Kaye
Illustrated by Miss Waitthk
Ages 3+ | 34 Pages
Publisher: ‎ Maya Nurtures (2024) | ISBN-13: 9781738593026
Publisher’s Book Summary: Marion is a kind, creative, and easy kid… but he’s faced with BIG emotions. Help Marion identify those BIG feelings in this interactive children’s picture book.
Guess How Marion Feels is a transformative experience that lays the foundation for emotional intelligence and meaningful connections. A gentle Social Emotional Learning (SEL) tool to guide parents, caregivers, and teachers to teach kids who struggle to pick up social cues and have challenges in social situations.
This book is made to celebrate and honor the feelings of our little ones, foster open communication, and create inclusive learning with our neurodivergent kids. Written by a neurodivergent author, Miss Kaye aims to support kids and everyone struggling with social interactions.

Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a 1-hour FREE coaching session to launch your own picture book, along with signed copies of Guess How Marion Feels (one to keep and one to share with a neurodivergent charity of your choice under your name).
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This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Purple Butterfly Press. All opinions are my own.

Ralphy’s Rules for Feelings
​Written by Talar Hercuilian Coursey and Riley Herculian Coursey
Illustrated by Meri Andreasyan
Ages 4+ | 36 Pages
Publisher: Purple Butterfly Press (2024) | ISBN-13: 9781955119450
Publisher’s Book Summary: We have big feelings!
Sometimes we don’t know what to do with them or how to change our thoughts that cause these feelings. The first day of school can be scary, but “Furrapist” Jackson Johnson and cute pup Ralphy of Ralphy’s Rules for the Good Life are committed to helping a busload of kids understand and manage their big feelings. During the ride to school, Furrapist Jackson Johnson teaches the children that they can choose their emotions and decide how to respond to them. Ralphy and Jackson make the complicated subject of emotional intelligence accessible for kids to understand and, more importantly, implement in their everyday lives.
So hop on the bus with us, and let’s learn about how taking charge of our feelings can change our day!

Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a classroom set that includes 25 copies of Ralphy's Rules for Feelings!
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