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Laura Numeroff, the author behind the New York Times bestselling picture book If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, hopes to raise $100,000 on Kickstarter for the Work for Biscuits book series. The first installment, Raising a Hero story stars an eager-to-please service puppy in-training named Max.

The funds will be used to cover the cost of printing the hardcover edition and developing an interactive eBook version that will be be accessible to readers with special hearing and mobility needs. Artist Lynn Munsinger has signed on to create the illustrations.

We’ve embedded a video about the project above. Here’s more from the Kickstarter page:

“Laura has always wanted to write this series. Her publishers turned down an early manuscript about a therapy dog, one suggesting it was more suitable for the ASPCA to publish. Laura soon discovered Kickstarter through a friend, Sean Hanrahan, co-creator of theWork for Biscuits series.”

Welcome to our Kickstarter Publishing Project of the Week, a feature exploring how authors and publishers are using the fundraising site to raise money for book projects. If you want to start your own project, check out How To Use Kickstarter to Fund Your Publishing Project.

New Career Opportunities Daily: The best jobs in media.

The fantastic folks at Reading Rockets have teamed up with one of our awesome authors, Laura Elliott (A STRING OF HEARTS, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger), to put together an amazing Valentine’s Day resource.  Check it out here.

There are writing prompts, an e-card, a craft, poetry activities and a lot more.  But my personal favorite is the acrostic poem idea, using words like Mom, Friend, and Love.  So, as a Valentine’s Day gift to all of you, I’m going to write you an acrostic poem:

Lively
Intelligent
Brave-hearted
Radical
Audacious
Resolute
Indomitable
Awe-inspiring
Nurturing
Steadfast

What sorts of activities are you doing for Valentine’s Day in your library or classroom?

Reviewed by Carma Dutra, Picture Book Reviewer for the National Writing for Children Center

Title: Hurty Feelings

Author: Helen Lester

Illustrator: Lynn Munsinger

Reading level: Ages 4-8

Hardback: 32 pages

Publisher: Houghton Mifflin/Walter Lorraine Books; 1 edition (March 26, 2007)

ISBN-10: 0618840621

ISBN-13: 978-0618840625

An emotionally fragile hippo named Fragility and a rude elephant named Rudy will delight children from ages four to eight. Fragility is over sensitive and Rudy is overly rude. Author Helen Lester begins her humorous tale with Fragility was a solid piece of work. When she walked her world wobbled.

Fragility is very happy in her own world, she has strong jaws that could munch grass faster than any lawn mower, she never cries when she stubs one of her toes or all sixteen. However, something did bother Fragility and it was injured feelings. When her friends would give her a compliment like “Fragility, you have such cute little ears,” she would wail, “You hurt my feeeeelings! Cute little ears? Do you know what else has cute little ears? People have cute little ears. So you think I resemble a people?” Flop. Weep.

Fragility’s drama-queen flopping and weeping became a regular routine until she became lonely. No one could talk to Fragility without making her cry. One day Rudy, the neighborhood bully, tries to intimidate Fragility as she protects the goal in the soccer match. “Step aside, Big Solid Thing!” Rudy bellowed at Fragility. “You’re blocking me lunch.”

Fragility comes through with shining colors. She learns to be strong on the inside and finds her confidence. She even teaches Rudy a thing or two by learning to like her self and accepting compliments. This is a great read-aloud book and the funny, expressive water color illustrations bring out the characters zany personalities. Children will want to read this story again and again.

About the Author: Helen Lester is the author of sixteen children’s books. Her background with children includes being a mother of two and a former elementary school teacher of ten years. While at home with her children, Helen realized the importance of quality children’s literature. Helen started her writing career as a struggling author facing many rejections by publishing companies. Her first book was finally published in 1979.

About the Illustrator: Lynn Munsinger was born in Greenfield, Massachusetts. She attended Tufts University and graduated in 1974. The following year she enrolled at the Rhode Island School of Design, majoring in illustration.

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Carma Dutra is a freelance writer and children’s writer. Learn more about children’s writing tips and reviews of award winning books visiting Carma’s Window. Download the free EBooks, Tips for Children’s Writers and Illustrators, and Unite to Write, a compilation of thirteen top expert authors as read on Ezine article directory.

For today's Poetry Friday selection, I'm offering up Crocs!, a rhyming picture book by "the emerging poet of gross," David T. Greenberg. Told in second person, which is unique in itself, a boy leaves the city for what promises to be a quiet vacation away from "Roaches in your omelets/ pigeons dropping bomblets/ wild poodles stalking you in gangs." At first he's having a nice time relaxing, but is soon surrounded by tons of crocodiles intent on disturbing his peaceful vacation. They soon invade his life, and the boy soon starts getting the urge to act like a crocodile. The surprise ending is cute and satisfying even though it is a bit cheesy.

So, you know, it's very difficult to tell a story in rhyme. Children's book authors often try it and often fail because it's hard to make the rhymes work. While Crocs! is not a failure, there are moments when the rhymes really work like in the beginning of the book, "Isn't it a pity/ That you had to leave the city/ Because of the all the horrifying critters/ Giant tabby cats/ And defiant scabby rats/ Large enough to swallow baby-sitters."

And then there are times when the rhythm is off a bit: "Crocodiles growling/ Crocodiles Howling/ At the very tops of their lungs/ Crocodiles thrashing/ Wildly smashing/ Crocs with studs in their tongues."

However, Lynn Munsinger's illustrations are very funny and had me laughing out loud in places. Goofy-looking crocodiles are in all types of funny situations. You see a long-lashed crocodile putting on lipstick, another painting her nails bright pink, a couple of crocodiles unsuccessfully trying to floss their teeth, a crocodile chef with a wok, noodles in its mouth and all over the place, and many many more. Because of this, I can forgive some of the weak poetry in the book even though I really do wish it was just a tad bit better.

I think many kids will enjoy the absurdity of the situations depicted in the book and will reach for it again and again.

Visit the Poetry Friday roundup at author amok.



What Other Bloggers are Saying:

Charlotte's Library: "...this book is fun to read aloud, and fun to look at, and kind of strange. Definitely one for the child who appreciates more than a bit of surreality with their playful, rollicking verse." (read more...)

A Patchwork of Books: "The illustrations are a perfect match to the story and your little ones will be giggling at the silliness of the crocs and the great faces on the boy." (read more...)


More info:

• Reading level: Ages 4-8
  
• Hardcover: 32 pages
• Publisher: Little, Brown Young Readers (May 1, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0316073067
• ISBN-13: 978-0316073066
• Source: Review copy from publisher