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I’m not the perfume-wearing type (not that that’s a bad type, I just never seem to find anything I like!) but I love a good scent, especially in a bar of soap.  I discovered Mistral’s Wild Blackberry soap late last summer and it’s by far the best smelling soap I’ve ever used.  It smells so good in fact I keep my stash in my workshop.  The scent of tart, juicy berries mixed with, what seems to me, powdery-musky violets make me think of lazy afternoons sitting in the sun.

I stumbled upon this great craft to do with kids. I am always on the lookout for something new and crafty that a young child can do with some success and minimal intervention from me. SO this morning we sat down to do this:
(You can find links with directions all over the web - as well as amazing examples from folks who do this for a living... I think we'll just keep it in the family, but we will definitely be making more in the very near future. If you do not have a barrel of felt lying around you can buy kits here: http://www.naturalpod.com/blog/?p=673)


We bought some beautiful locally made soaps (goat's milk and pomegranate) at the Roblin General Store, chopped them in half and set about wrapping them up with the piles of felt I do have actually lying around... about an hour later we had these beautiful little gifts for Mo's loves and he was having a blast with the bowl full of water and the bamboo mat - which became a marvelous bridge for his vehicles, and just tippy enough for them to fall in and need rescuing. So by the end, we were clean, the cars were clean and together we made something beautiful. At least I think they are.

BLOG TOUR!!!!
*sniff*sniff*
We wrap up the Blog Book Tour for SOAP, SOAP, SOAP today with another two-fer: first, at Donny Seagrave's Winterville Writer. Donny's new book, Gone From These Woods came out almost the exact same time as SOAP, so you may still remember the interview I did with her the other day. Well hike on over to her blog to read our last interview for SOAP.
     AND I was a featured guest on THE MULTICULTURAL MINUTE - a one minute video look at multicultural books and happenings in children's literature! Along with being an awesome person, my hostess, Renee Ting of Shen's Books, was the author and publisher of my FIRST illustrated trade picture book, The Prince's Diary! And I LOVE this new feature she's created - so you gotta check it out!

     Wowsa - it's been a GREAT Blog Book Tour and Celebratory launch for Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón. I feel like my first book as both author and illustrator has been properly birthed and feted. I even had a surprise book signing last weekend during the SIBA Trade Show and had the longest book signing line I've ever had - ever! (Thank you Wanda!) Hope that means good things for SOAP's future!!

     And of course I haven't forgotten about the GIVEAWAYS... the winner of the drawing from the comments left on the Kick-off Day for the Blog Book Tour is (drum roll please....) Kristi Valiant!! YAY, WAHOO, AND CONGRATULATIONS!! A signed copy of SOAP will be heading her way soon!

     But Wait! There's still one more chance to win!
     You can still enter the drawing for the SUPER PRIZE PACK. Go back through my blog and leave a comment on every day of the book tour here at Dulemba.com (September 20 - October 2nd) and at least 8 of the blogs I visited (please leave a nice note for my gracious hosts), to have your name go into a drawing. The SUPER PRIZE PACK will include two signed copies of SOAP (one for you and one for a friend or your favorite library), a COLORING PAGE TUESDAY coloring book, SOAPy bookmarks and postcards, and a rubber duckie keychain!!!!
     But you only have two more days! The deadline to leave comments is October 4th. The winner will be announced as soon as I can tally up the entries and pick a name. (I sure hope you didn't sign anonymously!)

Special note for book reviewers/buyers:
     SOAP is available in an e-galley format (both the bilingual and all-English versions) if you would like a preview. Just email me at elizabeth at dulemba dot com and I'll send the details. Of course, my publisher will also be happy to send you hard-copy for your review. Just let me know and I'll make sure one heads your way.

     Thanks again to my kind Blog Book Tour hosts and everybody for leaving such nice comments:
Janelle's Brimful Curiosities: Stephanie Ruble of sruble's world; Children's Authors and Illustrators on Facebook (hosted by Simon Rose); Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast; Tina Nichols Coury at Tales from the Rushmore Kid; Suzanne Lieurance's of Book Bytes for Kids; Wendy Martin Illustration; Kim Norman of - Stone Stoop; Debbi Ohi of Inkygirl!; Sarah C. Campbell; the Authors at Teaching Authors; Jessica Handler of Swimming in the Trees; Tarie Sabido of Into the Wardrobe; Donny Seagraves at Winterville Writer; and finally Renee Ting of Shen's Books and THE MULTICULTURAL MINUTE.

     And thanks to YOU, my readers! It's always an exciting and scary time when you release a new book into the world - but y'all have embraced SOAP and it means the world to me - THANK YOU!!! And I hope you've enjoyed the party!!!
     I want to end on a high note, so here is the ORIGINAL broadcast of Rubber Duckie from Sesame Street:



(The last spread from SOAP...)

Now back to your regularly scheduled blog....

BLOG TOUR!!!!
Today I visit Tarie Sabado's Into the Wardrobe. Doesn't she have the coolest header ever? (Had to share.) So, go through the door and go visit her blog today.
     See the rest of my BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE here.

     Tarie's header just makes me want to curl up with a good book (like SOAP, SOAP, SOAP!) and some cookies. So here's another decadent recipe, this time from Cooks.com.

Mud Pie Cookies
INGREDIENTS:
• 1 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup butter
• 3 cups quick cooking oats
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1/4 cup cocoa

MICROWAVE: In a 2 quart microwave safe casserole combine sugar, milk and butter. Cook on High for 3-5 minutes or until the mixture boils. Stir in the remaining ingredients and drop by the teaspoonful on wax paper. Refrigerate until firm.

STOVETOP: In a heavy saucepan combine the sugar, milk and butter and cook over a medium heat until the mixture boils. Stir in the remaining ingredients and drop by the teaspoonful on wax paper. Refrigerate until firm.

     Speaking of Food - Get a load of this!! The creator of this blog has been tracking food that resembles duckies!!! No kidding! Thanks to Cute Overload for the quacky link! And click to visit "This Peanut Looks Like a Duck."


     Click the cover to learn more about Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón.

BLOG TOUR!!!!
Today I'll be a guest at Jessica Handler's Swimming in the Trees. Remember when I talked about Jessica's new book Invisible Sisters? She writes for adults so had a different and interesting approach with her questions. Prepare to read about learning new languages!
     See the rest of my BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE here.



     I'm still celebrating the release of my first picture book as both author and illustrator, Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón. Today I'm sharing a SOAPy grocery list to help you remember what you need to buy at the store. (Hugo could have used one of these!)
     Jessica actually suggested this idea - and what a good one it was!
     Click the image to go to the SOAP ACTIVITY PAGE and download the grocery list!

     Click the cover to learn more about SOAP, Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón.

BLOG TOUR!!!!
Today I am honored to be a guest at Teaching Authors. This is a collaborative blog by some of the best authors in the biz: April Halprin Wayland, Carmela Martino, Esther Hershenhorn (I'll be interviewing the Illustrator of her latest book, S is for Story: A Writer's Alphabet, soon.), Jeanne Marie Grunwell Ford, JoAnn Early Macken, and the infamous Mary Ann Rodman.
     See the rest of my BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE here.


     As anybody knows, if you're going to hang out with teachers, it always helps to bring food! (We think so much better with chocolate, don't you think?) Luckily Hugo, the star of SOAP, SOAP, SOAP, is in to making mud pies! Here is an awesome Mud Pie Dessert shared by my publisher, Dawn Jeffers, at Raven Tree Press:

Mud Pie Dessert
• 25-36 Sandwich cookies
• 1 stick butter
Melt butter and crush cookies. Mix together and put in 9 x 13 wax paper lined or greased pan - FREEZE.
• 3 sq. unsweetened chocolate
• 1 c. sugar
• 1 (13 oz.) can evaporated milk
Mix next three ingredients and spread on top of above the above mixture and freeze. Once hardened, cut into squares.

A NOTE TO TEACHERS
     With the swine flu scare there's been a strong focus lately on washing your hands and hygeine, especially in the children's world. SOAP, SOAP, SOAP has a strong get clean element to it. So much so, that Anastasia Suen recently made it one of her Picture Books of the Day and included links to hand-washing activities. Also, the Alliance Theatre's Teaching Artists picked up SOAP for their programming this year, partly for the "getting muddy - getting clean" aspect in the book.
     Can you use SOAP in your classroom as a kick-off to this topic?

     Click the cover to learn more about SOAP, Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón.

...Drum Roll Please!...
Today we're sticking around Dulemba.com to celebrate the birthday of my first picture book as both author and illustrator, SOAP, SOAP, SOAP and SOAP, SOAP, SOAP ~ JABON, JABON, JABON!



     And we're giving some books away!!!! Hubbie helped pick the winner from our first drawing way back in August (thanks so much to everybody for all the nice comments!), and the winner of a free, signed copy of SOAP, SOAP, SOAP ~ JABON, JABON, JABON (she asked for bilingual) is . . . Paula Chan!!!!
     Yip, yip, yahoooooo!!!!! Congratulations Paula!
     Paula won by watching my SOAP Book Trailer and leaving a comment. Let's give it a celebratory gander, shall we?



     There's still more chances to win!!
1.  Visit the official kick-off Blog Tour post HERE and leave a comment to enter another drawing for a signed copy of SOAP. Comments deadline is September 30th and the winner will be announced on the last day of the Blog Book Tour - October 2nd.
2.  Leave a comment on every day of the book tour at my blog each day (September 20 - October 2nd) and at least 8 of the blogs I visit, to have your name go into a drawing to win a SUPER PRIZE PACK including two signed copies of SOAP (one for you and one for a friend or your favorite library), a COLORING PAGE TUESDAY coloring book, SOAPy bookmarks and postcards, and a rubber duckie keychain!!!! (Deadline to leave comments will be October 4th and the winner will be announced as soon as I figure it all out.)
3.  Several of the blogs I will visit will also be doing drawings - so there's lots of opportunities to get some free SOAP in your life!

     And the blog tour continues!!! The interview questions range from school visits to my illustration method, to finding your own style. I hope there's something interesting in these for everybody! Here again is the
SOAPy BLOG BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE
9/17 - Janelle's Brimful Curiosities
9/20 - Stephanie Ruble of sruble's world
9/20 - Guest at Children's Authors and Illustrators on Facebook (hosted by Simon Rose)
9/20 - Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
9/21 - Guest at Tina Nichols Coury's blog Tales from the Rushmore Kid
9/22 - Coloring Page Tuesday!!! AND a LIVE interview at Suzanne Lieurance's Book Bytes for Kids at 3:00pm est!
9/23 - Guest at Wendy Martin Illustration
9/24 - Guest at Kim Norman's Blog - Stone Stoop
9/25 - OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE FOR SOAP!!! YIP, YIP, YAHOOOOOOO!!!!!
And there's more coming!!!
9/26 - Guest at Debbi Ohi's Inkygirl!
9/27 - Guest at Sarah C. Campbell's blog
9/28 - Guest at Teaching Authors
9/29- Coloring Page Tuesday!!
9/30 - Guest at Jessica Handler's Swimming in the Trees
10/1 - Guest at Tarie Sabido's Into the Wardrobe
10/2 - Guest at Donny Seagraves Winterville Writer

BLOG TOUR!!!!
Today I'll be a guest at Kim Norman's Stone Stoop. Remember when I hosted Kim for her new picture book Crocodaddy? Well, Kim is sharing the love. She'll feature me and SOAP in the November "Dear Author" column of Kidsville Magazine! Woohoo! (She also asked some great questions and focused on slightly different topics than we've covered so far (school visits!), so swim on over to her blog today.)
     See the rest of my BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE here.


     Yup, I'm celebrating the release of my first picture book as both author and illustrator, Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón, all week and the whole way through I'll be sharing some of the fun activities that go with SOAP. Today is a fun Dizzy Duck from the creative mind of Linda Ragsdale.
     Click the image to go to the SOAP ACTIVITY PAGE, follow the directions and make this Quacky Duck fly!!

     Click the cover to learn more about SOAP, Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón.

BLOG TOUR!!!!
Today I'll be a guest at Wendy Martin's Daily Art Food. And I have to say, illustrator to illustrator, Wendy asked some of the best questions I received. So trot on over to her blog today.
     Did you listen to my interview on Book Bites for Kids yesterday? It's been archived, so you can go hear it here.
     See the rest of my BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE here. And don't forget to leave comments to enter the SOAP Giveaways! Click here for more info...


     You can't have a party without any dancing!! So, in celebration of the release of my first picture book as both author and illustrator, Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón, let's dance!
     Click the image to go to the SOAP ACTIVITY PAGE, follow the directions for the Finger Dancing Duck (by the brilliant Linda Ragsdale) and make this Quacky Duck boogie!! Par-TAY!!

     Click the cover to learn more about SOAP, Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón.

BLOG TOUR!!!!
Today I'll be on internet radio - LIVE!! I will be a guest of Suzanne Lieurance's BOOK BITES FOR KIDS at 3:00 e.s.t. on Blog Talk Radio. I hope you'll listen in!
Update! The show was archived and I can embed it! Have a listen....

     See the rest of my BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE here.

Sign up to receive alerts when a new coloring page is posted and to view more coloring pages - click here!

     This is the rubber duckie from my new picture book as both author and illustrator, SOAP, SOAP, SOAP and SOAP, SOAP, SOAP ~ JABON, JABON, JABON! (Have you left a comment to be in the drawing for a free copy of SOAP?)
     My big WAHOO - A BOOK IS BORN! version of e's news went out today. You can sign up to receive this every-so-often newsletter (and/or Coloring Page Tuesday alerts) at Coloring Page Tuesdays.
     Click the image to open a .jpg to print and color. Send me your colored version (less than 1mb) to [email protected] and I'll post it to my blog! Click here to find more coloring pages.

     Click the cover to learn more about Soap, soap, soap and Soap, soap, soap ~ Jabón, jabón, jabón.

BLOG TOUR!!!!
Today I'm being interviewed by Tina Nichols Coury - so float on over to her blog to have a read!!! And see the rest of my BLOG TOUR SCHEDULE here!

     In honor of the release of Soap, soap, soap, artist Florentijn Hofman created this 9.5m tall by 11m long rubber duck!!! Okay, well, not for SOAP, but he still made this fantastic rubber duckie and so far it's been spotted in Europe, Japan, and Brazil. More Rubber Duckie photos here.

     You can watch the duckie being primed for action in this video - and hear all about it from the artist himself. Okay, so it's in dutch. What - you don't speak dutch?


     This week I'm celebrating the release of my very first picture book at both author AND illustrator, SOAP, SOAP, SOAP. It comes in both all-English and bilingual versions, SOAP, SOAP, SOAP ~ JABON, JABON, JABON!! See a SOAP Book Trailer and learn more about the book Here!!! (Click the cover.)
     Visit the Blog Tour Kick-off Post and leave a comment to win a free drawing of SOAP and learn how to win other giveaways all week!

     Did you know you can save SOAPy images as Wallpaper for your computer? Yup - here are the choices at the SOAP ACTIVITY PAGE:

WOOHOOOO!!!!!!
Today kicks off my official release party and BLOG BOOK TOUR for my first picture book as both author AND illustrator, SOAP, SOAP, SOAP!!
     What's a Blog Book Tour you ask? It's when other bloggers host me on their blogs with interviews, giveaways and more information about SOAP. Basically it's a great way to reach out and introduce me and SOAP to new people.
     And we'll be having fun here too! Every day I'll share fun things to do from my SOAP ACTIVITY PAGE.
     There are also three GIVEAWAYS going on this week for free, signed copies of SOAP.
1.  There's the drawing for watching my Book Trailer. The comments will close Tuesday, September 22nd and the winner will be announced Friday (SOAP's official birthday) on my blog. (Hint: the post is now in my August archives.)
2.  Visit the official kick-off Blog Tour post HERE and leave a comment to enter another drawing for a signed copy of SOAP. Comments deadline is September 30th and the winner will be announced on the last day of the Blog Book Tour - October 2nd.
3.  Leave a comment on every day of the book tour at my blog each day (September 20 - October 2nd) and at least 8 of the blogs I visit, to have your name go into a drawing to win a SUPER PRIZE PACK including two signed copies of SOAP (one for you and one for a friend or your favorite library), a COLORING PAGE TUESDAY coloring book, SOAPy bookmarks and postcards, and a rubber duckie keychain!!!! (Deadline to leave comments will be October 4th and the winner will be announced as soon as I figure it all out.)
4.  Several of the blogs I will visit will also be doing drawing - so there's lots of opportunities to get some free SOAP in your life!

     So, I hope you'll help spread the word! Link to my Blog Tour Schedule or forward people to my blog or SOAP ACTIVITY PAGE. And let the party begin!! THANKS!

Did you know?
     SOAP has already been picked up by the Alliance Theatre Teaching Artists program! Why? Partly because it comes in both all-English and bilingual versions: SOAP, SOAP, SOAP ~ JABON, JABON, JABON! But also because it addresses some very basic ideas that we all need to learn. You know the ones - if you get muddy, at some point, you've got to get all cleaned up!!! (Especially important in this germy flu season!) Of course, taking a bath can be much more fun when you have a rubber duckie! Earnie says it so well.... (Video from Sesame Street...)



SOAPy BLOG BOOK TOUR SCHEDULE
     I'm kicking off the two week long tour with a BIG BANG! Today I visit Stephanie Ruble's sruble's world; Children's Authors and Illustrators (on facebook); AND Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast!!!!!! So float on over to these fabulous blogs to have a read!!!

Here are all the stops I'll be making over the next two weeks:
9/17 - Janelle's Brimful Curiosities
9/20 - Stephanie Ruble of sruble's world
9/20 - Guest at Children's Authors and Illustrators on Facebook (hosted by Simon Rose)
9/20 - Guest at Seven Impossible Things Before Breakfast
9/21 - Guest at Tina Nichols Coury's blog Tales from the Rushmore Kid
9/22 - Coloring Page Tuesday!!! AND a LIVE interview at Suzanne Lieurance's Book Bytes for Kids at 3:00pm est!
9/23 - Guest at Wendy Martin Illustration
9/24 - Guest at Kim Norman's Blog - Stone Stoop
9/25 - OFFICIAL RELEASE DATE FOR SOAP!!! YIP, YIP, YAHOOOOOOO!!!!!
9/26 - Guest at Debbi Ohi's Inkygirl!
9/27 - Guest at Sarah C. Campbell's blog
9/28 - Guest at Teaching Authors
9/29- Coloring Page Tuesday!!
9/30 - Guest at Jessica Handler's Swimming in the Trees
10/1 - Guest at Tarie Sabido's Into the Wardrobe
10/2 - Guest at Donny Seagraves Winterville Writer

AWESOME SHOUT-OUTS:
     Picture Book of the Day by Anastasia Suen
     Fusenews (by Betsy Bird of Fuse #8)
     Little Shop of Stories' Little Blog of Stories