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My dear internet buddy Jessica Kennedy, author of Klutzy Kantor, is busy touring the blogosphere to promote the release of this her first children's picture book (major congrats, Jessica!), so I suggested she take a break and have the cute protagonist of her book, Klutzy Kantor, write a guest post instead. I asked him what makes his book special and what kids will love about it the most. This is what he had to say....

"Well, I hate to brag. Actually it’s hard not to. My book is special, because J. Aday Kennedy made me very smart and gave me a great personality. I’m a bit of a klutz, but that makes the book funny and kids that aren’t very coordinated will relate to it. Jack Foster drew me and made me purple. He makes my personality and klutziness shine.

Aday did some other neat stuff for me. If you visit her website you can get quite a few goodies. A teacher’s guide, coloring pages, information about two more books about me and my elf friends, and pdf’s of my favorite apple recipes. She co wrote my theme song, “Go Me!” with LeFerna Walch of The Character Studio DOT com. LeFerna choreographed a dance that the song teaches. If that wasn’t enough, I have my very own blog at http://klutzykantor.blogspot.com.

I’m in Michigan with LeFerna working on a surprise that Aday and my fans will love. This book has a lot of extras that kids and grown ups will love and with each new book in the series more has been planned. Temporary tattoos, stickers, book marks and contests are just three of them."

Sounds good to me, Kantor!

For teaching resources and coloring pages, visit Klutzy Kantor's BLOG.

Don't miss the author's other virtual tour stops! For the full schedule, visit the author's website.

About the book:

Everyday Kantor Pegasus practices solving riddles. A tricky leprechaun attempts to outsmart him by giving him a next to impossible riddle to solve. To end his clumsy ways he must solve it. Children learn the benefit of practice and to focus on their strengths.

KLUTZY KANTOR
Written by J. Aday Kennedy
Illustrated by Jack Foster
Reading level: Ages 4-10
Publisher: Guardian Angel Publishing, Inc (April 14, 2010)
ISBN-13: 978-1616330514
For Purchase: Amazon

About the author:

J. Aday Kennedy, the differently-abled writer, is an award winning multi
published author of inspirational/Christian pieces and of children’s literature.
Eight picture books are under contract eagerly awa

Jessica Kennedy calls herself The Differently-Abled Writer. She's had two children’s short stories, four Chicken Soup for the Soul essays, and several Christian essays published. Currently, she’s working on her Young Adult memoir, as well as on several picture book manuscripts. She’s a legally blind, ventilator dependent, quadriplegic, but she's making her dreams come true one story at a time. A graduate from the University of California, she has a BA degree in 20th Century European History. She's a guest speaker at classes for respiratory therapist and a writer of inspirational articles and children’s stories. She's a proud member of SCBWI and Grading Pens, a private online critique group.



I don't know about you, but I'm deeply inspired and humbled by her dedication and determination, as well as by her love for the craft of writing.

Jessica, I hope your dream to see your first children's book published becomes a reality soon! When I see your determination, that's bound to happen VERY soon!

Jessica has a website and a blog. I invite you to check out her links, which are full of resources for both writers and readers alike.

So I'm reading Theodosia and the Serpents of Chaos right now since, y'know, that's how I roll. And I get to thinking about the time period and the setting. The book basically takes place in pre-WWI England with a kid whose parents are continually bringing back and examining a host of nasty Egyptian artifacts. So naturally, I get to wondering how the author is going to tackle the tricky question of British nationalism. The idea of Egyptian independence is popping up left and right in this book and having finished Larklight by Philip Reeve (more on that later) I'm seeing a small but distinct increase in British fantasies that tackle their nation's thorny past with big, beautiful, magical metaphors. There is, to my mind, no better time then to read J.L. Bell's recent post Bartimaeus and the British Empire. Concentrating primarily on Jonathan Stroud's magnificent trilogy, Bell points out how colonialism and conjurings intertwine perfectly within Stroud's alternate England.