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Boo-La-La: Witch Spa

By Samantha Berger; illustrated by Isabel Roxas

Remember what it feels like as parents the day after Halloween? “Spent” is a pretty good descriptive word to describe the feeling. After the endless costume searches, looking for that last accoutrement to complete the costume, stocking up on treats for the doorbell ringers on October 31st, and the door to door march, parents are pretty well pooped.

Imagine how witches feel the day after the Big Day? Maybe they need a day at a spa to be pampered, perfumed and fussed over.

Samantha Berger, in her picture book, “Boo-La-La: Witch Spa,” has imagined the perfect getaway for witches that need a day away.

What with the cackling, cooking up of spells and general haunting flights on moonlit nights, a witch needs a day to recoup and Bo-La-La is the perfect spot for the put upon witch. And nothing is overlooked at Ms. Berger’s Boo-La-La Spa.

Greeted by gnomes at the door, a witch will find herself immersed in any number of tantalizing treatments.

Toadstool and skunk scented candles set the mood as you enter. Ensconced in a fake  yeti fur robe, it is on to the treatments of choice, be they:

 

Broom Bristle Facials

 

Pumpkin Gut Masks

 

Serpent Spit Spritzers

 

Scalp Rubs by Spiders

 

or any number of other things that are, as they say, “Fab-Boo,” to any witch that needs to rejuvenate.

Soaking in cauldrons of mold, an Eye of Newt Wrap, and a Skin Scrub done by a willing Scarab beetle, is the living end. Dragons breath saunas are deeply relaxing with a Stone Massage administered by a Hag; highly skilled, but of course.

Believe me, Georgette Klinger, Elizabeth Arden, The Golden Door and Sonoma Inn and Spa have nothing on this witch wonder treatment facility.

And what would a proper spa be without a healthful luncheon of Hex Mex and Jinx Drinks accompanied by Candy Corn Flan.

Hair care is an absolute must; what will the wind blowing through it on high flying broomsticks. So, a bit of Black Widow Oil deep condition and a uplift of green highlights and lowlights, do wonders for the “spirits.”

Finally, carting off a collection of “perfumes, powders and potions” to keep up the effect at home, or hovel, this cutie witch newly transformed, finds:

 

     Her heart’s filled with joy and her soul with laughter.

she cannot believe the before and the after!

 She leaves the Witch Spa, feeling like a Witch Queen

 and vows to come back after next Halloween!  

 

Ms. Berger, author of “Crankenstein” and “Snoozefest,” has captured the cadence and companionable allure of the Witch Spa named Boo-La-La, allowing picture book readers a view at what young witches do on the day after, the day after, All Hallows Eve!

Sign me up.

But, I think I’ll pass on the “Made at Midnight” hair color choice with glittery stars done in Silver Moonlight. Sounds Fab-Boo, but maybe a bit too much!

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Title: Snoozefest Written by: Samantha Berger Illustrated by: Kristinya Litten Published by: Dial Books for Young Readers, 2015 Themes/Topics: Sloths, sleep, festivals Suitable for ages: 3-7 Opening: In the center of Snoozeville, dwells the wee one,                   … Continue reading →

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Snoozefest

By Samantha Berger; illustrated by Kristyna Litten

 

Cold, gray days filled with predictions of MORE of the white stuff looming large? I have the perfect picture book antidote for the gloomies that may have descended on your house during this winter that seems never ending.

It’s called “Snoozefest”and it’s a fun fest of adventures sure to warm up both you and your young reader.

Do you have trouble rousing your sleepy one for school? All they really want to do is hibernate on cold winter mornings, pulling the covers over their head with that plaintive and proverbial, “I’m tired, Mom.”“Just one more minute, puh-leeze!”

I’ve been there, done it, and I sympathize with parents pulling unwilling peewees out of bed on minus zero mornings. It’s not easy. Sometimes WE don’t want to get out of bed on a cold morning. So I do and did sympathize.

For those of my readers in warmer climes, I envy you, but trust me, “Baby, It’s Cold Outside”here with no let up in sight.

But, what if there was a place where perennial snoozing was a full time occupation for some? And what if, like the wildly popular Comic Con, there was an similar happening where snoozers gathered with lazing, yet fun filled activities for participants to well, wallow in as they winter over.

Welcome to Snoozefest! Meet a sloth named Snuggleford Cuddlebun who lives in…. you guessed it…. Snoozeville. This slow-mo sloth can sleep for a month at a go. Except, that is when Snoozefest is on the calendar.

 

This is the place where the best sleepers go to snore their way through this nap-tacular show.

 

Held at the Nuzzledome, Snuggleford accompanies all the wombats, koala bears, brown bats, squirrels and giant armadillos that have their Snoozeticket punched at the entrance.

 

It’s dreamy to see the stuff everyone brings their wimpiest, coziest, comfiest things. Bundles of blankets and fluffed feather beds Puffy poofed pillows to prop up their heads.

 

 

The blankets even have nick names ( just like your kids’blankets, I bet ) such as Knit-Knit, Gee-Gee, Pinky, Minky or Lolly. Armed with milk and honey, journals and bedtime books (natch), attendees stake out their turf and get ready for the show!

Styling pajamas are the order of the day in the P.J. Parade. We’re talking designer jammies here, given to attendees by the likes of Diane Vonfirstinbed, Alexander McDream and Louis Futon to name a few.

Nightlights on and the fest kicks in to high gear with the band called the Camomile Rage. No raucous rock here; just dreamy music designed to lull one into dreamy dream land. Deep Hiber-nation was my favorite band!

Days of soporific sensibilities sated, and it’s pack up time for sloth et al.

Samantha Berger, author of books like “Crankenstein”and “Martha Doesn’t Say Sorry”has snagged the attention of picture book lovers of snoozing everywhere, along with Krystyna Litten’s art, imagining Snoozefest into pastel painted reality.

And now, pardon me while I borrow Snuggleford’s Snoozefest souvenir sleep-mask and catch a few zzz’s. Hey! it’s snowing AGAIN! Perfect timing!

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Happy Perfect Picture Book Friday, everyone!

I have a delightful book to share with you today which is not about a groundhog.  But speaking of groundhogs (did you see how smoothly I slipped that in there? :)) if you missed yesterday's Special Edition Post (which you easily might have because I almost never post on Thursdays so why would you think to check?) about Phyllis's Birthday Bonanza (which you definitely will NOT want to miss!), hop on over and check it out HERE!  Join the fun and spread the word! :)

Now then.  Today's book.  Which is not about a groundhog.  But IS about a sloth :)

Title: Snoozefest
Written By: Samantha Berger
Illustrated By: Kristyna Litten
Dial, January 2015, Fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-5

Themes/Topics: bedtime, sleep, animals (sloths), language fun (rhyme and inventive vocabulary)

Opening: "In the center of Snoozeville, dwells the wee one, the sleepiest sloth, Snuggleford Cuddlebun.  Now, that sloth can sleep, for a month at a go. The few times she rises, she moves in slo-mo."

Brief Synopsis:  It's time for the annual Snoozefest at the Nuzzledome, an arena festival that celebrates sleep.  All the best sleepers attend.  Snuggleford Cuddlebun settles into a hammock with her blanket and pillow, her favorite stuffed animal and her best bedtime book, and a snack of milk and honey, ready to enjoy the show.  But will she?

Links To Resources: the author makes up some wonderful words in this story - what kind of words can you make up that sound just right to describe something you like to do (like sleeping, sledding, riding a bicycle, or any other activity)?; have your own snoozefest - make your room super comfy for sleeping, choose bedtimes stories, music, snacks, stuffed animals, pajamas and anything else that makes bedtime cozy for you.  You can even write up and decorate your own snoozefest program.  Have a lullaby sing-along and your own pajama fashion show!

Why I Like This Book:  How can you not love a book about a snoozefest that takes place at the Nuzzledome?  The text is full of delightful made-up words like "snoozillions" and "wumphiest" (as in "wumphiest, comfiest, coziest things" :))  There are designer pajamas by Diane Von Firstinbed and Louis Futon.  The snack vendors sell milk and honey.  The bands, with names like Chamomile Rage and the Nocturnal Nesters, play lullabies!  And everyone brings their nightlight from home :)  Adult readers will enjoy the spoof of music festivals.  The whole over-the-top celebration of bedtime is just flat out fun!  But you'll have to read it to find out what Snuggleford's experience of the show is :)

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF bloggers please be sure to leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit you and see what kind of amazingly wonderful entertaining books you chose this week.  It's supposed to snow... a good weekend to stock up on library books and spend the day reading :)

Have a great weekend, everyone!!! :)

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So, we’re going author, gamer, author, gamer in the the Games & Books & Q&A series, and as you pattern-recognition aficionados out there already know, that means it’s time for me to feature another children’s/YA author.

Samantha Berger has written picture books including Crankenstein and its upcoming sequel, A Crankenstein Valentine, both illustrated by Dan Santat (Little, Brown); the equally upcoming Witch Spa, illustrated by Isabel Roxas (Dial), and the (yes) upcoming Snoozefest, illustrated by Kristyna Litten (Dial). She has written cartoons and promos for Nickelodeon and other networks. Sam has also written comic books and commercials. In addition, she’s written movie trailers, theme songs, slogans, magazine articles, poems, TV-books, sticker books and professional books. Basically, you name it, Sam writes it.

CB: What do you remember about the first video game you ever played?

SB: I’m a child of the very first games. We had Pong in my house, and my little brother and I spent long, long periods of time playing it. It was MESMERIZING.

HYPNOTIZING.

The little DOOT… DOOT… DOOT… sound? The little light ball bouncing around the screen? I mean, you could do it for hours.

And we DID. (My first warning I could easily become an addict.)

Then Asteroids came out, and they had it in places like Pizza Hut.

Yeah it was in B & W and yeah it was basic, but somehow I was GOOD at it.

CB: What games did you play the most when you were a kid? What did you love about them?

SB: As a kid, I was never good at sports. What I loved about video games was that I was good at it. And it felt sporty …

… somehow.

Even though it was motor skills and hand/eye coordination and reflexes … it felt sporty. It felt like, if you could be a high-scorer, there was no possible way you could be picked last in gym.

Asteroids and Pong were the ONLY games I was good at. My little brother would go on to beat me, nay SLAY me in Pac-Man, Donkey Kong, Atari, and everything else. I died fast and often. Many quarters were lost in mere minutes. It became … a lot less fun.

I vividly remember when Dragon’s Lair came out. It cost TWO quarters to play, and the animation was very advanced at the time, and I LOVED that about it.

… but I still sucked at it.

And that was kinda the end of my affair with the Game of Videos.

CB: What role do games play in your life today?

SB: I am not a gamer and don’t play any games whatsoever. This was a conscious choice, as I felt like, without careful self-monitoring, I could easily slip into a phase of playing them ALL THE TIME, NONSTOP, and using it as the perfect procrastination for writing!

And, with social media, and on-demand TV marathoning, and my dog, friends, and exercise, I have noooooooo problem with procrastinating or getting easily distracted already. So I drew a line and told myself not to tread in such dangerous waters.

Ironically, last week’s freelance gig had me NAMING a bunch of new digi-games for Sesame Street.

I’m happy to name them, but I just can’t play them!

I expect to continue this series through the October publication of my book Attack! Boss! Cheat Code! A Gamer’s Alphabet. If there’s anyone in the gamer or kidlit camp that you’d love to see me feature in upcoming posts in this series, please drop me a line or tweet at me or just leave a message in the comments.

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And then there's potty training. It's a world unto itself, with special videos, portable potties, stickers, colorful underwear, and, of course, books. But the pay-off is huge: a diaper-free existence. We're big readers in our household, so why not read about it, too?

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