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A Visitor for Bear, by my friend and critique group member Bonny Becker, won the SCBWI's Golden Kite Award for picture book text! Bonny has written so many wonderful picture books and novels. It's terrific when a book connects with and finds its audience like this one has. And Bonny remains so low-key about it, even though our group is so proud and thrilled for her. Yesterday, we had to browbeat her to change her email sig line, which only pointed out one good review Bear had gotten ages ago. C'mon, said another group member, what about the Amazon Picture Book of the Year Award? The NYT Bestsellers List? Now the Golden Kite? Bonny surrendered and updated, even though it's the kind of thing she probably wouldn't have done without a bit of pressure.

Congratulations, Bonny--It couldn't go to a nicer writer or a more heartwarming if grouchy Bear!

Click here to read about the other winners and honors books. It's a great group!

[Addendum: The server hosting Bonny's website is down momentarily. I hope by the time you read this, the links from her site will be working fine] 

I'm thrilled to announce the fabulous Bonny Becker's new picture book, A Visitor for Bear, which comes out this week! Bear is a curmudgeon who just wants to be left alone, but Mouse is insistent that Bear needs a friend. Bear been getting great reviews, including a starred review in School Library Journal! "The lively repetition and superb pacing make this an ideal choice for storytime," the SLJ review (scroll down to find the review) says, in part. Way to go, Bonny!

Bonny recently learned that A Visitor for Bear was going to be featured on the picture book wall at Barnes & Noble stores nationwide. You know how when you go into the children's area, there's always a wall display with 10-20 picture books face out on it? Where all the big names and bestsellers (or anticipated bestsellers) are? Where you hope your book will be one day? That's where her book will be! I can't wait to visit my B&N this weekend and see Bonny's book! I asked Bonny how all this came about.

According to Bonny, to get on the picture book wall display, first your publisher nominates your book, then B&N selects about 8 to 10 titles from all those nominated to be featured nationally. The individual stores pick the other books on the picture book wall. If selected, the publisher pays co-op money to help with the promotion of the book.

Co-op money has long been a feature of bookselling. Publishers help bookstores, including independents, pay for selected book signings, author appearances, etc. So it's always worth asking a bookstore if they have access to co-op money and to ask your publisher if they provide co-op money.




Now, how do I know all this, you're wondering? I'm lucky enough to be in a critique group with Bonny. She's the author of Holbrook: A Lizard's Tale, An Ant's Day Off, Christmas Crocodile, and more. Check out her books here. And besides being a talented and diverse writer, Bonny is a terrific teacher. She offers private critiquing and teaches through the The Whidbey Writers Workshop MFA Program. She has a terrific grasp on structure, especially, and I have benefited greatly from her comments on my own work.

Anyway, our critique group got to watch Bonny tweak and polish this manuscript until it was absolutely irresistible, and we're all very proud and happy to see Bear finally come to bookstores and libraries. I hope you'll look for Bonny's book! I bet you'll love it as much as I do.

Here's a fine young reindeer from Santa Claus's crew -- it's Cupid! enjoy!

Hey, where have I been?? I 'fell off' my blog. There is no other way to put it. And certainly there's no *pretty* way to put it. It's sort of like falling off a cliff, but there's no cliff...anyway, here I am, and I am happy to be here!!! I've missed posting the past couple of weeks!!

Here is the final Wishing On A Star illustration.

See the previous stage of the painted version.

See the original pencil sketch it is based on.