The Weekly 411 (12/29/23)

© Jacob Souva

Dec. 29, 2023 vol. 52

The Weekly 411 gathers all the links added to Kidlit411 each week. To receive this post by email, sign up for our email updates. Are you on Facebook? Join our Kidlit411 group for conversations and camaraderie. This week's illustration is by Jacob Souva.

Kid lit News

New Publishers and Agents in 2023

Early Chapter Book Giveaway

We are pleased to host a giveaway of the early chapter book book, The Rescues: Finding Home, by Tommy Greenwald & Charlie Greenwald, illustrated by Shiho Pate (Red Comet Press 2023). Enter to win a copy via the Rafflecopter below!

About the Book: Two shelter dogs await adoption in this early reader series about friendship, family, and home. Moose and Bear are two scrappy shelter dogs patiently waiting for the right owner to adopt them. They meet, become friends, and one day a Cathy decides to take them both home. Despite their luck, they must face the challenges of settling into their new home. Along the way, they learn about each other, and their friendship deepens. Told with humor and heart, Finding Home is a tale that champions the importance of family and relays how it feels to belong and to have a place to call home.

About the Authors:  Tommy Greenwald is the best-selling author of the Crimebiters! and Charlie Joe Jackson series of middle grade novels, among many other books for children and young adults. He lives with his wife and canine friends in Westport, Connecticut. You can visit him at tommygreenwald.com, The Rescues is his first book for beginning readers. Finding Home is Charlie Greenwald’s debut publication. The Greenwald family has had four rescue dogs–Moose, Coco, Abby, and Momo–who inspired this series. (They have not had a dog named Bear but give it time.)

About the Illustrator: Shiho Pate is a California-based illustrator with experience in the gaming field. She is passionate about children's book illustration and has published several books with more in the pipeline. Shiho lives with her husband and daughter. Her family used to include a beloved Jack Russell terrier named Russel.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

Picture Book Giveaway

 

We are pleased to host a giveaway of the picture book, Finch’s First Flight: How One Little Bird Overcame His Fear of Flying, by Steve Ciabattoni, illustrated by Annie Wilkinson (Archway Publishing 2023). Enter to win a copy via the Rafflecopter below!

About the Book: Meet Finch, a bird who lives at the airport, but… he’s actually afraid to fly. When he meets a young boy at the airport who is also afraid to fly, they work out a deal that gets them both on the plane. When Finch finds out how beautiful it is up in the sky, he decides to try flying for real. That’s when things get a little turbulent, but everyone lands safely and Finch learns to fly higher than ever before. This sweet and silly book is perfect for little ones with anxieties or who are nervous about trying new things. 

 

About the Author: Steve Ciabattoni is a late-blooming children’s book author who also works as a nonprofit digital communications consultant. Previously he worked as a music journalist, an English teacher, and a marketing director. Finch’s First Flight is his first book, and he’s working on more books that deal with anxiety and depression with a light-hearted touch.

 

About the Illustrator:  Annie Wilkinson works in a variety of mediums including traditional and digital, creating bright and whimsical illustrations for both books and products. She also has a background in design and as a fine artist, two skills that she calls upon quite frequently when illustrating. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

a Rafflecopter giveaway

 

For Writers

8 Things I Learned from My Cats about Writing Haiku

5 Tips for Crafting Unforgettable Settings 

Scene Mastery: Navigating Common Goal-Driven Scene Pitfalls

Freelance Editors and Critiques

Beth Stilborn (updated link)

Submissions: Agents & Editors

Why Do Publishers Close Imprints?

Writing Challenges

Storystorm (registration is open now: sign up by Jan. 7)
What: Join picture book writers and come up with 30 new picture book ideas in the month of January. Get daily inspirational and educational posts and have the chance to win prizes.

Query Letters

The Key to a Good Query Letter: Summarizing Through Specificity

Inspirational Things

Your Creative Reset (And Reaching Your Ideal Readers)