A lifestyle of reading and writing starts early with books, books and more books.
What are your favorite picture books?
Mine are Ian Falconer's Olivia. I long to be Olivia!
We Have Winners!!Please contact Seekerville through our new web email if you are a winner and if needed, provide your snail mail address. Please note our giveaway rules in the right lower column of Seekerville.
Sunday we celebrated National Library Week in Seekerville. Winner of Kelly L. Stone's Time To Write is Lorna Faith.
Monday, author Cathy Shouse returned to Seekerville with her post Ten + Tips to Turbocharge Your Marketing. Winner of Janet Dean's latest release, Wanted: A Family is Everlasting Scribe. Winner of a thirty-minute phone consultation with Cathy Shouse on promotion opportunities is Wendy S. Marcus.
Tuesday Cheryl Wyatt presented her 2011 Romantic Times BookLover's Convention Recap. Winner of Ready-Made Family, which won last year's Romantic Times Reviewers Choice Award for the best series Love Inspired of 2009 is Shawna.
Hope you didn't miss Wednesday, and Love Inspired Historical author Patty Smith Hall: Everything But the Kitchen Sink: Building Conflict in Our Stories. Winner of Patty's debut release, Hearts in Flight is Preslaysa.
Steeple Hill author Ruth Logan Herne was your hostess Thursday with Grab Your Hard Hats! We're Building in Seekerville! Winners of fun Seeker baskets with treats suitable for eating: Jan Christiansen and Keli Gwyn.
B & H author Tosca Lee visited Seekerville on Friday, and chatted long distance from Peru. Winner of their choice of an autographed copy of either Havah or Demon is Christy LaShea.
Harlequin Historicals author Pam Crooks joined us on Saturday with Kindles & Nooks, Oh, My! Winner of her choice of Pam Crooks' e books is K. Victoria Chase.
Also, the Saturday winner of The First Five Pages Critique is Anita Mae Draper.
Next Week In Seekerville
Monday: Love Inspired author Tina Radcliffe brings you Edit Me! Stop by for an opportunity to win a critique or a book, or a special tote bag!
Tuesday: Seekerville is delighted to have Love Inspired author Allie Pleiter in Seekerville. And she's giving away a copy of Yukon Wedding. Allie writes both contemporary and historical romances for Love Inspired!
Wednesday: How did Barbara Vey go from a ho-hum job in the insurance industry to being Publishers Weekly’s spokesperson for romance? Find out today in Seekerville. Learn what readers tell Barbara about the books they love to buy and how to get your story reviewed on Barbara’s Beyond Her Book blog, where she recently attracted more than 22,000 visitors in one week. Come and chat with Barbara and you'll be eligible to win one of 24 prizes given away throughout the day!
Thursday: Don't miss the very diverse Camy Tang in Seekerville today. Camy writes for Zondervan, Love Inspired Suspense as well as Guidepost Books! Camy will be featuring the upcoming Love Inspired Historical Editor Pitch.
Friday: What a week! Today we welcome B&H Publishing's Fiction Manager, Julie Gwinn.
Seeker Sightings
Missy Tippens first chapter of A Family for Faith is posted on Vickie Hinze's Chapter 1 Zone this week. Check it out!
Stop by the Craftie Ladies of Suspense blog on Wednesday, April 20 for Debby Giusti's segment of the continuing tale, The Great Easter Bunny Heist.
Random News
- Did you know that Love Inspired editor Emily Rodmell is on Twitter? Follow her and receive Love Inspired. LIH and LIS news
- Have you checked out BookFlavor.com? (Woman's World Magazine)
- Here's Why Amazon's Ad-Supported Kindle Is The Future Of Gadgets (Business Insider)
- Social Networking and Your Picture (Jessica Faust)
- Are you targeting SuperRomance? Don't miss this: A Soldier's Story: A Memorial Day Challenge on eHarlequin.
- The “W” Plot…or The Other White Meat for Plotters©: A Plotting Workshop presented by Karen Docter is coming online May 15th.
- How To Cope With Writing Life Anxiety (GalleyCat)
And finally, Olivia and all of Seekerville are jumping for joy as we congratulate friend of Seekerville, Eva Maria Hamilton, on her first sale to Love Inspired Historical.
Yippeee!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
Hi Tina:
ReplyDeleteMy all time favorite illustrated children’s book is “The Little Prince” by Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Like all great children’s books, it’s equally enjoyable by adults.
Vince
The coffee pot's plugged in and the timer set.
ReplyDeleteTina, I clicked on the link for the Emily Rodmell Twitter and got a message that says it doesn't exist.
Helen
This is not an easy choice. I have four favorite children's books and I'm torn picking one.
ReplyDeleteI suppose the most wonderful is A Child's Garden of Verses by Robert Louis Stevenson. I just adore those beautiful poems.
How do you like to go up in a swing
Up in the air so blue
Oh I do think it's the pleasantest thing
Ever a child can do.
I also love Tootle the Train, a little Golden Book.
It's a silly little story about a very promising little train engine who decides he's rather play in the flowers and frolic, then do the hard work to become a mighty engine when he grows up.
The moral of this story is, to me, one of the most pure and powerful morals of any story......
There are nothing but red flags for little trains who get off the tracks.
That is a deep truth.
I also love The Big Orange Splot by D. Manus Pinkwater. It's about being yourself, celebrating what you love.
My house is me and I am it and it looks like all my dreams.
And the fourth is just joyful, I love it. A book length poem called Maude and Claude Go Abroad.
It's full of the most clever use of language of nearly any book I've read.
At last came the day
Maudie heard the whale say.
"That's france in the distance, you know."
As Maudie laid eyes on
land on the horizon,
he said, "That's as far as I go."
How could anyone not relish a book that rhymes
Laid Eyes On
with
Horizon
See I agree Vince, a good children's book transcends age.
ReplyDeleteHelen, this cannot be. I tested it.
ReplyDeleteApparently I failed. I will go fix it immediately.
Vince, isn't The Little Prince sad?
ReplyDeleteMary, the first big book I ever owned was A Child's Garden of Verses.
:)
My favorite is Sheep in a Jeep. I didn't read it as a child, but I read it when I got older and I LOVE it. It's hilarious! Plus it has sheep, and my knitter heart beats faster.
ReplyDeleteCamy
I think my all-time favorites are The Giving Tree by Shel Silverstein and Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown.
ReplyDeleteThe Giving Tree has so much pathos... Love it, so the artwork is secondary.... The old man? The stump? Needing a place to rest because his wife died and he's all alone???
Oh mylanta, I'm getting verklempt thinking of it!
Runaway Bunny... How reassuring to know that even the naughtiest little bunny still gets loved and their mommy will find them! LOVE IT!!!
French Toast Supreme for breakfast, with sausage, ham and eggs.
Palm Sunday.
Oh my stars, I love the sanctity of Holy Week... That we haven't commercialized Easter to a crazy point.
Tina, great WE as always, my friend!
Oh, and DO FOLLOW Emily Rodmell on Twitter....
ReplyDeleteI got the skinny on those very special phone calls EARLY by following her!
And she talks about what they're looking for... Sends out 'what if's?... and she's adorable!
I'm sure Teeeeenster got the link fixed...
(Ruthy, staring at watch, wondering....tapping toe....)
In Melbourne Victoria every Christmas the Myer windows have a christmas display based on a book or film. 2 years ago they based it on Olivia and it was so cute. They have 6 large windows and a moving display and it was really good seeing the pic here reminded me of it.
ReplyDeleteWhen I was a child my favourite I still have is a book with three fairytales the ugly duckling, the Snow Queen and one other. Its when I fell in love with the Snow Queen.
When I babysit I loved a book by Pamela Allen "the Pear in the pear tree" its a book the kids loved. She writes great books. Belinda was good too.
What a great topic for the WE, Tina! Olivia is a hoot and so are you.
ReplyDeleteLike Mary and Tina, I had A Child's Garden of Verses growing up--loved it. But my all-time favorite childhood book was Corduroy by Don Freeman. I adored that bear in overalls.
My favorite book to read to kids now, however, is King Bidgood's in the Bathtub by Audrey and Don Wood. It's about a king who refuses to leave the tub and how the members of his court try to lure him out. The pictures are gorgeous, amazing, and funny.
Looking forward to the week ahead in Seekerville!
I can't remember a favorite children's book but I do love The Three Trees which is by many different authors since is a folk story told over and over again.
ReplyDeleteLooks like we have another great week ahead of us.
Congrats Eva Marie on getting published!!!!
Speaking of broken links...the Woman's Word one...BookFlavors.com doesn't work either. I tried googling it but didn't find it either. :-(
ReplyDeleteFavourite picture book???????? You're asking me to pick one...or at least a short list??????????? Ack.
Pete the Cat is my new all time favourite. Here's a link to a video of the author presenting it to a group of children. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nUubMSfIs-U
Then there's Spork by Kyo Maclear...not quite fork and not quite spoon...can he ever find belonging in the cutlery drawer?!
Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? Audrey Vernick's silly story about nerves on the first day of school.
One Duck Stucky by Phyllis Root...funny repetitive story about cooperation with a surprise ending.
Mr. Maxwell's Mouse by Frank Asch -- brilliantly satrical...the story of a pompous cat at a fine dining establishment celebrating his recent promotion and the live mouse entree who uses his wiles to get out of being eaten.
Oy...somebody stop me I could go on all day. I know, I'll hit the publish button quick.
CONGRATULATIONS, EVA MARIA!!! Another friend of Seekerville waves goodbye to the island and sets sail for the mainland!
ReplyDeleteOh, Teenster, this is SO nostalgic for me!!! I would have to say one of my favorites I read to my children was Goodnight, Moon by Margaret Wise Brown. Not only did it help wind the kids down, but I immediately had an urge to curl up and nod off too!!
ReplyDeleteHappy weekend, all!!
Hugs,
Julie
Huge Congrats to Eva Maria!!
ReplyDeleteMy favorite books were the Frances books by Russell Hoban about a little badger.
And then the fairytale of Rose White and Rose Red. My parents were very happy when I could read this one on my own. They can probably both still tell it word for word without looking.
Praying everyone has a blessed Holy Week!
--Kirsten
Looks like more picture books I need to check out. ACK!
ReplyDeleteHopalong Jack and the Blue Bunnies by Jeri Landers is our most recent purchase. She is both author and illustrator and the art is incredible. And what a story...
The other I can look at repeatedly is Animalia by Graeme Base. But that isn't story as much as thinking about the alphabet. It's WAY fun for adults too. VERY clever book.
Great week in Seekerville. Hope all are ok after the storms. We had a serious deluge, which almost made the road to our home impassable. The river not far from us will hit flood stage this evening about 7.
Take care all! And CONGRATS again Eva Maria!!!
Yay - I won the First 5 Pages Critique! Thank you, thank you. Two weeks, huh. Will get on that.
ReplyDeleteMy favourite children's book is The Poky Little Puppy. Perhaps because Mom always said I was poky?
Love the Sunday edition, Tina. :)
Anita Mae.
Congratulations, Eva Maria! WAY TO GO!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the Seekerville winners too.
My favorite picture book as a child was Bunny Blue by Catherin Stahlmann. I still have it although the cover is gone. Toy's come to life while everyone is sleeping...think Toy Story or now The Doll People books (which I like too.)It was a Rand and McNally Junior Elf Book. Anyone else remember those?
The favorite picture book that I read to my son was a Golden Book called Mr. Bell's Fix It Shop. The sign in his shop window said he fixed everything but broken hearts....however by the end of the book that wasn't true anymore.
My favorite children's book...Chicka-chicka Boom Boom. :)
ReplyDeleteCongrats to Eva Marie! Happy Dancing!!!!!!
Congrats to all the winners.
ReplyDeleteAnd DOUBLE congrats to Eva Narie Hamilton
Terrible. Terrible. I wonder if they worked for me because I have them in my cookies. Will fix that one too. So sorry.
ReplyDeleteCongrats to all the winners this week and to Eva Maria!
ReplyDeleteThere are so many inspiring children’s books, and so many that I wonder “now how did that get published?” I guess that goes with any genre, age group, etc.
I have several favorite picture books, but I’ll relay a couple here. Apples to Oregon by Deborah Hopkinson is a wonderful story! One of my absolute favorites. Some of my other favorites are also by her: Sweet Clara and the Freedom Quilt and Fannie in the Kitchen.
And though it isn’t a picture book, I can’t help but mention one of the most beautifully written stories, and most gifted authors, of any genre; that is of course Sarah, Plain and Tall (and the rest of the series) by Patricia MacLachlan. You will never find more lovely, captivating, or clear prose.
Oh, and Mary C., A Child’s Garden of Verses (on the shelf!), or indeed, anything by Robert Louis Stevenson, is well worth the time.
-Whitney
All fixed. Apologies around.
ReplyDeleteYAY EVA!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteCLAPPING FOR YOU IN OREGON. :DD
Hi Tina:
ReplyDeleteIs ‘The Little Prince’ sad?
Is life sad?
Was the story of Christ’s life sad?
It depends on your POV.
‘The Little Prince’ is for little philosophers. There is not a line in it not worth thinking about.
”Grown-ups never understand anything by themselves, and it is tiresome for children to be always and forever explaining things to them”.
****
"I should never have listened to her," he confided to me one day, "One should never listen to the flowers. One should simply look at them and breathe their fragrance." (The rose the little prince loved had lied to him and hurt him deeply.)
****
"Where are the people?" resumed the little prince at last. "It's a little lonely in the desert..."
"It is lonely when you're among people, too," said the snake".
****
“Here is my secret. It is very simple: It is only with the heart that one can see rightly; what is essential is invisible to the eye.”
****
“That is the hardest thing of all. It is much harder to judge yourself than to judge others. If you succeed in judging yourself, it's because you're truly a wise man.”
****
“You risk tears if you let yourself be tamed.”
****
How many romance themes are encompassed in this last quote?
Just as there are little children who write plays and books, so too, there are little children who find they can think deeply and that books like “The Little Prince” speak silently to them in a secret language.
Vince
CONGRATS to all the winners!! (and Congrats AGAIN to Eva Maria!! YAY!!). ~ Oh my....as a former Kindergarten teacher I have TONS of favorites! *grin* Besides those you showed, I also love the "Miss Bindergarten" series, the Franklin books, Berenstain Bears, and I could go on and on and on, LOL!! On my "dream list" is to one day write a childrens' book - - especially since I enjoy children so much (and I'm sure my family considers me a "big kid"!). ~ Blessings, Patti Jo :)
ReplyDeleteI'm so excited I won Tosca's book! I've emailed y'all... hope you received my message.
ReplyDeleteBtw, I love Olivia! my daughter and I watch the cartoon. Yes, I need to actually read the books ;)
Oh, and I just read Ruthy's book Waiting out the Storm and I've reviewed it on www.thefaithgirls.com today. I am also giving a way a free copy! It was really great! Loved it, Ruthy!!!
Thanks again Seekers!
Christy
Julie mentioned Goodnight, Moon. Love it, but love Good Night, Gorilla even more. So fun to read to little ones. I always giggle seeing the gorilla in bed with the zookeeper and his wife. :)
ReplyDeleteOlivia is fun, too!
Ida Early Comes Over the Mountain, written by Robert Burch, who lived not far from me in GA--great for those who read chapter books.
Madeline has long been a fav, as well.
Who doesn't love Charlotte's Web? I cried and cried when I first read it years ago.
Whoo-hooo!!! Eva Maria!!!! Congrats and hugs for getting THE CALL!!!
ReplyDeleteWe want to hear all about it!
Congratulations to all the winners!
ReplyDeleteMy daughter just turned 4 so I am constantly reading and discovering new children's books.
And I have so many favorites that I just can't list them all. But, here are a few:
Buzz Buzz Busy Bees - Dawn Bentley
Everything from P.D. Eastman.
And everything from Sandra Boynton
As a kid I loved the Amelia Bedelia books :)
Anne, Corduroy is great too.
And Julie, Goodnight Moon is a favorite here.
Have a Great Weekend Everyone!
Thanks so much
ReplyDeleteLaura,
Glynna,
Erica,
Rose,
Kristen,
Pepper,
Whitney,
Casey,
and CatMom! :)
And of course thanks Tina for including my exciting news in your WE! :)
ReplyDeleteThanks Debby! :)
ReplyDelete"Yes. You are right. Well done, Vince," she said.
ReplyDeleteEVA MARIE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyDeleteAAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
CONGRATULATIONS!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
SO EXCITED FOR YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
AAAAAAHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
It's amazing all the books I HAVEN'T heard of. So many children's books just touch us at a special time.
ReplyDeleteI suppose The Velveteen Rabbit is close to the best.
It doesn't make my top four list, but now I'm wondering if it should. Or maybe have a top FIVE list. :)
You are totally right, Mary. Like adult books, children's books speak to us at stages in our lives. I discovered Debi Gliori as an adult and embraced the unconditional love of No Matter What.
ReplyDeleteNo Matter What, by Debi Gliori
Large held Small snug as they looked out at the night,
at the moon in the dark and the stars shining bright.
"Small, look at the stars, how they shine and glow,
but some of those stars died a long time ago."
"Still they shine in the evening skies. Love, like starlight, never dies."
My favorite picture book is Miss Rumphius by Barbara Cooney.
ReplyDeleteFrom Amazon -
As a child, Great-aunt Alice Rumphius resolved that when she grew up she would go to faraway places, live by the sea in her old age, and do something to make the world more beautiful--and she does all those things, the last being the most difficult of all.
The illustrations are so lovely and I love the idea of retiring by the sea.
Mary, as a child, I loved the Velveteen Rabbit mini-movie with Christopher Plummer. I must have watched that thing a hundred times. It is still thought of rather fondly. I have never read the book, but should.
ReplyDelete-Whitney
And by the way, Mary Curry!!!!! Congratulations on your Genesis semi finalist status.
ReplyDeleteAnd was I the only one who didn't realize Anne Barton DOUBLE finaled in the Golden Heart?
ReplyDeleteDOUBLE!!!!
My grandson loves the Dinosaur books. What a joy it is to read children's books again on a regular basis.
ReplyDeleteWe were big fans of Pig Will, Pig Won't by Richard Scarry in our house. My daughter (Pig Won't) was read it nightly.
Please be in prayer for all of us here in NC. Just got back from my son's house in one of the hardest hit areas of Holly Springs. He only lost a massive tree but neighbors lost there homes. We are especially concerned about the two special needs group homes down the road with major damage. Worst natural disaster in our area in quite a while.
Peace, Julie
And I have already "friended" Eva Marie on Facebook. Suggest her to your friends so her new book can blow em out of the water!
ReplyDeletePeace, Julie
Yes, Julie, thanks for the reminder on prayers for Tornado Alley. I have family in NC and friends in Oklahoma.
ReplyDeletePraying.
The Best Loved Doll was my favorite growing up. She wasn't the most beautiful doll, but the little girl loved her best anyway.
ReplyDeleteI can't tell you how many times I read it.
Thanks Mary Connealy! Swimming off the island was tiring, but so well worth it :)
ReplyDeleteMary Curry, wow, a double final, Congratulations!
Julie Hilton Steele, thanks so much for your support :)
No I've confused you all.
ReplyDeleteMary semi finaled in the Genesis.
Anne Barton double finaled in the GH.
So many talented writers who will be swimming off the island very soon.
Congrats Eva Maria exciting news.
ReplyDeleteThanks Ausjenny! :)
ReplyDeleteoops sorry,
ReplyDeleteMary Congrats on your semi final!
And Anne Congrats on your double final! Wow!
Oh, I love Sarah Plain and Tall and Corduroy too!
ReplyDeleteAnd laugh all you will, I LOVE the Junie B. Jones books because she's such a five-year-old with attitude and I read her out loud to my little ones and I do a VERY GOOD JUNIE B. imitation.
Oh, yeah. It comes natural to a snark like me!
Tina, that little snippet of No Matter What brought tears to my eyes. So beautiful!
ReplyDeleteLOL, thanks for the double congrats--I'm thinking I should play the lottery.
Thanks, Eva Marie, and huge congrats to you on your first sale!!!
Junie B. Jones is awesome! Love her too, Ruthy!
ReplyDeleteI need chocolate.
ReplyDeleteYou guys are confusing me.
So Mary finaled in the Rita and Mary finaled in Genesis and Anne finaled in GH twice and Pam finaled in GH once and a partridge in a pear tree.
AND EVA MARIA SOLD!!!!
I think I'm getting this but I still need chocolate. Luckily I know where the Easter Bunny hides his stash.
Yeah, Junie and Ramona are cool.
ReplyDeleteHey, guys! I've missed you Seekers this week. I've been trying to finish up my edits and spend time with my kids during their spring break. Did you miss me????? Maybe? Just a little?
ReplyDeleteI love picture books. I so enjoyed reading them to my kids. I took them to the library when they were little mostly so I could pick out some new books to read to them! LOL But don't tell them that.
Yes, Melly, we missed you. Glad to see your smiling face again.
ReplyDeleteMissed you, Mel! But I get to see you soon. YAY!
ReplyDeleteLove Junie B, Ruthy! You'll have to do a reading for us at RWA!
Prayers for all those affected by the tornadoes. Poor NC! Tina, are your relatives okay?
Mel, I missed you too! Edits I understand.
ReplyDeleteKids???
Pshaw. ;)
I'm with Camy. Sheep In A Jeep was my favorite book to read to my daughter. Unfortunately, she didn't really like it, so I had to read it to myself. :-) My next favorite was Give A Moose A Muffin.
ReplyDeleteMy daughter's favorite was Tootle the Train. I think my husband read that to her every night for several months.
Sandy, Give a Moose a Muffin is right up there.
ReplyDeleteLOL on reading to yourself.
I am SOOO excited for Eva! Can't wait to read it.
ReplyDeleteCheryl
Thanks Cheryl!
ReplyDeleteI'm seriously late on this comment loop, and maybe no one will read this, but I couldn't resist.
ReplyDeleteMost of the greats have already been mentioned...The Giving Tree, Corduroy, Runaway Bunny, Goodnight Moon (we've read all of these repeatedly to our daughter).
I loved Chris VanAllsburg: Wreck of the Zephyr, and especially The Polar Express. I hope I can always hear that bell ringing.
Where the Wild Things Are...another one of those great stories about a parent's unconditional love.
I loved so many books when I was a kid. I gobbled up anything Berenstain Bears. Now Zondervan publishes the "Little Lights" series of Berenstain Bears books with biblical themes. My four year old loves them as much as I did.
As an adult, my favorites are The Three Trees (which I never heard as a child for some reason) and Phil Vischer's Sidney and Norman. These two make me cry every time I read them.
And who can forget The Chronicles of Narnia (which I also never read as a child).
Since probably no one's listening, I should stop now.