One of my favorite months of the year is October! I love the feel of the cooler weather; the energy and the smells fall brings. It makes me want to celebrate everything! Shouldn’t we always do that anyway? I’m sure going to give my best to do so this month.
What You Will Find in This Month’s Post
*Celebrating a Special Day
*Celebrating Four Book Birthdays
*Celebrating Progress on My Next Book
*Celebrating the Books I’ve Read and Reviewed
*Celebrating This Easy and Tasty Chicken Noodle CasseroleRecipe
*Celebrating Some Art Projects I Made in 2024
Let’s get started…
Celebrating a Special Day
October is the month my husband and I started dating, and then we married six years later on the exact same day, October 21st. So yes, we have been together for a very long time. We are so very thankful for each other and our family.
“The triplets are more than excited to move in the very same home that their mother had grown up in on Whimsical Avenue. Come along and join “Maggie, Millie, and Merrie’s, Magical Adventure. Enjoy the fun project included at the end of the book!”
What fun it was to make this book back in the day. Yes, I still make this art project all the time, too!
“Beasley goes on an unexpected journey after his family moves from the big city. He meets many interesting friends along the way. Will he make it to his destination? Come along to find out.!”
Again, one of my early books, and it will always hold a special place in my heart. Beasley is named after a special beagle puppy named Goergie we had when I was 4 years old.
“The triplets are back, and my, have they grown. The Midwest winter strikes them with a vengeance of snow. Stuck in the house with too many snow days, they turn grumpy with nothing to do. That is, until a mysterious package is delivered. Will the trio be pulled from their boredom as mail arrives each day?”
I love the art project in this book and it’s fun and easy to make with many possibilities. 🙂
“The is book two from “Maggie, Millie, and Merrie’s Magical Adventure.”
The triplets enjoy a fun visit with Grandmother when she returns from Florida. As they are helping her go through the attic, they find a wooden box. Inside, there are three bright shiny coins. Grandmother tells them they are magical. What do the magical coins hold? Readers will enjoy many fun activities as this story unfolds.”
This book was inspired from the love I have with dollhouses and miniatures.
Celebrating Progress on My Next Book
I’m doing a happy dance as I’m getting lots of work done on my next book. I will be searching for Beta Readers in the coming months. It will be a while, but I think this book will finally happen! (For a minute there, I wasn’t sure.) 🙁
I’ve even switched up a few things about the story, so if you read my first copy, it will be different. I’ll keep you all posted.
Celebrating theBooks I’ve Read and Reviewed
It’s not hard to celebrate reading good books, right?
These next 3 books by author and illustrator, Richard Byrne were so fun and very interactive for readers!
They all get 5 Stars from me!
5 Stars
“We’re in the Wrong Book”
What’s it About:
“When a potato sack race goes awry, Bella and Ben find themselves bumped from their familiar page into uncharted territory. It’s a brave new world of lollipops and sphinxes—and Bella and Ben are on one page-turning adventure. How will they find their way back into their very own book?”
My Review:
When Bella’s dog accidently pushes Bella and Ben into the wrong picture book, they will explore adventurous styles of different stories. What a fun and interactive book to read!
“This Book Just Stole My Cat!”
What’s it About:
“When Ben’s cat disappears into the gutter of the book, Bella joins in the search-and-rescue mission. But when the helpers disappear one after another, Ben realizes it’s up to him to set things right. Cleverly using the physicality of the book, This book just stole my cat! is kid-friendly fun!”
My Review:
Another fun book by, Richard Byrne. Readers will turn the pages for an interactive adventure looking for Ben’s cat. Love the format and the illustrations in this one, too!
“The Case of the Missing Chalk Drawings”
What’s it About:
“The chalks are drawing flowers on the chalkboard, but someone keeps stealing their artwork! Who could the thief be? Fortunately, Sergeant Blue is on the case and determined to solve the crime.”
My Review:
What a great story for parents, teachers, and readers to discuss with this one. Not everything is what it seems. Each interactive page will reveal more of the story. What happened to the chalk drawings?
I hope to read more of this author and illustrator’s books. 🙂
Celebrating ThisEasy and Tasty Chicken Noodle Casserole Recipe
It’s so nice to think of meals that require the oven since our heat waves have ended. It’s a wonderful time of year to celebrate that.
Here’s a tasty recipe we tried. You can use any pasta you like. I liked the larger shell ones in this, but my husband prefers the smaller ones. Let me know if you make this and what you think. It’s a perfect fall and winter meal. Add just a side of vegetables or a salad and you are good to go.
Don’t forget to read my tip at the end.
Recipe:
Ingredients:
1/2 of a Rotisserie Chicken, skin removed. Chopped. (Save the other half for another meal to freeze?)
1 1/2 cups of dry large, shelled pasta. Cook according to the directions, al dente.
1 can of Cream of Chicken Soup (We used the “Heart Healthy” version.)
1 can of water
1 envelope of dry Italian Dressing. (These come in a box in your salad dressing isle.)
1/ 2 block of cream cheese (We used the 1/3 less fat kind.)
One 7 ounce pack of cheese, shredded. (We used Cheddar Cheese, 2% less fat, but feel free to use whatever cheese you like.)
Directions:
In a saucepan, melt the soup, water, cream cheese. Once it’s all mixed and melted, add the dry dressing mix. Let this mixture simmer on low for about 15 minutes, stirring often so it won’t stick.
When your pasta is cooked, drained, and rinsed, add to a sprayed 9×13 pan.
Sprinkle around the cut-up chicken.
Pour your soup mixture over the pasta and chicken and poke it with a fork to incorporate. You do not have to stir.
Top with shredded cheese.
Bake at 350 degrees for 30 minutes or until bubbly and slightly brown.
Let set for 5-10 minutes before serving.
Tip:
I don’t know about you, but I never can get the consistency right for homemade Mac and Cheese. It occurred to me I could leave out the chicken, and it would be just that! I’m going to give this a try the next holiday meal I make. 🙂
Celebrating Some Art Projects I Made in 2024
I’m celebrating all the memories that pop up on Facebook since we lost many of our photos. We probably have most of them saved in our black box, but they would be hard to find.
I had a blast with this one in 2024.
I’m not a huge Halloween person but enjoy it for the kids. It was a lot of work to make this pop out card for our little ones a few years ago. It’s not so bad if you do it in stages. I’m sure I will be making one again someday.
Here’s when it was a mess and I had to put it together. Ha! 🙂
This is another angle of the completed card. See all the layers and how it expands and pops out? Again, this took a lot of time, but it was well worth it! 🙂
If you follow me on Facebook, you have already seen this next one.
I made this one with the same design, but I added it to a canvas.
This next project, I made completely by accident. 🙂
Can you guess what this is?
It’s a soap bubble I found on our kitchen counter. It made me laugh so I took a picture of it and turned it into this…
How I did this: *I spliced the photo in half and merged together in Photoshop *Then, drew the black cat *Cloned the spots that look like flying books *Found a bright blue paint and painted with an “overlay” effect
Happy September, everyone! I hope all is well with you and yours, and you are enjoying the end of summer. Part of me is a little shocked that school started and we will be planning the holidays before you know it. We won’t miss this weather though as we are going through our third heat wave this summer.
Why I named this month’s blog title, “Tiptoeing into September 2026?” Hopefully, we will have a nice, relaxing month with no hiccups, which I will mention later.
Meanwhile, let’s get started.
What you will find in this month’s post:
*New Logo
*Celebrating August and September Book Birthdays
*What’s to Come?
*Books I’ve Read and Reviewed
*Interview with Kathy J. Perry
*Reflecting on Dolly Parton
New Logo
I’m excited to show you my new logo! Our grandson made this and I love just it.
He is getting very proficient in his digital media projects. I’m looking forward for more to come from him.
Oh, and he helped me make this one, too! It was ► Moonshadow Mae‘s 8th book birthday and we couldn’t miss that, right? Everyone loves little Miss Mae!
Speaking of Book Birthdays, here are a few more we recently celebrated.
Meet Sherman the Shopping Cart! Join him as he guides you on this journey of his life as a shopping cart. Have fun searching for over a hundred items. He has picture finds for non-readers and word finds for readers. Enjoy the fun activities in the back of this book.
Believe it or not, this book is based on a real story. Ask me about it if you are curious. 🙂
Enjoy learning how to write stories with the suggested prompts. Once you have practiced, you will be ready to create your very own stories. Have fun with the extra pages in the back of this book for more activities and games. Happy Writing!
Using beautiful acrostic poems, Stella shares her love of the four seasons. Young readers will enjoy searching for Stella’s favorite things. Fun facts and learning activities are included in the back of this book.
What’s to Come?
Since you last heard from me, you know I’ve been busy recovering lost materials for my next book. I found most of the images I had in mind, now I need to create them once again. Yes, daily, I’m saving them in our black box for backup. Phew! This is why I’m “tiptoeing” into this month with fingers crossed, hoping for a smooooth and relaxing month! I’m up to page 25 as I type this. Yay! I’ll keep you posted. 🙂
(I’m going to imagine myself sitting on this park bench to cherish the end of summer and getting caught up on drawing a few illustrations on my ipad.) 🙂
The good news is that I also was able to recover two very old apps I have used for the last twelve years. Sure, I have new apps, but these two mean the world me. One is my Wacom drawing pad and a drawing program I had the CDs for. (Yes, I use a lot of apps and programs to complete the images you see in my books.) I hope they will continue to work, at least long enough for me to finish this next project and more.
Books I’ve Read and Reviewed
Okay, so these first two may not be “children’s books,” but they are very important for them, and all of us, for that matter…Storytelling and Art. 🙂
These books have received 5 shining stars from me! 🙂
5 Stars
“Storytelling with Children,” by Nancy Mellon
What’s It About?
“Telling stories awakens wonder and creates special occasions with children, whether it is bedtime, around the fire or on rainy days. Encouraging you to spin golden tales, Nancy Mellon shows how you can become a confident storyteller and enrich your family with the power of story.
Children love family storytelling and parents can learn this practical, magical art. Here are methods, tips and resources to enable you to:
Create a listening space
Use the day’s events and rhythms to make stories
Transform old stories and make up new ones
Bring your personal and family stories to life
Learn stories by heart using pictures, inner theatre, walk-about, singing the story and other methods
Find the tale you want from Nancy’s rich story-cupboard.”
My Review:
I had the wonderful opportunity to hear a group of Storytellers years ago. I’ve never forgotten them and watching the children’s faces who listened to their amazing tales.
If you have ever considered doing some storytelling of your own, this one is a must read! I even tried it out recently and my little listener was enthralled. I have a lot more practicing to do, but oh what fun it was to follow the tips in this book. You don’t have to do every one of the suggestions, just pick what’s best for you and your child, group, etc. If you try this out, please let me know how it goes.
“Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives,” by Daisy Fancourt
What’s It About?
“A groundbreaking exposé showing how the arts—alongside diet, sleep, exercise and nature—are the forgotten fifth pillar of health
From cradle to grave, engaging in the arts has remarkable effects on our health and well-being. Music supports the architectural development of children’s brains. Artistic hobbies help our brains to stay resilient against dementia. Dance and magic tricks build new neural pathways for people with brain injuries. Arts and music act just like drugs to decrease depression, stress, and pain, reducing our dependence on medication. Going to live music events, museums, exhibitions, and the theater decreases our risk of future loneliness and frailty. Engaging in the arts improves the functioning of every major organ system in the body, even helping us to live longer.
This isn’t sensationalism, it’s the results of decades of studies gathering data from neuroimaging, molecular biomarkers, wearable sensors, cognitive assessments, and electronic health records. From Professor Daisy Fancourt, an award-winning scientist and science communicator and director of the World Health Organization’s Collaborating Centre for Arts and Health, this book will fundamentally change the way you value and engage with the arts in your daily life and give you the tools to optimize how, when, and what arts you engage in to achieve your health goals. The arts are not a luxury in our lives. They are essential.”
My Review:
“Art Cure: The Science of How the Arts Save Lives,” by Daisy Fancourt is a book I wish everyone will read. It’s filled with awesome stories how the arts of every kind can change our well-being in so many ways. There are a few arts that readers will find not to be so healthy: certain styles of music, which makes sense. Another one mentioned was “Binge Art.” I have to disagree a little with that one, but I do kind of understand what she is trying to convey. She suggests having at least one of the arts on your daily menu which is really not that hard to do. Music for example is an easy one. Now, “hands on art” are harder to do every day unless you are a crafter for your own business. Anyway, if you love the arts of any kind, you will enjoy this book and find it interesting. I enjoyed it a lot. 🙂
When her dog disappears into the gutter of the book, Bella calls for help. But when the helpers disappear too, Bella realizes it will take more than a tug on the leash to put things right. Cleverly using the physicality of the book, This book just ate my dog! is inventive, ingenious, and just pure kid-friendly fun!
My Review:
I was looking for humorous books for kids, and I found many by this author, Richard Byrne. I know I will be reading more of his stories. Readers will love this easy to read, interactive book!
Interview with Kathy J. Perry
Whispers Across the Prairie
If you remember my August post, I read author Kathy J. Perry’s book, Whispers Across the Prairie. Here is the interview with her on how this book evolved. Enjoy! ► Welcome Kathy J. Perry!
Reflecting On Dolly Parton
The world lost a legend. I think we will always remember where we were and how we felt when singer, author, actress, songwriter, and well known as, “The Book Lady,” Dolly Parton passed away.
Her Imagination Library to promote early literacy will be cherished in honor of her father.
I could spend all day writing about her as she was one of my favorite entertainers. It was her spirit of how she became who she was is what I admired the most. What she gave back to the world and each community will forever be remembered.
I’m so thankful I lived in a time to watch her career grow, starting publicly in 1969, as she was inducted into the Grand Ole Opry.
I’ve read many posts that 9-25-26 will be a day to honor Dolly. How perfect is that? (For those who may not know, it’s a reference to her “9 to 5” movie.) 🙂
If we all could be just a little more like Dolly, this world be a better place.
We will always love you, Dolly Parton! ♪ ❤️ ♪
That’s all I have for this month.
Tell Us About YOU!
What plans do you have for this month? Any news you’d like to share? How about any new projects you have been working on?
As promised from my August post, here is the interview and background of author Kathy J. Perry’s book I read, Whispers Across the Prairie.
Whispers Across the Prairie
What’s It About?
On the wide prairie, friendship begins in silence.
On the wide Missouri prairie, ten-year-old Emeline O’Connor knows how to listen-to the wind moving through tall grass, to the rhythm of farm life, to the steady comfort of her family’s love.
But when a new neighbor boy arrives-one who does not speak and seems to live by different rules of sound and silence-Emeline realizes there are many kinds of listening she has yet to learn.
As she navigates chores, friendships, and misunderstandings, Emeline must decide whether she is brave enough to slow down, pay attention, and truly see someone who communicates in ways unfamiliar to her. With patience, kindness, and a growing understanding of the world beyond her own experiences, she begins to discover that some of the most important conversations happen without words at all.
Whispers Across the Prairie is a tender historical novel about empathy, friendship, and learning to listen with the heart.
My Review:
Emeline befriends a neighbor boy close to her age, and it changes how she looks at the world. Her new friend is deaf.
Whispers Across the Prairie is a beautifully written book and would be an excellent book for read-aloud sessions at home and in classrooms.
1) First of all, tell us more about your story, “Whispers Across the Prairie.”
Oddly enough, Whispers Across the Prairie is the third book of—and the prequel to—the Emeline series where a twelve-year-old orphaned girl has multiple adventures as she makes her way through life until she’s about 17. In this book, Emeline is ten in this one and living with her parents on their farm in Kearney, Missouri in 1887.
It’s turned out to be the “hinge book” between Emeline’s stories and Charlie’s stories. I’m currently writing two more books from Charlie’s point of view.
2) What inspired you to write this story?
A long time ago, I used to be captivated by a woman at church who sat in the back and used ASL to translate the pastor’s message to a deaf man. I never thought I’d write about it, but I’ve always been interested in helping people. That’s why I became a teacher.
3) What research did you have to do to make this story?
We’re fortunate to have the Kansas School for the Deaf right here in our city. It’s only about 45 minutes to an hour from my home, depending on traffic. It started with their library, but I’ve met with Molly Rothwell, Early Childhood/Elementary Principal, several times. She’s introduced me to three young students who have been beta readers for Whispers Across the Prairie and have agreed to do the same for the upcoming books, as well. And she arranged for a Zoom meeting between herself and one of the alumni, David Wilcox, who knows a great deal about the early years at the school.
4) What’s to come?
Writing from Charlie’s point of view has been very different. From the start, he has little to no language or connection with people, but he does connect well with animals. I decided to call this next book Connection. It is divided into three sections: When I Was Eight, When I Was Nine & Ten, and When I Was Eleven & Twelve. The very beginning of the books says this:
My name is Charles Sawyer.
I was eight years old when this story began.
I am eighteen now. I have told these memories with signs, and my friend Oliver has helped me put them into words.
The next book will be the next four years of his life. That title will be Purpose. People who read these books will have a true understanding of what it feels like to be part of the Deaf community, to find one’s place, and successfully function with independence.
Possibly even more challenging is the audiobook versions of these. I’ve selected a narrator that has an uncanny ability to bring these stories to life—even without different character voices, and so forth. His name is Elliot Schiff.
Subscribe to my bi-monthly blog (bottom of any page on my website,)
► kathyjperry.com to follow the progress of these books and more.
Thank you so much Kathy for taking time out of your busy schedule to tell us more about your book. I’m looking for more to come.
If you have any questions for Kathy and her book, please leave them in the comment section below.
It’s August 2026! Wow, summer is moving right along. We just had a huge heat wave and hoping for temperatures back in the 80s, or even 90s, for this month. Meanwhile, we have lots going on here at Books by Rose.
I hope you will write one, too. If you do, please share yours in the comment section below. Use “August,” or any word you want. After you read mine, I left a few rules to get you started.
Here’s my personal poem I’m writing for “August.”
Autumn will be here before we know it
Unwind and enjoy the rest of summer
Games of Fantasy Football conversations fill the rooms
Under a shady tree, I hope to read a book
Summer break is almost over 🙁
Tomatoes ripen on the vines
Explanation of my personal poem…
August reminds me of a lot of great things, but the end of summer is always a bit sad for me for awhile. I try and “unwind” and really enjoy the days outside. When our guys were little, there was nothing I enjoyed more than sitting under one of our big shade trees in our backyard, watching them play while I’d read a book.
We also know a big treat is coming for us in the Fall and Autumn months. Those big trees brings us warm golden colors of red, orange, and yellow.
When I think of football season, to me it starts in the fall. Around here though, it’s that time of year where my family starts filling the rooms with conversations of Games of Fantasy Football. I enjoy watching them enjoy it all, but…I’m just sad baseball has to come to an end for the season, other than watching the World Series games, of course. I’ll keep busy planning treats for those upcoming events.
I have a feeling some of those treats will include tomatoes. Hopefully by the end of August, we’ll have lots of tomatoes from our basket/garden, ha.
Don’t forget to comment with your August Acrostic poem, or any Acrostic Poem, for that matter.
A few rules on those…
*Pick a “key” word and write it vertical big and bold!
*You can use one word to go with the subject your “key” word.
*They can be made with sentences or small phrases that pertain to your “key” word.
*Use the five senses trick to help you write your poem
*Acrostic poems can have punctuation with commas after each sentence or phrase, adding a period at the end. If you decide to add these, be consistent using them on each line.
Let me know if you have any questions.
PS. If you have not read “Stella and the Four Seasons” I’d appreciate it if you added it to your “to read” shelf on Goodreads. Here is the link to do so. If you have read her book, I’d appreciate some love for her story with a rating of stars or a review either on Amazon, (link above,) or Goodreads. Thank you, thank you! 💚 ► Stella’s book on Goodreads.
Updates On My Next Book
I finally was able to have a few productive days to figure out my next book. I’m still learning Procreate on my ipad, but at least I have some of the major things out of the way to move forward…I hope. 🙂
We also are having some PC problems where all my files are saved. It’s a new computer which makes it even more frustrating. Oh well, l’m trying to stay calm through this whole thing. 🙂
However, I have some days I feel like Bunny on page 40.
Lyle may look like an ordinary dog to some people, but not to the little girl who loves him. She sees all the things that make him special: the way he gets “surprised” by skunks, eats grass to make himself sick when he has a tummyache, and drinks out of the toilet bowl when he’s thirsty. By the time the list of Lyle’s “unique” talents is complete, readers will agree that he’s a very special dog.
My Review:
Delightful illustrations and a fun book for all dog lovers. If you like the repetition of the adjectives, you’ll like this one. I can see it being a great read-a-loud with kids chanting back the words for each section.
Chip the dog from Don’t Eat Bees and Don’t Trust Cats is back, but his best stuffie Mr. Cuddles is MISSING! Any child who has ever lost a toy will relate!
Chip and his best friend Mr. Cuddles have been through a lot together, including that terrible time when Mr. Cuddles had to go in the washing machine. The two are inseparable, but now . . . Mr. Cuddles is GONE! Where could he be? How will Chip cope without his constant companion? And what role did Mittens the cat have in this mystery?
Young readers will love following Chip’s feverish search for Mr. Cuddles, which ends with a happy, fluffy, and super-silly reunion.
My Review:
This is a super cute story. When Chip loses his best friend, Mr. Cuddles, the search for him is laugh-out-loud funny. Readers will want to hear, and read, this story over and over again. (They will enjoy the handwritten fonts.)
I understand there are more of Chip’s books which I will have to find and read.
On the wide prairie, friendship begins in silence.
On the wide Missouri prairie, ten-year-old Emeline O’Connor knows how to listen-to the wind moving through tall grass, to the rhythm of farm life, to the steady comfort of her family’s love.
But when a new neighbor boy arrives-one who does not speak and seems to live by different rules of sound and silence-Emeline realizes there are many kinds of listening she has yet to learn.
As she navigates chores, friendships, and misunderstandings, Emeline must decide whether she is brave enough to slow down, pay attention, and truly see someone who communicates in ways unfamiliar to her. With patience, kindness, and a growing understanding of the world beyond her own experiences, she begins to discover that some of the most important conversations happen without words at all.
Whispers Across the Prairie is a tender historical novel about empathy, friendship, and learning to listen with the heart.
My Review:
Emeline befriends a neighbor boy close to her age and it changes how she looks at the world. Her new friend is hearing impaired.
“Whispers Across the Prairie” is a beautifully written book and would be an excellent book for read a louds at home and in classrooms.
I’m sure a lot of research went into writing this book. I’m going to interview author, Kathy J. Perry soon to reveal more of this story. Keep watching.
Tell Us About You!
That’s all I have for this month. I wish you all a wonderful August filled with summery fun! Don’t forget to write us a “Acrostic Poem” on your plans or happenings for August.
A little tidbit about me. I graduated high school in our “bicentennial” year. It’s hard to believe it’s been that long ago. I didn’t appreciate the history of this historical time much back then like I do now. In my days at school during history classes, there were lots of dates and events to memorize. I love how schools are doing more interactive activities nowadays to engage learning.
How about you?
*Did you enjoy learning about history when you were young?
*Do you enjoy learning about history now?
How We Celebrated
As always, we celebrated with family and friends in our driveway. Of course there always has to be food, right? You might remember the “Taco Bar” I talked about back another post, ► “Reflections and Helpful Hints.” I’ll go ahead and repost that here.
Make A Taco Bar!
We invested in a three pot crockpot years ago and it has been a lifesaver for crowds. It has one large pot in the middle and two smaller ones on the sides.
Fill your taco meat in the middle, cheese dip in one of the smaller ones, and refried beans in the other small one. Have all your other ingredients and dips ready to go and everyone serves themselves. It’s always a big hit!
A little tidbit on serving big crowds. 🙂
*Watch how your guests fix their plates.
*Do they struggle to find the right utensils?
*Do they have a hard time serving themselves in the space you provided?
*What’s missing that would make everything go smoother?
*I’ve done so many of these events over the holidays and it helps to have everything ready. I try and get the big parts out of the way the day before.
*Oh, and have paper towels on hand for any mishaps. Expect them to happen and you will feel less stressed.
I Treated Myself to Something Special
After months and months of research, I broke down and bought an ipad, Apple Pen, and Procreate. Phew, it’s going to take me more time to learn these new items and program. (Any suggestions are highly appreciated.)
So far, I’m loving it. I plan to work on my next book with it. I’ll still use our PC, other drawing apps to finish it up, so I have a lot of tabs going at the same time, ha! So far, I have this to show you…
I’ll keep you posted on how things go.
Books I’ve Read and Reviewed
“Some Writer,” E.B. White by Melissa Sweet
Young, middle, and older readers will be inspired by this one!
What Is It About?
Caldecott Honor winner Mellissa Sweet mixes White’s personal letters, photos, and family ephemera with her own exquisite artwork to tell the story of this American literary icon. Readers young and old will be fascinated and inspired by the journalist, New Yorker contributor, and children’s book author who loved words his whole life. This authorized tribute, a New York Times bestseller, includes an afterword by Martha White, his granddaughter.
My Review:
I loved this book! If you are a fan of author E. B. White’s work, you will enjoy this one, too!
If you have been following my blogs, you probably have noticed I’m loving the artwork Melissa Sweet displays in her books. This one will keep you turning the pages with collage art and interesting information on E. B. White’s life. Readers will enjoy all the facts about how he grew into a writer and succeeded with books like, “Stuart Little,” Charlotte’s Web,” and more. I know I will re-reading them all soon.
Ooh, here’s another one!
“Balloons Over Broadway. The True Story of the Puppeteer of Macy’s Parade,” ” by author and illustrator, Melissia Sweet
What Is It About?
Meet the master puppeteer who invented the first balloons for the Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade. Melissa Sweet brings to life the inspirational story of the puppeteer who invented the giant balloons floating in the sky during the annual parade celebrating Thanksgiving. The Caldecott Honor artist brilliantly captures the essence of Tony Sarg, a self-taught immigrant with a fascinating imagination.
The collage illustrations coupled with Sweet’s storytelling portray Sarg’s joy in his childhood inventions and his ingenious balloon creations that still bring delight to viewers around the country. This nonfiction illustrated book will capture the hearts of all ages.
My Review:
Another book I loved, but it also made me sad, which I will get to in a bit.
This book is beautifully illustrated with another inspiring story about a man with a passion from when he was a child. He had been raised around puppets and inherited his grandmother’s collection of them. This developed as a hobby for him, and finally in 1917, turned them into a profession.
I loved the detailed historical content about the Macy’s Day Parade and behind the work of Tony Sarg.
What made me sad after reading this book?
Do people, especially young ones, watch the parades on Thanksgiving Day anymore? I know when I was growing up, we wouldn’t have missed it. I asked my followers on my “Books by Rose” Facebook page if they still enjoyed watching the Thanksgiving parades. Only a handful of them said they did. How about you?
I really hope parents and readers can find this book and read up on the work it takes to make these amazing balloons before watching the parade. I know I will be watching. 🙂
Last one…
“I Caught You,” by Izzy B.
What Is It About?
Join Dad Bear and Little Bear as they journey to their beloved fishing spot. Despite their anticipation to catch a fish, they end up empty-handed. Little Bear is disappointed, but Dad Bear reveals an invaluable life lesson: the day’s true catch was something far more precious— the love and memories shared between them.
My Review:
I was online before Father’s Day and author and illustrator, Izzy B, was giving this book away as a free download. I’m so glad I was able to get this copy because it’s such a sweet book.
This tender tale between a father and son, will open some goodness of this world with this outdoor fishing themed story. Great for grandfather’s and grandsons, (grandchildren) to read together, too. I loved it and I hope you all will get a chance to read it, too.
That’s all I have for this month. Let’s hear about you!
How is your summer going? What big plans do you have? Or, are you just taking it easy and enjoying your time outside and doing nothing? (That’s okay, too.) In fact, I posted this a week ago so don’t forget…
I hope your spring has been a lovely one! Can you believe we are tuning into June already? The month of May went way too fast, as I’m concerned. We celebrated three graduates and have attended lots of baseball games with more to come.
What you will find in this month’s blog post:
Update On My New Project
Books I’ve Read and Reviewed
Spring Cleaning Challenge – “One Thing At A Time”
Let’s get started…
Update On My New Project
Woah, I won’t kid you when I say this next project I’ve been working on has not been easy. New drawing apps, little time, and a “Spring Cleaning Project,” I started, has been a lot, which I’ll talk about that at the end. 🙂
What’s really slowing me down on my next book?
I have had the book written for sometime now. I’ve even had extra eyes look it over and those Beta Readers have given me some wonderful insights, although this next book has very few words. Yes, sometimes the less you have, the harder it is to write. Every word must count towards the illustrations and story.
Illustrations…
Here’s the hard part. I’ve sketched, drawn, colored all the illustrations I have finished to experiment on how I want this next book to go. Finding the right apps to make sharp lines has been another challenge. What I need to do next, is get it to a point to order a proof of what I have so far to see if I’m even on the right track. Can you guess what I’m going for? 😉 I will keep you posted.
Meanwhile, I always take the time to read, so here are the books I’ve read so far in May.
Books I’ve Read and Reviewed
I’ve been very picky on the time I spend with reading books lately. They have to be 100% for me to stay with them. (This year, I have a goal to read 50 Middle Grade and Children’s books.) Sounds easy, right? Not necessarily. I walk out of the library with a big pile of books and only one or two will make the cut. I’m looking for those books that touch my interest in some way. Don’t get me wrong, there are a lot of wonderful books out there, it’s just I have to be very choosy with the time I have and the list I will produce for my personal* Goodreads Challenge 2026. 🙂 *Some say they have to be 100 pages or longer to do the challenge but I’m doing my own personal challenge.
Here’s what I have to report for May’s reading list.
They each have 5 Stars from me!
“Nothing Else But Miracles,” Kate Albus – Middle Grade
What’s It About?
From Goodreads:
“When 12-year-old Dory Byrne’s pop left New York City’s Lower East Side to fight Hitler, he promised her and her brothers that they’d be safe. Like he always said, “the neighborhood will give you what you need.”
There’s the lady from the bakery, who saves them leftover crullers. The kind landlord who checks in on them. And every Thursday night, the Byrnes enjoy a free bowl of seafood stew at Mr. Caputo’s restaurant. . . which is where Dory learns about the abandoned hand-pulled elevator that is the only way to get to Caputo’s upper floors.
But when a new landlord threatens their home in the community that’s raised them and kept them safe, the secret elevator—and the abandoned hotel it leads to—provides just the solution they need.
Based on a very real place in old New York and steeped in the history of World War II, Nothing Else but Miracles is a warm and inviting story of resilience, the tight-knit community of the Lower East Side, and the miracles that await in unexpected places.”
My Review:
My favorite part were the characters and their authentic voices in this heartfelt story. What Dory Byrne and her brothers have to go through to survive as their father goes to war is something one can feel from the beginning. I was cheering for them and I thought author Kate Albus came up with the perfect solution on how they ended up surviving “their situation.”
“With rhyming text, this soothing bedtime book is an ode to baby birds everywhere and sleepy children home safe in their own beds. As a mother describes to her child how many species of birds nest, from pigeons on concrete ledges to owls in oak tree boles to swallows above barn doors. The soothing refrain of “you nest here with me” eases her little one and readers alike to slumber. Combining their poetic writing and their love of birding, mother and daughter Jane Yolen and Heidi Stemple have written what is sure to become a bedtime classic.”
My Review:
I loved this book! It’s a perfect bedtime story, and for anytime.
The back of the book is filled with wonderful fun facts about the birds mentioned in this story. If you are a bird lover, this is a must-have for children and adults to read and enjoy together.
“From Yangsook Choi comes an empowering picture book about a child learning a new language to keep in touch with an old friend.
Today is the day I’ll make friends. At least, that’s what I promise myself.
Jihun recently moved to the United States. In his new classroom, he receives an assignment to write a letter to his best friend―but he’s not sure how it will turn out. First off, he’s still learning English. Second, he doesn’t have any friends at school yet. What’s more, his best friend back in Korea can’t read.
Fueled by wonderful memories of his former home, Jihun uses his creativity to craft a letter for his best friend, Oto. The result is nothing short of extraordinary and opens a door for Jihun to make new friends.”
My Review:
Wow, what a wonderful story for young readers to enjoy in so many ways.
Jihun starts a new school with no friends. After using “some skills” to write a letter in English to his best friend in Korea, he connects with others in a whole new way. Jihun used letters to create images. Cat lovers, you will love this one.
Please read the author’s note in the back. It will warm your heart and leave you with a big smile! 🙂
“There once was a little red chair. Languishing in an antique shop window, the little chair longed to be part of a family. One day a little girl named Mia knew it was just the right chair for her. So Mia and her mother take the little chair home. With new red upholstery and its brightly polished wheels, the little red chair becomes the perfect companion for Mia. She snuggles in it on cold winter nights. She daydreams in it on bright sunny days. And it’s the perfect throne for Mia on her birthday. But as Mia gets older, she spends less and less time with the little red chair. She’s busy with school and friends and other things. One day, it’s time for Mia to leave for a new life. Eventually, the little red chair is packed up and moved to a corner in the attic. Please don’t leave me, the little chair says. But no one comes. Seasons come and go; years and years pass by. Will anyone rescue the little red chair?”
My Review:
This super sweet, beautiful illustrated storybook will capture the hearts of all readers. This book was published in 2024 and I think will be considered a classic someday.
Believe it or not, this story is based on something true which the author, Cathy Stefanec Ogren writes about it in the back of the book. I found it interesting about how furniture was sold in the 19th century with “salesmen’s samples.”
Spring Cleaning Challenge – “One Thing At A Time”
I shared this news on my personal Facebook page with my family and friends about my “Spring Cleaning Challenge – “One Thing At A Time.”
It all started on March 20th, the first day of spring, and will end it on the first day of summer, June 21st. Why these months? Sometimes, we have many dark and dreary days in the winter months here in the Midwest and the light just doesn’t quite hit those areas to clean. Another great reason, in these months you can open up your windows and let that fresh air! Yay! I’m also getting picky about the chemicals I breathe in while doing all this. The more natural, the better for me! 🙂
I know I won’t get it all done by June 21st, and that’s okay. I’ll explain at the end.
First I have to say, I’ve enjoyed this challenge and feel like “Miss Polly” from one of my books, ha! 😉
The point in my challenge is to do “one thing at a time.” That could mean, clean one framed picture on our walls, add one thing to our donation box, clean one area. I started out pretty small, but somedays have done more. The minute I feel tired or feel like I have done too much, I stop. I don’t want to get burned out on this and make myself not want to continue. To be honest, I look forward to what rooms I can tackle next. All this has also lead me into some deep cleaning in areas I have neglected for awhile. When you do it in baby steps, you can also spend your energy into just that, “one thing.”
So far, I have these rooms completed from ceiling to floor and everything in them:
Bathroom ✔
Dining Room ✔
Laundry Room ✔
Family Room ✔
I have yet to finish more rooms. (Many things have been cleaned in these rooms over the course of the last few months, so the deep cleaning needs to still be done.)
UPDATE:
Living Room – Half of the ceiling
Kitchen – Less than half of the ceiling and outside cabinets
Our Room – Walls, ceilings, and one window
Two Spare Rooms – Walls, floors and ceilings, only
Hallway – Walls and ceilings, only
Will I finish on June 21st? We will see and I will keep you posted. I now am in such a “habit” to clean everything I notice, I can see this going on for awhile.
Oh, and I have missed 4 days in all of this for various reasons. Not too bad for this 93 day challenge…so far. 🙂
That’s all I have for this month.
I would love to hear from you and how things are going on your end. Any news? Any new projects you’d like to share?
Here in the Midwest, we welcome the days we can open up the windows and breath the fresh air. Going outside without a coat, the warm sunshine, watching nature do it’s springy thing with flowers and trees blooming.
May also has many holidays to celebrate “helpers” and those who have given us much to be grateful for. We will also explore ways to find helpers when needed in this month’s blog post, too. 🙂
First, let’s talk about our “May Helpers.”
Helpers
These popular days in May are ways we can celebrate the important things people do to make our daily lives better.
“National Teacher Appreciation Day”
This celebration starts on the first Tuesday and runs for a full week in May. Schools and communities recognizes teachers’ and the impact they make and the dedication to educate our children. 💜
Research online to find, crafts to make, gifts to give, and ways to honor your child’s teacher, or a teacher you know.
Our next helpers are…
Nurses!
“National Nurses Week” runs from May 06, 2026 – May 12, 2026.
Don’t forget to thank the nurses you know for their dedication to patient care and those in the healthcare system. What would we do without the great nurses in our world? 🧡
Let’s not forget the 2nd Sunday in May to celebrate…
“Mother’s Day”
Mother’s Day can bring a lot of heartfelt moments of feelings. It’s a day that brings me much happiness as I reflect on the wonderful mother we had and the joy I find in being a mother to our sons, who we adore. 🩷
If you have young ones in your life, what a fun time to gather your art supplies and make special projects for their special loved ones in their life.
The last Monday in May is…
“Memorial Day”
Here in the USA, citizens honor those fallen military service members who have risked their lives to keep our country safe. Many ceremonies are spread across America to celebrate this special day.
Now, let’s talk about helpers and…
How To Seek Great Helpers…
We all need help from time to time, right? How do we go about looking for those trusted individuals for the things we need help with? In today’s world, one doesn’t know if they are asking a real person or a robot. Not everything we look up online is bad by any means, some can be very helpful. Do your homework and think of those you know first to get your answers and help. Here are some ideas on how to go about just that. 🙂
*Study up on what you need help with. This helps you to ask all the right questions to those individuals you seek out.
*Pick someone who has much knowledge about what you need help with. You’ll know right away by visiting with them first and finding out their credentials.
*Pick someone that is passionate at what they do. Again, after visiting with them, you will learn a lot of information about how much they know and how much they love what they do.
*Trust your gut instinct. I think this is the most important one of all. If something doesn’t feel right, then it probably isn’t.
Speaking of “Helpers,” I happen to be lucky to know many experts on what they do. Authors, Artists, and many more who stand by their services and great advice and what they have to offer.
Please leave your name in the comment section if you have valuable advice to help others. If you have written books to help others, let us know the titles. If you are an illustrator and want to share your services, leave us your link so those reading this so they can find your work.
Last, but not least…
Books I’ve Read and Reviewed
“A Small Kindness,” by author Stacy McAnulty and illustrator Wendy Leach
This is a super sweet book that will open up the best discussions with your young readers on what kindness is and how it is spread from one person to another. Illustrator, Wendy Leach did a beautiful job adding a special touch to each page. I won’t give that part away, you’ll have to check it out for yourself. You will love, I’m sure. ❤️
“The Green Piano: How Little Me Found Music,” by Roberta Flack, Tonya Bolden and illustrator, Hayden Goodman.
A lovely story how Roberta Flack began her journey into music. Not everything turned out the way it started, though. What a wonderful book for young readers to learn about this admired legend. 💚
“The Winter Dollhouse,” by Laura Amy Schlitz (Middle Grade)
“The Winter of the Dollhouse,” by author Laura Amy Schlitz is another book I didn’t want to end. It’s a sweet story that will open many moral discussions. If you enjoy miniatures and dollhouses, you will love this Middle Grade book, too. It’s a great book for all ages and would make for a fun read aloud. I’m looking forward to reading more of Laura Amy Schlitz’s books.
What I’m Reading Now…
“Pocket Bear,” by Katherine Applegate
(I didn’t realized when I picked these two books how parallel they are as far as content. “The Winter Dollhouse” and “Pocket Bear, they are both about toys. 🙂 I’ll be back next month with an update on “Pocket Bear” and more children’s and middle grade books.) .
The month brings many chances to start again, like spring itself, May offers hope and fresh new beginnings to everyone, including those finishing up a school year and graduations.
Do you have a favorite moment in May that you’d like to share?
Do you have some May news you’d like to share?
Let’s celebrate this magical month together and maybe help someone along the way. If you are a “helper,” don’t forget to leave us a note for our readers.
I can tell you this much. A few of my author friends have already looked at my next book. I have just the words for now as I’m still working on the illustrations. (Thank you, friends! Your extra eyes are much appreciated.)
I can also tell you this much…my next book is a very important book for young readers. I’ll reveal more as time goes on…
Books Read and Reviewed
“A Place to Hang the Moon,” by Kate Albus (Middle Grade)
I really enjoyed Kate Albus’s writing and will look up more of her books. She really drew me in to learn more of the fate of the young characters, Anna, Edmund, and William. During the war in 1940, they were evacuated from London to live in the country, living with different families along the way.
An informational book fiction book that will leave readers with a heartfelt feeling.
Oh my, I went on another “Fancy Nancy” kick again. When I found these at our local library, I snatched up as many as I could carry.
I won’t leave all their summaries here. You can find out what they are about by clicking each link to read more. 🙂
What I love about these books are the sparkling, detailed, and colorful illustrations. Sometimes, you will catch little glimmers of humor on the adults faces throughout these stories. There is always a problem to solve in each story that will open up great discussions. Also, the way author Jane O’Connor adds the meaning of words that “Fancy Nancy” says in these stories will help readers learn new words and phrases. Even though these books have been around awhile, they are so cute and I’ve had fun reading them. I think kids nowadays will enjoy them, too.
Spring Salad Recipe and More
Here’s a recipe I’ve had on hand for years but only make it when we have company. (With that being said, I have made just the dressing for homemade pizzas which I will explain at the end.)* 🙂
Lettuce Salad with Yummy Dressing
1 large head of Iceberg Lettuce – wash, cut into bite size pieces, draine and dry. (Use Romaine or any lettuce you prefer.) Add to large bowl.
When ready to served, add the following toppings with dressing.
Cooked and crumbled bacon…as much as you want. Six strips will do it.
1-2 teaspoons of sesame seeds
Wash and clean the tops of a bunch of green onions and snip just the tops, around 2 tablespoons.
1/4 – 1/3 cup slivered almonds. (I like to crisp these up in a dry pan for a few minutes to give them an extra crunch.)
1/4 – 1/2 Chow Mein Noodles (I leave these to add last. Sometimes, I leave them in a bowl for those who are serving themselves to add if they wish. One thing I noticed, if you add them to the salad and there are leftovers? The Chow Mein Noodle don’t hold up well and become soggy. 🙁
Dressing:
1/2 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons of white wine vinegar. (I’ve used white vinegar and it works, too.)
1/4 cup sugar
Salt and pepper to taste.
Mix well.
Instructions:
Add toppings to lettuce. Pour dressing on top and give it a good toss. Serve immediately.
* Remember I said I have made just the dressing for homeade pizzas?
Here’s what you do. 🙂
Cut green, red, or orange peppers, and onions. Set them in the above dressing mixture and place in the refrigerator to marinate for a few hours. (Not only will these vegetables have lots of favor, they will soften up a bit and your little ones will be more likely to eat them.)
Once they are marinated, add them to your favorite homemade pizza and bake. (I never thought to do this, but why not add them to your frozen pizzas, too?)
Spring Craft
I have shared this one before and realized, I have not shared it with our new little ones. I will make these, add them to an envelope and put them in their Easter baskets for this year. 🙂 No instructions needed, just follow the steps.
Remember, you can make something like this for any occasion. Have your little ones make one for you, too. They will love that! 🙂
Springy Puzzle
That’s all I have for this month.
Wishing you a happy spring!
Let us know what you have going on with any projects, plans, or news.
Let’s March Into Spring 2026 with these great things!
It’s Almost Spring!
*James Milson – Writer’s Saturday Newspapers
*Children Books and Reviews
*Easy Cookies For Any Event
*Craft To Make For Readers
Let’s go!
James Milson – Writer Saturday Newspapers
If you have been following my Facebook page lately, you know about our author friend’s fun newspaper posts. If you haven’t read James Milson – Writer’s, new posts yet, you are in for some fun. It’s best to start from the beginning with edition #1, but it’s not necessary. Reading from the beginning does give you a sense of each of the reporters, though. Here’s James’s website and those Saturday Newspapers for you to check out. Don’t forget to read the ads. From what I understand, James and Little Red Bear put a lot of work into those, too! 😉
I didn’t get a chance to read as many books as I hope for this past month, but this one, I enjoyed immensely.
“Bunns Rabbit,” by author and illustrator, Alan Barillaro
What Is It About?
“When Bunns is born with small but perfectly functional rabbit ears, the warren is abuzz with auguries. Surely such short ears spell bad luck for the community. Sheltered in her family’s burrow, Bunns listens to the rhythm of her mother’s heartbeat—Thump, thump, thump—a song of home and belonging. Her father explains that unlike a rabbit’s words or thumping feet, a heartsong cannot lie. But the unknown world of the meadow, the sounds and smells above, call to Bunns. When at last she’s ready to brave the staring and whispering of neighbors who fear her because she’s different, and the disapproving elders who threaten to banish her family, she finds a world beyond the warren where myths and riddles, magic voyages, and important new friends await. Can the “bad omen bunny” follow her own heartsong to a destiny—a wish—meant just for her?
My Review:
This book is for middle grade readers and up. It’s looks a bit like a graphic novel when you first open it, but it’s not. It is, however, a beautiful book with images and a beautiful gripping story that readers, and listeners, will fall in love with. I really took my time with this lovely book and I hope you check it out.”
Fancy Nancy Books
We have a “Little Free Library” in front of our home, and when I saw these, I knew I had to read them. I remember they were very popular back when they first came out in 2005. I didn’t have young readers in my life back then, so when I caught up with this series, I was thrilled to check them out.
“Fancy Nancy thinks that everything in the sky is simply stellar, from the sun and the moon to the stars and their constellations (that’s a fancy word for the shapes that stars make!). So nothing could make her happier than a special sleepover under the stars with her dad and her little sister, JoJo. Together, Nancy and JoJo wish on stars, moon bathe, and even eat astronaut ice cream! But when rain clouds cover up the stars, what’s a stellar stargazer to do?”
My Review: I loved this colorful book that is full of fun facts for readers to learn about astronomy. If a reader doesn’t know the words, no worries. Fancy Nancy explains it just right so it make sense. Your child, and adults, too, will enjoy learning further into the constellations.
Fancy Nancy Clancy is so poetic, even her name rhymes. And with limericks, couplets, free verse, and more, poetry is plenty fancy! So when her teacher Ms. Glass gives Nancy and her classmates an assignment to come up with their very own poems, Nancy is determined to write one that is superb. But what happens when she can’t think of a good idea?
My Review: The writer and illustrator in me loved, loved, loved this book!
If you want to introduce poetry to your reader(s) this book is the one.
It’s fun, educational, and very engaging. I can see readers writing their own poems after this one!
“What better way to fancy Mom up for her birthday than to treat her to a super-deluxe beauty day created by Fancy Nancy herself? It’s a pampering paradise, and right in the backyard.
With relaxing music, fragrant lotions, colorful nail polish, and foamy mousse, Nancy gives her mom a total makeover. She even treats her to sumptuous refreshments and special entertainment. But when the pampering suddenly goes too far, has Nancy ruined her mom’s big day?
Complete with tips and recipes for creating a super-deluxe beauty day of your own, Fancy Nancy: Ooh La La! It’s Beauty Day will inspire budding beauty experts to open up shop and join in the deluxe fanciness!”
My Review:
This book is about “Fancy Nancy” a girl who loves all things fancy. The story emphasizes creativity, imagination, and self-expression. Again, another beautiful illustrated book that was fun to read.
Easy Cookies For Any Event
Boxed Cake Mix Cookies! Oh my, this past fall and winter, I’ve been on a kick trying out every cake mix cookie recipe with my neighbor and we are not done yet! Ha!
You name it, Spice, Lemon, Strawberry, Chocolate, Red Velvet Chocolate. Our favorites so far are the Spice and Yellow Cake mixes, rolled in sugar and cinnamon.
There are many recipes out there, but we have decided this one is what works the best for us.
Ingredients:
Any flavor of cake mix
2 eggs
1/3 vegetable oil. (We have used 1/2 on these and we feel it’s just too much. Start off with a 1/3 cup. If you need more, add a teaspoon at a time. More explained below.
Break your eggs into a separate bowl and mix. (Our mothers taught us to do this. Say you get a bad egg for some reason.* You will know by looking at it. Doing this assures you not to ruin all the other ingredients.)
Add your eggs and oil to your cake mix. Mix very well. You do want your dough thick, but if your dough is super, super thick, this is where you will add just a little bit more oil. Start with a teaspoon.
Set this mixture in you refrigerator for 30 mins.
Once chilled, take out and stir.
Roll a tablespoon of dough into balls and roll in sugar. (Cinnamon and sugar mixture for spice, pumpkin, yellow cake mix, etc.) Yes, you can leave these plain if you want to.
Place on a pan lined with parchment paper.
You can leave them as balls or flatten them a little. (Balls make for a thicker, cake like cookie, flattened, make for a crisper cookie. We have tried both and like the thicker ones best. With that being said, I’m going to do half and half next time I make these.)
Bake for 10 minutes at 350°
Let cool for 5 – minutes and place on plate.
This mixture will make at least 2 dozen of cookies.
Oh, and my neighbor has even made a icing for her lemon cookies. She adds a splash of lemon juice to the mix and to the icing. Yummy!
See how you can customize these? They are so much fun and sooo good.
*How Yo Tell If Your Eggs Are Still Good
Here is a great article from “Better Homes and Gardens” to read.
I made this many years ago and it was soooo easy. Just use a brown paper bag and make a puppet. How about have them act out the story with a puppet you are reading to your little ones? They will love this and it will give them interactive skills to follow along the story. Make this a fun activity and they will be begging for, “one more story!”
That’s all I have for this month! Have a wonderful March, everyone!
Please leave us a note on what you are up to. Any plans for March? Projects you’d care to tell us about?
I know Valentine’s Day centers around couples with roses, chocolates, and special dinners. I think that is lovely for those who like to celebrate in this way.
Growing up, our mother made every holiday special. She’d help us make Valentine’s for our grandparents and classmates to hand out at school. Back then, we made little Valentines boxes and containers to fill those special cards and treats. Do they still do that in the schools? I guess I will find out on the 14th of February to see what our grand’s school does? It can change year to year it seems.
If you follow me or know me at all, you know I LOVE hearts of every color. I tend to add them to everything I make. Yes, sometimes I get carried away, but nothing makes me smile more than colorful hearts. ❤️🧡💛💚💙💜 ❤️🧡💛💚💙
Happy Valentine’s Day
February is Kindness Month
“Kindness Wins,” by Holly Raymond
Did you know, February is “Random Acts of Kindness” month? As far as I’m concerned, it should be every month and I think you will agree. 🙂
We all know what it looks and feels like to be kind to others. Something I’d like to address today along with kindness is to be…
“Be Kind Online.”
What does that look like?
It can be as simple a wishing one a nice day, congratulating them on a task they finish, or sending them well wishes on their special occasions.
What it doesn’t look like is, telling or suggesting something to someone online that you wouldn’t say to their face. I think we all know what this looks like. Sadly, all too often we see so much of this on the social media sites. It’s best to just click away and find a post or page you enjoy. ❤️
Children’s Books I’ve Read and Reviewed
As, some of you know by now, I’m reviewing and reporting just children’s and middle grade books on my blog these days. Yes, I still read adult books but will save those reviews in another way. (See January 2026 books ► here.)
Check out these sweet 5-star books for this month!
5 Stars
The book, “Thankful,” by Elaine Vickers and Pictures by, Samantha Cotterill.
The girl in this story, takes paper, scissors and pencils, and writes on each slip of paper, things she’s thankful for each day. Soup, sand, the moon, and a friend are just a few she enjoys. This is how the chain grows. I loved the adorable, unique illustrations in this book and the thankful sentiments .
Anna has loose tooth and the tooth fairy will be coming to visit soon .
It is excitement girl she realizes Sophie or baby sister must be a tooth fairy. Sophie is always up at nine, her rattle looks like she has a magic wand and she’s eating her to fly so Anna begins to teach her little sister all the kids. She’ll need to get the best tooth fairy ever but what will happen when Sophia is no longer in training will she go away? It’s up to the big sister to make sure that never happens. Sophia‘s baby sister is getting her first tooth as Sophie is losing her first tooth.
“Milk Goes to School,” by Terry Border
It’s the first day of school her dad gave her a new backpack and told her she was the cream dollar cream. But most of her new classmates don’t seem to agree, and in fact, some of the kids might think milk is just a little bit spoiled. In this fun pan filled picture book from Terry border, milk, cupcake, waffle, and the rest of the class find out that, whether they’re sweet, sour, salty or savory school friends are great friends.
Terry Border is the photographer mastermind behind the bents project, a blog that has left to the creation of five bucks, two calendars, various greeting cards, and mini jigsaw puzzles. It has bent objects have been featured in magazines in the United States, France, China, Russia, Germany, Italy in the United Kingdom he is the author of peanut butter and cupcake and happy birthday cupcake Terry border lives with his wife and daughter in Indianapolis, Indiana.
That’s all I have for this month.
Thank you for reading and I’m wishing you all a very Happy February and Valentine’s Day! ❤️
Dear 2025: Reflections and Helpful Hints at Books by Rose
What you will find in this month’s post:
*A Year in Review: “Reflections and Helpful Hints”
*My New Reading Book Challenge for 2026
*My Author Friends Posts About Their Past Year
Let’s get started…
January 2025
Dear 2025, thank you for the amazing author groups out there to learn from! 💙
In January, I joined the Story Storm Challenge.
The idea was to come up with 31 titles in 31 days. It sounds easy, right? Well, it took some brainstorming and I made it! I can’t tell you all about all those titles I came up with yet. I can say, one of them is a book I plan to make this year.
Helpful Hint?
Think outside the box on what you can do with different titles and themes. Since I’m and author and illustrator, art, coloring, and activity books was in my mind for many of the titles I chose. We’ll see how they play out over time.
If you have a special hobby you enjoy, see how you can incorporate that into your stories.
February 2025
Dear 2025, you sure surprised us with the weather in February this year!
Our winter months here in the Midwest are COLD! Our February weather can give some hints of spring now and then, but it sure didn’t in 2025!
One day in the middle of a snowstorm and a very cold day, I made my favorite for lunch, something I never do. (When I cook for the most part, it’s always for dinner.) Yep, I chose, “Chicken and Dumplings.” It’s such a comforting winter meal.
Helpful Hint?
If you live where the months are tricky to get out and about, have all your favorite foods stocked up. This can help in our hot summers here, too.
March 2025
Dear 2025, what a fun art month!
March weather here is cold, but signs of spring do start to make their appearance towards the end of the month. It’s still a time to stay in a lot. I had my Middle Grade book, “Magical Fashion Show Contest” to work on and time to play around with some art projects which turned into cards.
Here is a card I made when experimenting what styles I wanted the triplet’s to look like. After I finished it, I realized it looked exactly like my best friend! How did that happen? Ha! Yes, I mailed it to her. ❤️
Here are some more I made.
Click the play button! The sound is supposed to sound scratchy. After all, they are paper dolls dancing on my wooden art desk. 😂 How fun is that?
Dancing Dollies PS. If you are interested in how to make these Dollies, let me know. At one point, I was going to produce a coloring activity book on how others could create these, too.
Helpful Hint?
Save back those projects you want to get done inside and do them in March. It’s a perfect time to get caught up with spring cleaning too.
April 2025
Dear 2025, we look forward to this time of year and you made it perfect for us!
This is the time of year our baseball batting cage gets a full workout with Spring Training!
As many of you may know, we have a batting cage in our backyard, and have for many years. This has been going on since our son’s were young. It has been replaced and updated, now for our grandkids and their teams.
This Batting Cage is the length of our yard! It’s big!
This means, practice, practice, and more practice.
We can have players anywhere from 5 – 15 years old at our home weekly.
My husband and I don’t hang around at these events. We may watch a bit, but distractions is the one thing these players don’t need. I love watching them at the beginning as they huddle together listening for instructions. Then, they go to their designated stations, their coach, our son, has cleverly set up. These players have learned what to do from the get-go and that always impresses me. They don’t have to be told one time what their role will be for the evening.
Oh, and another thing we noticed with these players? They respect our home and we never find even so much as a gum wrapper or empty water bottle. (Thank you players!) ⚾
Helpful Hint?
April is a great month to get outside and appreciate all the wonders of spring. Take a walk around the block and check out all those beautiful flowers popping up everywhere.
I hope you will be able to attend some sporting events. They will love your supporting cheers.
May 2025
Dear 2025, I’m always learning new things and you were there to show me.
For over a year I worked on “Magical Fashion Show Contest.” (My first middle grade book going solo.) You may remember, Cat Michaels and I worked on, “Just Between Sam and Me,”back in 2020. I have past videos and blog posts on that if you wish to get some insights on how we co-authored. Let me know and I’ll point you to them.
My book was all done and ready to go…so, I thought. What I learned is how things had changed on Ingram Sparks since I published“Moonshadow Mae.”They are always updating to make it better. It’s a good thing, but again a huge learning curve. PS. If you go that route, study their PDF from front to back for their most current rules.
I did things differently for my book launch this time around. Instead of running it off daily Facebook posts, I released the news on my websites with posts. I didn’t get the traction I expected, but that’s okay. I needed to watch my time on the computer which I will tell you about in my September section. (See below.)
This book continues to give me smiles from those who have read it and their feedback. Thank you, Reviewers! 💙
Reviews for “Magical Fashion Show Contest.”
Authors and writers, things take time. I’ve learned it’s impossible to expect those out there to learn everything we want to convey about our books on launch day. Please try not stress about these things. Enjoy the ride!
If you want to read more about my book launch, click below. 🙂
Do your homework. Yes, sometimes we have to learn ourselves through the process, but doing lots of research ahead of time, does take away some of the stress.
Book Launches? They are fun and a great way to meet new readers. Don’t expect too much. Your book has a lifetime to launch.
June 2025 – Baseball Season Starts
Dear 2025, thank you for the joy you gave us during the baseball season!
Let the baseball games begin!
One of my favorite signs I see every year. 💙It’s so true! 💙
Our KC Royals are in full swing so that’s always a fun part of the summer months, too. 💙
Helpful Hint?
Again, another time to have those meals in the freezer or have meals ready to go. Eating at sporting events are great now and then, but doing it at every game, is not something we probably should do…for health reasons. Those cheeseburgers sure are good, though! 😂
July 2025
Dear 2025, you gave us another booming 4th of July!
Our family loves, loves, loves the 4th of July! (My family will tell you, it’s one of my least favorite. The worry of someone getting hurt always hangs over my head.)
We gather with our family and a few friends over for snacks and fireworks and it does always end with fun times.
Helpful Hint?
If you entertain a crowd, I have the perfect meal for you to have on hand.
Tacos!
Make A Taco Bar!
We invested in a three pot crockpot years ago and it has been a lifesaver for crowds. It has one large pot in the middle and two smaller ones on the sides.
Fill your taco meat in the middle, cheese dip in one of the smaller ones, and refried beans in the other small one. Have all your other ingredients ready to go and everyone serves themselves.
August 2025
Dear 2025, you gave me great friends to help me through August.
In August, I reworked my website a bit. I cleaned out the old, added new and changed the titles of some of my headings, too.
I was excited to add a new page called:
In The Art Zone at Books by Rose
My first guest featured was author and illustrator, Rebecca Lyndsey. You can read more about there here. ►In The Art Zone
Scroll down on this page to see other guests, too.
I haven’t had too many guests yet and plan on doing more with it in 2026. The ones I’ve approached lately are pretty busy with the Christmas season, which is completely understandable.
Oh, and I can’t forget another page I changed. I now have a page called:
If you would like a feature on either pages, please let me know. We can set something up for a future interview.
Helpful Hint?
Don’t be afraid to change your website now and then. You will know when it’s time. I’m happy with my setup now, but if I want to change or add something new, I won’t hesitate in the future.
September 2025
Dear 2025, I should have listened better.
Oh boy, with all this computer time, I sure have paid the price for it.
My neck, shoulder blade, and elbow, started hurting like you wouldn’t believe. I even went to the doctors. They put me on steroids, but after one dose, I ended up with a migraine headache. Phew. I thought, now what am I going to do?
After much research, I realized it would required me to do lots of self care.
I now sit with a pillow on my armrest and limit my time on the computer. I think it was a pinched nerve, but I’m not taking any chances from here on out.
Helpful Hints?
Take lots of breaks from your computer. Don’t do what I did and not pay attention to how you are sitting. When writing my middle grade book, I think most of the time, I had my elbow hanging off of our computer desk. I had much less illustrating with this one and more writing.
I’ve also made a goal to drink more water. I make myself get up to get drinks instead of having it sit right next to me.
October 2025
Dear 2025, so much to be thankful for this month!
I thought things would slow down by in October, but “Fall Ball” was still going. It was nice to go to the games once the weather cooled down.
Our grandson also plays hockey in the fall and winter months, so we always have that to look forward too. The games are not as long as baseball, they only last an hour each. We love going out to brunch or lunch after the games. If you haven’t attended a hocky game, give it a try. They are so fun and can get very intense.
Crafty News: You can read more ►here if you’d like. At this point, I hadn’t shared what this would be quite yet. Here’s a photo of a craft I made. (See November’s news.)
Pop-up Book
This also was a good time for me to stay away from our computer. Making hands-on art didn’t seem to affect my elbow issue.
Oh, then something else happened which kept me away for our computer in October. We got a new computer. Woah, things have sure changed since we had our old one. All my drawing programs were no longer compatible with Windows 11 and we had to get all new programs. The learning curve has been tremendous and I have a feeling it will take me awhile to get back to how I made my images and write my books.
Help Hint?
Make sure you save as much as you can when getting a new computer. My husband did a beautiful job doing this. We also have a little black box we save everything to. Memory sticks are very helpful, too. It’s also a good thing to do in case a serge of electricity from a storm runs through your computer. One year, we learned the hard way and lost a lot of things. 😞
November 2025
Dear 2025, you gave me some new ideas for this month, which I’m thankful for.
In November I revealed what my craft would be turned into. Yep, my next book. Although my book will not be a pop-up book, it was fun to plan my story out in a different way.
This image below is one of my favorites. It’s a little window I made looking into a room with a bed and a book. (Beta readers will remember this image when they read this line.)
A Bird’s Eye View
Let’s Read
I did not draw all you see here, just the little girl and the book. I found some illustrations from old magazines to add and added little bubbles for the sentences. So much fun!
Working in a different way is something we can get stressed about. Try to prepare for upcoming situations. Don’t expect it to go as planned, there are always going to be some glitches. Try to remember, it all works out in the end. I found myself feeling thankful for what we had and not the changes we had to deal with.
December 2025
Dear 2025, what a fun month! Thank you!
Happy Holidays
If you read my blog in December ► here, you know I’m making some changes on my reading goals for 2026. In the Goodreads Challenge for 2025, I committed to 50 books. (Phew, I made it, but barely.) If you scroll through my list on Goodreads, you can check those books out or go through some of my pass blog posts. Most of these I posted were adult books. I had a few middle grade and children’s books in there, as well.
In 2026, I’m going to still read adult books, but will only report on the children’s and middle grade books. I hope to have a list of them here for you each month.
Having a Little Free Library in front of our home will help a lot when the weather gets to be too much getting out to the library. You can also check books to be read online from your library. I was surprised how many people were not aware of that. I love it! Especially the audiobooks.
I’m not going to put a goal to the number of books I read this year. I’m just going read and enjoy.
DecemberHelpful Hint?
When getting ready for Christmas, or any holiday, again, try to prepare as much ahead as you can. I’ve learned over the years, this cut my stress way down. The only bad thing about that, I plan so far ahead sometimes, I forget what day it is, ha!
I found working on our Christmas meal the day ahead was a lifesaver, too. I still had lots of setting up and reheating the day of the meal.
Although Barney the teddy bear goes everywhere with his young owner, her mother says he’ll have to stay home when she goes to school. But the spunky little girl has other plans.
Where does he go?
Readers will love the repetition in this story.
“Make it Yourself Pop-Up Art,” by Pam Chenevert
As you all know, I love paper art and this was a simple book to follow. Readers will be making gifts for their friends and family after reading this in no time.
“Just One Flake,” by Traviz Jonker
This very simple story will leave readers turning the pages.
Will Liam catch one snowflake?
Answer: He does catch on, but not like you would expect!
I like this short book as it may encourage a young reader to try and read it by themselves after a cozy read-aloud time with a loved one.
“Even Yetis Get Colds,” by Carlianne Tipsey
Author and illustrator, Carlianne Yipsey, brings this story to life with her whimsical illustrations.
Poor Yeti, Coco’s best friend, gets a cold! Coco decided she was going to stay on top of it this year and she has a plan. Does it work?
Readers will love this book and will have fun hearing this story to the end.
“Finding Grateful,” Dianne White and Illustrated by Faith Pray
What does it feel like to be grateful?
The young main character in the story walks along the city streets and looks for more things to be grateful for.
A book to read to you little ones, or big ones, too! This book holds lessons in, hope, compassion and presence.
“My Grandma and Me,” by Mina Javaherbin and illustrated by Lindsey Yankey
An universal story for all readers to celebrate love through the constraints of time and space.
The author and illustrator creates together this lovely story about a girl and her grandmother. I’m sure her grandmother is shining down on this author as she honors the time they spent together.
“Nana in the City,” by Lauren Castillo
This story about a young boy, his Nana, and a very BIG city!
At first the boy cares nothing about all the noise, the busy, streets, the loud traffic, not to mention, the scary feelings he has when they venture out for a day.
Nana has an excellent idea to help him cope with all these things as they go out the next day.
Will he change his mind about the city?
I’ll be back with more reviews for children’s books in February.
Helpful Hint?
If you decide to make a goal to read a certain amount of books in a challenge, it helps to record your thoughts right after you’re finished. Say you want to re-read a book, will you remember? Many times you won’t and you’ll have to backtrack. Also, since I like to leave reviews for the books I read, this has helped me a lot. 🙂
That’s all I have for now.
I’m wishing you all a happy, happy 2026!
Before you go, don’t forget to tell us some highlights from your year in 2025.
Please don’t forget to check out my author friends posts. You will enjoy and learn so much from them.
I have a lot to update you on this in this month’s post.
You will find:
*Author Fair Visit Update
*Reading Goal Changes For 2026
*November 2025 Meal and Game Update
*December News and Recipe
*What’s To Come?
Now, let’s dive into this month’s news…
What a busy last few months this has been. It always busy around here with one thing or another, but this time of year, it’s in a different kind of way.
Author Fair Visit Update
I had an awesome day meeting authors from all genres! I met some wonderful readers from all ages, too.
I don’t have a photo to share at this time. 🙁 A photographer came around and took pictures, but I have not seen them yet.
Reading Goal Changes For 2026
I’m not going to change my reading, but will change the content of my lists and on what I will report here on my blogs.
Why the change?
I have decided to just report lists of children’s and middle grade books on my monthly news. An author friend is doing this. Sonja McGiboney, (Jazzy) and her goal is to read 300 children’s books in 2025. My aim may not be that big of a list for now. I would like to do something the same. I made a form to add these to. We’ll see how it goes. Children’s and middle grade books are much shorter. Hopefully, I’ll have a long list by the end of 2026. 🙂
I’ll still visit with my friends on adult books I’ve read. I will just do that in a different way.
Meanwhile, I have these adult books to report. All 5 stars.
5 Stars
Currently Reading...
Oh my, I went through a spell for a few weeks trying to find a book I enjoyed. I found just what I was looking for.
“The Good Boy,” by Stella Hayward is funny, heartfelt, and is playing out like a movie in my head. I can’t wait to finish it! Now, that’s a great book! I’m looking forward to more of her stories.
Listened to:
“The Atlas of Untold Stories,” by author Sara Brunsvold and Narrator: Libby McKnight
Chloe Vance, the main character, needs to break the news to her mom, Edie, that she has accepted an ew job as an art instructor role at a Christian international school in Prague. Along with her sister, Lauren, she talks them all in taking a trip. This is any adventure, though, The three women go on a road trip, seeking out literary sites throughout the Midwest. What will they find out about themselves and each other?
If you love traveling and behind the scenes about some of the classic stories out there, you will enjoy this one.
Not only does Sara Brunsvold take readers on a trip through the states, but the difficult, but rewarding role seeing the relationships with her mother and sister.
November 2025 Meal and Game Update
Our meal turned out great! Every inch of our counters were covered with the food I mentioned in ► November. Oh, and our game? It was so much fun, too! Each winner received a bag with prizes filled with treats and small items. 🙂
We had a nice surprise with another addition to the entertainment of the evening. Our oldest came equipped with an array of magic tricks that wowed our crowd.
That lead us into watching a bunch of our old movies of him doing his magic tricks when he was 6 years old. We loved laughing and reminiscing about the 80s and 90s! I was a big duck/geese collector back in those days, and my, they were everywhere! 🤣 (Now you know where I got some of my “time-travel” ideas.)
December News and Recipe
Fun gatherings are planned and it will start to looking like Christmas around our home. We always get a real tree so we wait until the middle of December to put it up. That way, it doesn’t get too dry and brittle. I hope to share a picture or video of it soon.
Meanwhile, I took a few days to do some art for cards. It’s going much slower than I expected. Yes, I should have started in October, or even early November, but it wasn’t in my art spirit to do that quite yet. (I love how people can do that! I need to make a goal to do better and make art sooner.) 😉
Here’s an rough example I played around with. I have some different ones I’m working on. I hope to get those done soon. (Basically, when one opens this card, these little homes pop out. It was so fun to make.)
Recently, I shared this image on Facebook. It’s from my first book, ► Avi and Jackson Best Friends.It’s based on our sons growing up and the fun things they did through their seasons.
“Avi and Jackson Best Friends”
Something fun for you or your kiddos to copy and color. Enjoy!
We will have our “Christmas Eve Meal.” (See below.)
Christmas morning I’ll bake our traditional “Cinnamon Rolls and Orange Rolls,” yes, they are the can kind. I usually burn the bottoms of them most years which has been a joke in our family. Let’s hope I don’t this year?
Our family will arrive sometime in the last morning hours and we’ll spend our time opening gifts and visiting. (My favorite part.) We try and take turns, but things pile up quickly and we always have to catch up at the end.
I don’t make a meal for Christmas dinner because we always have lots of leftovers from the night before. We usually end up having that for lunch.
Let’s just say, it’s a full wonderful day. 🙂
Our Traditional Christmas Eve MealRecipe
Velveeta Chicken (Sorry for those who have followed me for years, you have seen this one before and will probably see it again. It’s a family favorite!)
Velveeta Chicken
1 whole cooked chicken, cubed
I can of Cream of Chicken Soup
Start off with a 1/2 can of milk. Add more if needed. (See below.)
4-5 slices of Velveeta Cheese
1 box of Stuffing – prepared.
Directions:
Cube chicken and place in a spray 9×11 pan
Heat soup, milk, and cheese until smooth and creamy. (Once it looks like pancake batter, it’s ready.)
Pour over chicken. Take a fork and move around to fill in between the chicken pieces.
Top with prepared stuffing
Bake at 350 degrees for 25- 30 minutes until heated through.
What’s To Come?
I plan to release another children’s book in 2026. As most of you know, I’m going to immerse myself into learning some of my new drawing and writing programs.
A big shout out to all my fans, friend, and family members with their great suggestions on programs. You all are the best and I couldn’t do this without you!
See a sample of what I made and read about my new title from ► November News at Books by Rose. No, it will not be a “pop-up” book, it was just a fun way to make a fun version of it.
Tell Us About YOU!
Plans for the holidays? Projects you are working on? Please leave us a comment in the section below. We can’t wait to hear from you.
Happy December 2025!
As always,
Happy Reading!
Rosie
PS. Don’t forget to come back on Friday, January 09, 2026. I heard a little rumor there is a “Blog Hop” in the mix to start off the New Year!
I have so many things to be grateful for this month and always. I love this quote:
G.K. Chesterton’s, “Gratitude is happiness doubled by wonder.”
Here’s what you will find for this month’s blog post:
*Grateful For My New Book at Our Library – Woodneath Library Author Event
*Thankful For Family and Fun
*Thankful For My Goodreads Challenge 2025
*Grateful For The Project I’m Working On
Let’s get started.
Grateful For My New Book at Our Library – Woodneath Library Author Event
Last summer, I applied for my new book,“Magical Fashion Show Contest”to not only be in our local library, but to attend our annual author event. They accepted both and I will have a booth on Saturday, November 15, 2025 from 1 pm – 4pm. I’m so excited to meet the other local authors and local readers at this event. Once I know my table number, I’ll let you know.
Click on the link below to read more.
It would be fun to have some crafts from my books to hand out, as well. If you’ve read my books, which ones would you like to see there? Boxes, fold out cards, Galaxy Rocks, pop-up books?
Thankful For Family and Fun
I’m ready to start planning the games and food we’ll have for Thanksgiving.
If you have followed my past Thanksgiving blogs, we don’t always have a traditional meal, but this year, it has been requested.
So, we will have:
Turkey, Mash Potatoes, Sweet Potatoes, Dressing, Gravy, Deviled Eggs, Salad Bar, two kinds of vegetables. If I can find fresh corn on the cob, that will be one, or I’ll resort to canned corn. I’ll make Green Beans with bacon and seasonings. Mac and Cheese, (for the kids…the adults end up liking this, too,) and of course, Rolls. I always make enough everyone can have leftovers. (I save many take-out containers throughout the year just for our holiday meals.)
One thing I don’t do is, I never make a dessert and ask our guest to bring something. They never fail and bring the best pies and treats. It’s expected for my brother-in-law to bring what we call, “The Cookies.” They are homemade from a neighborhood market we have here. They are so good and the Littles look forward to them every year. 🙂
I’m still working on a game and I think we have it boiled down to one. When planning these games, we have to think fast on how to get the game set up and ready to go. The anticipation builds through dinner since we save it for last. (I’m thinking it will involve, “Red Solo Cups” filled with water, a ping pong ball, and prizes to win.) I hope I can catch a video of this, but we’ll see. Things get busy and I get so excited, I forget to take pictures and videos.
(Note: Adding water helps the cups not tip over. Or, better yet, a handful of coins and the winner gets to keep them.) 🙂
Thankful For My Goodreads Challenge 2025
I’m at 42 books read out of my goal for 50 this year. I have 8 more to finish by the end of December.
I managed to get a lot of books read this past month, but it was a struggle. Lately, the books I got at our library were not for me, so I really had to work on finding the rights ones. These made the list.
PS. I’m going to change my reading challenge content for next year. I’ll talk about that in December.
All 5 Stars From Me
5 Stars
“Tuck Everlasting,” by Natalie Babbitt
With 10 million copies sold, “Tuck Everlasting,” by Natalie Babbitt‘ is a Newbery Honoree and winner of the E. B. White Award! This classic tale is a story about immortality, friendship, and the ups and downs of growing up. It’s one of those timeless reads that’ll stick with you no matter your age!
What if you could live forever?
Meet young Winnie Foster, who stumbles upon a secret spring in the woods and runs into the Tuck family. They share their amazing discovery about how the spring can change lives. Now, Winnie faces a big choice with this new info, while the Tucks have to figure out what to do about her knowing their secret. They’re not the only ones interested in what’s going on. A shady stranger is also on the hunt for the Tucks and won’t stop until he uncovers their big secret.
I spent a short afternoon listening to this audiobook while doing some art and enjoyed this book and it’s narrator.
“Killing The Kansas City Shuffle,” by Deborah Dilks
Step back in time. It’s Columbus Day in 1931, and Deloris Markham, our not-so-average amateur “Killing The Kansas City Shuffle” detective, stumbles upon the body of Slick Sam Sloan. This guy was a total hustler—a grifter, a con artist, and definitely a ladies’ man. He loved playing the Kansas City Shuffle, but it looks like he might’ve played it one too many times.
Dive into the gritty, flavorful scene of 1930s Kansas City, packed with crime, delicious food, and real hotspots!
Miss Markham Mystery books mix a little bit of fact with a whole lot of fiction, creating a cozy historical whodunit. Think you can guess what’s real and who’s the culprit before Deloris does? Give it a shot, you’ll be glad you did.
If you are from the KCMO area, you will enjoy her mystery series that much more.
“TED Talks: The Official TED Guide to Public Speaking,” by Chris J. Anderson
I don’t plan to do public speaking anytime soon, but this is the book to read if you are entertaining that thought. This book is packed full with information. It will help with other things, such as writing and how to present your projects.
Chris Anderson took over duties at TED in the early 2000s, he’s proved that well crafted short talks, can really connect people and shared knowledge. In this book, he reminds us, a great talk can pack more punch than anything written down!
When giving a talk, there’s no one-size-fits-all formula; every talk is unique. The idea is to help you deliver a talk that only you can give. So, don’t stress! You might find it comes more naturally than you expect.
Chris Anderson has teamed up with some of the most inspiring TED speakers out there: Sir Ken Robinson, Amy Cuddy, Bill Gates, Elizabeth Gilbert, Salman Khan, Dan Gilbert, Mary Roach, Matt Ridley, and so many more! From crafting the perfect talk to owning the stage, this is the go-to guide for communicating effectively in the 21st century. If you’re looking to make an impact with your ideas, you won’t want to miss this!
“Sideways Stories from Wayside School,” Louis Sachar, Adam McCauley, Illustrator (Middle Grade)
Although, the builder of Wayside School said he was very sorry he built the school, one classroom on top of another, thirty stories high, that didn’t help things at all.
Funny things start happening in each classroom, especially on the thirteenth floor.
These series of stories from 1978 are a bit dated, but readers will still find the humor in them. Think about the “Mad Magazines” from the 60s and 70s when reading. Some of the chapters may not be accepted in today’s world. Keep an humorous, open mind.
“Playing with Books: The Art of Upcycling, Deconstructing, and Reimagining the Book,” by Jason Thompson. (More for Adults, but Middle Grade Readers may enjoy some of these projects.)
Jason Thompson has created an extensive and artistic range of both achievable upcycled crafts made from books and book pages to a gallery transformed books into art. The step-by-step projects that deconstruct and rebuild books and their parts into unique, upcycled items. Bookbinding, woodworking, paper crafting, origami, and textile and decorative arts techniques are just a few. This beautiful book would satisfy any artist or art loving book collector and make a great coffee table addition to browse through.
“Anyone Can Papercraft,” By Elizabeth Moad (Middle Grade and up.)
A practical guide, “Anyone Can Papercraft” includes a nice range of techniques to introduce the beginner to the craft and inspire the more advanced crafter with fresh ideas and inspiration. There are 40 original projects with simple instructions such as, cards and tags, keepsakes gifts and decorations for holidays and occasions. A fun book to have on hand for any occasion.
“Draw Out the Story: Ten Secrets to Creating Your Own Comics,” by Brian McLachlan (Middle Grade and up.)
A fun book to learn from when making single-panel comics to full-blown graphic novels and ways to use comics to tell a story. Whether makers want to write or draw something funny, scary, made-up or true-to-life, cartoonist, author Brian McLachlan shows there are ten crucial things they need to know to get started. This book is a keeper for those who wants to learn how to make any comics, and, or, graphic novels.
“Made in America: A Modern Collection of Classic Recipes,” by Colby and Megan Garrelts (Adult Cookbook)
I enjoyed reading about, Kansas City chef and James Beard Award winner Colby Garrelts and his wife, Megan, a James Beard semifinalist for Best Pastry Chef. This book presents a library of American culinary classics from their Midwestern roots. Made in America features fifty handcrafted recipes sorted by the cooking methods from breakfast to the bakeshop. Many begin with a childhood memory from Colby or Megan that describes the roots and the journey of the recipe. This was my favorite part.
You will read about how to make, “Biscuits and Gravy, “Quick Pickles,” “Pan Fried BBQ Pork Chops with Tomato Horseradish Sauce,” “Grilled Garlic-Thyme Kansas City Strips,” “Garrelts’s Fried Chicken,” “Chocolate Butterscotch Cookies,” and so much more.
Grateful For The Project I’m Working On
Many times, writers use what are called, “Storyboards,” to plan their books. If you have ever seen one, it’s a plain piece of paper with squares which holds the title page, ISBN page, and many times a dedication page. What follows after that is the story. (This is a common set up for children’s picture books that holds 32 pages.)
I wanted to do something different this time around and create an “artful storyboard.” This book has been so much fun and it will make a great little book for one of my young readers. No, it did not have 32 pages. I doubled up the sentences and wrote them on eight pages.
It’s A Pop-Up Book!
I drew many of the illustrations and used many other images from old books and magazines to complete the pages. I won’t show you all of them, but here are a few.
We recently updated our computer which has all new apps for drawing and writing. I plan to figure these out in the coming months and hope to have an actual book of this for you all to read some time in 2026. I’ll keep you posted.
(If you would like to be a Beta Reader for my next book, let me know and I’ll send you the words. Again, I’m still working on how to make the illustrations for now.)
That’s all I have for this month.
I wish you all a very happy Thanksgiving to those who celebrate here in the USA!
Happy November 2025!
Let’s us know what plans you have for this month and your holiday.
Our special guest today is back! She’s an artist I met many years ago. Her whimsical art, engaging fun page and, interactions on Facebook and other social media sites had me hooked. We’ve been friends ever since.
Welcome Back, Ariane at icraftcafe’!
No, that is not a misspelling, that is how she spells her business name. 🙂
Let’s get started…
Ariane, please tell us about yourself and some of the cute art you have for our readers this fall.
Thank you for having me, Rosie.
I’m a freelance illustrator/graphic designer. I mostly try to create cute whimsical illustrations for kids (and sometimes for grownups.) Those usually end up on items like stationery, tabletop or fabric to name a few. They’re available in my print-on-demand shops. I also sometimes take commission work.
I always loved to draw, but I only started this new adventure when my son was in elementary school. I wanted to be able to work when he was at school and also be close by afterwards since I hadn’t any family nearby to help out. I thought this was the best option and it did work quite well that way. The first things I created and sold were primarily teacher’s supplies (like back-to-school postcards and reward stickers) and teachers gifts (like aprons, notepads and pens). Then it just grew from there.
I start off with a pencil sketch, then add to my iPad. It’s then printed on many products like you see below some of my new fall images.
At the beginning, I used to draw my illustrations exclusively in colored pencils and scan them. Nowadays, I mostly do my artwork digitally. However I always start with a sketch in pencil on a piece of paper .Then using the sketch as my template, I work on my design using either Adobe Illustrator or Adobe Fresco. I love the sharp vector brushes. Once it is done, I transfer the image onto whatever product I want to create.
I love hearing about how you do this, Ariane. Please share some of your fall art projects you have for us.
These are so adorable, Ariane!
I love how you added pink in this next one. Is that a cat ghost? Oh my, so cute! 💗
This “Reading Raccoon” makes me smile! 🙂
Where can our readers find out more about your products, Ariane?
Welcome October! What a beautiful month you are here in the Midwest USA!
In This Blog You’ll Find…
*Goodreads Challenge 2025
*A Craft I’m Making
*Fall Favorite Recipe
*Special Guest at “The Art Zone at Books by Rose.”(Coming Soon!)
Let’s get started…
*Goodreads Challenge 2025
My 5 Star Reviews
5 Stars
“Insolitam Drive,” by F Wallers
A time travel story, “Insolitam Drive,” by F Wallers
Cassidy wrapped up seventh grade at 13, and wow, everything’s shifting. Her parents have divorced, and now her mom is moving her and her brother to a whole new town. She misses her best friend from her old home and feels the lost connection with her. Soon, Cassidy befriends a new boy in her new neighborhood named Ethan.
Things start to heat up for Cassidy when she decides to get some various jobs to keep her busy. But as she goes from house to house, she noticed that something seems off in each place. Little details just don’t add up. As Cassidy and Ethan spend more time together, they stumble upon a mystery that’s messing with time.
After Cassidy and Ethan visit the homes in their neighborhood, they realize they all have something in common. They are not from this time! They teamed up to figure out what’s going on with the houses. Not only will they solve a few of their questions, Ethan also discovers something even more about his life circumstances. As their friendship grows, so do some unanswered questions.
“The Plain Little Unicorn,” by Jessica D. Adams
“The Underground Toy Society” has a new friend, and oh my, will you love this little one. “The Plain Little Unicorn” is an adorable book. The illustrations will warm the readers’ hearts as well. I highly recommend this as a read-aloud for further, meaningful discussions. Congrats to Jessica D. Adams and her daughter, Janelle, for another great installment.
“Painting Cats,” by Terry Runyan
If you’re a cat lover and love to paint, “Painting Cats,” by Terry Runyan is the purr-fect book for you!
Whether you’re just starting with watercolors or have been at it for a while, this guide takes you from a simple blob of paint to creating stunning portraits of your furry pals. It’s all about having fun and letting your creativity flow, using some cool art therapy tricks to keep things light and enjoyable!
I enjoyed the different options she shared and look forward to adding them to my art pages.
“My Three Lives,” by Tina Cole
I’m familiar with Tina Cole mainly through the TV show, “My Three Sons,” but have known about her as a part of “The King Sisters.”
“My Three Lives” walks readers through Tina Cole’s life. From the beginning of her career with her family, to her TV shows, all the way to the life she is living now.
I enjoyed this candid and truthful look at her cultivated and rich artistic legacy.
A Craft I’m Making
I wish I could show you a close-up of this craft so you’d know what it is, but it’s far from finished. I promise I’ll show you some of it when it’s done and explain a lot more about it. Let’s just say for now, it’s a combination of two of my favorite things… art and reading. I’m in love with this concept, and I hope it will inspire others out there, too.
Fall Favorite Recipe
I have shared this recipe in the past. It’s worth sharing again as it’s a go-to treat for fall parties and gatherings. It does contain nuts, so please add a note for those who have nut allergies.
The only thing you don’t see in this image is “Candy Corn.” Of course, that’s optional. Add as many peanuts, raisins, and M&Ms as you like.
Fall Trail Mix
*Special Guest at “The Art Zone at Books by Rose.”
I will be back this month to share a special guest who I have featured before. This time she’ll share some of her “Fall Projects” with us.
I want to make she gets her own special spotlight. Watch for a post coming soon at, “In The Art Zone at Books by Rose.”
In The Art Zone at Books by Rose
That’s all I have for now. I hope you all have a “fall-static” October!
Write us a note and tell us what you are up to these days. Projects? October Events?
We have been waiting for you, weather wise, that is. We had many hot days this summer, and we know it’s not over quite yet.
Back to School
I loved all the “Back to School” photos and news.
Things sure have changed since I was in school.
*Laptops and computers are more the norm with less supplies for school.
*School did not begin until after Labor Day weekend. Many states have moved into yearlong school days.
*The subjects taught are much more advanced, along with learner’s tackling more and more information.
When I asked for helpful hints in preparing for “back to school,” viewers suggested getting into a routine early, before school started. Getting up earlier, planning their days ahead, including clothes, meals, and upcoming school events. We always kept a lunch calendar on our refrigerator, which helped a lot.
What changes have you noticed? What ideas would you suggest for a smooth transition to back to school?
The school year seems to make time pass more quickly, so make sure to enjoy each day! 🙂
Bookish News – Gina Rae Mitchell’s Post
A big thanks to Gina Rae Mitchell for her feature and review for my new book, “Magical Fashion Show Contest.”
“Anxious People” by Fredrik Backman – (Adult Book)
Review on Goodreads
“Easy Watercolor Flowers: 45 Beautiful Paintings for Beginners” by Blanca Rosen
Bianca Rosen, the creative mind behind @artbybianca. Learn how to paint gorgeous flowers like playful pansies, wildflowers, garden blooms, or tropical vibes. I had fun reading and following the easy tutorial instructions. There are easy-to-follow illustrated instructions that break each step down into just 3-6 illustrations. Bianca’s simple, single-bloom technique is perfect for watercolor newbies. I recently recommended this book to a friend who is just starting with watercolor painting.
“Draw in Ten Minutes: Botanicals – Learn how to draw in 50 quick sketches” by Emma Tildesley
I read the paperback version of “Draw in 10 Minutes: Botanicals – Learn how to draw in 50 quick sketches” by Emma Tildesley from our library. It has very simple instructions that were fun to try out.
New Art Page News
My first artist interview with “In The Art Zone With Artist, Author, and Teacher, Rebecca Lyndsey”
Click on the image below to read more!
If you are an artist and would like to be featured on this family-friendly page, please write me a note, and we can arrange a future interview.
If you look at my website page, you’ll noticed I opened a spot for author interviews. I have a new one to add and I can’t wait for you to meet this special author who writes Middle Grade books.
Welcome Yvetta Doll Franklin!
Click on her image below to read my interview with her.
Yvetta Doll Franklin
Now, on to those busy nights when you are in a rush to get out the door to your next sports event. Hopefully, this meal will save you some time. It sure helped us in the 90s, and it’s why I picked it to include in my latest book.
Recipe Out Of My New Book – 1990s Hot Pocket Sandwiches
If you have read my new book, Magical Fashion Show Contest,” you know I have shared three recipes, among other fun activities to do.
Make these up, set on a cookie sheet, add to a ziplock bag, and freeze. Pop them in the oven or microwave. If you like them crispy on the bottom, just add them to a hot pan that’s been sprayed with cooking spray for a few seconds.
1990s Hot Pocket Sandwiches
They are easy to make and cook in just a few short minutes in your pre-heated oven at 400°.
What you will need:
*1 can of ready made pizza dough or biscuits.
*Any type of sauce you like. (Red or white Alfredo sauce.)
*Your choice of cooked leftover meat(s): Ground Beef, Ground Turkey, Ham, or Pepperoni.
*Shredded or sliced cheese. Your choice of, Cheddar, Mozzarella, or Provolone cheese.
*Parmesan Cheese for sprinkling on top.
*Olive oil.
How to make:
*Break dough into 8 sections. Flatten dough or biscuit into ½ or ¼ inch circle. (This will depend on the dough you choose.)
*Spread two tablespoons of sauce on your circle of dough, stopping at ¼ inch of the edges.
*Add as much meat as you would like.
*Sprinkle with desired amount of cheese.
*Place one of your flattened pieces of dough on top of the one you made with the meat. Crimp with a fork to seal edges.
*Brush olive oil over the top of each sandwich.
*Sprinkle with Parmesan cheese.
*Score or cut an X on each sandwich for steam to escape.
*Bake on a greased pan sheet at 400° for 15 to 18 minutes or until golden brown.
*Special note: Ovens may vary, so keep an eye on them. Peek inside of the dough for doneness, if needed.
That’s all I have for now. Let us know if you have any comments or questions about this September post.
Please don’t forget to update us on any plans or news you may have. 🙂
I recently met this author, and once we connected, I knew her joy in writing and sharing books with young readers was one like my own.
Let’s get started so you can find out more about her.
Rosie: Welcome Yvetta! Tell us more about yourself.
Yvetta: I am a retired elementary teacher of 20 years, I have taught grades 1-5 and adults ESL successfully. Private English & Reading Tutor, part-time pianist for my church. My husband is the pastor.
I became an author strictly by happenstance. I was sitting under the hair dryer at my local hair salon, and this lady was asking people to read something she had written. Unbeknownst to me, the hairstylist recommended I read this lady’s work as I was a well known, sought after teacher. Not wanting to embarrass the lady I recommended she call me after sharing several insights. Two years later that same lady called me and invited me to co-author a children’s chapter book with her; “The Code Switch. ISBN# 9781468089479.
I had always wanted to write, but was disillusioned when my 1st year college professor told me my writing needed a lot of help! [“The Code Switch” book is in several local school sites and San Francisco State University, a mentor book for Masters Degree Program students majoring in Communications/English]
“The Code Switch”
Rosie: That is very impressive, Yvetta. I’m sure you were thrilled to have your book included to help others.
What’s Your Biggest Challenge As An Author?
Yvetta: My biggest challenge as an author is staying the course. Meaning committing to a certain amount of time on a particular day. Even if I had no thoughts just sat there and re-read. My second challenge was that I found myself editing as I was writing. I discovered it’s best for me if I just write, get it all out, and edit last.
Rosie: Yes, having the time to sit down to write doesn’t always work. Then, when the muse hits us, we have to make little notes to use later.
I agree. Editing is hard, and I think it’s every writer’s challenge.
What Is Your Biggest Joy In Being An Author?
Yvetta: My biggest joy in being an author is seeing the eyes light up of children when I sign a book over to them.
I so enjoy doing read-a-louds in classrooms. Students are attentive, excited to meet me and I am attentive and excited to meet them even more!!!
Rosie: I hear you on that one. There is no better feeling.
Where Can Our Readers Find More About You And Your Books?
Rosie: This is wonderful to know. I’m sure these links will be helpful for the upcoming shopping season and more. I know I’m going to check them out for our younger readers.
Book signing with author Yvetta Doll Franklin
Thank you again for joining us, Yvetta! 🙂
If you have questions for Yvetta, please leave them in the comment section below.
Thank you for joining our first feature on this page, “In The Art Zone at Books by Rose.”
This wonderful guest today wears many hats. She’s an author, a full-time teacher, and an amazing artist.
Welcome Rebecca Lyndsey!
Rosie: Rebecca, I’ve seen your paintings you’ve shared and they just popped right off the page with your vibrant colors.
How did you get started with art and painting?
Rebecca: I’ve been drawing since I was a kid—it’s always been a part of me. In high school, I took three years of Commercial Arts classes and even earned a certificate, planning to keep going with art in college. But when I enrolled, the Art program had been cut. I was seriously bummed. I could’ve switched schools, but I didn’t want to put my education on hold, so I went with Elementary Education instead.
Luckily, I landed a job as an art teacher and got to do that for ten years—until those positions were cut too. As for painting on canvas, that came later in life. I’ve always loved trying new artsy things—sticker painting, dot art, crafts, mixed media—you name it. One day I gave canvas painting a shot, and I’ve been hooked ever since.
Rosie: So beautiful Rebecca!
I understand it wasn’t until you were older that you found the love of these canvas paintings as a hobby! I love that and know others will feel inspired by that, as well.
Rebecca: Yes, I didn’t paint much when I was younger. I was drawn more toward pencils, chalk and oil pastels, and all kinds of crafting. It wasn’t until I got older that I gave canvas painting a try. I had no idea what I was doing at first and had to learn as I went. Honestly, I’m still learning!
YouTube quickly became my go-to. I love watching painting tutorials, and Bob Ross is still one of my favorites. His calm encouragement and simplicity is wonderful, even if oil paints aren’t really my thing. I tend to work with acrylics or gouache, which makes following his techniques a bit trickier. Still, I’ve picked up some great tips from him—though I often need a refresher to remember exactly how they go.
There are tons of amazing acrylic tutorials on YouTube, and I’ve tried quite a few. I also follow some fantastic artists on Facebook who share tutorials and tips that keep me inspired and motivated to keep painting.
Rosie: I find painting and any arts and crafts so relaxing. Well, that is if there is no deadline. Do you feel the same way?
Rebecca: Painting is my stress reliever—but ironically, stress can also drain my creativity. When I’m overwhelmed, it’s hard to get into the right mindset to paint, so I usually save it for breaks when I can truly unwind. During those moments, painting becomes a calming escape, and I genuinely enjoy the process—and the results… most of the time.
Of course, not every piece turns out the way I hope. I’ve had my fair share of failed attempts. But that’s one of the things I love about working with canvas: if something doesn’t work, I can simply paint over it and start fresh. It’s a gentle reminder that creativity isn’t about perfection—it’s about persistence, exploration, and giving yourself permission to begin again.
I love using bright colors to paint places I dream of being. Sometimes, I wish I could just touch the painting and be transported there.
Rosie: Tell us some other things you enjoy doing.
Rebecca: I’m an avid reader, and books take up a lot of my spare time. I also work as a beta reader for a few authors, which means I get early-release copies and help catch errors before the books are published. It’s a rewarding way to stay connected to the writing world.
I’ve written and illustrated four children’s books, originally published through a small indie company. When it closed its doors, I transitioned to self-publishing through Amazon. I haven’t written anything new in a couple of years, but I hope to return to it someday—storytelling is still close to my heart.
Last summer, I started a Teachers Pay Teachers store, inspired by printable learning games I created for my own kindergarten classroom. I’ve since developed several resources for early learners, and I’m now exploring ways to promote my store. With so many amazing creators on the platform, it can be tough to get noticed. Gaining followers and reviews makes a big difference, but it’s definitely a challenge.
Rosie: I’ve looked at many projects you’ve made on the “Teachers Pay Teachers” site and love them. Thank you for putting those on there for us and learners out there. They are so wonderful! In fact, we have used “The Shape Maker” that we downloaded and I left this review
5 Stars for “The Shape Maker”
5 Stars
“I enjoyed working with our little one as she is learning how to write her letters. The samples of the shapes help her form straight lines and curves. We are also having fun cutting the shapes out and creating different objects from them. Her cutting skills have improved greatly from this activity.”
Rosie: Rebecca, thank you again for taking he time for this feature and sharing your art and the stories behind your creations. Have a wonderful school year, too!
If you would like to know more about Rebecca and her books, read below for more information.
Rebecca Lyndsey is a children’s book author, illustrator and teacher who was born in and still lives in the mountains of West Virginia with her wonderful husband and their very spoiled cats. In her spare time she likes to paint, sing, read, play Wii dance games and mystery game apps on her Kindle Fire and spend time outdoors with her husband. “World of Color” is her first book release and plans to continue writing and illustrating many more books in the future.
Rebecca Lyndsey’s ► Website ► Amazon Books (Look for her books on other store sites, as well.)
That’s all for today!
If you are an artist and would like a free, feature on this family-friendly page, write me a note.
Here’s a list of what this page will feature. I’m looking forward to adding interviews with artists of all walks of life. I’ll share some projects I’m working on from time to time, and may even have some giveaways later on, too. 🙂
I’ll always be on the lookout for the following types of art to add to this family-friendly page.
We did it! My new Middle-Grade book is launched and ready for readers.
Thanks to all who attended! It was lots of fun.
What a great week we had celebrating with tidbits of my new story revealed each day from July 14th to the 18th. (If you missed it, you can click on “Kidlit Blog by Rosie” in the above menu on my website here and scroll through the days.
What They Are Saying About This New Book So Far…
In case you missed it, here’s the information I posted each day on my launch.
This story is written as a letter from 11-year-old Mo to her grandmother, Nan, who has passed away. Since her grandmother is gone, she is forced to enter the foster care system because her uncle can no longer care for her.
Cooking becomes her new hobby, especially exploring family recipes and the stories behind them. She creates a website to connect with others through her journey, hoping to find a sense of her past and belonging.
I enjoyed this book all the way to the end, with all the fun and tasty recipes.
In “How to Stay Invisible,” by Maggie C. Rudd, is a heartfelt story about survival, friendship, adventure, and the simple wonders of nature. Middle school often feels like a place to blend in, but sometimes it takes a brave heart to stand out! Twelve-year-old Raymond Hurley has never truly had a steady home. His parents are always moving, taking him from one town to another, and now he’s living in a trailer in a new state when they suddenly abandon him—something they’ve done before. With just a duffel bag of clothes and his loyal dog Rosie by his side, Raymond tries to make his way living in the woods behind his school. He’s got his fishing pole ready and a survival guide he borrowed from the library, and he’s managing to keep his secret safe. Fending for himself isn’t new to Raymond. As winter approaches and finding food gets tougher, he starts making new friends—including a curious coyote he didn’t expect. The story’s diverse characters add richness to his daily adventures of survival, keeping readers eager to turn each page. Raymond learns that enduring isn’t just about his wilderness skills but also about who he trusts—whether they’re human or animal. I really enjoyed this story, and I believe others will too.
Another book, which I will not count in the Goodreads Challenge is this next one because it’s under 100 pages.
I read this book over ten years ago and have been trying to find it forever. I remember loving the humor and the illustrations.
“No Dogs Here,” by Kathryn Hewitt (Author and Illustrator)
I reached out to my Facebook followers to ask if they knew anything about this book. One of my sweet friends found it! Yay!
I located a used copy of it on Amazon and bought it.
Here are my thoughts on this cute and funny book. 🙂
First off, I think a read-aloud will be best for this one. I loved how the author and illustrator added little clues to those who see the dogs in their sneaky endeavors of going out and acting like humans. I enjoyed the illustrations with the vibrant colors. I’m looking forward to reading this one again and laughing with my grandchildren.
Is there ever a book you think about and can’t find? Let us know and we will try and help you out. There are so many great sites for that now.
That’s all I have for this month.
Tell us about you!
Don’t forget to update us on any plans or something about your summer in the comment section below. 🙂
I’m contacting the winners today for the five $10 Amazon e-cards. Please be sure to watch for an email from me.
And The Winners Are…
I’ll write you a note from my email and we can discuss how to get your Amazon ecards to you. Happy shopping!
If you missed this book launch and all the news, here’s the information you need to learn about my new book for Middle-Grade readers. (Adults will enjoy this book, too.)
►Type the title of this book or Rosie Russell into your browser to find this book in other online stores.
► Libraries – This title contains an LCCN. Look for “Magical Fashion Show Contest” to add to your bookshelves.
► Reviews welcomed. If you are on Goodreads, I’d love it if you would add “Magical Fashion Show Contest” to your “Want to read shelf.” Thank you! ❤️
Thank you all so much for attending and for your answers. It was a lot of fun and I enjoyed all our discussions. 🙂
Let me know what you think of my new book. Reviews are always welcome.
One Last Thing
If you have been following my website and Facebook page, I’ve been giving hints about a “New Page” on my website, which is coming soon! I hope to have it announced sometime in August. 🙂
Welcome back! We made it to Friday! Our last day of my book launch for “Magical Fashion Show Contest.”
Today we’ll discuss the last section on the back of my book, and so much more.
Will they manage to emerge at the top of the contest while unearthing the mysteries that the connect them all?
Question of the Day
What do you think? Do you think they will make it to the top of the contest?
Or, what mysteries connect them all?
*Answer in the comment section below for a chance to win a $10.00 ecard for Amazon. See Rules below.*
Reminder of The Rules:
USA players only. You must be 18 years or older and have a valid USA Amazon account since an ecard will be sent. (Sorry international friends. I learned the hard way how sometimes these ecards have a hard time sending.) With that being said, you also must have a valid email that you are willing to share through my email account at my Books by Rose email. (Please do not share your email here in my blog.) Let me know if you have any questions.
(Although this book launch will be announced on Facebook and other social media sites, it is not affiliated with them and only here at Books by Rose.)
FIVE winners will be announced Monday, July 21, 2025. (If winners do not respond within 72 hours of contact, I will have to move the winnings to the next person. Watch for a message from me, “Books by Rose,” Rosie Russell.
Learn about these next two authors and their books.
Meet Catherine Michaels. She and I go way back to the time when we both started writing books. She and I even wrote a Middle-Grade book together, (“Just Between Sam and Me”) which was released in 2020. You may remember her author name as “Cat Michaels” when she was a children’s author. Find those books ► here.She now writes cozy, fun romance books.
About the author
Catherine Michaels whisks you away to sun-drenched shores with her kisses-only beachy romances. Get ready to laugh, shed a tear (or two), and swoon over heartwarming characters you’ll instantly connect with.
In her Gull Island Romance series, set against the backdrop of a small town in coastal North Carolina, her flawed but relatable characters navigate heartbreak, rediscover love, and find their soulmates.
Catherine and her family live outside of Raleigh, North Carolina, where she visits her happy places on the coast every chance she gets.
Catherine Michaels ► Website ► Amazon books (Find more of her books at other retail sites, too.)
Next up…
Here’s another wonderful, supportive author. She recently released a Middle- Grade book you might want to check out. I read it, and it was cleverly written with much research on the subject.
About the author
Frequent library trips, Saturday mornings reading in bed, word games around the kitchen table, and letters to pen-pals—these are the photographs from my childhood. My mother told me, “You have a way with words.” I believed her and grew into that blessing.
I started by publishing nonfiction because I felt comfortable translating my observations and experiences into words. Gradually, I left the safety of my own experiences and worked into writing fiction. I didn’t leave nonfiction behind though. Every story I plan to write will be rooted in real events and real places. Every writer has their favorite genre. I admire books that show tapestries of relationships and the interior life of a character’s emotions and choices. I hope that my books will capture that same experience for my readers.
Carol Baldwin’s ► Website ► Amazon Books (Don’t forget to check out her book at other retail sites, as well.)
Where To Get Your Copy of “Magical Fashion Show Contest.”
►Type the title of this book or Rosie Russell into your browser to find this book in other online stores.
► Libraries – This title contains an LCCN. Look for “Magical Fashion Show Contest” to add to your bookshelves.
► Reviews welcomed. If you are on Goodreads, I’d love it if you would add it to your “Want to read shelf.” Thank you! ❤️
There So Many More Things I’d Like To Tell You!
It’s hard to end it all here without adding a few other very special things to this book launch!
You’ll see some bonus fun at the back of the book. There are simple recipes (well, one is a little more intense than the others, but readers will wow their family with this one.) It’s a special meal that Grandmother wanted me to share.
Recipes – Page 77
Art Projects – Page 87
There are art activities! Yes, some you may have seen these before in my other books. Older readers may have a better idea on how to approach these projects.
Book Discussions – Page 95
Oh, and book club discussions! Yes! Gather your friends, read the book, and have fun talking about all the adventures in this book and so much more.
See You Back On Monday!
Don’t forget to check back in on Monday, July 21, 2025 to see if you are one of the winners for a Amazon Gift Card!
Who’s ready for some more fun with my book launch?
Today, I’ll share paragraph #4 on the back of my book.
Buckle up for a whimsical-filled ride with cherished friendships that transcend time!
Hmm, friendships? So there are more characters in this book?
Question of the Day
Who Do You Think Maggie, Millie, and Merrie Will Meet In This Story?
I can assure you, there are many friends in this book for every reader to enjoy. In fact, there are at least ten other characters. Not all of them have strong dialogues, but they still add value to the story. 🤗
I can’t wait for you to read about them! ❤️
*Answer in the comment section below for a chance to win a $10.00 ecard for Amazon. See Rules below.*
Reminder of The Rules:
USA players only. You must be 18 years or older and have a valid USA Amazon account since an ecard will be sent. (Sorry international friends. I learned the hard way how sometimes these ecards have a hard time sending.) With that being said, you also must have a valid email that you are willing to share through my email account at my Books by Rose email. (Please do not share your email here in my blog.) Let me know if you have any questions.
(Although this book launch will be announced on Facebook and other social media sites, it is not affiliated with them and only here at Books by Rose.)
FIVE winners will be announced Monday, July 21, 2025. (If winners do not respond within 72 hours of contact, I will have to move the winnings to the next person. Watch for a message from me, “Books by Rose,” Rosie Russell.
These next two authors have some wonderful books and I’ve enjoyed them all.
Rebecca Lyndsey is not only an author, she is an artist and a full-time teacher, too!
About the author
Rebecca Lyndsey is a children’s book author, illustrator and teacher who was born in and still lives in the mountains of West Virginia with her wonderful husband and their two very spoiled cats. In her spare time she likes to paint, sing, read, play Wii dance games and mystery game apps on her Kindle Fire and spend time outdoors with her husband. “World of Color” is her first book release and plans to continue writing and illustrating many more books in the future.
Rebecca Lyndsey’s ► Website ► Amazon Books (Look for her books on other store sites, as well.)
Author Sandra Bennett lives in Australia and writes wonderful stories!
About the author
Sandra Bennett has been writing children’s stories for as long as she can remember. Right from her childhood in the early 1970’s Sandra used her imagination to develop adventure stories from where she lived in the southern suburbs of Sydney, to now where she lives with her family on a tranquil little property just outside of Canberra. As a little girl she always dreamed of becoming a teacher and sharing her stories with the children in her classes to encourage and improve literacy skills. Sandra believes Literacy skills are the building blocks to all further education. Once you can read you can learn anything and grow to become whatever your dreams desire.
Sandra enjoys writing children’s stories that will entice even the most reluctant reader to pick up a book and laugh so much they will not want to put it down. Her children’s books are for ages 4-10, early readers, reluctant reader and ESL students. They are perfect to read aloud at home with the entire family.
Her first book Gingerbread Aliens has achieved that objective and been selected for use in the 2013 Australian National Eisteddfod under 10 years Championship Division of Speech and Drama.
Welcome back! You have made it to day 3 of my book launch for my new book, “Magical Fashion Show Contest!”
Happy Wednesday, July, 16, 2025!
Today, we are going to talk about the third paragraph on the back of my book.
So it looks like they found items from the 90s, 70s and 50s!
I can’t tell you how much fun I had talking to my family and friends about these decades. My growing teen years were in the “groovy 70’s.” I didn’t have to reach far to remember the 90s as those were the years we were raising our sons. The 50s were a little trickier to find, but Google and Facebook posts helped a lot.
Question of The Day
What period or decade would you like to find in Grandmother’s attic?
*Answer in the comment section below for a chance to win a $10.00 ecard for Amazon. See Rules below.*
Reminder of The Rules:
USA players only. You must be 18 years or older and have a valid USA Amazon account since an ecard will be sent. (Sorry international friends. I learned the hard way how sometimes these ecards have a hard time sending.) With that being said, you also must have a valid email that you are willing to share through my email account at my Books by Rose email. (Please do not share your email here in my blog.) Let me know if you have any questions.
(Although this book launch will be announced on Facebook and other social media sites, it is not affiliated with them and only here at Books by Rose.)
FIVE winners will be announced Monday, July 21, 2025. (If winners do not respond within 72 hours of contact, I will have to move the winnings to the next person. Watch for a message from me, “Books by Rose,” Rosie Russell.
If you win, here are some wonderful authors to consider looking into. I know you will have fun learning more about their books.
About the author
Sonja McGiboney creates children’s books. Her Jazzy’s Books series are full of beautiful photographs and are geared to help young children with concepts such as the alphabet, counting, friendship, shapes, and self-worth.
From modest beginnings, of a photo album turned into a book, Sonja embarked on a self-publishing journey. She likes to say, “In the beginning, I did it all wrong.” That is because the more she learned, the more she realized what she didn’t know in the beginning, like having an author website with her name rather than her dog’s name. After eight years, Sonja continues to learn the industry and is always willing to share her knowledge of self-publishing to help new writers.
Sonja is published in two anthologies. Her works in progress include more picture books, several MG novels, and three adult fiction novels. Her collection of short stories (for adults) is currently with an editor. She is happy to share that her first chapter book, A Night in Lacey Manor, launched in March, 2025.
In her spare time, Sonja teaches piano, is learning to play the violin, enjoys photographing animals, and taking long car trips to photograph scenic roads in the U.S.
Sonja McGiboney – ► Website ► Amazon Books (Look for her books on other retail sites, too.)
About the author
Jessica D. Adams writes children’s books about The Underground Toy Society that aim to teach children to love and appreciate what they have, think of others, and hopefully clean their rooms. Jessica’s two daughters are the inspiration for the books, as well as co-illustrators for many of the books. Jessica also wrote short time travel books, Meeting Grandmom and Back to Grandmom, which are great stories for kids as well as adults to remember or talk about lost loved ones and family history.
Jessica has visions of The Underground Toy Society traveling around the world, with many books being created to help teach children to clean their rooms, appreciate what they have, and think of those who may not have as much. While the goals of the books are to help kids want to clean their rooms, appreciate what they have, and think of others, there are no guarantees that kids will learn these lessons. These books are for entertainment purposes and individual results may vary.
Visit YouTube to find exciting kid friendly videos about The Underground Toy Society!
Jessica D. Adams ► Website ► Amazon Books (Look for her books on other retail sites, as well.)
About the author
Hailing from the Bay Area of California, Carmela Dutra cherishes her family, rainy days, and making others laugh.
Carmela has always had a deep connection with art and writing, and that love drove her to become an author. After years of working on children’s picture books and being recognized with awards, she transitioned to the adult market with her writing. Crafting cozy mysteries filled with emotion and love, she strives to bring a smile to the faces of her readers.
When she’s not writing, Carmela drinks too much coffee and over-cuddles her allergy-inducing cats and dog. Married to her best friend, they are raising two sons who are wild about dinosaurs. She’s a fan of The Big Bang Theory and M*A*SH*, watching them repeatedly. Her dream is to write stories that have an impact, making readers laugh, or even cry, but always making them feel better when they finish.
Carmela Dutra ► Website ►Amazon Books (Look for her books on other retail sites, too! Psst! She has a new book coming out this fall, you can even pre-order!
Where To Get Your Copy of “Magical Fashion Show Contest.”
We’re moving on to day two of my book launch for “Magical Fashion Show Contest.”
Covers of “Magical Fashion Show Contest.”
Okay, so now you all know the title, cover, and a few details of my new book, “Magical Fashion Show Contest.” Here are the images again with the prices. I have tried to reduce them as much as possible for your convenience.
Now, let’s move on to what happens next in my story.
Here’s the Next Part of the Back of My Book!.
Maggie, Millie, and Merrie are completely thrown off when a phone call from their mother interrupts everything. No problem, because, Grandmother has a wonderful idea to help with this current news.
Speaking of their Grandmother, I have a funny story to share with you all.
When I was illustrating this book, I had to make sure all my images were in black and white.
One of my Beta Readers read this recent book, and she mentioned how uncanny the image of the grandmother looked just like me! I laughed and said, “It is me!” Yes, I’m the Grandmother in all the triplet’s books.
How Did She Do That?
I found or took photos of people I know, and some of the characters are completely made up.
In order for me to get a really good sketch, I had to make sure they were either colored photos or colored drawings made by me. (Yay! I got to do some art!) I had to convert them in Photoshop. For those wanting to do this… FYI, there is always a lot of clean-up involved afterwards. It took more time than I liked, but I kept at it. If you plan to do this in Photoshop, plan on making the resolution 300 ppi or 600ppi, depending on which printing partner you use. They will call it “line art.” Research it ahead of time. You will be glad you did.
I’d like to take the time to thank our sweet friend, Jade for this photo session. Once you read the book, you will know exactly what character she plays.
(Jade, if you are reading this, thank you, thank you! Your photos turned out great, and you did more than I ever expected!) ❤️
I had a lot of fun making all the images and you will hear me talk more about them in the future.
Now for the…
Question of the Day
Oooh, what are some items you think they will find in Grandmother’s attic?
*Answer in the comment section below for a chance to win a $10.00 ecard for Amazon. See Rules below*
Reminder of Rules:
USA players only. You must be 18 years or older and have a valid USA Amazon account since an ecard will be sent. (Sorry international friends. I learned the hard way how sometimes these ecards have a hard time sending.) With that being said, you also must have a valid email that you are willing to share through my email account at my Books by Rose email. (Please do not share your email here in my blog.) Let me know if you have any questions.
(Although this book launch will be announced on Facebook and other social media sites, it is not affiliated with them and only here at Books by Rose.)
FIVE winners will be announced Monday, July 21, 2025. (If winners do not respond within 72 hours of contact, I will have to move the winnings to the next person. Watch for a message from me, “Books by Rose,” Rosie Russell.
If you win, here are some wonderful authors to consider looking into. These amazing people are all from Missouri, too! I’ve had the pleasure of meeting two of them in person and hope to meet the other one someday while visiting St. Louis, MO.
About the author
Of the many jobs I’ve held in the past, including thirty-five years of designing and constructing stained glass windows part-time, teaching was one of the most enjoyable for me because investing in kids is so important. To this end, I continue to encourage good character with clean, moral stories kids and teens love to read. Good books make such an impact.
Writing is hard work, but there’s nothing like a good story to run off with your imagination. When things are flowing, it’s like a vacation. Sometimes the best ideas come in the middle of the night.
When not writing, you’ll find me painting with watercolor, doing school visits, writing a blog, interviewing other writers, designing websites, working as an administrative assistant part-time, and renovating houses.
Is this retirement? Apparently so! I’m loving every minute of it with my husband of 43 years.
Deborah Dilks aka Debby Dilks grew up in northwest Missouri and moved south to the Greater Kansas City Area upon graduating from high school. She is married with two children, four grandchildren and a multitude of people she considers like her children and grandchildren from all over the world.
After thirty-three years of working at the University of Missouri Kansas City in the School of Computing and Engineering, she retired and now has the time to follow her first passion of writing. Her second passion is genealogy.
To date, she has three books written (Miss Kansas City Kitty, Mrs. Kansas City Kitty and From World War II to the Run of the Year) with plans to write at least three more books. She was an Associate Editor of A Living History of Northwest Missouri: Lye Soap and Sad Irons, Hometown Memories, LLC. She is a member of the Missouri Writers Guild, Inkers.com and Goodreads.
Debby says that she writes the untold stories of the common, everyday person.
Deborah Dilks – ►Website ► Amazon Books(Look for more purchase links on her website..)
About the author
James (Jim) Milson is an Eagle Scout, teddy bear artist and retired father of four children living on the outskirts of St. Louis, Missouri. When not busy creating teddy bears or bothering a guitar, he writes short stories, taking inspiration from bears created on his worktable, family life and years of woodland and outdoors experience in the Missouri Ozarks Mountain Country. Jim’s blog features other selected short works and poetry.
With notable family roots and history dating back to early Old Virginia, Kentucky, and earliest Missouri territory with a touch of Cherokee, he has been described as an offbeat mix of Mr. Rogers, Andy Griffith, Jeremiah Johnson and Sitting Bull, with a little Crazy Horse thrown in for good measure.
Jim, Little Red Bear and friends are currently in the backwoods working on more stories for the second collection of Little Red Bear adventures coming soon.
James Milson ► Website ► Amazon Books (Check out other retail stores for James’s books, too!)
Where To Get A Copy of, “Magical Fashion Show Contest.”
