Tag: picture book

Can We Play Baseball, Mr. DeMille? by Mark Angelo

Posted on by Sonya Dalton

The cover image for Can We Play Baseball, Mr. DeMille? by Mark Angelo“An uplifting true story of a determined young boy, his love of a game, and the belief that every child needs a nearby place to play ball.”

Set in 1958, a young boy and his friends want to be baseball players just like their Dodger idols. There’s just one problem: they don’t have a field to play in. Luckily, the kids know a secret. There’s a mansion around the corner with a yard big enough for an entire ball field and the hedge surrounding it has a gap just big enough to crawl through. Apparently, the owner is a big-time Hollywood mogul. He won’t mind a few ball games, right?

The new children’s book Can We Play Baseball, Mr. DeMille? (FriesenPress, April 2023, ISBN: 9781039153844, Hardcover) by renowned writer Mark Angelo centers on one young boy’s devotion to baseball and the newly arrived LA team, the Dodgers. With its rich and colorful illustrations, children can join Mark as he and his friends try to find a place where they can play ball like their heroes. Just when it seems they’ve found the perfect spot, they run into more trouble—Will their unforgettable encounter with a Hollywood legend end in a foul? Or will Mr. DeMille tell the kids, “Play ball!”?

Can We Play Baseball, Mr. DeMille? is an inspiring, true story that speaks to the nostalgia, joy, and importance of community when it comes to having a place for children to gather & play. There’s even a slice of classic Hollywood history! Dedicated to the memory of Angelo’s brother Chris and set just as “Dodger-mania” gripped the city of Los Angeles, this sensational true story is full of youthful determination and summer fun. Baseball fans of all ages will enjoy Can We Play Baseball, Mr. DeMille?, whether they’re new to the game or just want to pass their life-long love down to younger enthusiasts. Angelo’s book is officially licensed through Major League Baseball.

About the Author

MARK ANGELO has been a baseball fan since he was a little boy! He is also a globally renowned river conservationist and the founder of World Rivers Day, now celebrated by millions of people in over one hundred countries. Among his many accolades, Mark is a recipient of the Order of Canada, the country’s highest honor. His acclaimed debut children’s book, The Little Creek that Could, is the true story of a stream that came back to life. Through his work with groups such as the Outdoor Recreation Council of BC, Mark has been a long-time advocate for outdoor spaces for all to enjoy. Can We Play Baseball, Mr. DeMille?, about a young boy’s search for a place to play ball, recounts an actual experience from his childhood. Mark lives in Burnaby, British Columbia, with his wife, Kathie.

Can We Play Baseball, Mr. DeMille?
By Mark Angelo
Illustrated by Patricia and Robin DeWitt
FriesenPress
Publication Date: April 2023
ISBN: 9781039153837 | 9781039153844 | 9781039153851
Format: Paperback | Hardcover | eBook
Page Count: 38

To learn more about Mark Angelo, please visit: https://www.canweplaybaseballmrdemille.com/

Lettuce Get in Trouble by Linda Kuo

Posted on by Sonya Dalton

Introducing Children to the Basics of Design

Lettuce Get in Trouble is the first volume in the Sara Little Trouble Maker series from Center for Design Books—a children’s picture book that teaches the basics of design in a way that is easy for young readers to understand. Inspired by a little-known but influential designer, Sara Little, Lettuce Get in Trouble helps children learn to problem-solve by observing the world around them, asking great questions, and trying out new things.

“Sara wears many hats and one tiny upside-down clock on her black turtleneck. She is always asking a lot of questions.”

Why?

In Lettuce Get in Trouble, we meet Sara Little, a troublemaker of the best sort; she asks great questions starting with Why? Sara looks at the world a little differently than other adults—by doing so, interesting problems and the need for design solutions come her way. This first story focuses on Sara’s design influence with new foods and is set in her beloved city of New York. One day, the Ministry of Food asks Sara Little to convince the children to eat more vegetables. Instead of offering a stern lecture, Sara brings her young friends to her Little Lab to explore the colors and shapes of food and why we eat anything at all. Together, they plan a grand event, inviting children from around the world to design fresh, tasty creations. “The children will cook, and we shall allow them to play with their food!” says Sara. Will the leader of the Ministry of Food be happy? Will the children learn to love veggies?

“Good design solves problems and also makes the world more beautiful and fun.”

Through experimentation, discovery, and planning, Sara teaches children that “good design solves problems and also makes the world more beautiful and fun.” In Lettuce Get in Trouble, the children—and designers of all ages—learn to make their world a better place by being curious, ‘taking the time to see’ and not being afraid to cause a little trouble.

“When you take the time to see, the wonders become commonplace, and the commonplace become wonders.”

The Real Little Sara

Sara Little (1917-2015) was a designer, teacher, and observer not afraid to cause a little trouble while developing innovative solutions to fulfill our basic needs. A global traveler, she made connections between people and found wonder in the everyday objects, tools, and rituals their cultures hold dear. As a very petite female designer in the world of large men, Sara used her unique perspective and curiosity to design a wide variety of revolutionary products. Her projects ranged from the medical mask (that inspired the N95) to cookware to astronaut’s spacesuits. This first story reflects Sara’s influence on promoting casual dining and finger foods in America.

About Linda Kuo, Author

Linda Kuo designs products for children and loves creative storytelling. She has a BFA from Parsons School of Design in New York and an MFA from Stanford University, where Sara Little mentored her. Sara often said, “Design is to create order.” Linda practices Sara’s teaching in all her projects as the Design Director at Pottery Barn Kids&Teen, headquartered in San Francisco, and serves as a board member of the Center for Design.

About Mariana Rio, Illustrator

Mariana Rio is an award-winning illustrator and educator in Porto, Portugal. She graduated in Communication Design from the Faculty of Fine Arts, at the University of Porto. With over a decade of experience, she is happy to spend her days creating characters and visual narratives for publishing houses and institutions worldwide. Her illustrations have been featured in the Bologna Children’s Book Fair exhibitions. Mariana is always eager to learn, and she found Sara Little’s legacy a huge inspiration. Find more at: www.marianario.com

About Center for Design Books

The Sara Little [Turnbull] Center for Design Institute is a non-profit (501c3) in Seattle, WA, with a mission to educate and enhance the public’s knowledge of design and further the education of underserved women and girls. Profit from the book series will support that work.

LETTUCE GET IN TROUBLE

Sara Little Trouble Maker Series
By Linda Kuo, Illustrated by Mariana Rio
Published by Center for Design Books
Distributed by Six Foot Press and Ingram Publisher Services
ISBN: 978-1-7372098-0-5
Publication date: May 17, 2022
Format: 4-color, hardcover, 44 pp.
Website: www.saralittletroublemaker.com

Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess A Little Magic by Deedee Cummings

Posted on by Sonya Dalton

A colorful book cover in watercolors. The titles reads "Kayla: A Modern-day Princess A Little Magic". A young black woman in a pink and purple ball gown sits on a crescent moon over a blue background with spotlights and stars behind her.“Kayla always had a plan. The problem was a lot of other people had a plan for Kayla too. But as a Modern-Day Princess Kayla has grown into an independent young woman. Why do people do that? Plan your life for you and tell you what they think you should be?”

Kayla is a girl with a plan- her mom taught her from a young age to always start the day with a plan, because a plan gives you hope. The first of the Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess books followed her journey and struggles as a young, modern-day princess trying to navigate lessons in friendships, fairness, and self-confidence. As one reviewer said, “She’s an inspiration to all young girls who believe in their dreams!”. 

In the fifth and final book of the series, Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess: A Little Magic (Make A Way Media, 10/21/21, 978-1-951218-29-4 , Paperback), Kayla has been following her own plan for success. Having gone off to college, she returns home to share some “big news” with her parents. She meets up with her old friend Tommie, and together the two of them reminisce about some of their struggles and their successes- shared, old, and new. The childhood friends part ways after catching up and Kayla goes to meet her parents and share her news. However, Kayla’s mother has been busy as well. She has her own expectations for what the big news could be! 

Plans are great, but sometimes two people have plans that clash. Can Kayla and her mom reconcile their misunderstanding? How will Kayla handle her mother’s expectations and her own desire to follow her dreams and find her own path? 

With beautiful, eye-catching illustrations, the Kayla series as a whole tells an inspiring story that’s inspired by the true life of Broadway actress Kayla Pecchioni. The series will spark important conversations between children and parents about diversity, speaking up, and pursuing your dreams even when it feels like the world is against you.

About the Author

Deedee Cummings is an accomplished therapist, attorney, author, and mom. She is the founder of Make A Way Media, a company that specializes in promoting positive messaging and diverse media and the non-profit organization, It Pays to Read, which literally pays kids to read as a way to promote literacy and a lifelong love of reading. The Kayla series was created to inspire all children to develop a plan and pursue their dreams, even in the face of adversity. Deedee Cummings is creating the stories and representation she wished she’d had to read to her children as they grew up. Her mission is for children to see a world through books that reflects and celebrates the diversity of the world we all live in. 

Kayla: A Modern-Day Princess
Book 5: A Little Magic
By Deedee Cummings
Illustrated by Charlene Mosley
Make A Way Media
Publication Date: October 21, 2021
Paperback ISBN/Price: 978-1-951218-29-4
Pages: 60

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Captain Cake by Chris Skinner

Posted on by Sonya Dalton

Captain Cake: Meet The Candy Crew by Chris SkinnerNew to fatherhood, Chris Skinner takes a leap from FinTech to fiction in a new series of children’s books for emerging readers. A father of twin boys, Skinner was dismayed to find that there were not a lot of great G-rated superhero stories to share at bedtime, and so CAPTAIN CAKE: MEET THE CANDY CREW (Marshall Cavendish Children; August 2021, ISBN:9789814928632; Original Trade Paperback) was born.

In book one of the five-part CAPTAIN CAKE series, Skinner introduces Captain Cake, Lieutenant Chocolate, Sergeant Jelly and Private Potato for an adventure like no other. Together, The Crew team up using each of their unique attributes to complete their very first mission. But will they be able to work together cohesively, or will differences in personalities stand in their way?

CAPTAIN CAKE is the perfect example of how far a little teamwork and problem-solving can go when learning new skills and having fun along the way!

About the Author: Chris Skinner is a financial technology expert and author of Digital Bank, Digital Human and Doing Digital. As a doting father, he would read stories to his twin boys every night. But when the boys got older and it became a challenge to find age-appropriate adventure stories for them, Chris came up with the stories himself. Inspired by the twins’ imagination, bedtime storytelling became a dive into the exciting universe of Captain Cake and the Candy Crew as they explored space. Captain Cake is the bestselling author’s first series of children’s books.

You can visit him on the web at captaincake.com.

CAPTAIN CAKE: Meet the Candy Crew
By Chris Skinner
Marshall Cavendish Children
Publication Date: August 2021
ISBN (lib.): 9789814928632
Format: Paperback
Price: $15.90
Page Count: 96

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The Adventures of Veggieman: Food Fight by Karla Farach

Posted on by Sonya Dalton

The Adventures of Veggieman: Food Fight It is the first day at his new school, and Niko can already sense trouble in the air. Kids are throwing candy wrappers at each other, jumping on tables, and even sleeping at their desks. Perhaps the most shocking part of it all is that their teacher is doing nothing to stop the chaos. Naturally, Niko knew he had to step in and try to find the principal. Little did he know he would find himself in the middle of an epic battle between the forces of good and evil – evil junk food and good fruits and vegetables, that is.

In book one of THE ADVENTURES OF VEGGIEMAN: Food Fight! (Mascot Publishing; July 2020, ISBN: ; Original Trade Paperback), author Karla Farach takes young readers for a ride as they follow Niko, Veggieman, and more healthy superheroes in a battle for wellness against the gummy villain. Will the evil junk food’s pandemonium persevere? Or will the good guys come out on top in pursuit of health and vitality? 

Perhaps most important of all, THE ADVENTURES OF VEGGIEMAN acts as a fun, engaging, and informative tool for parents and educators to start conversations with their children about the power of wellness and the ability to make smart food choices. It’s a helpful reminder that it is never too early to teach kids about the benefits of healthy eating habits as well as the dangers of overconsumption. Farach’s ultimate goal with this book is to empower every child to become curators of their own superhero stories of health.

About the Author: Karla Farach is the CEO of Mothers of Health, LLC, a company she founded to inspire women and parents to adopt a healthier lifestyle. She is passionate about nutrition and wellness and is certified as a health and life coach by the Institute of Integrative Nutrition. Karla was born and raised in the Dominican Republic and lives in Greenwich, Connecticut with her husband and two sons. Karla’s favorite vegetable is kale.

You can visit her on the web at www.veggieman.com.

THE ADVENTURES OF VEGGIEMAN: Food Fight!
By Karla Farach
Mascot Publishing
Publication Date: July, 2020
ISBN (lib.): 
Format: Paperback
Price:
Page Count: 60