Hooray for good news! After 2 1/2 grueling years, our son is cancer free! My husband retires today! And I have a new book! The padded board book edition of Baby Says "Moo!" is here, and you could win an autographed copy for you or your favorite baby.
You can read more about
Baby Says "Moo!" in
this interview with the VCFA Launchpad, the Vermont College of Fine Arts MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults blog. Enter below to win an autographed copy. The giveaway runs through June 22. We'll announce the winner on June 26. Good luck!
Today's Poetry Friday Roundup is at
Jama's Alphabet Soup. Enjoy!
JoAnn Early Macken
a Rafflecopter giveaway 
OMG!
I
M Byond :)
2day’s
the day I shout to the World:
this
week Sleeping Bear Press
releases
my baby board book
Txtng Mama Txtng Baby!
You
read that title right:
Txtng Mama Txtng Baby.
Thanks
to their parents’ hand-held devices, tablets and computers, Babies everywhere
are tapping or thumbing keyboards and finger-swiping screens, honing digital
skills while living their Baby lives.
What
fun I had bringing this newest of worlds to the sturdy pages of the ultimate
hand-held device: the baby board book.
What
fun it was adding that human touch to
Touch Technology.
Be
sure to read to the end of this post to learn how two TeachingAuthor readers can win a free copy of Txtng Mama Txtng Baby.
I love so many things about this 4” x 6 ½” book, starting with the cheery cover and the ♥ key on the keyboard.
I
love the story- a playful through-the-day conversation between Mama and Baby that
invites interaction.
I
love the telling – tunefully-ordered familiar text phrases, such as I C U and xxooo, that beg to be repeated.
I
love the illustrations – baby-friendly emoticons that instantly bring smiles.
I
love the smart-phone-look-alike design, so readers and listeners can turn (or
swipe) the pages.
Most
of all, I love the book’s dedication: “2
n 4 Gabriel.”
In
truth, my grandson gifted me with this book before he was born.
Awaiting
his arrival, my Baby Antennae rose far and wide. Everywhere I looked I saw
Mamas thumbing their hand-held devices and nearby, Babies finger-swiping the
same.
Texting Mamas, I said to myself.
Texting Babies.
What
was up with THAT?
In
time I read the handwriting on the wall and it was written in text!
 |
| Cartoon ©2013 Harry Bliss; Used with permission. |
Fortunately
by then, the four words texting Mamas
texting Babies had become a refrain that book-ended a dialogue that
eventually gave birth to a baby board book.
The
vision and efforts of my Sleeping Bear Press publisher Heather Hughes, editor
Amy Lennex and art director Jennifer Bacheller contributed immeasurably to the
book’s singular look and telling, not to mention its caring delivery.
Of
course, anyone who knows me, and not even well,
knows I am The Least Likely Person to Have Created This Book.
(I
texted my very first message January 18, 2013, at 2:13 pm, three years after entertaining
the idea behind this book.)
Research
uncovered my Techy ID - “digital immigrant.”
I
have the heart of a Luddite.
Technology
and I don’t play well together.
Ironically,
my very first foray into children’s book writing was another baby board book, inspired by my grandson’s Poppy, my then
one-year-old son, in 1976: THE A TO Z OF ME.
I’d
created a personalized ABC book, with plastic inserts for renewable photos, to
capture a baby’s loves and life.
Publishers and toy companies embraced the abecedarian story but regrettably turned
it down due to my telling’s exorbitant manufacturing costs.
“The
technology simply isn’t available,” one company executive told me, “to produce
this book and make a profit.”
Who
knew what was coming down the pike?!
By
the early part of this 21st century, the Internet offered any parent
free software and POD opportunities to
help create and publish a personalized ABC book for his or her child.
So
here’s one more thing I love about Txtng
Mama Txtng Baby: 2day’s Techy-Techy World is my story!
And
my message remains the same: Mama ♥ Baby.
Be
sure to return Wednesday, for a Writing Workout that utilizes this newest of
languages - text, then again on Friday when I share not only a text-written
poem to honor Poetry Friday, but truths I gleaned from my research on Babies,
Toddlers, Texting and Technology.
10
Q 4 letting me share my Good News.
Feel
free to tweet it 2 and add it to your Facebook page. J
C
U Wednesday 4 a WWW!
Esther
Hershenhorn
* * *
And now, for the Book
Giveaway Details!
Once
again we’re using Rafflecopter to give away two signed copies of Txtng Mama Txtng Baby (Sleeping Bear Press)!
If
you've never entered a Rafflecopter giveaway, you may want to read HERE about
how it words. And click
HERE to learn the difference between signing in with Facebook vs. signing in
with your email address.
You’ll see you have three different
options for entering the giveaway: you can pick one or up to all
three. The more options you choose, the
greater your chances of winning. (If you received this post via
email, you can click on the Rafflecopter link at the end of this message to
enter.)
If
you enter via a comment to this blog post, please tell us your favorite
emoticon--think the : and ) that create a smiling face, or an initialism, such as OMG.
The
giveaway will run from today, August 5, through August 13, 2013. Winners will be notified August 14, 2013.
a Rafflecopter giveaway
GR8 post, Esther! I <3 it. :-)
And congrats on your new book! I can't wait to read it!
O U QT U! This looks like fun! Congrats, Esther!
Gr8! Perfect shower gift for all those techy mommas 2B.
Hi!
LOL! I am not up on the texting world but do have (another) grand baby due in September, whose daddy is a computer expert.
So it'd be great to win your book, Esther. If I don't, I'll buy it.
My editor's adult daughter often responded to his advice with "LOL," which he thought meant "Lots of love." He thought she was expressing her love and treasuring his suggestions -- until someone translated for him.
Congratulations and I WANT TO WIN!
I have an 18 month old granddaughter (picture on my post this week)
This sound's like Eleanor's perfect book. She loves her parent's iPhones.
2QT! Love this. Congratulations!
I'm not much for emoticons, so I don't have a favorite, but I am happy for the birth of your new book! Congratulations!
O, 10 Q Marti, Jill, Sheila, Margaret, Pen & Ink and Lisa,
4 taking time to comment. :)
It's nice to see folks entering our Book Giveaway too.
I've been - anxiously (!) - awaiting response to my board book, so hoping it would bring smiles while bringing today's babies' digital world - and newest of languages - to the page.
Njoy!
What a great idea for a book! My 3 yr. old granddaughter and 1 yr. old grandson are already doing all sorts of cool things on the computer. I know they would love this book. I don't text so I'm not really too familiar with emoticons, but last spring I saw one of my students text the new boy, "U R a QT!"
Not much on emoticons, Esther, but I "heart" your good news and will make sure to spread the word AND get this charmer into my local library. All the best to you and this book!
Thanx, Anne and Linda, for cheering on TXTNG MAMA TXTNG BABY!
It should be arriving in stores by the start of next week.
(It shipped from the printers on Monday.)
And, beautiful grandkiddos, Linda.
What books have THEY inspired? :)
Hurray for Esther! I can't wait to buy the book--I have a "QTπ" niece who will love it. I have to mention one more emoticon...my hubby sent it once when I get the better of him in a heated text discussion:
(_!_)
Shocking, I know.
Leanne :)
What a cute and current idea!!
Congrats!
Well,
I've added your QT "Pie" symbol, Leanne, to my list of txt words that sits on my desk!
(Now to find it on my keyboard!)
Thnx.
The - expletive deleted - is also mighty clever. :)
And, thnx for the Congrats Kelly.
((((S-TR)))) u r !!!!+
(Hugs Esther you are awesome!)
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I can't wait to share your book with my little guys. They love to text with Grandmama and Papa :)
Thanks, Kathy, for teaching me some clever txt vocab!
And thanks, Colleen, for your Support.
We've extended our Book Giveaway Deadline to Aug. 20th!
I hope you both enter.
Congratulations, Esther! So happy to see your board book out in the world!
Thanks, Tamera.
I sure hope you entered our Book Giveaway!
Congratulations Esther (fearless leader from my Illinois days, when the internet was still a babe and long before cell phones!)
I LOVE the whole concept of your book - what a great baby shower gift; new mommy present, etc. etc. Love great ideas. And emotioncon I finally learned how to make a heart <3 -- < and a 3 - how simple is that.
How nice to know you two are reading our blog, Buffy and Sharron!
Thanks for the Kind Words and Congrats.
I'm pinching myself that this gift of an idea from my grandson-in-utero finally became a book.
IMHO
(That's one I try to use a lot if I'm on a soapbox. :)
Esther: This is awesome. I'm behind on my e-mail, so I'm behind entering this, but so glad that I found out on the last day. Congrats. My daughter is a screen swiper, and she's not even three. She loves to play on the tablet. She loves to color pictures on the tablet. I told her sometimes she needs to use real markers! HA! Would love to win!