Friday, January 17, 2025

Read Rhyming books to your Children

 

Reading rhyming books with children aged 0-4 is a powerful way to build their early literacy skills while creating lasting memories. Rhymes are more than just fun—they play a vital role in a child’s language development by introducing rhythm, repetition, and phonemic awareness. These elements help young learners recognize sounds and patterns in words, laying a strong foundation for future reading success.

Rhyming books naturally engage children’s attention through their musical quality. As adults read or sing rhymes, children begin to predict word endings, improving their memory and comprehension skills. This interaction strengthens the bond between child and caregiver, making reading time a cherished routine.

Cassie Veselovsky’s children’s books offer a playful and interactive way to incorporate rhymes into your daily reading. Her titles, such as Five Little Hedgehogs and Down in the Valley, are designed to be sung or read aloud, turning storytime into a lively and engaging experience. Singing the books’ familiar tunes makes it easier for children to participate, fostering confidence and a love for books.

Books like Otterly Valentines and Five Fresh Donuts go a step further by incorporating counting and other early math concepts, enriching your child’s learning in a fun and approachable way. Activities at the end of the books encourage deeper engagement, such as practicing writing, coloring, or answering questions about the story.

Reading rhyming books is also a great opportunity to model language. Children absorb new vocabulary and develop stronger listening skills when exposed to rich and varied text. Veselovsky’s stories create the perfect blend of education and entertainment, making early literacy development feel like playtime.

By making rhyming books a part of your daily routine, you’re setting the stage for your child’s academic success while sharing special moments filled with laughter and learning.

Monday, January 13, 2025

Did anyone get the number of that truck that hit me?

 

Well, it has been quite the start to the new year in this neck of the woods.  I've been ill since just after the 1st.  A nasty cold that eventually grew into pneumonia.  After the care of my dear family and of course some awesome doctor's, I am on the mend, though I still do not feel like myself.  The healing will come.

But oh what timing!  I have TWO new books coming out in February and haven't been able to do much at all in the way of advertising.  It's been on my mind, but my body just did not have the energy to get onto the computer and do all the necessary work.   I am trying something new too!

Instead of Amazon KDP, I decided to give IngramSpark a try.  So far the process has been very similar in terms of uploading the book and waiting for approval.  All of that went well, but having been producing books for a couple of years now, I do feel comfortable in that arena.  Marketing is still a mystery.

I have done a few ads on my Instagram page and a few mentions on Facebook, but I really do not know what else to do.  Maybe when my author copies arrive I will do a video.  We shall see!  Wish me luck and stay well!  

Saturday, December 28, 2024

I decided to publish my children's book through IngramSpark

 

Oh my goodness, I jumped in to IngramSpark!  My first title will be released on February 5th, and is called Down on the Farm.  

The description is:  Sing along with Down on the Farm! Set to the lively tune of "The Wheels on the Bus," this charming picture book takes little readers on a fun-filled farm adventure. Meet farm animals and make their sounds as you sing together! Complete with engaging early literacy activities like coloring and matching animals to their shadows, this book is perfect for playful learning.

Here's hoping it doesn't get torn up to bits.  I'm a nervous putting it out there!  I keep thinking I should have tried one of my older titles that I am familiar with, not a new one, but alas, I ultimately decided to go all new.

I have a  second book ready to go, but I am going through this process first, so will wait on it a bit more!  Look for Down on the Farm at a retailer soon!  



Monday, December 23, 2024

Gnome a Bingo Book checked out and not returned!

 

It finally happened.  I'm pleased and frustrated all at the same time.  One of my books in the library has been checked out and not returned!!!  

Not returned!

Did they lose it?  Did they rip it?  Did their child love it so much they didn't want to return it?  

As a parent myself I'm going with they either got busy and haven't been able to get it returned yet OR it has been misplaced.

No matter what the reason, I have reached a new author milestone  - checked out and not returned!   

Gnome is available on Amazon

Monday, December 16, 2024

It is the Silly Season

 

In Australia, they call this time of year the "silly season." They say it’s because of all the holiday parties and how adults might enjoy a few more festive drinks than usual. But honestly, I think it’s the heat—it’s so crazy hot there that it must make people lose their minds! Either way, the name stuck with me, and every year I find myself thinking, Yep, this really is the silly season.

This year feels extra challenging, and I’ll admit my mind hasn’t been 100% on books. Thankfully, I only booked one event in December—Hartland’s Winter Whimsy last weekend—and it was a blast! It’s my second year there, and someone even came specifically looking for me. That totally made my day! But wow, it really wiped me out.

You know how life has its ups and downs? Right now, books are kind of taking a backseat while other things demand my attention. And that’s okay. Sometimes, you just have to ride it out.

Lately, I’ve been playing around with advertising ideas, exploring IngramSpark to see how it stacks up against Amazon KDP, and—most importantly—trying to take better care of myself. It took me way too long to learn that lesson, but it’s true: no matter where you’re at in life, self-care is essential.

Friday, December 13, 2024

Radio Reading of A Night Before Christmas

 

Back in 2020 I was asked to do a reading of Clement Moore's 'Twas the Night Before Christmas on a local radio station.  I was so nervous!  I have been on radio before and TV but never doing a reading of someone else's work.  Hey, storytimes are different!  I had such a good time though, and now is the time of year I think of it again and go searching for the link.  If you'd like to hear the story, follow the link:

https://audioboom.com/posts/7758776-christmas-eve-radio-storytime-2020


Saturday, December 7, 2024

Llama bingo song free printable

 

In honor of my Llama book  I created a free printable of a shortened version of the song.   We are having llamas visit our library and I wanted to be able to do a storytime, but didn't want to read the whole book.  I like using felt board songs, rhymes and stories when I can to get the kids involved.  Go to my Free Printables page to download, or click here

If you get a chance, please share how you used the song!  I love hearing stories or seeing pictures of the songs and rhymes in use.