Welcome to the Spooky Season

ON SALE NOW AT AMAZON $5.39

What a deal!  Let's Get SPOOKY!

This is my first Halloween title published last year and it is one of my favorite Bingo Books.  The rhymes came easily and the pictures are awesome and easy to work with (I buy images and  then design the pages).  The story takes the reader-singer through a night of trick or treating with their friends.  There's a nice diverse crowd of characters and lots of yummy candy treats.  

The pictures are bold, colorful and not scary at all but that nice Halloween feel.

Check it out in ebook or paperback!  And if you have Kindle Unlimited, it is FREE!

My First Author Visit

Oh My!   This Saturday I will be doing my first author visit ... at my own library!   This is very weird for me, and exciting too!  Weird because I want to do a storytime using my materials but I do storytimes every week.  It will need to be different!   Exciting because I get to be Cassie, not Ms. Cassie, for a program and talk to adults about why I have published my books.

I have been a bit nervous about the program to be honest.  I want to make sure it is different yet still entertaining and informative.  I always want to make sure I have a good supply of giveaways handy because who doesn't like a free thing?

Whether I am right or wrong, these are the things I am keeping in mind while planning out my program:

1.  Have a plan A and a plan B - you have to be flexible when doing programs and go with the way the crowd is flowing

2.  Read your book!   Yes, this seems like a no-brainer, but really, some authors are shy.  You really need to read your book to the kiddos and their grown ups though!  

3.  Get some questions ready for the kids OR have an activity planned that you can do together.  For illustrators, you can draw a picture with the help of the kids.  For me, I'm going to work with them on songs.  Kids have the best ideas; it is sure to be fun!

Most importantly, HAVE FUN!  You always remember your first, right?  Well I want to look back at this event with a huge smile on my face!
 

A Panda Storytime at home

 

Do I want people to buy my Panda : A Bingo Book story?  Of course!  Do they have to in order to make up a Bingo song at home and have a great time with their kids?  No!

You can print and cut out the letters to Panda and maybe some adorable pandas as well and make up a simple song like:

There is a bear who loves bamboo and Panda is his name-o

P - A - N - D - A

P - A - N - D - A

P - A - N - D - A

And Panda is his name-o!

Use the adorable panda pictures to replace a letter at a time and make the panda grunt or clap instead of saying that letter the next time through.  (Really, they make funny sounds). 

For extra fun, there are many panda printables online!  Print one out  and cut & paste with your child!  Maybe use paper brads so that your panda can move their paws in different directions!  

Time spent together is time well spent.  Have a panda-rific time!

Kids Reading to Dogs part 2

 

Remember last week when I posted about the Kids Reading to Dogs program and how my book was chosen TWICE?!   Well, today my heart got even happier.

One of the kids who chose my book and read it a few times to the dogs and kept it with her during her time in the program came into the library today looking for the book so she could CHECK IT OUT!

When I checked it out to her I asked if she wanted to know a secret about the book.  She said yes, so I told her "You see the author's name there?  That's me!"

She got the biggest smile and said incredulously "You wrote this book?"  I answered with a big ole YEP!   She giggled and turned, said bye and skipped out the door.  

Ahh I totally love it!

Kids Reading to Dogs about Otters

 

Today was Kids Reading to Dogs and guess what book was chosen first?!!  Yes, one of my books! Five Brown and Furry Otters (right now only $5 on Amazon!).  Definitely a classic and the kids and dogs enjoyed it, so much so that it was chosen a second time!

Perhaps I enjoyed this more than the kids or the dogs, who knows, but it was exciting to witness.  You know what I mean?  They had no idea I wrote the book, so I could just stand there, listen to them read, see their reactions.  It was a wonderful experience!

One kid saw the games and craft at the end of the book and exclaimed "Oh wow!  This book comes with crafts!"   That makes my heart happy. 

Ordering a vendor sign from Uprinting.com

 

My new sign arrived the other day and I was SO VERY EXCITED!  I wanted something to pop when I was doing vendor shows.  I designed it myself using Canva and love the bright colors that go with my groovy theme!

I knew I wanted a foamcore poster, since it was in my price range, but then I searched through different companies to see what they all had to offer.  Uprinting came in as the easiest to order from and a decent price.  For $60 I got a 24 X 36 foam board sign. They sent a proof and told me that everything was good to go.  I had a query and they answered right away.  All seemed right in the world.  And then the poster arrived.

As you can see I really was VERY excited!  I love it!  But there is a wrinkle in it... a rather large one.  I took pictures and sent an email query and have yet to hear back.  I mean from a distance you can't see the wrinkle and maybe wrinkles are to be expected, but we never get them on posters we have printed at work. 

Also, the poster did not come with a stand!  Ok, I should have read the entire product description and not just guessed that it would have a fold out stand on the back.   That one I took as my fault and I ordered myself a cheap, portable easel that works fine.  Really fine, not just a snarky response "fine".  

All in all I am very happy with everything, but I do wish they would acknowledge the wrinkle!   I have wrinkles and acknowledge them :)