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ABCs of Beekeeping Spelled Out in Lively New Children’s Book
Suburban beekeeper Justin Weiss aims to inspire the next generation of bee enthusiasts and environmentalists with his vibrantly illustrated new children’s book, B is for Beekeeping: An Alphabet Book.
With concise, easy-to-understand language, such as “C is for comb,” and “H is for honey,” Weiss introduces young audiences to the ABCs of beekeeping and the critical role that honeybees play in the ecosystem.
“Did you know one-third of the food we eat gets pollinated by honeybees?” asked Weiss, who started beekeeping a few years ago on a whim. “While at first I was afraid of handling honeybees, it turns out having thousands of them buzzing around is quite therapeutic. This hobby has lifted my spirits when I’ve most needed it, and I’ve enjoyed sharing it with my friends and family.”
In B is for Beekeeping, Weiss uses each letter of the alphabet to teach a beekeeping term and idea, and each fascinating new fact is brought to life by a bright, playful illustration.
Perfect for parents, grandparents and teachers, B is for Beekeeping intends to encourage children to explore the “un-bee-lievable” world around them and to respect some of the smallest, but mightiest, creatures.
About the Author
Justin Weiss is a husband, father and hobby beekeeper. He loves to explore the world with his family and try new foods.
Born and raised in California, he currently lives outside of Dallas, Texas, on a small suburban homestead. He and his wife have a garden, keep bees, raise quail and chickens, and have an orange cat named Leo. He is fluent in Spanish, having also lived in Chile, Easter Island and Spain.
Weiss serves his community as the assistant city manager and also as a board member for the local school district’s education foundation.
It has always been a dream of his to publish a book — a special gift for his children that he hopes they will want to pass down one day, too.
A portion of all sales of this book will be donated to organizations such as Pollinator Partnership, the Bee Conservancy and Project Apis m. For more information, visit www.bisforbeekeeping.com, or follow the author on Facebook at https://www.facebook.com/
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A New Book Takes Children on the Adventure of a Lifetime with Leonardo DaVinci
What would you do if one of the most famous artists in the world landed on your doorstep? In Leonardo and the Time Travelers, cousins Jack and Nick are in Silicon Valley for a summer technology class, when they discover a secret time travel app on an old iPad. Upon using the app, they bring back the world’s first-time traveler, artist, engineer and scientist, Leonardo da Vinci, and adventure ensues!
This fun and entertaining book takes children on the adventure of a lifetime. Joined by Jack’s sister Poppy, they solve problems, meet other time travelers, and have a summer they will never forget.
Leonardo, affectionately nicknamed “Nardi” by the kids, is shocked by his new surroundings but as a man who loves to learn, he is highly curious about the technology he discovers everywhere throughout the house. He just can’t resist the urge to play with things. And Jack’s feisty and artistic sister, Poppy, isn’t shy about sharing her artwork with the man who painted The Last Supper.
As “Nardi” tangles with today’s technology and traveling incognito, he and the kids bring other time travelers back from the past while facing up to challenges of their own. Nardi learns to ride a bike, makes a special drawing to tuck into a time capsule at Stanford, compares notes with the kids on delicious gelato, creates a bubble bath blizzard and gets stuck on top of the house when inspecting the solar panels!
As the summer ends, the kids celebrate their accomplishments with a surprise trip to the Magic Kingdom, and a tour led by none other than time traveler Walt Disney himself! Nardi upstages everyone in his final fling before heading back into history – but he leaves an enormous imprint on Jack, Nick and Poppy, his creative compatriots and proteges.
Leonardo and the Time Travelers is the product of a unique collaboration of five women from around the world who joined together to create a children’s book about learning and time travel during the pandemic.
In 2020, two grandmothers across the pond from each other decided to do something positive during the lockdown: to write a book inspired by their grandchildren. Marian Lye and Patty McGuigan share a set of lively grandkids, who were to be the heroes of a Silicon Valley adventure. But they needed an illustrator. Rebekah Reif, just turning 21 and graduating, joined the creative team. Next was Maria Mayer Feng, an incredible creative director in New York and then Kate Ryan, an editor who lives in Hawaii and understood the writers’ vision. The Circle of Five was established: women of all different ages, from Hawaii to England coming together to create Leonardo and the Time Travelers.
“The pandemic has brought many changes to our world. We were determined to produce something positive out of this time,” says author Patty McGuigan. “The five of us put our creativity to work and created this fun and inspiring story.”
This fall introduce kids to the genius of Leonardo Da Vinci and join him, Jack, Nick and Poppy on an adventurous journey and discover the answer to the big question – how to get their time travelers back home?
“The noblest pleasure is the joy of understanding.” – Leonardo da Vinci
ABOUT THE AUTHORS
Patty McGuigan is the proud grandmother of four grandchildren. She is also a successful commercial real estate agent, a past high school English teacher, and active in her San Francisco Bay Area community. Patty has created numerous books of her artwork and travel memories. Her creativity has been her defining factor throughout her life, and indeed she does believe in time travel.
Marian Lye lives in Weymouth, England. She and her husband raised three boys, and she worked in administration for a government department for many years. Her love of history led her to write Weymouth at War, an account of World War 2 on the south coast of England. The book, now in its second edition, features the dramatic build up to D-Day in June 1944, when thousands of American servicemen set sail from the twin ports of Weymouth and Portland, bound for “Omaha Beach” in Normandy. In this millennium, the arrivals of three lively grandkids in California have been magical milestones.
Rebekah Reif is based in New Hampshire, where she recently graduated from the School of Art and Design at New England College. An up-and-coming artist, she has a natural talent for drawing, and amazed her collaborators on this project with every new scene she sketched out. Rebekah specializes in comics and enjoys drawing stories from battles to slices of everyday life.
To learn more about the creative team and Leonardo and the Time Travelers, visit leonardoandthetimetravelers.
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MISS OLIVE’S AWARD-WINNING SERIES, THE DOGGY DIVA DIARIES, CONTINUES WITH MISS OLIVE FINDS HER FUREVER WINTER WONDERLAND
Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Winter Wonderland continues the story of a little Italian Greyhound with three legs who is adopted by a loving family in the first book in the series, Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Home. Her adventures continue in Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Friends, where Miss Olive encounters bullying and learns that her superpower is kindness and finds true friendships.
In the third book in the trilogy Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Winter Wonderland, Miss Olive wonders about the true meaning of the holidays, discovering the greatest gift of all is the joy of being with her “furever” family and friends and sharing the joy of the holidays with others. Miss Olive is delighted to discover that she not only has a “furever” home with “furever” friends, she also learns the true meaning of joy during the holidays.
Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Wonderland, the third installment in the award-winning Miss Olive children’s book trilogy from The Doggy Diva Diaries, continues the rescue dog’s adventures with the adored pup learning the true meaning of the holidays.
Written by Susan Marie and Miss Olive, and Illustrated by Rebekah Phillips, the story is about Miss Olive anticipating the celebration of the season and wonders if there is more to the holidays than receiving gifts. She joyfully discovers that the greatest gift of all is the love and kindness you share with your family, friends and others.
“Through Miss Olive’s eyes, kids remember to appreciate all the magic that is around them during the holidays. They see Miss Olive learn that what’s important are the friends who surround her during this time,” said author Susan Marie.
Recently recognized by the National Parenting Product Awards with a 2021 NAPPA Award, Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Winter Wonderland also won an award from Creative Child Magazine for 2021 Book of the Year Award in Kid’s Holiday Themed Books category.Recommended for ages four through nine, Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Winter Wonderland with its message of kindness and love, shows children that the true meaning of the holidays is the joy of giving to others.
Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Winter Wonderland continues the story of a little Italian Greyhound with three legs who is adopted by a loving family in the first book in the series, Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Home. Her adventures continue in Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Friends, where Miss Olive encounters bullying and learns that her superpower is kindness and finds true friendships. In the third book in the trilogy Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Winter Wonderland, Miss Olive wonders about the true meaning of the holidays, discovering the greatest gift of all is the joy of being with her “furever” family and friends and sharing the joy of the holidays with others. Miss Olive is delighted to discover that she not only has a “furever” home with “furever” friends, she also learns the true meaning of joy during the holidays.
Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Friends, Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Home and Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Winter Wonderland are available on Amazon.com, BarnesandNoble.com and other online book retailers.
Learn more about Susan, Miss Olive and Miss Olive’s book trilogy by visiting www.TheDoggyDiva.com.About Susan Marie
For over fifteen years, Susan Marie has been spreading the word about puppy love through her award winning podcast , The Doggy Diva Show. On her show, Susan interviews pet industry experts, bestselling authors, pet health and lifestyle professionals and representatives from animal rescue organizations. Past guests include Bob Barker, Dean Koontz, and America’s Veterinarian, Dr. Marty Becker. The Doggy Diva Show can be heard on Pet Life Radio, Apple, Google Play, Stitcher and Speak Up Talk Radio.
Susan is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators as well as the Dog Writer’s Association of America and the Florida Writers Association. A devoted champion of animals, Susan donates a portion of the proceeds from Miss Olive books to animal rescue organizations. She’s passionate about passing along the love of animals to future generations.
About Miss Olive:
Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Home, Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Friends and Miss Olive Finds Her Furever Winter Wonderland are the first, second and third books (respectively) in a trilogy about the adventures of Miss Olive, an Italian Greyhound rescue. The real Miss Olive was adopted in 2015 by author Susan Marie from Italian Greyhound Rescue Gulf Coast. Miss Olive was a victim of neglect and health issues, having lost her teeth due to lack of medical attention and one of her legs to cancer. The neglect and illness that she experienced has never affected her loving, gentle spirit; she is always ready for a snuggle. Miss Olive joins Susan Marie at the microphone each week as the co-host of The Doggy Diva Show on Pet Life Radio. -
BORN TO SPARKLE – A Story About Achieving Your Dreams
“Uplifting, encouraging, and quite lovely” – * Kirkus Reviews (starred)
Author Megan Bomgaars, who has Down syndrome, is an activist, TV personality, and entrepreneur. This Fall, she adds “published children’s book author” to her list of accomplishments with her debut title arriving in stores nationwide.
Inspired by Megan’s moving “Don’t Limit Me” speech, Born to Sparkle encourages young readers to dream big and work hard to make those big dreams come true. Whether you dream is to become an astronaut, firefighter, dancer, teacher, chef or anything you can imagine, you can achieve it because, just like Megan, you were born to sparkle!
Never condescending or preachy, Megan’s pitch perfect story reassures, that there are no limits and anything is possible if one follows their dreams and works hard. It’s about doing your very best to make dreams happen. Be brave. Study. Learn. Practice. Ask questions. Educators and parents will revel in this uplifting, inspiring picture book with a cast of stuffed animals leading by example at each turn of the page.
About the author: Megan Bomgaars
Megan Bomgaars is an amazing woman who works hard to achieve her dreams every day. She starred on A&Es Emmy Award-winning and Critic’s Choice Real TV Award-winning reality television show Born this Way. Megan currently attends college and has already started her own business, starred on a TV show, and travelled the world as a public speaker. She was even invited to the White house by Michelle Obama to attend the “Beating the Odds Summit.” This is Megan’s first children’s book.
About the illustrator: Peter John Olczyk
Peter John Olcyzk was born in Manchester. He studied art foundation at Manchester Metropolitan University and then illustration at Stockport College. He uses his own experiences and memories to put himself in the mind and shoes of a child when he illustrates, as well as being greatly influenced by stories, music and nature. He currently lives in the Highlands of Scotland with his wife and two young children.
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BOOK OF HUGS – A Story About Achieving Your Dreams
Share some love and give a hug with Teddy Bear Tim. Teddy Bear Tim LOVES hugs! He loves hugs so much that he wants to share all of his favorite kinds of hugs with you. Whether it’s a happy hug, a sad hug, a fast hug, or a bear hug, Tim has three simple steps to follow to make sure you’re giving the very best hug you can give. Inspired by Tim Harris’s love for giving big bear hugs and his restaurant that offered up hugs on the menu, Book of Hugs, this charming how-to guide gives readers so many reasons to give someone a big hug!
Motivational speaker, disability advocate, and restaurateur Tim Harris’ debut picture book, Book of Hugs, publishes this September. Inspired by Tim’s love of giving big bear hugs and his restaurant that offered up hugs on the menu, this charming how-to guide inspires readers with plenty of reasons to give someone a big hug!
Colorful characters Teddy Bear Tim and his trio of energetic monkey friends share tips on delivering the very best hugs – no matter whether they are happy hugs, sad hugs, fast or slow hugs. Every type of hug is about sharing love. As the book says, “Love is the most important part!”
In our new world of pandemic etiquette and a post #MeToo era, setting and respecting boundaries and gaining consent are among the most important practices we can instill in children. Book of Hugs is an entertaining story that can lead into deeper discussions about permission and new norms.
About the author: Tim Harris
Tim Harris is a motivational speaker, business owner, and disability advocate. He is really good at giving hugs. For a long time, Tim owned his own restaurant and he even had free hugs on the menu. They were so popular that Tim has now hugged over 75,000 people, including the president of the United States! Tim really does love hugs, mostly because he loves LOVE and that is what hugs are all about. This is Tim’s first children’s book.
About the illustrator: Charlie Astrella
Chalrie Astrella graduated from the University of Teesside with a First Class Honors Bachelor of Arts degree in Computer Animation. He now works in 3D modeling, animation, and 2D illustration to create works of art he is proud of. He has experience in advertising, product design, video games, and children’s books.
Note: Upcoming National Hug Day and Hug-a-thon:
On the weekend of January 21st – 23rd, Tim and his family are relaunching the Hug-a-thon. The goal is to get ONE MILLION hugs and ONE MILLION dollars in donations, all to benefit the Hearts of Joy International charity. Details are unfolding now and more will be shared in the Fall. This incredible non-profit provides life-saving heart surgery for children born with Down Syndrome. Learn more at Hearts of Joy International.
ADVANCE PRAISE FOR BOOK OF HUGS
“With the help of some monkeys, a teddy bear teaches readers all about hugs. Teddy Bear Tim (the author’s teddy-bear persona) waves to readers and declares, ‘I LOVE hugs!’ His upbeat narration continues as Teddy Bear Tim meets up with a trio of cuddly monkeys who share the love for hugs—and bananas. The four characters list many different kinds of hugs (like ‘happy hugs,’ ‘slow hugs,’ or ‘monkey hugs’) before Teddy Bear Tim shares the ‘three simple steps’ to giving a hug. They are: ask first, open arms wide, and wrap the other person in a hug (‘tight, but not too tight’). Once the instructions are given, Teddy Bear Tim describes some hugging scenarios and acts them out with the monkeys. From running full-bore into each other’s arms to a 5-second ‘quick hug,’ the hugs all point back to Teddy Bear Tim’s key precept: ‘The LOVE is the most important part.’
Motivational speaker and disability advocate Harris’ debut picture book affirms the joy of hugs while highlighting the importance of consent. Astrella’s expressive cartoon characters and energetic hugging sequences show his animation background.”
– Kirkus Reviews
Since 2005 Flowerpot Press has been planting the seeds that help young minds grow, offering a broad range of books. The Hayes family has been in the publishing and media business for two generations now. The family members grew up living in the midst of the golden periods of publishing and media distribution.
Watching and participating in the growth of their father’s children’s publishing business, they learned from the ground up and understood the unique character and needs that publishing for young children demanded. Anne and Pat served in every role from warehouse operation to acquisition, design, licensing, printing production, and editing to name a few areas.
As entrepreneurs, they separately and together founded companies still owned, integrating other media such as video and music. This well-rounded creative team uses a hands-on approach in every aspect of the business, first and foremost because they love it. Pat is also a published author in his own right. Anne (our publisher and CEO) lives in the Toronto area with her husband and family operating the Canadian office of Flowerpot Press, while Pat and his family live in Franklin, Tennessee, and operate the US office of the company.
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Scratch your way to great art with SCRATCH & CREATE books!
Do you have an itch to create art? Then scratch it! With our Scratch & Create books, you’ll etch and scratch delightful, unique illustrations with the specially designed stylus we provide. This innovative approach to relaxing with art gives armchair sketchers a new collection of projects to reach. Plus, pages are perforated, so you can display your art when you’re done.
Read fascinating facts and see if you can guess which creature is being described as you scratch away and reveal beautiful animal portraits.
Amazing Endangered Animals
by Anne Bentley
Paperback, 20 pages
US $17.99, CAN $23.99
9781631593956
Rockport Publishers
Lose yourself in these intricate, terrestrial, designs of spirals, tangles, and geometric patterns.
Scratch and Draw Patterns
by Zoe Ingram
Paperback, 20 pages
US $19.99, CAN $24.99
9781631593918
Rockport Publishers
This unique book features inspirational and decorative illustrations of flowers, leaves, and other botanical designs.
Scratch and Draw Botanicals
by Zoe Ingram
Paperback, 20 pages
US $19.99, CAN: $24.99
9781631593924
Rockport Publishers
