fourteen

I wrote a poem for you

like I do every year

but this year

I don't feel like sharing it.

But I do want the world to know

I miss you.

Robert Mercer 

5/30/72-8/27/07

Bunny-scope!

 In Chinese culture, they say they see a bunny--not a man's face--on the moon.  Do you see it?

It's a little difficult, so I've made a little craft to help! The Bunny-scope! For this craft you will need:

• an 8.5x11 piece of card stock (preferably black) OR a cardboard paper towel tube

•  tape if you are using card stock 

• a piece of acetate

• black sharpie marker 

• scissors

• exacto knife

•  my bunny template

• optional: gold star stickers, decorative tape, colored markers

1. If you are using card stock, roll it into a tube with with  roughly 2in diameter (same as a paper towel tube) and use tape to secure the roll:

2. On your acetate, use your tube as a template to draw a circle:

3. Add a rectangle shape to the top half of the circle (this will serve as kind of a handle).

4. Print out the bunny template, it should look like this:

5. On the acetate, trace the bunny inside the circle (hint:looks best when it is off center, to the lower left). 

6. Color the bunny in black, just like the template. Your slide should look like this:

7. Cut out the whole slide:

8. The cut-out slide should look like this:

9. Go back to your tube. With an exact knife (adults will have to help kids with this), cut halfway through your telescope. 

10. Insert your slide into the slit:

Decorate your bunny-scope with stickers or any moon or start themed design you wish. And then look inside!

Your should see the bunny on the moon:

Happy bunny watching! Happy Moon Festival!

Don't Forget to Vote!

On our recent Book Friends Forever podcast, Alvina and I talked about how we want to help to get out the vote.  While we were talking, I realized I had a great resource as I actually illustrated this book:

When You Grow Up to Vote, by Eleanor Roosevelt, illustrated by me!

It's a great book outlining to kids how our government works and why we need to vote! I think some adults might need to read it too...

So I made some resources you might like to use!  In the podcast, I mentioned that I had joined Postcards to Voters--I encourage you to join me and send out postcards, too! Here is a postcard design you can use!

 

Click and print postcards! These  4 Postcards on 8.5 x11 use the Avery label 8387 template for your convenience OR you can copy/paste this single postcard image and place it in a postcard template of your choice!
 

I also made some 8.5x11 posters for parents and teachers to hang to help explain the voting process to kids:

Download this poster HERE!

Download this poster HERE!

 

Don't forget to VOTE!

thirteen

 I almost forgot today 

was the day

the number

the time

the date

I'm forgetting 

all

those 

things.

But 

you

I will always remember. 

Robert Mercer 

5/30/72-8/27/07

Mulan Pre-order and Book Party Details!!!

Are you ready?

 Here are all the details!!!

If you pre-order the book from Porter Square Books,  not only will the book be personally autographed (make sure you put to whom you wish the book to be made to in the comments section when ordering), I will include a beautiful, gold-foil bookmark with this design:

This is just the design! The printed piece will be gold and shiny!

It's bound to give you good luck for the New Year! So pre-order now! https://www.portersquarebooks.com/book/9781368020336


AND THERE'S MORE!

If you come to the Book Party at Porter Square Books on February 9 at 3pm, I have a special party favor for you.

For those who come to the book party*,  I have these gorgeous, hand-cut paper greeting cards (custom-made by the lovely people at Evergreen Cards):

These are also more beautiful in real life!

And, if that wasn't enough, at the party I'll be having an in-conversation with the lovely Susan Tan (author of Cilla Lee-Jenkins: Future Author Extraordinaire!). So you'll get two authors at one event!

Doesn't that make you really want to come? So, pre-order the book!  Save the date!

I hope to see you there!


*Unfortunately, I have a limited supply of these greeting cards, so priority will go to those who pre-order and attend the party. If there are cards left over after the event, I will include them to those who pre-order from out-of-town, but I cannot promise it. But all pre-orders will receive the gold foil bookmark.

Mulan: Before the Sword Pre-Order and Book Party!!!

It's coming! It's coming!

There will be a pre-order gift! There will be a super beautiful party favor! Stay tuned for details!

But save the date for the Book Party:
February 9 at 3pm
Porter Square Books

Pre-order here: https://www.portersquarebooks.com/book/9781368020336

This Year's Holiday Promotion!

For the past couple years, I've offered autographed bookplates for the holidays but this year there is a a new box set (!!) of  the Where the Mountain Meets the Moon trilogy and I am so excited about it, I thought I would offer something different!

This year, if you order the box set from the Carle Museum, not only will I sign them but I will include an exclusive, made-just-for-this-box-set map of Minli's land:

Isn't that fun? I've been wanting to do a map for a long time and now I finally have an excuse! And, while supplies last, I will also include this beautiful hand-cut paper greeting card of Minli (which I also exclusively had made by the lovely people at Evergreen Cards).

I want to make whomever receives this box set as a gift this holiday season truly feel like it's something special! So, if you have someone on your list to whom you think the gift set would be good for...I hope you get it for them!

Specifics:

1. You must order the books from the Carle Museum. Please make sure you put to whom you wish the book to be personalized to in the comments section as you check out. I knowAmazon is always cheaper, but this is the only way I can autograph them (they are local to me) and include these gifts. And, you will be supporting an amazing museum as well as making your gift even more unique! 

2. You are more than welcome to order any of my other books from the store as well. I am happy to autograph any of them and will include the greeting card even if you do not purchase the box set.

3. This offer ends Dec 19th at midnight EST or earlier if supplies run out. There are limited quantities of both the map and greeting card, so best to order sooner rather than later!

Order: Where the Mountain Meets the Moon box set at the Carle Museum

Go to: All the  Grace Lin books available at the Carle Museum

If you have any problems ordering online, please contact the bookstore. They will be very happy to help  you: shop@carlemuseum.org or 413-559-6333

Thanks so much for sharing my books! I hope this makes you gift giving even more special!

LITTLE BEDS FOR LITTLE READERS: AN INTERACTIVE STORY TIME

A Big Bed for Little Snow is now available! Have fun reading the book with this guide and craft!


The best of story times engage children with dialogue, movement, and other hands-on play. This guide and companion craft puts a bed-shaped envelope filled with paper feathers into the hands of children at story time. In the story when a tear in the bed sets feathers flying, your readers can tear open their bed/envelope and create a snowstorm of feathers. Don’t worry, the story time includes a prompt to clean up those fallen feathers!.

 

DOWNLOAD THE STORYTIME GUIDE AND CRAFT HERE!

LITTLE SNOW'S SNOWSTORM

HOORAY! A Big Bed for Little Snow is now available! Here's another fun activity you can do with the book!


Are those feathers falling from Little Snow's bed or snowflakes falling from a blue gray cloud? From the point of view of the children in the apartments below, it is a snowy day in the city. With this activity, a sandwich bag, and a handful of confetti, you can make it snow on the buildings of Grace Lin's magical city.

Download this craft activity HERE!

MEASURE LITTLE SNOW'S SNOW!

Hooray! A Big Bed for Little Snow is out now! Here's a fun activity to to do with the book!

When the feathery flakes fall from the sky in your city, use a ruler to measure how deep the flakes are on the ground. Keep track of the snowfall on this chart using your high-jumping math skills. According to picture book meteorologists, one inch of snow = five Little Snow jumps. Let's do the math!

Download the Snow Chart HERE!