Book Giveaway – It’s A Seashell Day

I asked Author Dianne Ochiltree if she would donate a copy of IT’S A SEASHELL DAY, since it seems like a terrific book to help celebrate summer.

If you would like to win a copy, please leave a comment, reblog, tweet, or talk about A BAND OF BABIES on Facebook with a link and you will get additional chances to win. Just let me know the other things you did to share the good news, so I can put the right amount of tickets in my basket for you. Check back to discover the winner.

DESCRIPTION:

Sunny-as-a-summer-sky rhymes chronicle a mother and son sharing a day of sand digging, seashell collecting, and seashore exploring. Kids will learn about a variety of shells and count along with the boy as he totals up his collection, puts his shells away, and then drifts off into a well-earned bedtime. A spread of seashell facts caps off the story.

This captivating, narrative nonfiction title featuring nature and counting is an ideal fit for home, preschool and kindergarten bookshelves. Pair it with the author’s beloved It’s a Firefly Night for a delightful day-to-night duo.

BOOKS JOURNEY:

This book was a follow up to It’s a Firefly Night, writing for Blue Apple Books alone…the editor wanted another summer title and one of the suggestions was a beach book.

I thought right away of seashells and collecting them with my mom, so it a Seashell Day was inspired by memories of nature walks with my mom when I was a kid. Whether it was the neighborhood park or a vacation spot like the beach, Mom taught me to notice the smallest details of the natural world around us and to respect nature. We collected fall leaves, interesting stones, and of course seashells. When we returned home, she taught me how to store and display my collections—sorting, counting, labeling—so that I could continue to enjoy those treasures. The seashells and other souvenirs of our nature walks together were not fancy or expensive, but they became priceless to me for the memories we made, my Mom and me, one step at a time.

One stanza from the original manuscript in the end was eliminated because the illustrations carried the narrative action.

DIANNE’S BIO:

Dianne Ochiltree has been writing stories and poems since she was a little girl. Today, she is a nationally recognized author of books for girls and boys, from toddlers to teens. Her picture book, LULL-A-BYE, LITTLE ONE has been a selection for the Dollywood Fourndation’s national literacy program for several years. Her picture book for grades 1-3, MOLLY BY GOLLY! The Legend of Molly Williams, America’s First Female Firefighter, received the Florida Book Awards Bronze Medal in the Children’s Literature category in 2012. It was also selected for the ALA Amelia Bloomer list for feminist literature for young readers in that year. IT’S A FIREFLY NIGHT, her not-just-for-bedtime book for kids 3-7, was awarded the Silver Medal in children’s literature in the 2013 Florida Book Awards. Her latest book, IT’S A SEASHELL DAY, was released in July 2015 from Blue Apple Books and has already received favorable reviews. Many of her earlier books have been translated into foreign language and Braille editions as well as audio and paperback versions.

For more information about Dianne and her books, go to http://www.dianneochiltree.com. Dianne lives in sunny Sarasota, Florida with her husband, Jim. Besides writing for kids, she loves to hike in the great outdoors, explore the local bay waters on a stand-up paddle board, and is a certified yoga instructor. She and with her chocolate Lab, Sally, are a Therapy Dog team, visiting local nursing homes and schools. 

Thank you Dianne for sharing your book and journey with us. I can’t wait to see who wins this gorgeous summer fun book.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy