Book Giveaway: ASTRO PEA by Amalia Hoffman

Illustrator and Author Amalia Hoffman has a new board book titled, ASTRO PEA, it hits bookstores on March 28th. Amalia has agreed to share a book with one lucky winner. All you have to do to get in the running is to leave a comment. Reblog, tweet, or talk about it on Facebook with a link and you will get additional chances to win. Just let me know the other things you do to share the good news, so I can put in the right amount of tickets in my basket for you.

Sharing on Facebook, Twitter, reblogging really helps spread the word for a new book. Thanks for helping Amalia!

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Imagine what would happen if fresh veggies could go on a cosmic adventure! Well, blast off with Pete the pea and find out what he discovers outside his pod. Pete joins other curiously shaped vegetables such as an eggplant, artichoke, cauliflower, ear of corn, and mushroom as they each take a starring role in this creative tale of space exploration, daring, and friendship.Who knew healthy food could be so much fun? Let your imagination run to space and back as ordinary vegetables take on a whole new meaning!

BOOK JOURNEY:

In 2017, I started experimenting drawing with pastel pencils. I loved the textures that I could achieve and the vibrant lush colors.

After working for a while on a white background I wondered what the colors would look like on black. So I ordered a fine black art sand paper and fell in love with the way the colors looked on it. 

I didn’t really have a project in mind.I was just having fun painting fruits and vegetables. I ended up making a pea pod. The drawing was on my art table and one day I got the idea of doing a story about peas. 

I had envisioned a board book where the young child reads a clue and turns the page to see what happened.

I think it was the black paper that sprouted the space idea. So then, why not make spaceship? I envisioned this little curious protagonist – a pea named Pete who is tired of living in an ordinary pea pod and his imagination takes him on a cosmic adventure.

I created a dummy and sent it to my agent, Anna Olswanger. We worked on the story for a while and I was delighted when Schiffer Publishing acquired it as well as another board book, executed in the same technique, coming up in Fall, 2019.

 

AMALIA’S BIO:

Amalia Hoffman is an author, illustrator and storyteller. She performs her stories dressed up in costumes, accompanied with puppets. She is a member of SCBWI and Children’s Books Illustrator Guild and was voted as finalist in SCBWI storytelling competition. Plus, Amalia is a teaching artist affiliated with ArtsWestchester.

Her board book, Dreidel Day was published by Lerners Publishing Group/ Kar Ben Publishing in 2018. It was selected as PJ Library book and received the PJ Library Author Incentive Award. She also wrote and illustrated The Klezmer Bunch and Purim Goodies. (Gefen Publishing House) Both books were chosen as notable stories for children by the Association of Jewish Libraries. The Klezmer Bunch was selected by the Tony Award winning choreographer/producer, Elizabeth Swados for inclusion in her play, Jewish Books Cooking.

Amalia’s article, Queen Esther and Me, was published in the March 2016 issue of Highlights Magazine for Children. She received the SCBWI portfolio award in the category of Fantasy in 2005. Her art was voted best at the illustration display in the 21st Century Children’s Nonfiction Conference in 2014 and she received 2nd place at the 2016 conference.

Her nonfiction picture book, The Brave Cyclist will be published by Capstone Publishing in August 2019.

Besides, this board book, Astro Pea coming out at the end of March, she has another board book, All Colors coming out in September this year from Schiffer Books.

Thank you Amalia for sharing your book and journey with us. 2019 looks like it is going to be a great year for you. Can’t wait to show off your other books coming out. You can visit Amalia at http://www.amaliahoffman.com 

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy