BOOK GIVEAWAY: DADDY, CAN YOU SEE THE MOON? by Gayle Krause

Author Gayle Krause has a new picture book titled, DADDY, CAN YOU SEE THE MOON? It hits book shelves on April 9th. Gayle 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 Gayle!

BOOK’S DESCRIPTION:

A young boy and his soldier dad share special moments by looking at the moon each night. But when Dad comes home a wounded warrior, his son discovers it’s the power of love that kept them connected all along, and he plays a major part in his father’s recovery.

BOOK’S JOURNEY:

A former Early Childhood Educator, I taught Children’s Literature to prospective teachers as part of their training program for over thirty years. I also directed a Laboratory Pre-K, affiliated with my teaching course, in Goshen, NY. It was there, as I sat on the floor of the nursery school, reading countless picture books to the preschoolers, or acting out fairytales as creative dramatic presentations that I became uniquely attuned to the young child’s mind.

These precious little guys struggle to make sense of the world around them, especially the adult world of their parents. Emotional situations like divorce and deployment affect these children in a way that most adults cannot see. It was one particular little boy that was having a very difficult time accepting the time frame of his dad’s deployment that came back to me years later and the end result is DADDY, CAN YOU SEE THE MOON?

It’s six full moons since Daddy’s gone, but Mom and me, we soldier on.

Though a serious and challenging topic, I chose to write it in rhyme so that it has a lighter feel. And the exquisite art of Carlos de la Garza brings my words to life. His realistic portrayal of the characters and the vibrant color schemes he chose, make this a wonderful book to be used in classrooms, as a family reading, and especially as a message for the young military child. In this book, they can see that they’re not alone in this incredible, perplexing moment when Mom or Dad has to leave the family and the child doesn’t understand the difference between one week, one month, or one year.

When I sent the manuscript to Callie Metler-Smith she fell in love with it recognizing its importance in the world of children’s books. Because of its challenging matter, it took almost a year to find an illustrator who could portray the young boy’s story with a delicate clarity.

Carlos worked on the illustrations from June of 2017 to August of 2108 and though we had first scheduled it to be released for Veteran’s Day, we realized, once we saw the beautiful illustrations, that the story is about the military child, not the parent soldier. So we chose April 9, 2019, as the release date, perfect, because April is recognized as The Month of the Military Child.

Because I believe so strongly in reaching children where their understanding lies, and the military child has an unusual burden to carry as they wait for their parent to return, I am donating 10% of all royalties to a military family organization that helps deployed military personnel to reconnect with their families in fun-filled activities.

 

GAYLE KRAUSE’S BIO:

As a Master Educationalist Gayle C. Krause’s years as a creative role model for young adults and pre-school children have led to her career as a children’s author. She is a member of SCBWI, The JAGRS Writing Group, the 12 x 12 Picture Book Challenge, and a past member of the Historical Novel Society and The Poets’ Garage. She currently serves on the YA Advisory Council for Clear Fork Publishing, Stamford, Texas, and Angie Karcher’s National Rhyme Revolution Committee, choosing the best rhyming picture books from 2015-2018. She is the author of six children’s books and is currently working on book III of her new MG Fantasy/Adventure series. Book I is due out next year. You can follow her at www.gayleckrause.com

Thank you Gayle for sharing you book and its’ journey with us. I looks like a much needed book in the market. Good Luck!

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy