Book Giveaway: AND THE BULLFROGS SING by David Harrison

Author David L. Harrison has a new picture book titled, AND THE BULLFROGS SING: A LIFE CYCLE. Illustrated by Kate Cosgrove. David 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 David and Kate!

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Rumm . . . rumm . . . rumm. A male bullfrog sings. A female bullfrog likes his song. And a life cycle begins. 

Eggs hatch and become tadpoles. The tadpoles nibble plants. They grow legs and start to breathe. Now they are little bullfrogs. They eat flies, fish, and spiders. In the winter they hibernate. And after three years, they are adult bullfrogs. Rumm . . . rumm . . . rumm.

Lyrical prose and elegant art depict the life cycle of a bullfrog in this nonfiction picture book by an award-winning poet-biologist.

BOOK JOURNEY:

Since 1970 I’ve made dozens of trips to see editors in New York City, Chicago, or San Francisco. Many of my books have originated in editors’ offices as we discuss what I do and what they’re looking for. One book (The Book of Giant Stories) went on to win a Christopher Medal; another (Wake Up, Sun!) is now in its 73^rd printing. I’m currently planning my next trek to NYC sometime this spring.

This latest book, And the Bullfrogs Sing, began the same way. I sat across the desk from an editor who is also an old friend with whom I’ve done a number of books, and during the course of our talking the life cycle of frogs came up. After returning to Springfield I started researching the idea. When the manuscript was finished, I sent it off to my editor for her reaction.

She liked it a lot. It was right on target and she was ready to offer a contract but first had to present it in committee – that grand tar pit of good intentions, broken promises, and near misses. After weeks of waiting, the big day came, followed by the disappointment that a new editorial director had turned my frogs down. Kerplop.

Nothing to do but try a second editor. I sent my froggies off to Holiday House and they were accepted at once. Grace Maccarone, my wonderful editor there, had a spot for such a manuscript. In addition to my own careful work, the manuscript was thoroughly vetted by experts in the study of bullfrogs. Grace chose Kate Cosgrove for the art. I hadn’t known Kate’s work but am now a fan. She did a great job of bringing alive the life cycle of bullfrogs to young readers. I’m delighted that we were paired for this project.

My last science-based book, A Place to Start a Family, was selected by NSTA as an Outstanding Science Trade Book. It was also chosen to be a K-3 2019-20 Pennsylvania Young Readers Choice Award Title. I’m hoping that science teachers, librarians, and others interested in nature will like And the Bullfrogs Sing in the same way.

DAVID’S BIO:

David Harrison has published ninety-two titles that have earned dozens of honors, including the Christopher Award for The Book of Giant Stories.  His work has been translated into twelve languages, anthologized more than one hundred eighty-five times, and appeared in over eighty magazines and professional journals. In Springfield, MO, David Harrison Elementary School is named for him. His poem, “My Book,” is sandblasted into The Children’s Garden sidewalk at the Burton Barr Library in Phoenix, Arizona and painted on a bookmobile in Pueblo, Colorado. David’s poetry inspired Sandy Asher’s popular, award winning school plays, Somebody Catch My Homeworkand Jesse and Grace and has been set to music performed for numerous live audiences. In 2007, the Missouri Librarian Association presented David with its Literacy Award for the body of his work. David holds science degrees from Drury and Emory universities and honorary doctor of letters degrees from Missouri State University and Drury University. He is poet laureate of Drury. David lives with his wife, Sandy, a business owner and retired guidance counselor. He is working on many new books.

http://davidlharrison.com
http://davidlharrison.wordpress.com

KATE’S BIO:

Kate Cosgrove is an illustrator and artist from Michigan. She received a BFA with honors from Michigan State University. Kate’s illustrations have been published in all kinds of print and web media. She has exhibited in galleries and online, with collectors across the United States, Australia, Canada, Colombia, England, France, Switzerland, and Ukraine. Cosgrove illustrated ‘Family Album,’ a children’s album by the hit rock band The Verve Pipe. In 2011 she was awarded an Arts Council Individual Artist Grant for her child-friendly art show “Animal ArtVenture,” hosted by the Lansing Art Gallery.

She says of her art, “I was born into a family where everyone makes something: art, music, food, clothing, noise, a mess… I found I like to make messes and art at a very early age. I expect to keep doing both until I draw my last breath. I’m a lucky girl.”

She was featured on Illustrator Saturday. Here’s the link: https://kathytemean.wordpress.com/2019/03/30/illustrator-saturday-kate-cosgrove/
For a complete client list and to view additional illustrations, visit Kate’s website: www.katecosgrove.com.

Kate Cosgrove is a 2016 Barbara Deming Grant recipient and a 2011 Individual Artist Grant Recipient, ACGL.

Thank you David and Kate for sharing you book and journey with us. Wow! what a great combo of text and art. I have a copy and it is a treasure to keep.

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy