Book Giveaway: BIRDS OF A FEATHER by Sita Singh

Sita Singh has written a new picture book, BIRDS OF A FEATHER illustrated by Stephanie Frazer Coleman and published by Philomel Books. It hits the bookstores on March 2nd, but it is available for pre-order on Amazon, now. Rebecca has agreed to share a copy with one lucky winner living in the United States.

All you have to do to get in the running is 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 other things you do to share the good news, so I can put the right amount of tickets in my basket for you.

Sharing on Facebook, Twitter or reblogging really helps spread the word for a new book. So, thanks for helping Sita and Stephanie.

If you have signed up to follow my blog and it is delivered to you everyday, please let me know when you leave a comment and I will give you an extra ticket. Thanks!

BOOK DESCRIPTION:

Differences are gorgeously illustrated in a heartwarming picture book about a colorless peacock who learns to love himself in a jungle full of color.

Mo has always felt a little different. While all the other peacocks grew bright, bold, beautiful feathers in rich greens and vibrant blues, Mo’s feathers grew in a snowy white. And even though Mo’s friends try to include him in their playtime, Mo doesn’t like to be reminded that he’s different from his friends. But when a storm threatens to ruin the group’s annual celebration, Mo must learn to stand tall, strut his stuff, and shake his brilliantly glowing tail feathers–in a way only he can–to help his friends and set things right.

From debut author Sita Singh, and brought to life by Stephanie Fizer Coleman, comes a story about finding strength in the things that make us different, and beauty in all its forms.

BOOK JOURNEY:

Thank you, Kathy, for featuring my debut picture book, Birds Of A Feather, releasing on March 2^nd, from Philomel Books!

I was inspired to write this story from my childhood memories of watching peacocks. I was born and raised in India, and peacock is not only the national bird of the country but also a common one. I often saw these majestic birds and they always fascinated the child in me!

While raising my own children in the United States, I discovered the magical genre of picture books, and as we read many stories together, some featuring animals and birds, I was surprised there were next to none featuring peacock as a protagonist. This was when my kids were around 2, 6, and 9 (today, they are 14,18, and 21.) I must have made a mental note of this void because much later when I took up writing in 2014, I knew I wanted peacocks to be the front and center of one of my stories.

The peacocks and I also share a passion for dance. I’m a trained Indian Classical Dancer and although I don’t practice the form anymore, I never pass on a chance to dance. Of course, we’re all familiar with how much peacocks love to strut and sway. Our mutual love for dance helped me set the stage for this story.

The story itself was inspired from my daughter’s experience of being the only child of color in elementary school for almost four years. Having watched firsthand what a child goes through for standing out and feeling different helped me tell the story of the white peacock. Even before I started to craft the story, I had a fair idea of what challenges he could face in a jungle full of color.

Once I knew what I wanted my story to be about, I studied a lot of mentor texts and did some heavy research about peacocks. Especially, the white ones. I wrote the first draft in the summer of 2016 and shared it with my critique partners. They all felt just as strongly about the heart of the story which kept me motivated through the revision process, and in January 2017, the story won the Florida SCBWI Rising Kite award. But it still didn’t find a home until 2019, when Liza Kaplan at Philomel Books liked it enough to publish it. With her vision and editing skills, we made the story even better. I’m beyond grateful to Liza and the entire team at Philomel books for taking a chance on me and the white peacock.

I’m also very fortunate to have Stephanie Fizer Coleman illustrate this book. Stephanie took the story to a visual level that was beyond my imagination. Not only did I fall in love with the color palette and textures she has used, but I was blown away by Stephanie’s depiction of the colorless peacock.

It took about five years from the first draft to publication, and I can’t wait for Birds Of A Feather to be out in the world on March 2^nd, 2021!

SITA’S BIO:

Sita Singh is an architect by training, a homemaker by choice, a food enthusiast and reader by hobby, and a Children’s Author by passion. Sita was born and raised in India, and immigrated to the United States in 1999. While raising her three children across two cultures, Sita noticed a lack of diversity in children’s literature and realized that her kids didn’t see themselves in the books they read. This realization, powered by her understanding of living in the East and West led Sita to write about experiences, places, and people less visible in children’s literature in America. She is thrilled for her debut picture book, Birds Of A Feather, which not only introduces the readers to a national symbol of India, but also speaks about embracing differences.Let me know if you need anything else from me. She was born and raised in the historic city of Ahmedabad, India, I lived in a joint family, with grandparents, and around many aunts, uncles, cousins, and friends.

She graduated from college a Bachelors in Architecture. That’s wheresshe met my husband and after getting married, they immigrated to the United States. She worked as an Urban Design Consultant for a few years before deciding to stay home to care for her three children.

While raising the children across two cultures, she searched for books that would help them understand their heritage. Unfortunately, there was a lack of representation in children’s literature in America. So, many books traveled with them from India—once every year, in large quantities, packed in suitcases along with pickles and spices. With every trip, they collection of heroes and legends, kings and demons, gods and goddesses, and myths and fables from India grew larger and larger. Sita also told them stories that were passed on to her by her grandparents and great grandparents. That’s when she realized the power of storytelling. This realization, the lack of representation on the bookshelves, and her understanding of living in the East and West inspired her to write for children.

STEPHANIE’S BIO:

Stephanie Fizer Coleman is an illustrator, designer and generally curious girl living in lovely but misunderstood West Virgina. She grew up in a rural area, with a babbling brook and lush forest just a few feet from her back door; she finds that the love of nature I developed as a child still influences her work today.

After seriously studying ballet and getting her BA in History, she found her true passion in illustrating and have been working as a freelance illustrator since 2008.

She works in Photoshop and Procreate and has developed a style of working that blends both digital and traditional elements.  She enjoys playing around with patterns, textures and brilliant colors in my work.  Animals are my favorite subjects to illustrate and is thrilled to be illustrating the kinds of books she would have loved when she was a little library-goer.

Her client list includes Caterpillar Books, Hallmark, American Greetings, Clarion Books, HarperCollins, Charlesbridge, Peachtree, Highlights, Mudpuppy, Sellers Publishing, Millbrook Press, Design House Greetings, and Walker Books.

Sita, thank you for sharing your book and journey with us. It’s an important message for children to read; that even when you look different from your friends, and may feel different, you have value and can be important in other ways. Stephanie’s illustrations are gorgoeus. Together you have give us a lovely book. Good luck with Bird of a Feather. 

Talk tomorrow,

Kathy