Construction Site Gets a Fright!

Happy Book Birthday to Construction Site Gets a Fright! It may still feel like the height of summer where you are, but September is here and Halloween is just 8 weeks away! I loved creating this special story with lift-the-flap surprises to help the whole family get ready for spooky season. If your little one is eagerly anticipating costumes and candy, they'll love revving up for Halloween with all of their construction site friends

New Book...Construction Site Taking Flight...pre-order now!

Wherever I go, I’m on the lookout for the coolest big (and bigger!) machines — because, well, I LOVE them (!), every bit as much as the kids who read my books. And, because I spend so much time in airports, it’s hard to NOT see and appreciate all of of the wheeled “ground crew” that keeps the whole operation running smoothly — getting us all where we need to go. And, that’s what has inspired the latest book in the Construction Site series, “Construction Site: Taking Flight!”

While the familiar Construction Site crew works to build an airport addition, they get an up-close look at the busy airport trucks, each with special skills and jobs to do, and all hard at work. And, just like with the construction crew, “teamwork makes the dream work!”

I hope your young reader will enjoy meeting my new truck friends.

Available September 26th. If you’d like to gift a copy for the holidays, please get yours early to avoid disappointment — you can preorder now, wherever books are sold.

A special thanks to @united Airlines for featuring me in this month’s “Hemispheres,” United’s in-flight magazine. (United also happens to be my personal airline of choice.) Thanks also to @agfordart for his beautiful work on the series and to @chroniclekidsbooks for nurturing the series for well over a decade. And, mostly, thanks to all of you, the loyal fans of the series.

The King of Kindergarten

Whether your little ones are excited to get #BackToSchool or worried about big changes on the horizon, there's always a picture book on the shelf that can help. I rounded up some of my favorites here to help parents, teachers, and school librarians tackle those big first day of school feelings.

Limited Barnes and Noble Edition!

If you thought yesterday's news was the only big announcement I had up my sleeve, guess what? There's another collector's edition coming from @barnesandnoble! The Construction Site on Christmas Night limited edition also hits stores on September 8th and features a sparkly cover AND pop out ornaments that the kids will love. Don't miss your chance to get this one under the tree this year!

New Limited Edition

It's going to be a big fall for Construction Site fans! I'm so excited to announce that @barnesandnoble will release a collector's edition of Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site on September 8th. Little ones will love the super-shiny new cover AND a sticker sheet of their construction site pals. Make sure to order now because once these sell out they'll be gone for good!

Summer Food

There is something about a tomato, ripe off the vine and still warm from the sun, that feels like…peace. 🍅❤️

Black Krim (my favorite!) with basil from the garden, fresh mozzarella and balsamic glaze. Oh, and sea salt! (If I’m honest, my favorite way to eat this is on crusty bread with thin slices of COLD butter. But, I got on the scale the other day, so, you know. 🤦🏻‍♀️)

Joy Ride...lovely post!

Thank you so much @curlsupwithagoodbook for such a lovely post about Joy Ride. 🥰 🚴 •

Some of my favorite books that I’ve written are not bestsellers, and fly under the radar. “Joy Ride” is one of them, along with “It’s So Quiet” and “The 12 Sleighs Of Christmas.” I’d love it if you’d check them out and let me know what you think. ❤️📚
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Repost from @curlsupwithagoodbook
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I feel like summer 🌞 has really gotten away from me and we still have so many summer 🌞 books to share!

Our back to school collection is coming August 1st but until then let's pretend it's the 3rd day of summer break and you're looking for something to do...just like the main character in today's share!

Joy Ride by @sherririnker with illustrations by @florecitasdelcampo and published by @candlewickpress is the story of Joy who joins forces with her grandfather for a summer 🌞 project of fixing up an old bike 🚲 They create a one of a kind masterpiece that brings joy so much Joy until some neighborhood kids make fun of her. Will Joy let her joy slip away?

Why The Curlys love it:
📘 Max's 🐶 outfit Joy made
📘 Her awesome bike!! 🚲

Why Mommy likes it:
📗 Super adorable illustrations
📗 Intergenerational story
📗 The message to be true to yourself and stand out from the crowd

Life is so hard sometimes

Six years ago, we were at the cabin, our Fourth of July tradition. Dad made pancakes in the morning, we all went for brats and hot dogs at the firehouse in the afternoon, and we’d watch fireworks on the lake from the boat at night.

Now, Dad, the cabin, and even our sweet doggie are gone.

Only memories remain.

Good Bye Sweet Girl

For almost 16 years, she was part of our family. She grew up with our boys. She saw us through celebrations and holidays and moving to the suburbs and time at the lake and illnesses and tragedy and all of life’s twists-and-turns and ups-and-downs.

She brought us companionship and comfort and so much joy and silliness and fun.

She is forever entangled in our memories.

She was steadfast in her love and devotion to all of us, and we will miss her so, so much.

Thank you for everything, sweet girl. I hope you had the best time. We sure did.

Go dig in the dirt and catch those chipmunks.

And please say hi to Papa for us.

Comfort to me..

The first flush of roses is my favorite — before the mixture of comings and goings, (and the necessary dead-heading and trimming) when everything is fresh and alive and bursting with color.

The gardens have been my solace during this most difficult of times after losing my dad. I try to feel his presence in the earth and the wind, and in all that is newly emerging. #gardeningthroughgrief

Joy Ride

I’m incredibly honored by this book review from @lorislittlelibrary Thank you SO MUCH.

A perfect read for the end of the school year and beginning of summer and most importantly a perfect read for those days where we feel someone has stolen our joy.

Joy Ride written by @sherririnker and illustrated by Ana Ramirez González introduces us to Joy who doesn’t feel very joyful once her “friends” tease her because of the bike she fixed up with the help of her grandpa. The bike exudes joyfulness but the other kids make fun of it. Instead of speaking up, she ditches the bike in the woods in a angry fit. However, after some time she comes to realize that her bike was awesome & she wants to feel the joy that came from fixing the bike & riding the bike. Guess what she finds when she gets the bike back? Her joy of course!

Find your joy and don’t care about what anyone else says! If you love something & it makes you happy then do that thing! That’s a lesson best learned young!

The illustrations are as joyful as the bike. There bright, bold & colourful. The illustrations feel like summer and I’m all in for that!

#joyride #inclusivebooks #bully #findyourjoy

What the Heck?

Seeing a garter snake in my yard TWICE this spring (after not seeing a single snake in the ten years we have lived here) is SERIOUSLY ruining my love of gardening.

Today, I came inches (!!!) from stepping on one.

Yes, I know they are harmless. But I have a phobia, and I’m terrified. And borderline hysterical. Except not borderline.

😫😫😫😫😫😫😫

PS: Photo is my garden hose, which looks very similar to the snake. Hence, I’m now also terrified of my garden hose, and very angry that someone would make said garden hose. 😳

Great picture!

Thank you, @a_carp19 — I’m so honored that my book is part of your family life.
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For those who know me. Kids books hold a very special place in our daily life. And Logan loves them .. here’s a favourite of his .. and mine 😌 Goodnight ,Goodnight , Construction Site

Hope...

A friend gifted me this amaryllis for Easter, and it’s blooming today. I’ve never seen one in these soft, spring colors.

It lifts my spirits to see it…

feels like… hope. 🌱