Author: Amy

Books and Editing

It’s Publication Day!

Say hello to Sparkle Kitty vs. the Clothes, the second installment in the Sparkle Kitty picture book series! Today, September 13th, marks the official publication days for this new book and I’m so excited to share it with everyone!

Here’s a sneak peak into some select pages of Sparkle Kitty vs. the Clothes:

Here are the Details:

Sparkle Kitty vs. the Clothes teaches children how to choose the best clothes for the day, with interactive pages and whimsical illustrations. For children learning to read, this story has a phonics focus of the hard “TH” sound.

Sparkle Kitty is off to see Grandma Sparkle today!
But first, Sparkle Kitty needs to get dressed for the day.
There are so many things to think about when picking out your clothes.
Can you help Sparkle Kitty pick out the perfect outfit?

Recommended Age: 2-6
Recommended Grade: K-1
Word Count: 343 words
Lexile Level: 580
Phonics Focus: hard “TH” sound

Available for purchase in Hardcover and Kindle ebook (including Kindle Unlimited):
Amazon.ca
Amazon.com
Amazon.com.au
Barnes & Noble

I’d love to hear what you think of this new book – so be sure to leave a review 🙂

Happy Publication Day!

My debut children’s picture book, Sparkle Kitty vs. the Sun is officially available for purchase today!

With warmer weather creeping back into our lives in the northern hemisphere, we’re entering the season of the ‘parent vs. child sunscreen struggle’. Sparkle Kitty vs. the Sun is designed to be a fun and interactive tool parents can use to encourage their young children to understand the importance of sun safety and make them actually want to wear it!

Sparkle Kitty vs. the Sun Details

Sparkle Kitty vs. the Sun teaches children about sun safety with interactive search-and-find pages and whimsical illustrations. For children learning to read, this story has a phonics focus of “IGHT”.

Sparkle Kitty wants only one thing today: to play outside.

But the sun is too BRIGHT!

And the sun is too HOT!

If only someone could help

Sparkle Kitty find everything they need to stay happy and safe in the sun…

Recommended Age: 3-8

Recommended Grade: K-3

Word Count: 431 words

Lexile Level: 880

Phonics Focus: “IGHT”

Where to Get it!

Sparkle Kitty vs. the Sun is available in ebook and premium hardcover format.

The ebook is exclusively available through Amazon (for a number of different countries including the US, Canada, UK, and Australia).

The premium hardcover is currently available through the following online retailers:

*and more!

Sparkle Kitty Book #2

Thank you to everyone who already pre-ordered my book and got me to ranking #49 for Children’s Daily Activities Books! I was not expecting my debut book to do so well right out of the gates, but I couldn’t be happier. I have such a wonderful support network of friends, parents, and librarians who have truly made this book what it is today.

Leaving a book review on Amazon, Goodreads, Instagram, Tiktok or other online platforms helps me out a TON.

I’m currently working on the second book in the Sparkle Kitty series – title and cover reveal to be released this summer!

Cover Reveal!

I have some exciting news to share: my debut picture book is complete!

Let me introduce you to Sparkle Kitty vs. the Sun, which will be available in hardcover and ebook format May 10, 2022.

Sparkle Kitty vs. the Sun teaches children about sun safety with interactive search-and-find pages and whimsical illustrations. For children learning to read, this story has a phonics focus of “IGHT”.

Sparkle Kitty wants only one thing today: to play outside.

But the sun is too BRIGHT!

And the sun is too HOT!

If only someone could help

Sparkle Kitty find everything they need to stay happy and safe in the sun…

Recommended Age: 3-8

Recommended Grade: K-3

Word Count: 431 words

Lexile Level: 880

Phonics Focus: “IGHT”

Why did I make this book?

Working as a public librarian, I often hear parents’ candid opinions of picture books: their likes, dislikes, wishes. And I noticed that there are a number of picture book topics that have fallen by the wayside in recent years.

I had a look around for picture books about sun safety for parents last summer, and came up short. My library carried one book on the topic and Amazon.ca only carried a handful of old-looking titles.

So I did it myself. I taught myself digital illustration and self-publishing, and I made this book happen.

It was important to me to focus on creating vibrant and whimsical illustrations, rather than the more common realism used in tandem with didactic picture books. I had a strong sense that kids would rather read about Sparkle Kitty than about little Jimmy (I know I would!).

So here we are! A week away from the publication date and I couldn’t be happier.

Sparkle Kitty vs. the Sun will be available online at most big box stores including Chapters Indigo, Barnes & Noble, and Amazon (for a number of countries).

I hope you enjoy!

Angry Birds Craft

What’s better than a character-inspired craft? One you can throw, obviously.

This Angry Birds-inspired craft kit is simple and easy to put together for anyone needing a quick idea. It can be done in-person or as a craft kit.

Each craft kit makes two Angry Birds (Red) and two King Pigs (King Smooth Cheeks). Once the craft has been put together, kids can use household materials to build fortresses for their King Pigs and try to knock each other’s down by throwing their Angry Birds at it.

Preparing 50 Kits

MaterialAmountCostPreparation
Toilet paper rolls50–Cut each TP roll in half to make two short rolls. Place two short rolls in each kit.
Red ping pong balls100~$24Place two ping pong balls in each kit.
Googly eyes400~$4Place eight googly eyes in each kit.
Black pipe cleaners25~$1Cut each pipe cleaner in half. Put one half piece in each kit. These will be the Angry Birds’ eyebrow.
Yellow construction paper3 sheets–Cut two inch squares of yellow paper to place two each kit. The kids will later cut these into crowns for their King Pigs.
Orange construction paper1 sheet–Cut half-inch triangles of orange paper and place two in each kit. This will be used as the Angry Birds’ beaks.
Green construction paper8 sheets–1) Use a one-inch hole punch to create 100 green circles. Place two in each kit. These will be the King Pigs’ snout.
2) Use a 2/3 hole punch to create 200 smaller green circles. Place four in each kit. These will be the King Pigs’ ears.
Instruction sheet (provided below)50–Place one instruction sheet in each kit.

Total Cost: ~$30 for 50 kits

*Patrons will need to supply their own scissors, colouring utensils, and glue.

Instructions

This instruction sheet can be placed in each craft kit. It can be saved as an image, and it’s dimensions will allow it to print out nicely on standard letter sized paper.

Monster Book of Monsters Craft

This Harry Potter-inspired craft is perfect for children ages 8+. I refuse to put an upper age limit on this because multiple adult staff members took my left over supplies home to make their own 😉

I framed this craft program as “Hogwarts Summer School: Care for Magical Creatures”. I made craft kits for patrons to pick up and a YouTube video tutorial for them to follow along with (and, yes, I dressed up as a Hogwarts professor with a Hogwarts Zoom background).

How to Prepare 22 Kits:

MaterialAmountCostPreparation
Hardcover Book22$0Use weeded children’s chapter books (thicker books ~300 pages work best). 1 book per kit.
Furry Material (light brown)1 Yard$60Measure and cut material against each individual book. Cut enough so it can wrap around, covering the front, spine, and back cover.
Craft Eyespack of 100$154 eyes per kit.
Red Felt3 sheets>$1Cut into strips to act as bookmark tongues.
White Felt2 sheets>$1Cut into rectangles so kids can later cut them into rows of teeth.

Total Cost: ~$75 (or ~$3.50 per kit).

*Patrons will need to supply their own scissors and glue.

Instructions

  1. Remove the dustjacket from the book. Then ensure the fabric will cover the entire outside of the book.

2. Use hot glue or tacky glue to stick the fabric to the book. Begin by gluing down the spine and then continue with the front and back covers. Trim off any overhang.

3. Part the fur about 2/3 of the way down the cover (away from the spine). Brush the back of the part straight up and glue the eyeballs directly into that fur. I promise it’s more secure than it sounds!

4. Cut a triangle out of the red felt to make it look like a bookmark tongue and glue it somewhere near the middle of the book.

5. Use the felt to cut out two rows of teeth. Glue one row to the inside of the front cover and the other row to the inside of the back cover.

6. Use your fingers to bend the felt in place so they don’t awkwardly stick straight out of the mouth.

7. Give your monster a hair cut near it’s mouth so you can better see it’s teeth and tongue!

When you’re all done, you’ll have a Monster Book of Monsters that would bring a happy tear to Hagrid’s eye.

There are so many variations on how this project can be completed and what materials you can use – this is just the version that makes me the happiest. But if you’ve made a MBOM too – what did you use? And how did it go?