DREAMING OF YOU is Born!

Happy Book Birthday to Us!

March 6, 2018

I am so happy to share that today is the book birthday of DREAMING OF YOU, my new lullaby book illustrated by talented illustrator Aaron DeWitt.  We have each dedicated this book to people who dream.

DREAMING OF YOU Dedications

This is a rhyming bedtime book all about what animals dream about.  And what do they dream about?  You!

Here is one of the interior spreads...about robins.  Did you ever wonder about robin dreams?

Click to Enlarge

Below is the book trailer, if you'd like to take a peek.  

DREAMING OF YOU Book Trailer

Aaron was generous enough to write all about his process of illustrating this book.  If you'd like to read his words, you may do so at my website HERE.  There is more about the book including snips of reviews, HERE.

I feel very fortunate to have been paired with Aaron and to have worked with editors Rebecca Davis and Mary Colgan on the text of this book.  And I am so thankful to Kerry McManus at Boyds Mills Press for all of her marketing wisdom. A book takes a team.

We are grateful to people who have shared DREAMING OF YOU with corners of the world.  You can read a review at The Baby Bookworm if you wish.

You may also see my list of 10 Books about Falling Asleep with Animals at Pragmatic Mom.  There is a giveaway going on there for the next few weeks, so please enter if you wish!

And if you are a teacher or parent on Twitter, please know that we are holding a giveaway for this book, running through March 13.  This giveaway is only running on Twitter, and the information is below.  I can be found on Twitter @amylvpoemfarm.

I have been dreaming of this book for a few years, and now it is here!  Thank you for stopping by The Poem Farm and for being such good friends. I wish you all sweet dreams!

xoxo,

Amy

Please share a comment below if you wish.

If you are under 13 years old, please comment only with a parent 

or as part of a group with your teacher and class.

Happy Book Birthday to READ! READ! READ!

My Family's Deacon's Bench

Photo by Amy LV

Students - When I was a little girl, my mom would regularly take my sister Heidi and me to the Vestal Public Library. We loved selecting our own books, and sometimes we even checked out sculptures, displaying them in our home for a week or two. (I distinctly remember the bunny sculpture...we checked it out several times.)  Sometimes Mom would go to the library without us, to refresh our book stock, and when she did, she'd pile up our books - one pile for Heidi, one pile for me - on this bench which lived in our front hall.

Today's book birthday celebration poem is about an object.  We are always surrounded by objects - inside and outside.  If you ever feel stuck for a writing idea, just pick one of those objects you see - I do this often. Follow your mind. If you wait, something will always show up on your page.

This bench you see above now lives in our home in Holland, NY.  I giggled as I filled it with my copies of my new book with talented illustrator Ryan O'Rourke for today's birthday of READ! READ! READ!  Back when I was a girl, I never would have imagined that this dream would come true, that I would write a book that lived on library shelves.  I never imagined that I'd have the opportunity to dedicate a book to a son, the little brother of our home...

Dedication Page of READ! READ! READ!

(Click to Enlarge)

Yes, children turn into grown-ups...and I did too.  And it's true that we never know what the days and years will bring. Yet I have learned this - if we hang on dearly to what we love doing and making, we learn about ourselves, and sometimes we have chances to share what we learn. I feel lucky to share these poems, to have been part of a team with amazing editor Rebecca Davis, fabulous illustrator Ryan O'Rourke, and all of the completely wonderful people at Wordsong/Boyds Mills Press.  Thank you to my best-ever agent Elizabeth Harding at Curtis Brown Ltd.  Thank you, all! 

To read more about our new book, please visit these bloggers who have posted about READ! READ! READ!  Much gratitude, friends, for these kind posts.

Tara Smith at a Teaching Life

Irene Latham at Live Your Poem

Linda Baie at TeacherDance

Lorraine Magee at Miss Magee's Reads

Boyds Mills Press (donating books) and I (signing and shipping books) are holding a giveaway for this book, joyfully illustrated by Ryan O'Rourke. This giveaway runs through tomorrow, September 20, and there will be five winners of one signed book each.  You may enter HERE.

Thank you so much for stopping by to celebrate with me...today and on all of the days that we share poems together.  I am very grateful for you, my poemfriends, and never more than on a day of celebration.

xo,
Amy

Amazing Book Cookie by MamaSeuffertSweets

Photo by Amy LV

Please share a comment below if you wish.

If you are under 13 years old, please comment only with a parent 

or as part of a group with your teacher and class.