CONGRATULATIONS, Jany Campana!!!  You are the winner of a copy of BLUE RIDGE BABIES by Laura Sperry Gardner!  I know you'll enjoy this sweet rollicking animal counting mountain book!  Be sure to leave a review if you enjoy it, request it at your library, etc.! :-). Thanks, Laura, for the generous giveaway, and thank you Jany for your constant support of PBJamz!

Diane and I talk PB biographies, writing process, music, the inspiration of women who came before us and more!  Check out our conversation below!

This PB biography is full of excitement and derring-do; the story of a young woman who blasted all the barriers for women -- what they wore, what they did, and many other "glass ceilings" that plagued women, particularly in her time period.  She wrote music -- big, powerful music, and she is remembered well for her contributions in this book by Diane Worthey.  A story-worthy heroine, Ethel Smyth paved the way not only for female musicians, but also for women voters and for women in general.  The perfect addition to a study of the suffragette movement, women's history month (March; incidentally also Music in Our Schools Month) or female composers, opera, or lots of other topics.

One of Ethel Smyth's most memorable pieces -- "The March of the Women" sung by women -- shoulder to shoulder and friend to friend.  Enjoy this beautiful version of this amazing song!

History 

• Women's suffragette movement and history
• Timelines
• Women's history -- expectations, limitations, change over time

Math

• Use timeline to solve problems.

ELA

• Onomatopoeia
• Features of text
• Vocabulary (Look for the words in different font. Why are they different?  Blend features of text with vocabulary.)

​Here are some writer tips:


* Revise, Revise, Revise: Musicians do this all of the time. Do the same with your writing. Sometimes I work for hours on one sentence or one paragraph.
In picture books, every word is golden. Every word counts.


I put my manuscripts through my critique group at least 3 times before submitting to agents/publishers.
Writing is ultimately a group project- you don't have to change things you don't agree with, but try what your fellow writers suggest and see if it improves the manuscript.


* Be persistent : My first book was rejected 13 times before it found a home in the right publisher. My second book also had many rejections before it was picked up by a publisher.

* Think of layers you can add to your book. For RISE UP WITH A SONG, I used the lyrics to the public domain music The March of the Women to inspire my text.

* When writing, think in scenes. Imagine an illustrator trying to illustrate your scenes. Do your words help an illustrator? Write what you mean. Publishers often take out illustrator notes in a manuscript.

* The title to a picture book is key to setting the tone of the book. If you are inspired by your title, it will inform your writing.
As an exercise, try different titles and see how they inform your writing.

* Read your manuscript out loud to see if it flows in a musical way. Have someone read your manuscript to you. You will hear things differently this way.

* Attend SCBWI workshops where you can submit a manuscript to an agent. Be persistent in nudging the agent (nicely) to give you feedback.

Pinterest board with more info about Ethel Smyth and various songs and activities
YouTube playlist with videos and songs relating to Ethel Smyth
​

If you were hosting a 1910 English tea something like these yummy peanut butter and jelly bars might be on the menu.  If not, they would be a delicious accompaniment to an afternoon of music of Ethel Smyth -- or anyone else.   Enjoy! And check out more great recipes from Kitchen Fun with My 3 Sons!

To purchase RISE UP WITH A SONG at Amazon 
                                                                     at Barnes and Noble
Link to Kirkus starred review
Diane's website
Diane's Twitter
​

Diane is offering a picture book critique as a giveaway for this episode.  Comment below for a chance to win a critique!

Be sure to leave reviews, request these PBJamz books for your library, and share out the ones you love on social media, as well as to your friends and family!

Congratulations to Brian and Steena Hernandez for winning copies of BUILDING AN ORCHESTRA OF HOPE by Carmen Oliver!  I know you will both enjoy this amazing book!  If you do enjoy it, please consider leaving reviews, requesting it at your local libraries, and sharing by word of mouth with people who might also enjoy it..

Laura Sperry Gardner's debut picture book is charming and beautiful and multi-layered. It takes a traditional children's song and changes the setting and the animals, fills it full of vocabulary, content, and combines all of that with beautiful illustrations, charm and sweet animals that kids are going to love.  As a bonus, some of the animals will be new to them, and children's interest will be sparked to learn even more!  

In this interview, Laura shares freely about her process.  It's a fabulous interview for anyone who hasn't gotten their "yes" yet.  There are so many wonderful tips for aspiring authors!  It's a goldmine of excellent advice!

This book is beautiful, sweet, multi-layered, and a refreshing change from the well-used "Over in the Meadow" song and books.   This book uses gorgeous, strong vocabulary, with a nice mix of words kids will know and words for kids to learn. The counting aspect is a nice layer.  Laura uses lots of  great words to discuss the homes of the various animals.  Kids will love all the animals, and throw in the fact that it is singable and the book is well-worth the money you'll pay for it!  Pick up a copy from the links below or at your favorite bookseller. If you read it an enjoy it, please consider leaving a review for the book on your favorite site.  It is a beautiful way to help authors out! You can review even if you don't purchase the book.  Check it out from your library if you prefer, and then leave Laura a review.

I already loved the book, but hearing this sweet musical version sung by Nikki made me love it even more! Perfect for teachers to use in their classrooms before or after reading the book!
​But also perfect for families, preschool teachers, daycare workers, music teachers and more!

Math

• ​Preschool/kinder -- counting to 10

Science

• Life cycles
  • Comparing and contrasting
    • Mammals
    • fish
    • birds
    • amphibians
• Animal behavior

ELA

• Lots of vocabulary
  • place words (homes for animals)
  • baby animal names
  • collective nouns
• Sequencing

Since this book is based on a song, it makes perfect sense to use it in a music classroom.  There are lots of ways you could do so:

• Read the book; then sing it.
  • Tap a steady beat (Tap it on your lap, play it on rhythm sticks, etc)
  • Create a simple percussion play-along
• Sing it and have students act it out, draw it, or respond to it in another way
• Compare different versions of "over in the meadow" and "over in the blue ridge"
• sing songs about the various animals you might find in the Blue Ridge
• For preschool and kinder, you could include this with other counting to 10 songs
• Integrate with science/social studies and focus on baby animal names; pull in other songs that relate to baby animals.

YouTube playlist with several teaching activities, book review, interview with Laura and more!
Pinterest board of wildlife in the Blue Ridge Mountains
​Pinterest board with items related to the book: Blue Ridge animals, teaching activities, other versions of the song and more!

When I think about BLUE RIDGE BABIES, I think about camping, since the Blue Ridge Mountains are one of our favorite places to go camping!  And when I think about camping, I think about S'Mores, so the perfect PBJamz recipe for this week is this one for these delightful-looking PBJ S'Mores!  The next time you find yourself around the campfire -- or the fire pit, give these a try, and then check out all the other yums available at PureWow.com