Fawning Over Friday: The AWESOME Dallas Clayton

I think I have posted before on my love for Children’s books. I love the messages, the stories, and I love the art. Well Dallas Clayton’s books are part of my big pile of Children’s Book love pool. (??) I dig the self-publishedness of his first book An Awesme Book. Dallas wrote and illustrated this book for his son and then made a few extra copies to sell. And when they sold he made a few more. And when they sold… And then he wrote another to thank everyone for sharing in the awesomeness – An Awesome Book of Thanks.

An Awesome Book of Thanks! from Dallas Clayton on Vimeo.

In short – self publishing = awesome, just doing it = awesome, dreaming = awesome, putting yourself out there = awesome, these adorable books = awesome. That is alot of awesomeness.

Fawning Over Friday: Children’s Author Amy Krouse Rosenthal & Book Birthday Party Inspiration

This morning I made an attempt to get to work before we opened so I could get some much needed work done. But my grumpy pants (due to lack of sleep) decided they would rather plant themselves down in my favorite kid’s bookstore. I left with a bag of goodies and a sunnier disposition.

I love kids books with gorgeous artwork. I love kids books that have lessons illustrated in a clever and delightful way. I love the silliness of some of the stories and the touching and sweetness of other ones. I love that I can enjoy a good kids book just as much as Millie. (Ollie really only likes to taste them right now. I am not really fond of the taste.)

This morning I almost wisked past a “back to school” shelf, when I came across a book by author Amy Krouse Rosenthal. Now, I only know Amy as an artist/maker of experiences. I have been following her mini film work for a couple of years. I knew she was a children’s writer from her video 17 Things I Made, but had never come across her books. I brought my hand up to pull Amy’s book of the shelf, when another customer remarked, “That is a great book. The other ones are just as great.” I may or may not have looked closely at the book were it not for this recommendation. It is a great book. It has explainations of sentiments in a kid friendly analogies like making cookies. ”MODEST means you don’t go around telling everyone you make the best cookies, even if you know it to be true”. Our Millie is just at that age where we have to explain things about having good character but our explainations are too wordy. Cookies – my girl can relate to cookies. We love cookies. So I bought Sugar Cookies – Lessons on Love and One Smart Cookie – Bite Sized Lessons for School Years and Beyond.

I encourage you to find a great children’s bookstore in your area. Chapters, Costco, Walmart - these are not great bookstores. In a great bookstore you have passionate staff who love kids and love reading. In a great bookstore you meet other parents/grandparents/kid people who turn you on to books you have yet to discover. (Nevermind that a great children’s bookstore is often independent and local and that is always a good thing.)

Part Deux: If you are like me and you and your kids love the written word and all things book, here is an inspiring book party idea (& details). I am putting this one in my ideas vault. Even if you bailed on the screening aspect of the party, how great is it asking people to join forces and collect books for those who could use the escape. It also is a great theme for a kids (or adult) birthday party. The invitation could state to bring a copy of a favorite book for the birthday boy/girl. It is personal (asking them to select a favorite and using a bookplate to “sign it”) and cool and reduces the plastic toy pile-up. LOVE IT!!