Author Spotlight: Kelly DiPucchio

About a year ago, the most adorable book came home with Elsa in her backpack. My 5 year old had picked it out with the help of her classroom teacher and school librarian. The book? Gaston. The author? Kelly DiPucchio. 

Gaston - published in 2014, but new to our family - quickly climbed my looooong list of favorite picture books. (Here's a favorite Gaston moment, as highlighted in my #ChildrensBookWeek roundup.) Today, this book is one of my favorite gifts to give when helping new parents build their baby's library. I also love giving Antoinette, DiPucchio's sequel to Gaston (published in 2017). Both books feature gorgeous and unforgettable illustrations by Caldecott Honoree Christian Robinson.

DiPucchio's adorable white pups Gaston and Antoinette, and their family tales, are emblematic of what this fabulous author does so brilliantly. She masterfully delivers characters that warm our hearts and solve problems with ingenuity, determination and hope.

Manny is the star of DiPucchio's new book Super Manny Stands Up! My-oh-my, what a special little raccoon, illustrated so sweetly by Stephanie Graegin.

An adventurer with an enormous imagination, Manny dons super hero capes after school to fight bad guys of every ilk. Whether taking on zombie bears or unsavory sea creatures, Manny stands up and conquers with gusto.

He is strong. He is brave. He is fearless.   

However, Manny's invincibility is tested when the mean, towering Tall One at school picks on a classmate one-eighth his size. Will Manny stand up and face injustice? Or will he stay silent and glued to his seat?

The story - which hit awfully close to home for me this week - resolves in the most thrilling manner as Manny, buoyed by his invisible cape and true courage, not only overcomes his personal fears but also motivates an entire lunch room of kids to stand up for what is right.

It's now my distinct pleasure to introduce Kelly DiPucchio (@kellydipucchio), author of the aforementioned titles, and more than a dozen more. A huge thank you to you, Kelly, for sharing Manny with us all, as well as answers to these three Author Spotlight questions.

3 Questions with Kelly DiPucchio

My girls hung on every word of Super Manny Stands Up! and were especially drawn in by the colored capes and their unique purposes. How did this idea, and the themes of the evil forces, come to you? 

Thank you! I’m delighted to hear your girls enjoyed the story. To be honest, I’m not completely sure how any of the themes in any of my stories come to me. When I’m truly in the zone, I’m pretty much taking dictation and writing down the stories I’m hearing in my head. That being said you can find some connecting threads within the different evil forces I created for Manny. For example, when Manny is wearing his blue cape he’s busy saving the world from an ocean of unsavory sea creatures. It’s not a stretch to see the link between the color blue and his aquatic enemies. Likewise, when Manny is taking on the forest giants he’s naturally wearing a green cape. I also imagined everyday items Manny might have in his home that could become potential adversaries like teddy bears, pillows and cardboard boxes. Those items ultimately transformed into zombie bears, cloud monsters and alien robots.

The pacing makes for a great read-along experience. The moment Manny stands up for the Small One is perfect (from the first use of his tiny voice, until it builds and the whole lunch room joins). How do kids respond to this scene when you read the book aloud?

I have read Super Manny to smaller groups at bookstore events and it’s been fun. Like with any new book, it takes me several reads to find that “sweet spot” – knowing when to pause, how long to pause, when to raise my voice and when to whisper. But the tension in this particular story really does have a nice build so it’s been great watching the different expressions on the children’s faces as the lunchroom drama unfolds.

Why do you think it is so hard for kids (and adults) to remember their invisible capes and stand up when things aren't right? 

In a nutshell, FEAR. Kids (and adults) are often leery of drawing attention to themselves for fear they’ll be judged. It takes a lot of strength and bravery to allow yourself to be vulnerable – to put someone else’s needs above your own need to feel safe. When kids see courage and kindness being modeled by their parents and peers it empowers them to override their fears and to be more empathetic. There’s also strength in numbers as we see in Super Manny Stands Up! I hope that kids hearing the story realize they, too, can be a catalyst for good and a superhero like Manny by standing up when things aren’t right.

Super Manny Stands Up! can be purchased in bookstores nationwide, as well as online through the bookseller of your choice. You also can enter to WIN an autographed copy!!!

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Author Spotlight: Alastair Heim

Happy Father's Day, papas everywhere: This day is for you! I was lucky to spend this Father's Day with my dad, Bill - doing the things that our family loves most: boating, floating, grilling and chilling. The lake is our happy place. Love you, Dad!

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Father's Day also provides a great opportunity to spotlight a writer whose work is shaped by his role as a dad. I hope you enjoy this Author Spotlight on Alastair Heim.

Meet Alastair!

Alastair and I met on Twitter (a fantastic forum for published and aspiring authors), and we connected as picture book writers, Kansas City fans and proud parents of three daughters. Without question, Alastair's daughters are the driving force behind his picture book work, and he has three awesome titles that reflect his love of kidlit and, most of all, his girls.

Here are Alastair's 3 fantastic books:

Love You, Too was Alastair's first children's book (published by Little Bee Books in December 2016, illustrated by Alisa Coburn). It features a dad and daughter finishing each other's sentences as they move through their day. 

No Tooting at Tea is Alastair's second children's book (published by HMH/Clarion Books in April 2017, illustrated by Sara Not). This is the tale of a perfectly proper tea party that goes wrong when someone keeps breaking the "no tooting" rule.

The Great Puppy Invasion will be published by HMH/Clarion Books on October 3rd, 2017 (illustrated by Kim Smith). This title is about what happens when a horde of puppies shows up in Strictville, a no-fun town that has never seen pups before.

Now, it's my pleasure to share a bit more about Alastair and his books...

Finishing each other's sentences is a hallmark of father-daughter closeness. What has fatherhood taught you about what kids need from their dad? How does your book LOVE YOU, TOO demonstrate this?

Thank you, Anitra, for the chance to answer these questions! Being a dad has been the greatest privilege and learning experience of my life. I couldn't have anticipated just how much my kids would influence EVERYTHING my wife and I now do - down to the simplest decisions we make (what color of cup do you want for your milk?). I think what my kids need most from me, other than my unconditional love and goofball ways, is consistent and open communication. While my children are still pretty young, they have good days and bad days and, when I get home from work, I want to hear about all of it. If something went wrong at school, I try to make sure they know they can always tell me about it. When things go well at their various activities or practices, I want to celebrate those achievements with them, too - even in the tiniest of ways.  

We all get busy with the daily grind of parenthood and some days are harder than others. But I think spending a little time, each day, one on one with my kids is super important. I'm not always perfect about it, but it's always top of mind for me. LOVE YOU, TOO is really an aspirational reflection of how much time I wish I could spend with my kids all day, every day. But, the world doesn't work like that for most of us, which is why this book is so, so special for my family and me. Especially when we read it together at bedtime.

Kids love pretending to be in our big-person world, but they are also the first to giggle in the face of our stuffy rules. In NO TOOTING AT TEA, potty humor delivers the laugh. Did you hesitate before jumping into a toot book?

The inspiration for NO TOOTING AT TEA came directly from an imaginary tea party I was lucky enough to be at - which was also attended by two of the loveliest little ladies I've ever known (wink).  The hostess was throwing a perfectly proper party when, all of the sudden, one of the other guests broke the most sacred of tea party rules - they TOOTED. Without hesitation, the hostess calmly declared that, "There's no tooting at tea," and I excitedly declared, "That's brilliant...I need to write a book called THAT!"

The reality of things, and anyone with daughters will tell you this, is that girls TOOT, too.  Always have, always will. TOOTING has been the source of uproarious laughter in our household and I never, for a second, have thought it was a subject reserved solely for one gender. While it's true that most books written on the matter have been targeted toward boys, my story always featured girls as the main characters. And to be completely honest, I don't consider NO TOOTING AT TEA to be a flatulence book for the pure sake of flatulence. If you're really paying attention to the story, it's a book about sibling dynamics and, ultimately, sisterly forgiveness - with a little bit of tooting along the way. Okay, A LOT of tooting. I have been absolutely thrilled and humbled by the responses to the book, especially from parents of girls.

In THE GREAT PUPPY INVASION, puppies show up in Strictville and (presumably!) turn the town's frowns upside down. How does humor play into your family's dynamic? And how does it find its way into your books?

Humor is, by far, the most abundant natural resource in our family (besides love, of course). Laughter is the common language we all speak as humans, and cracking jokes has always been my trusty go-to to ensure that frowny faces disappear - even from a very young age. I use humor a lot in my daily life to connect with people, relate to others and, oftentimes, to diffuse tension. I am a huge fan of comedy and draw a lot of humor from my surroundings - especially from my friends and family. When it comes to making new friends, in fact, I can usually tell pretty quickly whether I'm going to gel with someone or not, just by what they find funny. And when it comes to family, I knew I wanted to marry my wife right when we first started dating, after she thought a t-shirt I was wearing was funny. The shirt had a cartoon on it that I found hilarious, but no one (before her) had EVER found funny. The more I have in common with people on the "HA-HA" scale, the better. I still have that t-shirt, too.

Because humor is such an important part of my life, I think it naturally shows up in my writing. Having read hundreds of picture books to my kids over the years, I've learned a lot about what does and doesn't make a good read-aloud experience. Because of that, I'm always trying to make my stories as clever and enjoyable as possible - for parents and kids alike.  

My family loves puppies. Who doesn't really? While we don't currently have a dog in our household, my wife and I had three dogs before our kids were born. While THE GREAT PUPPY INVASION was ultimately influenced by my late Whippets (Pike, Daisy and Dopple), the inspiration for the story came from a piece of art I happened upon a few years ago. There is a sculpture of six dogs, stacked "cheerleader pyramid" style, where I work. One day, I looked at it and thought, "Hundreds of puppies suddenly show up in a town that has never seen puppies before." I got home and immediately started writing the manuscript. The thought of how ridiculous puppy behavior is (when you really stop and think about it) and how confusing it would be if you were experiencing puppies for the first time, was hilarious to me. I am really proud of how this book turned out and cannot wait for people to read it.

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Thank you, Alastair, for sharing these fantastic insights and stories! You can order copies of Alastair's books at Barnes & Noble, Amazon, IndieBound and Books-A-Million, and through the websites of each book's publisher.

Connect with Alastair: Twitter: @alastairheim // Website: www.alastairheim.com 

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Author Spotlight: Amy E. Mason

Before I became facilitator of Masterpiece Moms - a faith-based program for moms of kids with special needs at FBCG in Geneva, Ill. - the role was held by Masterpiece Moms co-creator Amy E. Mason.

If you don't know Amy, lemme just tell you: She is lovely. Inside and out. She has the most peaceful, sunny, patient and kind demeanor of anyone I can ever recall meeting. Every time I attended Masterpiece Moms as a guest, she welcomed me warmly and led the group in the most beautiful prayers. 

When I was asked to fill Amy's shoes, after she moved to the West Coast, I was SO NERVOUS. Amy made leading Masterpiece Moms look effortless. In fact, for her, it may have been! She has a tremendous gift for bringing people closer to the Lord.

So even though it was a COMPLETE surprise when I recently learned that Amy - so modest of her own accomplishments - is actually a well-known Christian author, it shouldn't have been. Amy's books, which collectively have sold more than one million copies, include God's Daily Promises for Women, 365 Pocket Prayers for Women and TouchPoints for Women. 

Amy's latest book, Bible Promises for Parents of Children with Special Needs, was released on APRIL 1 (Tyndale). I have a copy, and it has already been a tremendous blessing!

Here's the gorgeous cover...  

There are 132 topics in Bible Promises for Parents of Children with Special Needs, including hundreds of promises from God's Word. For me personally, her entries on Affirmation, Perseverance and Waiting have been the MOST IMPACTFUL. Here's more about how her fantastic book came to be:

What inspired this book?

When my son was first diagnosed with autism, I was desperate for hope. My schedule quickly became packed with therapy and doctor’s appointments, and I was exhausted and craving answers. I didn’t have the time to sit and do a Bible study, and I didn’t have the time or patience in that season to read a whole chapter book. I was longing for something that would meet my need in a moment, to help me find hope in the times when I was overwhelmed. I had trouble finding a resource that blended the truth of my parenting journey with my faith in God, and was accessible for a busy, stressed mama like me! Since I had written other Bible Promise books in the past, I decided I wanted to write one for other parents like me who were walking a little bit of a different parenting journey. I wanted a place where we could go to find the hope of Christ in any given moment, to give us the encouragement and strength to keep going with joy and courage through the challenges of special needs parenting. It took me three whole years to finally complete!

How did you choose the book's 132 topics?

Choosing the topics was a long process. I drew from my own experience and the experiences of other friends who also have children with special needs. I wanted the topics to be relevant for parents who have children of all abilities but also be very tailored to the unique emotions and situations we go through as special needs parents.

Is there scripture (or a topic highlighted within the book) that you lean on with frequency?

Personally, my favorite story in scripture is found in John 9 verse 3, where Jesus heals a blind man. The disciples ask Jesus why the man was born blind. They want to find out why he was blind, and who was to blame. I relate because it seems like there are so many people searching for the "why" behind disabilities. Why are children born with genetic disorders? Or autism? Jesus answers the question in an unexpected way, “This happened so that the power of God could be seen in him.”

After my son was diagnosed, I kept asking God “Why?” “How did this happen?” I love this scripture because it reminds me to change my perspective. Instead of dwelling on how hard things are (although it’s definitely okay to acknowledge when things are hard!), it reminds me to take a more hopeful perspective forward, to wait expectantly for God to reveal his glory through my son’s life. My son can be a vessel for the world to experience the glory of God. I love that. It helps me stay hopeful when things get tough because it reminds me our issues can become opportunities for God to show himself to us. That is a promise I claim each day, and it has helped to shift my focus over time. (This scripture is found under the topic of DIAGNOSIS in the book.)

One of my favorite topics in the book is NORMAL. It seems like our culture can be obsessed with what’s normal, especially when it comes to child development. Since my son is very high functioning, I find myself always reaching for a sense of normalcy, and just when it feels within my grasp, his needs surge and it reminds me, we’re not your typical family! But in this topic, I explore the idea that God never meant for us to be like everyone else. God’s people were always meant to be different, to have different abilities and to be set apart. Most of us are very aware of how our kids our different, but maybe this is a blessing to never have to wrestle with the illusion of normalcy. If God calls us to be set apart, he will also equip us and our children to walk a different journey than those around us. I love that our God wants us to be set apart because it gives so much purpose and meaning to being different and helps me embrace my not-so-typical parenting journey! I want to encourage my son to shine in the body and with the abilities that God has given him. I want him to know that he is a blessing and a person of great worth in this world and in the church. The fact that he sometimes stands out is the stage in his life for God’s glory to be seen.

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AMEN! Wow, Amy's perspective never fails to bring me hope and inspiration. If you or someone you know would benefit from some of this LIGHT, you can pick up your copy of Bible Promises for Parents of Children with Special Needs at Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Lifeway. ($6.99 paperback)

Connect with Amy on Social: Instagram: @amymasonbooks // Facebook: Amy E. Mason Books

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