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IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE: Cover Reveal Part One

Hello Kid Lit Village blog readers! I’ve been interviewing children’s book authors since 2020, sharing book covers and chats with authors and illustrators, most of whom are traditionally published. And I’ve learned a great deal about writing picture books, resources, and the entire publishing industry from the Kid Lit community. I’m so appreciative of that!

I’m sharing my joy for this debut book with our publisher, Yeehoo Press, Helen Wu, and Luyang Xue. I’m sharing it with my critique partners, some of whom have been with me on this journey since 2017. I’m sharing it with my mentor, Jean E. Pendziwol. I’m sharing it with my promo groups: Kids Book Crew and Picture Books, Eh? And I’m sharing it with all my past Kid Lit Village guests who have shared their journey with me.

What a pleasure it is to share with you the first part of our Cover Reveal for my debut in traditional publishing, IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE, available for pre-order now!

This will be a two part cover reveal.

Why? Because we want to give readers a chance to give YOUR input into which cover you prefer. Yes, we are giving you a chance to vote! Vikki Zhang is an incredibly talented illustrator and I feel so incredibly lucky to have her illustrations accompanying my words. The detail, the gorgeous lines and colour choices, and the additional layer of storytelling is going to be such a treat. I am beyond thrilled to share her two covers for the book with you. And I can’t wait to hear what you think.

Before you vote, you should know what the book is all about.

IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE by Cynthia Mackey and Vikki Zhang

A thoughtful tale of mindfulness and our interconnectedness with nature.

The story delves into how we can embrace our fears and uncertainties through a deeper understanding of the creatures around us. It highlights the delicate yet profound bond we share with even the smallest beings, like a bumblebee. Through engaging narrative and stunning visuals, the book teaches children to appreciate the natural world and find peace in moments of fear.

A charming and insightful read written by Cynthia Mackey and illustrated by the award-winning illustrator Vikki Zhang, perfect for young minds learning to navigate their emotions and the environment they inhabit.

And now for the two covers… Do you like the black? Or the blue?

Please vote for your choice in the comments or anywhere you see the social media post! We are gathering votes from all over social media and will reveal the winning cover during pollinator week, June 17 – 24! I can’t wait to find out your votes. Thanks so much for following my journey and supporting me through writing and querying. I cannot believe how supportive the writing community has been.

Finally, I’m BUZZING with excitement to share the pre-order link…

for IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE!

Visit my author website to find out more about me!

Wednesday’s Inspiration

Wednesday’s Inspiration

April is Poetry Month

Hello Lovely blog readers!

As poetry month comes to an end, I wanted to share a few of my poems with you. This one, A Recipe for Summer Adventures, appeared in Little Thoughts Press on the opening page of the Hit the Road Issue for summer of 2022. Not that I want to rush past spring, but I do enjoy all the things we can do in the summer!

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Cindy Mackey (@books.by.cindy)

Instagram Books.by.Cindy

And here’s one I wrote for #HaikuSaturday…

And finally, one from the Dirigible Balloon…

Paint the Sky

write a poem
paint the sky

watch the clouds drift
feel them cry

splash in mud puddles
jump with glee

a spoonful of mud
makes chocolate tea

I hope you’ve had a great poetry month. I have more poems on The Dirigible Balloon and two poems appearing in The Toy, nature edition.

Thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed them and that you found plenty of ways to celebrate April, which is also the month I was born so for a couple of reasons it’s probably my favourite month of the year.

Who’s the blogger behind Kid Lit Village?

Cynthia Mackey is the author of of Katie Shaeffer Pancake Maker and The Lullaby Monsters and her poetry appears in The Toy, The Dirigible Balloon, and Little Thoughts Press. Her debut picture book, If a Bumblebee Lands on Your Toe is forthcoming with Yeehoo Press in 2025. http://www.booksbycindy.com

COVER REVEAL VOTE: Team Blue or Team Black?

Hello Lovely blog readers!

Welcome back to the Kid Lit Village blog. Today I’m going to take a moment to talk about our own book cover and making a decision between two color options. So many people helped with voting on the two gorgeous covers for IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE, created artfully by Vikki Zhang. I really appreciate everyone’s input. As you will see, Vikki is incredibly talented and I feel so grateful to have her illustrations paired with my words.

Here are the two covers in case you haven’t seen them.

IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE by Cynthia Mackey and Vikki Zhang

A thoughtful tale of mindfulness and our interconnectedness with nature.

There were basically three groups of voters/opinions.

Group 1. Both are gorgeous and you can’t go wrong with either option.

Group 2. Team Black – People who chose the black made comments like, it stands out better on the black, it’s easier to see the author and illustrator names and title, or it’s more reminiscent of a bumblebee.

Group 3. Team Blue- People who chose the blue were either children or thought it was more child friendly, many commented on the exceptionally gorgeous shade of blue and many said blue makes more sense because it is like daytime or blue sky.

We’ve chosen to make the official announcement during Pollinator Week – June 17-24. I’m excited to share the news with you!

I will announce the results of the vote and the final cover reveal here and across all my social media platforms. I hope whichever group you fall into that you’ll join us on TEAM BUMBLEBEE moving forward. I am incredibly grateful for everyone’s support.

Thank you for following Kid Lit Village and for following me, the author behind the blog!

Cynthia Mackey is the author of of Katie Shaeffer Pancake Maker and The Lullaby Monsters and her poetry appears in The Toy, The Dirigible Balloon and Little Thoughts Press. Her debut picture book, If a Bumblebee Lands on Your Toe is forthcoming with Yeehoo Press in spring of 2025. http://www.booksbycindy.com

Wednesday’s Inspiration: The Path Towards Love

Fear is something I think about a lot. Anxiety too. It’s something I’ve had to deal with myself and and in support of my loved ones. If you have young children or aging parents, you probably know what I mean. So how do we find a way through fear?

My debut picture book is about overcoming fear and anxiety by using mindfulness and a connection to nature. It will be released in 2024. It’s title: IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE. I’m so excited for this book to be out in the world and I sincerely hope it will help children and families find a way through the fear. I believe in the power of nature to heal.

When researching comparative titles I found some good books about being brave, like Jabari Jumps by Gaia Cornwall and After the Fall by Dan Santat. Both of those are excellent picture books and I love reading them. There’s so many layers to overcoming anxiety and being brave. The one thing different about my bumblebee book is that it deals with things out of our control. If we want to be brave about climbing up a wall or jumping off a diving board, we can plan for doing those things, think ahead, develop a strategy even. But some things, like the bumblebee, come into our lives and we have ABSOLUTELY ZERO CONTROL over what is going to happen. That’s what my book is about. So much of life is out of our control and we do need to find ways to cope with those stressful events.

The pandemic brought with it fear and anxiety, the threat of contracting COVID when there was so little known about it ruled our lives. It brought us indoors, limiting contact with others. That lack of social contact kept us isolated. And we know fear and anxiety can grow in isolation. Although COVID is less of a threat now, there will always be something to fear. I hope you can find a way through the fear and towards love and healing. I believe the pathway to love is inside all of us.

Thanks for stopping by the blog. Have a wonderful day!

If you’re curious about books by Cynthia Mackey and Paula Nasmith, please subscribe to my newsletter.

Kid Lit Village: Unicycle Dad

Hello Lovely Readers, welcome to Kid Lit Village blog where I interview authors and illustrators of picture books and beyond. I hope our Monday interviews will help you discover new books you’d love to read with your children or add to your home library. Today, I’m happy to feature Sarah Hovorka, author of UNICYCLE DAD, illustrated by Alicia Schwab, published by Amicus.

Sarah knows her unicycle-riding dad is special–even as Sarah cooks, takes care of her brother, and does homework on her own. When her dad finally graduates from high school, gets a second job, and eventually lands a promotion, Sarah realizes there’s so much more that’s special about him. Unicycle Dad shares the inherent struggles and quiet joys of a single-parent, impoverished household. Raised by a single, teenage father in poverty, author Sarah Hovorka grew up in a family structure lived by many but seldom represented in children’s books. Illustrator Alicia Schwab captures the story with warm, expressive art.

Welcome to the blog, Sarah. I’m wondering what appeals to you about writing/illustrating books for children?

I love books of all kinds and I never stopped reading children’s literature even as I grew into adulthood. When I started seriously writing I found that my voice came out most naturally and interestingly when writing for children. This doesn’t surprise me as I find it easier to talk with children than adults.

It seems like you are a natural to write for children! Did anything from your childhood influence this book?

Absolutely! This whole book is influenced by my childhood, especially those things that stood the test of time and still influence me to this day. My father is a curious person with a strong drive for success, so he has had lots of interesting hobbies over the years, including riding the unicycle.

That’s such a fun and interesting hobby. Is there a scene for this book you really enjoyed creating?

Describing how the unicycle falls forward and backward when first getting it going, and the feeling of formidable height when atop it…it was a blast to reconnect with those feelings of wonder, fear, and bravery. I hope readers will find delight in that opening scene.

Sarah’s Dad riding his unicycle with Sarah’s son on his shoulders

Cool! I have not ever tried to ride a unicycle – it sounds challenging and fun!

Sarah Hovorka is the author of picture books, novels, and short stories for children. In addition to writing, Sarah works in the public sector and spends her free time reading, homeschooling, and playing video and board games with her husband and three sons in California. You can find out more about her, her books, and follow her blog at www.SarahHovorka.com or connect with her on:

X (formerly Twitter) https://twitter.com/HovorkaSarah

IG https://www.instagram.com/authorsarahhovorka/

FB https://www.facebook.com/SarahHovorkaAuthor/

Who’s the blogger behind Kid Lit Village?

Kid Lit Village Review: Métis Like Me

Hello Lovely blog readers,

I’m excited to share my book review of Métis Like Me by Tasha Hilderman and Risa Hugo. Tasha has been a critique partner of mine since 2018 and we met through the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge. This is Tasha Hilderman’s debut picture book. It released earlier this week!

A bit of background…

What readers might not know is that in 2018 and 2019, I made it my mission to learn more about being a leader in my field of Early Years Education. I was still writing but developing my leadership skills was important to me so I sought out opportunities to do exactly that. One opportunity came through the Early Childhood Educators of B.C. and I was able to do their Leadership training. As a result, I started thinking more deeply about Truth and Reconciliation and the call to action for Canadians. I am a settler on this land and do not have Indigenous roots; however, I have been learning what I can about the land we live on and ways we can give back to the land and show gratitude for the Indigenous ways of knowing and being on the land.

Why this book is important…

This journey has led me to understand more deeply how incredibly important Tasha Hilderman’s Métis Like Me is for today’s children. The Métis people have been a forgotten people and I find that to be sad and tragic. Their history has been lost and books like Tasha’s are helping bring back the unique culture and history that needs to be honoured and celebrated. The way Tasha celebrates all the different ways of being Métis (or not being Métis) is beautiful. This book is for EVERYONE. Please don’t think it is only for you if you are Métis.

This book is for all people from all cultures. If you buy this book and share it with others, you’ll be taking one step towards healing and our move in Canada towards Truth and Reconciliation. Learning about people and culture is a critical part of building empathy and a peaceful society.

Every Canadian classroom needs this book! School libraries need multiple copies. Make sure your school has one.

Book Synopsis:

Whether or not you’re Métis, there’s so much to experience and learn about this amazing Indigenous culture — take a picture book journey into Métis crafts, music and cooking with friends who love to share.

Are you Métis like me? A group of children of Métis descent share and explore all the ways they celebrate and experience their heritage — enjoying traditional foods like bannock bread and Saskatoon berries; crafting with beads; sharing stories, dance, music and songs. Each child shares a different way they enjoy honoring their backgrounds and weaving parts of the rich tapestry that makes up Métis culture. One child, though, has grown up disconnected from their history, and can’t join in with the others in the same way. But they soon see it’s never too late to learn, celebrate or become a part of a community in which Métis and non-Métis alike can discover the richness of an often-overlooked culture.

This rhythmic, jubilant book will encourage young readers of all backgrounds to celebrate their own heritage and learn more about Métis history, and contains back matter including an author’s note, recipe and dictionary to further inspire.

My Review:

What a thrill to read the advanced copy of this much needed book. The Métis culture has been sadly overlooked and should not be forgotten. The beadwork in the illustrations by Risa Hugo is gorgeous and Tasha Hilderman has successfully shown readers what it can mean to be Métis, from fishing, to making bannock, to picking Saskatoon berries, there is an opportunity for non-Métis readers to learn and for Métis readers to see themselves in a picture book. Learn about and celebrate the story telling traditions, the songs and the dances in this beautiful picture book for young readers.

Who’s the blogger behind Kid Lit Village?

Wednesday’s Inspirational Quote

It’s not going to be published until 2024, but my debut picture book, IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE, deals with fear. I’ve always believed it important to not allow fear to take over when making decisions. Hopefully my book will help people overcome fear. I truly believe if we foster our connection to nature, that can be a great starting point to moving beyond fear and gaining courage. Add mindfulness to that nature connection, and you have a powerful combination. May you face your fears with courage.

Have a wonderful day!

If you’re curious about books by Cynthia Mackey and Paula Nasmith, please subscribe to my newsletter.

Poetry Month: Earth and Ocean Theme

Hello Lovely Blog Readers,

I’m here to tell you about my hopes for poetry month – did you know that April is poetry month? Well, now you do. For the past few years, I have written or read or revised at least one poem each day for the month of April. I love the challenge and I hope you might consider doing it with me.

Here’s a haiku of mine that fits the Earth Day theme: Planet vs. Plastics

Poetry Month…

It was during poetry month that I started writing IF A BUMBLEBEE LANDS ON YOUR TOE, by me and Vikki Zhang. The book began as a poem in April of 2021 and with feedback from my amazing critique partners, it evolved into a picture book. It is available now for pre-order and by the way, pre-orders really help authors because they all count towards sales on release day!

The Acrostic Advent Challenge…

Okay, back to the poetry. So in December of 2023, I had fun with the Advent Acrostic Challenge and it was such a pleasure to find so many writing friends joining in that challenge to write 24 poems as a countdown to Christmas. Sharing and reading each other’s poems was fun even during the busy holiday season. I’m thinking of doing some daily prompts again for next year. I guess I might have started something. Joyce Uglow was an enthusiastic participant and is now one of my critique partners and part of our group, Cheetah Force (which also includes Jamie Bills, Cedar Pruitt, and Maureen Egan).

Joyce invites us to join the challenge to celebrate Earth Day and advocate to protect our planet.

She had the idea to start a poetry challenge this April related to Earth Day! I’m going to jump on board with the Earth Day theme, since it’s close to my heart.

Joyce challenges us to scatter our seeds of thought in her instagram post to celebrate #EarthDay on April 22nd #PlanetvsPlastics is the theme!

Can you write one poem per day for a better Earth? I’d love to read your poems if you choose to share them in the comments. Share them with the world for a better planet. Maybe you’re a teacher and you’d like to challenge your class! Let’s do this!

So far I am keeping up and I have my first two poetry drafts completed. You can jump in at any time – there’s no contest, the challenge is just for your own fun.

Who’s the blogger behind Kid Lit Village?