Erin Dealey

Thank you to all the teachers and librarians who connected with me during #WRAD Feb 1-3.

I had so much fun!

And about that discovery…

My WRAD adventures started on Monday night, Feb. 1st, with a read-aloud of DEAR EARTH…From Your Friends in Room 5 to the eco-friendly International School of Phnom Penh, Cambodia! 

I LOVED meeting with Erika Victor and the 5th grade Earth Heroes in C103, C104, and C107!  It’s so cool that their school is #singleuseplastic FREE.

One of the things I love to do during #WRAD is book-talk books written by #kidlit friends.

Day 2

Day 2 for #WRAD, continued on Feb. 2nd, with 1st graders from “ETown” a school district in the Northwest corner of Lancaster County, Pennsylvania.

You guys–I got up at 6am in California so I could grab a cuppa and change out of my pajamas–and it turned out to be PJ Day at their school! 

(No–that’s not the discovery.)

That night, it was already officially WRAD — ie the next day–when I zoomed with Nermeen Sakkal and the kinders from American School of Jeddah in Saudi Arabia at 9:30pm Pacific.

Thank you Ms. Sakkal. I am always so thrilled to connect

with International schools

and truly read around the world!

Day 3 –#WRAD

Day 3 –officially WRAD–began at 6am with 3rd graders in Florida. Thank you Mrs. Whalen!

Here are some more books I book-talked written & illustrated by wonderful #kidlit friends.

(This is not the discovery either…)

In the zooms with the older kids, I shared FALLING SHORT by Ernesto Cisneros and ROCKS AND MINERALS illustrated by Shiho Pate.

At 8am, I zoomed with Mrs. Hamburg and students from PS 46 in the Bronx NY.

One of my favorite questions from the day:

“Do your books show emotion?”

To answer the question, I read parts of SNOW GLOBE WISHES…. = #community and togetherness.

And then parts of PETER EASTER FROG… for #friendship #joy

…and the “I. Am. The Bunny.” scene where Bunny is NOT very happy!

Speaking of emotions, in the middle of the day, sadly there were some TX school cancellations, due to ICY conditions, but we have rescheduled!

Then it was time to read to the Kinders from Eastern Dr. Charles R. Drew Elementary School, Silver Spring, MD, just outside of Washington DC. (Thanks to Lori Tecler, Media Specialist!)  

Last but certainly not least, I celebrated the end of my #WRAD adventure with two California schools! First up was Greenhills Elementary where I read to Mrs. Hopping’s Birdies. After I read THE HALF BIRTHDAY BOOK, I read Mr. Schu’s THIS IS A SCHOOL (Candlewick / Illus. Veronica Miller Jamison).

PS John’s next book THIS IS A STORY (Illus. Lauren Castillo / Candlewick) will release March 14th and we’re having a Book birthday party on the blog! Don’t miss it!

OK… where were we?

Are you ready for the BIG discovery?

During my last WRAD session, I was reading THE HALF BIRTHDAY BOOK to Mrs. Fong’s students at Mather Elementary, near Sacramento, California, when they saw a SNOWGLOBE on the shelf in one of the illustrations!

The students asked if it was the same snow globe from SNOW GLOBE WISHES (illus. Claire Shorrock/ Sleeping Bear.) —> CHECK IT OUT!!!!!! Even the two girls look alike.

WOW!

As far as I know the two illustrators did NOT plan this, but I certainly plan to ask!

Thanks again to ALL who made #WRAD so…WRAD!

Special thanks to Kate Messner who takes the time to share a list of Authors who Celebrate #WRAD.

You can order these upcoming books and more (signed copies!) by Kate Messner here.

And THANK YOU to Litworld who spearheads this wonderful event each year.

See you next week for a GreenPB2023 interview with TWO kidlit authors and their books:

June Smalls / HEAR THEM ROAR: 14 ENDANGERED ANIMALS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

(Familius / Illus. Becky Thorns)

and

Mary Wagley Copp / YOHSI’S BIG SWIM One turtle’s Epic Journey Home

(Capstone / Illus. Kaja Kajfez)