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Help Wanted – Must Love Books – Our new favorite bedtime book

March 2, 2020 By Claire Annette Noland 2 Comments

Every family has a bedtime routine and most include books. We have our stack of favorites but after the zillionth time reading certain (ahem – I’m looking at you, Good Night, Moon) it is wonderful to discover a new one. Today we’re celebrating the release of our new favorite bedtime book:

 

HELP WANTED: Must Love Books

by Janet Sumner Johnson (author) and Courtney Dawson (illustrator)
Capstone Editions 2020
picture book for ages 4-7
themes: bedtime, fairy tales, father-daughter relationships, reading

The book begins…
Unlike most kids, Shailey loved bedtime.
She’d shimmy into her pj’s,
brush her sparkling smile,
then raid the bookshelf for the perfect bedtime stories.

When I read this first spread, I knew I was in for a treat because I love books about books and reading!

Shailey’s dad read to her every night until his new job made him too tired to read.

Shailey posts a notice for a new bedtime storyteller and storybook characters answer her ad!

 

Well, there’s something wrong with each of them. The Gingerbread Boy runs off with the books, the Giant is too scary, and Goldilocks can’t decide where to sit.
Fortunately, one applicant shows up and is just right!

Why I think you need to add this to your bookshelf:

  • The relationship between Shailey and her father is so sweet and they both love books
  • The appearance of familiar storybook characters will have kids in hysterics
  • Shailey’s personality is spunky and resourceful
  • The resumes are clever and fun
  • The illustrations are happy and adorable
  • We all need a new bedtime book!

Janet also blogs and I enjoy reading the book reviews she posts. She was willing to answer some Field Trip Life questions:

~~~

Tell us a bit about how you came to be a writer and how long you have been submitting books?

Janet: I have always enjoyed reading and writing. I was writing for my own amusement through high school and college, but I didn’t decide I wanted to be an author until I was 25. With starting a family, and jobs, and moves, my writing progress was pretty slow. Perhaps a timeline of my writing career would be easiest:
2002: Decided I wanted to be an author. Read “Writing for Children” to learn the ropes.
2002: Completed my first ever novel (MG contemporary).
2002: Queried one agent. Rejected by one agent. Gave up writing.
2006: Joined SCBWI and Attended my first conference (the KS SCBWI conference).
2006: Joined my first critique group.
2009: Completed my second ever novel (YA Fantasy).
2010: Started a writing blog in the heyday of the kidlit blogosphere. Met so many other amazing writers and learned so much about the publishing world.
2011: Completed my third novel (MG Contemporary), which became my debut.
2012: Landed my first agent.
2015: Sold my debut MG novel.
2016: Release of my debut MG novel
2016: Break-up w/first agent; Signed w/second agent.
2018: Sold my debut picture book.
2020: Release of my debut picture book!

A timeline gives a quick overview, but it doesn’t include so much. I have been on submission with other novels and other picture books and racked up quite a bit of rejection and quite a few shelved books. There’s a lot of pushing on when I didn’t believe it would ever happen for me. There were a lot of writing friends that kept me focused. It’s a long and windy path, but I’m so grateful to be where I am. I love writing for children!

 

Help Wanted: Must love books includes famous fairy tale characters. How did you decide which ones to include?

Janet: Initially, I brainstormed a long list of fairy tale characters, and wrote a quick note about why they were a bad fit as a bedtime story teller. At that point, I chose who I thought was the funniest for kids.
But as I revised, I chose them based on their flaws as a bedtime storyteller, and how well their flaws fit with other character’s flaws. For example, Goldilocks and Sleeping Beauty both had sleeping issues, and so they went really well together. That process was sometimes pretty tricky!

What book is on your nightstand?

Janet: Currently, this is the stack:

The Hero is You by Kendra Levin (a writing book)
Save the Cat by Blake Snyder (you never know when you might need it to plot a story idea)
Mark of the Thief by Jennifer A. Nielsen (I finished it, but haven’t put it away)
A Dastardly Plot (A Perilous Journey of Danger and Mayhem, #1) by Christopher Healy

What do you always carry in your backpack?

Janet: A bandage. You never know when you or someone around you is going to need it!

That’s a great idea. I think I need to add some bandages to my backpack!
What’s your favorite on-the-road travel snack?

Janet: Nuts (almonds and cashews) and peanut M&Ms. They are filling and easy to pack. Also, they don’t squash!

I know you like to travel. Is there a special place you’d like to visit?

Janet: I have so many places on my list, that it’s really hard to choose. I have a sister (she was a foreign exchange student who lived my family for years) I’d love to visit in Taiwan. I have always wanted to spend time in Ireland and Scotland and visit all the places. New Zealand is right up there. I will stop there, but I could go on for a while.

What’s next?

Janet: For now, it’s just writing and revising and revising and revising. Basically, keeping on even when it’s hard.

Thanks for sharing with us, Janet. I can’t wait to share Help Wanted: Must Love Books!

Take a look at Janet’s blog and learn more about her and the process of writing HELP WANTED: MUST LOVE BOOKS

I love Courtney Dawson’s illustrations! To see more and learn about this talented illustrator look here.

 

 

 

 

Filed Under: 2020 Debut Crew, Books, picture books Tagged With: bedtime picture books, Courtney Dawson illustrator, fairy tale characters, Help Wanted: Must Love Books, Janet Sumner Johnson author

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Janet Johnson says

    March 2, 2020 at 9:28 pm

    Thanks so much for having me, Claire, and for your amazing review! You are wonderful!

    Reply
    • Claire Annette Noland says

      March 3, 2020 at 4:19 pm

      Help Wanted: Must love books is going to be a bedtime favorite!

      Reply

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Hello. I’m Claire Annette - reader, writer, teacher, and field trip planner extraordinaire. Here at A Field Trip Life you will find ideas for adventures large and small and the kids’ books that inspire them. Sign your permission slip. Let's go!

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I continue to read Amanda Gorman's Inauguration Da I continue to read Amanda Gorman's Inauguration Day poem "The Hill We Climb."
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I have started the @21daydiscoveryourwhy journal c I have started the @21daydiscoveryourwhy journal challenge through the generosity of Oahn Jordan of @tinytriumphco 
Today's journal prompt was Where were you a year ago?
Thanks to my phone camera, I could easily take a look. And there were the faces of Christina, Thomas and Evelyn on January 18, 2020 as I was leaving Nicaragua. Little did I know that there would be a pandemic and the flights were stopped. Somehow, things fell into place and I was able to return with Roxanne on January 18, 2021. We recreated the original photo (on the right). I'm so excited about what’s ahead! You can still sign up - look at the bio in @tinytriumphco or @21daydiscoveryourwhy
It has been amazing watching to process of MIMIC M It has been amazing watching to process of MIMIC MAKERS go from idea to picture book! I can’t wait to hold it in my hands. Posted @withregram • @knordynordy COVER REVEAL

After raising two boys and teaching for over twenty years in a public school, I’ve witnessed the natural wonder that children have about the living world. Their voracious curiosity to understand the mysteries of our planet  is in everything they do!  Does it float? Does it fly? Does bend or break?  Children are curiosity in motion! I’ve come to believe this wonder about the world is the first step on the pathway to living sustainably on our beautiful planet. How ? By being curious and learning from the living world. 

Well...innate curiosity is something I wanted to explore. So...
I asked each inventor in my book what sparked their curiosity about nature? Well...after years of research, lots of interviews, and loads of classroom projects, MIMIC MAKERS was born. This picture book is a look at ten inventors from around the world, who began asking questions and investigating nature to create amazing biomimicry inventions that help us all. I hope it inspires a new generation of mimic makers. 

My thanks to my incredible editor, Alyssa Mito Pusey and the entire staff at Charlesbridge. Huge thanks to Paul Boston for your superb illustrations. Many thanks to Gretchen Hooker and Sherry Ritter of the Biomimicry Institute. 

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Layla is a rockstar and inventor (how cool is that?) who has three bots who help her solve problems in their town using technology.
This is a perfect chapter book for budding makers who love STEAM and fun! Mr. Ernie loves the roller coaster they design for dogs!

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