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Sue Ganz-Schmitt
Award-Winning Children's Book Author, MFA
THE BOOKS
SKYBOUND! Illustrated by Iacopo Bruno
Starred reviews from ★Kirkus Reviews and ★Foreward Reviews
In this STEAM picture book, take to the skies with Mary Myers, aka “Carlotta,” an aeronaut and inventor whose careful scientific work improved hot air balloons and our understanding of flight, weather patterns, and the atmosphere.
In the 1850s, proper young ladies were supposed to keep their feet on the ground (literally and metaphorically), but Mary dreamed of flying. Luckily, she married Carl Myers, a hot air balloon enthusiast whose dreams were just as lofty as hers. Together, they designed and constructed balloons of all shapes and sizes, a difficult and dangerous job that required knowledge of chemistry, engineering, and meteorology. But how could they know which balloon designs worked best? They needed someone adventurous who could do balloon tricks for crowds while recording flight data. Mary knew just the person . . . herself! She gave herself the stage name Carlotta and anxiously awaited her first flight. Would she make it into the air? Could she collect the data they needed? Mary battled thick clouds and bone-chilling cold, but she went higher and farther than she hoped, and returned ready for her next flight.
THAT MONSTER ON THE BLOCK
Illustrated by Luke Flowers
Winner of the Northern Lights Award, Hindi's Females of Fiction Literary Award, Royal Dragonfly Awards, and Firebird Book Awards
Monster is excited to see what kind of creature will move into Vampire’s old house on the block. He even starts practicing his welcome growl for the new neighbor. But when the moving truck pulls up, it’s not a greedy goblin, an ogre, or a dastardly dragon that steps out. Instead, it’s something even more terrifying than Monster could have imagined! Monster quickly rallies the other neighbors to unite against the new guy on the block. But what if the new neighbor isn’t exactly as bad as Monster thinks? Join Monster as he confronts his fears in this charming and lighthearted look at what it means to accept others who are different from us. Watch the book trailer here!
NOW I'M A BIRD
Illustrated by Renia Metallinou
Winner of the Mom's Choice Award, Story Monsters Approved BOOK OF THE YEAR, and multiple Firebird Book Awards
Julianna didn't mean to be a bird. It just happened, feather by feather. It s a rare and beautiful condition, explains the note her mom sends to school, though it doesn't help with the teasing. But Julianna's wings take her to places she hadn't imagined, with a birds-eye view that gives her a new perspective and the courage to find a flock of her own. Told with kid-friendly humor and heart, this is a unique story about embracing the wild and wonderful parts of ourselves and others. Watch the book trailer here!
PLANET KINDERGARTEN
Illustrated by Shane Prigmore
Selected for: Kirkus Prize Nominee, Kids' Indie Next List, Amazon Editor's Pick for Summer Reading, Apple iTunes Spring's Biggest Books (for Kids), San Francisco Public Library's Summer Reading Program Theme, Society of Illustrators for their Original Art Exhibit, Featured children's book by Google - Authors@Google, The Planetary Society's top of the list selection for space-themed books, Smithsonian Air and Space Notable Book, Scholastic Book Club Selection, Notable Cildren’s Recordings Committee Discussion List - ALA Midwinter Conference, Chicago, IL
Prepare young explorers to go boldly where they have never gone before: Planet Kindergarten. Suit up for a daring adventure as our hero navigates the unknown reaches and alien inhabitants of this strange new world. Hilarious and confidence-boosting, this exciting story illustrated by award-winning animator Shane Prigmore will have new kindergartners ready for liftoff! Watch the book trailer featuring artist, Lonna Marie, here!
PLANET KINDERGARTEN: 100 Days in Orbit
Illustrated by Shane Prigmore
Scholastic Book Club Selection
Star Log: Day 100. Base camp is lively. I greet my crewmates and admire their work. We have mastered many skills on our journey, but today brings a new milestone. There have been: 100 roll calls. 100 songs. 100 pledges. 100 challenging days full of exploration and triumph! Little ones will be over the moon as they celebrate school's 100th Day with this entertainingly illustrated book, and eager to suit up for another daring adventure exploring and conquering Planet Kindergarten.
The Princess and the Peanut: A Royally Allergic Fairytale
Illustrated by Micah Chambers-Goldberg
Selected for: Editor's Choice Book List Award from Mennet Lee Consulting
Every queen knows that in order to find out if a princess is REAL, one must send the alleged princess to bed on a magnificent pile of mattresses, slip in a pea, and see how she sleeps. But when the royal kitchen is fresh out peas, the queen tries a peanut instead. The princess turns out to be as real as her food allergies. This vibrant and humorous tale inspires and educates children with allergies, as well as those who live in and around food sensitive kingdoms. Includes a food allergy guide for adults and kid-friendly allergy definitions. Watch the book trailer here!
Even Superheroes Get Diabetes
Illustrated by Micah Chambers-Goldberg
Kelvin is an imaginative boy who loves being a superhero. One day, his fantasies are stopped by the reality of diabetes. It means finger pricks, shots, and lots of doctor's appointments. Just when Kelvin can't take one more medical visit, a mysterious doctor uncovers that Kelvin has real superpowers. Now he needs to learn how to use them! The comic book style illustrations by Micah Chambers-Goldberg beautifully connects children and parents to the world of diabetes. The book includes a kid friendly diagram that explains type 1 diabetes and definitions that discuss both type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Even Superheroes Get Diabetes is a powerful educational tool for doctors, parents, kids, and librarians. Read by Dylan Fox Williams, here!
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