Book giveaway for children's picture books

Books: God Loves Me More Than That, and When God Created My Toes



I fell in love with these rhyming books, especially with God Loves Me More Than That, and I think you will too. If you leave a comment here you are entered to win a copy of these two books and one more, and some folks have already commented on my earlier post and you are entered too.

Both books were written by Dandi Daley Mackall and illustrated by David Hohn. I read that Dandi has written 400 children's books; she has an delightful gift for writing for children.

Anyone who reads "God Loves Me More Than That" to a small child will feel enveloped in God's love, which is a deep love and a soft love, as the author sweetly writes.

Summary: In two new books from best-selling children’s author Dandi Daley Mackall, clever rhymes and delightful illustrations help young children, ages one and up, understand God’s huge love for them and his joy in creating them. These enchanting picture books from the writer-illustrator team of Dandi Mackall and David Hohn will instill awe in young children as they revel in each page. Parents alike will appreciate the engaging stories that communicate God’s perfect plan and his divine purpose for little hearts.

In God Loves Me More Than That, children learn that God loves them deeper than a wishing well, wider than a semi-truck, louder than thunder, and softer than a kitten’s sneeze. Each question, presented with charming child-like faith will help young ones grasp the great love of God through comparisons and descriptions they can easily understand. In short, they’ll discover that His love is bigger, wider, higher, and deeper than anything they could imagine!

In When God Made My Toes, kids are drawn into the wonder of their creation by God. Their masterful artist who fashioned them just right for amazing and delightful adventures, such as roller skating, finger-painting, doing flips, and drinking cocoa. Children will come to an understanding that God shaped each part of their amazing bodies with joy, delight, and humor.



Author Bio: Dandi Daley Mackall has published more than 400 books for children and adults, with more than 3 million combined copies sold. She is the author of WaterBrook’s two other delightful Dandilion Rhymes books, A Gaggle of Geese & A Clutter of Cats and The Blanket Show. A popular keynote speaker at conferences and Young Author events, Mackall lives in rural Ohio with her husband, three children, and a menagerie of horses, dogs, and cats.



Illustrator Bio: David Hohn is an award-winning illustrator who graduated with honors from the Maryland Institute College of Art. He has worked as both a staff artist and an art director for a children’s software company in Portland , Oregon , a position which led to his art directing an award-winning project for Fisher-Price. Hohn’s recent projects include Lisa Tawn Bergren’s God Gave Us Christmas.

Book: God Gave Us Heaven

Summary: Little Cub awakens one morning with some important questions on her mind: What is heaven like? How do we get there? Will we eat in heaven? Will we be angels?

During a delightful day spent wandering their arctic world, Papa gently answers each question, assuring Little Cub that heaven is a wonderful place, “a million times better” than she can imagine. He explains how God has made a way for those who love him to enter their heavenly home forever after their lives on earth are over.

Reuniting the best-selling author-illustrator team from God Gave Us You, this gentle story provides satisfying answers for a young child’s most difficult questions about heaven. Parents, grandparents, childcare professionals, librarians, Sunday school teachers, and others will appreciate the gentle approach to a topic that’s on the minds of so many “little cubs.”

Through captivating, full-color illustrations and tender, biblically sound storytelling, young readers and those who love them will find reasons to rejoice in knowing that God Gave Us Heaven.



Author Bio: Lisa Tawn Bergren is the award-winning author of nearly thirty titles, totaling more than one million books in print. She writes in a broad range of genres, from adult fiction to devotional. God Gave Us Heaven is Lisa’s fourth children’s book, following in the tradition of the best-selling God Gave Us You. She makes her home in Colorado , with her husband, Tim, and their children, Olivia, Emma, and Jack.



Illistrator Bio: Laura J. Bryant studied painting, printmaking, and sculpture at the Maryland Institute College of Art in Baltimore . She has illustrated numerous award-winning children’s books, including God Gave Us You, Smudge Bunny, and If You Were My Baby. Laura lives in Asheville , North Carolina .

Twitter Help Please

I signed up for Twitter yesterday since several authors find this an exciting place to reach readers and network with authors and editors.

I would like to find folks who Twitter and also garden, are authors, agents, editors or who are Christians.

It doesn’t seem set up for subject searches to find people that way.
If you have tips on how I can find Twitterers with common interests, let me know please.

At Twitter I am TerraGarden, if that helps.

Do you know your fairy name?

I visited a gorgeous garden blog yesterday, Faire Garden, fairegarden.blogspot.com and they had a link to a place where you can get your "fairy name" for free.

For fun I scooted over to the link, at www.emmadavies.net/fairy/default.aspx and typed in my "human name" and immediately learned my fairy name.

Ta da! My fairy name is Buttercup Elffrost.

"She is a cheerful sprite. She lives in clover fields where fairy rings grow. She is only seen during the first snow of winter. She wears bright clover green She has delicate wings like cicadas."

It doesn't snow where I live, in California, thus explaining why I haven't seen her.
I am so glad she is a cheerful sprite and wears bright clover green.

If you wander over to the link and are inspired to share your name with us here, please do.

Peruvian lily, Inca lily

Peruvian lily
Originally uploaded by Nemo's great uncle

A co-worker has long been tantalizing me with the bouquets she brings to work, of Peruvian lilies or Alstroemeria. The bouquets last all week, and gardeners tell me that these plants bloom and bloom and bloom.


Last weekend I treated myself and bought a one gallon Peruvian lily, called Susana, loaded with blooms, for $12.99. The main color of Susana is white/cream with markings of pale rose.
Peruvian lilies grow from tubers, in sun or part shade, and my available areas are mainly part shade, so I knew I had to meet this plant. I planted it in a gopher cage, in front of the bird bath, and where I can see it from my kitchen.

Peruvian lilies are hardy to zone 7, if mulched to zone 6, and in colder areas can be overwintered dry in peat if kept in a dark, cool place like a garage.

I look forward to many years of enjoying these flowers in my garden, and of sharing them in bouquets. I am already looking for another Peruvian lily plant, in a purple or yellow tone, to add to my garden.

This is the first time I have planted this lily.
Is there a flower new to you that you have planted recently?
Other gardeners, and ME, would love to hear about your new finds.

Children's book giveaway August 22

Hi All,
On Friday, August 22-August 25 people who leave a comment here will be entered to win a free copy of delightful Christian children's books.
The publisher has sent me 3 books, and all 3 will be given away.


"When God Created My Toes" and "God Loves Me More Than That", written by Dandi Daley Mackall and illustrated by David Hohn. Read to me books, ages 1 to 7 (or thereabouts).
"God Gave Us Heaven" by Lisa Tawn Bergren, art by Laura J. Bryant (ages 1 to 10), cuddly drawings of a polar bear family.
Stay tuned.

Fictioncation my twist on Staycation

My favorite new word was "staycation" for everyone who is vacationing close to home this summer, and my brand new favorite word that I invented is "fictioncation", for those of us staycationers who stay home with a good novel for R&R. Hey, can I copyright this word? Just kidding.

My definition of "fictioncation" includes a novel, a chaise lounge on a patio, balcony or in a garden, and ice tea or lemonade is optional.

We bought two novels this weekend, by authors new to us: "Who invited the dead man" by Patricia Sprinkle, and "Storm Front" by Jim Butcher. Sprinkle's series features a 60 something Southern gal who solves mysteries using charm and humor, and who is a gardener. What's not to like?

"Storm Front" is the first in a series, featuring a private investigator who is a wizard, and who sometimes helps the Chicago police department. This series is now a tv series "The Dresden Files" on the sci fi channel. I read the first few pages and there is blood and mayhem from the get go here.

Has anyone else read either of these, or seen the Dresden Files?

What are your favorite fictioncation books?

Blackberry, Plum, Apricot Cobbler

Plum cobbler
Originally uploaded by jessicafm

Blogging can have delightful results and here is the proof. My husband read my blog post on apricot cobbler, and that day, when I got home at 5 p.m, there was a warm blackberry/apricot/plum cobbler, made by him.


We very rarely bake, but he got inspired and it is delicious. He created his own recipe which uses Bisquick, less sugar, and milk on the bottom of the pan.
The blackberries are from our berry patch, and give it a tangy blackberry flavor burst. What a delicious surprise for me. Oh the power of the pen, or in this case, the keyboard.


My August column at www.positivelyfeminine.org is "Apricots in Your Garden and Apricot Cobbler", so if you want to grow apricots please head over there or read my previous post for tips on how to grow them and which trees are best for your needs.

Did any of you bake a cobbler after reading my post?
Let me know, and share your recipe, please.