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Being Frog

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Being Frog hops into stores Feb 2, 2020! Read the Kirkus starred review or the Publisher’s Weekly starred review or the starred review from the Bulletin for the Center for Children’s Books. This picture book from Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster is about empathy and exploring another being’s world. Want to hear the frogs? Listen below. For a recent article about my work, check out the Booklist Online interview “Instilling Wonder Talking Science Writing With April Pulley Sayre”.

The actual Green Frogs from Being Frog by April Pulley Sayre

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Thank You, Earth Plus 3 New in 2019

 2018 brought Warbler Wave (see post below) and Thank You, Earth.  New in 2019 will be three books: BLOOM BOOM, my latest photo-illustrated book from Beach Lane/Simon & Schuster, celebrates plant growth, wildflower bloom, and botanical garden tulip/daffodil display. It arrives Feb 2nd in time for Valentines Day! Kirkus already gave it a starred review!

Then it’s LIKE A LIZARD, illustrated by Stephanie Laberis, from Boyds Mills Press. It’s a preschool imitate-and-learn fest for young readers and reptile fans.

Finally, there’s DID YOU BURP? How to Ask Questions (Or Not) in early August, illustrated by Leeza Hernandez for Charlesbridge Publishing.  It’s a unique nonfiction/fiction mix that allows kids to play with question forming via a group of fictional characters in a classroom setting.

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New Book Backstory: Warbler Wave

Warbler Wave will be released by Beach Lane, Simon & Schuster on February 13, 2018. See some spreads on S&S website. This book is the fulfillment of a dream, part of my life goal to share wonder. The text and photos are by me (April), with a bit of help from Jeff (a couple of photos, years of camera carrying, pointing out warblers, loving support, reviewing text, scientific fact checking, driving thousands of miles, 28 years of marriage, daily partnership in learning about nature).  We are both birders and the migratory journey of these amazing avian athletes is the highlight of our year. Below are some identification notes and discussion of the birds in the book.  Continue reading “New Book Backstory: Warbler Wave”

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New Book Backstory: Full of Fall

Full of Fall, my new photo-illustrated picture book, will be released by the superb team at Beach Lane/S&S  August 29 2017. Happy to say it has received three starred reviews (Publishers Weekly, Booklist, School Library Journal). Many devoted readers had questions about species and details in Raindrops Roll and Best in Snow. (Readers, thanks for embracing Best in Snow, which received four starred reviews and lots of coverage nationwide!) Below I’ve shared more details, in an informal way, for those of you digging into Full of Fall. I’m busy writing, traveling, and photographing for the release of four books in 2018 and 2019.

Full of Fall: Growing up in the foothills of the Appalachians, I came to a love of Autumn very early. I spent a lot of time wandering the woods of South Carolina, North Carolina, and Virginia. I loved studying fall leaves and leaf shapes.

Continue reading “New Book Backstory: Full of Fall”

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Slowest Book Ever

BMP_1783_CS 1P.indd“The Antidote for a Hurried Childhood” was what the Huffington Post called my middle grade nonfiction book, The Slowest Book Ever (Boyds Mills Press, release in April, 2016) in a sneak peek article by Vicki Cobb last year.  This book has line drawings by the fabulous Kelly Murphy.  It’s reviewed by the esteemed School Library Journal in their upcoming (February) issue.  The wonderful Junior Library Guild will be sharing it with their subscribers in July, 2016.

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ALA Notables: Raindrops Roll, Woodpecker Wham

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Raindrops Roll and Woodpecker Wham were both named ALA Notables! So thankful to the folks who put time and energy into serving on the ALA Notable Committee and also those on the NCTE Orbus Pictus committee, which recognized Raindrops Roll. This means a lot, encourages my work (and Steve Jenkins’ work on Woodpecker Wham), and hopefully helps readers find these books. There are lots of yummy books on the Notable List this year, check it out: http://www.ala.org/alsc/awardsgrants/notalists/ncb.

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NCTE, NSTA, Kirkus Raindrops Roll

Raindrops RollFloored and thrilled that RAINDROPS ROLL was just named

An Orbis Pictus Recommended Book by NCTE, the National Council of Teachers of English. This award for the best nonfiction of 2015 considers ALL the nonfiction books, K-8. They choose a winner, five honor books, and eight recommended books. (Bronze award sticker for recommended.)

An Outstanding Science Trade Book for 2015 by NSTA, the National Science Teachers Association. I’m so excited that folks are loving not only the words but also the photos I took. I work hard to make sure my photos bring wonder and science content so their approval means a lot.

One of the 12 Best Informational Picture Books of the year according to Kirkus.  It’s also honored in what is my favorite award category name ever:  The Best Picture Books For the Sense-of-Wonder Shelf, again by Kirkus. Doesn’t every library and classroom and home need a “Sense-of-Wonder” shelf?  Isn’t that what’s it all about? I’m going to rush out and read the other titles, fiction and nonfiction. As many of you know, even when I was college I identified my goal in life as “helping people feel a sense of wonder in nature.”  Feels like life moment achieved that my book fit in such a category.

 

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Woodpecker Wham! and SLJ

WoodpeckerWham_cvr_lorezWoodpecker Wham! was released today by Henry Holt. So excited to have this third collaboration with illustrator Steve Jenkins, thanks to Holt. (You can support our work to share nature and science with kids via our other two titles, as well: Vulture View and Eat Like a Bear.)

Hope to see some of you at School Library Journal’s Day of Dialog in NYC where I’ll be on a nature books panel with Paul Fleischman, Wendell Minor, Louis Sachar, and Anita Silvey.