What a treat it was to be able to chat with this dynamic duo who brought us All Are Welcome. Today we will be talking about their newest book, All Are Neighbors. These women are as enthusiastic about picture books as I am, and it was an honor to get to know them better. You can connect with Alex on Instagram and her website. You can connect with Suzanne on Instagram and her website. 

This week I had the pleasure of meeting Debbie Murphy to talk about her new book, Jackie and the Mona Lisa. It is about Jackie Kennedy and her love of the arts and how she encouraged a country to learn more about the arts. It is a unique biography picture book that I know you will love. You can connect with Debbie through her website and Instagram. 

This week I enjoyed getting to know Nick Solis. He is the author of My Town/Mi Pueblo which is a bilingual picture book about cousins from opposite sides of the border who visit each other’s towns and delight in their similarities and differences. I hope you enjoy our conversation. 

You can connect with Nick on Instagram and his webpage. 

In this week's episode, I had the pleasure of meeting and talking with author and illustrator Heidi Woodward Sheffield. She is the author/illustrator of Brick by Brick for which she won the 2021 Ezra Jack Keats Illustrator Award. Brick by Brick is a book that celebrates the warm bond between a little boy and his dad as they work hard to achieve their dreams. 

You can find Heidi on Instagram and her webpage

This week I had the pleasure of talking with author Angela Burke Kunkel who is the author of Digging for Words. This book is based on the life of José Alberto Gutiérrez, a garbage collector in Bogotá, Colombia who started a library with a single discarded book found on his route. I hope you enjoy this conversation.

You can connect with Angela on Instagram and her webpage.  

Welcome, Confetti Moments listeners! I am so excited to chat with debut picture book author–and my close friend–Andrea Burns.

How do you approach your failures?

After failing her driving test, not making dance teams, and failed socially while in high school, Andrea didn’t think much of her own failure.

We live in a world where everything is about perfectionism. Andrea is bringing the honesty about failure to light.

While working in the classroom, Andrea saw her students be super hard on themselves, in both the classroom, in the gym, and amongst friends, whenever they failed or missed the mark.

Her kids freaked out if they failed or lose. Some would hold on to their failures for hours, days, weeks, or even longer.

How can we teach kids to learn from their mistakes and failures and move beyond them?

In her debut picture book, Failure Friday, Andrea says we should embrace failure head on instead of letting it control our lives.

Our chat today focuses all about failure, mindsets, and how we decide to react to them. I can’t wait for you hear my chat with Andrea Burns!

Be sure to connect with Andrea on her Twitter and her Instagram.

Below you will find the Amazon affiliate link for the books discussed in this week’s episode. Just click to purchase.

Failure Friday by Andrea Burns

Meanwhile Back on Earth by Oliver Jeffers

Something Wild by Molly Ruttan

Loud Mouse by Cara Mentzel and Idina Menzel

The Magic Treehouse Series by Mary Oliver Pope

Eloise at the Plaza by Kay Thompson

Open The Magic,

Courtney Hinshaw

-------Come hang out!--------

@ramonarecommends {instagram}

Ramonarecommends.com

Magic Wear Shop

I am so excited to share this very special episode all about National Open the Magic Day (NOTMD) which is today, September 25! You will learn all about how I am going to celebrate National Open the Magic Day and what you could do to celebrate as well. I am so excited about the three books that I chose as part of my celebration of all things reading and picture books. I have linked some really great resources below that will help you celebrate NOTMD and create Confetti Moments! Please share with me all the ways you celebrate and tag me on any Instagram posts you have for NOTMD. (#NOTMD #OpenTheMagicDay)

NOTMD Handout:

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1tRAHq6D0nKoCTDJCDY9s-imXBzUQhWoc/view?usp=sharing

Ramona Recommends Picture Book Inventory:

Blog:

http://ramonarecommends.blogspot.com/2022/08/picture-book-inventory.html#more

Sellfy:

https://ramonarecommends.sellfy.store/p/ramona-recommends-picture-book-inventory/

TPT:

https://www.teacherspayteachers.com/Product/Ultimate-Picture-Book-Inventory-8396298

Books:

Brave Every Day

https://amzn.to/3qLQaob

Parfait, Not Parfait!

https://amzn.to/3UkNVWp

Pizza: A Slice of History

https://amzn.to/3eZAoUj

Open The Magic,

Courtney Hinshaw

-------Come hang out!--------

@ramonarecommends {instagram}

Ramonarecommends.com

Magic Wear Shop

On this week’s episode, you will meet Saranya Raghavan who is the creator behind the wonderful Instagram account Shelves of Color. You will be interested to learn Saranya’s day job and how she came to create her inspirational Instagram account. She shares about her love of reading as a child and how she has been able to nurture that same love of reading in her home with her children. I appreciated her explanation of how she uses picture books to discuss social and emotional issues with her child. You will want to listen carefully for her recommendation for the book that everyone needs in their home/classroom, and her advice for the two books that we all need to find in our lives. I really enjoyed getting to know Saranya, and I know you will as well.

Be sure to connect with Saranya through her Instagram.

Below you will find the Amazon affiliate link for the books discussed in this week’s episode. Just click to purchase.

All Are Welcome

Pink is Not a Color

The Many Colors of Harpreet Singh

InvestiGators Series

Open The Magic,

Courtney Hinshaw

-------Come hang out!--------

@ramonarecommends {instagram}

Ramonarecommends.com

Magic Wear Shop

On this week’s episode, you will meet the ever-charming Sally Lloyd Jones who is the author of many picture books and The Jesus Storybook Bible. She shares her inspiration and her process for creating stories that invite readers to have fun in a book. She talks about the honor and responsibility of writing for children. She has advice to share for parents and teachers to ignite the love of reading in your home and classroom. You will get all the details of how her new book Tiny Cedric came to be. She also shares the magic of the author and illustrator collaboration. Sally was a huge encouragement to me, and I know that you will gain the same encouragement from this episode.

Be sure to connect with Sally through one of these ways: Instagram or her Website

Below you will find the Amazon affiliate link for books mentioned on this episode. Just click to purchase.

Tiny Cedric 

The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe 

Goldfish on Vacation

The Jesus Storybook Bible

Open The Magic,

Courtney Hinshaw

-------Come hang out!--------

@ramonarecommends {instagram}

Ramonarecommends.com

Magic Wear Shop

On this week’s episode, you will meet my new friend and debut author Stephen Briseño. He is a life-long reader influenced and an awesome middle school English teacher. You will enjoy hearing about who and what encouraged him with regards to reading in his early years. Stephen also shares about the inspiration and story behind his debut picture book, The Notebook Keeper. It is really an amazing story. We also talk about his daily reading and writing habits that support his work as an author. Our conversation will be insightful to anyone who has dreamed of possibly becoming a writer someday. I know that you will enjoy getting to know Stephen as much as I did.

Be sure to connect with Stephen through one of these ways:  Instagram, Twitter or his Website

Below you will find the Amazon affiliate link for Stephen’s book. Just click to purchase.

The Notebook Keeper

Open The Magic,

Courtney Hinshaw

-------Come hang out!--------

@ramonarecommends {instagram}

Ramonarecommends.com

Magic Wear Shop