The Blogger's Nest

 

Hey everyone! Guess what? This is my super talented illustrator, Lyn-Hui-Ong, but we call her Lyn! She's from a cool place called Malaysia, but now she lives in Australia. When we made our first book together, we never even talked on the phone! We did everything through email. It was like sending secret messages back and forth to make the pictures for the book. But look at this picture! That's Lyn and me. For our second book about the Smarter Raven, Lyn came to Texas to visit her uncle. And guess what? Her uncle lives close to my house – only about 20 minutes away! So, we got to work on the book together at my place. It was way more fun than just emails! Now, we're even working on the third Smarter Raven book! Have you ever worked on a project with someone you've never met in person before? It's pretty interesting!

 

Okay, imagine a room filled with bright colors, tiny chairs, and the happy buzz of little voices – that was the daycare! My friend Sandra's sister runs this super fun place, and guess what? I got to be a special guest!
Sandra read my books to all the kids. Can you believe it? It was like the stories jumped off the pages and into their imaginations. Some kids were wide-eyed with wonder, others giggled at the silly parts, and a few even tried to guess what would happen next. Honestly, I think I was even more excited than some of them! It's just the coolest feeling to see kids enjoy something you created. After the stories, it was playtime! There were building blocks taller than my knees, art projects with glitter everywhere, and even a little pretend kitchen. The kids were so busy exploring and having fun. It made my heart feel all warm and fuzzy. It was definitely a day I won't forget!

Thanks Uncle Johnny for sharing The Smarter Raven with me.

Thanks Uncle Johnny for sharing The Smarter Raven with us.

So, my niece and great-niece are exploring my first book together, and even though the little one isn't reading yet, the pictures are really grabbing her attention. That's super cool! Sometimes, the pictures in a book can tell just as much of the story as the words do, especially for someone who's still learning. It's awesome that they're sharing that experience with my book! My niece told me that my great-niece has some favorite pages already!
What's the book about?

  

That's so cool that your friend's grandkids are reading your book! It must make you feel delighted. And "The Smarter Raven" is a super interesting book! It's all about how intelligent ravens are. What do you want to know about it? I can tell you some cool stuff.

Wow, my co-worker's niece looks really cool! Not only are her jeans probably super awesome and trendy, but she's also holding something that makes her happy or excited! What do you think it could be? Maybe a new toy, a special treat, or something she's about to do that's fun

   

Well now, let me tell you about this fantastic young lady, Kensington Ford. I gave her one of my very first books and made sure to sign it nice and clear for her. And wouldn't you know it? She added her little touch on the page right there and wrote: "from her uncle Johnny." From that day forward, that's what I was – Uncle Johnny! And let me tell you, she took to that book, The Smarter Raven. One of the pictures there shows her whole classroom buzzing about it! They were thrilled that her teacher had all the kids sign a thank-you card. There were so many thank yous; they filled the front and back sides of the card. And the little ones even signed extra 3x5 cards! It was something else, seeing their excitement.  As I worked on my second book of The Smarter Raven series, I decided that I want to acknowledge three special young readers by dedicating the second book to them. And wouldn't you believe it, my god niece, Kensington Ford, is one of the lucky ones! It's an absolute joy to be able to do that.

Oh my goodness, you all just have to hear about this adorable thing Carrington Ford has been doing! Every Sunday at church, she makes it her mission to ask every single child, with the biggest, most enthusiastic eyes, "Have you read my Uncle Johnny's children's book, The Smarter Raven?" It melts my heart! And you know what's even sweeter? Johnny, her Uncle and the author dedicated his second book in The Smarter Raven series to three very special young readers, and our Carrington was one of them! It just fills me with such pride and joy to see her so excited and honored. It truly is a testament to the excellent connection they have.

Okay, so when kids crack open one of my books, they don't just read about The Smarter Raven's adventures; they go on those adventures with him. They become part of the story themselves, you know? It's like they're right there alongside that clever bird.

It brightens my heart when I see a little one look at my Smarter Raven books and figure out what’s really going on.

 

 

Oh, wow, my illustrator said she had so much fun drawing me! I'm really curious about how I will look in book number three of the "Smarter Raven" series. It's coming out soon, so keep an eye out!

Wow, that's so cool! It sounds like "The Smarter Raven" book is a real winner at your house. How awesome that the cover matches your daughter's room – it's like the book was part of their room. It must have been super fun for them to notice that. It's best when a story grabs your attention like that, right? That's so exciting that you're all waiting for the next book. I bet the smarter raven will have some incredible new adventures!

Getting ready for book signing and a dedication ceremony

Woo-hoo! Guess what just showed up? Another big batch of The Smarter Raven books! You know what that means, right? More signed copies are ready to fly out to amazing readers! It's always so much fun to get these prepared for you. Stay tuned – maybe a special book is headed your way!