Fairy Day Games Virtual Book Tour, Author Interview, and Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

Fairy Day Games
Written by Mari Sherkin
Illustrated by David Gnass
Ages 4+ | 38 Pages
Publisher: Mascot Kids | ISBN-13: 9781637555064

Publisher’s Book Summary: Get ready for fun at the Fairy Day Games! Join children’s author Mari Sherkin as she peeks inside a secret world, where magical creatures come together to prepare for the most festive Fairy Day of the year!!

Available for purchase on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and Bookshop.org.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Raised in Toronto by an English father and Canadian mother, Mari Sherkin was always the happiest playing outdoors and using her imagination. She still is. Her first children’s book, A Fairy on My Sleeve, was an international success.

For more information, visit the author's website, Instagram, and/or Twitter.



AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Life Is What It's Called - What did you like most about writing this book?

Mari Sherkin - I was actually writing another fairy story at the time and one night my husband and I decided to watch an old movie. The movie was located in a very small, quaint town which was holding an old-fashioned county fair. 

My mind turned to fairies as it often does and I wondered, what if the fairies had a fair? A whole day of fun and games organized by the fairy folk and their magical friends. What would that be like? After that, the rhymes just started coming to me. 

Life Is What It's Called- What do you think readers will like most about this book?

Mari Sherkin - I love the idea that there could be wonderful, magical worlds that we don’t know exist, right in our back garden. I think it is that “What If” scenario that made Fairy Day Games so much fun to write.  What if there are fairies in the woods behind our house and what if had their own Olympic games?  What if it was only for one day? What if everyone who lived in the forest had to work together for months to get it all ready? What if I were invited?  

Yes, my favourite part of writing Fairy Day Games were definitely the “What If’s” 

Life Is What It's Called - What inspired you to write this story?

Mari Sherkin - In my magical fairy world, everyone is different but they all work together to make a wonderful day at the fair for everyone. It is a cheerful, safe space where there is no poverty, hate or war. 

 There are fairies, gnomes, squirrels and frogs and everyone gets along with each other. I suppose if I did have a message, it would be to put aside differences and work together for a common cause. There really aren’t that many safe spaces left these days in the real world, so I wanted to create a place that was special for children to go in their imagination.  

Life Is What It's Called - What will readers like most about this book?

Mari Sherkin - I think the best thing about this book is the artwork. David Gnass, with whom I’ve worked before, has a wonderful eye for detail. I told him that I wanted children to be able to stay on the pages even after they finished reading the words, so they could examine the artwork and find something new and exciting each time. This also helps younger children feel more included in the story, even if they don’t read quite yet. 

Life Is What It's Called - What makes your book stand apart from others on the market?

Mari Sherkin - Fairy Day Games is about friendship and joy, innocence and excitement. I didn’t write it with any sort of lesson in mind, nor is any merchandise is being marketed or sold to children, which I suppose is different. Really, Fairy Day Games is just a happy little escape from the everyday routine, a place to go for daydreams. 

Life Is What It's Called - Are you working on any other writing projects?

Mari Sherkin - Currently, I have one book ready for illustration, with two more books in progress.  I am also in the process of recording an album of children’s songs that I wrote, one of which will be filmed as a video this summer. These songs are actually part of a larger body of work - a children’s musical - that I hope to pitch within the next two years. 

Life Is What It's Called - Can you share your background in writing?

 

Mari Sherkin - I do not really have a professional background in writing. In high school, English and Drama were my two favourite classes - I read a lot of Shakespeare and wrote a lot of poetry - however in college, I studied Interior Design and then turned to fitness. 

I didn’t really start writing my poems down until my son was a teenager, and nothing was published until 20 years after that. They sat in a folder in the bottom of a drawer until I found them again and thought they might be nice as Picture Books for preschoolers. 

Life Is What It's Called - What else should readers know about this book?

Mari Sherkin - Fairy Day Games is a picture book about fairies, for preschoolers. It is all about an elusive, magical world, that is usually hidden from humans, making her dream of an invitation that much more exclusive.  My hope is that it will help invigorate a child’s imagination, letting them take the story further, perhaps inspiring them to make up some new games for the fairies to play. Hopefully, it will encourage and stimulate creative conversation and play, just by asking the simple question “What if?” 


GIVEAWAY 

Enter the giveaway for the chance to win a signed copy of the Fairy Day Games!

Fairy Day Games: Giveaway

This post is sponsored by Expound Publicity. The review and opinions expressed in this post are based on my personal view.