The Leaf & The Tree Virtual Book Tour and Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

The Leaf & The Tree

Written by Bruce Nemovitz

Illustrated by Ani Ghosh

Ages 4-8 | 22 Pages

Publisher: Book House Publishing | ISBN-13: 9781952483257

Publisher’s Synopsis: Follow the wondrous and challenging life of our friend, the leaf, living alone and happy and confident that only he controls his surroundings and his good fortune. Then one day, Mother Nature teaches a lesson we all can learn from.

Through the journey in this heartfelt book, you will gain a new appreciation when taking a walk past your favorite tree. Our friend, the leaf, is given a gift of knowledge and understanding about the beauty and wonder of the world around us.

Available for purchase here or here.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Author Bruce Nemovitz has written two other books. He has been a full-time Realtor for over 43 years in the Great Milwaukee area. The first book is called “Moving in the Right Direction”, A Senior’s Guide to Moving and Downsizing. His second book, also related to the senior real estate market is called “Guiding Our Parents in the Right Direction”, A Children’s Guide to Helping Mom and Dad Move From Their Long-Time Home.

Bruce’s passion has always been with children. He has two daughters, Dara and Karra, who blessed him with seven grandchildren! Bruce wanted to leave a message for the next generation who are living in a world divided. This book offers a message of hope and togetherness, that we are all connected to one another and to nature.

Bruce has won several awards in his field of real estate. Bruce has been a monthly contributor for over 12 years with 50plus Magazine in the Milwaukee area. He has written several articles related to the challenge of seniors moving from their long-time homes. He works with his wife of 48 years, Jeanne.

For more information, visit https://www.brucesteam.com/the-leaf-and-the-tree.

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

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

Bruce Nemovitz - My inspiration to write my story began with the addition of 7 grandchildren growing up in a divided world. I wanted to write a story that would in some way offer the concept that we are all connected to one another and the earth. With global warming and a wide political divide, I hope that this next generation will be kind to one another through a universal love for all life and the world in which they live.

Life Is What It's Called - How has your background helped you in writing this story?

Bruce Nemovitz - I have been a full-time Realtor for over 44 years. My job, in essence, is to bring two parties together, buyer and seller, to come to agreement in terms. This role as a mediator has given me insights into the ability of opposing party’s incentives to come together for a common goal: to buy/sell a home.

Life Is What It's Called - What do you love most about nature?

Bruce Nemovitz - I love nature’s ability to recover, survive, and adapt to any situation. Most importantly, the natural beauty that nature offers cannot be replicated. The fact that life relies on a symbiotic relationship between plants, water, and air gives us the lesson that we as people cannot live without depending on nature and one another.

Life Is What It's Called - How do you see libraries or schools using your book?

Bruce Nemovitz - I am confident that my book can be a learning tool for teachers helping young children (7-10) understand the beauty and wonder of nature and that we are all connected through a universal love that cannot be quantified. The lesson will be taught by exceptional graphics and an easy-to-understand poetic style.

Life Is What It's Called - What sets this book apart from other books on the market?

Bruce Nemovitz - My book is unique and special in its delivery, graphics, and message. I realize there are so many similar books in style and message, but none bring the lesson of connection and love in a way that is so simple and easy to understand.

Life Is What It's Called - What activities can parents do with children that go along with this story?

Bruce Nemovitz - I envisioned parents not just reading this book to their children but using this book to teach a lesson that will never be forgotten; that we are all connected and reliant on nature and its beauty for a peaceful, gratifying life. A lesson that one’s child will take with them for the rest of their lives.

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

Bruce Nemovitz - This is my third published book, but the other two are non-fiction business-related books. I enjoyed writing this book, and my goal is to offer another book or two teaching other important lessons of life that can bring us together as a society.

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

Bruce Nemovitz - The reader should know that my inspiration came from my seven grandchildren. I look into their eyes and see such hope and innocence. I want to offer what little I can to leave them a better world, a world without hate and separation. A world that thrives on love and peace without judgement and separation. I once heard that you change the world one person at a time. If you’ve changed one person in a positive way, you’ve changed the world. My hope and desire is to leave the world in a better place for future generations.

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win a copy of The Leaf & The Tree, autographed by Bruce Nemovitz!

Three (3) winners receive:

• An autographed copy of The Leaf & The Tree

The Leaf and The Tree: Book Giveaway 

DISCLOSURE: This post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Bruce Nemovitz.

Beyond the Lavender Fields Book Review and Author Interview

ABOUT THE BOOK

1792, France Rumors of revolution in Paris swirl in Marseille, a bustling port city in southern France. Gilles Etienne, a clerk at the local soap factory, thrives on the news. Committed to the cause of equality, liberty, and brotherhood, he and his friends plan to march to Paris to dethrone the monarchy. His plans are halted when he meets Marie-Caroline Daubin, the beautiful daughter of the owner of the factory.

A bourgeoise and royalist, Marie-Caroline has been called home to Marseille to escape the unrest in Paris. She rebuffs Gilles's efforts to charm her and boldly expresses her view that violently imposed freedom is not really freedom for all. As Marie-Caroline takes risks to follow her beliefs, Gilles catches her in a dangerous secret that could cost her and her family their lives. As Gilles and Marie-Caroline spend more time together, she questions her initial assumptions about Gilles and realizes that perhaps they have more in common than she thought.

As the spirit of revolution descends on Marseille, people are killed and buildings are ransacked and burned to the ground. Gilles must choose between supporting the political change he believes in and protecting those he loves. And Marie-Caroline must battle between standing up for what she feels is right and risking her family's safety. With their lives and their nation in turmoil, both Gilles and Marie-Caroline wonder if a revolutionnaire and a royaliste can really be together or if they must live in a world that forces people to choose sides.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Arlem Hawks began making up stories before she could write. Living all over the western United States and traveling around the world gave her a love of cultures and people and the stories they have to tell. She has a bachelor’s degree in communications, with an emphasis in print journalism, and she lives in Arizona with her husband three children. 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

LIFE IS WHAT IT'S CALLED - What inspired you to write this story?

ARLEM HAWKS - In truth, I fell in love with Gilles's character while writing Georgana's Secret. I knew some snippets of his past, but I wanted to dig deeper into it. When I was looking at the timeline of his life and where it took place, I realized he'd be in Marseille during the French Revolution, and I thought it would be an interesting setting, as most French Revolution stories take place around Paris. I studied French and French history from elementary school through college, and I was excited to write a book that tied into that part of my life.

LIFE IS WHAT IT'S CALLED - What do you like most about the time period featured in Beyond the Lavender Fields?

ARLEM HAWKS - I'm not sure I like this, but I was fascinated by the ever-changing political climate. People's loyalties changed back and forth in such a short amount of time. One minute a person could be a darling of the Revolution, and the next they could be burned in effigy in the streets (or worse!). Throughout my research the question "How did normal people survive this?" kept playing through my head. With so much confusion and fear, I gained great respect for the everyday French people keeping their families afloat.

LIFE IS WHAT IT'S CALLED - In the book you present different opinions, whose opinion do you find closest aligns to your own?

ARLEM HAWKS - I don't know that I side firmly with one or the other. Revolutionaries did some terrible things, but royalists weren't much better, especially when you get into the counterrevolution that takes place after the events of this book. In Beyond the Lavender Fields, the Jacobins are rising to power, so Caroline's royalists look a little more favorable, but that wasn't the case the whole Revolution. I'm on the side of respect for others, even if they don't agree with you.

LIFE IS WHAT IT'S CALLED - What did you want readers to learn from this book?

ARLEM HAWKS - I think I wanted people to learn that just because someone has a differing view doesn't necessarily mean they're a terrible person. Sometimes people who seem so far apart in beliefs are closer in mind than they think. Often we're trying to solve the same problem, but we're coming at it in different ways.

LIFE IS WHAT IT'S CALLED - What do you hope readers will love about this book?

ARLEM HAWKS - I hope Georgana's Secret fans love getting to know Gilles better and how much he grows as a result of his friendship with Caroline. I also hope they enjoy the taste of southern France, as we don't get a lot of it in clean historical romance (at least in the English literature world).

LIFE IS WHAT IT'S CALLED - What are your next writing projects?

ARLEM HAWKS - I'm working on another French Revolution piece set in a different area of France and another Royal Navy Regency.

LIFE IS WHAT IT'S CALLED - Is there anything we can take away from this book and apply it today's political climate?

ARLEM HAWKS - I think the biggest takeaway I hope readers get is to look beyond the labels and see the person. Putting yourself in another person's shoes can be difficult to do when you're on opposite sides of an argument, but respect, understanding, and compromise are vital tools to establishing peace in life and relationships. When you seek to understand, you learn from others, and at times you realize that some of the beliefs you clung to weren't as true as you thought.


REVIEW

For me, Beyond the Lavender Fields goes beyond a historical fiction romance. It shares the friendship and marriage of two different political stances. This book felt like an allegory in a lot of ways by showing how different viewpoints can go too far into believing that they are right, how to get along with others that have different viewpoints, others that take no stance, and others that only care for their beliefs and forego relationships because of it. This book was rich in French history and the story felt like it was full of interesting talking points that could be discussed with friends and/or a book club. Even though the book's setting is during the French revolution, there's a lot of ideas that could apply to the political turmoil that's going on now. I enjoyed the rich historical elements in the story and Arlem Hawks does a good job at painting the confusion, the struggles and horrors of the French revolution. She also paints the setting really well with her words. It was easy to visualize the people and places in the story. Overall, this was a fascinating read. The characters were interesting and well developed. The storyline moved on quickly and gave me something to really think about. To learn more about Beyond the Lavender Fields, click here.

Please note that I received a free copy to review, however, this is my honest opinion. This post contains affiliate links to help support this blog.

Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas Book Review and Giveaway

ABOUT THE BOOK

Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas

Written by Jeanne Walker Harvey

Illustrated by Loveis Wise

Ages 4-8 | 40 Pages

Publisher: HarperCollins | ISBN-13: 9780063021891

Publisher’s Synopsis: Celebrate the life-changing power of art in this inspiring and stunningly illustrated picture book biography of American artist Alma Thomas.

Meet an incredible woman who broke down barriers throughout her whole life and is now known as

one of the most preeminent painters of the 20th century. Told from the point of view of young Alma Thomas, readers can follow along as she grows into her discovery of the life-changing power of art.

As a child in Georgia, Alma Thomas loved to spend time outside, soaking up the colors around her. And her parents filled their home with color and creativity despite the racial injustices they faced. After the family moved to Washington DC, Alma shared her passion for art by teaching children. When she was almost seventy years old, she focused on her own artwork, inspired by nature and space travel.

In this celebration of art and the power of imagination, Jeanne Walker Harvey and Loveis Wise tell the incredible true story of Alma Thomas, the first Black woman to have a solo exhibition at the Whitney Museum in New York City and to have her work chosen for the White House collection. With her bold and vibrant abstract paintings, Alma set the world ablaze with color.

Ablaze with Color includes extensive backmatter with photos, an author’s and illustrator’s note, a timeline, and a list of sources and resources, which will be a great tool for parents, educators, and librarians. Perfect for Women’s History Month and Black History Month units alongside such favorites as Malala’s Magic Pencil, Hidden Figures, and Mae Among the Stars.

Available for purchase on Amazon here or available on bookshop.org here.


ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Jeanne Walker Harvey has been a longtime docent at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art. Just like Alma Thomas, Jeanne believes that art brings us joy. Her other picture books include Maya Lin: Artist-Architect of Light and Lines and My Hands Sing the Blues: Romare Bearden’s Childhood Journey. Jeanne studied literature and psychology at Stanford University. She lives in Northern California.

Visit her online at www.jeanneharvey.com.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR

Loveis Wise is an illustrator and designer from Washington, DC. They are currently based in Los Angeles and their work often speaks to themes of joy and liberation. Their work can be found through the New Yorker, Google, Adobe, and the New York Times.

You can find them online at www.loveiswise.com.

REVIEW

The illustrations and the color in this book by Loveis Wise are phenomenal. The images really reflect the style and artistry of Alma Thomas. The colors, the style, the bold and vibrant strokes are really eye-catching, memorable and have a strong understanding of the use of color. You get a sense of Alma Thomas's style and art from the book. The art just makes the story come alive and seem full of joy and imagination. The story itself I feel is an important one from kids. It gives Alma's history and struggles and then her striving to not settle. She was determined to pave her own life and break barriers. She creates art that's bold, beautiful and bright. I also liked that Thomas encouraged art with others. This is an inspiring tale that will encourage kids to reach for their dreams and not be afraid to use their imaginations to create art. I felt like this book was really put together nicely between the art and the text. It's something that easily could be read at homes, schools, and the classrooms. And teachers and parents could have children create art with bold colors as a supplement activity. This book is just beautifully done. I highly recommend checking it out. It's something that you will want to share with your kids and others.

GIVEAWAY

Enter for a chance to win a classroom set of the picture book Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas!

Three (3) winners receive:

A classroom set of Ablaze with Color: A Story of Painter Alma Thomas, autographed and personalized for each student and the teacher by Jeanne Walker Harvey (no more than 30 books per set).

Ablaze with Color: Book Giveaway

Please note that this post is in partnership with The Children’s Book Review and Jeanne Walker Harvey. I received a free ebook to review, however, I shared my honest opinion.