Notes and Photos from Friends are the best!
Goldfish approved Break-fish-Food!
A real food a-fish-onado sent this snap of breakfast treats.
FIN-O-MEN-AL!!!
ZOOM-ZOOM-ZOOM! Chatting stories with 2nd graders from Samuel Staples Elementary School in Eaton, CT! We sang Take Me Out to the Ballgame, but when we reached the ROOT-ROOT-ROOT for the ________ we filled in our own favorite teams. Which did I sing? Not saying…
“OMG!!! Thank you so much for the visit on Tuesday. The kids absolutely loved it so much.”—Mary Blair, librarian at Samuel Staples Elementary
Fin Mail from Friends!
Even the best artists create some not-so-great paintings sometimes…right???
Instead of tossing them in the bin, recycle them!
Cut yuck art into strips and use it to create other art—like this finny striped fish. Great idea Marty!
High Fins for this Fintastic Fish Collage
Izzy, this adorable Vampire Baby and little sis. Surely she doesn’t bite her big brother…Youch Izzy!
“He [James] really likes the Daddy book. He likes to copy the pics. And yesterday he told Chuck, ‘James likes to make a ruckus. Sometimes.’”
From "Emily" in Webster, Florida. Love the Fish & Fishbowl border! (Had to laugh at "...People aren't blue!)
1st form students (5-7 years old) at Guayaguayare R.C. school in Trinidad and Tobago, as part of Bridge Foundation's "Read to Rise" program, read Not Norman, and were given the prompt: "When I got Norman, I didn't want to keep him. I wanted a ____________. Their responses are priceless! Read and enjoy!
And, Norman's personal favorite--for obvious reasons:
"We were eating dinner last night, and Gus said "Youch, Tootie! No Bite!" out of the blue! I'm not sure what prompted it, but there it was!" (Here's Gus with his new haircut. Smile wider so we can see if you have fangs!)
““Message: My kids love Not Norman!
My boys are a bit older now and still remember how nice you were at the book signing at their school (Creekview Elementary in College Station, Texas).
My daughter who is four loves the adventures in the book.
The signed copy of Not Norman is a treasure!””
The icing on a fabulous day at Forest Ridge Elementary in College Station, Texas was this note!
(And yes, of course I answered it!)
My kids LOVE Vampire Baby! The younger one is always saying "Youch, Tootie! No Bite!" and then laughing or shaking his head gravely. (It's a lesson for him, because sometimes his fangs appear too!) He insists that it sits on HIS bed's bookshelf when we're not reading it! Thanks for writing such a great story!
"I overheard my 6 year old granddaughter, Isalina, who just finished kindergarten pretending to teach a class in my living room and read them a story. She was holding the book, One Day I Went Rambling, up for her group of pretend students, preparing to read it to read to them (she can't read yet, just phonetic words). But before she began I heard her say, 'Now class, this book is about treasures... This book says no matter what it is, it's a treasure. Anything can be a treasure.'" —from Donna in Montpelier, June 2013
“Hi, Kelly. My husband read "Not Norman" to our wee ones. The next night, Michael (age 3) "read" it to himself - from the pictures. How cool is that?” –Eleanor Holderman, July 2010
"My dad, "Norman Curtis" Message : Hi Kelly. I'm a nanny in Colorado and I babysit a 23 month old little girl who LOVES "Not Norman" so much that she actually reads it to me (not exaggerating). I was amused by the book at first read simply because my poor dad is named Norman and I've always felt it's such an unfortunate name. So everytime I read this story (which is multiple times a day) I tend to think of him. So I was finally online tonight looking up a link to show my dad the book and to suggest he get it to read to his grandchildren when I saw your story told from Norman's perspective called "Not Curtis" and I just about died laughing because my dad's full name is Norman Curtis. Long story I know - but I'd love to see Not Curtis out as an actual book someday - that would be fun!"--via e-mail April 2010
Jackson, a kindergartener at Paddington British School is learning to read with our finny friend Norman!
Wonder what Norman sounds like with a British accent? GlOOg!
Kindergartners at Council Oak Elementary in Tulsa, Oklahoma used recycled toys and tidbits to create this mosaic art! Their teacher, Mrs. Fondren, shared One Day I Went Rambling with the class. After hearing what fun Zane and his friends had the wanted to go rambling too!
Two teefers is all one needs to start learning about baseball!
Baby Nate says “I’m ready to read, Grampa Dave!”
For pumpkin book report day, Sadie, a 1st grader at St. Thomas the Apostle Episcopal School in Houston, TX, created a Norman fishbowl! Check out its hair and ears! Isn’t it fintastic!
As his senior project at Jakarta International School, Keenan Lambe raised funds to build a library in Papua. Check out his chicken feather headdress!
For Hoover Elementary in Tulsa, OK's "Dress Up As Your Favorite Book Character Day" Austin Rhodes came as the boy from Not Norman! (Love this hand-drawn and colored fishbowl and fish! Norman would flip over it!)
Robin Barker sent this photo of her friend reading Norman to his daughter's class.
Thanks Valarie P. for this! Bedtime Storytime with Amanda Sliepcevic and her daughter Arya
My heart sings knowing 3 generations of Nightengales are sharing Your Mommy: Baby Stella,her mama Madeline & Mimsie Jennifer!
George's granddaughter, Olivia, 5 months and she's already into books!
So, get this: Easter Sunday 2014, for the first time ever, we attend Cousin Jimmy's Easter Egg Hunt. There I meet Jimmy's wife Sharon's sister Monta's daughter Renee (following?) So maybe Renee is my 2nd cousin removed??? Anyway, in passing, someone mentions I'm an author. Renee and her husband Frank are huge readers as are their boys. So Renee asks if she might know any of my books. As we author's do, I whip out a bookmark. A while later, Renee and Frank call me over. Turns out their boys love NOT NORMAN! What a thrill!!!! So fun to learn someone loves my little goldfish! The next day, Renee posted this photo on my Facebook page: Kelly Bennett Books. These are their sons, Ethan & Bryce, with Uncle Joseph (6, Frank's Bro.)
In a Great Green Room at NYPL for the Children's Book Exhibit. I've turned into the old lady whispering "Hush!"
World Premiere of Vampire Baby Reader's Theater was held at the Vampire Baby birthday launch party, Sept 21, 2013, at Blue Willow Bookshop. Cast included: Kelly as MC/Innocent Brother; Jon Graham as Dad/Vampire Father; Marty as Tootie/Vampire Baby; Russell as Doctor/Vampire Boy & Sydnie as Mom/Vampire Mother. YOUCH!
Vonna Carter has more on her blog: http://vonnacarter.com/wordpress/?p=10879
Jamie Allen, giving my books the once over. His favorite is Sherlick Hound.
View from my desk in Trinidad, overlooking the Gulf of Paria
Deny's Daughter, Cantika in Jakarta with Norman!
Writing Bud, Marty Graham's, Inspiration Corner
Lulu M. Stevens Elem's in Houston celebrated Earth Day with a rockin' Science Fair!
Katie and Liam's baby Ross--a discerning reader, Yee haw!
Rebecca & Spencer reading with their folks in Calgary
Fish Kisses for Norman
View from my desk--and my big, bold monitor
Valerie Pagano's dog, Lucky plans on two-stepping when they get home. Yeehaw!
Triplets, Jacob, Ryan & Kevin stopped by the B&N in Fenton for Storytime on Oct 11, 2013. They brought their mom, Angie and Granny from Philly!
