Thursday, January 19, 2017

Meet Janet Halfmann Childrens Book Author

Good Night, Little Sea Otter
Star Bright Books

Has just released in board book version: English and English/Spanish
Also available in hardcover and softcover
        
Softcover is available in 8 languages: Arabic/English, Burmese Karen/English, English, French/English, Hmong/English, Navajo/English, Portuguese/English, Spanish/English
         
$5.99 paperback
$7.99 board book
Purchase links:

Janet, what do you love about Goodnight, Little Sea Otter?
I love how some kids after listening to the story want their caregivers to wrap them in a seaweed blanket just as Mama sea otter does in the book. And I LOVE, LOVE the art by Wish Williams. When I’m signing books, people will spot the art from across the room and rush over to see it close up.

Lisa: The seaweed blanket is so sweet and the illustrations lush!

Tell us about this book’s character.
Little Sea Otter is pretty much like any young child who wants to put off bedtime as long as possible. I like how curious Little Sea Otter is and how patient his Mama is while still managing to get him to settle down for the night. The ocean with all its wonderful creatures is also a character in this book.

Share two things you learned about yourself, your setting, or the publishing world while writing this book.
I learned how to really focus on making my words capture the feeling of rocking on the ocean waves. I also discovered a lot about the amazing life of a kelp forest.

Lisa: This Grandma is glad to have found a new author to LOVE! 

Animal TeachersAnimal Teachers
Blue Apple Books

$17.99
Purchase links:

Janet, tell us what do you love about Animal Teachers.
I love the questions at the end of each spread that allow children to relate the animal lesson to their own lives. These questions were a suggested addition to my manuscript by the editor, and I think they add so much to the book. Parents and caregivers tell me they love listening to their child’s answers.

How did you decide on your topic and what do you hope readers will learn?
I decided to write about animal parents teaching their young after noticing many similarities in how this is done between animals and humans. I was fascinated, and I thought kids would be, too. I think kids like to see how animals mirror their own lives.

I hope all my books about nature will help children appreciate the value of all living things

Share two things you learned about yourself, your setting, or the publishing world while writing this book.

I was reminded again about the great suggestions an editor often brings to a project. I also learned a lot of fun information about how young animals grow up.

Lisa: That sounds wonderful. There's a lot to learn no matter how old we are, or what profession we practice.



About Janet:
Janet Halfmann is an award-winning children’s author who strives to make her books come alive for young readers and listeners. She has written forty fiction and nonfiction books.

Janet writes picture books about nature and animals. She also writes about little-known people who have accomplished amazing feats, such as Robert Smalls in Seven Miles to Freedom.

Before becoming a children’s author, Janet was a daily newspaper reporter, children’s magazine editor, and a creator of coloring and activity books for Golden Books in Racine, Wisconsin. She is the mother of four and the grandmother of five. When Janet isn’t writing, she enjoys gardening, exploring nature, visit living-history museums, and spending time with her family. She grew up on a farm in Michigan and now lives with her husband in South Milwaukee, Wisconsin.