For the last year or so, I've exchanged emails and tweets here and there with the lovely Emily Neuberger of Red Bird Crafts. At some point, in the midst of conversations about our kids' possible food allergies and various other bits of ordinary life, Emily mentioned that she was writing a craft book. I was happy for her to have such an exciting project to be working away on, but didn't know much more than that until I received an email from her asking if I might be willing to participate in the blog tour when the time came. I agreed without seeing the actual book (something I never do) because I think Emily is all sorts of nice and I wanted to help her out.
Well! Here I am, book in hand, and more than pleased that I agreed to help it find its way onto a few more bookshelves. Emily's book, Show Me a Story, is a beautifully conceived exploration into activities and ideas that will encourage the small folks where you are to dive headlong into their imaginary worlds through writing, drawing and storytelling. If you are an Alphabet Glue family, I think that Show Me a Story is exactly the sort of book that you would love to get your hands on. The photography is bright and engaging, and Emily's ideas are simple, yet compelling. The book manages to be filled with ideas that are easy to execute and are entirely practical, but their presentation is such that they still feel like really good fun. Finding this delicate balance can be such a challenge, and Emily has done a fantastic job.
Inside Show Me a Story you will find a collection of craft projects, story starters (you know that I love those), and ideas for engaging children in writing and telling stories through art and hands-on activities. You'll also find plenty of activities that can be done by children (and adults) of a variety of ages, making this book an ideal companion for family forays into creative writing and storytelling. I also think that this book would be an excellent resource for teachers. As I read through it, I kept thinking about how so many of the activities in Emily's book offer the kind of unique presentation it often takes to get reluctant writers on board in an elementary school setting. Show Me a Story underscores the joy that comes from expressing imagination through storytelling, and I love the way that this comes across in the book.
Emily's publisher has graciously offered a copy of Show Me a Story for me to share with you all. To enter to win, leave a comment on this post. I'll pick a winner on Sunday evening and notify the lucky commenter via email. You do need to be a U.S. resident to win the book. Storey Publishing is also offering a second chance to win a copy of Show Me a Story on their own blog, and to enter that giveaway, just pop on over here.
Congratualations to Emily on a job very, very well done!
