Party Time: Day 4

One more day until my dino book bash! Crafts are prepped. Cake is ordered. Music is set.  My special guest has his dancing shoes ready. All I need is you to make the celebration complete. Come party with us 2 p.m. tomorrow at Quail Ridge Books & Music in Raleigh. Can’t make it and want a signed copy of One More Dino on the Floor? You can get it here.

Remember that anyone who posts a comment here  or on my FaceBook page or shares one of my posts is entered in a giveaway for a dino prize pack including a mini T-Rex pillow pet, dino hat, coloring book and more. You can also score an entry by buying  One More Dino on the Floor at the Saturday launch party . And I have a prize that’s just for educators –  a free 30-minute Skype visit. If you’d like to have your name entered for that giveaway, please let me know in the comments.

Here’s today’s inside peek.

Behind the scenes: One More Dino on the Floor was my first manuscript written in rhyme. Though it felt like the right way to tell the story, I was nervous about trying such an exacting form. But a conversation with my Rutgers One-on-One mentor gave me the courage to take the leap. She told me that I shouldn’t put any boundaries on the kinds of stories I tell or how I bring them to life. Thank you, Rotem. I wrote the verses and went to rhyming guru friends and colleagues for feedback. Shout out to Kristy, Tameka, Johnny, Phyllis, Anastasia and Margot for encouraging me and welcoming me to the rhyming club :). My agent Caryn and editor Kelly believing in the story is a dream come true.

Dino fact: DID YOU KNOW that dino dance floor site in Denali National Park, Alaska, is filled with footprints of hadrosaurs (duck-billed dinosaurs). A paleontologist called it a “family destination” with different generations exploring the area together.

For teachers and librarians: Educator Debbie Gonzales created a wonderful discussion and activity guide for One More Dino on the Floor. It’s available here. Thanks, Deb!