Happy Book Birthday, A Squiggly Line by Robert Vescio!

I'm getting a little ahead of myself, since the official release day on this one is actually tomorrow. But I'm always excited about book birthdays and find that each one deserves a several-day shout-out. This cute little mouse caught my attention, and I was very curious to see what it would do with a pencil in its hands...that could lead in all sorts of directions, don't you think?

A SQUIGGLY LINE

by Robert Vescio

Illustrated by Kathy Creamer

Little Pink Dog Books

Picture Book

40 pages

ages 4 to 8

A Squiggly Line is a story about the pursuit of one’s dream, similar to the rules of taming the life we live. A funny and exciting journey into the power of positive thinking and discovering your creative abilities and self confidence. A brave little mouse begins an adventure armed with just a pencil and a blank page…he doesn’t know where he’s going or what he will encounter along the way. During the process, even though his drawing may seem squiggly and messy at first, he soon develops the confidence to overcome the stumbling blocks and surprises along the way–surprises that he never thought existed. And from that moment, his creation comes to play.
 
Told in a unique way full of play and creativity, the story will send a powerful message about the endless possibilities of having fun with one’s imagination. It will help children to explore how they can turn a simple squiggly line into a playful idea.
 
A Squiggly Line is a fun and entertaining story about how life is very much the same as a squiggly line. Our squiggly line, our life, is shaped by the directions we take in our lives and how we can develop the confidence and ingenuity to overcome the problems that try to trip us up.
  
A Squiggly Line is a story about embracing life’s journey and creating the life you want. It shares lessons for life. It offers great advice for anyone. It’s a simple message about life and what it entails to sail on a pursuit of one’s dreams.
 
This story will appeal to children graduating, celebrating a milestone or mastering the first day of school. It’s a great inspirational story to motivate children.
 
Like the brave little mouse in the story, we all have a life that yearns to be created!

GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/59568394-a-squiggly-line

BOOK DEPOSITORY:

AMAZON: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0648652815/ref=x_gr_bb_amazon

B&N:

MY TIDBITS

With an adorable mouse and a sense of creativity, these pages lead readers into the world of imagination.

Starting with a pencil and a mouse, an adventure begins. A dot leads to a line until it meets trouble and needs to take a sharp turn. With a tiny touch of tension and the agility of a fuzzy mouse, readers see how lines and curves come together to form amazing things.

These pages hold a clever path from minimal to exciting. The simple beginnings of a mouse, a pencil, and just one little point and line lead to an adventure, step by step, and that without showing what the mouse has really formed until the very end. The illustrations stick with this basic theme by providing the lines the mouse draws, the mouse, and a dog...oh, and a ball. Everything else is blank and white. 

The mouse is very well and super cutely drawn, but then, so is the dog, and that with a fun touch. Both characters easily steal the show,  and yet, the dog never moves, and the mouse only draws. It's a subtle sense of possible danger between the two, which could happen but never does, and that adds the clever touch of excitement to keep the pages turning, while the mouse adds one line and curve after the other. 

The text is short and gives just enough to add a playful touch, while pointing out how the lines change. The illustrations add the humor as the reader sees why they change. This will have listeners giggling, while still wondering what the dog will do. The last page holds a surprise and demonstrates how amazing simple lines and curves can be. It's a cute read, which will entertain and have listeners wanting to draw, too. 

And here they are...

Robert Vescio is a published children’s author. His picture books include, Finn and Puss (EK Books), Eric Finds A Way (Wombat Books) listed on the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge for 2018, Ella Saw The Tree (Big Sky Publishing), Jack and Mia (Wombat Books) listed on the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge for 2017, Barnaby and the Lost Treasure of Bunnyville (Big Sky Publishing), Marlo Can Fly (Wombat Books) listed on the NSW Premier’s Reading Challenge for 2015, No Matter Who We’re With (IP Kidz). He has more picture books due to be released soon.
Many of his short stories have been published in anthologies such as Packed Lunch, Short and Twisted, Charms Vol 1, The Toy Chest and The School Magazine NSW.
He has won awards for his children’s writing including First Place in the 2012 Marshall Allan Hill Children’s Writing Competition and Highly Commended in the 2011 Marshall Allan Hill Children’s Writing Competition.
Robert is a Books In Homes Role Model and enjoys visiting schools. His aim is to enthuse and inspire children to read and write and leave them bursting with imaginative ideas.
For more information visit: Robert’s Website or Facebook page.

Kathy Creamer is a children’s illustrator and writer who has been published by Oxford University Press, Reed International, Julia Gabriel Communications, September 21, Christmas Press, Second Look and other organisations.
Kathy has also run her own successful publishing company in the UK, where she published over eighteen picture books for a range of high net-worth private clients.
Having emigrated to Australia fifteen years ago, she moved to Armidale, and with her husband Peter, has set up Little Pink Dog Books Children’s Publishing.
Please visit Kathy’s Website and her Facebook page.