Author: Bernice Seward

I'm an incurable optimist with a particular fondness for stories where the "little duck" wins in the end. I'm an avid reader, writer, photographer and adventurer.
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How Do YOU Book?

A Wild Reader, mixed media collage, by Bernice Seward

Happy Children’s Book Week! I’m here with Andrew, a young monster from the wilds of Rumpusland. He has agreed to answer a few questions from the How Do You Book? Challenge. Thank you, Andrew, for meeting with me today.

Andrew: No problem! I like talkin’ about books.

Bernice: Me, too. My first question is: What do you book?

Andrew: ‘Scuse me. Did you mean to ask “What do you do with a book?” ‘Cuz if so, I read it.

Bernice: (chuckles) Sorry about that. I should have explained. The question “What do you book?” means “What do you read?” We just treat the word “book” as an action word.

Andrew: Cool! Well, I book just about anything–but my favorite books to book are adventure stories. Right now, I’m booking about a dragon trying to rescue his princess friend from a tower.

Bernice: That sounds like a great story. My next question is: Where do you book?

Andrew: (snorts) That’s easy! Wherever I want to! See these claws?

Bernice: They’re really big!

Andrew: And they’re super good at climbing. Sometimes I put my books and lunch in my pack-a-back and shimmy to the top of a tree. Other times I climb up Rocky Snout Cliff and book by the tumbleberry bushes–they’re a little poky, but the berries are tasty.

Bernice: Wow. You book in a lot of exciting places.

Andrew: Yep! What about you?

Bernice: Me? I book in a lot of places, but none are as exciting as yours. I have booked at the ocean and while flying above the clouds, though.

Andrew: That’s okay. You do the best you can.

Bernice: Thank you. I have one final question for you today. And it is: How do you book?

Andrew: Mostly with my eyes. But sometimes Pappy books out loud, and then I close my eyes and listen so I can make a movie in my mind.

Bernice: That sounds like a lot of fun.

Andrew: It is! I really like it when Pappy books with me.

Bernice: I’m sure your pappy enjoys it, too. What I actually meant to ask with that question was what position you book in. Do you like sitting, or laying down, or maybe hanging upside down?

Andrew: Once I tried booking upside down like my friend Battilda, but that didn’t last long ‘cuz my toes lost their grip. Sometimes I stretch out on my tummy and sometimes I sit down in a sunny spot and sometimes I lean up against a tree trunk or a boulder. I just wiggle around until I get comfortable.

Bernice: Those are all great ways to book!

Andrew: I know.

Bernice: Thank you for taking the time to answer a few questions about reading. I hope you continue to enjoy booking lots of great stories in lots of exciting places from lots of comfortable positions.

Andrew: I will. Bye!

Bernice: Goodbye.

What about you? How do YOU book? I’d love to hear about what you book, where you book, and how you book in the comment section.

Happy booking! –Bernice

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Hello My Name is Bernice

Hello. My name is Bernice.

You may recognize me, but you may not.

Although this is my little corner of the webiverse, I haven’t shown up in a while.

I mean, look at the date of my last blog post.

After finishing two books in quick succession in April of 2019, I took a break for two weeks . . . which turned into two months . . . which turned into two years (and then some).

You may ask, “What’s up with that?”

Then again, you may not. Because it’s not like we didn’t go through a major pandemic in the meantime.

The short answer is that that time marked a planned shift in focus from creating stuff like crazy to building my platform and marketing the stuff I’d been creating.

And that scared me.

Because I’m not good at marketing. I don’t know how to do it well. I’m not a salesperson. And I don’t want to sell things—I want to create content. Content that entertains, educates, and/or inspires.

The good news is, marketing isn’t about selling things. In his book Tribes, Seth Godin says, “Marketing is the act of telling stories about the things we make—stories that sell and stories that spread.” (page 15).

Telling stories? I can do that. In fact, I LOVE doing that!

Making things? I can do that. In fact, I LOVE doing that, as well!

As for the stories selling and spreading, I’ll trust what Austin Kleon says— “Share what you love, and the people who love the same things will find you.” (Show Your Work, page 19).

So, please allow me to reintroduce myself.

Hello. My name is Bernice. I write and illustrate children’s books, and I share about the process in this little corner of the webiverse. If you have a moment, please introduce yourself in the comment section. I’d be delighted to meet you (or to meet you again, as the case may be).

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Squawk Around the Clock Audiobook Video

The audiobook video for Squawk Around the Clock is now ready! It features the vocal talents of a multi-talented friend named Patti Lee.

The Enrichment Pages from the book are available as a free PDF, and can be downloaded from the Audiobook Resources page. There is also a free printable activity packet available there.

This video will be available through May 31, 2020.

Happy reading, Bernice

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This is the Book Audiobook Video

The audiobook video for This is the Book is now ready! This book contains cumulative poems and focuses on the -ook word family.

The Enrichment Pages from the book are available as a free PDF, and can be downloaded from the Audiobook Resources page. There is also a free printable activity packet available there.

This video will be available through May 31, 2020.

Happy reading, Bernice

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Free Emergent Readers

With libraries and schools shut down across the nation during the COVID-19 pandemic, our access to books is a little more limited. Publishers, authors, illustrators, and other professionals across the nation–and throughout the world–are sharing stories in creative ways.

One of the ways I am working to share literature is by offering free versions for most of my books during March and April. Some of these titles will be available as free Kindle books during certain times (I’ll post the titles and dates they are available for free below).

For other titles, I am creating “visual audiobooks” and will post them on my blog, along with free printable resources to help students connect with the story and words they may be learning (or reinforcing). Access to these videos will be available through May 31st, 2020.

Many of my books contain enrichment sections at the end with questions and activities for students. In addition, I create activity packets to go along with most of my books. These activity packets can be found on each book’s page on my website.

Free books from March 30-31 (clicking on a title will take you to the Kindle page):

Have You Seen My Frog?

Do NOT Turn This Page

Ten Swishy Fish

At the Haiku Zoo

Free books from April 8-12 (clicking on a title will take you to the Kindle page):

The Box

The Bus Stop

Pup in a Cup

When I Grow Up/When I Was Young

Free book from April 13-17 (clicking on the title will take you to the Kindle page):

The Lost Lid

I hope that you are able to stay connected virtually with other people and with great literary and creative adventures during this period of social distancing.

All the best, Bernice

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Shelter in Place Boredom Buster

Some of my friends began compiling a list on Facebook of things to do while we “shelter in place” and practice social distancing. The collaborative list inspired me to create a Boredom Busters Bingo card. If you’d like to print this out, simply click on the picture above or on the title in this paragraph.

The ideas on the card are family- and child-friendly, but can also fit a variety of ages.

If you use the card and you get a Bingo, comment on this post within the next four weeks and you will win a pdf with printable bookmarks.

If you use the card and you get a Blackout, comment on this post within the next four weeks and you’ll win a 6″ X 8″ digital copy of my fine art illustration called Gary’s Dinner Surprise as well.

Here’s to being creative, and to finding meaningful ways to engage with one another–whether it’s in the virtual realm or in person.

All the best,

Bernice

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Press Release for Tippy Toe Surprise

For immediate release:

Author’s new book receives a warm literary welcome.

Readers’ Favorite announces the review of the Children – Grade K-3rd book “Tippy Toe Surprise” by Bernice Seward, currently available at http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0999537830.

Readers’ Favorite is one of the largest book review and award contest sites on the Internet. They have earned the respect of renowned publishers like Random House, Simon & Schuster, and Harper Collins, and have received the “Best Websites for Authors” and “Honoring Excellence” awards from the Association of Independent Authors. They are also fully accredited by the BBB (A+ rating), which is a rarity among Book Review and Book Award Contest companies.

“Reviewed By Mamta Madhavan for Readers’ Favorite

Dylan peeked around the corner and grinned. He wanted to sneak up on his daddy. He crouched down low and snuck down the hall. Tip, tip, tippy toe, and that is how Dylan snuck up on his daddy—always. Each time he tried to sneak up on his daddy, there would be something that made a sound. He remembered that his shoes were squeaky and he went back to the kitchen to remove them. He again snuck down the hall and at that moment dust tickled his nose and he sneezed. Alivia also wanted to sneak with him and they both snuck down the hall. Would they be able to surprise their daddy? 

Tippy Toe Surprise by Bernice Seward is a delightful and charming story that captures the bonding between a parent and a child in a beautiful way. The illustrations are lively and adorable like the story. The author makes the story fun and interactive by giving music notes of the Tippy Toe Surprise Song and including Enrichment Questions, Sentence Tic-Tac-Toe, and Rhyme Boxes—making learning engaging and interesting. It is a perfect book that can be used for classroom activities because its enrichment activities will help students to learn to read through repetition. The bonding of Dylan and Alivia is tangible and there will be many readers who will find them relatable. Stories like this make it easy for parents and elders to help children understand how simple things can make life beautiful and connect them better with their parents and family.”

You can learn more about Bernice Seward and “Tippy Toe Surprise” at https://readersfavorite.com/book-review/tippy-toe-surprise where you can read reviews and the author’s biography, as well as connect with the author directly or through their website and social media pages.

Readers’ Favorite LLC 
Media Relations
Louisville, KY 40202 
800-RF-REVIEW 
support@readersfavorite.com
https://readersfavorite.com

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One Yellow Flower Digital Collage

One Yellow Flower

I’ve been playing around with digital collage this week. This illustration, called One Yellow Flower, is the result of my first attempt at digital mixed media collage.

I started painting my own papers to use in collage illustrations last summer. I’ve been scanning those papers, along with pieces of fabric from some of my favorite sweaters, a pair of jeans that were wearing out, and other materials and photographed elements.

I’ve been learning and having a lot of fun. With the learning curve and the time it takes to “cut out” the different pieces by erasing around the shapes I draw so I can isolate them and add them to my “canvas” piece by piece, it would be faster to use physical paper. But this way I simply hit “undo” if something doesn’t turn out right. AND I can keep an endless supply of my favorite painted papers 🙂

I may eventually prefer one method of created collage artwork more than the other (working with digital elements versus working with physical elements). But, in the meantime, I’m loving every part of the creative process–and the endless options that collage makes possible.