Bianca with Elaine Vickers on Thankful

In this episode, I talk with acclaimed author Elaine Vickers about her tender picture book Thankful.

Elaine is the author of the middle grade novels Like Magic and Paper  Chains, which have received starred reviews, Whitney Award nominations, Mighty Girl’s Book of the Year picks, PJ Library licenses, and sold translations in four languages. She is also the author of the YA novel,  Fadeaway. In her non-writing life, Elaine teaches college chemistry, and she lives with her family in Utah.

In this conversation, we dig into the topic of gratitude and the making of Thankful,  in which stunning, diorama illustrations bring to life this lullaby of a  picture book about celebrating everyday things that make life wonderful. Get ready to have your heart filled!

Order a copy of Thankful via Bookshop.org.a great

Order a copy of Long Road to the Circus via Amazon.

Visit Elaine Vickers at https://www.elainevickers.com/.

Resources:

You can find the links to the activities discussed in this episode here https://www.elainevickers.com/books/thankful/ and here https://www.samanthacotterill.com/resources.html.

Transcription:

You can read the transcription on The Children's Book Review.

Discussion Topics:

• A story summary of Thankful
• The science of gratitude.
• Middle grade novels Paper Chains and Like Magic.
• The things kids are grateful for.
• The artwork of Samantha Cotterill: 3-D Art.
• The difficulties of practicing grattitude.
• Bedtime poetry.
• Young adult novel, Fade Away.
• Having more than one vocation: Scientist, teacher, author, and mother.
• The Ramona books.
• Crafts for practicing gratitude.