Monday, June 22, 2009

A New Job for Dilly is HERE!


I was so excited to check my mailbox and find a children's book I pre-purchased a while back. It's called A New Job for Dilly and is written by Rena Jones, Illustrated by Lisa Oakman.

This Dilly book is great. It is one of those books you want to read over and over and over. It's about a mouse named Dilly that LOVES pickles, especially the sour ones! (I can relate!) Dilly needed to be able to get more pickles so he set out to get a job. This book goes from A-Z and is perfect for any young child from around 4-8 years old.

When I got the book I showed it to Jonathan and he read it to me. He also brought it to school and read it to his class. We love this book and I think have already read it about 100 times! Our favorite page is when Dilly tried to be an electrician and he shocks himself. The picture cracked us up! The illustrations are so cute. (click here to visit the illustrator's website)

Rena Jones, Author Extraordinaire

I not only bought the book to support my friend but to support a new author. This is Rena's 1st published book. Rena always loved writing. She spent most of the 1990s writing letters to pen pals. Around the same time, she self-published three newsletters for pen pals. I wish I knew her back then because one of her newsletters was all about coffee! YUM! She began writing for children in 2003, after visiting Glacier National Park in Montana. A little mountain goat inspired her to write a story about him and her love for writing children’s stories began.

Rena is a home educator to her children and has been doing so for 11 years. Yup, 11 years! She also enjoys photography (Rena is an AMAZING photographer!), wildlife watching, camping, national parks, kayaking, music and even sour pickles. When not writing or taking pictures, she is usually being entertained by the crazy wildlife that frequents her mountain home. Seriously, she has crazy bears, squirrels...you name it! So different from Southern California!


Read to your child!
I have been a huge advocate of Reading is Fundamental for a very long time. I believe reading to your child every day for at least 15 minutes a day. When your child gets to the age where they are reading their own then have them pick out 2 books. One for them to read to you and another for you to read to them. It not only helps the child love books but they will become really great readers and gain a wonderful vocabulary. Spelling will come easier as well as more and more words become familiar.
Win an autographed copy of A New Job for Dilly!
All you need to do is leave a comment on at least FOUR of the seven blog stops. (blogs listed below) Rena will put your name in a pot and a winner will be chosen at the end of the tour. Please make sure she has a way to contact you. Please give your email address and at least your first name.

But remember, you have to reply to at least FOUR different stops to qualify. Rena will contact the winner at the end of the tour to find out how they'd like the book to be signed. Thanks and good luck!

June 21st – Sherrie Petersen
http://solvangsherrie.blogspot.com/

June 22nd – Beth Reinke

http://bethbencereinke.com/blog/

June 23rd – Elysabeth Eldering
http://jgdsseries.blogspot.com/

June 24th – Sharon Spray (THAT'S ME!)

http://mamasharonsays.blogspot.com/

June 25th – Adrienne Saldivar
http://a-saldivar.blogspot.com/

June 26th – Nikki Shoemaker

http://www.pinkpencil.blogspot.com/

June 27th – Vivian Zabel




CLICK HERE to visit Rena's website.

CLICK HERE to visit Rena's Blog.

CLICK HERE to purchase the book.

14 comments:

Rena Jones said...

Thank you for hosting the tour today, Sharon. I think it's wonderful you've read to Jonathan so much. That's so important. I also think it's wonderful he took Dilly to school with him, so please tell J I appreciate that.

Adrienne said...

I couldn't agree more about reading to your kids! It was part of our daily routine when they were little, and they still love reading.

Mandy said...

I am loving stopping my your tour and finding more about Dilly and Rena! So much fun!

Vivian Zabel said...

A unique blog entry about Rena and her book, very personal.

Thanks for tying the book and information about Rena into the need to read to children. Excellent.

http://vivianzabel.blogspot.com

Anonymous said...

I also think reading is so important for kids. We love Dilly and can't wait for his next adventure!!

Nancy

Sharon said...

Thank you for commenting on Rena's book and the importance on reading to children. I really love the book. We read it again last night and when Dilly tried to be a plumber...well I won't give it away but my son and I belly laughs every time!

Beth Bence Reinke said...

I agree that Dilly is a book you can read over and over. Cute and funny. Even my 13-year-old laughed at some of Dilly's jobs! :o)

Tracy said...

I am certainly enjoying my first blog tour! And I can't wait to get my book....darn customs agents are probably reading it to their kids as I type this!

Dee said...

My girls love to read, the old one gets a book every day from school, she's doing really well, we can't wait for our copy of Dilly!

Kate said...

This is a great stop for Dilly = glad you showed us the way! Reading to kids the first introduction to the Fun of books and the characters that live in them. I read for the Ohio Reads program, my work partnering with an inner city school, and the delight on the faces, the questions the kids asked, some of them jumping up with excitement! It was an experience that I treasure. Dilly, some more pickles for you, I think ^_^ Keep the adventure going!

elysabeth said...

I am enjoying learning more fun ways to introduce Dilly to kids. Thanks for hosting Rena today. See you all in the postings - E :)

--------
Elysabeth Eldering
Author of the Junior Geography Detective Squad (JGDS), 50-state, mystery, trivia series

STATE OF WILDERNESS, Book 1 of 50 now available.
STATE OF QUARRIES, book 2 of 50 now available
STATE OF RESERVATIONS, book 3 of 50 coming 2009

WHERE WILL THE ADVENTURE TAKE YOU NEXT?

http://jgdsseries.blogspot.com
http://junior-geography-detective-squad.weebly.com/
http://elysabethsstories.blogspot.com/
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/jgdsseries/ (series newsletter forum)

Kelly Polark said...

I love the time I read to my kids individually each night.
Congrats to Rena!

H. Pinski said...

Three cheers for Dilly & Rena!!!

hilary

Rena Jones said...

Thanks for all of the comments, everyone. It's been a great tour and all my hosts have been awesome and so creative!