2-27-10 Mama's Bayou Frogs Cake
Friends:
My Mama’s Bayou book launch party with Holly Stone-Barker was a smashing success! We had a beautiful cake made to look just like the frogs in our book, Mama’s Bayou. I also set out mini marshmallow frogs for the kids. So cute!
2-27-10 Holly & Dianne in front of the cake table
Judith Lafitte and Tom Lowenberg, owners of Octavia, were wonderful hosts. They rearranged the book store for our party and did a fantastic job! Thank you so much, Judith and Tom!
2-27-10 Dianne is a Judith Lafitte fan! Judith is co-owner of Octavia Books.
Eliana, my 9 year old daughter, dressed up as a gator. I made her cousins outfits with shirts that had the book’s images on them. They were so cute!
2-27-10 Eliana (gator girl on right) with her cousins
Holly set up a large story time magnet board made from one of the pages in our book. It’s so gorgeous!
2-27-10 Mama's Bayou giant story time magnet board
As I sang the story, the children put the animal magnets on their place in the bayou. It worked out so well and the kids loved it!
2-27-10 The children hold their magnets for the story time board
I played the tambourine and sang the story with hand motions. Eliana held the book and turned the pages. Holly managed the children with the placement of their animals on the magnet board. It was fun!
2-27-10 Dianne & Eliana demonstrate the story's motions
Here are the children doing the hand motions for the story.
2-27-10 The children participate in the story
When the story was finished, I sat on the floor with the children to watch Holly as she demonstrated how she creates her cut paper and collage art.
2-27-10 Dianne on the floor with the kids for Holly's demonstration
Holly did a wonderful demonstration and created a dragonfly! The children were fascinated, watching her put together the dragonfly.
2-27-10 Holly Stone-Barker demonstrates her cut paper and collage technique, creating a dragonfly from the book
After Holly’s demonstration, I showed everyone all the activities that were available with our book, all free and downloadable from the web http://www.storyconnection.net/?content=mamasBayou. Then we drew prizes. We gave away a book bag, a cookie sheet magnet board, a mama and baby frog plush set, and a giant stuffed mama and baby frog.
2-27-10 Drawing prizes!
All the children were given a packet of activity sheets and goody bags containing chocolate graham cracker bears, a “Bear Hugs” postcard, bookmark, hopping frog, and party blower. Then we served frogs, poured swamp juice, and signed books.
2-27-10 Holly & Dianne sign books for loyal fans, Jon & Jordyn!
It was a fantabulous day! Thank you to everyone who came to our book launch party. Special thanks to Nina, Katie, and Caitlin of Pelican Publishing for coming! Judith and Tom of Octavia, we couldn’t have done it without you! And of course, thank you to our loyal fans, friends, and family who always stick by us. We’ll stick “bayou” too!
Rock and read on the bayou!
Until next time…
Warmly, Dianne
