Peppy Puppy Author Interview + Giveaway!

/ Kizzi

Welcome to another edition of Three Show Saturday where I am bringing you another exciting book for children! I also have an interview with author Deborah Diesen and a review of her newest book. Plus…A GIVEAWAY!

I loved this book and I think you will too! It has everything you hope for in a children’s book, humor, surprise, excitement, and PUPPIES! I seriously want to read this book to every child I know. It’s just so much FUN!

And now, on with the show!

Pippa and Percival, Pancake and Poppy: Four Peppy Puppies (2018, Sleeping Bear Press, Picture Book)

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From the publisher:

A puppy named Poppy hears a rustling behind her fence and does what any curious puppy would–digs a hole under! There she finds another puppy! The puppies find two more floppy puppy friends and go on a galloping, gamboling adventure…until they catch a fright and go racing back to their loving homes. Told in bouncing, rolling rhyme, this sweet story is sure to capture the hearts of little dog lovers everywhere.

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Review:

This book is so much fun! In this fantastic new book from author Deborah Diesen and illustrator Grace Zong, four peppy puppies go on a parading, pouncing adventure that is sure to be a hit with children and adults. With alliteration and fantastic rhythm, this is an awesome book to read aloud. Mystery and surprise on the page turns are sure to get giggles and squeals from young readers.

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This would be a great read for daycare groups, classrooms, or other groups of children. Highly recommended for children ages 3 to 7 especially as a read aloud.

5 stars for four peppy puppies!

Interview with author Deborah Diesen

I LOVED this book! It is so fun to read aloud, and I was immediately drawn in by the cover with the puppies’ names. How did you come up with the names for the puppies and what inspired you to write this peppy puppy tale?
Thank you for your kind words!  The idea for this story began when I went out for a walk one day and met a little girl with a puppy named Pancake.  Seeing the two of them playing together was the initial inspiration for the story.  Later, as I began to develop the story draft, I added more puppies.  I hoped their names would be as fun as Pancake’s, so when they introduced themselves to me as Pippa, Poppy, and Percival, I was well-pleased!
Readers are always curious about the author and illustrator relationship. Did you know your illustrator prior to this book, and did you have a vision of what your puppies might look like before seeing the illustrations by Grace Zong? 
Many people are surprised to learn that authors don’t give directions to illustrators.  But this actually makes for better books, because what an artist creates is always more wonderful than anything the writer might have envisioned.  And that was definitely the case for this book.  I love Grace’s art, and I’m delighted by the lively and playful puppies she created.  I hope I get to meet her some day so I can tell her that in person!
Aspiring authors often wonder what the process is like from story idea to published manuscript. Can you tell me about the path this book took as you brainstormed the first draft and revised to reach the final product? 
For this book, the time from idea to publication date was just over three years, which is actually a fairly rapid timetable for a children’s book.  When I first had the idea for this story, I jotted down a few notes and then put them in a drawer.  My writing process benefits from back brain time, when I allow my mind to think about a story without directly thinking about it.  After several months of percolation, I pulled my notes out again and got down to work, and developed a complete first draft within a day.  After several weeks of periodic fine-tuning of the story draft, I took the manuscript to my monthly critique group for input.  Based on their feedback, I made some additional revisions, and then began submitting to publishers.  I was happy to find a home for the story with Sleeping Bear Press, and then Sleeping Bear found Grace Zong to illustrate it.  The publication process got rolling, and now the puppies are officially out in the world on their adventure! 
Did you always aspire to be a children’s book author? 
I’ve always loved writing, but I never thought about writing children’s books until after my kids were born.  When they were young, I was immersed in the world of children’s literature with them, reading story after story, over and over.  Eventually I was inspired to try writing some stories of my own.  That was almost twenty years ago, and I’ve been at it ever since!
Who has most inspired you as an author, and what was the best writing advice you ever received? 
My parents get the credit for inspiring me, as an author and in all things.  When I was young, they instilled a love of books and reading in me, and as I grew they encouraged my interest in writing.  My Mom gave me what I consider to be the best writing advice I’ve ever received.  When I wrote my very first poem, she told me I should put a date on it, because writers always date their work.  I was thrilled to learn from her suggestion that I was a writer, and I’ve kept the habit of dating all my work ever since.
What hobbies do you enjoy away from work? 
I love to read, and I also enjoy crossword puzzles and KenKen puzzles.  I dabble in photography, taking lots of pictures of the birds that visit my backyard.  I enjoy a good walk, especially in the woods, and I’ve recently taken up tap dancing.  I’m pretty much the world’s worst tap dancer, but I’m having fun with it!  It’s good to keep trying new things.
Is there anything else you’d like to share about yourself, your books or your career? 
Being a published children’s book author is a dream come true, and I’m so grateful to all the families, schools, and libraries that have taken a look at some of my books.  Books may be created by an author and an illustrator, but they don’t truly come alive until they have someone to enjoy them.  I appreciate the community of book lovers who bring books to life every day!

Thank you so much Deborah for taking time to visit with me!

Giveaway!

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You could win a copy Pippa and Percival, Pancake and Poppy! Sleeping Bear Press is giving away a copy of these four peppy puppies to one lucky reader of my blog. For a chance to win, just comment on this post.

Do you have a good recommendation for a book about facing fears? Or comment on anything you like! I will select one winner randomly from the comments.

Don’t forget to follow my blog via email so you never miss out on a giveaway or review.

Giveaway rules:

-Giveaway ends at 11:59pm CDT on Friday, April 13.

– You must be 18 or older to enter.

-Giveaway is open to US & Canada residents only.

-Only one entry per household.

-Winner has 48 hours to claim prize or a new winner will be chosen.

-Winner agrees to provide their preferred mailing address, to be forwarded to Sleeping Bear Press for shipment of prize.

Get these four peppy puppies from Amazon today!

Thank you to Sleeping Bear Press for a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. And a special thanks to Deborah Diesen for the fantastic interview and to Sleeping Bear Press for providing a copy for a giveaway.

13 thoughts on “Peppy Puppy Author Interview + Giveaway!”

  3. My son and I have a very special bond over her Pout Pout Fish series so we are always looking to add her books to his growing library. This one looks positively pawsome!
    The interview was great – I enjoy hearing the “story behind the story.”

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  5. Congratulations to Debbie on another fun and fabulous book for children! My eight grandchildren just love the Pout-Pout Fish books, so I’m looking forward to reading Debbie’s newest rhyming book. This was such an interesting interview. Thanks for sharing! Wendy

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    • Hi Wendy, Others have mentioned the Pout Pout Fish books and I definitely need to check them out. I imagine reading about peppy puppies would make for a fun reading time filled with lots of giggles for all your grandchildren. Thank you for stopping by!

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