Welcome to Day 7 of The 7 Days of HoliYAY! #KidLitHoliYAY
Gif Stickers by @ohdoodledo_pri
Today on the blog, I'm featuring Valerie Bolling, author of the book LET'S DANCE.
Let’s Dance! (Boyds Mills & Kane) is Valerie Bolling’s debut picture book. In addition to being an author, Valerie has been a Greenwich Public Schools educator for 27 years. When she taught elementary students, it was difficult to find diverse literature for them. Thus, she is passionate about creating stories in which all children can see themselves and feel seen and heard, valued and validated.
A graduate of Tufts University and Columbia University, Teachers College, Valerie currently works as an Instructional Coach.
Besides writing picture books, Valerie has written a Monthly Memo for teachers published on Twitter, and articles she’s written have been featured in The National Writing Project’s Quarterly (“The Family Writing Project Builds a Learning Community in Connecticut”) and NESCBWI News (“Microaggressions Don’t Feel ‘Micro’” and “Author Visits (Storytimes and More) During COVID-19”). She has also had a poem in Cricket Media’s Babybug magazine. Most exciting is that Valerie has two books scheduled for release in 2022 and two more slated for 2023!
Valerie is represented by James McGowan of BookEnds Literary Agency. She serves as the co-chair of the NESCBWI Equity and Inclusion Team and is a member of SCBWI, the Authors Guild, and NCTE. She is also a 2020 WNDB Mentee and a member of Kid Lit in Color, Black Creators in Kid Lit, #12X12PB, 20/20 Vision Picture Books, and a picture book critique group.
Valerie and her husband, Sheldon Ayers, live in Stamford, Connecticut and enjoy traveling, hiking, reading, going to the theater, and dancing.
Gif Sticker by @ohdoodledo_pri
Valerie has generously offered to give away a FREE 15-min. Q&A phone call or a FREE picture book manuscript critique to one lucky winner!
If you're interested in winning one of these, then follow the directions below:
This giveaway will end on Sunday, December 6th at 5 P.M. Pacific Time (8 P.M. Eastern). My winner will be announced on Monday, December 7th.
Remember to check out the other blogs, too, to see the great prizes you can still win. Today is the last day to enter!
Mon. 11/30 Maryna's blog: LET'S DANCE by Valerie Bolling & Maine Diaz. Click here!
Tue. 12/1 Dedra's blog: THE LITTLE REINDEER by Nicola Killen. Click here!
Wed. 12/2 Sarah Meade's blog: SANTA AND THE GOODNIGHT TRAIN by June Sobel and Laura Huliska-Beith. Click here!
Thurs. 12/3 Nicole's blog: HAPPY LLAMAKKAH by Laura Gehl and Lydia Nichols. Click here!
Fri. 12.4 Sarah Heaton guest blogging on Maryna's blog: BIG MAGIC by Elizabeth Gilbert. Click here!
Sat. 12/5 Ciara's blog: WILD SYMPHONY by Dan Brown & Susan Batori. Click here!
Sun. 12/6 Maryna's blog: 15-min. Q&A with Valerie Bolling OR a PB manuscript critique from her. (You're already here!)