Board Books

STEPHANIE WARD

I’m very excited to announce the publication of my latest children’s books — two new books in a brand new genre — both releasing into the world today! Clownfish Aren’t Funny! and Don’t Laugh Giraffe! are humorous, rhyming board books with a sensory toy designed into the pages.

Title: Clownfish Aren’t Funny! & Don’t Laugh Giraffe!  | Author: Stephanie Ward | Illustrator: Carrie Hennon & Brad Hunt | Genre: Board Book | Publisher: Imagine That | Release Date: February 1, 2023

Though sometimes, understandably, confused with picture books, board books are their own thing. Aimed at children aged 0-2, they have…

– thicker pages (that stand up to strong, little hands)

– glossy pages (that can be wiped clean from sticky, little hands)

– fewer pages and less text (to combat shorter attention spans) and

– loads of images (for visual excitement).

Most publishers don’t actively request or accept board book submissions. More often, they are created in-house from the concept level and then developed as a project. This is exactly how these two board books came to be. My agent, Caroline Wakeman Literary Agency, brought the opportunity to me as a work-for-hire project, meaning I was paid a flat fee to write the text, no royalties involved.

I thoroughly enjoyed working this way with guidelines that were clear and topics that were already flushed out. It was a thrill to get to write in rhyme — an area that many agencies and publishers shy away from due in no small part to limited foreign rights sales opportunities. It was fun to see the final product with a popper fidget toy built into the pages — a feature that has been well-received by early education specialists.

Clownfish Aren’t Funny!

In this funny story about a clownfish making new friends, there’s an innovative silicone popper fidget toy for little hands to push, pop, and explore on each page as the rhyming story is read aloud. This tactile book offers a fun reading experience for young readers and aids development of concentration. The “Push and Pop” toy and funny illustrations in the book are perfect for sensory story time fun! Available on Amazon. (ISBN: 9781801056533)

Don’t Laugh Giraffe!

In this wildly funny book about a grumpy giraffe, the popper fidget toy allows little hands to explore each page while listening to the story. Great for interactive reading fun, the bubble pattern on the giraffe’s silicone “Push and Pop” tummy can be pushed and popped again and again for hours of sensory play. Perfect for reducing stress and anxiety through quiet and focused play. Available on Amazon. (ISBN: 9781801056540)

I hope young children enjoy these board books as much as I enjoyed writing them!

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The original version of this article was first published on Stephanie Ward’s blog: http://www.stephaniemward.com/blog

Twitter: @StephMWard Instagram: @steph_m_ward Facebook: Stephanie Ward Author