April Fool, Phyllis!

We got a new puppy two weeks ago.  It's been infinitely harder than I had imagined.  The problem isn't the waking up in the middle of the night to let him out.  And it isn't the picking up after him.  The problem  is... how to keep him entertained!

If I try to play with him, he ends up biting me.

If I try to walk him on a leash, he sits down and refuses to budge.

If I give him one of those expensive bones to chew on, he buries it.

There seemed to be no good way to keep him busy!

Just when I was ready to give up...

Phyllis arrived!

Cruzer was riveted.  He loved the spunky protagonist and had loads of fun trying to solve the riddles.  Cruzer insisted on re-reading the story several times. It kept him engrossed for hours.

And I got a much needed break.

 So, thanks to Susanna Leonard Hill for including us in the April Fool, Phyllis World Tour!   Cruzer recommends this engaging picture book for all  kids and canines.

Celebrating with a PB Giveaway!

April 1st came and went and I was so busy I didn't get a chance to pull any pranks.  Dagnabbit!   (I just love that word)

But there's LOADS to celebrate, so I am doing the first of many PB giveaways!

In no particular order, here are some of the things I am excited about:

• The launch of my new site!
• HOP! PLOP! turns six tomorrow!
• Ame Dyckman's debut picture book BOY + BOT releases next week!
• Our puppy comes on Saturday!
•  Sarah Frances Hardy's debut picture book PUZZLED BY PINK comes out April 12th! (two good friends debuting in the same week!)

And as if that isn't enough, there may be more top secret Ninja news coming soon!

So, I am giving away a copy of HOP! PLOP!  (with BOY + BOT and PUZZLED BY PINK giveaways coming later this month)

There are two ways to enter.  Follow me here and leave a comment on this post.

Or follow me on Facebook and leave a comment there.

Or do both for two entries.

Kiya!

Good-Bye Thing 1 and Thing 2

When I first decided to start my blog, over three years ago, the name "Thing 1 and Thing 2" was a no-brainer.    It came to me immediately and always felt like the perfect choice.  I idolize Dr. Seuss and I have my own little Thing 1 and Thing 2 who are constantly destroying my house.   (It also doesn't hurt that I get over 5000 hits every year on Dr. Seuss's birthday!)

But... as tons of articles began to appear on 'author platform"  and  "branding," I realized I had a problem.  I couldn't be Thing 1 ad Thing 2 here and Three Ninja Pigs on Facebook and scubacor on Twitter!

So, it is time to get my act together.

Good-bye Thing 1 and Thing 2.

Hello...  Corey Rosen Schwartz- Picture Book Ninja!

Lucky 7 Meme

Oh, what fun!  I've been tagged by fellow PB author and Habitual Rhymer, Lori Degman.   She is the author of 1 ZANY ZOO which was the grand prize winner of the 2008 Cheerios Spoonfuls of Stories Contest.

Here are the rules for the Lucky 7 MEME:

1. Go to page 77 of your current ms.
2. Go to line 7.   
3. Copy down the next 7 lines/sentences and post them as they're written.  No cheating
4. Tag 7 other victims authors.

Since I write PB's, I just decided to start with the 77th line.   This worked out perfectly for me, since it ended up landing right at the story's climax.  (Like Lori, I also included an eighth line, so as not to leave a stanza incomplete)

I chose Ninja Red, a follow up book to the THE THREE NINJA PIGS.
 

Little Red said, "I gotcha, you bully.
Ninja Red ought to be my new name."
Though the girl looked quite tender, he had to surrender
"Again, those darn pigs are to blame!"

"I'll skedaddle" the wolf said in anguish.
As he struggled back up on his feet.
"You'll go nowhere, you beast, till my Grandma's released
And you promise to give up Red meat!"

Here are the next Lucky 7

Tara Lazar

Susanna Leonard Hill

Tiffany Strelitz Haber

Rebecca J. Gomez

Joanne Fritz

Sharon Mayhew

Lauren F. Boyd

Me Do Giveaway!

Cave Boy has lots of things. Rocks. Sticks. A club. But no pet! Cave Boy decides he must have a pet, but his parents object. He brings home animal after animal in hopes of overcoming his parents’ steadfast resistance, but his attempts are unsuccessful—until he finds a Dodo bird that is literally on the verge of extinction. And in a twist ending on a classic concept, Cave Boy and his family discover it’s worthwhile to have animal friends around.

Me so mad me not think of this first!

Me do giveaway. 

Easy to enter:

1) Follow me on Facebook at Three Ninja Pigs
2) Leave comment there.

Contest ends when me say so.

Ooga!

Where Has All the Time Gone?

What I have NOT been doing in 2012

• Blogging (despite an extra day in Feb, I only got 1 post up the whole month)
• Writing  (0 new PB drafts)
• Working out (0 visits to the gym)

What I HAVE been doing

• Puppy searches
• Checking Amazon to see if The Three Ninja Pigs is available for pre-order (it is!)
• Puppy searches

 I am not at all proud of my inability to multi-task, but I am SO pleased to be the new mom of Cruiser (aka Oreo)

He is coming to live with us in April once he is old enough to travel to NJ!  If I have trouble focusing now, how am I going to get anything done with this cute guy around?

Puppy Love

I've been a little sad the past few days.  I thought I was adopting Bradshaw.

Or his bother, Tuck.

Or his other brother, Pierre-Paul.

But they all got taken by other families.

I desperately needed to do something to cheer myself up.  I figured I could

a) eat chocolate
b) drink wine
c) order tons of  picture books on Amazon.

I picked (d) all of the above.

I still feel sad, but I am going to have one heck of an awesome new library!

And I know there is a cute little guy named Cruz waiting for me out there somewhere!