#BookBirthday for “A Beginner’s Guide to Being Human” – and a GIVEAWAY!

Well, I’ve been talking about it and talking about it and talking about it – and the day has finally arrived! That’s right…

My newest book, A Beginner’s Guide to Being Human (Beaming Books, 2022), is officially out in the world, and I’m giving away a signed copy!

*^{All images©2022 Beaming Books, all rights reserved}*

Beginner’s Guide is a very special book, too. Although it is my sixth book, it’s my very first creative nonfiction book and the first book I’ve ever written specifically for an editor who asked me to write it! (Even then, it wasn’t guaranteed that she’d accept it, so I breathed a sigh of relief when she said she’d take it – whew!)

“A delicate touch of humor weaves through the text…”

If you’d like to learn more about my approach to writing, the inspiration behind the book, and the process of creating this book (including the story of a manuscript the editor rejected, before asking me to write this one!), please check out the interview I had with Maria Marshall at The Picture Book Buzz!

We discuss the revision process, illustrator André Ceolin’s perfect illustrations, and a couple of new projects on the way. Maria calls it “a wonderful book for new ‘elder’ siblings, classrooms, parents, teachers, and caregivers working through emotions or just a really fun read.” I appreciate Maria’s kind words and support!

Huge thanks also to my friend/educator/poet Carol Varsalona for her wonderfully supportive review published yesterday at her blog Beyond Literacy Link.

Here’s a snippet:

“Friendly conversation, smiling faces, and a sense of community are felt. From the cover alone, a pre-book discussion could evolve on topics, such as inclusivity, diversity, and humanity. I believe that many children, parents, teachers, and librarians will be interested in reading this book with its hopeful message.”

Fellow author/blogger Deb Kalb published an interview we had recently at her little home on the web, Q&As with Deborah Kalb. We talk inspiration, how the book was created, and why you should NEVER give up on a manuscript (hint: the editor who bought Beginner’s Guide passed on the original manuscript I’d sent, but I held onto that one and ended up selling it elsewhere!).

By the way, this isn’t the first time I’ve had the pleasure of chatting with Deb; a few years ago, Deborah Bruss and I got to share our thoughts with Deb on our newly-published picture book, Don’t Ask a Dinosaur – you can read that interview HERE.

I’d also like to thank the following folks who have already posted reviews over the past couple of weeks:

Savvy Verse & Wit blog
Picture Book Depot blog
Kristi’s Book Nook blog
YA Book Central’s Mega Book Giveaway
Sincerely Stacie blog
Asheville Citizen-Times (What a review – it also got picked up by Yahoo! Thanks, folks!)

One more thing: my friend Michele at Mrs. Knott’s Book Nook will be sharing her professional opinion about Beginner’s Guide tomorrow (Wed., 10/19) at her blog, so we’ll all get to read her review together!

I hope you’ll consider picking up a copy of Beginner’s Guide – and remember, you can order personally-signed copies of this or nearly any of my books from my local bookstore. (and if you don’t see the book your looking for at the link, do a quick search and it’ll probably pop up)

I’m also booking author visits for the 2022-23 school year!

I love chatting with elementary and middle school classes about writing: why poetry is fun to read and write, the importance of revision, and how one’s imagination and creativity can lead to a fantastic career! I tailor my presentations to fit the needs of the classroom; one day I might be sharing details of how a picture book like Flashlight Night (Astra Young Readers, 2017) was created and the next, I’ll be discussing dinosaurs, tree ferns, or origami sea turtles!

If you or someone you know might be interested in having me visit your school, library,
or other organization, please email me at matt(at)mattforrest(dot)com!

One final thought: THANK YOU so much for sharing this journey with me! I first began considering getting into the field of children’s lit about 12 years ago, joined my first critique group in 2010, had my first children’s poem published in 2012, my first paid published poem in 2015, and now I have 6 books out – with 5 more on the way – and more than 30 poems published in various anthologies like those listed below.

It’s not easy, but with patience, perseverance, and a willingness to do the work of learning the craft, you, too, could see your name on a nationally-recognized book! I certainly never thought my career would be moving along at the pace it is, but I couldn’t have done it without your support all these years. THANKS AGAIN!

~ ~ Giveaway! ~ ~

Would you like a free copy of A Beginner’s Guide to Being Human? Just let me know in the comments – or share this post on Twitter and tag me – and I’ll select one winner at random! The winner will be announced on Friday, Oct. 28. Good luck!

I’m very proud to be a First Round Panelist for the Poetry Category this year!

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AVAILABLE EVERYWHERE:
A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEING HUMAN
(Beaming Books, 2022)

Order a PERSONALLY-SIGNED copy of my latest picture book, I AM TODAY (POW! Kids Books),
or ANY of my books from my local independent bookstore!

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*^{Be sure to check out all the cool new picture books arriving this year from my PB22Peekaboo partners!}*

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I’m very happy to be part of the BOOKROO family!

Create an account to add books to wishlists and be notified of special deals and dates…create custom collections…and discover and follow your favorite authors & illustrators!

Find out more about BOOKROO here!

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I continue adding to my “Wit & Wordplay” videos ! These videos were created for parents and educators (along with their kids) to learn how to write poetry, appreciate it, and have fun with it. From alliteration and iambs to free verse and spine poetry, I’m pretty sure there’s something in these videos you’ll find surprising! You can view them all on my YouTube channel, and if you have young kids looking for something to keep busy with, I also have several downloadable activity sheets at my website.

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Ordering personalized signed copies online? Oh, yes, you can!

You can purchase personally-signed copies of Flashlight Night, (Astra Young Readers, 2017), Don’t Ask a Dinosaur (Pow! Kids Books, 2018), and nearly EVERY book or anthology I’ve been part of!

Click here to view all my books and to order!

Just click the cover of whichever book you want and send a comment to the good folks at MainStreet BookEnds in Warner, NH requesting my signature and to whom I should make it out. (alternatively, you can log onto my website and do the same thing) They’ll contact me, I’ll stop by and sign it, and then they’ll ship it! (Plus, you’ll be supporting your local bookseller – and won’t that make you feel good?)

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Thank you to everyone for your support!

FLASHLIGHT NIGHT:

NY Public Library’s “100 Best Book for Kids 2017” AND “Staff Pick!”
KIRKUS Starred review!
Kansas NEA Reading Circle Recommended Books!
“Best Reads of 2017,” Unleashing Readers
Finalist, 2019 New Hampshire Literary Awards
Positive reviews from Horn Book, School Library Connection, School Library Connection, Booklist, Publisher’s Weekly, and Shelf-Awareness!

DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR:

“Rollicking rhyme!” – Booklist
- “A wild romp!” – Parenting NH Magazine
- “Cute…intriguing…4 out of 5 stars” – Tulsa Book Review
- “Rhythmic…funny and informative” – Unleashing Readers

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