PB’s and PJ’s

What combines my love of picture books

with my experience selling kids clothes? 

Books to Bed!

Last week, I spent time with picture-book-and-pajama-sets care of Books-to-Bed, a line of pajamas printed to match PB illustrations, owned by the Canadian-based company Hatley. I worked at Children’s Club, a trade show at the Javits Center in Manhattan, floating as a sales rep between B2B and a line for tween girls called Nev and Lizzie. (Shout out to Linda, prior owner of The Red Balloon, for recommending me to Louise of The Showroom!)

In addition to sets I repped in August at Playtime New York, I promoted new PB and PJ combinations debuting in July 2020. I talked fun picture books, adorable coordinating prints, quality fit and fabric, and heard what’s selling. Bonus? Connecting with Kidlit people. (Who doesn’t love a Tweet of their book on display at a trade show?)

I said it before and I’ll say it again: How much would I love to have one of my books available with matching pajamas?!

A girl can dream, can’t she?

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PB’s & J’s

Books to Bed booth at kids show, Playtime New York.

Picture Books and Jammies

It may be Back-to-School season, but kids store buyers are shopping for Holiday and Spring. I spent the last three days at the Manhattan trade show, Playtime New York, combining my love of picture books with my experience selling kids clothes. (Shout out to Linda, prior owner of The Red Balloon, for connecting me to Louise of The Showroom!)

I got to talk picture books while selling the now-Hatley-owned Books to Bed, a line of pj’s printed to match picture books. Not only did boutique owners stop by the booth, but Chris, one of Hatley’s owners, along with reps Adam and Daisy flew in from Canada. I met Random House licensers and Carol, the woman who thought up and started Books to Bed.

Repping the line was a chance to do three things: hear what store owners and their customers are looking for; think about kids businesses; and read books I hadn’t read before. Oh, and I sent tweets out to Kidlit peeps saying, “Hey, check this out!” How much would I love to have one of my books available with matching pajamas?!

A girl can dream, can’t she?

 

Skyping With Spain

Congratulations, Skype-a-Thon participants!

Together, we’ve connected nearly half a million students and traveled over 14,500,000 virtual miles in 48 hours! Thank you to all the teachers, speakers, and students who made this achievement possible.

New Year’s Resolutions are built on foundations laid the previous year. One of the things I did in 2017, and definitely want to do more of, was Skype with classrooms.

Thanks to Microsoft Education and the opportunity to become a Microsoft Guest Educator, I participated in a 2017 global Skype-a-Thon on November 29, 2017.

Map of Spain.

Javier Ramos Sancha, a teacher in Aguilar de Campoo, Spain, asked if I could read to his Year 1 bilingual students. Aguilar de Campoo, a northern town in the province of Palencia, is “a key point on the route of Palencia’s Romanesque heritage.”

Skype-ing with Level 1 bilingual students in Spain.

Sharing stories across an ocean!

Guess who else the students got to meet?

Lucy!

What fun! Thanks Javier!

Earlier in the year, I also Skyped with a classroom in Canada. French teacher Madame Diaz and I have Skyped several times. It makes me so happy to connect with her students.

Thanks, Madame Diaz, for this note: “Hi Naomi, as usual my students LOVED getting to know you.”

Thanks, also, to children’s book author Darlene Beck-Jackobson, who took time to   discuss classroom Skype-ing with me! Check out her blog, “Darlene Beck-Jacobson, Gold From The Dust: Bringing Stories to Life.

Related Post: Skype Hype

Sources: Spain.info, Wikipedia, Microsoft Education

Skype Hype

Acting out the action with kindergarteners.

I’m interrupting the DIY graduation party posts to present…

Skype Hype

In February, I participated in LitWorld’s World Read Aloud Day by visiting several local kindergartens. Check out Kindergarteners are Super to learn more about those school visits. Through Microsoft Educator, I connected with teachers in Pennsylvania and Canada and Skyped with their students. Not only did the kids actively listen to books or chapters, they met my adorable dog, Lucy. (Curious how adorable she is? Click here to see for yourself.)

I’m not usually one to toot my own horn, but…

…if I don’t, who will?

Guess what came in the mail?

A thank you note from 4th and 5th graders. Shout out to French teacher Madame Diaz who invited me to meet her students. She said, “Thanks for the card and the Skype session Naomi! I think you were by far their favourite Skype guest this year!”

That makes me so happy.

Another big shout out to librarian Ms. Killian. She took these pics and sent me an unexpected review, “On a scale of 1-10 your lesson received a resounding 10!!”

Whew!

She also said, “We had a fantastic time hearing you read the story to us, listening to your experience as a writer, and we love your dog!”

Connect with Ms. Killian on Twitter @CoLIBRAtoRY.

Shout out, also, to middle grade author Darlene Beck-Jacobson who shared Skype tips and featured me on her blog.

Hon, thanks for indulging me. I hope there are many more school visits in my future.

I’m on a big screen.

Skyping with students.

Ms. Killian asked the students how much they liked the lesson and they gave me 10’s. Wow!