05 Jun Kari Gonzales, Chickens, and a Giveaway! Oh My!
Welcome to my PBSpree Sister, Kari Ann Gonazales! You will love HOW TO HATCH A READER, her laugh-out-loud story about teaching chickens to read. Kari’s funny punny words (not a fowl one in the flock) along with Rachel Suzanne’s delightful illustrations make a book that kids will want to hear over and over again!
Check out this fun picture of Kari. Keep reading to see her beautiful face without the chicken accessory.
EL: Before we get too far into talking about the book, Kari, would you tell us a little about yourself?
KG: I live in sunny northern California with my husband, two daughters, and you guessed it…chickens! We turned our home into a bit of a hobby farm with chickens, 15 fruit trees, a vegetable garden, and many types of berry and fruit vines. So, when I am not tending to my indoor flock, I head outside and tend to our little farm. We also love to read, so we’ll often take our story time outside to read to our feathered friends.
EL: Aha! Now we’re getting an idea of how you came up with this idea. But will give us some more details, please?
KG: I wrote this story in 2020 when we got our backyard chickens. With the library still being closed due to Covid, we didn’t have access to our local read-to-a-dog program, so we started reading to our chickens- and so our plucky adventures began. The kids loved it and the chickens too. They always flocked to our story times! As a mom of two young readers, this story came from the heart. I fell in love with writing a funny book kids would love about reading to chickens. In the thick of helping my daughters learn to read, I also wanted to create a practical resource for caregivers who were also supporting young readers. And, that’s how this story hatched…inspired by real events!
EL I couldn’t love this more! Do you have anything else in the pipeline you can mention?
KG: Thank you so much for asking. I just announced my second picture book, IF YOU LIVE ON A FARM, releasing in 2025 through Feeding Minds Press. It is a lyrical ode to farming and I am so excited to share this book with the world. Here is a little teaser: A farm can be a potato farm’s quiet game of under-soil hide n’ seek or a chorus of sounds on a chicken farm when trying to sleep, but one thing is for sure, the variety in farming is wonderfully unique.
And, a little secret…I’ll have more news to share soon!
EL: Congrats! I love the sneak peek! Now I am super curious about your newest news. One last question. What do you do when the words won’t come?
KG: That happens to everyone occasionally! It’s tough to overcome. A few things I try when I get stuck on a project are: free writes (where I jot anything down- even just words I like), or I ask my husband, kids, critique partners, etc for ideas. That usually sparks what I need to move forward. Worst case scenario, I let that project sit and work on revisions for another project, or write a poem. Eventually, the words always come. So, for me, it always helps to be working on multiple projects at a time. When I can’t write creatively in any vein, I find some other creative outlet like an art project with my kids, decorating a cake, or even creating marketing material. I find creativity of any sort fuels my writing and gives me the push I need to move forward. So, my secret? Find any outlet for creativity and the rest will come naturally.
EL: Great ideas. AND… here is the real Kari without her chicken.
To learn more about Kari and her work, go to her website https://www.karianngonzalez.com/
Her book can be purchased anywhere books are sold, but some of her favorite links are:
Kari, thanks so much for being with us today!
Check out this bonus picture with super adorable kids!
And now it’s GIVEAWAY time! Kari is happy to give away a non-rhyming PB critique or 20-minute Ask Me Anything call. Winner’s choice! Just comment on this post and let me know if you are a subscriber or if you share the post to get an extra chance to win.
GOOD LUCK!!
Until next time,
Ellen
On a personal note, I’d love for you to take a look around other parts of my website to see what I’m up to. Thank you for reading!
Kim A. Larson
Posted at 16:15h, 05 JuneI love chicken stories and can’t wait to read this one. Congratulations, Kari! I’m a subscriber and shared this on Twitter.
Ryann Jones
Posted at 17:33h, 05 JuneKari congrats! Seriously so excited to read this 🙂
And Ellen I subscribe to your blog 🙂
Laura Roettiger
Posted at 04:13h, 06 JuneCongratulations on hatching Chickens and readers! I’m interested in finding out more and have ordered your book from my library. Looking forward to hearing more about your news when you are able to share.
Jilanne Hoffmann
Posted at 05:57h, 06 JuneI love hearing the story behind the story! And congrats on your farm book!
Ann Harrell
Posted at 18:28h, 06 JuneDelightful interview! Delightful book!
Congratulations Kari!
I’m a subscriber and I shared on Twitter.
Sarah Meade
Posted at 21:12h, 06 JuneCongratulations, Kari! This book sounds so delightful, and I look forward to reading it.
Marci Whitehurst
Posted at 18:04h, 07 JuneCongrats, Kari!! I love this was inspired by life events! –Additional congrats on your books to come as well!