Guest Post and Giveaway - May I Come In?

May I Come In? Guest Blog by Marsha Diane Arnold

#giveaway @MarshaDArnold

Someone recently noted that many of my newer books have woodland creatures in them. It’s true. Though my earlier work included books like The Pumpkin Runner, a fun fiction story inspired by the unlikely Australian ultra-marathoner Cliff Young and The Bravest of Us All, about a farm family and their first tornado, my recent books are about cuddly-looking animals. There’s Lost. Found. with Bear and his red scarf, Waiting for Snow with impatient Badger and steadfast friend Hedgehog, my board books Baby Animals Take a Bath and Baby Animals Take a Nap with cute animals doing just that, and now May I Come In? with frightened Raccoon looking for a friend in a storm. Maybe the reason I’ve turned to so many cute animals is simply that I need cuddling. Sometimes, I think the world needs cuddling. So, I have provided my version of cuddling in my books.

Two woodland creatures that make an appearance in May I Come In? Do you feel cuddled?

May I Come In? is a simple story of Raccoon searching for company during a storm. It’s a story about opening your heart and opening your door. Sometimes the simplest things are the most important.

In May I Come In? Raccoon is frightened by the storm, but braves it to search for a friend because he doesn’t want to be alone during this scary time. None of us like to be alone during frightening times. When Hurricane Irma visited Florida last year, many of us living here were frightened and many were evacuated from their homes due to the danger. It was heart-warming to see how many people opened their homes to others. In my husband’s and my home, there were fourteen of us, friends and family plus two dogs staying with us. Every bed and couch was taken, and some of the floor!  Though crowded, it was comforting to have others with us to share thoughts, to worry together and assure one another that all would be well, to share hot tea, and even to watch the wind blow over a few of our much-loved trees. Together, we all felt stronger.

 

Jennie Poh has done lovely work bringing my characters to life. The faces of Possum, Quail, and Woodchuck, who originally turned Raccoon away, standing at Rabbit’s door, melt your heart and the antics of the bobbing bunnies are delightful.

Besides expressing the comfort of being together during trying times, May I Come In? is a book about inclusion. It is hurtful to watch a child or any person being excluded, being shunned. It really isn’t difficult to open a conversation circle, a game, or a lunch table to another, but so often we don’t. The characters in May I Come In? are different animals. They are different, but in the end, they find themselves together in their time of need because of the welcoming, open door of Rabbit.

Thank you Cindy Mitchell and Kiss The Book for having me as a guest. Cindy told me I could write about anything I wanted for this guest blog, anything about my books, life, or memories. As I am now a grandmother in her sixties that covers a lot of ground! I’ve tried not to take up too much of your time here, but if you’d like to know even more about my life, books, and school visits you can visit my website, www.marshadianearnold.com or check out my course on Writing Wonderful Character-Driven Picture Books at http://www.childrensbookacademy.com/writing-character-driven-stories.html

Now let’s all go find a good book to kiss!

Would you like to win a signed copy of Marsha's latest book, plus a cute tote bag from Sleeping Bear Press? How to win?  1. Comment on this blog post; 2. Like this post on twitter; 3. Retweet this post; 4. Look for the other posts about this giveaway here (one on Tuesday and one on Wednesday) and do the same for more chances to win!  You have until Thursday 22nd (date change)  at midnight Mountain time to enter.  Winner announced on the blog on Friday - short and sweet!

Good Luck!