Post in partnership with iReadBookTours and Sally Beale. All opinions are my own.
Book Details:
Book Title: The Adventures of Mollie & Ollie: Moving Day by Sally Beale
Category: Children’s Fiction (Ages 3-7), 38 pages
Genre: Children’s Picture Book
Publisher: Mascot Books
Release date: March, 2021
Book available in hardback
Content Rating: G for everyone.
Every child experiences change in their life. Moving can be difficult, but in this Mom’s Choice award-winning book, when eight-year-old Molly Day meets a new friend, a magical owl named Oliver Winston Howell III, her move to a new house in a new town becomes easier than she expected. Be on the lookout for Molly and Ollie’s next adventure!
Amazon ~ B&N ~ Target
Mascot Books
Add to Goodreads
The Adventures of Molly & Ollie: Moving Day was inspired by Beale’s own experiences as a young child. Her father’s occupation required that her family move across the country every two years. Beale’s childhood was filled with adventures that captured her imagination in each new home. She continued her passion for adventure while raising her two daughters and working as a costume designer for local theaters. Now she is channeling her sense of fun and her youthful spirit into her children’s stories. Beale is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). The Adventures of Molly & Ollie: Moving Day, a Mom’s Choice Award winner, is the first book in the Molly & Ollie series.
connect with the author: website ~ instagram ~ goodreads
May 10 – Reading is My Passion – book review / author interview
May 10 – Pick a good book – book review / author interview / giveaway
May 10 – Cover Lover Book Review – book review / giveaway
May 11 – A Mama’s Corner of the World – book review / giveaway
May 11 – Locks, Hooks and Books – book review / author interview / giveaway
May 12 – She Just Loves Books – book review / author interview / giveaway
May 12 – Rockin’ Book Reviews – book review / guest post / giveaway
May 13 – Bound 4 Escape – book review / giveaway
May 13 – Icefairy’s Treasure Chest – book review / giveaway
May 14 – Because I said so — and other adventures in Parenting – book review / guest post / giveaway
May 14 – Writer with Wanderlust – book review / guest post / giveaway
May 17 – Cheryl’s Book Nook – book review / giveaway
May 17 – My Journey Back – book review / giveaway
May 18 – Jazzy Book Reviews – book review / giveaway
May 18 – Laura’s Interests – book review / guest post / giveaway
May 18 – Nighttime Reading Center – book review / giveaway
May 19 – Gina Rae Mitchell – book review / author interview / giveaway
May 19 – The Bespectacled Mother – book review / author interview
May 19 – Booking With Janelle – book review / author interview / giveaway
May 20 – Splashes of Joy – book review / author interview / giveaway
May 20 – Lisa’s Reading – book review / guest post / giveaway
May 21 – The Adventures of a Travelers Wife – book review / guest post / giveaway
May 21 – I’m Into Books – book review / giveaway
Sally Beale’s THE ADVENTURES OF MOLLY AND OLLIE: MOVING DAY Book Tour Giveaway
Guest Post: Writing A Children’s Book
On a Saturday morning, I woke up early. The freshly brewed coffee was waiting for me; it was so comforting. I cannot remember a time that I did not drink coffee in the mornings…even as a child on “wash day” I would have a cup with my mom (it was mostly milk!). I took my second cup of coffee upstairs to my office and sat at my desk. My children’s book, The Adventures of Molly & Ollie: Moving Day, was almost ready to send to the publisher.
I reached for my worn notebook and took it with my coffee to the futon in my office. That was where I pondered all kinds of ideas and challenges. Nostalgia set in as I flipped through the pages. It contained all my thoughts for a story about a little girl having to move—a subject I am familiar with. I find the planning pyramid, with its jagged lines going up the page and down for the plot arc. I looked over the notes to see how close the book came to the plan.
When I came across the research notes for Molly’s animals, it made me smile. I looked over at the shelf full of toy animals that continually gave me inspiration and encouragement (and still do!). The research on animals was so important. Each one of Molly’s animals needed to be special in their own way and not picked at random.
Towards the back of the notebook, I found the character notes for both Molly & Ollie. I had not read those notes for a while. Re-reading them now, made me realize how important it was to know who they were for the action and voice of the story.
I took a few moments to reflect over this process of writing a children’s book. I looked up and smiled at my large white board that my husband made. The 28 pages for the book was marked off as a grid. It worked perfectly for establishing the flow of the story. Different colors for different elements and crude drawings for possible illustrations.
I went back to my desk and opened my computer. I read the manuscript one last time…then clicked send.
My Review
The Adventures of Molly & Ollie Moving Day is going to be loved by many children. Moving away can be so traumatic for children as they leave their friends and everything they’ve grown to know and love. In this adorable book, Molly is a little girl who is saying goodbye to everything. She looks around at the boxes in her room and sees a box marked Molly’s Books, Molly’s Clothes, Molly’s Animals, and one box marked, “Open Me First.”
Molly is very sad because everything will be different. Just then the doorbell rings and her friend comes over and brings a yummy plate of chocolate chip cookies. As she later waves goodbye to her friend she says everything will be different.
When she arrives in her new town, the car pulls up to her new home. It does look different. But, when she goes upstairs it’s nice to see that someone marked her door, “Molly’s Room” in bright purple letters. She goes in and there are the boxes of her Animals, Clothes, and Books. There is also the box marked Open Me First.
Molly is startled to hear a “Who” sound. She turns around to see an owl in the window. She answers the owl when he says, Who are you? She asked the owl who he is, too. He said his name is Oliver Winston Howell III, but Molly calls him Ollie, for short. She is sad and tells Ollie how everything is different. Your children will want to read this book and find out how Molly and Ollie become good friends. It will be fun for them to learn how although things are different, they are also the same.
This sounds like a great book!
Thank you for your wonderful review. And the opportunity for a Guest Post. I love to talk about writing!
Sally Beale, Author