Spread Joy with Sleeping Bear Press!

Hello, parents, librarians, book fanatics, writers, and readers of all sorts! #SeasonsOfKidLit is thrilled to kick off this Holiday Season with the spectacular Sleeping Bear Press. Whether you're looking for a book about Christmas, Hanukkah, Snow, Mushroom Rain, or even Three Canadian Pigs this season, you're in for a treat. Sleeping Bear Press has it all! For the #amwriting and #amillustrating readers out there, they even have an open submissions' policy. Want to know more about Sleeping Bear Press, their perfect reads for the season, what kind of manuscripts they're interested in acquiring, and how to win some of their amazing books? Read on...

Q: Hi, Carrlee. Thanks so much for joining #SeasonsOfKidLit! I’m thrilled to have you and Sleeping Bear Press with us today! For those who may not be familiar, Sleeping Bear Press is an independent book publisher based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. They produce some of the most beautiful books around.

Can you tell us a little more about yourself and share more about Sleeping Bear Press and their mission in publishing?

A: Absolutely, thank you so much for having me! I am the Publicity Manager at Sleeping Bear Press and love working for this fantastic publishing company. Sleeping Bear Press is dedicated to bringing meaningful stories to young readers and that has been our mission since we launched into the wonderful world of children’s books 24 years ago! Not only are our books visually stunning, but they are also engaging, empowering, and entertaining for young readers. We also have strong ties to the academic world, as we are an imprint of Cherry Lake Publishing Group. So many of our books feature useful backmatter for both children and teachers, making our stories educational, as well!

Q: That all sounds amazing, Carrlee! Sleeping Bear Press has an array of holiday and seasonal books, perfect for a December read! Plus, your titles make wonderful holiday gifts, too. What are some holiday-themed books you'd recommend?

A: We just had two new holiday books come out this year! Miss Mary's Christmas Mittens is about a beloved teacher who takes it upon herself to knit mittens for all of her students before Christmas morning. This children’s book is an uplifting and gratifying story of generosity and love, reminding readers of all ages that the best gifts come straight from the heart. Our other latest title, Christmas With Auntie, is a sweet story that celebrates an auntie’s love during the holiday season. It is filled with bedtime-friendly singsong rhymes and adorable holiday illustrations.

We also have a bunch of other titles that would be perfect holiday gifts! Everybody’s Tree follows a spruce tree over the course of eighty years, along with the little boy who first chose the tree at the Christmas tree farm. Hanukkah Hamster is the heartwarming story of a lonely, Jewish cab driver who discovers a lost hamster in the back of his taxi. As he waits for the little guy to be claimed, the cab driver takes care of him and starts his Hanukkah observance with his new furry companion. Just Be Claus: A Christmas Story is about a young Claus who confides in his grandmother that he wishes he were more like other kids. But when a snowstorm threatens to ruin Christmas, can Claus figure out a way to use what makes him special to help save the holiday? In Santa’s Secret, we follow a young girl who decides to investigate who the real Santa Claus is. Could it be the Santa in the parade, the Santa taking pictures at the mall, or the Santa ringing a bell outside of department stores?

Readers, check out all these beautiful book covers!

Q: What are some of Sleeping Bear’s winter and snowy-themed books you'd suggest for anyone looking to cozy up with cocoa, a blanket, and a great book this season?

A: Our coziest titles this season would have to be The Snowman Waltz, Snow Globe Wishes, and We Want Snow: A Wintry Chant! One of our latest titles, The Snowman Waltz is a melodic book that features penguins and snowmen who are dancing in different rhythms on the same frozen river. They must work together to share the space, and maybe share a dance, too. Snow Globe Wishes is about a family that hunkers down together in a cozy blanket fort during a blizzard and a young girl who makes a magical wish on a snow globe. We Want Snow: A Wintry Chant is a raucous, rhyming plea for snow from three little kids who dream of a winter wonderland. It is a perfect read aloud for young readers!

Q: What are some other titles on your list that would make perfect reads for gifting?

A: We have so many titles, I don’t know how to narrow it down! It all depends on what you are looking for. We have everything from STEM titles like, Mushroom Rain or A Planet Like Ours, to picture book biographies such as Splash!: The Ethelda Bleibtrey Makes Waves of Change or Good Morning Sunshine!: The Joey Moss Story. Whether you need a three little pigs retelling with an exciting hockey twist (Three Canadian Pigs: A Hockey Story), or if you have a young reader who is learning about body acceptance (Some Bodies), we are proud that all of our titles are diverse in stories, characters, and subjects so that they can appeal to a wide variety of audiences.

Q: Sleeping Bear Press has an open submission's policy for authors and illustrators. What kind of seasonal-themed books are you hoping to see in your inbox soon?

A: Oftentimes, we do not know what we are looking for until we have found it! However, Sleeping Bear Press is always looking for stories that have the ability to connect readers with broader communities. We would love to see both new perspectives and classic holiday stories reimagined so we can continue our mission to provide the highest quality of children’s books to all young readers.

Thanks again for joining us today, Carrlee! We can't wait to check out all of your amazing books.

Q: How would Sleeping Bear Press like to Spread Joy this holiday season?

A: To help Spread Joy to your readers, we would love to do a book giveaway of our two newest titles, Miss Mary’s Christmas Mittens and Christmas With Auntie! The books are very different from one another, but the overall theme is the same: they are each books about love. Sleeping Bear Press hopes that everyone has a wonderful holiday season that is filled with love and joy!

Thanks so much, Carrlee! What an amazing gift!

Giveaway Details: To enter to win these two beautiful new books for the season, leave a comment below and 1) let Sleeping Bear Press know why you're excited to read these books and 2) which social media channel(s) you follow them on.

BONUS: For each social media channel you follow them on, you'll get an extra entry in the raffle. That's up to 4 total entries!

Facebook: Sleeping Bear Press

Instagram: @sleepingbearpress

TikTok: @sleepingbearpress

Twitter: @SleepingBearBks

One winner will be announced on Friday, December 9th!

*Note: books will be shipped in the US only.

Reminder, those who comment on every post will be eligible to win (1) of (5) RYS Speedpasses or a special book package!

About Sleeping Bear Press

With the release of The Legend of Sleeping Bear (an Official Children’s Book of the State of Michigan) in April of 1998, Sleeping Bear Press was launched into the world of children’s books!

Deeply committed to its mission of providing books that engage, entertain, and educate, these award-winning books provide opportunities for children to explore the world in educational, library, and home settings.

ONE MISSION, ONE GOAL — GREAT BOOKS FOR CHILDREN!

To purchase Sleeping Bear Press' books or to browse their bookshop, click here.