Would You Read It Wednesday Double Header! #179 Boys Of Koh Panyee (PB) and How Much Farther (PB)

What with baseball season in full swing (hee hee) I thought we should do something fun and different!

(And when I say I thought we should do something fun and different as if it were intentional, I mean I totally forgot to skip a week of Would Your Read It to leave room for the Illustration Contest next week, so I'm pretending I planned this :))

But let's work with me here.

Is there anything more appropriate than a baseball metaphor on a day devoted to pitches? :)

And can you imagine anything more delightful on a beautiful June day then a sunny bleacher or stadium seat, the prospect of a whole day of fun, hot dogs (which I will refrain from dipping in chocolate after the response to last week's chocolate-dipped corn on the cob... although I bet someone's done it... :)), ice cream cones, and the company of friends at a double header of two picture book pitches?

(See how I snuck that in there?)

In case your answer is yes, I fully intend to bribe you change your mind by offering a prize or two as incentive to everyone who comments on both pitches.  I have some spare copies of friends' picture books lying around (I can't imagine how that happens - it's not as if picture books are my life or anything :)) - Tea Party Rules by Ame Dykeman, My Love For You Is The Sun by Julie Hedlund, Little Miss Muffet by Iza Trapani, What About Moose by Corey Rosen Schwartz and Rebecca Gomez, Jeremy Draws A Monster by Peter McArty, Tyranosaurus Wrecks by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, and Me Want Pet by Tammi Sauer, and who knows, maybe a couple of others because it's just possible that my office floor is not entirely tidy :)

So anyone who is kind enough to comment on both pitches by Sunday June 21 will be entered to win one of those awesome picture books!  And Darshana, Johnell and I all thank you a million, billion times for doing two Would You Read Its in one day (bearing in mind that you get Friday off because PPBF is on summer hiatus, and that there will NOT be a WYRI next Wednesday because the Illustration Contest will be running!!!)

Also, I do solemnly swear not to double up pitches ever again (unless I get myself in another scheduling bind at some point and then clearly I will have to up the bribery factor to a publishing contract or something :))

So let's get in a festive mood with Something Chocolate. . .

The 30 Cup Tower of Doom - a gargantuan tribute to Häagen-Dazs -
and definitely what you get at your average baseball stadium... :)

Just a teeny little single-person cone :)

Now then, are you feeling fortified (or possibly comatose :))?

Here comes the Double Header!

Today's first pitch comes to us from Darshana.  Darshana's special talents by day are solving engineering problems, creating activities for her kids, and concocting ways to spend time with her husband. By night she reads and writes picture books, so one day she can realize her dream of becoming a published author. Check out her book reviews at Flowering Minds, and keep up to date on the latest in the kidlit world by "Liking" her on FaceBook or "Following" her on Twitter.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: Boys Of Koh Panyee
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8) - Fiction based on a true story
The Pitch: The boys of Koh Panyee, Thailand dream of becoming football champions, but they live on a floating village with no space to play. Through sheer gumption, the boys withstand the villagers’ jeers to create their own football pitch and become champions.

Today's second pitch comes to us from Johnell.  Johnell is a former PR exec. who now moves around the globe with her family. She blogs with her writing group at: http://dewdropsofink.blogspot.com

Here is her pitch:

Working Title: How Much Farther
Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)
The Pitch: In this all-dialogue story a child tries to convince his dad to carry him, but Dad finds creative ways to show the child that he can make it on his own. Between sightings of butterflies, robins and troll holes the child speeds closer to the anticipated destination until he can’t. go. another. step. When Dad offers to carry him, the child realizes his big-kid legs might be strong enough after all. 

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Darshana and Johnell improve their pitches.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  There are openings in October so you've got a little time to polish up your pitches and send yours for your chance to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Darshana and Johnell are looking forward to your thoughts on their pitches!  I am looking forward to seeing the illustrations for the Illustration Contest next week!  I expect to have my socks completely knocked off... if anyone actually enters... which I'm a little worried they might not...  So please feel free to share the Illustration Contest around the blogosphere and twitter etc. because if we don't get any entries that will be so sad :(

Have a wonderful Wednesday everyone!  An thank you so much for helping Darshana and Johnell on the same day instead of on two different days!  And Happy Father's Day this weekend, since I won't be posting again beforehand!

P.S. I looked on google images and there ARE pictures of chocolate-dipped hot dogs!  But they were too revolting even for me to post! :)