Travel with the Little Red Truck

Today we are off for a magical drive in the Little Red Truck in the beautiful colours of autumn!

Kathy Brandon's latest work is full of cozy fun and added value items for interaction with your littles! The story takes you on a visit to Nonna and Papa's to visit with them and their dogs! Many adventures will be had in the little red truck, as you work in the garden and enjoy the fall festival.

Your imagination will conjure up the sounds and smells cleverly described in the book and the illustrations are a feast for the eyes. 

Don't forget to look for the little red truck--it's hidden somewhere in the pictures on every page along with some fabulous visitors. That is part of the fun, as the end papers will provide a list of those visitors you might be looking for. 

The author has also included some activities and discussion questions to help turn story time into something deeper. 

The Adventures of Nonna and the Little Red Truck in Autumn will deliver truck loads of adventure!

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Kathy Brandon has been an educator for three decades and loves to share her passion for equity and access to books. She spreads STEAM and literacy education to inner-city schools and her local communities and wants readers to be able to see themselves in the pages of her books. 

She splits her time between Pennsylvania and Wisconsin, with family, friends, dog and grand-dogs as well as three grandsons who are the inspiration for her Little Red Truck series.

Jennifer Kasitz, the illustrator, is also an educator, artist, mother and seeker of nature inspirations. Her love of people, animals and plants is clearly evident in the delightful illustrations. Her art can be found at the citybirdart.com link button below.

citybirdart.com

I sent Kathy Brandon a few questions which she generously took the time to answer!

Kathy Brandon has always found reading to be a way to go on adventures, see the world, meet fabulous people, and give her a safe place to go in her imagination. She hopes her books allow readers to the the same, or to remember a fond time with a family member.

She was inspired to create this title as a follow up for her first book (The Adventures of Nonn and the Little Red Truck in Summertime), where she used many of the activities she does with her grandsons in the Midwest, just in a new season. There will be a total of four books in the series, covering the amazing activities you can do in your diverse and inclusive communities. It was very important for Kathy to have children see someone they may recognize from their lives in the pages.

"As an educator of reading, I wanted an interactive and engaging book. My grandsons are always asking questions. I wanted to come back to some of the simpler moments the adult reading the book might reflect on with their own parents or grandparents. To show this generation how interactive, kind, fun and creative they can be in their own communities while highlighting a community event..."

Nature has been Kathy's happy place for a long time, engaging all her senses and exploring the world around her is pure joy and she wants that for everyone. It is vital that we care for nature so it can be here to be enjoyed for future generations. This book allows and encourages the wonder and inquisitiveness that children bring to all that they do.

She is also raising some awareness in the book for "Empty Bowls", and initiative that brings in art from local children (pottery, quilts, etc) and makes meals to serve. All proceeds then go to a local food pantry. It is an amazing initiative and sounds like one I could also get behind. She has more information on this in her end pages.

You will note in the images above the links to reach out toKathy and learn more about her and her books!