PLUTO on Novel Effect!

I’m so excited to announce A PLACE FOR PLUTO written by me, Stef Wade, illustrated by Melanie Demmer, is now available on one of my favorite apps, Novel Effect!

Novel Effect is an app that brings stories to life with soundscapes and voiceovers. The app responds to your voice as you read a book aloud, creating a super fun and engaging story time!

I use Novel Effect in our school library and the kids are always begging to read a “speaker book.” I couldn’t be more excited to have A Place for Pluto in the Novel Effect library.

I had the joy of experiencing the behind the scenes soundscape process with the awesome staff of creators, musicians, and artists. And now Pluto has an actual voice! It’s so adorable, you have to hear it for yourself.

I’m honored to have collaborated on this project and love that I’m still experiencing new things with this very special first picture book I ever wrote.

Novel Effect also makes a great gift for a teacher or a friend!

Find out more at https://noveleffect.com

Stef Wade releases EVERY DAY’S A HOLIDAY

EVERY DAY’S A HOLIDAY: Winnie’s Birthday Countdown is available now! Written by Stef Wade, illustrated by Husna Aghniya, this whimsical picture book features a young girl counting down to her birthday while learning about all the other wonderful celebrations to be had throughout the year.

All kids ask a lot of questions, but Winnie is stuck on one in particular: “Is it my birthday yet?” To show her the excitement in other days, Winnie’s mom introduces her to holidays from all around the world. They celebrate everything from National Popcorn Day to Lost Sock Memorial Day! This adorable book is equal parts fun and informative, for fans of National Regular Ordinary Day by Lisa Katzenberger.

EVERY DAY’S A HOLIDAY is Stef Wade’s fifth picture book and first picture book featuring a human! It makes the perfect birthday gift or classroom read aloud. It’s also a great way to inspire families to have some fun all throughout the year.

An activity sheet encouraging readers to create their own holiday is available as a free download. It’s a perfect compliment for classroom or story time.

Stef will be visiting schools and celebrating all sorts of wacky holidays during her visits, both virtual and online. If you’re interested in booking Stef, please email Carole at: [email protected].

Stef Wade Releases 4th Picture Book, MOVING TO MARS

 

Latest discoveries in space have even the youngest scientists excited and local author, Stef Wade, is piquing their interest with her newest picture book, MOVING TO MARS, illustrated by Erin Taylor.

As a follow-up to her best-selling, A PLACE FOR PLUTO, Wade highlights the grumpy Mars, who is unhappy when unexpected visitors arrive. But when they leave, Mars realizes being alone isn’t all that great. Mars reaches out to his space friends for comfort and help. Maybe Mars is a people planet after all!

Author Stef Wade (A Place for Pluto) interweaves friendship and humor throughout the space story and seamlessly connects nonfiction information to the narrative in the back matter.

“Since A PLACE FOR PLUTO released in 2018, I’ve had the best time connecting with students and young readers about space. Their knowledge and interest astound me! I’m so excited to share this book about the possibility of living on another planet.”

Stef hopes MOVING TO MARS continues to push the boundaries of possibility in space with young readers while helping with social emotional themes of learning how to adapt to change.

Stef plans to visit classrooms, both in-person and virtually, to share MOVING TO MARS with students across the United States.

She will celebrate the release of this book with a story time at Barnes & Noble in Brookfield, WI on Saturday, August 20 at 10:30 am. Signed books are also available at Boswell Books in Milwaukee.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR:

Stef Wade is the award-winning author of A PLACE FOR PLUTO, THE VERY LAST LEAF, Q&U CALL IT QUITS, and MOVING TO MARS. Stef holds a BA in advertising from Marquette University and an MBA in Integrated Marketing Communication from DePaul University. Stef is a member of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI). Stef was born in Chicago and raised in Des Plaines, Illinois. She currently resides Brookfield, Wisconsin with her husband and three boys.

ABOUT THE ILLUSTRATOR:

Erin Taylor loves to travel: by plane, train, automobile and pencil. She has lived in three different hemispheres and strives to reflect her world experiences in her artwork. When Erin’s feet are on the ground she loves time with her family, getting lost in the wild, and visiting the zoo. Drawing is a daily necessity, just like eating, which she also enjoys quite a bit!

MOVING TO MARS cover reveal

I’m so excited to share the cover to my next book, a fun companion to A PLACE FOR PLUTO…MOVING TO MARS!

I’ve paired up with Author and Blogger Sandra Nickel to share in the fun surprise. For the full reveal post, click here

Mars likes peace and quiet and is not happy when unexpected visitors start showing up. But when they leave, Mars realizes being alone isn’t all that great.

Maybe MARS is a people planet after all!

As a follow-up to A Place for Pluto, Moving to Mars by Stef Wade, illustrated by Erin Taylor, brings the same mix of humor, science, and friendship to the audience — creating another out-of-this-world reading experience!

Moving to Mars releases August 1, 2022. Pre-sale information and links coming soon.

Stay tuned, space fans! This book will be out of this world!

Author Stef Wade’s 5th Book, MOVING TO MARS

I’m over the moon to announce my FIFTH picture book (a whole hand! I know!), MOVING TO MARS, written by me, Stef Wade, and illustrated by Erin Taylor. MOVING TO MARS is published by Capstone and releases in August 2022.

A perfect companion to A PLACE FOR PLUTO, MOVING TO MARS details our favorite red planet who’s not so happy when unexpected visitors show up. But as they leave, Mars realizes being alone isn’t as great as he thought it was. What can he do to make himself a people planet?

Packed with lots of space facts, puns and some old familiar characters, this book is a great addition to any space unit or STEM curriculum.

 

Stay tuned, space fans! Can’t wait to share another out of this world story with you!

-stef

 

Q & U CALL IT QUITS available now!

I’m QUite excited to announce that Q & U CALL IT QUITS is available now!

For fans of Z Is for Moose and Little i, this hilarious and quirky story about friendship and the alphabet will make young readers excited about letter learning.

What happens when best friends Q and U quarrel? It’s a real quandary, since they have always been quality friends—a true squad.

But sometimes, U wants some time to herself—even though Q is lonely because he doesn’t always fit in with the other letters without her. When the rest of the alphabet notices the split, they decide they want to do the same. And utter chaos ensues!

Can Q and U come together to quell the mayhem and help the letters repair their friendships?

Q & U CALL IT QUITS, illustrated by Jorge Martin, received a starred review from School Library Journal:

“This humorous and punny alphabet book highlighting letter blends features colorful and vibrant digitally rendered illustrations. Letter blends within the text are appropriately highlighted in red, making it easy to share examples with young readers. Wade’s quirky story pairs well with the personified letters in Anne Marie Houppert’s What About X? An Alphabet Adventure.
VERDICT An entertaining recommendation for preschool and early elementary school teachers on a quest for alphabet-themed picture books about letter blending.”
To read the whole review, click here

 

 

 

 

 

 

Q & U CALL IT QUITS is available everywhere books are sold!

IndieBound

Amazon

Barnes & Noble

Q & U CALL IT QUITS Cover Reveal

I’m QUite excited to share the cover of my next picture book, Q & U CALL IT QUITS, illustrated by Jorge Martin. This story will be my third picture book and is published by HarperCollins, available June 15, 2021.

Q AND U CALL IT QUITS is a story of two good friends, Q&U. When U gets sick of Q being needy, she sets off for some alone time. When the other letter blends catch wind of the split, they begin to drift apart, creating chaos and confusion. How can the words be spelled without the letter blends?

I’m in love with these two QUirky letters and all the shenanigans they get in to. I’m so excited for you to meet them in June, but for now, feast your eyes on this adorable cover! Jorge’s talents know no bounds. Each page of this book is filled with such detail and whimsy, I can’t stop staring.

The book is available for pre-order through IndieBound and Amazon.

Grand Canyon Reader Award Nominee

I’m so excited to share the news that A PLACE FOR PLUTO is a 2021 Grand Canyon Reader Award nominee! Sponsored by the Arizona Library Association, the Grand Canyon Reader Award is a reader award program for students in Arizona. Students vote annually on their favorite book in the following categories: Picture, Non-Fiction, Intermediate, Tween and Teen. The nominees are read by teachers, librarians and students with approximately 45,000 Arizona students vote each year.

I’m honored to be among these incredible authors and illustrators and can’t wait for A PLACE FOR PLUTO to be shared with so many students in the great state of Arizona!

Here is the list of 2021 Grand Canyon Reader Award nominees in the picture book category.

Bear Came Along by Richard T. Morris (2019)
The Book Hog by Greg Pizzoli (2019)
Can I Be Your Dog? by Troy Cummings (2018)
The Donkey Egg by Janet Stevens (2019)
Eraser by Anna Kang (2018)
The Good Egg by Jory John (2019)
Nobody Hugs a Cactus by Carter Goodrich (2019)
A Place for Pluto by Stef Wade (2018)
The Wall in the Middle of The Book by Jon Agee (2018)
We Don’t Eat Our Classmates! By Ryan T. Higgins (2018)

For more information, click here.

 

 

THE VERY LAST LEAF with Picture Book Perfect

THE VERY LAST LEAF cover and interview

I’m so excited about the release of my second picture book, THE VERY LAST LEAF, illustrated by Jennifer Davison. And to kick things off, I was (virtually) interviewed by Picture Book Perfect blogger, Rachael, on all things Lance Cottonwood. Rachael so kindly calls THE VERY LAST LEAF, a “tree-mendous picture book with a blossoming balance of nature facts and an autumnal story about overcoming anxiety” and notes it as one of her top picks for 2020!

To check out the interview, click here! 

 

A PLACE FOR PLUTO: Magnolia Book Award

Any time A PLACE FOR PLUTO is nominated or wins an award, I have to say, my heart soars with excitement. Most recently, A PLACE FOR PLUTO written by Stef Wade (that’s me!) and illustrated by Melanie Demmer, was awarded runner-up for the 2020 Magnolia Book Award, awarded by the Mississippi Children’s Museum.

This award is extra special because it is voted on by the true audience of these books…the kids! Students in Mississippi, ages kindergarten through second grade, were eligible to vote for this award. It means so much to me to know these kids hold a special place in their heart for our pal, Pluto.

The winner of the 2020 Magnolia Book Award goes WHAT DO THEY DO WITH ALL THAT POO? by Jane Kurtz, illustrated by Allison Black.

The winners for every category can be found at the Mississippi Children’s Museum website. To view the list, click here.

For more about A PLACE FOR PLUTO, links for ordering, and more on my upcoming books, click here.

Thanks to all the kids who voted for Pluto! We all know he can use all the love he can get.

Thanks and keep on reading!