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What weather we’ve been experiencing these past few weeks! A complete solar eclipse in Oregon. Hurricanes Harvey, Irma, Jose, Maria with 100+ mph winds cutting destructive paths through Texas, the Virgin Islands, Puerto Rico, Dominica, Cuba, Florida and other islands and states. Hazy skies and spectacular sunsets due to dozens of forest fires. Two major earthquakes in Mexico flattening major buildings and killing hundreds. Record-breaking heat wave with a near or over 100º temperatures in one of the most temperate regions of the Northwest. Lightning, thunder and tropical rain in air that felt like hot breath here in the San Francisco Bay Area.

While mostly dangerous and scary, some of the weather was fun. I joined my sister, nieces, great-nieces and nephew to experience the solar eclipse near Olympia Washington. While it wasn’t a complete eclipse, it was near enough that we were able to feel the drop in temperature, experience the gradual sunlight dimming, hear the silence as birds went to their roosts, see shadows alter as they reflected the crescent shape of the eclipse, and feel the breeze as the moon moved across the sun in the late morning hours of Monday, August 21, 2017. We wore our commemorative solar glasses; did an eclipse art project involving two plates, hole punches, finger paint and a bit of yarn; ate our eggs sunnyside up with blueberry pancakes (big pancake on the bottom, fried egg in middle, yolk-sized pancake on top) for breakfast; and enjoyed banana slices topped with half purple grapes, Starburst and Milky Way candies as our eclipse-watching snacks.

Where were you and what did you experience this last solar eclipse?

Pssst!!!! You’re the first to hear…about some upcoming events:

On Saturday morning, December 3, 2016, I will be at the Hillsdale Mall/San Mateo Barnes and Noble signing my book ‘Spring’! This is kick off of a 6-day CWC (California Writer’s Club) Book Fair and I am one of the featured authors.

On December 9, 2016, Friday Night, I’ll be part of a Ladies’ Night mixer at Dr. Nichole Watson’s Chiropractic Center and Dr. Alina Kagan’s Family Eye Care. My books will be available for sale and I’ll be doing personalized book signing.

On April 29, 2017, Saturday morning, I’ll be reading my book in the Children’s Section for Musical Storytime at the San Carlos Library in San Carlos.

Stop by and say “Hi”.

I was walking in San Francisco last week and this image just captured my imagination. By the way, I was there on Wednesday, one day before Fall officially starts, September 21, 2016 officially known as UN International Day of Peace. What a lovely sentiment. This image is of a peaceful afternoon. An island of serenity in the middle of Big City. Autumn is also all about leaves changing color and falling off their trees. I wrote a poem about that on my http://www.home-heart.com blog. Check it out. http://www.home-heart.com/visit-my-ca-real-estate-blog-jeannine-gerkman/autumn1/

Exciting news! Spring has received an award! This little picture book is a Finalist in the 4th annual Beverly Hills International Book Awards!

Beverly Hills International Book Awards – Picture Book – Preschool

The winner is Rick Felty for Tabitha Fink: The Cat With One Eye

I’ve had the privilege of reading his delightful new picture book, it rhymes wonderfully, has bright appealing illustrations, and even gently teaches a lesson about being happy with who you are and what you have. Check it out!

Reminder: I’ll be reading Spring at Children’s storytime this Sunday 4/10/16 at 11am at Books Inc., Burlingame

I received my Kirkus Review for Spring. Here it is in it’s entirety. SOO Exciting!

www.kirkusreviews.com/book-reviews/jeannine-gerkman/springd/

TITLE INFORMATION SPRING Dog Ear (34 pp.) $18.00 hardcover, $11.95 paperback ISBN: 978-1-4575-3852-0; June 2, 2015 BOOK REVIEW

Gerkman introduces young readers to a poem employing a variety of new springtime vocabulary words in this short but image-packed debut picture book. Despite a lingering chill, spring begins bringing green back to the world—every “tree and hill”—as this volume opens. Showing a lovely image of pink cherry blossoms blowing onto a garden arbor and catching on fern fronds on the next page, the volume offers children first a look at the changing plants, and then the assorted animals, that signify the spring season. Images of tadpoles, daffodils, tulips, and ducks should be familiar to residents of the Northern states. Then Gerkman, an accomplished illustrator, introduces a few rarer species: egrets and cormorants make their appearances, adding “their chorus to the mix.” After a wonderful list of sights and sounds in the natural world—and the man-made one, as the book mentions the smell of “fresh mown lawn”—the poem finishes on a note about the fleeting nature of the season: “Too soon, daylight hours will lengthen / And Spring will have gone.” Although the poetic nuances may go over the heads of young lap readers hearing the words aloud from their caretakers, the images are wonderfully sensory and accessible, whether it’s the quacks of ducks to their young or the smells of hyacinth and grass. Gerkman provides a glossary of some of the less familiar words at the end, although she omits words like “arbor” and “frond,” which, while depicted, are still likely to be unfamiliar to young readers and listeners. The illustrations throughout are a delight, particularly the wonderfully lifelike birds and detailed flowers. Children should gravitate to the tadpoles in the pond (decorated by the previous page’s cherry blossoms for a fun continuity), the ducklings, and the doe and her fawn, but adults will likely appreciate Gerkman’s efforts to achieve anatomical accuracy in rendering the smaller, active songbirds. The poem scans well, its rhythm never faltering under the sophisticated word choices. Appealing illustrations and strong sensory descriptions make this volume a superb choice for a calm, nighttime lap read or a unit on the seasons for lower elementary school classes.

Kirkus Indie, Kirkus Media LLC, 6411 Burleson Rd., Austin, TX 78744