MAMA'S PURSE written by AJ Irving, illustrated by Rick Thomson ~ Blog Tour

WHAT'S IN MY MAMA'S PURSE? Much more than bandages and bananas! You won't believe your eyes because so much fun hides in my mama's purse. From a yellow moose and a caboose made of juice to a trout and numbers to count, Mama's purse is full of super silly surprises. You'll never guess what zooms out next!

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Book Excerpt Here

AJ'S CHILDREN'S BOOKS, LLC is a book publishing company that specializes in picture books. Our goal is to encourage children to develop a lifelong love for books and to inspire young minds to use their mighty imaginations. AJ's Children's Books was founded in January 2011, by a mama who loves to read and write picture books. Mama's Purse is the first of many picture books to come from AJ's Children's Books.

IRVING, AUTHOR. I spent my childhood in Boise, Idaho, catching grasshoppers and writing stories. My biggest dream in the whole world was to be a writer. My first published work, a poem about my mom, appeared in Writing Without Walls when I was in elementary school. My mom still has a framed copy of the poem in the living room.

In junior high school, I played sports and wrote for the school newspaper. When I grew up, I wanted to move to the Big Apple and write for the New York Times. So my grandpa and I took a trip back east to meet the New York Times Sports Editor. I shook his hand and told him I would be back in ten years for a job.

My determination to be a writer continued in high school when I contributed to myschool newspaper as a photographer, reporter, and editor. My mom is so proud of all the newspaper awards that I won in high school . . . they are still on display in my old bedroom. I decided New York City was too far away from my family, so I enrolled in the School of Journalism at the University of Oregon. My desire for a more creative writing style led me to consider a different path: magazine writing. After I graduated, my first magazine article was published in Midwifery Today.

I received a B.A. in Journalism and Women’s Studies from the University of Oregon. My entire family was very excited when I earned membership into Kappa Tau Alpha─a college honor society that recognizes academic excellence and promotes scholarship in journalism and mass communication.

In 2008, my husband and I started a family. I put down my pen and focused on reading books to our son. The excitement in his eyes inspired me to start writing children’s books. Now I can’t stop. When I’m not writing, I enjoy catching grasshoppers with my husband, Ian, and our son, Mason, in our big back yard in Idaho.

Authors website: http://www.ajsbooksllc.com/

Authors blog: http://ajschildrensbooks.wordpress.com/

RICK THOMSON, ILLUSTRATOR. My dad was in the army while I was growing up, so we moved around a lot. I fell in love with art at a young age and started sketching anything and everything.

After I graduated from high school in Columbus, Georgia, I worked as a graphic designer at Randall Publishing Company in Tuscaloosa, Alabama.

 I moved to Boise, Idaho, to be closer to my family. In 1984, I started taking illustration and design courses at Boise State University. In 1985, I got a job as a painter/designer for Idaho Outdoor Advertising where I hand painted large format billboards and designed outdoor advertising for local and national clients for three years.

Over the next ten years, I was a freelance illustrator and muralist. As an illustrator, I worked with a broad spectrum of styles and techniques. I received honorable mention from the Society of Illustrators for my work on an Ore-Ida Foods campaign.

As a muralist, I worked on numerous small murals for homes and businesses as well as a few large commission projects. I painted murals for Treasure Valley Pediatrics, Micron Technologies Health Facility, Dawson Taylor Coffee Shop, theIdaho Youth Ranch, Holy Rosary Medical Center, and the Boise City Arts Commission.

One of my favorite projects as a freelance illustrator is designing logos. I have designed logos for Failla Drums, Loon Outdoors, Dream Chocolate, EJI Consulting, Gross Brothers Drums, Grind Flex, Lunatic Cycles, Drum Central, and AJ's Children's Books, LLC.

I have always liked children's books. After my son was born, bedtime stories became a nightly routine for many years. Reading with my son is one of my fondest memories. I have always wanted to illustrate a children's book, so I am grateful that the opportunity finally came with Mama's Purse.

When I'm not drawing, painting, designing logos, or making chalk art creations, I enjoy riding my bike and teaching African drumming lessons. I have played the djembe and dunun for years, but now I'm learning more music theory so I can better play the African balaphone and the African kora.

Excerpt:  "A baboon, a maroon balloon, a piece of glowing moon,.."

My Thoughts

What's in Mama's Purse?  Mama has a very exciting purse loaded with amazing things. Things you might expect like a book, a hair brush even a band-aid.  But wait what else is in Mama's Purse? Oh my, a baboon! How about a butterfly leaving her cocoon. How did a bear get in there? Now what is that I smell?  You have got to be kidding, it's a trout in Mama's Purse!

The author asks,"What is in your Mama's Purse?".

This is a fun rhyming book with nonsensical items you would normally not find in a purse. It was very much a surprise to me. I have a purse full of amazing things but I don't have a purse like this one.  The author must be very aware of the fact that small children love the element of surprise and the items in this purse will definitely surprise anyone.  The illustration were very colorful with bright purples, pinks and more, which also depicts the story stirring the child's imagination with an abundance fun artwork. 

I highly recommend this book.

I rated this book a 5 out of 5.

Disclosure:  I received a free copy of this book from the author for review.  I was in no way compensated for this review.  This review is my honest opinion.