Today, we're training our sights on a title currently making its way through the blogosphere with The Children's Book Review. Their latest AWARENESS TOUR highlights just how important it is for us to be ourselves. From the way we dress to the choices we make to something as simple yet powerful as our very names, it reminds us the power that exists in being true to ourselves, and how meaningful being accepted for those very reasons truly is. KEEP READING to learn a bit more about the title on hand, and then read a little more as we explore the story behind the story with the author herself!
Written and Illustrated by Amy Nielander
Ages 5-8 | 32 Pages
Publisher: West Margin Press | ISBN-13: 9781513134871
About the book...
A sweet, whimsical story about the meaningfulness behind a person's name and the power of accepting people just as they are.
Edimorwhitimormiligimmus Tug has a very special name that is all his own. But his teacher thinks it’s too long and hard to say. One day she shortens it to. . . Ed.
But he loves his name just the way it is. So he comes up with a plan—if he can teach everyone his name, maybe they’ll love it too!
Sweet and whimsical, My Name Is Not Ed Tug empowers readers to own their identities and proudly celebrate who they are.
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~~~ GUEST POST with Author Amy Nielander ~~~
Hello friends! Thank you for inviting me to your blog, Gina. I‘m honored to be a guest!
MY NAME IS NOT ED TUG was inspired by my volunteer experience in our elementary school, but it was colored by my heritage. Being a Romanian-American, I was immersed in this distant country’s culture growing up. My dad was born and raised in Romania, but he moved to the United States in the early 70s. We were regularly involved in activities our tight-knit Romanian community organized for families. We attended church picnics, celebrated the New Year together, watched live musicians perform, danced in traditional line dances and learned Romanian songs. We savored Romanian dishes made with love by immigrants and Romanian-American volunteers, in bustling kitchens.
Our home felt like Romania had visited us often too. Rooms were dotted with hand crocheted doilies, wooden trinkets or striped, fringed table runners. Closets were speckled with billowy blouses or unusual hats, given to us from guests as gifts. As far away as we were from this country, our home and community made it feel steps closer. These loving, dynamic and colorful experiences I had as a child, influence me today. The energy that surrounded me then, is the energy that lives on in my artwork and stories now. I am grateful for that.
My maiden name was considered different growing up. It was easy to say, but constantly misspelled. Instead of “Cristof”, it was often written as “Christoff” or “Christof”. It didn’t usually bother me, until one day in 1st or 2nd grade. I had to spell my last name for the school secretary. Feeling under the weather, I had visited the office to call my mom. When I recited the spelling slowly and clearly, her response stunned me. “Are you sure that’s how you spell your name?” My heart felt like it had been stung by a bee...similar to the way my main character felt during one particular moment in MY NAME IS NOT ED TUG.
As active as we were in the community, I never learned the history of my maiden name.
My paternal grandparents remained in Romania when my father moved to the U.S. and my grandfather exists as a faded image in my memory, sadly. I wish I could remember him as a person. He visited only once, that I can recall, when I was a child. As an adult, I’ve always been a little hesitant to investigate our roots verbally with my dad. My bunicu’s passing caused him great grief. Over time, I chose to avoid waking that heartache.
To piece together the history behind my family name I experimented with Ancestry.com and FamilySearch.org. After building a rough family tree, I quickly realized this bigger picture could take weeks or months to construct. Both sites produced reams of information to comb through and there are dozens of features to explore. I did make a small discovery though. Thanks to FamilySearch.org, I learned that Cristof has Hungarian, Czech, Slovak, Slovenian and Croatian roots. It is recognized as Kristóf or Krištof.
The main character in my picture book, Edimorwhitimormiligimmus Tug, was raised by his grandpa, great uncle, aunt and granny. I like to think he knows more about the history of his family name than I do about mine. But what we have in common, feels more important. Our childhoods were filled with loving, dynamic and colorful experiences that made our relationships, and names, memorable. MY NAME IS NOT ED TUG empowers readers to celebrate their identity so they can connect the different worlds they may live between, together.
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About the author...
Amy Nielander is a designer and award-winning children’s book author and illustrator who loves to create playful stories for kids. Growing up, she had her name frequently misspelled by others. My Name Is Not Ed Tug is inspired by this experience and by her time volunteering in her children’s classrooms. Amy lives near Detroit, Michigan.
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~~~ GIVEAWAY ~~~
Enter for a chance to win a signed copy of My Name Is Not Ed Tug, the Potato-Noodle-Feel-Better Soup recipe featured in the story, and a Name Journal!
One (1) grand prize winner receives:
- A signed copy of My Name Is Not Ed Tug
- A Potato-Noodle-Feel-Better Soup recipe (soup is featured in the story). The digital download includes an "Ingredient Checklist coloring page" for kids.
- A Name Journal: A 3.5" x 5" pocket-sized journal with 32 blank pages (100% recycled paper).
Two (2) winners receive:
- A signed copy of My Name Is Not Ed Tug
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Special thanks to Bianca at The Children's Book Review for the chance to bring this tour to you and to the author for the guest post. (THANKS!) For more information on this title, the author, the publisher,
this tour, or those on the horizon, feel free to click through the links provided above. Be sure to check out the rest of the stops on the tour for more bookish fun!
TOUR SCHEDULE
Monday, October 10, 2022
A book review of My Name Is Not Ed Tug
Tuesday, October 11, 2022
A book review of My Name Is Not Ed Tug
Wednesday, October 12, 2022
A book review of My Name Is Not Ed Tug
Thursday, October 13, 2022
An interview with Amy Nielander
Friday, October 14, 2022
A book review of My Name Is Not Ed Tug
Monday, October 17, 2022
A book review of My Name Is Not Ed Tug
Tuesday, October 18, 2022
A book review of My Name Is Not Ed Tug
Wednesday, October 19, 2022
A book review of My Name Is Not Ed Tug
Thursday, October 20, 2022
A book review of My Name Is Not Ed Tug
Friday, October 21, 2022
A book review of My Name Is Not Ed Tug
Monday, October 24, 2022
A My Name Is Not Ed Tug book activity
Tuesday, October 25, 2022
An article by Amy Nielander
Wednesday, October 26, 2022
A book review of My Name Is Not Ed Tug
Thursday, October 27, 2022
A book review of My Name Is Not Ed Tug
Until next time, remember...if it looks good, READ IT!
Wake the Bones by Elizabeth Kilcoyne
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