By Melanie Ellsworth

Thanks so much for joining me today for HIP, HIP…BERET’s book birthday and my own book debut! You’ll notice in the book that it’s also Bella’s birthday, and it’s her birthday gift — a beret — that kicks off the whole adventure!

HIP, HIP…BERET! is not just my book — it belongs to a lot of people. The whimsical, colorful illustrations were created by the mega-talented Morena Forza. The book wouldn’t exist without her. Many thanks to my editor, Chris, for making this a better book with her eye for detail, the whole HMH team, my agent Christa and her team at McIntosh & Otis for believing in my books, and my two critique groups filled with amazing writers who make my own books so much better.

The members of the children’s writing community, including this Soaring ’20s debut group, are always willing to offer their time and advice. Thanks to my family as well. My parents encouraged reading and writing, and my sister modeled creativity as we were growing up. My husband and daughter supply ongoing inspiration and support of all kinds — couldn’t do this without them. And finally, thanks to all the book lovers and readers out there!

Here’s a little secret about HIP, HIP…BERET: I thought it was going to be my second published book because my book CLARINET AND TRUMPET was due out in August 2020. But the pandemic pushed many publication dates back, so now HIP, HIP…BERET! gets to be my debut book. As it turns out, that’s a really good thing, because I dedicated it to my daughter. And she was TOTALLY thrilled to read her dedication and know that Mom’s first published book was dedicated to her. Phew — close call. 

Here’s a short video if you’d like to learn a bit more about HIP, HIP…BERET!

ABOUT THE GIVEAWAY!

In honor of HIP, HIP…BERET’s birthday, I’m giving away a beret along with a signed copy of the book! The beret at right is from Villagehatshop.com and is the “sur la tete” model, all cotton. (They have lovely wool varieties, but if you’re anything like me, wool is just too scratchy.) The giveaway beret is identical to the beret I’m wearing in the video, but I promise it’s brand new and hasn’t visited any other heads yet (unlike Bella’s beret). Hip, hip…hooray!

For a chance to win, enter the Rafflecopter below by 11:59 p.m. PT on March 1. I’ll announce the winner on Twitter!

Melanie Ellsworth writes picture books, including HIP, HIP…BERET! (HMH, 2021) and CLARINET AND TRUMPET (HMH, 2021). She lives in mid-coast Maine with her family. As a former ESOL teacher and literacy specialist with a master’s in language and literacy, Melanie loves all parts of the writing process, from gathering ideas to revising to sharing books. Visit Melanie at MelanieEllsworth.com, on Twitter @melanieells, Instagram @melaniebellsworth, or on Facebook.