The O.W.L.: Blog Tour: Mr. Fuzzbuster Knows He's the Favorite +GIVEAWAY

Today I get the pleasure of sharing with you a super, super cute picture book:

Mr. Fuzzbuster knew he was Lily’s favorite. They did everything together. Naps. Story time. Walks. And more naps. But now four more animals lived in the house.…

To prove he’s still Lily’s favorite, Mr. Fuzzbuster will have to ask her, but will her answer surprise him? This funny, heartwarming story is for every child who has ever wondered if there’s a favorite in the house.

I absolutely loved this book!!! The idea that Mr. Fuzzbuster thinks he's the favorite and then finds out something different than he expected was adorable! And I love what it shows to kids - that everyone is unique and loved for who they are. What a great lesson.

In celebration of this book I have a guest post from the author Stacy McAnulty and a GIVEAWAY!

First about the author and illustrator.

STACY MCANULTY is certain she's her mom's favorite. Her younger brother disagrees. She's the author of Beautiful, illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff; Excellent Ed, illustrated by Julia Sarcone-Roach; and 101 Reasons Why I'm Not Taking a Bath, illustrated by Joy Ang. Originally from upstate New York, she now lives in Kernersville, North Carolina, with her three children, two dogs, and one husband. She doesn't have a favorite. You can find her online at www.stacymcanulty.com.

EDWARD HEMINGWAY is certain he's Stacy McAnulty's favorite illustrator, although the illustrators of Stacy's other books may disagree. Edward himself is the author and illustrator of the children's books Bump in the Night, Bad Apple: A Tale of Friendship, Bad Apple's Perfect Day, and Field Guide to the Grumpasaurus. Originally from Bozeman, Montana, he now lives in Brooklyn where he teaches creative writing at the master's level at SVA in Manhattan. If he has any favorite students, he'll never tell. Learn more about him online at www.edwardhemingway.com.

Stacy is sharing what it's like to go on school visits.

The Best Job in the World: Tales from School Visits

Most of my work days are spent alone in my office with my three dogs. They’re adorable, stinky, and don’t say much. So I love when I have the chance to visit elementary schools where the children are also adorable but don’t usually stink, and they always have lots to say.

At some school visits, I get to have lunch with students. This is generally small group of kids and it gives us time to chat about their favorite topics ranging from books to best video games to foods they would never eat. While I would never eat dog chow or anything discharged from the human body, students I talk to avoid things like escargot and broccoli. At a visit in November, one little girl waited until the rest of our lunch buddies left before she shared something special with me. It was a book she wrote and illustrated. We sat down together and I read it aloud. She beamed, and it was the highlight of my month.

When time permits, I like to end my presentations with a Q&A. Some schools have the students prepare the questions ahead of time. Which results in well thought out question like…

Where do you get your ideas from? (A: Everywhere! But a lot come from my kids.)
What’s your favorite book that you wrote? (A: I’ll never tell. Add maniacal laugh.)
If you weren’t a writer what would you be? (A: A paleontologist.)

But it’s the off-the-cuff questions that make me laugh and, sometimes, make the other adults in the room cringe?

How much money do you make? (A: About 89-cents on each hardcover book sold.)
Did you know my grandmother writes books about chickens? (A: I did not know that. Your grandmother sounds very interesting. I would like to meet her someday.)
Why are your teeth so big? (A: It’s the microphone. Makes my teeth look huge.)
You’re pretty. Can I have a hug? (That honestly happened! The girl got a hug and so did the 23 kids in line behind her.)

Yeah, I may have the best job in the world. Hugs to all the kids.

As a new elementary teacher this year I can relate to so many of her off-the-cuff questions! The "you're pretty" one is sooooooo true!

Did you know Mr. Fuzzbuster loves writing notes?

He wants to send cards to young readers across the country. Maybe he will be your favorite.

More information can be found at http://www.stacymcanulty.com/fuzzbuster-email