A Puppy, Not a Guppy is an enchanting book written by Holly Jahangiri and illustrated by Ryan Shaw, two Houston residents who have never met. They didn't even have any contact until the work was finished. 4RV Publishing gladly added this book to its list of books that should be considered for gifts.
I'm very excited to be part of the A Puppy, Not a Guppy blog tour. In fact I get to kick off the proceedings. We have a special guest today, and everyone will be glad to learn more about --
"Hey, why can't I be part of this? After all the book is about me. ME! No body else is as 'portant."
Uh, why hello, Irma. I thought maybe you would visit us and maybe leave comments.
"What? What kind of deal is this? I'm not happy at all."
Every well, Irma, why don't we visit? Think you can answer a few questions?
"I can always answer questions, but I don't always know the right answers."
I'm sure you'll be able to answer these, Irma. Are you ready? This is a big surprise, having you here today. Guess I'll have to visit with my scheduled guest another time. Would that be all right, Holly?
"Bet it wasn't as big a surprise as those guppies were to me."
Q. Why do you think Holly wrote about you?
"Because I remind her of her daughter, Katie. And maybe I remind her, a little bit, of herself. Okay, maybe it was because I kept knocking on the inside of her forehead saying, "I want a PUPPY!!" I still didn't get a puppy. I just got a book. I like books, but I'd have rathered have a puppy."
Q. Are you glad your parents allowed you to have guppies, even if they wouldn't let you have a puppy?
"Yeah, they're okay I guess. They're not as dumb and boring as they look. And nothing should get flushed down the potty. There's alligators down there. Jimmy told me so."
Q. Do you think your author will write more adventures for you? Why would she want to?
"I dunno. She says maybe if I'm good. I don't think she really wants me to be all that good, though. I see what she likes to read. Have you ever read Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle? She laughs at those stories, and those kids are kind of naughty."
Q. Are you good in school? Do you like going to school?
"I like to go to school. I'm pretty good at it, I guess. I really like Math and Science and stuff. I like to write poems, too, but I don't think they're very good. Writing's hard. I can't wait till next year, 'cause we get to study a foreign language, and I want to study. Jimmy speaks a little Klingon."
Klingon? I think you may be a bit disappointed about that.
Q. Which guppy is your favorite? Why?
"Well, Mom says I shouldn't play favorites. But I think maybe Lightning is my favorite. I don't know why, 'cause you know he was like my least favorite at first. But he's funny and he tries really, really hard. Stuff that Herman and Oscar can do really easy takes him a couple more days to figure out, but then he's got it. That's what I was like with fractions, at first."
Q. Did your author insist on the story going the way she wanted it, or did you have the ability to control the plot?
"Plot? I just kind of told her what happened, and next thing I knew she was writing it all down in a book. Nobody ever wrote a book about me and Jimmy before. Miss Holly just took out the 'ums' and 'uhs' and some of the details that didn't have to do with puppies and guppies - like when I told her that Mom made us pancakes with real maple syrup and how I like them when they're kind of burned on the edges. She told it pretty much the way I showed it to her. Do you think she's going to write another story about us? That'd be kind of fun."
One of my great-grandsons learned about plot in fourth grade, so I thought surely you had, too. But you explai
ned how you provided the "plot," which means what happened.Thank you so much for stopping by, Irma. I've enjoyed our visit so much.
So, if you'll pick up a few cookies from the kitchen cabinet on the way out, I'll let readers know where to buy copies of your book.
"Cookies, what kind of cookies? I like chocolate chip with nuts in them."
Then you'll be very happy. Tell the guppies hello for me.
WHERE TO BUY:
Directly from 4RV Publishing at http://4rvpublishingllc.com/Childrens_Books.html ($8.99 less 15% discount until December 20 + S&H )
Amazon.com at http://www.amazon.com/Puppy-Not-Guppy-Holly-Jahangiri/dp/0984070850 ($10.99 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25.)
Blogs:
Books by Holly Jahangiri at http://jahangiri.us/books features excerpts, book trailers, character interviews, and more.
Author’s blog at http://jahangiri.us/news
Contest information can be found here.
31 comments:
Oh, goodness - first it was Trockle on Twitter (or should I say "@Trockle"?) and now Irma's taking over your blog!
Irma, you be nice and polite with Miss Vivian; she's the nice lady who first introduced you and your guppies to the world. Say "thank you." Thank you, Vivian - and I suppose you do have experience dealing with precocious children, so I'm sure you can handle Miss Irma, here.
Just keep her away from Twitter, okay? I mean, I've already created one little monster...
Thank you, Miss Vivian!
Irma,
That was a cool interview. I hope would be able to visit us someday, here in the Philippines. We're fond of fishes too.
Have fun now and enjoy your tour.
Hello Vivian and the very young and lovely Irma!
I just heard the conversations you had and I was surprised to hear that we have a lot in common. First, I like going to school too. I kept a notebook for my poems and as for my favorite subject, it's Science. Probably the reason why I became a doctor. I also like poetry and you are right, writing is pretty hard, I practice all the time. Whew! Sometimes I just can't rhyme and my lines were out of tune, so I keep writing and writing until I am satisfied.
It was fun meeting you Irma and thank you Vivian for the free Chocolate cookies with nuts. Good thing I'm not allergic LOL.
Cheers!
Z
first stop, and Irma is already smoking! lol
It's really nice getting to know more of you Irma. Can't wait to have you in my blog.
Irma, thanks for giving us a glimpse into Holly's reading fare. Mrs. Piggle Wiggle? I've always been fascinated with accomplished authors reading list, you see. When you happen to travel in Asia sometime soon me and the gang will teach you how to raise ducks. It pays to know these things. Besides it's something close to Holly's heart. Ask her. :)
Irma, it is so nice to meet you! I hope you have more stories to tell Holly!
Hello Irma. It is so nice to be of your acquaintance. I hope that one day you get the chance to visit this part of my world. Cool interview, BTW
Wow! I'm a bit later than usual getting to the computer and found so many visitors. Thanks, everyone. Please come by again.
Holly, Irma is fine, just a bit precocious, as you know. She did fine for a young'un.
Irma, you're welcome.
Hi, Irma. I read your story and think you are so smart. We'll keep what you learned about guppies a secret so we won't spoil your story for people who haven't read it yet.
Great questions, Vivian. Irma is a delightful young girl. I'm happy to have met her.
Beverly
Hi, Doc Z! I love Science and Math. We haven't written much poetry, except for limericks and haiku (the ones I like best, my friend Kai says are really called "senryu") but I don't think I'm very good at writing poems. I'm not vmrphgd ab bmkingk cookies, either (sorry, I know I shouldn't talk with my mouth full, Miss Vivian) but I hope Miss Vivian will teach me how to make some of these. Omigosh they're deeeeeeeelicious!
Hi, Mr. Roy. What do you mean? I don't smoke! That's just NASTY. Ewwww. My Mom and Dad would tan my hide for sure if I tried that!
I can't wait to visit your blog tomorrow, too.
Mr. Jan, you never read Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle? She's so funny. She has all these great "cures" for stuff little kids do, like not cleaning their rooms or eating really sloooooowly or talking back to their moms and dads or not wanting to take baths... My mom gave me some of her books. I think maybe it was a hint about my room. 'cause I like taking baths and Jimmy says I eat too fast, like a vacuum cleaner.
Hi, mandja! I have so many stories to tell. Do you think she'll listen? Grown-ups are always telling us kids to listen, but sometimes they're not very good at it. Miss Holly says maybe she'll help me write down some more of my stories, if anyone wants to read them.
Mr. DiTesco, I remember you. Miss Holly says you're helping tell people about A Puppy, Not a Guppy, too. Thanks! You think I'll get famous? That'd be SO cool! Jimmy would have a cow! I guess technically it'd make him famous, too, wouldn't it?
Oh, Miss Vivian, you really think I'm precious? Like a diamond? You are so nice. I wish all my teachers were like you.
Hi, Miss Beverly! hehehehehe...yep. We should probably keep that a secret, huh?
(Like the fact that I STILL want a puppy, too.)
Irma, I'm glad you like the cookies. The recipe was my mother's, and I first started baking them when I was about your age.
As far as your becoming famous, people can order A Puppy, Not a Guppy from any of the places listed. Lots of sales would help make you famous.
Well, I thought more along the line of a ruby, rare and different.
The title and the girl's expression are priceless! What hasn't asked for something BIG and gotten... a guppy? LOL
Hahahahaha, right, L. Diane Wolfe!! Bet if you asked for a RUBY and got a GUPPY you'd be pretty mad, huh?
Miss Vivian, Miss Holly wants to know if you'd let her have the recipe for your mother's cookies. I just let her have a little taste (she's workin' and shouldn't be gettin' cookie crumbumblies all over those papers and things) but she said maybe if I asked you really nicely and said she'd make them for J.J. and Katie and William and share them that you'd tell her how.
I think Irma's great! We need more like her. Great interview, Vivian!
Oh, Miss Nancy, now I'm blushing! Which is really cool, 'cause Mom says I'm not old enough to wear blush, but she can't stop a girl from turning red as a beet over all the compliments I'm getting today!
Dad said something about having to widen the doorways so I could fit my head through them when me and the guppies get back home. Does my head look fat to you? I thought cookies went straight to your--
Oh. Sorry. Miss Holly said I should probably do my homework now, and Mom's nodding her head up and down like that little bulldog Jimmy's dad has on the back window of his car. Bye! See you later! Thanks again, everybody!
Irma, thank you so much for joining me today. Please come back and visit.
I'll send the cookie recipe to Holly (she's my adopted daughter, you know).
I'm so glad so many people joined us on the first stop on the blog tour. Please be sure and follow the whole tour.
Tomorrow's stops are
Lynne, Brendan, and Katherine at Life is But a Dream http://suenogrande.blogspot.com
and
Roy de la Cruz at The Struggling Blogger dot Com http://thestrugglingblogger.com/
What a fun interview. I really enjoyed meeting Irma!
How funny. Irma sounds like a handful. :)
Irma is a hoot! Sounds like a great book. Congrats to Holly and Ryan. :o)
Irma, a handful? Whatever makes you say that?
Whew, I think she's done with homework, dinner, and blogging now - maybe she'll settle down to bed. But I don't know that I'd bet on it. She's so wound up and full of sugar, I may have to set the password on my PC tonight!
Thank you, Vivian - and everyone who stopped by to make this first visit on the book tour so fun and memorable. I do hope you'll all walk around the blogs with Irma as she drops in on other friends - you're most welcome. And don't forget to enter the contest!
Hey, Irma, great interview. You know, after your talk, we're all going to bug Holly to write down more of your stories to share. Your life is so interesting! Before you go to bed, remember to thank the guppies as well for their part in your story. Good night ^_^
I finally got back from the ER so I can say goodnight to Irma, Holly, and all my other guests. I'll be visiting tomorrows stops when I can get up and round.
Good night
If you're a Dad trying to encourage a girl and let her know it's Ok to write, just buy her a copy of "Puppy". I receieved mine four days after ordering it and was able to get back on the couch and catch up on football. Girls have such an imagination and now I have to go back and figure out how to order Trockle.
Dave, if you're following this, go to http://4rvpublishingllc.com/Childrens_Books.html to order Trockle. 15% discount until Dec. 20.
Dave, if your daughter needs more encouragement, just put her in touch with me. Thanks for joining the "party"! You are such a supportive friend, I can't thank you enough.
Woo! What a party here! Just read the interview - what a fun post! Good luck on the rest of your stops. Looks like you're going to have a great time.
Terry, when we get together to promote a book, we do have a party.
Holly organized the book tour for A Puppy, Not a Guppy, but I like to be part of book tours for 4RV books. If I don't host a stop, I stop by as many as possible.
Vivian
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