The Bibles & Books of Bible Stories in Jacki Kellum’s Library The Jesus Storybook Bible is the best book of Bible stories for families with children who are celebrating Advent. Although this book is not in a scriptural format, the stories follow the Bibles of the book in order, beginning with Genesis. The first story…
Advent Eve – In the Beginning, the World was Dark and Wet and Empty
Tomorrow is the first day of Advent, and today we will start making things to honor the days before we celebrate Jesus’s birthday on Christmas Day. Each day we’ll talk about something that happened in the Bible before Jesus was born in a stable in Bethlehem. We will start in the very beginning — before…
How to Create an Ornament for a Jesse Tree During Advent
In about 2 weeks, Advent will begin. Advent is a season of waiting. It is a time of preparing for Baby Jesus to be born again and again. This is a very special Advent for me. It is the first Advent since my debut picture book The Donkey’s Song was published [on October 18, 2022],…
What is A Family Tree – Advent Projects for Kids – What is a Jesse Tree?
[ A Family Tree also has a main trunk. If you were an apple, your apple family tree would look like this: In the above photo, you are the big apple, and the two apples above you are your mom and dad. A Family Tree is a Place to List Your Parents and Your Grandparents…
What Is a Jesse Tree & Why Is a Jesse Tree an Important Part of Christmas?
A Jesse Tree is a representation of the Family Tree of Jesus Christ. Imagine that you are an apple and that your parents and grandparents are apples, too. Your family tree would look something like the one in the above photo. In the above photo, you see the beginning of your family tree, without any…
Advent – Preparing Ourselves for a Miracle – Author Jacki Kellum Shares Advent Crafts & Stories for Kids
Today, I’m thinking about all the times that I have waited–Waited for something Wonderful to Happen. Advent Is A Season of Waiting God Created the Miraculous Baby Jesus. God is the All-Powerful. He could have waved his hand and said: “Voilà! Let There be a King of Kings. Let there be a Wonderful, Counselor, Almighty…
How to Make a Donkey Sack Puppet with Patterns & Materials List
I’m about to leave on a big book tour in honor of the publication of my debut picture book The Donkey’s Song. I’ll do some book signings, some story hours, and some school visits, but trust me, when I come to read a book, I don’t just read a book. The event turns into a…
Jacki Kellum and Her Picture Book The Donkey’s Song are Preparing for Their Holiday Book Tour
After Christmas, I’ll try to explain what it means to market a debut picture book. Right now, I’m caught in the whirlwind of it all. For one thing, I’m making my final plans to drive from the Ozarks [where I currently live] to Mississippi [where I lived most of my life]. I hope to stop…
Picture Book Writers: Let’s Get Published – Query Letters, SCBWI Tips, Agent List
Did you get a like on #PBPitch yesterday? If you didn’t, don’t worry. That’s only one way to get yourself noticed by agents and editors. A Reminder to All of Us Who Did Not Succeed in PBPitch: Tip Number 8: Try Not to React Personally to Whether Your Pitch on a Twitter Party is Liked…
Use an Apostrophe to Show Possession–Even if the Word Ends in “S” – Grammar Rules
When my college students wrote about Hemingway’s story “Soldier’s Home,” many of them failed to show the possessive case of Krebs. It is tricky to show the possessive case of words that end in “s.” You can choose either of the following forms to show possession of the name Krebs: Krebs’ Krebs’s When you talk…