Sloths. Because - Sloths!!!!!!

Coming soon - Sloth at the Zoom!

This sweet picture book is all about the virtues of slowing down and taking the time to enjoy the time you spend with friends.

And true to its theme, this little tale took fourteen years from concept to publication. Talk about slooooowwwwwwww.....

I'm utterly grateful to Karen Li, my editor at Owlkids Books, for hanging in there and making it happen in the end. And thanks too to Orbie for drawing such adorable pictures!

Coming soon to a bookshelf near you!!

My latest picture book, You Can Read, will be published by Orca later this month. You can preorder it now at your fave indy bookstore (I'm partial to The Bookkeeper, Mable's Fables, Blue Heron Books and Ella Minnow, among others). It celebrates both literacy and life, and is a very funny. ;)

I'll be signing copies at the Ontario Library Association Superconference at the Orca Booth on Thursday, Feb 2. Come by, say hi, and get a book!

What's New for 2016, Part 3 #fb #kidlit #mglit #humor

Darren Dirkowitz thought his life was over when his tippity-top-secret alter ego, Dirk Daring, Secret Agent, was outed to the entire Preston Middle School student body. If only he’d been so lucky. Now the Wolf Lords—a gang of teen thugs bent on wringing every last penny out of Preston students—are breathing down his neck. There’s only one solution: Dirk Daring must embark on his most daring mission yet. A mission so audacious, so cunning, so doggone crazy, that if it succeeds, the Wolf Lords will wind up begging for mercy. But first, Darren must bring his own disobedient “associates” to heel.

Let Sleeping Dogs Lie is the sequel to the runaway bestseller Dirk Daring, Secret Agent. Like the first book, this one is full of codes, puzzles, cartoons, terrible puns -  and heart. I hope you like it!

What's New for 2016 Part Two #fb #kidlit #nfkids

Do you have what it takes to be a super spy? Are you smart, sneaky, stealthy? Are you a master of disguise? Can you break a code in seconds flat? Take these quizzes and find out if you’re cut out for a life of intrigue and adventure.

I wrote Top Secret: Uncover Your Inner Spy as the Girl Power companion to my earlier The Quiz Book for Spies. Even though that book is not gender specific,it is indeed aimed at ALL kids, it somehow kept getting shuffled off to the "boy" book shelves. 

So my fabulous editor at Scholastic Canada, Tamara Sztainbok, and I put our heads together and came up with Top Secret, a very feminist version of that gender-neutral book. It's got all the humor and verve that we put into Spies. So what's different? Top Secret has 100% female spy references and trivia. For example, you'll learn about real life historic spies who were women, and why most espionage agencies think gals make the best spies in the world. Goodbye, James Bond. Hello, Kim Possible.

My goal with this book is to take back the power of pink - as it is with the other girl-oriented titles in my popular quiz book series. They all celebrate what girls really are - smart, capable, funny -  without suggesting for one red second that our interests or abilities fit into a corner (and that corner is filled only with makeup and cookery aids). 

 

Like many of my colleagues and friends, I deplore the pink-and-blue aisle thinking of our contemporary marketplace. We're all working to change it. But in the meantime, we can also use it - to deliver to girls the kind of material that makes them proud to be girls. To celebrate the accomplishments of incredible women like Barbara Lauer, Nancy Wake and Virginia Hall (If you don't know who they were, you'll have to read the book!). To give girls opportunities to use their smarts to solve logic puzzles and break codes. And to develop girls' belief in themselves, and their ability to become whoever they want, even if what they want to be is (shhhh!) totally top secret.

And the first review for Let Sleeping Dogs Lie Is IN!!! #fb #kidlit #mglit #humor #spy

It's always great when the first review for a new book comes in with three stars attached! CM Magazine really likes Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, the sequel to Dirk Daring, Secret Agent! Here is an excerpt.:

" Darren Dirkowitz is back, and this time he has a full spy team, including his older stepbrother (Code name: Waldo), Opal (Code name: Agent Jewel) and even his ex-best friend, Travis (Code name: T-Bone). This time the Wolf Lords, a group of older kids who go to Northern, are wreaking havoc on the group. Because of Dirk Daring’s success in shutting down the Detention Gang at Preston, the Wolf Lords aren’t raking in the cash any longer, and they put it on Dirk and his team to pay up each week. Meanwhile, rumors of a school merger between Preston and Northern circulate the school, giving the team the added pressure of formulating a plan to stop it.

     Let Sleeping Dogs Lie, Dirk Daring is well-written, like Dirk Daring, Secret Agent, the first book, and is thick with sarcasm, humour and wit. Unlike Dirk Daring, Secret Agent, which focussed on Darren feeling ostracized among his peers and bullied by Waldo for his interest in spying, this book focuses more on the friendships Darren has built within his group. It is also nice to see him work with his stepbrother, rather than against him....a great recommendation for reluctant readers as the pages are filled with diary entries, code logs and interview excerpts, making it a fun read.

Recommended."

You can see the full review here. And you can buy the books at your favorite indie bookstores everywhere!

What's New for Fall...Part 4

Who do you think you are? What makes you tick? Are you an extrovert or an introvert? A bold, brash Leo or a live-and-let-live Libra? An Ox or a Monkey? A creative red or a mystical purple? This insightful quiz book will give you a fascinating glimpse into the secret workings of your — and your pals’ — personalities.

And you'll laugh, too.

What's New for Fall.... Part 1

In just two short days, the latest book in my quiz book series from Scholastic Canada comes out! It's funny. Here are the deets:

Have you got what it takes to survive?

Would you survive an attack by intergalactic microbes? What about sentient robots? Ghost cats? Or a Sharknado? See how you stack up against evil masterminds, giant scorpions, and the neighborhood bully! Rate your bravery, confidence, musclepower, and find out if you can master your own inner demons.

Reader tip: Don’t open the book without a firm grip on your security blanket. You’ll need every extra bit of bravery-boosting possible!

A Bang-Up Review from Kirkus!

It's not out until October, but Orca Books gave a sneak peek of Dirk Daring, Secret Agent to Kirkus. And they liked it :) 
Here's what they said, in part:

"Friendships are strongly tested throughout the novel, which is peppered with imaginative turns of phrase and bursts of energy. The book is an enjoyable and quirky read. The author doesn’t go overboard and turn her characters into swirling cartoons: These are real kids behaving with all the creativity and energy one would expect of them. But beneath all the play and humor is a genuine emotional core, exploring the trials and tribulations all friendships endure when moving from elementary school on to junior high. A stunning last-minute twist pushes the book above and beyond. A clever romp that’s enhanced, not lessened, by its message."You can read the whole review here.

Q and A with Dirk Daring and Me, Agent Helaine Becker

Dirk Daring, Secret Agent, will be published across North America this fall. To get a sneak peek inside the book, and into the scary workings of my own brain, check out this Interview done at a secret location, by an anonymous interviewer.

So It's Funny. Shoot Me.

Not every book for kids has to be "good for them." Kids need a break too. Something light and fluffy. You know, a good beach book.

But that doesn't mean it should be dumb. I really hate dumb books. Books that talk down to the reader, or that are written by someone's foot. Clumsy writing is reason to throw a book at the wall.

So may I suggest Do You Dare?

For those of you who agree that kids need a) light, fun books too and b) books that, at the same time, don't insult them, you may find this latest book in my Scholastic Canada quiz book series is just the ticket. So pick it. (Snorf.)

 You can also read an excerpt from the book here.

Dirk Is Daring. Really.

I recently received my ARC for Dirk Daring Secret Agent. It's published by Orca Books, and will be released across North America this Fall. It looks sooooo good!!!! Can't wait to share it with more than just my family!

What Are Friends For? A Meditation. Ok, Not Really.

Because it's summer, a lot of us are reading light, fun books. Some of us actually enjoy light, fun books year round. And if you're a kid who happens to be a girl, and has a BFF, what could be better than reading a fun book with her?

Just in time for summer fun - or back to school (AGH I KNOW I SAID IT!!!! WHAT A DORK!!!!), Scholastic Canada has published the third book in my Quiz Book series just for us gals.

Here are some deets about it:

Are you and your BFF still meant to be? Take these quizzes and find out!

• Are you twins separated at birth?
• What sports star is she?
• Is she a princess, a peasant or a jester?
• Are you destined to remain friends?

Whether you want to make sure you've still got what it takes to be a great best friend, or have a new BFF, or need more questions for your best-ever sleepover, The Quiz Book for BFFs 2 is another fun way to celebrate your friendship and get to know each other even better!

Raves & reviews:

Praise for The Quiz Book for BFFs:

"The 31 quizzes in The Quiz Book for BFFs will have girlfriends talking and laughing... the combination of silly and serious questions would make this an entertaining book to bring along for a sleepover." —Canadian Review of Materials

You can also check out an excerpt here.

Previous books in the series are The Quiz Book for BFFs and  

The Quiz Book for Girls.

Singin' a Song in Praise of Undies

The Ode to Underwear is now available to preorder!

I'm so excited - I've wanted to see this poem in print for ages. It's what I always end my school presentations with, and I've had so many requests for it. Now, I can say, "yes! The poem IS available!" And it's spectacularly illustrated by Mike Boldt, who also illustrated my previous picture book, Little Jack Horner, Live from the Corner.

The dynamic undies in Ode to Underwear will have you laughing. And I announce it here first: Captain Underpants, your reign is the Prince of Panties may be coming to an 'end.'

You can order copies of both books at Indigo (or your local indie bookseller, like one of my faves, The Bookkeeper) and be the first kid on the block to have a copy. :)

Teaching with Poetry

I love the article posted on the fab blog, Teach with Picture Books about ways to use poetry in the classroom. I particularly love the sweet mention of AlphaBest.

Author and brill book reviewer Keith Schoch says:

Alphabest: The Zany, Zanier, Zaniest Book about Comparatives and Superlatives probably isn't a poetry book, since each page contains just three words (such as Fuzzy, Fuzzier, Fuzziest) but it reads like poetry, and helps kids understand how adjectives can be changed to compare two or more things. Author Helaine Becker sets the scene in a busy amusement park, and illustrator Dave Whamond delivers the goods with his spirited and wacky illustrations. Students can likewise choose a single adjective, and create images to illustrate its comparative and superlative forms.

AlphaBest Nominated for Cartooning Award!

I'm so thrilled to announce that the illustrations for AlphaBest, by the incomparable Dave Whamond, has been nominated for the prestigious Reuben Award from the National Cartoonist's Society! Dave is also nominated in a second category, Newspaper Illustration.

AlphaBest is Dave's and my second collaboration. We also worked on the award-winning Secret Agent Y.O.U.

I'm already hard at work on our next book, a planned 'sequel' to AlphaBest. It will feature another fun and funky part of speech.

The winners of the Reuben will be announced May 25th in Pittsburgh, PA. Fingers and toes crossed!!! Go get em, Dave!!!!!!

A Holiday Treat, Just for You

For your viewing pleasure, the animated, musical trailer for A Porcupine in a Pine Tree.

Enjoy, and have a very happy holiday season!

With love,
Helaine

You GOTTA see this Awesome Trailer!

Illustrator Mike Boldt put together this fantastic trailer for our upcoming picture book, Live from the Corner, It's Little Jack Horner.

Check it out!

Q and the Tips Take the Mad Greenie Stage

You can now watch a mini episode of Dr.Greenie's Mad Lab on line. Right here! This is the submission to the upcoming MIP Junior Kids Jury Competition, for which it is a Finalist. Enjoy!