Press Kit

This Press/Media Kit for children’s author Alice B. McGinty consists of the following elements:

• PHOTO/IMAGE DOWNLOAD LINKS

• AUTHOR BIOGRAPHIES

• REVIEWS

• BOOK INFORMATION

• PRESS RELEASE

• CONTACT INFO

AUTHOR PHOTO (right click below to save or open in new window)

1262x1600 hi-res - click here

BOOK COVER IMAGE FILES – click below

A Synagogue Just Like Home - 1000x1245 click here

Mushroom House Man - 2904x2244 click here

Feasts and Festivals Around the World: From Lunar New Year to Christmas - 1000x779 click here

Bathe the Cat - 1000x1228 click here

Step by Step - 1000x891 click here

My Israel and Me - 1000x844 click here

The Water Lady - 1000x1264 click here

A Story for Small Bear - 961x965 - click here

The Sea Knows - 550x404 - click here

Pancakes to Parathas: Breakfast Around the World - 3300x2550 hi-res - click here

The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney - 3578x4094 hi-res - click here

Rabbi Benjamin’s Buttons - 1612x1463 hi-res - click here

Gandhi: A March to the Sea - 2560x2014 hi res - click here

Eliza’s Kindergarten Pet - 500x400 - click here

Eliza’s Kindergarten Surprise - 513x406 - click here

Ten Little Lambs - 597x694 - click here

AUTHOR BIOS

100 Word Bio

Alice B. McGinty delights in igniting imaginations. As the award-winning author of almost 50 children’s books, she makes fiction and non-fiction accessible, engaging, and fun. 

Her books include 2022 JLG Selection/2023 Irma S. Black Gold Medalist Bathe the Cat, 2021 ALA Notable Book/JLG Selection/Norman A. Sugarman Honor Book, The Water Lady and 2019 JLG Selection, The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney. 

A frequent presenter and recipient of the Prairie State Award for Excellence in Writing for Children, Alice also runs Words on Fire Writing Camp for Teens and is a book reviewer and writing coach.

Longer Bio

Alice B. McGinty delights in igniting imaginations. As the award-winning author of almost 50 children’s books, she makes fiction and non-fiction accessible, engaging, and fun and brings excitement to writing through interactive presentations. “There is nothing I like better than to share my enthusiasm for books and writing with children,” she says.

Her books include JLG and PJ Library Selection, A Synagogue Just Like Home (2022, Candlewick Press, illustrated by Laurel Molk), Mushroom House Man: The Story of Earl A. Young and His Cottages of Stone (2022, Mission Point Press, illustrated by Sharon Smithem), Feasts and Festivals Around the World: From Lunar New Year to Christmas (2022, Little Bee Books, illustrated by Tomoko Suzuki), JLG Selection/Kid's Indie Next Pick/2023 Irma S. Black Gold Medalist, Bathe the Cat (2022, Chronicle Books, illustrated by David Roberts), Step by Step (2021, Simon and Schuster, illustrated by Diane Goode), My Israel and Me (2021, Kalaniot Books, illustrated by Rotem Teplow), ALA Notable Book, JLG Selection and Norman A. Sugarman Honor Book, The Water Lady: How Darlene Arviso Helps a Thirsty Navajo Nation (2021, Schwartz and Wade, illustrated by Shonto Begay), Kirkus’ Best of 2020, A Story for Small Bear (Schwartz and Wade Books, illustrated by Richard Jones), The Sea Knows, a nonfiction ode to the sea (Simon and Schuster, with co-author Alan Havis, illustrated by Stephanie Laberis), 2019 JLG selection, The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney (Schwartz and Wade, illustrated by Elizabeth Haidle) and 2019 Northern Lights Book Award Winner (food category) and Sakura Medal Nominee, Pancakes to Parathas: Breakfast Around the World (Little Bee Books, illustrated by Tomoko Suzuki).

A frequent presenter at schools and conferences, Alice was awarded the 2017 Prairie State Award for Excellence in Writing for Children. She also runs Words on Fire, a summer writing camp for teens, is Regional Adviser Emerita for the Illinois Chapter of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, and is a children’s book reviewer, writing tutor, and writing coach.

REVIEWS

Bathe The Cat

Horn Book Starred Review – January/February 2022

A family of five has a lot to do before Grandma’s visit; luckily, the father narrating McGinty’s (The Water Lady, rev. 3/21) energetically rhyming story is good at delegating: “Bobby, mop the floor. / Dad will scrub the dishes. / I’ll vacuum the rug. / Sarah, feed the fishes.” In case anyone needs a reminder, a job list is on the refrigerator, spelled out with colorful magnetic letters. The list is helpful...and it’s also how things go off the rails. An orange cat sneakily rearranges the words on the fridge, hoping to escape the dreaded “I’ll bathe the cat.” When the family gets to work, they’re confused but compliant: “I’ll vacuum the lawn. / Bobby, bathe the mat. / Sarah, mop the baby, / and Dad will mow the cat.” Whoa! Definitely not what the cat intended. Cleanly rendered illustrations show the family dutifully following orders while things go hilariously wrong. Roberts’s (Ada Twist, Scientist) precise pencil and watercolor illustrations go beyond the entertaining premise to matter-of-factly portray a family at the intersection of a number of identities. The two fathers have brown skin, as do two of their kids. Sarah, who wears a T-rex costume, is white with red hair and freckles. Dad, who also has freckles, wears pink pants, as does Bobby. This diversity isn’t the point of the story but offers much to contemplate after the silliness is done—and the cat still isn’t bathed. KITTY FLYNN

A Story for Small Bear

Kirkus Starred Review – September 15th, 2020

Preparing for winter hibernation instills a big lesson for Small Bear in this bedtime story.

When a late-fall wind chills the child after an afternoon nap, Mama says, “I smell frost in the air.…Tonight we’ll start our winter slumber.” But the day is packed; they must find sprigs of spruce to make a warm nest. There are juicy acorns to gather. And Small Bear needs to take a bath before their long sleep. Small Bear wants nothing more than to have enough time for a story before sleep, but Mama warns her: “If you help—no dilly, no dally—then we’ll have time for stories,” she says. Small Bear works hard to avoid temptations: snuggling in a cozy hole in a spruce tree, playing longer in the stream, and climbing higher in the tree. But Mama’s instruction helps Small Bear to stay on track and remember “to save time for stories.” Of course, Small Bear’s resistance to the kind of procrastination that would sink many others is rewarded with Mama’s best story, and sleep comes quickly. McGinty’s rhythmic prose and absolute mastery of pace elevate a simple story to something poetically potent. Jones’ deeply textured illustrations make every spruce sprig and, especially, the bears’ fur stand out beautifully. A standout spread rotates the book 90 degrees for a tall tree climb; it’s a delight, just like everything else in this expertly executed picture book. (This book was reviewed digitally with 10.5-by-21-inch double-page spreads viewed at actual size.)

Hibernation has rarely felt so well earned and enchanting. (Picture book. 3-7)

The Sea Knows

Booklist – April 15th, 2020

What does the sea know? Quite a bit, according to this well-crafted picture book. The rhythmic verse text begins with a series of opposites, such as “The sea knows huge. / The sea knows small. / The sea knows short. / The sea knows tall.” The text gradually moves away from contrasts and toward concepts with shared properties. Finally, a sequence of dynamic events builds up to a dramatic storm before resolving fittingly with “The sea knows when / the storms should cease. / The sea knows calm. / The sea knows peace.” Visually, the book begins with people standing on a pier and observing the ocean, shifts to a series of underwater scenes, and then draws back again to watch the storm arrive and recede. Full of movement, grace, and intriguing details, the digital artwork illustrates the text beautifully. An informative appended section elaborates on sea creatures and phenomena mentioned in the verse. The writing flows well, making this picture book a pleasure to read aloud and a natural for classroom units on the sea.

— Carolyn Phelan

The Girl Who Named Pluto: The Story of Venetia Burney

Starred Review, Kirkus – May 14th, 2019

It’s 1930, and an 11-year-old girl in Oxford, England, is about to make history.
McGinty first introduces readers to young Venetia Burney attentively listening to a school lesson about the solar system and quickly establishes Venetia’s voracious curiosity across disciplines. The elegant yet accessible text is packed with historical tidbits that contextualize her scientific contribution without overwhelming readers (for example, the fact that her well-connected grandfather had a friend in the Royal Astronomical Society who shared Venetia’s idea with the Lowell Observatory astronomers). Third-person present-tense narration draws readers into the exact moment when, upon hearing that a ninth planet has been discovered, Venetia suggests a name: “she knows that this planet, so far from the sun, must be frozen, dark, and lifeless…like…the underworld ruled in Roman myths by Neptune’s brother, Pluto.” Haidle’s layered, semiopaque washes of blue-gray ink with rusty red accents impart a gravitas that supports the significance of Venetia’s contribution and, echoing sepia-tone photos, emphasizes her place in history. The muted color palette somewhat obfuscates skin tones, but most people, including Venetia, appear white. The constellations on the endpapers immediately introduce the connection between mythology and astronomy that inspired Venetia, while stylized maps and diagrams of the solar system will enthrall readers of all ages.
An inspiring and beautifully illustrated tale made all the better by its historical foundation. (author’s note) (Picture book/biography. 4-8)

Rabbi Benjamin

Starred Review, Publisher's Weekly – August, 2014: Rabbi Benjamin and his congregation are besotted with one another, but when the community presents its leader with a yellow-gold vest to wear on holidays, decorated with four shiny silver buttons, they neglect to factor in one thing: Jewish holidays mean lots of irresistible, calorie- and emotion-laden Jewish cooking. As the rabbi grows increasingly portly at various dinners, it’s clear to both him and his attentive dog that the vest and its silver buttons are not engineered to expand. Oy-yoy-yoy! You don’t have to be Jewish to love this marvelously funny, wholly original story about the intersection of faith, food, and families—in fact, it’s got a wrap-up that Michelle Obama would applaud: Rabbi Benjamin discovers that a regimen of community-centered exercise (like helping one family plant a Sukkot garden) can work wonders. McGinty’s (Gandhi: A March to the Sea) loving, lighthearted prose is as sunshiny as her characters, while Reinhardt’s (The Adventures of a South Pole Pig) detailed watercolors depict a diverse congregation brimming with endearing idiosyncrasies and mutual affection—a real mishpochah. Ages 4–8. Illustrator’s agent: Marietta B. Zacker, Nancy Gallt Literary Agency. (Aug.)

Gandhi: A March to the Sea

Starred Review, School Library Journal – May, 2013 Gr 1-4: This lyrical picture book tells the story of Gandhi’s role in the 1930 Salt March, a peaceful protest of the British-imposed taxation of salt in India. Gandhi and 78 others walked more than 200 miles to gather salt for use and sale in direct violation of a British law that they felt was unjust. The flowing text describes how the marchers faced soldiers, were encouraged by villagers along the way, and how Gandhi’s consistent and gentle confidence kept them on the right path. Stunning mixed-media artwork portrays the journey in brilliant hues with a soft touch. Gandhi’s familiar figure is included in every painting, in unique and inspiring ways; sometimes just his feet, or close-ups of his face, but most often silhouetted against the dramatic landscape of India. While this book shares only a small part of Gandhi’s legacy, it is a key moment in India’s fight for independence, an excellent example of his life and work, and an intriguing introduction to the man. Demi’s Gandhi (S & S, 2001) may provide more detail and a broader scope, but this gorgeous, thoughtful account should be in every biography collection.–Jody Kopple, Shady Hill School, Cambridge, MA.

Publisher’s Weekly, April, 2013: McGinty crafts a subtle yet expansive portrait of Mohandas Gandhi, centering on his leadership during a 24-day march to perform the forbidden act of taking salt from the Arabian Sea (a response to the British government’s control of resources). Melodic free verse ruminates on the symbolism behind Gandhi’s actions: “With his own hands,/ Gandhi draws water,/ from the Untouchables’ well,/ to wash his dusty body/ cool and clean…. He tells Muslims, Hindus, and Untouchables/ that they are different but the same./ India needs them all/ to work as one/ for freedom.” The great majority of Gonzalez’s lavish paintings emphasize modesty and quiet integrity: Gandhi walks the dry earth, barefoot and in solidarity with India’s poor. A striking profile of a luminous human rights activist. Ages 6–up. (Apr.)

Kirkus Reviews, March, 2013: McGinty’s gentle, poetic picture book, awash with sunrises, salt, sand and sensory images, tells an intense present-tense story of Mohandas Gandhi’s 24-day march to the sea in 1930 in search of freedom and peaceful change for the people of India. The bespectacled, contemplative face of Gandhi that appears on the front cover of the book sets the mood for the story, emphasizing his determination. His goal is to challenge 200 years of British rule by breaking the law prohibiting Indians from collecting salt from the sea. His march changes more than just the attitudes of the British. Gandhi sometimes walks alone and at other times leads throngs of people from a variety of castes. When he reaches out to the untouchables and even washes in their well water, “[d]isgust and fear / brew like storms / in the villagers’ watching eyes.” Remaining undeterred and true to his faith, Gandhi marches on. Gonzalez’s rich mixed-media illustrations shift perspectives often to focus on the important elements in each scene: Bare feet and dirty white trousers hint at the difficulty of the journey; faceless crowds that melt into the horizon suggest the size of Gandhi’s following. An imperfect marriage of text and illustrations sometimes creates confusion more than clarity, as when elaborately dressed female dancers suddenly appear on the road with the walkers. Despite this, the book tells a story worth remembering. This walk with Gandhi is time well-spent. (Picture book. 6-12) __________ “This re-telling of a fascinating story introduces today’s American children to a remarkable man who freed India and influenced the whole world, the United States included.” —Rajmohan Gandhi, professor at the University of Illinois and a grandson of Mahatma Gandhi.

Darwin

Kirkus says: ”An accessible and thoroughly engaging biography of the much-profiled scientist, this easy-to-follow narrative is enriched by striking illustrations and excerpts from Darwin’s own writings. Exquisite and enlightening.”

Booklist says: ”McGinty does a fine job of communicating Darwin’s personal humility as well as his passion for exploring the natural world, his tireless work to understand it better, and his reluctance to publish a theory that seemed to contradict religious teaching. The interplay of the clearly written third-person text with Darwin’s own words and occasional quotes from his contemporaries creates a multifaceted view that leads to a broader understanding. Biographies of scientists can be challenging to write for an audience unfamiliar with their research, but this one succeeds in introducing Darwin and his work to a surprisingly young group.” - Carolyn Phelan

Wired Magazine says: ”Though aimed at the young evolutionary (ages 6 to 9), Darwin is a surprisingly sophisticated biography, incorporating verbatim excerpts from the naturalist’s own letters and diaries.”(January 2009)

FRONTLIST/FORTHCOMING BOOK INFORMATION

PRESS RELEASE

BOOK INFORMATION

NON-FICTION TITLES

CONTACT INFO

Author-direct:

Alice B. McGinty
alicebmcginty@gmail.com
(217) 621-1465

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Agent

Steven Chudney
The Chudney Agency
steven@thechudneyagency.com
(914) 465-5560