I am happy to share in the excitement of the debut of a delightful new book for children:
Farmers Market Create and Play Activity Book
It is my pleasure and privilege to share a recent conversation that I had with the award winning author Deanna F. Cook.
Meet Deanna:
Can you tell us a little bit about yourself - where you live, your family, and your interests?
I’m the mother of two teenage girls (Ella and Maisie) who have inspired many of my books. I live in Northampton, Massachusetts where I love to cook, garden, and write. I’m from a big family—I’m one of six kids and I have lots of nieces and nephews.
Please tell us how your writing career developed and has grown.
When I was a teenager, I loved to write and cook, and I wrote my first cookbook when I graduated from college. I travelled around the world and collected recipes for the Kid’s Multicultural Cookbook. After that, I worked for many years as a magazine editor, first at Scholastic then at FamilyFun magazine. I was the editor of all the FamilyFun books and often went on TV to share recipes and crafts including the Today Show and GMA and Food Network. I left FamilyFun in 2012 to spend more time with my girls and to write my own books. So far, I’ve written 4 new kids books, including Cooking Class, Teddy Bear Doctor, Horse Play, and now Farmer’s Market Create and Play Activity Book. I like to write books that encourage kids to be creative and imaginative.
Tell us about your new book Farmer's Market Activity Book. Did you have any particular inspiration?
When my girls were little, they used to love to play store with pretend money. This book is all about how to play green grocer with the book’s pop out fruits and veggies, signs, price tags, play money, shopping lists, and more. My girls also loved gardening and going to the farmers market, and the book teaches kids all about the whole farm to table process through fun games and activities.
What’s next for you?
I’m writing a kids baking book and I also started a part time job as an editor at Storey publishing, acquiring kids books and cookbooks. It’s fun to work on both sides of the desk as a writer and an editor.
Anything else?
My website DeannaFCook.com shows some of the many fun projects I’ve been involved with over my career, from my kids’ books to my writing for Highlights, Kidstir.com, FamilyFun, and more. Take a peek!
I had an opportunity to review Deanna's new book and found it to be filled with engaging illustrations and fun hands-on activities for children and adults to create together to encourage open-ended play with a farmer's market theme. 
"Nana" working on the tractor with our 5 year old.
Deanna has generously offered Kids and Eggs readers a chance to win a copy of her new book:
Farmers Market Create-and-Play Activity Book features more than 100 stickers and nearly 150 punch-out paper pieces. Kids will have everything they need to set up a pretend farm — including gardening tools, plant markers, and a toy tractor — and then peddle their wares with signs, price tags, and a cute shoebox cash register. Fruit and veggie punch-outs do double duty as props and templates to make adorable felt versions to fill up their baskets. Games and activities sprinkled throughout help kids learn while they play, meaning that parents, too, will love this bounty of fun!
To enter to win, simply leave a comment on this post. If your comment is selected by the random number generator, you'll win! Giveaway ends Dec. 1, 2016 7:00 a.m. CST
*Want even more chances? Earn bonus entries by:
- Subscribing to Kids and Eggs via email (enter your email on sidebar)
- Liking Kids and Eggs on Facebook
- Sharing a link to this giveaway on your social media
- Following Deanna on Twitter
- Following Deanna on Instagram.
Just make sure, whatever you do, that you come back here and leave a comment letting me know how you shared. Good luck!
comments closed - the winner is # 9 - Tiffany!
Congratulations and thanks for reading!
