Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler’s
WOW! WOMEN ON WRITING TOUR
OF
When Mama Grows With Me
When Mama Grows With Me
Book Summary
In When Mama Grows with Me, a mama and her son create their own garden, starting with just a few small seeds and ending with a beautiful display of flowers. They observe how pollinators help the earth stay healthy, learn how to care for plants, and meet other critters that live in their garden, all while playfully shaping their bodies into yoga poses inspired by nature. Not only do Mama and her son learn valuable lessons about their garden, but along the way, they also learn to practice patience.
By pairing lessons with movement, Rebecca Wheeler helps young readers make connections between the natural world and their own emotional experiences. Learn the value of patience and practice some fun yoga poses in this beautifully illustrated children’s book.
Includes a step-by-step guide to each yoga pose!
Publisher: Belle Isle Books
ISBN-10: 195875465X
ISBN-13: 978-1958754658
Print length: 32 pages
Purchase a copy on Amazon, Barnes and Noble, Thrift Books, or Bookshop.org. Make sure you add it to your GoodReads reading list.
Author Guest Post
Everyday Inspiration
By Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler
If you consider yourself an artist, likely you’ve experienced the dreaded creative block. In my own writing life, the block tends to surface when I’ve lost connectedness with the physical world, becoming stuck in my thoughts. I admit it, I over-think. It’s during those times, I reconnect by reminding myself of environments I find inspiring and plant myself in those spaces either mentally or physically. Once I’m in that space, I return to poetry.
Throughout my childhood, the library was my creative safe space (later I would add bookstores and museums to that list). I hold vivid memories of my elementary school library which was situated in the heart of the school. One set of glass doors led to the lower elementary wing and another set led to the upper elementary wing. The school hallways were filled with chatter and laughter that I often wasn’t a part of, but once I stepped through the library’s glass doors the sound was sucked away. In that space, I could imagine anyone I wanted to be. I remember being drawn to the biographies of famous women like Amelia Earhart and Jane Goodall, and the fantasy of Greek mythology. Athena was my favorite.
And it was in that library I discovered poetry. I was in 5th grade, and I checked out a poetry compilation for a class project. I distinctly remember reading “The Term” by William Carlos Williams*. That poem amazed me. How could he paint such a clear image with so few words? The poem’s image is simple, a piece of paper turning over and over in the street. Williams’ pulled me in with language both quietly beautiful and hauntingly disturbing. Is the poem’s theme about the resiliency of the human spirit? Or coming to grips with our human mortality as our man made objects outlive us? Questions from my ten-year-old brain that I’m still working to answer.
I fell in love with poetry. And I suppose I’m still in love with poetry, because I can read “The Term” over thirty years later and still be awed by the words.
The first poem I received recognition for I wrote in the spirit of my old friend WCW. The poem placed 3rd in my college’s literary magazine contest, validating my 5th grade poet’s heart.
Peach Juice
Nothing is as splendid
as a homegrown,
Alabama
peach.
That sweet, sticky juice
dripping
down
your
chin
onto your shirt,
saturating
the napkin.
RWW 1996
Any subject can fuel a poem, literally anything: a leaf, a starfish, spaghetti, your big left toe. Next time you feel stuck in a creative block, find any object in your space that attracts your eye. Describe that object using your five senses and paint a picture with words. No need for complete sentences. Get colorful with adjectives and active verbs, and give yourself permission to go wild with punctuation (or none at all)!
Libraries, bookstores, and museums will always be my safe spaces. When I travel, I duck into a bookstore or a museum to breathe in the ideas, and to be around people who need the space like I do. Ideas, questions, and possibilities that turn
With the wind over
And over to be as
It was before.*
Learn more about Rebecca and her books at www.rebeccawwheeler.com and follow her on Instagram @rebeccawwheeler_author, Twitter @RWW_author, and Facebook: RWW Writes
About the Author
Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler was raised in West Point, a small town in the Tidewater region of Virginia. From the moment she submitted her first short story to a young author’s contest in second grade, Rebecca knew she wanted to be a writer. Her love of writing led her to earn a BA in English and an MEd in English education. She spent several years as a high school teacher, during which she also developed a passion for mental health advocacy. Rebecca completed an MA in professional counseling and now works in school-based mental health and as a college adjunct psychology instructor.
Rebecca also teaches yoga for the young and the young at heart, and she likes to infuse yoga and breathwork in her counseling practice wherever she can. She believes the most valuable use of her time is teaching youth how to love and care for each other and the world around them. Her stories share this focus on positive relationships and a love of nature. Rebecca now lives in Durham, North Carolina, with her husband, two children, and two spoiled Siamese cats.
When Mama Grows with Me is Rebecca’s third book. Her first picture book in the yoga series, When Daddy Shows Me the Sky released November 2021, and her first YA novel, Whispering Through Water, released January 2023.
You can follow her on Instagram @rebeccawwheeler_author, Twitter @RWW_author and www.rebeccawwheeler.com
Blog Tour Calendar
September 25th @ The Muffin
Join us as we celebrate the launch of When Mama Grows With Me by Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler. Read an interview with the author and win a copy of the book.
https://muffin.wow-womenonwriting.com
September 25th @ Rockin’ Book Reviews
Join Lu Ann for her review of When Mama Grows With Me.
https://www.rockinbookreviews.com/
September 27th @ What Is That Book About?
Visit Michelle’s blog to find out more about When Mama Grows With Me.
https://www.whatisthatbookabout.com/
September 27th @ Lisa Haselton’s Reviews and Interviews
Join Lisa as she interviews Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler about her writing journey and her book When Mama Grows With Me.
https://lisahaselton.com/blog/
September 28th @ Knotty Needle
Visit Judy’s blog for her insights into When Mama Grows With Me.
http://knottyneedle.blogspot.com/
September 29th @ The Mommies Review
Visit Glenda’s blog for a guest post by author Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler about why her book is dedicated to Grandma Helen.
http://www.themommiesreviews.com/
October 1st @ The Mommies Review
Join Glenda for her review of When Mama Grows With Me.
http://www.themommiesreviews.com/
October 2nd @ One Writer’s Journey
Visit Sue’s blog for a guest post by Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler about using picture books to teach SEL (social emotional learning).
October 4th @ The Faerie Review
Join Lily as she reviews When Mama Grows With Me by Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler.
https://www.thefaeriereview.com/
October 7th @ School Librarian in Action
Visit Zarah’s blog for her review of When Mama Grows With Me.
https://lovealibrarian.blogspot.com/
October 9th @ One Writer’s Journey
Join Sue for her review of When Mama Grows With Me.
October 11th @ My Beauty, My Books
Nichole reviews When Mama Grows With Me by Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler.
October 15th @ Shoe’s Seeds and Stories
Join Linda for her review of When Mama Grows With Me by Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler.
https://lschuelerca.wordpress.com/
October 17th @ A Storybook World
Deirdra shares a spotlight of When Mama Grows With Me.
https://www.astorybookworld.com/
October 20th @ Chapter Break
Julie shares a guest post by Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler about finding inspiration in the everyday.
October 21st @ Of History and Kings
Visit Helen’s blog for a guest by Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler about making the most of waiting.
https://ofhistoryandkings.blogspot.com/
October 22nd @ Shoe’s Seeds and Stories
Visit Linda’s blog again for a guest post by author Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler about what to do with your garden in the fall and winter.
https://lschuelerca.wordpress.com/
October 25th @ World of My Imagination
Join Nicole as she reviews When Mama Grows With Me.
https://worldofmyimagination.com
October 27th @ Fancy That!
Visit Nicole’s blog for a guest post by Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler about teaching kids a healthy respect for bugs.
October 29th @ Jill Sheets’ blog
Visit Jill’s blog for her interview with author Rebecca Wenrich Wheeler.
https://jillsheets.blogspot.com/
