This week is Children’s Book Week, a time to celebrate children’s books and reading for kids.

Up at the North Pole, the Christmas Cottontail has just discovered that the book about his life won an award in the Woman’s Press Club of Indiana 2019 Communications Contest.

Let’s look in the window of the potting shed as one of the underbunnies comes rushing in with the good news.

The Christmas Cottontail was sitting in his potting shed admiring all the pictures of spring gardens sent to him from all over the world. He was pleased with how they had turned out for all the good gardeners. Full of flowers, exactly as he had hoped for after all the work he put in on Christmas Eve.

Just as he was reaching for another cup of pink clover tea, the potting shed door flew open and in hopped one of the underbunnies.  The underbunny was so out of breath, he could hardly speak.

“Guess what, guess what, guess what!” he shouted at the Christmas Cottontail.

“I have no idea what,” said the Christmas Cottontail. “Why don’t you sit down for a minute and catch your breath and then you can tell what has got you so out of breath.”

The underbunny sat down with a thud, took in a few big gulps of air and then pulled out a certificate from his knapsack.

“Look here!”

The Christmas Cottontail and the underbunny both looked at the certificate, then smiled widely as they read together “Woman’s Press Club of Indiana 2019 Communications Contest Carol Michel First Place Children’s Books—Fiction “The Christma Cottontail.”

Then the underbunny got up and danced a little underbunny jig, and the Christmas Cottontail grinned as wide as anyone had ever grinned.

“This calls for a celebration,” said Santa Claus as he made a surprise appearance in the potting shed. And with that announcement all the elves, underbunnies, chipmunks, and bees gathered around The Christmas Cottontail as Santa poured generous amounts of pink clover tea for everyone to offer a toast to the best gardening bunny to ever live at the North Pole.

And in honor of this award, I am pleased to host a book giveaway.  Please comment below to be entered to win a signed copy of The Christmas Cottontail. All comments must be submitted by midnight EDT on Sunday, May 5, which marks the end of Children’s Book Week.

(Shipping to U.S. addresses only, must be over 18.  To see who won, check this post for an update on May 6th with the name of the winner, who should then contact me by email to claim their book.)

Now, go read a book to a child, or buy a book for a child and encourage them to read, a habit that will serve them for their entire lives.