PB Review: THE PALACE RAT by Lynne Marie… WITH TWO GIVEAWAYS!

by Danna Zeiger

After living through pandemic times in the year 2023, if there’s anything we as a society have learned, it’s this: flexibility and adaptability to changing life-circumstances is key! This was a hard lesson for adults and kids alike, which makes Lynne Marie’s upcoming picture book, THE PALACE RAT, (to be published September 5, 2023 by Yeehoo Press) all the more relatable and important.

In this delightful and colorful picture book written by Lynne Marie and illustrated by Eva Santana, Henri the mouse finds himself out of luck and away from the comforts of his home: King Louis XVI’s palace. Without personal staff like a chef and tailor or his luxurious satin sheets, how is a mouse to live? Roughing it in the outdoors, Henri meets some country mice. With help from these new friends, Henri might just discover that his new life can bring new meaning.

With lyrical language full of alliteration and imaginative imagery, the bright watercolor illustrations bring Henri and his lavish French life—and the juxtaposed simple country life—to light.

There’s fun for everyone: adults can lean vicariously into the French cuisine and culture. For kids, there’s cultural exposure, hilarious snafus, and personal growth.

I might brand this book as the fun whiff of French glamour in Emily in Paris (with kid-friendly content) meets Ratatouille’s Remy: an entitled but comical mouse learning to navigate a new life and embrace life’s genuine joys away from materialistic distractions.

*GIVEAWAYS!*

Lynne Marie is generously offering our lucky readers TWO giveaways!

She is offering two half-hour mentorships.

TO ENTER: please comment on this blog post and share specifically how you would like to use such a mentorship. For example, you might like to discuss your query, a manuscript, career goals, etc. If you share on Twitter on Facebook, you get another entry.

We will select winners at random (who have shared how they will use their mentorship) and giveaway closes in one week.

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Lynne Marie is the award-winning author of Hedgehog Goes to Kindergarten — art by Anne Kennedy (Scholastic 2011), Hedgehog’s 100th Day of School — art by Lorna Hussey (Scholastic 2017), The Star of the Christmas Play — art by Lorna Hussey (Beaming Books 2018), Moldilocks and the 3 Scares — art by David Rodriguez Lorenzo (Sterling / Scholastic 2019) and Let’s Eat! Mealtime Around the World — art by Parwinder Singh (Beaming Books 2019), The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project and The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project Coloring Book — art by Wendy Fedan (Mac and Cheese Press 2022), The Palace Rat — art by Eva Santana (Yeehoo Press 2023), Broommates co-written with Brenda Reeves Sturgis – art by Nico Ecenarro (The Little Press 2024) and more, forthcoming. 

She’s formerly an editor for a small press and currently an Agent Mentee at The Seymour Agency. In addition, she’s the Owner/Director of RateYourStory.org, ThePictureBookMechanic.com, the Creator/Host of March On With Mentor Texts (www.rateyourstory.org/march-on) and Mentor Text Talk by Rate Your Story), a Co-Host of #SeasonsOfKidLit (www.seasonsofkidlit.com) along with Heather Macht, a Cybils Judge since 2016 (www.cybils.org) and a Feature Columnist at Children’s Book Insider (www.writeforkids.org).  

When she’s not traveling the world in search of story ideas, she lives in the heart of Florida with her family, a Schipperke named Anakin and a Mini Pinscher named Marlowe Charlotte. Visit her at www.LiterallyLynneMarie.com. Lynne Marie is represented by Marisa Cleveland and Jonathan Rosen of www.theseymouragency.com.

AUTHOR WEBSITE: http://www.LiterallyLynneMarie.com
FACEBOOK: https://www.facebook.com/WordsandPictures.by.LynneMarie
AUTHOR FACEBOOK PAGE: https://www.facebook.com/LiterallyLynneMarie/
TWITTER/X: @Literally_Lynne
INSTAGRAM: https://www.instagram.com/literally.lynne.marie/
GOODREADS: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/4848931.Lynne_Marie