Tish “Robby” Rabe is the bestselling author of over 170 books for children, including 19 books in the Cat in the Hat’s Learning Library series. She enjoys doing both in-person school author visits and virtual visits to schools across the US and around the world. Trained as a professional singer, she has been named “The Singing Author” by her teacher fans because she sings to the students during her presentations.
This engaging adaptation of “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” illustrated by Laura Hughes, convinces parents and children alike that there is no place cooler than a kindergarten classroom. From making new friends to jumping rope in gym to riding the bus to school, there are lots of exciting firsts to look forward to. Even though saying good-bye to Mom and Dad is hard, when the school bus pulls up, it’s time to begin kindergarten fun.
When asked what contributed to the book landing on the New York Times bestseller list, Rabe said: “HarperCollins has launched an amazingly successful publicity campaign for this book. I have written over 220 children’s books, and getting the word out to parents, teachers, and caregivers, letting them know about these books and how best to get copies, is the most important thing.”
Ever since the book was released, Rabe said, sales have increased during the back-to-school season. “I have also written On the First Day of Preschool, On the First Day of First Grade, and On the First Day of Summer Vacation. One fun thing about these books, which was perfect for me because I am also a professional singer, is they are written to be read—and sung—to the tune of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’!”
Rabe has had four bestsellers in addition to On the First Day of Kindergarten. “When one of my books becomes popular, it inspires me to write the next book and … it helps me build on what it means to delight children and encourage their love of books.”
Rabe advises other authors, “Yes, the world is changing fast, but kids are now—and will always be—the sweetest, littlest members of our world. They care about their parents, their grandparents, their friends, their brothers and sisters, their pets, and the messages we need to use to reach them are universal. The talent we bring will help them learn something new, look at things in a new light, and discover stories they will remember—and look forward to—every time our books are read over and over again.”
E. J. Wenstrom believes in complicated heroes, horrifying monsters, purple hair dye and standing to the right on escalators so the left side can walk. She writes dark speculative fiction for adults and teens, including her new release, a young adult dystopian novel titled Departures (August 10, 2021). When she isn’t writing fiction, E. J. Wenstrom is a regular contributor to DIY MFA and BookRiot, and co-hosts the Fantasy+Girl Podcast. Learn more at her website.
