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Update - Winner Announced! Celebrate Talk Like a Pirate Day with Daryl-Lynne Gottier + Book Giveaway!
Updated: Oct 3
10/03 - Congrats to Sharon Blumberg! You are the winner of this giveaway. We'll be in touch soon with more details.
A special thanks to everyone who joined us for Talk Like a Pirate Day!
Ahoy, readers, writers, and swashbucklers, too! š“āā ļø Today is Talk Like a Pirate Day, and we're thrilled to celebrate with debut author Daryl-Lynne Gottier and her book, Set Sail for School!
In Set Sail for School, Jack is off to schoolābut his schoolās no ordinary one! From waking in his hammock to learning his A, Bā¦ Arrrs!, every moment of Jackās day is full of pirate-y fun and surprises. With rollicking verses and clever, pirate-themed āanti-rhymesā on each page, Set Sail for SchoolĀ turns the school day into a high-seas adventure!
Want to know more about Daryl-Lynne and her jolly-cool book, plus want a chance to win a treasure? Read on... āļøš°
Q: Ahoy, Daryl-Lynne and thanks for joining SeasonsOfKidLit.com! Weāre thrilled to feature you and hear all about you and your book! Please share the inspiration behind your book and a little about your path to publication?Ā
A: I have always enjoyed the use of surprise page turns in picture books. I was determined to use the page turn to entertain readers. In SET SAIL FOR SCHOOL, a rhyming verse leads readers to anticipate the next word only to turn the page and find a pirate related word instead.
Q: What will readers enjoy most about your book? Why is your book a perfect fit for every season?
A: I think readers will enjoy the surprise of the page turns and being in on the joke when they share it for re-reads. The book is about an āordinaryā school day so it isnāt just a āfirst day of schoolā book.The illustrations are vibrant, active and filled with details to explore.
Thanks for sharing! We adore the illustrations from Gal Weizman, too!
Q: What holiday/season does your book fit into and what does that holiday mean to you? How did you tie that into your book?
A: My book fits into any time of the school year, but Fall in particular. I worked in elementary schools and always felt the excited anticipation that each new school year brought. Also, Sept. 19th is International Talk Like a Pirate Day. While working in a public library, I discovered that the language learning app Mango on the computer there included Pirate as a language users could learn. We spent the day āahoyingā and āavastingā, what fun!
Q: What surprised you most about your bookās path to publication?Ā
A: I think the thing that surprised me the most was how lengthy the process can be. My original submission went in just before Covid which added time to everything. We had several rounds of edits, and time for the illustrator.Ā But the wait was worth it.
We authors know the length it takes too well! But we agree - it was worth the wait! Your book is beautiful.
Ā Q: Whatās the most rewarding part about being a kidlit creator? How about the most challenging part?
A. The most rewarding part of working in kidlit is being able to revisit that time when I was a child and looking at the world with wonder. It is challenging to stay motivated and to learn that rejection is part of the process but I feel like I am showing the importance of following your dreams.
We so agree! Thanks for sharing, Daryl-Lynne!
Q: Would you like to leave a tip or a treat for our readers?
A: A Treat! Flashlight Press is offering a pirate-worthy treasure - a copy of Set Sail for School to one lucky reader.
Giveaway Details:Ā Readers, to enter to win Flashlight Press's giveaway, 1) share this post on social media and 2) leave a comment below to thank Daryl-Lynne for stopping by. Pirate-themed GIFs are encouraged, too!
Giveaway winners will be drawn and announced on or about 10/1.
Books will be shipped in the US only.
About Daryl-Lynne Gottier:
Daryl-Lynne Gottierās picture book, Set Sail for School, illustrated by Gal Weizman and published by Flashlight Press, will debut on Sept. 10, 2026. Daryl has also been published in Highlights for ChildrenĀ and Boysā Quest. In addition to being a speech pathologist in elementary schools, she has worked in a bookstore and a childrenās library. She lives in central Massachusetts and if she was a pirate, her name would be Barnacle Book-Builder.
For more about Daryl-Lynne, check out the below links:
Website: Ā www.dlkgottier.com
Instagram:Ā https://instagram.com/dlkgotts
Pinterest: Ā https://pinterest.com/darylg90
Thanks for sharing. What a wonderful concept for a picture book - I love it and I know kids will too! Can't wait to read it.
Set Sail for School is a new twist on a classic theme. Love the clever use of wordplay.
Ahoy ye landlubbers, can't read now as I am off in search of the ocean's green flash at sunset.
Said book looks mighty adventurous for me crew.
Can't wait to get my hand and hook on it!
Aye Matey! I may be a day late, but I'd love to win a copy of this fun book! š“āā ļø š„° I'm going to share on Twitter, Bluesky and Instagram now.
Dear Heather,
Thank you so much for sharing Daryl-Lynne Gottier's picture book, Set Sail for School. I can't wait to read it, as it seems so fun and adventurous for school children, as imagination and other faraway lands set sail to nearby waters! I loved reading this article that was referred by Rate Your Story!
Warmest regards,
Sharon O. Blumberg
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