Hi! Deb Gonzales here. I’m a children’s author, career educator, and marketing strategist who has spent years crafting resources that connect people with literature in meaningful ways. As the founder of Guides by Deb, I’ve created over 400+ standards-aligned educator guides for some of the finest books in the business. And as the founder of Pin Lit Marketing, I now help book creators harness the power of Pinterest to expand their reach and keep their books discoverable for years to come.
My expertise in education, curriculum development, and book marketing strategy makes me uniquely qualified to help authors, illustrators, and publishers boost book visibility—whether through standards-aligned guides or Pinterest strategy. With an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from the Vermont College of Fine Arts, I understand the literary world from both the creative and business sides.
If you’re looking for high-quality, affordable, project-specific supplemental materials or a marketing strategy that keeps your books discoverable, let’s talk!
All tagged 1st Grade
Hound Dawg is a retelling of The Little Red Hen, southern style. Bessie, Calico, and Penny work their fingers to the bone down on the cotton farm.
But Hound Dawg, he’s a couch potato . . . lazy, lazy, lazy.
Hold on now . . . something has caught Hound Dawg’s eye . . . something that changes his life forever.
If you could be any kind of animal, what would you be? Would you be a dog that goes ARRRROOOOOOO? Or maybe you would be a sharp-toothed dinosaur that can CHOMP, STOMP, ROAR! Perhaps you might want to be a hopping frog that goes BOING, BOING, RIBBET! But maybe you would want to be the best kind of animal of all: a child!
With joyful, impressionistic illustrations from Caldecott Medal–winning illustrator Chris Raschka and spare, rhythmic text from author Jamie A. Swenson that invites playful interaction, If You Were a Dog is the perfect read-aloud for your favorite little animal.
Posy, Megan, and Mae have always been the best of friends -- but now Posy has to move away. Only their favorite activity can comfort the girls: baking pie! And when they realize they can host a good-pie party instead of a good-bye party, the sad situation becomes a sweet gathering for their entire community. THE GOOD-PIE PARTY celebrates good friends, good memories, and the joy of the just-right good-byes.
From the author of Warning: Do Not Open This Book comes a lively story about a teacher’s special jar where her students keep their story ideas—but watch out when those ideas go on the loose!
The idea jar is where students keep their ideas—anything from a Viking to a space robot to a giant dragon. These ideas can be combined to make new exciting stories. But watch out when the ideas escape the jar—they might get a little rowdy! Adam Lehrhaupt’s newest picture book is sure to inspire creativity, imagination, and adventure.