Ms. Rachel and the Special Surprise: Encouraging Speech and Learning Through Play and Music

Summary: YouTube phenomenon and household name Ms. Rachel shares her sweet, charming humor and tried-and-true teaching approach in this debut book about finding a special surprise! Can you help Ms. Rachel find what she's looking for?Ms. Rachel is looking for something, and she needs your help finding it.Is it in this box here?Or maybe that box over there?As she opens more boxes and her frustration builds, she hopes that you and Herbie will save the day! With more than 20 featured milestones--including gestures and speech--Ms. Rachel brings her educational expertise to this brand-new picture book, taking key lessons from her YouTube channel and crafting them into an engaging story. Fans of "Songs for Littles" will recognize characters and music from their favorite videos while Ms. Rachel guides readers through exercises like pointing and call and response. And once you're done reading, use the helpful tips in the back to assist with brain and language development for your little. Kids are sure to read and re-read this new classic! And with fun song lyrics and phonetic spellings, there's plenty to keep them delighted and engaged with their favorite teacher.Series Overview: Fall 2024 Jacketed Hardcover PicturebookSpring 2025 My First Coloring Book Board #1 Board #2Summer 2025 Little Golden Book #1 Novelty #1 8x8 #1Fall 2025 Five Minute Stories Sound BookSpring 2026 Novelty Board Book #2 Coloring & Activity #2 HC Storybook #1Summer 2026 Board #3 Coloring & Activity #3 SIR #1Fall 2026 HC Storybook #2Spring 2027 Board # 4 Summer 2027 Coloring & Activity #4Fall 2027 Board Book Boxed Set BONA FIDE HOUSEHOLD NAME: "Songs for Littles" has amassed a devoted audience through the release of digital content, boasting 10+ million followers across social media platfoms. And Rachel's celebrity extends further than social media, landing her interviews with The New York Times, Good Morning America, and Today. The release of this title--Ms. Rachel's first foray into publishing--offers the same content that kids love and that parents and educators are looking for.READY FOR EASY READING: Ms. Rachel's channel creates engaging content that entertains while teaching little ones mastery over their speech development skills. Her debut picture book creates the perfect brand extension by pairing song lyrics, gestures, phonetic spelling, and more patented approaches to speech-language learning with an entertaining story all formatted in a package that will appeal to kids and their care-givers alike. EXCLUSIVE NEW CONTENT: The excitement doesn't stop once the story ends! There's also informative back matter called "Tips for Language and Brain Development" that readers will benefit from and parents will love.MORE IN THE PIPELINE: There are many more books to come from Ms. Rachel. See Series Overview section for details! Quotes:"A fun, familiar, interactive tale that will especially resonate with the author’s many fans." —Kirkus Reviews"Will delight fans and likely recruit a new audience....[A] bright and jolly experience, making this a work that kids (and their grown-ups) will want to read again and again." —School Library JournalAuthor Bio: MS. RACHEL (Rachel Griffin Accurso) is a passionate educator and award-winning songwriter. She has a masters in music education from NYU. She is currently pursuing a second masters degree in Early Childhood Education. She has done many trainings and courses in areas such as speech development, early childhood development and early intervention. Ms Rachel believes all children are capable, brilliant and important. Her sweet little son inspires her work, and she is married to the amazing Mr. Aron (AKA Herbie!). They live in New York City.Author Residence: New York, NYMONIQUE DONG loved drawing, imagining and creating as a child. At age 19, she headed off to the beautiful city of Cape Town, South Africa, where she studied animation at City Varsity and discovered the magic of storytelling! She has worked on animation for the Disney channel, including the project “Florrie’s Dragons.” Today, Monique is a freelance illustrator and her passion is creating images that encompass light, life, warmth and color.Illustrator Residence:ChinaIllustrator Hometown:South Africa