The Story of Diva And Flea: A Children’s Book for Animal Lovers + Giveaway #DivaandFlea

I received a copy of Diva and Flea in exchange for sharing this book with my readers. Samples and prizing for this post are provided by Disney Publishing.  The opinions in this post are 100% mine.  You can read my full disclosure policy here. 

I know so many of you are book lovers like I am, and so many of you are pet lovers (especially those strays that tug at our heartstrings). So I have the perfect book to share with you! The Story of Diva and Flea is an upcoming release from Disney Publishing by author Mo Willems and Illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi. It’s going to be available to purchase on October 13. My kids and I have enjoyed this book so much and I’m so happy to be able to tell you about it. Here’s what the story is about:

Diva, a small yet brave dog, and Flea, a curious streetwise cat, develop an unexpected friendship in this unforgettable tale of discovery.

For as long as she could remember, Diva lived at 11 avenue Le Play in Paris, France. For as long as he could remember, Flea also lived in Paris, France–but at no fixed address. When Flea flâneurs past Diva’s courtyard one day, their lives are forever changed. Together, Diva and Flea explore and share their very different worlds, as only true friends can do.

You might recognize author Mo Willems, a number one New York Times best-selling author and illustrator, who has been awarded a Caldecott Honor on three occasions (for Don’t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus!, Knuffle Bunny: A Cautionary Tale, and Knuffle Bunny Too: A Case of Mistaken Identity). Don‘t Let the Pigeon Drive the Bus! was also an inaugural inductee into the Indies Choice Picture Book Hall of Fame. The celebrated Elephant & Piggie early-reader series has been awarded the Theodor Seuss Geisel Medal on two occasions (for There Is a Bird on Your Head! and Are You Ready to Play Outside?) as well as garnering four Honors (for We Are in a Book!, I Broke My Trunk!, Let’s Go for a Drive! and A Big Guy Took My Ball!).

The illustrator of this beautiful story is Tony DiTerlizzi, a number-one New York Times best-selling author and illustrator, who created the middle-grade series The Spiderwick Chronicles with Holly Black, which has sold millions of copies, been translated into more than 30 languages and made into a feature film. He won a Caldecott Honor for illustrating The Spider & The Fly, and in 2014 he teamed up with Lucasfilm to retell the original Star Wars trilogy in a picture book featuring artwork by Academy award-winning concept artist, Ralph McQuarrie. He lives in Amherst, Massachusetts with his wife, daughter and dog, Mimi.

The Story of Diva and Flea

The really cool thing about this story is how it came to be. Mo was looking for a story, and he found it in Paris. This book is actually based on real characters, a real dog and cat! And he needed Tony’s help to be able to finish the book the way he wanted to. The video above shows how they collaborated to bring this tale to life to share with us.

Both my 6-year old son and 10 year-old daughter loved this story. It’s a chapter book, so it’s a little longer but broken into nice sized chunks so even younger readers can tackle it. There are also some great pictures (of course, with Tony DiTerlizzi as the illustrator!) throughout which I find holds their interested a little more.

Both the words and the pictures tell the tale of this unlikely friendship, and how you can always teach an old dog new tricks…or go outside of your comfort zone to try something new. It’s just a heartwarming story. 

The Story of Diva and Flea is a wonderful addition to your children’s library. My kids ate this story right up (and so did our dog, Sam!).

You can learn more about this book and the authors on the Disney Publishing site, and be sure to follow along on Twitter and Instagram for the latest news and releases.  You can fine more from author Mo Willems on Twitter, too, and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi is on Twitter and Instagram also.

Disney Publishing is generously offering this fun Experience a Different World Prize Pack that includes a copy of The Story of Diva and Flea plus a child’s rolling suitcase! This giveaway is open to US residents ages 18+ only and will end at 11:59pm ET on October 13, 2015.

Good luck!