Hi, I’m Rebecca. I write books and I write here at This Joyful Mess to inspire everyone to find JOY in the everyday messes of life. Here you’ll find inspiration, educational resources, and so much more. Please explore and connect—I’d love to hear from you!
Free Printable Coloring Pages for Violet and the Woof!
I am so delighted to share coloring pages. Some were lovingly prepared by me, and some by the marvelous illustrator, Dasha Tolstikova who illustrated Violet and the Woof.
Adorable Halloween Good Night Wallpapers
Whether for cuteness or story, enjoy the free wallpapers I’ve created featuring some of Ella’s images. And while you’re at it, why not read the book!
Why Sequencing is So Important to Early Literacy Plus Free Printables!
Learn why sequencing is an essential skill for reading and literacy, and download free printables to practice using the picture book Violet and the Woof!
Everything You Need for a Full Week of Halloween Learning Fun!
Enjoy this FREE Halloween Unit Study. A full week of Halloween fun for PreK, Kindergarten, First Grade, all centered on the book Halloween Good Night by Rebecca Grabill.
6 Adorable and Easy DIY Halloween Costumes for Kids
Find six of the absolute cutest and easiest DIY Halloween costumes for kids. All no-sew and take less than an hour to make. Plus they’re literary, based on the picture book, Halloween Good Night.
How Jonathan Merritt Ruined (and Saved) my Blogging Life
For just under an hour I sat in the Calvin College Seminary chapel, captivated by quite possibly the most interesting (and energetic) person ever to be in Calvin College’s Seminary chapel. I took more notes at that session than all the others I attended combined. Good blog headlines? Blogging and social media? Blog-killing mistakes? I scribbled it all down. Like…
Cover Reveal for Little Red Riding Hood Retelling—Violet and the Woof!
My next release, Violet and the Woof, coming soon, has an official cover! And here it is:
An Ordinary Extraordinary Book About Moths
I first "met" Karlin when she asked to do an author interview on the release of my first book, Halloween Good Night. Of course I had to follow suit (i.e., steal her excellent idea!) to celebrate the release of her second book, An Extraordinary Ordinary Moth.
Into The End of the Wild, a book by Nicole Helget
The End of the Wild is a sweet little story about fracking. No, not really. It’s about a little girl named Fern coming to term with her mother’s death. Well not really. It’s about what it takes to win the science fair (otherwise known as STEM fair). Except really it’s about a poor girl in a small Michigan town who has to decide between her rich grandpa and poor stepdad. Or maybe it’s about nature, preserving the woods or friendship, or dogs...
Misleading Trains? The Wrong Train by Jeremy de Quidt
The Wrong Train by Jeremy de Quidt came up as a novel in my search, but is actually a collection of horror short stories with a thin thread of a storyteller and an abandoned train platform to connect them.