One Word At A Time

Author Interview: Leslie Helakoski

Tue, 26 Feb 2013 13:49:57 GMT

I'm thrilled to invite my friend author/illustrator Leslie Helakoski back to my blog. Not only is Leslie an award-winning author/illustrator but she is also the Co-Regional Advisor of the SCBWI Michigan chapter and she's part of the team that has orchestrated the Mid Wild, Wild West 2013 SCBWI Multi-State Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana from May 3 - 5, 2013.

Today, we're here to celebrate her latest picture book Doggone Feet! (Boyds Mills Press, Mar 1, 2013) which is SO doggone cute! Congratulations, Leslie!

What was the inspiration behind this story? And the path to publication?

A couple of years ago, I saw a tapestry hanging in a shop with two dogs sitting under a table. I went back to my room and started writing about the dog’s point of view. I grew up with dogs around the table, so I was familiar with their behavior. But raising my own family with a dog under the table at mealtime gave me a new perspective. We always laughed at how the dog knew where to position herself for the most tidbits. Even though I thought this was a brilliant relatable idea, it was a tricky sell. I didn’t think I wanted to illustrate with all the perspective involved in portraying life under the table. So it was initially sent out with only the text. Several publishers passed it by thinking it was limited visually because of the setting being under a table throughout. But I could imagine it being done—I could see it in my head. Finally, I decided to illustrate a scene or two myself to show how it could be done. A couple of artist friends convinced me that the perspective could be distorted and that what I was doing was working. As soon as my agent sent it out with art it was picked up.

Doggone Feet! is told from the dog’s perspective in rhyme and the language is toe-tapping, read-a-loud fun! I’ve heard it’s very difficult to write in rhyme especially when it comes to revision. Do you approach the revision process differently when you’re revising in rhyme as opposed to prose?

The revision process is not really different for me though it does take even longer than usual. I revise the story content over and over. Then I revise the rhyme over and over. But I love the revision process. I like when I have the security of a strong story idea and I just have to play with the words until I get it smoothed out.

As your picture book career continues to build, is it easier or harder to sell a book? Does being more established help or hinder?

I think it’s still difficult to get a book idea past a marketing team these days as they are not always willing to take risks on a book that might be a bit different. But I feel lucky that I do have books out that have sold well because it does make it easier to get an editor’s attention.

How do you find a balance between the promotional/marketing/business side of being an author/illustrator and the creative/inventive/artistic side of your job?

Balance? I’m tipping over on one leg most of the time. This year I’ve decided to devote more time to marketing than I have in the past. Making myself take time to market and promote is hard for me because it’s not really where I want to spend my time. It’s hard to ignore the fact that social media makes a difference, so I have taken two months to set up signings, blog posts and to create a library story kit that will be available on my website preceding the launch of this book. I’ve also created a book trailer. Some of the marketing and planning is fun but I can’t wait to get back to actually writing.

What do you think makes a successful picture book?

It’s such a mystery sometimes what the public latches on to. Sometimes, I don’t get it at all. But when I do ‘get’ it, it’s usually a book with humor on a universal theme, wording that surprises me, and art I find fun and well-designed.

Where do you see yourself in ten years from now? What are you currently working on? What can readers look forward to next?

I’d like to be saying something profound and very funny about creating children’s books.It will probably take me ten years to think of something.

Right now I’m working on sketches and layouts for Big Pigs, which will be released in the spring of 2014. I just got back a 7 page editorial letter on rough sketches, so I have a lot to do. I like this part so I don’t want to have to squeeze it in.

I have a couple of other ideas percolating for picture books. I may even venture into self-publishing an idea that my editor says marketing will not get behind. Authors have other options these days, which is both scary and exciting!

To see all of Leslie's books visit her website and make sure you check back after her March 1st launch to download the story kit that accompanies Doggone Feet! To read another interview with Leslie, including the release of Fair Cow, click HERE.

Thanks, Leslie!! I foresee another doggone award-winner with this book!

Author Interview: Liz Garton Scanlon

Wed, 23 Jan 2013 14:25:48 GMT

It’s not every day I welcome a bestselling author and poet to my blog so I’m beyond thrilled that Liz Garton Scanlon has stopped by to discuss her latest picture book Happy Birthday, Bunny! with us. She’s a prolific picture book author and some of her highly acclaimed books include All the World, A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes and Think Big. When she’s not writing or teaching or visiting schools, she’s busy with her girls making art, sharing quiet time with her loving hubby or finding a home for an abandoned animal. Thanks for making time in your busy schedule to chat with us!

Happy Birthday, Bunny! Illustrated by Stephanie Graegin (Beach Lane Books, Jan 2013) invites readers into an adorable family of rabbits as they celebrate Bunny’s birthday. Birthdays are such a special part of a child’s life, a day they look forward to and treasure all year. What were birthdays like for you as a child? Did you tap into your childhood as you created the story? And how do the Scanlons celebrate birthdays today? Any traditions carried forward from your childhood?

I remember my birthdays being happy when I was little – my mom was very good at making special events extra special. This was back in the day when cakes were homemade, and mine were always beautiful. My birthday is in the spring so one year I even had a bunny cake – maybe that’s where I first felt the tickles of this book!

I’ve always tried to make my daughters’ birthdays special, too. For a number of years, we made piñatas in the weeks leading up to the big day. Often, our papier mache was so strong that not even a dad with a bat could break it open!

But even best-laid birthday plans can go awry. I grew up in the mountains and my “spring” birthday was often interrupted by a late season blizzard. My oldest daughter’s September birthday often sees record-breaking heat. And my youngest daughter was so sick on her 2^nd birthday that we practically had to skip the whole thing. Plus, birthday parties sometimes require patience, etiquette and sharing skills well beyond what the birthday boy or girl is truly up to. I think it’s those things that really inspired this book for me. Birthdays are full of expectation – sometimes so much so that they’re a little overwhelming for the guest of honor.

You skillfully unveil the inquisitive nature of a child in choosing a question and answer structure for this book, did the story start out this way or did it evolve over many drafts?

Even my very first draft was in question/answer format (though LOTS of the specific questions and answers later changed). I’ve never written a piece using this structure before, but it worked because of that sense of birthday overwhelm I was just talking about. We bring so much energy to birthdays, but little ones – turning 1 or 2 or 4 or 5 – must be SO confused. They don’t know the traditions, the rituals, the rules. What would happen, I wondered, if one of them just asked? And we answered?

Liz and I in 2008 at the Hill Country Book Festival

At what stage did you see Stephanie Graegin’s art for the book and were there any surprises?

I saw some of Stephanie’s sketches relatively early on and I adored them. But, I was surprised, once the final art came along, how much MORE I loved it with color. Her palette is so rich and creamy, and every inch of the book is awash in color – from the endpapers on. I feel very lucky to have been paired with her and her beautiful work.

Here’s one other fun thing to share about Stephanie’s art. Her animals were so endearing – so perfect – that we changed the title for them! The book was originally called HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY! but once those animals came to life, our editor suggested changing it to HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUNNY! and I’m so glad we did.

You’ve just returned from a fabulous vacation with your family, will this latest adventure spawn any future stories? Can you share a favorite memory from your trip?

We just spent a month traveling around Asia – specifically China, Laos and Thailand. I hope a story might emerge from the experiences we had, but there are no guarantees. I work with a very independent muse J.

There is a really interesting tradition of haggling for goods in developing countries – my kids find it fascinating and a little off-putting. The key is to be gracious but straight-up. The artisans are quite good at balancing those, and with a little practice you can mirror them. I’ll bet there’s a story in there somewhere, don’t you think?

As for a favorite memory, wow. That’s like asking if I have a favorite book. We loved every place we went, everything we did, and nearly all the food we tried! I think the best part of the whole thing was just being together as a family. Our girls are getting older and are off living their own lives more and more, so to have so many uninterrupted days together (and nights, crammed into little guesthouse dorms!), that’s something I’ll treasure forever.

The book officially released on January 15^th,and a release party is planned, please share all the juicy details for readers.

I’ll be at BookPeople in Austin,Texas, this Saturday, January 26, at 2:00 p.m. Think “birthday party meets storytime”: bunnies, balloons, cake! Come one and all…

Thanks, Liz

Thank you, Carmen, for having me. It’s been a treat!

To read more advice from Liz, click HERE to read highlights from her panel at the 17th Texas Book Festival on the Hen & Ink Literary Studio blog.

Monet Paints A Day & Nonfiction Monday

Mon, 14 Jan 2013 13:48:11 GMT

I'm participating in Nonfiction Monday with the breathtaking Monet Paints A Day by Julie Danneburg, illustrated by Caitlin Heimerl (Charlesbridge, 2012). This week's Nonfiction Monday is hosted by Travis Jonker at 100 ScopeNotes.

I was first introduced to Julie Danneburg's work with the book First Day Jitters, illustrated by Judith Dufour Love, the perfect companion for anyone starting school or the first day at a new school! It's delightfully funny and engaging with the ideal surprise ending. If you missed reading it, visit your library for a copy or pick up the book from your favorite indie bookstore. It's worth finding!

So I'm not the least bit surprised to be entertained and carried away in Danneburg's rendition of a day in the life of Claude Monet while he was vacationing in Étretat, France in 1885 with Monet Paints A Day. It's by far one of my favorite nonfiction books of 2012, and I'm happy to see it honored by the 2013 Zolotow Award committee as Highly Commended.

To quote Danneburg from the book, "Like a string of ducklings," we follow Claude Monet and a "gaggle of children" with canvases, paint box and palette as he leaves his hotel ready to paint the day. Danneburg takes us on a journey zigzagging along cliff paths and trudging across a rocky beach to reach the strip of sand where Monet paints The Manneport along with many more scenes. Like the illustrations, her prose is art and the author's note and instructions on painting techniques at the back of the book are rich with educational details, an additional gift for the reader to delve deeper. Sprinkled throughout the book are Monet's letters and words to his fiancee, Alice Hoschedé in which he wrote about his painting progress and his frustrations at capturing the scene before the light changed.

The rumbling waves explode a warning at my feet, but I can't stop painting. Not now. "Faster, faster, only a few more minutes to catch this light," I mutter to myself.

It's storytelling at its finest as Danneburg places us on that beach with brush in hand, waves lapping at our feet and a broken canvas in the end. The entire book is an album of art, the illustrations masterful, emotional and personal using an extraordinary palette of colors similar to Monet's own brushstrokes. I highly recommend this book for your library, classroom or studio.

Winner of Picture Book Oh, Nuts!

Fri, 07 Dec 2012 13:53:22 GMT

Congratulations Caryn Caldwell on winning the giveaway for the picture book Oh, Nuts! by Tammi Sauer and Dan Krall!

The book is on its way to be enjoyed by you and your family!! Hooray!!

Thanks to everyone who participated in the giveaway. If you missed the review of Oh, Nuts! on ReaderKidZ, click HERE to read it.

ReaderKidZ Review: Oh, Nuts! And Giveaway!

Fri, 30 Nov 2012 17:38:59 GMT

Sadly it is the last day of November and that means it's also the last day of Picture Book Month. Sniff. Sniff. So on that note, I'm going to leave you with my ReaderKidZ review of Oh, Nuts! by Tammi Sauer, illustrated by Dan Krall (Bloomsbury, 2012). Click HERE to read the review.

But that's not it. Every day is worth celebrating picture books and if you agree, leave me a comment with your name, favorite picture book, and email address (format: cao at carmenoliver dot com) for a chance to win Oh, Nuts! I'll draw the winner and announce it next Friday, December 7th, 2012 (Eligibility: United States only).

Good luck!

Thankful for Picture Books

Sat, 24 Nov 2012 16:40:56 GMT

Each Thanksgiving I'm reminded of all the wonderful things to be thankful for (family, friends, health, community) and this season is no different, but I want to add to my list this year and say I'm thankful for picture books and the joy they brought to me as a child, the joy they've brought to me as a parent/educator and the joys they've brought my children. I'm also thankful for all the writers and illustrators who work tirelessly to craft the best stories for children. Who battle self-doubt and at times sheer frustration to find the right words to tell the best story. Bravo!

To honor the joy I have for the picture book, I want to highlight two posts today. The first one is by my author/illustrator friend and critique partner Don Tate. Click HERE to read the post at PictureBookMonth and the story he uses to illustrate the importance of picture books.

Secondly, I want to highlight a joint writing post with my agent Erzsi Deàk of Hen & Ink Literary Studio as we discussed new and old picture book favorites, many which included bear characters hence the title of the post "A Bearful of Stories." Click HERE to read the post and leave a comment at Hen & Inkblots letting us know your favorite picture book and/or character. Bear vs. Mouse. Penguin vs. Chicken. It'll be fun to tally the results and see which books come out on top!

Blessings of the season to you and your family. Happy reading!

Part II - Picture Book Posts for Hen & Ink Literary

Fri, 16 Nov 2012 13:14:47 GMT

Good morning!

Click HERE for Part II of my recap from the 17th Texas Book Festival on picture book advice at Hen & inkblots. This post Language Serves the Story highlights advice from authors Liz Garton Scanlon and Candace Fleming.

I hope you enjoy! Let me know what resonates? Do you have any revision tricks up your sleeve? How many times do you revise to make art?

Happy Friday!

Picture Book Posts for Hen & Ink Literary Studio

Wed, 14 Nov 2012 14:16:12 GMT

It's a crisp morning and the sun is shining and it's Picture Book Month! Cluck! Cluck!

In celebration of that and to pass along information I gleamed from attending the 17th Texas Book Festival in Austin this past October, I have done two posts for my agent Erzsi Deak and the agency Hen & Ink Literary Studio. Part I - How Children See the World ran yesterday and if you missed it you can click HERE to read it. Thanks, Erzsi! It was a dream reporting for Hen & inkblots and clucking about picture book panels!

Check out Hen & inkblots on Friday, November 16, 2012 for Part II - Language Serves the Story. If you missed this year's festival or couldn't attend all the incredible panels of authors/illustrators, I hope these two posts give you a flavor of the literary extravaganza Texas hosts. Enjoy!

Celebrate Picture Book Month

Mon, 12 Nov 2012 15:43:27 GMT

I'm celebrating Picture Book Month!! Are you?

There's a lovely post at Picture Book Month by Alma Flor Ada in where she talks about why picture books are important for children. The bond it creates between adult and child and that picture books can be enjoyed by the very young as well as the older more sophisticated child reader. Each day of the month a different picture book champion weighs in on why they think picture books are important.

The Bear in the Book written by Kate Banks (also an agency sister with Hen & Ink Literary) and illustrated by Georg Hallensleben is a beautiful representation of storytelling between parent and child, where a little boy listens to a story being read by his mother and metaphorically speaking he's so caught up in the story that he enters the world of the bear. He identifies with the words and pictures he sees playing out over the pages. Excerpt below:

Snowflakes began to fall across the pages of the book.

The snow sat snugly in the boughs of the trees.

The boy could almost feel it.

"Snow is cold," he said. He nestled closely against his mother.

"I like snow," he said.

Winter settled like a big hush," read the boy's mother.

"And the big black bear slept."

"Shh," said the boy.

It's picture book storytelling at it's best! And the vivid artwork by Hallensleben is extraordinary like watching a painting come to life. It's a tribute to fostering a love of reading in children at least that's the conclusion I'm drawing, and I say Bravo!

I showed you one of my new favorite picture books now it's your turn. Celebrate picture book month with me by leaving a comment below listing one of your favorite picture books.

Happy Picture Book Month! Happy reading!

ReaderKidz Review: Pigmares & Last Laughs

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 17:02:28 GMT

Halloween is just around the corner and I've reviewed two picture books that will tickle children's funny bones and have them screaming with laughter!

Pigmares: Porcine Poems of the Silver Screen by Doug Cushman, (Charlesbridge, 2012) and Last Laughs: Animal Epitaphs by J. Patrick Lewis and Jane Yolen, illustrated by Jeffrey Stewart Timmins (Charlesbridge, 2012)

Hop on over to ReaderKidz and read my reviews HERE. Both picture books are for ages 7 and up.

ReaderKidZ is a website devoted to fostering a love of reading in kids K - 5.

Book Review: Arlo Needs Glasses by Barry Saltzberg

Tue, 23 Oct 2012 01:36:48 GMT

Arlo Needs Glasses by Barry Saltzberg (Workman Publishing, 2012)

This inventive and interactive picture book is more than just about a boy who discovers his dog needs glasses and they fit him for the perfect pair. It's about celebrating individuality and uniqueness and not being afraid to be different. Stand out. Be YOU!

Kids will love trying on the movie star, superhero, mad scientist, or "Arlo" glasses that are inside the book. They'll love Arlo and his willingness to embrace his new look and get back to doing what he loves to do best and that's play catch.

In fact wearing glasses allows Arlo to discover there's something he likes even more than playing catch -- he loves to read.

I wish there had been a book like this when I was a child. I didn't need glasses then (reading glasses now) but I would've had fun trying on the cardboard creations in this zany book, reading the story again and again, and engaging with the interactive features. For ages 3 and up.

This week, I'll be meeting author/illustrator Barney Saltzberg as he's in town for the 2012 Texas Book Festival and good friend Marika Flatt, owner of Pr by the Book, and I will be his chauffeur this Friday evening as we attend the Texas Book Festival Children's Author, Illustrator and Moderator Welcome Party at The Writing Barn, a book lover's haven created by author friend Bethany Hegedus. Barney will be on the Lines that Make you Laugh panel with fellow Austin author Philip Yates, Rob Scotton and Tad Hills and the details are HERE. See you there! Check out the book trailer -- it's fabulous!

Texas Book Festival 2012

Fri, 19 Oct 2012 14:03:13 GMT

Every year the Texas Book Festival and their committees work tirelessly to bring a spectacular line-up of authors and illustrators to entertain and inspire Texas families and 2012 is no different. On Saturday, October 27th and Sunday, October 28th, thousands of families will descend on downtown Austin to partake in the 17th annual literary event. The entire list of programming can be found by clicking HERE.

I have many author and illustrator friends on panels this year and I'm going to lace up my sneakers, bring a gallon of water and make it to as many of their creative presentations as I can. I also have the honor of moderating again this year and would love to see your friendly faces in the crowd at:

JUST THE WRITE WORD with authors Liz Garton Scanlon and Candace Fleming

Date: Sunday, October 28th, 2012

Time: 12:30 - 1:30 pm

Where: Capitol Extension Room E2.010

Everyone knows writers need to choose their words carefully, but these two picture books have become instant classics by matching entrancing images with the playful power of words, Liz Garton Scanlon's Think Big is told in bite-sized, rhyming couplets and follows young kids trying on future, artistic careers. Candace Fleming's Oh, No! encourages children to read out loud as a whole cast of animals comes across a mysterious, deep hole.

If you want to narrow in on just attending the youth events at the festival click HERE to view a list compiled by author friend Greg Leitich Smith who will also be talking about his middle grade book Chronal Engine on the World Turned Upside Down panel.

And if you want a list of events aimed just at the picture book crowd click HERE. There are seven panels devoted to picture books this year! Thank you TBF organizers and supporters!!

This year's festival is lit-up with dynamic authors and illustrators, some who've traveled quite a distance to visit our city, let's give them a Texas-size welcome and support them. Can't wait to see you and your family there. Yeehaw!

Illustrator E.B. Lewis Keynote Speaker at the Austin SCBWI 2013 conference, Kick It Up a Notch

Thu, 18 Oct 2012 16:08:09 GMT

When first daughter was about four years old, we visited the Book Mark in the village of Kingsway, a charming older wealthy area in Toronto, Canada. My husband and I were in search to find a new picture book to read to daughter while we were vacationing and visiting friends. When I asked the proprietor to assist me, she eagerly led me to Down the Road by Alice Schertle, illustrated by E.B. Lewis. Since that moment, I have been a huge fan of E.B.'s work. Today, we still have that book on our shelf and the watercolor illustrations E.B. painted scroll through my mind like slides on a projector. Image after gorgeous image. Hetty shopping at Mr. Birdie's Emporium, Hetty juggling her basket of eggs, and Hetty in the apple tree with Mama and Papa. I could go on and on, it's a collaboration of text and art at it's finest! If you haven't seen this book, it's a treasure worth hunting for.

Here's my favorite refrain from Down the Road:

Down the road,

One and two,

Eggs for breakfast,

how-de-do!

Eggs for breakfast,

clickety-clack,

eggs for breakfast,

not a crack!

So needless to say when RA Debbie Gonzales confirmed that E.B. Lewis accepted our invitation to come to our Austin SCBWI Kick it Up a Notch regional conference and give the keynote address, my mind flew to that spot, where Hetty sat up high, high in the apple tree. Wheeee! People, we're in for a sweet, juicy, apple treat!

This week, Mark G. Mitchell, illustrator chair for the Austin SCBWI chapter included an old interview he'd done with E.B. Lewis on his blog post "Mary's Magic." And I'm pointing you toward it, it's worth every four minutes of your time to watch it. Click Here to read that post and hear the interview with E.B. There's also a wonderful glimpse into Mary Sullivan's latest picture book Ball (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, 2013) and it, too, is worth viewing! Her illustrations capture the emotions and actions of a dog in a way that leaves you spellbound and awestruck.

I hope to see many of you starry-eyed like me when E.B. takes to the podium at the Kick It Up a Notch ASCBWI Conference. I'm holding my breath, counting the days until Saturday, February 8th, 2013. Click Here to register.

Highlights of the the Austin SCBWI Digital Symposium II

Fri, 12 Oct 2012 19:40:42 GMT

RA Debbie Gonzales Welcoming Attendees

This post originally appeared on my blogger One Word at a Time last Saturday and I had a complete brain freeze and forgot to post it here, too. Can you say it's been a busy week! Enjoy!

Today, I'm excited to bring you a collaborative effort from the attendees at the Austin SCBWI Digital Symposium II highlighting the presentations of the day. The day was such a huge success that plans are already underway to launch another digital event next year. But before we look to 2013, let's highlight today's event with a recap of each presentation.

Website Liberation with WordPress

Kirsten Cappy, owner of the marketing firm Curious City and Writer, Editor and Web Designer Samantha Clark talked about the benefits of building a website with WordPress and how easy it is to set-up a website in five minutes. Having a website or blog is important for writers because it helps readers find them. The blog aspect also allows writers to communicate with readers, which helps to make them into fans. Mostly, however, Kirsten and Samantha encouraged writers to use Wordpress so they can have a joint website and blog that they can manage themselves, liberating them from expensive programmers.

The ease an author/illustrator has in adding content and customizing the development and look of the free templates is one of the wonderful things about Wordpress. And there are so many templates, that writers can make their site individual, to suit their needs and style.

Sam Clark & Kirsten Cappy

Blogging 101

Assistant Regional Advisor and writer Carmen Oliver gave attendees advice to get them started in the blogosphere by covering:

What a blog is and its purpose
Choosing blog software
Naming their blog
Who their audience was and the goals of their blog
Blog content and content structure
Copyright issues and pictures
Pre-blogging and blogging frequency
Guest blogs and tours

Marketing Your Digital Storybook

In Deanna Roy's session, attendees created a short digital book and brainstormed ideas for marketing and school visits that would tie the story into the curriculum. They also created original art and takeaway crafts that students that attended their storytime could bring home to show their parents. Check it out!

Photoshop Basics: Creating a Book Mark

Shelley Jackson, Marsha Riti, Lalena Fisher

Shelley Ann Jackson, Marsha Riti, and Lalena Fisher, members of the Girllustrators, taught attendees about the elements to consider on their bookmarks from text to the visuals. They gave them a tutorial on Photoshop covering the tools and techniques and quick shortcut commands and a crash course in color theory. By the end of the day, attendees came away with printer-ready bookmarks. A thank you to Kayla Marnach for sharing her newly made bookmark with us!

Erik Kuntz, Emily Kristin Anderson and attendee

Help Desk

Erik Kuntz, Emily Kristen Anderson, Sam Clark, Kirsten Cappy and Carmen Oliver provided attendees with hands on help answering questions on Twitter, eBook creation, blogging, websites and all things digital throughout the day!

Joel Hickerson and Brad Graeber

Awesome Animation Techniques

Joel Hickerson & Brad Graeber tap danced their way through a smorgasbord of visual learning, animation and self promotion. They received a standing ovation at the end and were nominated for several awards from the academy! Brad showed several book trailers he'd made for authors like Bob Shea's Dinosaur Verses.

Twitter, Blogging, and other Online Media

Emily Kristin Anderson taught us the etiquette of being a part of Social Media---from #1 Don't be a jerk to never put anything on Facebook, Twitter, etc. that you wouldn't want your grandmother to know. Okay, we're re-learning what I should have known in kindergarten, only electronically! Emily is so knowledgeable that it is awe-inspiring! Attendee Barbara Lazar was excited to leave with new social media skills to help her promote her book Pillow Book of the Flower Samurai and here's a peek at her trailer.

Building the Children's eBook

Cartoonist, illustrator and Web Developer Erik Kuntz showed people how to use the free software iBooks to create either picture books or novels for the iPad. How to import text and illustrations to create a flip book effect. The still illustrations came to life through animation. The cost was minimal as long as you owned the hardware, a MAC. Attendee Susan Cleveland said it was very exciting and the only drawback she could see was that you could only sell the book on iBooks.

Book Trailers: Bringing Your Story to Life

PJ Hoover

PJ Hoover showed attendees sample book trailers for inspiration (bringing stories to life) and then they used worksheets to analyze the elements needed to make their own trailer. Elements like point of view, narration vs text on screen and voice-over and song lyrics. She challenged people to create content for their book trailers and first drafts were written. Even if attendees weren't published, they could create trailers to promote school visits and presentations.

Testimonials from the Day

"I'm so excited to do a bookmark in photoshop with help from the Girllustrators (Shelley Jackson, Marsha Riti and Lalena Fisher), I've got my images on my thumbnail drive and we're going to use a template and create a printer-ready file." Mark Mitchell

"I'm learning to tweet, tumble and blog." Barbara Lazar

"In two and half hours, Austin's fabulous Girllustrators showed me not only how to open Photoshop and use some fancy elements, but how to create an entire bookmark! Then the amazing P.J. Hoover taught me how to create a book trailer in the afternoon! So many generous tech savvy people gathered together. An amazing event!" Shelli Cornelison

Author/Illustrator Interview: Doug Cushman

Wed, 03 Oct 2012 12:48:05 GMT

I’m thrilled to be interviewing Hen & Ink coop mate, Doug Cushman about his newest book Pigmares: Porcine Poems of the Silver Screen (Charlesbridge, 2012). When I signed with the agency in the Spring, I thought “WOW” for obviously a number of reasons, but having heard many of Doug’s early reader series read-aloud by my children – I was a huge fan and excited to know we were within the same barnyard, so to speak.

Plus, my husband and I honeymooned in Paris and toured the French countryside so anybody who lives in France has a special place in my heart. Not to mention, anyone who can draw silly pigs and make me laugh is a friend of mine. Mais, oui?

From the Jacket Flap copy of Pigmares: Porcine Poems of theSilver Screen:

Whether it’s the lonely outcast Frankenswine, the crabby Porker form the Black Lagoon, or the sleep-loving Pigzilla, the creatures in this clever mash-up of poetry, monsters, and piggy puns are sure to curl your tail and tickle your hooves.

Author and illustrator Doug Chushman hams it up in this hog-wild homage to classic monster movies.

Bienvenue, Doug!

Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be a children’s author and illustrator? What were you like as a young child? How did your childhood influence the books you write and illustrate today?

I was born in Springfield, Ohio and moved to Connecticut with my family when I was 14 years old. From Day One (almost), I was drawing and writing stories, copying cartoon characters from the newspaper and inventing my own characters. While in junior high and high school, I created comic books lampooning my teachers, selling them to my classmates for a nickel a piece. So I had a commercial bent of mind from the start.

I watched some of the old westerns on TV like the Lone Ranger and Wild Bill Hitchcock and of course classic cartoon shows like Rocky and Bullwinkle. I read lots of books throughout my childhood, the usual stuff mostly like the Hardy Boys, The Three Investigators, Sherlock Holmes and some sci-fi. And of course comic books. All of it added to my backlog of references for my own books.

What was the inspiration behind Pigmares: PorcinePoems of the Silver Screen (Charlesbridge, 2012)?

I love old cheap B movies, the corny monster movies. Some of them actually are very well made and have heart to them. Look at Boris Karloff’s portrayal of the Creature in Frankenstein, he almost makes one cry. And of course I love drawing pigs. Such intelligence and grace. And silly. What could be better, writing and drawing pigs as classic monsters? A match made in heaven, in my opinion.

What came first the pictures or the poems? The characters or the plot?

There really isn’t a “plot” per se in Pigmares, more of a theme, classic movie monsters parodied in poetry using pigs. I never liked poetry much. One of my high school teachers shoved Rod McKuen down our throats. Awful stuff. I hated him. Never read poetry afterwards. It wasn’t until I began writing my own picture books that I discovered poetry was the perfect vehicle for a picture book text.

In a picture book text each sentence, word, each comma and period is important just as in poetry. The rhythm is paramount in both as well. But even then I hesitated because it was so hard to do. Most of what I read was rubbish and maudlin in picture books. Cute and cheap. Even today most of what I read isn’t worth the paper it’s printed upon (or the digital space it takes up in an ebook). I was after something that could work on a number of levels, funny, some clever rhymes and a surprise twist and, with luck and a lot of work, some intelligence.

It’s important to note that this is my first, full blown, no holds barred collection of poems, written and illustrated by myself. Even though Pigmares is a humorous poetry book poking fun at classic movie monsters this was one of the most heavily researched book I’ve ever done. I watched and re-watched every movie in the book and researched each one for the Poem Source pages at the end of the book making it a good introduction to the history of each movie. In one case, for instance, I timed the actual screen appearance of the monster. Even the hand lettering on each poster was researched to give a historical sense of the movie, in most cases using the original posters as the main source.

The book took about a year to do although many of the poems were written years before. But, as the book evolved and the format of movie parody and information came together, old poems were rejected and new poems were written.

Which is harder, writing or drawing? And why?

Writing by far. The first draft of anything is always the hardest. I’ve always said that there are no such creatures as “writers”; we are all “re-writers”. I love playing with words, moving them around, creating an image with just words. But when I can’t, my pictures come to the rescue. In a picture book the words only do part of the job, the pictures only part of the job. But when they work together it’s brilliant. But the reader has to do some of the work too. That is what makes it a satisfying experience.

Can you share one aspect of your writing or illustrating process?

The most fun I have is making a dummy for a picture book. I literally cut and paste (yes, with REAL scissors and tape) and make a collage–book of picture and words, physically moving them around throughout the dummy. The studio is a mess (well, it’s mostly a mess anyway….). But it makes for a VERY active and living process.

Where do you find your story ideas?

Everywhere. My problem isn’t so much finding story ideas as trying to settle on one I want to work on at that moment and KEEP working on. You have to love your idea for at least 3 years or so (preferably longer) because, if that book is accepted, you’ll be living with it on an almost daily basis for at least 3 years.

What’s the best experience you’ve had in publishing? What’s the worst?

I’ve been through pretty much all the experiences, cancelled contracts, rejections, bad printing, etc. I choose not to focus too much on the negative ‘cause I love my job so much. Just knowing I can get up every morning and draw some pictures and write some stories is wonderful. Cliché and maudlin, I know, but it’s the truth.

With over 120 published books, do you have a favorite or a favorite character? And why?

That’s like asking a mother who her favorite child is. And I ain’t going there! ;-)

Whose books do you admire? And why?

E.B. White was a brilliant writer and not just Charlotte’s Web. His prose is simple and clear and seemingly effortless…and hard to achieve. James Thurber is a favorite as well as Dorthy Parker. I read a lot of S.J. Perelman, another humorist from the ‘30s and ‘40s. Then Wilkie Collins, a contemporary of Charles Dickens is a favorite.

Can you speak about your successes and challenges in this competitive children’s book market?

For myself, I’ve followed pretty much my own heart, or “gut” while trying to stay flexible in this always changing market. I don’t follow trends or the “genre du jour”. I can only write and draw what feels right, trying to stay true to myself. It doesn’t always work but trying to work JUST for the marketing trends is a waste of one’s time and talent. I’ve gained a bunch of awards along the way but they really don’t mean much; you’re only as good as your last book especially in this market. The challenge is to move on and hone my craft. I still have to get up each day and try to do better. My biggest challenge is to find something new and interesting that will excite me, perhaps even reinvent myself.

The market in children’s literature is tough but not impossible. I’m not afraid of ebooks, apps and self-publishing, though I am a dedicated print guy. What concerns me the most is content. Any idiot with a computer and a rhyming dictionary can publish a book and tout him or herself as the new Dr. Seuss. But there has to be some “meat” to the story and poems, a good, strong plot line, strong characters, good, believable dialogue, etc. You know the litany. That’s why the classics are still classics, they have all of that. That and a spirit that can’t be taught but can be inspiring and can make a writer push him or herself further and higher.

Cimetière du Père-Lachaise

What are you working on now? And what do you do when you’re not working?

I go out and paint en plein air here in Paris. My favorite place is the grand cemetery Pere Lachaise. I set myself up behind a tomb and throw watercolors around. Sort of a busman’s holiday, I suppose.

If you weren’t an author/illustrator, what would you be?

Dead.

Tell us 3 things you can’t live without.

A blank sheet of paper, my paints and Delta blues music.

Tell us 3 things you wish were never invented.

Cell phones, screw caps on wine bottles and Abba.

Thanks, Doug!!!

Look for my review of Pigmares: Porcine Poems of the Silver Screen at ReaderKidZ on October 24, 2012.

ReaderKidZ review: Natalie Dias Lorenzi's Flying the Dragon

Thu, 13 Sep 2012 11:44:37 GMT

If you haven't read Natalie Dias Lorenzi's debut middle grade novel Flying the Dragon, (Charlesbridge, 2012) pop on over to ReaderKidz and read my review here.

Sneak peek: "...a beautiful multi-layered story told in the alternating points of view by fifth graders, Skye and Hiroshi..."

The novel ties into ReaderKidz's October 2012 theme "Families in Change" as Skye and Hiroshi navigate through their new family environment and invite readers along for the journey. To learn more about Natalie Dias Lorenzi and the challenges and triumphs she encountered in writing Flying the Dragon. CLick HERE to read the interview.

Happy reading!

Debut Author Interview: Natalie Dias Lorenzi

Tue, 04 Sep 2012 13:33:58 GMT

I’m thrilled to have Natalie Dias Lorenzi with us today to talk about her debut middle grade novel Flying the Dragon (Charlesbridge, 2012). She’s a teacher, mother, wife, traveler, freelance writer and author. She writes book reviews for Biblio links, contributes to Emu’s Debuts, her agency’s author blog at the Erin Murphy Literary Agency, and creates teacher guides.

Jacket Flap Copy from Flying the Dragon:

Skye and Hiroshi have never met. How could they, when Skye’s father hasn’t spoken to his Japanese family since before she was born? But now their grandfather is sick, and the family is coming to the United States for his treatment. Skye and Hiroshi are stuck with each other.

Now Skye doesn’t know who she is anymore; at school, she’s suddenly too Japanese, but at home she isn’t Japanese enough. And as Hiroshi struggles to improve his English, he has to contend with Skye butting in on his rokkaku kite-flying time with Grandfather–time that seems to be running out.

Welcome, Natalie and congratulations!

Thank you, Carmen. I’m happy to be here!

Can you tell us about your path to publication? Any challenges along the way? Did your kite fly right away or did it take a few tries?

My kite definitely did not find its wind right away! It actually took a few years before this manuscript took flight. Originally, this story was only from Hiroshi’s point of view, and Skye was a mean girl named Susan in his class. After signing with my agent, I did another round of revisions, lightening up Susan’s character and added more interaction between her and Hiroshi. After a string of rejections, my agent and I pulled the manuscript and started talking revision ideas. I’d mentioned to her earlier that, if this book sold, I’d love to write another book from Susan’s point of view and tell her side of the story. My agent wondered if it wasn’t time for Susan’s story to come forward now, and so we settled on a dual point of view story with both Hiroshi and Susan as main characters. Susan the mean classmate became Skye, Hiroshi’s cousin, and I love the lightness she added to the story and to Hiroshi himself. Once the story went back out on submission, it wasn’t long before Charlesbridge showed interest, and eventually made an offer.

What is the inspiration behind the book?

I was fascinated by the sport of kite fighting after reading Khaled Hosseini’s THE KITE FIGHTER. I had never heard of kite fighting before, and went on to research the sport for an article I wrote for a children’s magazine called Learning Through History. My original plan was to write a picture book about a kite-fighting boy. I took an online class on writing for children, and one of our assignments was to write a 500-word scene that showcased dialogue between the protagonist and the antagonist. I wrote a scene that took place on Hiroshi’s first day of school in America, when Hiroshi tries to make friends with a Japanese-American classmate who rebuffs him. Once I wrote the scene, I knew I wanted to explore the dynamics of this conflict, and I knew this story wasn’t a picture book; it was a novel in disguise.

There’s a powerful sense of hope, family, forgiveness and finding your place in the world woven into Flying the Dragon. When does theme emerge for you in the revision process? How do you strengthen it without beating it to a pulp?

As an ESL teacher and someone who has lived overseas both as a child and an adult, I knew from the start that the “finding your place in the world” theme would be a dominant one in the story. I also wanted to leave readers with a sense of hope, especially for a middle grade audience. But the family and forgiveness thread came much later. I’d originally had a family tie between Hiroshi and Skye, but once I made them cousins, the family connection deepened significantly.

When it comes to strengthening themes as I revise, I don’t consciously set out to do so. I think that once you know exactly what your character wants—that kernel of a heart’s true desire—and then you deny him or her that very thing, themes will emerge naturally as your character deals with the blow of not getting what he or she wants. What’s fun about themes is that they often emerge when you’re not looking and not planning for them. They emerge as your character finds his or her path on the page.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a little of both, I guess. I need to have a general idea of where the story is going, but the magic of writing, for me, comes with getting to know my characters as I create them. I think all writers are like this, even the true-blue plotters—we love the unexpected twists and turns as characters come to life on the page. I do own a copy of Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat, and I’ve used elements of it before, but I still leave lots of room for discovery as I write.

What author and/or book has inspired you the most in your life?

What a difficult question! There are so many I could name, but the earliest one was Judy Blume’s Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. My fourth grade teacher read it aloud to our class, and it was the first novel I’d heard that was laugh-out-loud funny. I couldn’t get enough of Judy Blume books after that, and I credit her (and my teacher) for making me an avid reader for evermore.

Any advice for the pre-published author?

Don’t write in a vacuum. Writing is a solitary activity, but that doesn’t mean that the before and after parts need to be solitary. Brainstorming and getting feedback from others is a significant part of my writing routine. I’ve been with my critique group now for almost seven years, and they’re such an amazing source of support and feedback. I found my group through SCBWI, but I know many writers have also connected via Verla’s Kay’s message board or local writers’ conferences. Although you may not always agree with the feedback you get, it helps to hear other writers’ opinions and listen to the questions they have about your stories.

What are you working on now?

Another middle grade novel and a picture book idea I’ve been toying with for awhile now.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

With three kids of my own, ages 6, 10 and 13, I’m usually wearing my mom hat—soccer games, taxiing kids from here to there, playing board games, and reading together. I’m also a full-time teacher—half-time ESL and half-time librarian until I finish my coursework this year to become a librarian full-time. Oh, and sometimes I sleep. ;-)

Tell us 3 things you can’t live without.

My family, books, and dark chocolate!

Tell us 3 things you wish were never invented.

Lima beans, corn and beets. (Can you sense a recurring theme??)

Thanks, Natalie!

Thank you for hosting me, Carmen!

Check out Natalie’s beautiful website built by friend and Austin SCBWI writer Samatha Clark by clicking here.

Check out Natalie’s guest post at CYNSATIONS on teacher guides and her author spotlight at Charlesbridge.

Blogging Basics and the Austin SCBWI Digital Symposium II

Fri, 24 Aug 2012 12:23:48 GMT

Welcome back! As promised, today I'm going to talk today about my presentation in the upcoming Digital II Symposium: The Nuts and Bolts of Success.

Have you been shying away from entering the realm of the Blogosphere? Not sure what all this talk about Social Media is about? It's really quite simple.

Social Media is about people. Blogging is about people. Sharing information. Communicating and networking. And in essence giving back, too!

When I first started my blog, I wasn't really sure what I was doing. I fumbled and bumbled along. I studied industry professionals like New York Times best-selling author Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog Cynsations (a MUST read) and I asked lots of questions at SCBWI Austin meetings. I read free information I found on the Internet and it's gotten me here. But I've consumed a lot of time in the process. If a "Blogging Basics" class had been available, I would have jumped at the chance. A quick download of information with a few warning and cautionary signs thrown in for good measure would have saved me spoonfuls of time. So that's what I'm going to be doing on October 6th at St. Edward's University. Saving you some time and equipping you with knowledge to get you started in the Blogosphere.

In the morning we'll talk about things like:

What a blog is and its purpose
Blog software
Naming your blog
Blog content and content structure
Copyright issues and pictures
Pre-blogging and planning
Guest blogs and tours

In the afternoon, you'll get your feet wet so to speak as we create a blog post highlighting the presentations from the Digital II Symposium: The Nuts and Bolts of Success. We'll use links, write content, insert photos and publish the post. It'll be a collaborative process with lots of time to ask questions.

If you blog, people will come! So join me and the other talented ten experts for a day of digital dynamics and break down the barrier and mystique that has held you back from embracing technology. Just click HERE and we'll take good care of you.

EXTRA:

Watch the Austin Digital Symposium II trailer below:

When Do You Write For Children?

Thu, 23 Aug 2012 13:01:06 GMT

Are you a morning writer? Afternoon or night owl? Can you write only on weekends? What is your writing schedule like? Send me a comment. I'd love to know!

I personally love writing in the mornings when the house is dark and the only sound I hear is the humming of the air conditioner. But that peaceful zone doesn't last for long with a busy family so I have to find other hours in the day to write, too. I'm lucky to have the opportunity to write throughout the day around my family's schedule. But I'll admit evenings are the hardest for me, what about you?

Switching topics. I'm also working on my presentation "Blogging Basics" and uncovering a host of interesting facts surrounding blogging and social media. Here's one for you:

True or False?

Bloggers are morning people?

What if I told you nearly eighty percent of bloggers read in the morning and that it peaks around ten o'clock. So if you're a morning writer does that mean you should be writing your blog posts in the morning and posting them around that time frame? Yes and No.

Post your blog posts in the morning, yes. But if you're a morning person like I am, use your mornings to work on your manuscripts. When your mind is the freshest and for me the most creative. If ideas for blog posts come to you while you're working on your projects. Jot them down on a scrap of paper and get back into that manuscript. Come back to those blog ideas later and expand and write.

Oooops. Look at the time. Time to get back to my writing! But come back and visit me. I'm going to be posting about what I'll be covering in my presentation on October 6th at the Digital Symposium II: The Nuts and Bolts of Success hosted by our SCBWI Austin chapter. A sneak peek shall we say.

In closing, I'm leaving you with an interesting quote to ponder by author Erik Qualman and founder of Socialnomics, "We don't have a choice on whether we do social media, the question is how well we do it."

Food for thought.

5 Things to Consider Before Dismantling A Blog

Thu, 16 Aug 2012 16:33:21 GMT

Think blogging is taking up too much of your time?

Worried no one reads your blog?

What happens if you haven't updated your blog in months? Do you feel like you may as well take it down?

Does this sound familiar?

If it does, you're not alone. But before you make any drastic decisions, rethink your intention.

I recently spoke with an author friend, who shall remain nameless, who decided to resume blogging after she’d taken the blog down. A decision (dismantling the blog) that she felt had been a HUGE mistake.

So with my upcoming presentation on Blogging Basics drawing near on October 6^th at the Austin SCBWI Digital Symposium II, I wanted to give you a prelude of some of the things I’ll be discussing and leave you with five things to consider before dismantling a blog.

Loss of TRAFFIC. Blogs more often than not drive traffic to your website. My author friend found this out first hand. With the blog gone, the traffic to the website ground to a screeching halt.
Loss of RELATIONSHIPS. No doubt you have many links to authors, illustrators, industry professionals included in your blogroll and they have links to your blog. When you dismantle your blog the links are broken. That means when people click on those links, they will receive an error message because your blog no longer exists. Those links are ties to people. To information. And it’s like shredding a HUGE address book. People can still find you, but why make it harder for them to do so. An extra click. An extra search. Extra time that they’ll have to spend to find you. Plus, you need to recreate all those Web addresses that were stored on your blog. Sounds like a lot of work, doesn’t it?
Loss of MARKETING. An ability to communicate, connect and network with like-minded people and reach your audience. When your book is published your blog serves as a tool to create virtual buzz and publishers rely heavily on authors’ skills to market themselves. Publishing marketing budgets are shrinking and authors need to be their own advocate and publicist. Your blog is an inexpensive way to reach people and market your book.
Loss of REVENUE. Pretty self-explanatory, right? You never know who is going to find your blog and purchase your book based on the content you're writing. Many times, I’ve bought a book after reading an emotional and moving blog post or an articulated and informative post on craft. Don’t limit yourself. Keep doors open to opportunities. Paid speaking gigs can also materialize through contact with people through your blog. As well as publishing contracts for that next book. Or debut!
And lastly, loss of AUTHORITY. When you want to guest blog for other writers or industry blogs, they'll peruse what you've written on your blog. Your blog serves as a resume. A resource and sample of your skills and voice. But if your blog isn't there, you'll lose credibility and authority within your niche and/or market place. It'll make it 5x harder to get those guest post gigs.

In closing, I’d like to encourage you:

Don't give up.
Don't walk away.
Do write 3 - 4 blog posts.
Make time in your busy schedule to craft posts on topics you're passionate about and whenever possible tie it to what you're writing and creating.
Consider pitching ideas to guest blog for other writers or industry professionals on their blogs. Good content is always welcome. Be professional and courteous.
Join me at the Digital Symposium II, where you’ll find support for your blogging woes and eleven experts will be on hand to equip you with skills as it relates to book trailers, tweeting, photoshopping, websites, YouTube, social media and so much more. Register HERE.

Author Interview: Darrin Lunde

Wed, 15 Aug 2012 13:37:36 GMT

Darrin Lunde is a museum mammalogist with the National Museum of Natural History which is part of the Smithsonian Institute. He divides his time between his full-time duties at the museum and creating books for young readers. I reviewed his latest book Monkey Colors, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne (Charlesbridge, 2012) yesterday, (Click HERE to read the review) and I was fascinated to know more. So I’m thrilled that Darrin has taken time out of his busy life to speak with us today.

Welcome, Darrin!

Darrin Lunde and his son in NY State

What you were like as a child? Were you an avid reader? Writer? Adventurer?

I was a loner and an explorer. I much preferred being away from people and exploring nature in solitude. I liked not having to worry about what other people might think if I wanted to do something strange like digging up worms or studying the invertebrates scurrying around under an upturned stone. I did not grow up in the country, and so finding nature (and solitude) was always a challenge, but somehow I managed. I think the fact that nature was not something I could take for granted played a big part in my endless fascination with the subject. Had I grown up in the country, nature might have lost its allure.

Strangely, I was not an avid reader, at least not the stereotypical kind sneaking a flashlight under the covers to read through the night. That was not me. I never really read books so much as I ‘mined’ them for information, flipping through at random, and switching between two or three books at a time until I had gleaned a satisfying mixture of information. To this day I can’t really read anything straight through; I just get restless and start flipping around. I may eventually read all the words, but not in the order that they are presented.

Then as now, I have always spent inordinate amounts of time organizing my books, and like some rogue librarian I am always regrouping them in different ways on my shelves. I remember there was a medical doctor in our neighborhood who had piled up his old medical books on the curb for the garbage truck, and although I can’t remember exactly who, someone in my family knew how much I loved books—any books—and scooped them all up for me. What a windfall that was! There must have been twenty or thirty books altogether, and although I was never tempted to become a doctor, I had a great time reading about Giardia and intramuscular injections—what fun!

What do you like the most about being a mammalogist?

A mammalogist is anyone who studies mammals, but I like to distinguish myself as a museum mammalogist. Straight out of college, I started working for the American Museum of Natural History, and was there for twenty years before recently making a move to the National Museum of Natural History, which is part of the Smithsonian Institution. A lot of people still don’t realize it, but there is a lot of science that goes on behind the scenes in a natural history museum and most of that science is based on the enormous collections of specimens these institutions house.

There are literally hundreds of thousands of mammal (bird, lizard, snake, and so on…) specimens all organized taxonomically and lined up neatly in drawers. These specimens are a scientific resource in that they are very often at the base of the long stings of knowledge we have accumulated about animals. Like tracing all sources of energy back to the sun I like to say that we can trace all sources of knowledge about animals back to the specimens in a museum.

If you don’t believe me, or if you don’t think the person out there studying animal behavior with a pair of binoculars has a museum collection to thank, think about the field guide the observer depends on to identify animals. Every living creature on Earth is named and described from museum specimens, and it has always been my enormous responsibility to take care of these very important collections. Really, it is my privilege and honor to have spent my entire adult life in two of the greatest natural history museums in the world, but then again as a child I was always obsessed with building up my own little boyhood natural history museums.

I have never forgotten how horrible a feeling it is to be away from the wealth of information inherent in nature and somehow collections of animal specimens have always served me as a kind of strange insurance policy against my ever being bored. You can walk through the back rooms of my museum and open drawers containing the skulls of galagos from central Africa or pickled bats form Sri Lanka. I just love having all that kind of tangible matter from the real world of nature at my fingertips.

What led you to write for children?

At the time I was being asked to fact-check a lot of books about mammals that were written by other people (that's what happens when you are a mammal expert) and one day I just said to myself, "I can do this." And I did. The woman that illustrates many of my books was a resident scientific illustrator at the American Museum of Natural History (where I was working at the time) and she played a big role in introducing me to a few good editors. I owe Pat a great deal for helping me break into the field, and was thrilled when my editor chose Pat to illustrate my first few books.

What was the inspiration behind Monkey Colors?

Monkey Colors is a book about the process of distinguishing different kinds of species. Since monkeys are diurnal, they use color to help distinguish themselves from other closely related species. Nocturnal mammals like shrews are not so easy to tell apart. They are mostly different shades of gray and not so easy for a primate like Homo sapiens to tell apart. Shrews happen to distinguish themselves by smell, but scents are not easily stored in a museum drawer and so museum mammalogists like me have to use proxies like details in the morphology of molar teeth to tell apart different species of shrews. Monkeys and color just seemed the most natural way to open up the subject of how we go about distinguishing species.

You’ve also written books for children on bumblebee bats and meerkats. How do you choose which subject to write about? Or does the subject find you?

Titles are very important to me, and all of my books come to me with a title that just seems to click with whatever theme I am thinking about. In the case of Meet the Meerkat, I wanted to write a book about a small mammal that was very interesting but not necessarily well-known.

There are more than five thousand different kinds of living mammals on planet Earth, and I felt as though the selection of books out there on mammals was way too limited. I wanted my readers to meet a very different kind of mammal, not just lions, elephants and pandas. Meet the ??? ... Meet the ???... Meet the Meerkat! Perfect! This happened to be just before meerkats became popular on TV, but you get the idea, and I followed it up with similarly inspired books on bumblebee bats, baby belugas and mama wallaroos, and the list will go on for as long as someone will publish them.

Can you talk about your writing process? What comes first, the research or the writing?

The ideas are rooted in a bank of knowledge that is already in my head, and after jotting down a few lead-in sentences to set the tone, I usually move pretty quickly to a stage where I am trying to map out the overall “shape” of my book. Picture books are great because they are typically only 32 pages, and so I can put a big piece of paper in front of me and literally map out how I want the book to unfold. At this stage I’m not so concerned with actual words and sentences so much as rhythm and overall structure. After my first few sentences I sometimes try to hum out where the book is going before trying to match actual words to those sounds. Sooner or later I’m humming less and writing more, and then I know it’s time to hit the library so that I can add a little more depth to my writing. There is always something to learn, even for a mammal expert.

At this stage I’m not necessarily trying to load up my book with facts; rather I’m usually looking for bits of information that I might use to carry my story along. A good example from Hello, Bumblebee Bat would be where the text shifts to what the little bat fears, and that forest fire illustrated in the background came directly from my reading about how wild fires in Thailand are a major threat to this species.

I don’t ever try to think about the specific subject of my next book, but there is always some hazy theme weighing on my mind. There is just this nagging feeling I have about having something to say. I don’t try to force things; rather I just let it simmer for weeks or sometimes months at a time until something hits me. Sometimes nothing ever happens and the feeling just fades away over the years.

My book After the Kill is a good example of something that simmered for a long time. I’m interested in the reality of nature, and I kept thinking about the anxious feeling you might get when people are afraid to tell you something. It was a feeling like “knowing the dirty secret is far less painful than the angst of being aware but unknowing”. That anxious feeling kept coming to me in relation to the sometimes sanitized views of nature we present to our children (I hate when people do that). I kept feeling like I wanted to tell some secret truth about the way nature really worked, and yet at the same time I didn’t want to seem ghoulishly honest.

After the Kill does not dwell on death, rather it tells the story of the life-giving process that comes after the death of an animal. Children naturally sense this basic truth about nature, but in shielding them from it we make matters worse by creating angst. After the Kill was meant to be that sigh of relief.

Can you describe what an typical day looks like for Darrin Lunde, mammalogist/children’s author? Do you write early in the morning or late at night? Weekends only?

On a typical day I am behind the scenes at the Smithsonian Institution and VERY busy with the day-to-day business of running a mammal collection. I am working to keep hundreds of thousands of mammal specimens properly identified and organized so that visiting scientists can conduct their research. I also spend a great deal of time answering questions from various scientific agencies, students, and the general public. Over the course of my career I travelled to many remote parts of the world to study and collect mammal specimens, and I am often involved with helping young mammalogists get their start in the field.

The only time I have to work on my books is after work, and usually very late at night. I usually try to devote at least one full weekend day to writing. It is very hard work but enjoyable when you look back.

Darrin and his daughter hiking in Maryland

What’s the best part about being a children’s author and writing for children?

I can write a lot of them. I have a lot of ideas and unlike with a longer-length book, I can juggle writing several children’s books at a time. I know I write better when I am working up several different book ideas all at once. Ideas keep coming. Most of them never end up published, but I no longer worry so much about what my next book is going to be. I just do what all writers everywhere do. I just keep writing.

What are you working on now?

The next book of mine that will come out is called Hello Mama Wallaroo. It’s the next in my “Hello somewhat unusually animal” series; however, what I really want to alert you to is the book that will come out just after that. The title is known to me and my editor but is otherwise still secret…but it’s a good one, perhaps my best and I just can’t wait to share it with you!

Thanks, Darrin!

You are most certainly welcome!

Book Review: Monkey Colors

Tue, 14 Aug 2012 11:58:38 GMT

Monkey Colors by Darrin Lunde, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne (Charlesbridge, July 2012).

This 32-page picture book is perfect for the child learning to read with its simple language and use of many sight words. Lunde introduces children to twelve kinds of monkeys and the many colors they come in. And at the end of the book, he invites them to choose their favorite.

There's so much to love about this book: the primary colors, the repeating word pattern, the beautiful watercolor illustrations by Wynne, and the facts and map in the back matter that allow educators and parents to share more. Lunde also points out that the monkeys in the book would never be seen together in the wild as they come from all over the world. Monkey Colors is a rare find just like some of the endangered species in the book. And it'll have kids itching to explore the natural world and undoubtedly monkeying around! Ook. Ook. Ook.

A page from Monkey Colors.

Join me tomorrow as I interview Darrin Lunde and learn more about his job as museum mammologist and how he's sharing his love of mammals with children.

Co-author Interview: Kathryn Heling & Deborah Hembrook

Wed, 08 Aug 2012 17:02:26 GMT

Kathryn Heling has been a school psychologist for over 20 years and is a former special education teacher. She loves working with children and figuring out how each child learns best. She is a wife, mother, grandmother, and author and lives in the beautiful State of Wisconsin. She also loves to travel by train.

Deborah Hembrook is a kindergarten teacher and author and her students inspire her everyday with their curiosity. Many of the stories she co-authors with Kate originate from her classroom. She and her husband also live in Wisconsin and love exploring the country on their motorcycle.

Kate Heling & Debbie Hembrook

They are the co-authors of more than ten children's books and after I reviewed their latest book Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do, illustrated by Andy Robert Davies (Charlesbridge, July 2012), (see the review HERE) I was eager to speak to them about their writing and collaboration process.

Welcome Kate and Debbie!

Tell us a little about yourselves and how you came to be children’s authors? What were you like as children? How did your childhoods influence the books you write today?

Kate: I grew up in a family of voracious readers and people who wrote just for the sheer joy of it. As a kid, I tried to write a novel (in 2nd grade) and I contributed poems and articles to my school newspaper. I loved writing letters....to my grandparents and cousins in California and to my pen pal in England. In high school, I had a fabulous teacher for my Honors English class and she greatly encouraged my writing, giving me the confidence to submit a story that won 3rd place in an NCTE contest. My undergraduate studies were in elementary and special education and I took a course in children’s literature. The class requirement was to read and review 100 books -- I read and reviewed 300 and the seeds were sown.....although I knew I wanted to be a teacher, I started to dream about someday writing books for young children.

Debbie: Growing up, I kept journals that I numbered and decorated. One of my journals was a collection of quotes that I liked. I also collected bookmarks and made some of my own with the quotes that I treasured. I enjoyed reading postcards, both to learn about places people had been but also to appreciate people’s handwriting and their way of communicating a lot of information in a small space. I loved to write letters to my cousins; and my friends and I made birthday cards for one another. My favorite books growing up were the Nancy Drew mysteries and between my twin sister and I, we had them all. I loved the smell, feel, and sound of cracking open a brand new Nancy Drew mystery. While I was preparing to become a teacher, I also loved my class in children’s literature -- that, and the joy of reading aloud to my young students made me appreciate the power of books! I love sharing books that were favorites of mine as a child with the children in my classroom.

When did the two of you start writing books together? Can you tell us how that happened?

Kate & Debbie: We have both spent much of our careers working for the school district in Waukesha, a city just west of Milwaukee. We got to know each other and became friends while working on district-wide committees. In January, 1997, we were having a conversation about New Year’s resolutions and discovered that we both shared a dream of writing books for children. We’d both written stories on our own but hadn’t done anything too seriously with them. We decided to get together to learn more about the industry and just kept working together. We shared the stories we’d written; we worked together on revising them; and we started attending writer’s conferences together.

Our first published story appeared in a collection of stories -- Say Goodnight to Illiteracy, 1998 -- published annually by Half Price Books. Our first book, an early reader titled MOUSE MAKES WORDS, was published by Random House in 2001, and we are enormously gratified that the book is still in print today.

Can you share your writing process with us?

Kate & Debbie: In general, our writing process proceeds like this: Debbie is a creative genius and seems to have no end of great ideas, many taken from her classroom experiences and/or her perception of a gap in stories dealing with a certain topic. Our stories TEN GROUCHY GROUNDHOGS and TENLUCKY LEPRECHAUNS are examples of this. Debbie had long been frustrated by the lack of stories for young children surrounding Groundhog’s Day and St. Patrick’s Day.

Typically, Debbie will write a rough draft of the story she has in mind. If the story lends itself to a rhyming text, as many of our stories do, Kate taps into the rhyming genes she seems to have inherited from her father and does a preliminary rewrite. After that, it is pure collaboration all the way to a finished product!

We analyze the text for consistent meter and rhythm, we look for opportunities to add alliteration or assonance or other ‘devices’ that will help young children hear the similarities and differences in our language, we consider whether it makes sense to add repetitive phrases that would encourage young children to ‘read’ along, and we carefully consider our vocabulary selection in an effort to help children grow in this area but not to become overwhelmed by too many new words. We read our drafts aloud, over and over again, listening for where the text flows and where it doesn’t. When we are quite happy with our story, we fire it off to our critique group and very carefully consider the thoughtful and helpful suggestions they offer -- often leading to a little more revision. Once we’re confident that we’ve done all we can do with a story, we research various publishers and/or editors we know and we send our story out into the world, hopefully to become a published book!

Can you give us a glimpse into a typical writing day?

Kate & Debbie: We are in regular contact via e-mail or phone, but we are also very disciplined about having an in-person writing session every week. We work at Kate’s house, in a large office of our own, and we often prevail upon Kate’s husband to do a ‘cold read’ so we can get a sense of how the story will sound when read by others.

What do you like most about the collaboration process? And what if any are the challenges?

Kate & Debbie: For us, the collaborative process has been incredible! We have so much FUN, writing together, attending conferences together, and planning author visits. When feedback from a submission is discouraging, we can share that disappointment and, conversely, celebrating the successes is all the sweeter when shared with a co-author. We are totally in sync regarding the kinds of stories we want to write and the purpose we want them to serve. As educators, it’s very difficult for us to write anything that doesn’t include educational aspects of one sort or another. We want young readers (or listeners) to hear the patterns in our language, to build their vocabulary, to build on academic skills, and mostly to develop a LOVE of books!

We have not encountered any challenges associated with our collaborative process. We don’t always agree 100% with each others’ ideas or suggested revisions, but we always respectfully consider all of the possibilities. We will type out a paragraph or verse in multiple draft formats and then read the manuscript with each of the possibilities. Usually, it soon becomes obvious which version is going to fit best in our finished piece. One thing we’ve learned from having had several books published is that the editor will suggest multiple revisions, that the more ideas we consider the better, and that we all are striving for the finished product to be the best it can possibly be.

Do you have writing projects where you don’t work as a team?

Kate & Debbie: Not so far.... Even if one of us independently takes an idea fairly far along to a finished product, we tend to ultimately resort to the collaborative process that we know works for us.

Where did the inspiration for Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do come from?

Kate & Debbie: As with many of our books, Debbie had the original idea for CLOTHESLINE CLUES TO JOBS PEOPLE DO. Actually, it was one of the earlier stories that we wrote and over the years we worked on it, tucked it away, brought it out and revised it, and submitted it now and then in various forms.

Altogether, we probably wrote verses depicting about 20 jobs people do. We wanted to get young children thinking about jobs in general, specific jobs that people (male and female!) could do, and to introduce or build on vocabulary associated with those jobs. We liked the idea of a riddle format, with both the text and the items on the clothesline providing clues -- helping children to build powers of observation and reasoning.

We were thrilled when Charlesbridge offered a contract to publish it. We love the trade-to-educational crossover dimension of Charlesbridge publications because it's consistent with our personal mission for our work. And then.....the frosting on the cake ---- having a wonderful editor at Charlesbridge and a gifted illustrator, both of whom helped raise our story to a new level. There are multiple aspects to what appears on the surface to be a very simple concept. But, especially upon repeated readings, children will notice the stories within the story depicted by the creative illustrations.

What can readers look forward to next?

Kate & Debbie: We are working on revisions for another book through Scholastic/Cartwheel -- a FUN story that is a little different from the others we have done with Cartwheel. We have lots of ideas (and finished manuscripts) for more rhyming/counting books. We’re also working on some stories for very young children, those in the 1-3 year age range. We sincerely hope to continue making books that appeal to young children for a long time to come.

For access to all their books and the extended activities for parents and educators, visit their website HERE.

Thanks, Kate and Debbie!

Book Review: Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do

Tue, 07 Aug 2012 13:45:43 GMT

August is officially here and many educators and parents are adding to their library shelves and gearing up for the 2012/13 school year. If you've got a preschooler or kindergartner at home or in the classroom, you'll enjoy the books I'll be reviewing over the next few weeks.

Clothesline Clues to Jobs People Do by Kathryn Heling and Deborah Hembrook, illustrated by Andy Robert Davies (Charlesbridge, July 2012)

Co-authors Heling and Hembrook challenge young readers to guess the job of seven people found in the community from the clothes that hang on their clotheslines. It’s cleverly written in rhyme with a question and answer format. There’s also another story that delightfully unfolds through Davies’ illustrations as the child turns the pages and ends in celebration. A shining example of how artfully and skillfully a concept book can work when it’s done to perfection. A must have for any preschool or kindergarten classroom.

Extension activities for parents/educators can be found HERE at the authors' website.

With over ten books penned in their names, I was eager to talk to these co-authors about their collaboration process. Join me tomorrow for that interview and discover the secret to the duo's success.

Literary News in and around Austin

Fri, 03 Aug 2012 18:34:41 GMT

There's so much happening in and around the Greater Austin area and I'm looking forward to filling you in on all things literary!

Screened-in porch at The Writing Barn

This past Wednesday, I spent the day at Bethany Hegedus' The Writing Barn with writing buddies Donna Bowman Bratton, Samantha Clark, Nikki Loftin and Vanessa Lee who joined us later in the day. Bethany rents out the space at The Writing Barn for all kinds of events, workshops, retreats. It's the ideal place to write, relax, celebrate or study. Check out this Saturday's event Yoga for Fertility with Liz Belile HERE. Bethany, thanks for a fun-filled day of camaraderie and writing!

Gene Brenek and Donna Bowman Bratton at a Carol Lynch William's workshop

This weekend I'm hopping in the car with author and good friend Donna Bowman Bratton for a writing weekend at her beautiful lake house in the Texas Hill Country. Not only will be working and writing, we'll be celebrating and toasting Donna's recent successes; she was a Letter of Merit honoree for SCBWI 2012 Amazon.com Work-In-Progress Grant and her article "The Do's and Don't's of Conference Etiquette" appeared in this year's SCBWI Summer Conference (LA) materials. Go Donna! So proud of you!

Catch up on what you've missed this week by reading Cynthia Leitich Smith's blog post "Cynsational News & Giveaways" HERE. A great round-up post of what is happening in and around the children's literary world. Plus a heartfelt congrats on Cynthia's release of Diabolical in the U.K. Hip. Hip. Hooray!

So much good news to share coming from my agency Hen & ink Literary. Click HERE to celebrate with me.

EVENTS

Next Saturday, August 11th, I hope you'll join us (Austin SCBWI) to hear Meridith Taylor, one of the founders of Great Hills Publishing, speak about Digital Complexities at BookPeople. It will get you fired up for our second Austin SCBWI Digital Symposium.

It's approaching quickly and filling up. Don't miss out on your opportunity to sharpen your techie skills whether it be blogging or tweeting or building book trailers or a website. This is an event for anyone who needs a little help acquiring technical skills to market themselves or their business. It's not just for writers or illustrators. You can register online HERE or in person at the 10am Saturday, August 11th Austin SCBWI meeting.

I'm looking forward to my presentation "Blogging 101: If You Blog, They Will Come." We'll talk about blog basics, content on your blog, how to blog, why you blog and so much more! And there's way more exciting people to hear than me.

The Girllustrators will be talking about Photoshop basics and Erik Kuntz, owner of Square Bear Studio will lead an advanced Photoshop class. Kirsten Cappy, owner of Curious City (Children's Book Marketing Firm), and writer and editor Samantha Clark will show you how easy it is to build a website with WordPress and well, you'll just have to come and see for yourself the plethora of talent that will be under the Fleck Hall roof at St. Edward's University on Saturday, October 6, 2012.

On Sunday, August 12th join author and Texas Sweethearts & Scoundrels Jo Whittemore at her D is for Drama release party at 4pm at BookPeople. And then on Saturday, August 18th study from her as she leads a workshop on "Finding the Story" with the SCBWI Brazos Valley chapter. Click HERE to register.

On Saturday, August 25 join author Nikki Loftin for her Sinister Sweetness of Splendid Academy release party at 4pm at BookPeople. There'll be sweets and books and treats. Oh my!

CONTESTS

Fellow agency sister Sarah Towles' Time Traveler Tours app is in the World Youth and Student 2012 App Yap Contest. Click HERE to vote. Good Luck, Sarah! Everyone at Hen & ink Literary is pulling for you!

Good friend Marika Flatt, owner of PR by the Book, has launched a contest to celebrate its 10th Anniversary. One literary lover will win a trip to the home of storytellers O. Henry and Willie Nelson: Austin Texas, VIP passes to the Texas Book Festival in 2012, two night accomodation, round-trip airfare and so much more!

To enter "Escape to Austin," contest hopefuls must simply "like" PR by the Book on Facebook and fill out the entry form. The contest runs August 1 – August 31, 2012, and a winner will be selected by September 7 (open to U.S. residents only.)

Happy writing everyone!