Susanna Leonard Hill

Beth Anderson – An Inconvenient Alphabet: Ben Franklin And Noah Webster’s Spelling Revolution

Annie Romano – Before You Sleep: A Bedtime Book Of Gratitude

B.J. Lee – There Was An Old Gator Who Swallowed A Moth

Jill Mangel Weisfeld – Riley The Retriever Wants A New Job

Kathleen Cornell Berman – The Birth Of Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound

Christine Evans – Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist

Karen Kiefer – Drawing God

Perfect Picture Book Friday – The Spooky Wheels On The Bus

October 11, 2019October 10, 20199 Comments

It’s Friday! It’s Friday! The weekend awaits! 🙂

So what are y’all doing this weekend?

Apple picking? Visiting Granny? Washing the dog? Baking pumpkin-related items? Agonizing over costumes as Halloween approaches way too quickly for your busy schedule? Making sure every flavor in the bag of fun-size candy is as delicious as the manufacturers purports them to be before you decide what to hand out to trick-or-treaters in a couple weeks?

That was a test!

The correct answer is “writing my Halloweensie Contest entry!” (Because in case any of you didn’t happen to notice, the rules for this year’s contest went up yesterday!!!)

Anyone who answered correctly may have one of these 🙂 You have earned it! (And you’ll need it to give yourself time to write 🙂 )

The other acceptable answer to the question of what you are doing this weekend is, “Going to the Warwick Children’s Book Festival to see Susanna and many other writing friends!” And you can have a get-out-of-housework free card for that too 🙂

Now! Since we’re warming up for Halloween, onto today’s Perfect Picture Book! 🙂

Title: The Spooky Wheels On The Bus

Written By: J. Elizabeth Mills

Illustrated By: Ben Mantle

Cartwheel Books, July 2010, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-5

Themes/Topics: holidays (halloween), concepts (counting)

Opening: “One spooky bus goes RATTLE and SHAKE,
RATTLE and SHAKE, RATTLE and SHAKE.
One spooky bus goes RATTLE and SHAKE
All through the town.”

Brief Synopsis: (From Amazon) “Count from One Spooky Bus up to Ten Goofy Ghosts as this Halloween ride races through town picking up a few unsuspecting passengers along the way.”

Links To Resources: Kids’ Halloween Crafts of all kinds!; Kid-friendly Halloween recipes; make up your own Wheels On The Bus song about Halloween, your birthday, or any other holiday!

Why I Like This Book: You can’t really go wrong with a fun Halloween-themed version of this popular song. Kids can enjoy it as a story, or sing along with it. In addition to being a story/song with an entertaining cast of Halloween characters, it is a counting book – great for youngest picture book enthusiasts. The art is bright and warm, colorful and inviting, showing witches and ghosts and spiders in a way that is friendly and engaging and not at all scary. The town looks like a cozy place to go trick-or-treating. All-around Halloween fun!

text copyright J. Elizabeth Mills 2010, illustration copyright Ben Mantle 2010

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific links (and any other info you feel like filling out 🙂 ) to the form below so we can all come see what fabulous picture books you’ve chosen to share this week!

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Karen Kiefer!

October 8, 2019October 8, 201920 Comments

Hello, Everyone!

Welcome to Tuesday Debut!

One of the things I love about Tuesday Debut is what a wide variety of picture books we get to see – fiction and nonfiction, poetry and prose, subjects that range from hay-making machines, to reaching for the moon, friendship, loneliness, lullaby bedtime books, clouds, and bugs.

Today we have a debut topic – a gentle, thoughtful book about a little girl who attempts to draw God.

Drawing God
written by Karen Kiefer
illustrated by Kathy De Wit
Paraclete Press
religious fiction, ages 5 and up
October 8, 2019

Picasso’s artistic inspiration takes hold of young Emma’s faith imagination in this beautifully illustrated debut picture book about how we all see God differently.

SUSANNA: Thank you so much for joining us today, Karen! We’re thrilled to have you! Where did the idea for this book come from?

KAREN: It was an ordinary run to the grocery store, or so I thought. There I was, standing next to a mound of stacked peppers in the produce section when I overheard two little kids, a whisper away, talking to each other. “My mother said you shouldn’t talk about God at school, because it makes people feel uncomfortable,” said the young voice to the other. I stood still, shaking my head, as I uttered, “Oh— no,” under my breath. Needless to say, I felt uncomfortable.

For the next several weeks, that conversation would not leave my mind or heart. In a world propelled by wonder, invention and advanced communication, could “God talk” eventually become extinct? It seemed to be an astonishing possibility. All I could do was pray about it, asking God to intervene. Then on a quiet Sunday morning, out of the blue, I began to write the children’s story, “Drawing God.”

SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?

KAREN: The process was pretty fluid, one sitting, about 2 hours THAT HAS NEVER HAPPENED TO ME. Writing is usually such a challenging and complicated process.

I sat in my bed with my laptop and started typing away.

I began to write a story about a little girl named Emma, who visits an art museum and is so inspired by the works of Pablo Picasso that she decides that she is going to draw something “beyond spectacular.” Emma decides to draw God.

I remember tapping on my keyboard, just waiting to see what might happen next. I began typing…

Emma escapes to the comfort of her bedroom and draws a brilliant sun. “It was so dazzling and radiant my cheeks throbbed. Its rays were so long they poked at my heart.” Emma knew she had drawn God. The next day, Emma takes her drawing to school to show her best friend Peter. But Peter looked at Emma and said, “ Emma, that’ s not God, that’s the sun.”

Emma tries again and again to draw God, but her classmates can’t see God in any of her drawings. They actually find her attempts laughable.

Emma finally realizes, through a prayer answered, that she doesn’t need their approval. “I knew I had drawn God. God knew I had drawn God, and maybe Picasso knew, too. That finally felt like enough.”

The story stopped there. But I remember feeling that urge to keep writing, because this wasn’t the end of the story.

Emma eventually returns to school on the following Monday, and something beyond spectacular happens. I won’t spoil the ending of the book, but when I finished writing, it was clear that if this story were ever published it might get more children and adults talking about and drawing God.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

KAREN: I polished it up here and there over the course of the next couple of weeks. I had heard that there are successful authors that actually review manuscripts for a modest fee. I Googled around and came across Susanna Hill. It took a lot of courage to write the email to her and press send. Susanna was amazing, not only did she get back to me quickly, she offered me some minor edits and was so encouraging. She thought I had a book but now just had to find a publisher. My interaction with Susanna gave me the confidence I needed at a time when you are always second guessing the value of the work.

SUSANNA: It was a privilege to read your story, Karen, and I’m glad if I was able to help you find the courage to submit! 🙂 When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?

KAREN: I felt comfortable that the manuscript was ready for submission shortly after my interactions with Susanna. I was literally Googling how to write a submission letter.

I knew nothing.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

KAREN: Professionally, I’m the director of the Church in the 21^st Century Center at Boston College. My job offers me many opportunities to form relationships with other professionals in the faith marketplace. I knew the editor of Paraclete Press and so I decided to start there. I sent him an email asking if he might be interested in looking at my manuscript. He responded, pretty quickly I might add, asking me to send it along.

I submitted it right away. I heard back within a few hours and he was very positive. He mentioned that he wanted to share it with a few other people to see what they thought.

About a week later, he mentioned that they were planning an emergency editorial meeting in the next week to review a few new manuscripts and mine was one. I was both excited and scared. That’s when self-doubt settles in. I wondered if it was good enough?

SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 🙂 )

KAREN: A week later I got the call, it was unanimous, they wanted to publish the manuscript.

I was so excited. They didn’t want to make any changes to the story and wanted to keep the title, “Drawing God.” However, they did want me to write a teaching guide, 1000 words or so, that they would add to the back of the book.

SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?

KAREN: It was all so surreal. I didn’t really celebrate because it still didn’t feel real.

SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?

KAREN: Had no idea what to expect. The contract seemed very fair. I wasn’t going to be making a lot of money and I would be paid in 3 installments. I was fine with that.

SUSANNA: Can you tell us a little about the editorial process?

KAREN: The editorial process was smooth. The editor shared my vision for the book right from the start. I was so lucky.

SUSANNA: What was your experience of the illustration process like?

KAREN: Again, I was very fortunate during this process too. I didn’t want to overstep, but I asked if I could recommend an illustrator. The editor assured me that they already had a group of great illustrators. I respectfully asked if I could send some samples from the illustrator who illustrated my first self-published children book, “The Misfit Sock” back in 2010.

I mentioned that we work well together. I also had to let him know that she lives in Belgium. He was very open, knowing that he believed we could TOGETHER make the book better. He reached out to Kathy De Wit and negotiated the partnership and sent her a contract. Kathy and I worked together throughout the process.

Regarding illustration notes, I did submit them in detail to the editor and he reviewed them, made a few changes and sent them to Kathy. The three of us worked together closely throughout the process. The editor kept things on track.

Here’s a sample of a sketch and a finished illustration.

SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?

KAREN: Seeing the reviews and features has been so exciting. The publishers has been wonderful about sharing every milestone with me along the way. Was reviewed by Kirkus and featured in Publisher’s Weekly. That’s hard to do for a children’s picture book.

SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?

KAREN: The process was about a year and a half. When I first saw the book, I couldn’t get over how beautiful it was. That was another surreal moment.

SUSANNA: If your book has been out for at least one statement cycle, has it earned out yet?

KAREN: The book just came out today, but I’m happy to say it is the #1 release in its category on Amazon.

SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?

KAREN: Paraclete Press has been WONDERFUL. They have put the entire sales team behind this book. They have done a lot of social media, produce a beautiful book trailer, helped with flyers.

SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.

KAREN: We had journals printed up, bookmarks, lots of different flyers, events, fun promotional giveaways. Had a big book launch.

SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?

KAREN: NOT SURE??

SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?

KAREN: TODAY, Tuesday, October 8, 2019, the children’s picture book, “Drawing God” will be released into the world. May it be a catalyst for more God talk and inspire children and adults of all faiths to connect their very own faith imagination, to realize the contagious faith that lives powerfully within and to embrace the truth that we all see God differently.

The release of the book will be followed by the celebration of the first World Drawing God Day, on November 7th. This day will be a chance for our world to “draw” God, whatever that might look like, using the hashtag: #drawinggod.

Today I am reminded of the words of a friend who said that books can’t necessarily change the world, but the people who read them can. To future readers of “Drawing God,” my hope is that this book will make you a little more comfortable, knowing that there will be a little more God talk in our world because of you.

For more information, visit: www.drawing-god.com

Karen Kiefer is the director the Church in the 21st Century Center at Boston College and has worked at the university in various roles collectively for over two decades. A mother of four daughters, Kiefer has taught religious education at the parish level for 25 years. She is the co-founder of the grassroots bread-giving organization, Spread the Bread, and the anti-bullying initiative, the Million Misfit Sock March. Kiefer wrote “The Misfit Sock” children’s book in 2010 and is the author of the new children’s book, “Drawing God,” published by Paraclete Press. This latest book has inspired World Drawing God Day on November 7, 2019.

(www.drawing-god.com)
Drawing God on Facebook
Drawing God on Instagram – @drawingg0d (the “o” in God is the number zero)

SUSANNA: Such an exciting day, Karen! There’s nothing like seeing your first book in print, especially if it’s #1 in its category on Amazon! Thank you so much for taking the time to talk with us today and share your experience so that we can all benefit from it! I know I speak for everyone when I wish you the very best with this and future books!

Readers, if you have questions for Karen, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!

You may purchase Karen’s book at:
(all links below are book-specific)
Amazon
Paraclete Press

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– suggesting them as visiting authors at our children’s schools and our local libraries

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today! Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday! Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 🙂

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

Christy Mihaly – Hey! Hey! Hay! A Tale of Bales And The Machines That Make Them

Beth Anderson – An Inconvenient Alphabet: Ben Franklin And Noah Webster’s Spelling Revolution

Annie Romano – Before You Sleep: A Bedtime Book Of Gratitude

B.J. Lee – There Was An Old Gator Who Swallowed A Moth

Jill Mangel Weisfeld – Riley The Retriever Wants A New Job

Kathleen Cornell Berman – The Birth Of Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound

Christine Evans – Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist

Perfect Picture Book Friday – 1-2-3 My Feelings And Me

October 4, 2019October 3, 20198 Comments

It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, and now that we’re about a month into school, today seems like a good time to talk about feelings.

While many kids will have adjusted smoothly to their new classrooms, classmates, teachers, and daily routines, others will not have had such an easy time. And all children – those who take most things in stride and those who struggle a bit more – have a wide range of emotions they need to learn to manage.

The book I’ve chosen today should be helpful in that process!

Title: 1-2-3 My Feelings And Me

Written By: Goldie Millar and Lisa A. Berger

Illustrated By: Priscilla Burris

Free Spirit Publishing, November 12 2019, nonfiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-8

Themes/Topics: identifying and coping with emotions

Opening: “Everyone everywhere has all kinds of feelings – just like me.
And me!
What about you?
There are many different feelings and many things to know about them.
Let’s count our way through the 1-2-3’s of feelings together!”

Brief Synopsis: This nonfiction look at feelings helps children learn to identify and cope with a wide range of emotions while reassuring them that while some feelings are more pleasant than others, all feelings are okay, and everyone has them.

Links To Resources: the whole book is a resource, from the explanations provided within the text to the “Letter To Caring Adults” at the beginning to the extensive back matter which includes a lengthy guide to Talking About Feelings And What To Do With Them with discussion topics and activities.

text copyright Goldie Millar & Lisa A. Berger 2019, illustration copyright Priscilla Burris 2019 Free Spirit Publishing

Why I Like This Book: Emotions can be difficult for children. (Let’s be honest – they can be difficult for adults! 🙂 ) This straightforward approach to describing feelings both in terms of how they make our minds feel as well as the affect they can have on the body (making you feel hot or shaky etc.) along with the reassurance that everything a child feels is normal and experienced by everyone will be very useful in helping children learn to understand and manage their emotions. With it’s warm, friendly art and cast of diverse characters, every child will find it relatable. Although it’s not a story, it’s a book that will come in very handy for lots and lots of children, especially those who may struggle with emotional equilibrium.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone – hopefully a HAPPY one!!! 🙂

A Holiday Tuesday Debut!

October 1, 2019October 1, 201964 Comments

Okay. So there was teensy mix-up with email…

As a result I don’t have a true Tuesday Debut today.

But it occurred to me at the last minute (this morning!) (as you can tell by the lateness of this post!) that I just so happen to have a new book coming out today, which is technically a Tuesday Debut for the book 🙂

So I’ll share that instead. No time like the present (no pun intended) to get to work on your letter to Santa! It will give you time to write and revise! Make your list and check it twice 🙂

Dear Santa
written by Susanna Leonard Hill
illustrated by John Joseph
published by Sourcebooks Wonderland
October 1, 2019

Santa Claus gets thousands of letters every year. But this year, Santa’s going to get a letter he’ll never forget…
This enchanting Christmas story about one boy’s honest letter to Santa is sure to become a cherished part of your holiday traditions for years to come.

Here’s a little sneak peek inside…

text copyright Susanna Leonard Hill 2019, illustration copyright John Joseph 2019 Sourcebooks Wonderland

text copyright Susanna Leonard Hill 2019, illustration copyright John Joseph 2019 Sourcebooks Wonderland

text copyright Susanna Leonard Hill 2019, illustration copyright John Joseph 2019 Sourcebooks Wonderland

text copyright Susanna Leonard Hill 2019, illustration copyright John Joseph 2019 Sourcebooks Wonderland

Isn’t John’s art amazing?!

Also, he made a coloring page…

illustration copyright John Joseph 2019

and a word search!

illustration copyright John Joseph 2019

which will be available to download from my site (from the For Teachers And Parents Coloring & Activities Pages in the menu bar above) very soon!

The book contains special holiday stationary at the back that kids can write their letters on, and the letters can be mailed (instructions supplied in the book) so that they will receive a personalized reply!

There are 4 choices, but here’s a sample:

I hope you all know someone who can have fun with it!

Happy Writing Tuesday, Everyone!

Christy Mihaly – Hey! Hey! Hay! A Tale of Bales And The Machines That Make Them

Beth Anderson – An Inconvenient Alphabet: Ben Franklin And Noah Webster’s Spelling Revolution

Annie Romano – Before You Sleep: A Bedtime Book Of Gratitude

B.J. Lee – There Was An Old Gator Who Swallowed A Moth

Jill Mangel Weisfeld – Riley The Retriever Wants A New Job

Kathleen Cornell Berman – The Birth Of Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound

Christine Evans – Evelyn The Adventurous Entomologist

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!

September 27, 2019September 26, 201926 Comments

It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, once again, and I have such a lovely book to share today.

It comes from Cori Doerrfeld, the talented author/illustrator who brought us The Rabbit Listened (which you all know I totally loved and raved over in a PPBF post a while back!) It’s perfect for the beginning of a new school year as well as for many other occasions.

goodbye hello

Title: Goodbye, Friend! Hello, Friend!

Written & Illustrated By: Cori Doerrfeld

Dial Books For Young Readers, July 2019, fiction

Suitable For Ages: 3-7

Themes/Topics: friendship, balance of life, coping with change

Opening: “Bye, Mom.
Every goodbye…
…leads to a hello.
Hi, I’m Charlie!
Goodbye to sitting alone…
…is hello to sitting together.”

text and illustration copyright Cori Doerrfeld 2019 Dial Books For Young Readers

text and illustration copyright Cori Doerrfeld 2019 Dial Books For Young Readers

text and illustration copyright Cori Doerrfeld 2019 Dial Books For Young Readers

Brief Synopsis: Transitions are hard, but two best friends help each other through changes big and small. When one experience ends, it opens the door for another to begin.

Links To Resources: draw a picture of someone or something that was hard to say goodbye to; write a letter to someone you love; tell a story about a time it was hard when something ended or a time when you were excited about something beginning; grow butterflies at home or in the classroom so children can see how saying goodbye to a caterpillar allows you to say hello to a butterfly; butterfly life cycle coloring page; bake cookies so you can say goodbye to dough and hello to cookies 🙂

Why I Like This Book: this is a sweet story about coping with change which helps young readers to see that letting go of one thing, though it may be difficult, can give us the opportunity for something new and also wonderful. It covers the ground from the matter-of-fact (the snowmen of winter giving way to the puddles of spring, the sun giving way to the stars) to the harder changes of having to say goodbye to someone we love. The book will help children to view change with positivity and optimism. The text is gentle, sweet, and poignant. Cori is a master of getting to the heart of things with exquisite simplicity. And the art is warm, engaging, and appealing. A great choice for every child.

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

text and illustration copyright Cori Doerrfeld 2019 Dial Books For Young Readers

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Christine Evans!

September 24, 2019September 24, 201938 Comments

The ants go marching one by one
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants go marching one by one
Hurrah! Hurrah!
The ants go marching one by one
Christine debuts with some buggy fun
And they all go marching down
Into the ground
To curl up with a Tuesday Debut picture book! 😊 😊 😊

It’s Tuesday, everyone! And I can’t wait to introduce you to today’s Tuesday Debut-ess, Christine Evans, and her bug-a-licious book, EVELYN THE ADVENTUROUS ENTOMOLOGIST!!!

Evelyn the Adventurous Entomologist: The True Story of a World-Traveling Bug Hunter
by Christine Evans (Author), Yasmin Imamura (Illustrator)
Innovation Press
September 24, 2019
Nonfiction (biography)
5-10 years

Trailblazing entomologist Evelyn Cheesman embarks on eight solo expeditions, discovers insect species, and tangles with sticky spider webs in this biography about a hidden figure.

SUSANNA: Welcome, Christine! We’re so excited to have you here today! Where did the idea for this book come from?

CHRISTINE: I knew I wanted to find an unknown woman in science to write about. When my google searches led me to a short article about Evelyn Cheesman I got a fluttery feeling and as I started to learn more about her I knew I had my subject.

SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?

CHRISTINE: I first read about Evelyn in around May 2017. It took me a few months to have a first draft. Then the revising and the revising and the revising began. I took the manuscript to conferences for professional critiques, to my fabulous critique partners, and I sold it in April 2018.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

CHRISTINE: In that year from when I first started working on the manuscript (and even after the sale) I must have gone through around 50 different revisions.

I love putting my manuscripts through different tenses and points of view to help nail the voice. I also spend the revision process looking for places where I can add a repetition or refrain I can use. I love the one we landed on for Evelyn—which happened in the revisions with my editor after I sold it.

SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?

CHRISTINE: When I wasn’t getting any major issues back from my critique partners except line edits I knew it was time to send Evelyn out in the world.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

CHRISTINE: I entered a Twitter pitch contest and Asia Citro from Innovation Press liked my pitch. So I submitted to her and meanwhile I submitted to agents I thought would be a good fit. I signed with Elizabeth Bennett (Transatlantic Agency) and we got a formal offer from Asia a few days later. It was an exciting whirlwind!

SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract? (If you care to share 😊)

CHRISTINE: I can’t remember. I have two small children so I probably had to carry on cooking them dinner and get them to bed before I could really celebrate!

SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?

CHRISTINE: I didn’t know what to expect but my agent guided me through the process. I’m so happy I had her in my corner!

SUSANNA: Can you tell us about a little about the editorial process?

CHRISTINE: During the very collaborative editorial process we really nailed the structure and the repeated refrain. The final book looks quite different to the original manuscript.

SUSANNA: What was your experience of the illustration process like?

CHRISTINE: I was thrilled when my editor shared Yasmin Imamura’s work with me and asked if I thought she’d be a good person to illustrate Evelyn Cheesman’s story. Of course I said yes! I got to review the book at both the sketch stage as well as later when the art was almost finished. And then again at the proof stage.

SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?

CHRISTINE: My editor shared some reviews from SLJ and Booklist which was really exciting to see. I can’t wait to hear what readers think!

SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?

CHRISTINE: I sold the book in April 2018 and here we are in September 2019 and I have a real book! That’s pretty quick in the publishing world – I’ve heard tales of five years for some people although I think two years is average.

SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.

CHRISTINE: I’m having a launch event at a local bookstore and have made bookmarks, buttons, and even custom cookies.

My biggest promotion tool has been my debut group, Picture Book Buzz. We have been promoting each other’s books, held giveaways, and even took over #PBChat on Twitter.

SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?

CHRISTINE: Around two to three years — I started really writing with intent at age 36, got an agent and a deal at age 38, and now I’m 40 and my book is out in the world! I know that sounds fast but I’ve been writing my whole life in one form or another—I was a communications manager and wrote copy all day pre-kids and pre-moving to the US.

SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?

CHRISTINE: I would like to encourage fellow writers to follow their passions outside of writing, read widely about what interests you, and follow the little nuggets of information that make you get a fluttery feeling. You never know where it might take you!

Author Christine Evans

Website: http://pinwheelsandstories.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/christinenevans
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christinenevans/

SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to share your knowledge and experience with us today, Christine! It’s so helpful for all of us to have a chance to learn from one another! I’m sure I speak for everyone when I wish you all the best success with this and future books!

Readers, if you have questions for Christine, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!

You may purchase Christine’s book at:
(all links below are book-specific)

Indiebound
Amazon
Barnes&Noble

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– suggesting them as visiting authors at our children’s schools and our local libraries

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, Barnes&Noble, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today! Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday! Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 🙂

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

Christy Mihaly – Hey! Hey! Hay! A Tale of Bales And The Machines That Make Them

Beth Anderson – An Inconvenient Alphabet: Ben Franklin And Noah Webster’s Spelling Revolution

Annie Romano – Before You Sleep: A Bedtime Book Of Gratitude

B.J. Lee – There Was An Old Gator Who Swallowed A Moth

Jill Mangel Weisfeld – Riley The Retriever Wants A New Job

Kathleen Cornell Berman – The Birth Of Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound

Christy Mihaly – Hey! Hey! Hay! A Tale of Bales And The Machines That Make Them

Perfect Picture Book Friday – Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle: How Animals Get Ready For Winter

September 20, 2019September 19, 201926 Comments

Howdy, folks, and welcome to Perfect Picture Book Friday!

According to the Farmer’s Almanac, the first day of autumn 2019 is Monday September 23…which is in a couple days. I am not in ANY way trying to hurry the onset of winter with today’s selection! I love autumn. And autumn is the time when animals prepare for winter. So even though today’s book has a wintry-looking cover, think of it as a celebration of autumn rather than a harbinger of cold and snow! 🙂

Title: Snack, Snooze, Skedaddle: How Animals Get Ready For Winter

Written By: Laura Purdie Salas

Illustrated By: Claudine Gevry

Millbrook Press, September 3, 2019, nonfiction

Suitable For Ages: 5-9 (I think younger kids will enjoy it too!)

Themes/Topics: nature, animals, preparing for winter

Opening: “Soak up the sun, breathe in the breeze,
Munch crunchy apples that fall from the trees.
Enjoy every morsel you feast on today:
the banquet of autumn will soon fade away.

So plump up or burrow or journey before
frosty winds rattle and batter your door.
Snowstorms and dark nights are next to arrive.
Here comes winter!
PREPARE.
SURVIVE!”

text copyright Laura Purdie Salas 2019, illustration copyright Claudine Gevry 2019 Millbrook Press

Brief Synopsis: From the publisher: “There is more than one way for animals to prepare for winter. Some, such as mice, foxes, and moose, simply tolerate the cold. Of course black bears hibernate, but chipmunks, wood frogs, and garter snakes do too. And then there are the creatures that migrate, including hummingbirds, blue whales, and even earthworms! This rhyming nonfiction picture book by Laura Purdie Salas tells you all about how animals survive chilly weather.”

Links To Resources: the book itself is a resource, full of facts about toleration, hibernation, and migration. There are several pages of back matter about survival strategies, survivors, and a glossary. Hibernation activities; Hibernation Migration activities

Why I Like This Book: the rhyming text is engaging and fun to read aloud and provides a lyrical aspect to the nonfiction content. It is accompanied by simply stated facts that children will find accessible. And the text is beautifully complemented by the colorful art which is both eye-catching and warm and appealing. The whole book is a gem that you and your little animal enthusiasts will love!

text copyright Laura Purdie Salas 2019, illustration copyright Claudine Gevry 2019 Millbrook Press

I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 🙂

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Have a wonderful weekend, everyone!!! 🙂

Tuesday Debut – Presenting Nadine Poper!

September 17, 2019September 16, 201959 Comments

Yee haw! It’s Tuesday! And you know what that means!

Time to meet another brand new author and find out how she navigated the path to publication!

Today I’m happy to introduce Nadine Poper and her funny informational-fiction sea story, RANDALL AND RANDALL!

RANDALL AND RANDALL
written by Nadine Poper
illustrated by Polina Gortman
published by Blue Whale Press
release date Oct. 1, 2019
fiction picture book, ages 4-8

This very funny informational-fiction story about one of the sea’s naturally-existent odd couples illustrates how certain species depend upon their symbiotic relationship for survival.

SUSANNA: Welcome, Nadine! And thank you so much for coming to share your book journey with us today! Where did the idea for this book come from?

NADINE: The idea for RANDALL AND RANDALL came while researching unusual animal relationships ( I actually Googled ‘unusual animals relationships’, I think). When I saw that a specific species of goby fish and snapping shrimp have this symbiotic relationship, a light bulb went on. I said to myself, “There is a story here! I don’t know exactly what yet, but there is a story here.”

SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?

NADINE: Writing this story didn’t take too long. The more I researched these two animals and their natural relationship, the idea for their friendship (and their slight moment of animosity) formed rather quickly. Their true behaviors in the ocean were so comical to me that the plot just rolled out.

SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?

NADINE: RANDALL AND RANDALL didn’t go through a ton of revisions. I was pretty satisfied from the beginning with the overall storyline that came out of my head. The Spanish language needed to be tweaked often because I knew I wasn’t going to get it correct right away. That was probably where I spent most of my revision time, on the Spanish.

SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?

NADINE: I had taken it to my critique groups at least twice. I wasn’t getting a lot of advice or feedback that was major. t just felt that it was ready to submit.

SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?

NADINE: RANDALL AND RANDALL is not the manuscript I queried to the editor Alayne Christian at Blue Whale initially. I had queried her with my book that is coming out November 1 titled PORCUPETTE AND MOPPET. It just so happens that R&R is coming out first. I do not have an agent but at the time I queried Blue Whale, I had queries out to agents. I saw that Blue Whale was looking to grow their list and I felt that PORCUPETTE AND MOPPET was what they were looking for.

SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 🙂 )

NADINE: I received an email from Alayne two days after submitting saying that she would like to talk to me about it and when would be a good time. We arranged a call for two days after that email. I was offered a contract for it. I didn’t accept immediately since the manuscript was out to agents, one of which expressed interest as well. As the industry expectation and out of courtesy, I had contacted that agent to let her know of Blue Whale’s offer. After about two weeks, I had made my decision to sign with Blue Whale. During that time, I had sent Alayne RANDALL AND RANDALL, which she also wanted to sign. I was just beyond thrilled at this point!

SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract? (If you care to share J)

NADINE: Honestly, I don’t think I did anything! How boring, right? I should have made one of your amazing chocolate recipes Susanna from Would You Read It Wednesdays and celebrated with that!

SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?

NADINE: I didn’t have any experience with contracts so I wasn’t completely sure of what was acceptable, but it turns out that yes, the contract was extremely fair and is pretty much right on target with what I hear about other authors’ deals. Since I submitted right to a publishing house and without an agent, my royalties are slightly higher.

SUSANNA: Tell us a little bit about the editorial process?

NADINE: There weren’t too many big changes to the manuscript. Alayne had suggested some areas needed clarification since the one Randall is singing and then he goes into spotting a predator. The way I had it written, it seemed as if Randall was still singing when he wasn’t. The ending is stronger too because of a suggestion Alayne had made.

SUSANNA: What can you tell us about your experience of the illustration process?

NADINE: Aren’t the illustrations just so awesome?? From the beginning, Alayne had sent me a list of illustrators she had come across and whose worked she liked. I was encouraged to look at all their online portfolios and share my thoughts with her. We then agreed on Polina. I can’t quite pinpoint why I was drawn to Polina’s art, but that it just felt that my Randalls would be in good hands with her. I saw proofs and sketches along the way. I didn’t really have my own vision of what the characters or the setting was to look like. Polina’s attention to detail in the undersea world she created is impressively meticulous. That part I never imaged. As far as art notes, looking back, I think the copy I sent initially may have had one or two about the animals that the goby Randall was calling predators. I realize now that they weren’t necessary. So, no. I don’t think I had art notes.

SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?

NADINE: Yes. Kirkus actually awarded RANDALL AND RANDALL a blue star. That was thrilling.

SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?

NADINE: The offer came April of 2018 and real copies will be available October 1, 2019. So 18 months from query to release.

SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?

NADINE: Blue Whale has created a book trailer and has sent the book out for reviews. Alayne is busy on social media too.

SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?

NADINE: Well, I started writing seriously in 2013 so about 5 years.

coming soon from Nadine Poper

SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Nadine! We so appreciate everything you shared with us today and wish you the very best with RANDALL AND RANDALL and your forthcoming PORCUPETTE AND MOPPET!

Author Nadine Poper

www.nadinepoper.weebly.com
PORCUPETTE AND MOPPET 2019
RANDALL AND RANDALL 2019
“A clever introduction to a scientific concept with an accessible moral.”-Kirkus
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Readers, if you have questions for Nadine, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!

You may purchase Nadine’s book at:
(all links below are book-specific)

Indiebound
Amazon

We can help our debut authors successfully launch their careers by:

– purchasing their books

– recommending their books to friends and family

– recommending their books to our children’s teachers and librarians

– recommending their books to our local libraries and bookstores

– suggesting them as visiting authors at our children’s schools and our local libraries

– sharing their books on social media

– reviewing their books on Goodreads, Amazon, and other sites where people go to learn about books.

Thank you all for stopping by to read today! Have a lovely, inspiration-filled Tuesday! Maybe today is the day you’ll write your debut picture book 🙂

Missed any previous Tuesday Debuts? Check them out!

Beth Anderson – An Inconvenient Alphabet: Ben Franklin And Noah Webster’s Spelling Revolution

Annie Romano – Before You Sleep: A Bedtime Book Of Gratitude

B.J. Lee – There Was An Old Gator Who Swallowed A Moth

Jill Mangel Weisfeld – Riley The Retriever Wants A New Job

Kathleen Cornell Berman – The Birth Of Cool: How Jazz Great Miles Davis Found His Sound