Welcome to today’s edition of Perfect Picture Book Friday!
I have a lovely book to share – perfect for spring time! It makes me want to get out and garden (and I have a black thumb, so that’s saying something! 😊) I’m sure it will have the same affect on you and any young readers you share it with.
As an added bonus, we have a little Q&A with the author, Chelsea Tornetto, who is also offering winner’s choice of a picture book manuscript critique or a copy of her beautiful book to one lucky commenter! So please leave a comment on this post by Wednesday April 20 at 9PM Eastern and you could be the randomly selected lucky winner! Check out Chelsea’s critique service HERE so you can see what she offers!
Now, let’s have a look at the book!
Title: Gardens Are For Growing
Written By: Chelsea Tornetto
Illustrated By: Hsulynn Pang
Publisher: Familius Publishing
Suitable For Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: gardens/nature, growth, family, cycle of life
text copyright Chelsea Tornetto 2022, illustration coptright Hsulynn Pang 2022, Familius
Opening: “Shovels are for turning soil, and clumps are meant for breaking.”
text copyright Chelsea Tornetto 2022, illustration coptright Hsulynn Pang 2022, Familius
Brief Synopsis: A father shows his daughter how to take a patch of earth and till and plant and tend until it grows into a beautiful garden. As the garden grows more lush with every passing year, the little girl grows up.
text copyright Chelsea Tornetto 2022, illustration coptright Hsulynn Pang 2022, Familius
Links To Resources: First, a treat! A little Q&A with author Chelsea Tornetto!
SUSANNA: How did you come up with the idea for Gardens Are For Growing?
CHELSEA: My husband puts in a backyard garden every year. When our daughter, Tessa, was small, my favorite thing about spring and summer was watching her hanging out in the garden with her dad. As she grew older the tasks she could/would help with changed, but the memories they made were always precious. It struck me how she was growing up just like the garden did each year. And Gardens Are For Growing was born!
SUSANNA: What do you hope kids will take away from it?
CHELSEA: I hope families are inspired to take time to get outside together! I also hope it helps them realize that the best, most powerful memories are usually made in the small moments. You don’t need to spend thousands of dollars on a big fancy vacation to make lasting memories.
SUSANNA: What is your favorite part of being an author?
CHELSEA: I love the creativity of it. I love the challenge of finding just the right word to complete a rhyme or create a certain feeling. And I love giving my words to a talented illustrator and seeing their vision come to life!
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Chelsea! It’s so wonderful to know a little about the background of the books we love!
Next, some wonderful activity pages!
Why I Like This Book: This lovely story, told in rhyme, shows young readers the many things involved with growing a garden, from breaking up the earth, to sowing seeds and watering, to seeing earthworms, to watching things grow. With each turn of the page, the garden grows, going from a patch of earth, to neat garden with thin, young plants, until eventually it is a lush, mature garden. As the garden grows, a young girl grows alongside it, until the garden, the seasons, and the girl and her father together demonstrate the cycle of life. The art is bright and full of details, a wonderful complement to the text. Young gardeners (whether in the country with a true patch of earth, or in the city with a pot on a windowsill) will especially love this chance to learn about gardening, but it is a beautiful story anyone will enjoy.
text copyright Chelsea Tornetto 2022, illustration coptright Hsulynn Pang 2022, Familius
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog 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! Happy Passover and Happy Easter to everyone who celebrates! 😊
Don’t forget to leave a comment for your chance to be randomly selected to win your choice of a copy of this book or a picture book manuscript critique from Chelsea!
I’m sure none of us could have waited another minute for this week’s list of Perfect Picture Books!
I have a lovely one to share today. I’m pretty sure it’s been reviewed by a couple of other members of this group already, but I wanted to share it, too. It’s a wonderful book, and it was written by a graduate of Making Picture Book Magic, so I get to give you a recommendation and celebrate her accomplishment at the same time! 😊
Title: This Could Be You
Written By: Cindy Williams Schrauben
Illustrated By: Julia Seal
Publisher: Cardinal Rule Press, April 1, 2022
Suitable For Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: being yourself, believing in yourself
Opening: “Who pursues their top dreams, their never-ever stop dreams, persist-until-they-drop dreams? Believe. It could be you!”
text copyright Cindy Williams Schrauben 2022, illustration copyright Julia Seal 2022, Cardinal Rule Press
Brief Synopsis: This book is an invitation to children of all backgrounds, interests, and abilities to follow their dreams and believe in themselves.
text copyright Cindy Williams Schrauben 2022, illustration copyright Julia Seal 2022, Cardinal Rule Press
text copyright Cindy Williams Schrauben 2022, illustration copyright Julia Seal 2022, Cardinal Rule Press
Why I Like This Book: Every child can benefit from encouragement to be themselves, pursue their dreams, believe they can be or do anything they want, and this book celebrates exactly that. It is an invitation to young readers to imagine themselves in all kinds of ways they may not have considered. Every child will be able to see her or himself as at least one of the many kinds of people shown – creative, supportive, persistent, adventurous, inquisitive, observant, protective. . . And for many kids the options will be eye-opening, showing them things they could be or do that they might not have known about yet. The illustrations are warm, colorful, and appealing with plenty of details to catch kids’ attention and interest. The children pictured are a nicely diverse group. Kids will enjoy exploring all the possibilities open to them while absorbing the important message that they can be whoever they want to be, and that they are valued and should value themselves. A lovely read!
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog 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!
It’s Tuesday and time for today’s version of the Tuesday Debut theme song which you may sing to the tune of Happy Birthday 😊
Good morning to you! It’s Tuesday Debut! We’re so glad you joined us! Hope you’ll learn something new!
I know. There’s nothing like starting your day with a little song written by moi 😊
Are you ready to meet today’s debut?
I’m delighted to introduce Kimberly Wilson, and give you a glimpse of her fabulous picture book, A PENNY’S WORTH and her journey to its publication!
Picture Book Title (Fiction): A PENNY’S WORTH Author: Kimberly Wilson Illustrator: Mark Hoffmann Publisher: Page Street Kids Date of Publication: April 19, 2022 Age Range: 4-8
Synopsis:Penny’s, worthless? Non-cents! Hot off the minting press, Penny feels like a million bucks. But as other coins and bills are spent while she sits forgotten, she begins to doubt her value. She is too small to slot-surf with Quarter. Even penny candy sells for a dime! Refusing to be short-changed, she sets out to find her purpose at any cost. Readers will laugh at the wealth of money puns, learn a basic lesson on US currency, and discover that self-worth is truly priceless.
SUSANNA:Kimberly, thank you so much for coming to talk with us today!Where did the idea for this book come from?
KIMBERLY: Thanks so much for having me on your blog, Susanna!
A Penny’s Worth began as a Storystorm 2019 idea. I looked at the coin jug on my kitchen counter and saw something more––a plucky penny on a mission to prove she’s cent-sational, despite her face value.
Through Penny’s journey, I realized I not only had the opportunity to make readers laugh with countless puns and introduce them to money math, but also to show them the importance of self-worth.
SUSANNA:How long did it take you to write this book?
KIMBERLY: From first draft to the revision that received an offer was about a year and a half.
SUSANNA:Did you go through many revisions?
KIMBERLY: I did six major revisions on this manuscript. I save my work quite often because I like to go back and forth between versions, etc., and I saved this manuscript approximately 200 times before the official rounds of edits began! I did a lot of layering while writing the manuscript: weaving puns throughout, creating each character’s unique personality, sneaking in some early money math into the dialogue, and forming the ever-important emotional arc. One of the biggest challenges I faced was using the word “worth” both as the face value of money and “self-worth.” I also had to think about how an anthropomorphic inanimate object like a penny could move around from pocket to purse while remaining active in reaching her goal. Sometimes she had to be picked up or passed around, but when motivated, she had to make a move. So, like any penny would, I had her pop out of a hole in a pocket, roll down the sidewalk, and even ride a wave (out of a soda cup, thanks to Mark Hoffmann!).
text copyright Kimberly Wilson 2022, illustration copyright Mark Hoffman 2022, Page Street Kids
I was so lucky to have my amazing critique partners with me every step of the way, cheering me on, through frustration and celebration. Writing (and revising!) a picture book takes a village, and I’m extremely thankful for mine!
SUSANNA:That is so true – critique partners are priceless!When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
KIMBERLY: I knew the story was ready for final submission when I revised the manuscript from my heart. It was then I finally felt Penny’s triumph in learning the difference between face value and self-worth (and my CPs felt the same!).
SUSANNA:When and how did you submit?
KIMBERLY: I had a critique at the SCBWI NJ Conference in June 2019 that turned into an R&R!
SUSANNA:That’s amazing! Take heart, everyone reading this – these things really do happen at conferences! How long after you found out about your book going to acquisitions or after you submitted were you told it was a “yes”?
KIMBERLY: My R&R was approximately a year-long process. I worked with Page Street Kids on a few rounds of revision. But once I had that feeling about the emotional arc we discussed in the last question, the offer came quickly.
SUSANNA:When did you get the email?
KIMBERLY: I received the email offer when I was at the DMV with my then 15-year-old daughter! She had just passed her permit test and we were in the parking lot walking out to the car. Needless to say, I was shaking as she drove us home for multiple reasons 😉
SUSANNA:How did you celebrate signing your contract?
KIMBERLY: I turned up some 90’s music, popped a bottle of bubbly, and had a little dance party in my kitchen!
SUSANNA:Can you tell us a little about the editorial process?
KIMBERLY: If I could use one word to describe my experience with the editorial process, it would be “collaborative.” This book has been a team effort all the way through, from the bigger picture edit rounds, to line edits, and small tweaks as the art developed. We did a lot of brainstorming at each stage, which is one of my favorite things to do. My editor encouraged and challenged me in so many wonderful ways, and I have grown in my craft as a result.
SUSANNA:What was your experience of the illustration process like?
KIMBERLY: So exciting! I received the first character sketches on my birthday––best birthday gift ever! I was looped it at every step and asked if I had any feedback, from sketches to final art. It was amazing to watch Mark Hoffmann’s talent at work bringing Penny to life on the page. His unique style and amazing color palette complement the story perfectly. I’m thrilled with how our book turned out.
SUSANNA:Did you get to see advance reviews?
KIMBERLY: Yes!
Have you ever seen someone dance in the middle of the dentist’s office? That was me when I received the Kirkus Review and read, “Filled with clever and chucklesome wordplay, Wilson’s spry narrative is engaging but also educational, providing a solid, accessible introduction to basic money equivalents.”
I had the same reaction when I later received the Booklist review, “[…] This tribute to what is, the author notes, still our country’s most minted coin offers a perfect opportunity to discuss the difference between mere purchasing power and real value.”
SUSANNA:Very nice!How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
KIMBERLY: It was approximately 20 months from offer to publication date, though I was able to hold a hard copy a few months in advance.
SUSANNA:What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
KIMBERLY: When I had my marketing meeting, I was amazed at everything they had been doing behind the scenes! They’ve done everything from marketing to booksellers and libraries, to reaching out to social media influencers, submitting for reviews, creating activity guides and bookplates, handling book giveaways, connecting me with bookstores and school visit opportunities––and the list goes on and on!
SUSANNA: Here is a link to a book guide created by the publisher if anyone wants to have a look!
SUSANNA:Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
KIMBERLY: I was so lucky to find my debut group, Kidlit Caravan, early on. We became fast friends and worked hard to create our platform on social media, our website, etc. Working with them and having their support on so many levels has been a highlight of the last year and a half!
I also come from a marketing background, so my wheels are always turning. I’ve been working on social media, a pre-sale campaign, scheduling school visits and library story times, and writing guest blog posts.
Mark Hoffmann, the amazing illustrator of A PENNY’S WORTH, and I have a virtual event tonight, April 5th at 7pm, and I have an in-person (yay!) event Sunday, April 24th at 12pm, at Park Road Books in Charlotte, NC.
SUSANNA:That’s terrific! What an asset to have a marketing background. How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
KIMBERLY: After dreaming of becoming a writer since the third grade, I finally started taking it seriously in 2017. I joined the SCBWI shortly after, in March 2018 and received my offer for A PENNY’S WORTH two and a half years later!
SUSANNA:What is the most important/helpful thing you learned on your way to publication?
KIMBERLY: I could go on and on about what I’ve learned. But the biggest lesson for me, has been patience––with my own writing, querying, all the way through publication process (and beyond). With that, I also try and focus on things I can control versus the things I can’t (sometimes easier said than done!). Just recently, due to shipping delays, the publication date for the book was pushed back two weeks to April 19. I couldn’t swim out into the ocean and bring the books ashore, so I’ve used the extra time to reach out to more bookstores and schools.
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for joining us, Kimberly, and sharing your knowledge and expertise! We so appreciate the opportunity to learn from your journey! Wishing you all the best with this and future titles!
Welcome to another installment of Perfect Picture Book Friday! (And that’s no April Fool 😊)
To start the day’s festivities, I’m happy to announce that the winner of last week’s book giveaway, JACKIE AND THE MONA LISA, is Stephanie M! Congratulations, Stephanie! I think you will love it! Please email me with your address (you can use the contact button in the menu bar above), and I will have the publisher mail out your copy!
Now! Let’s get to today’s book! Such a perfect little gem!
This book is actually a companion to A FRIEND IS. . .(reviewed HERE on PPBF in January 2021), and if you haven’t had a chance to check that one out, I recommend reading it too! For those of you who might live in the Mid-Hudson Valley area, you can meet today’s author/illustrator and get a signed copy of both these books at the Poughkeepsie Book Festival tomorrow! I will also be there, as will Iza Trapani, Karen Kaufman Orloff, Della Ferreri, Tania Guarino, Michael Garland, Nancy Furstinger, Marie-Therese Miller, Raven Howell, and lots of others!
But now, the book!
Title: A Family Is. . .
Written & Illustrated By: Lisa Thiesing
Publisher: Aladdin, March 8, 2022
Suitable For Ages: 4-8 (but I think younger children would really enjoy it too!)
Themes/Topics: family
Opening: “A family is. . . for “Good morning!” A family is. . .for having breakfast and for getting dressed.”
text and illustration copyright Lisa Thiesing 2022 Aladdin
Brief Synopsis: (from the publisher) “Whether big or small, a family is for reading, for laughing, for holding you tight. And, perhaps most importantly, loving you for who you are.”
text and illustration copyright Lisa Thiesing 2022 Aladdin
Links To Resources: make your own A Family Is. . . book by writing and/or drawing something family means to you on each page; make playdough families with different sized cookie cutters in the shape of people, or bears or other animals; draw a picture of your whole family; make a family tree; Family Themed Finger Plays and Action Songs
text and illustration copyright Lisa Thiesing 2022 Aladdin
Why I Like This Book: This sweet book gives young readers a lovely and very accessible description of what family means. Each page highlights ways families spend time together, from having breakfast and getting dressed to walking in the park and biking, to parties and games. But the book also reminds kids that, on a deeper level, families are about being together and belonging. As always for me, Lisa’s art takes a charming text and makes it even better. Her color palette is soft and appealing, her characters are delightful, and her depiction of family makes you want to climb right into the book and join the fun and the love. A perfect story for bed time or any time, and especially for when someone needs a little extra reminder of how much they are treasured in their own family.
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog 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 you ever thought about writing a picture book. . .
. . . with someone else?
Today we have a special treat!
Until now, all our Tuesday Debuts have been single authors. Today, for the first time, we’re highlighting a collaboration! Amy is a debut author. Elisa, her co-author, has released one children’s book through traditional publishing with LOS ANGELES IS… and self-published a non-fiction set of travel guide series called “Guides for the Eyes.”
Pull up a pool noodle and get ready to learn a thing or two about writing and selling your first picture book with a partner, a whole new kind of writing journey! Let’s dive in!
POOL PARTY Written by Amy Duchene and Elisa Parhad Illustrated by Anne Bentley Cameron Kids March 2022 Fiction 4-8
A splashy story celebrating a fun-filled day at a public pool.
SUSANNA: Welcome, Amy and Elisa! Thank you so much for joining us today! We’re all very excited to hear about the process of debut publishing with a collaborator. Where did the idea for this book come from?
AMY: Elisa and I met in a swimming pool at roughly age 3 and have been friends ever since. We swam together on a club relay team that broke a city record (Seattle Summer Swim League shout out!). We’re also both writers and have been in a kidlit writing group together for over half of a decade here in Los Angeles. We had talked for a while about co-writing something and had never quite landed on a story or topic. And then, one day in summer 2018, a fun rhyming couplet came to my mind: “jump, hop, bellyflop” along with the proposed (and now real) title “POOL PARTY.” I think I emailed Elisa at that exact moment and plead her to consider co-writing a story with me about summertime fun in the pool.
ELISA: Of course, I said, “YES!”
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
AMY: The original seed of the idea was summer 2018. At the time, Elisa was traveling out of the country, so we paused working on the story for a few months. We actually sat down to brainstorm together in person at the start of 2019, and we submitted the query to the publisher by fall of that same year.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
AMY: The actual text is short (~150 words). Yet people may be surprised to know that we had at least a couple dozen rounds of revisions. I think part of this has to do with the fact that we collaborated. Our process was that one person would take the draft and write/edit/etc., then pass it to the other for a revision. So we were constantly trading the draft back and forth for little refinements. We also used cloud-based collaboration tools to keep a copy that we could work on simultaneously. The process was very fun. There were truly many times where I stood in my kitchen cooking dinner and looking at our shared doc on my phone, working out little couplets.
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
AMY: Does one ever really know?! We polished the heck out of this manuscript, with fantastic support and input from our writer group (shout out to Marlene and Rachel!). I also read the manuscript aloud to my husband and cats more times than I can even count. Because the book is short and rhyming, we had to be merciless with the meter and the rhymes. The words needed to be spectacular – not obvious rhyme choices. There is a structure behind the manuscript that took multiple tries to sort out, too. In the earlier days, we toyed with whether to submit the book as a board book or picture book; we created digital dummies with page count estimates to ensure there was enough content for either.
ELISA: With rhyming text we had to be sure we could read through without even a moment the words didn’t roll perfectly off the tongue. We probably had a few weeks of rereading it over and over without needing changes before we knew it would be ready.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
AMY: We are both unagented, so we knew we had to approach publishers that accepted unsolicited manuscripts. We wrote a query and sent it to two publishers—one being the publisher that is releasing the book (Cameron Kids). Elisa had already worked with them with another book.
ELISA: After my Los Angeles Is… book came out with Cameron Books, my editor there encouraged me to send her any other manuscripts. So, they were an early obvious place for submission. I have to say, it was a relief to have at least one place where we knew the manuscript would actually be read and not get thrown in the slush pile.
SUSANNA: How long after you found out about your book going to acquisitions (if you did) or after you submitted were you told it was a “yes”?
AMY: This part of the story truly shocks me. I have been on a journey to publish kidlit for nearly a decade, and my ‘rejection list’ is well over 200 queries/pitches. POOL PARTY, on the other hand, was given its first positive response within the first 24 hours of query. I guess when things are meant to be, they go fast!
ELISA: We got that email right back that said, we want to take it. It truly was shocking. I think it helped that the editor was a swimmer and completely “got” it!
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”, which these days is more likely to be “the email”? (Best moment ever! ☺)
AMY: I was at lunch with another writer group member, Marlene, and I got a call from Elisa. She said, “You have to check your email.” My heart beat so fast at that moment.
SUSANNA: How long was it between getting your offer and getting your contract to sign?
AMY: Our greenlight email was in Nov 2019, and the editor advised us we would start the contract process in the early part of the new year 2020. Yet of course, due to the pandemic, we paused for at least six months while the world was attending to much bigger priorities – staying healthy and safe. We finally signed the contract in Nov 2020. Because we are unagented, Elisa and I took on the process of reviewing and marking up our contract ourselves – with a little consult from some lawyer friends. I’m so proud of us for that!
SUSANNA: Wow! Good for you! I would find that fairly intimidating! How did you celebrate signing your contract? (If you care to share ☺)
AMY: Oh my gosh, due to the pandemic it took us until Dec 2021 to actually get together and toast ourselves. No joke! We shared many excited texts and emails and phone calls but it wasn’t until a full year later that we sat down over a table and clinked glasses.
ELISA: It was too long! I feel like we still need to celebrate more, getting a children’s book published is such a feat for anyone.
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
ELISA: Our contract was very standard. We got a $3,000 advance paid out at signing and acceptance of the material, and a standard royalty rate. Because we are co-authors, we share any earnings 50/50.
SUSANNA: Can you tell us a little about the editorial process?
AMY: Our editor (also named Amy) is fantastic. She ‘got it’ with our book immediately and her edits were the best kind – essential but perceptibly light. We had a couple rounds of changes.
ELISA: Amy, our editor, really refined the words and structure, but minimally. I love the editing process because even when you think you are done, there are always improvements to make. And good editors will clarify, improve or expand in ways that authors often cannot see.
SUSANNA: That has been my experience as well. What was the illustration process like for you two?
AMY: I really didn’t know what to expect in this process. I’d heard that authors and illustrators are typically kept separated, but was pleasantly surprised that we received an intro email welcoming us to Cameron, plus sketches as well as full-color comps during the illustrator’s development process. It was really neat to review the image comps with Elisa, too. We were each able to review the imagery, provide notes, then come together to confer about our observations and provide collected notes. One of my absolute favorite illustrations within the finished book is the end paper. Anne Bentley truly captured the watery beauty of a pool’s interior tiles.
ELISA: We got digital files from the publisher and they were so receptive to new ideas and changes. It was exciting to see how someone else brought the story to life! We mentioned some very minor elements to tweak, such as making sure that the swimmers were diverse and well representative of different genders. And, we noted that just females/mothers were in the background, which was addressed to showcase more equal parenting. I think these details in illustration are really important and it truly takes a village to assess illustration for a broad audience so I was glad to have a supportive team, including the editor, publisher team and Anne, our illustrator, surrounding visuals.
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
ELISA: We got a review from Kirkus. A Google Alert popped up with my name, which is how I found out. In relation to what was said about making tweaks to the illustration, the reviewer brought up the miss of only including able-bodied swimmers, and I agree that that was one oversight that we didn’t catch.
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
AMY: Just over a year. In fact my first copy arrived the day after my birthday, so it felt like an extra present. Opening the envelope and seeing my book in hard copy was flooring, to be honest. I kept thinking (and saying) “it’s real!”
ELISA: We heard in 2020 when we signed that the book would be out in 2022 and it seemed so far away! It was shocking to get the book in the mail because it felt like a moment we had waited so long ago was finally here.
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
ELISA: The publisher has submitted to SLJ, Kirkus, Children’s Book Review as well as applying for a signing time at the LA Festival of Books and reached out to a handful of book bloggers/bookstagrammers they work with.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
ELISA: Aside from the general postings on Facebook, LinkedIn and Instagram, Cameron has also provided support for us to work with local bookstores to send out signed books and counseled us on Instagram giveaways. We also sent press releases to other book bloggers and bookstagrammers, as well as regional parenting magazines.
AMY: The publisher has been open to our ideas, too! So we have been brainstorming ideas and sharing them with the illustrator and publisher. For example, we have some ideas about in-person events at local stores (and pools!) planned for later this summer. I work in marketing all day for my day job, but it’s completely different – and challenging – to think about ideas for my own book.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
AMY: About 8 years. My first official kidlit training was through a children’s writing course at UCLA Extension taught by another working kidlit author, Michelle Markel. That class was short but comprehensive – essentially a survey of the various age groups and genres of kidlit. From there I wrote and submitted and queried a multitude of stories, some which had interest but eventually didn’t materialize. What a thrill to see POOL PARTY accepted and come to life! Truly, I’ve been a writer for my entire professional career and had work published in print and online, but having a picture book published is a career highlight.
ELISA: About 4 or 5 years. My first book, Los Angeles Is…, I starting toying with in 2012 and it was published in 2018. But I believe I signed the contract in 2016. Children’s publishing is a long haul! But worth the wait, always.
SUSANNA: What is the most important/helpful thing you learned on your way to publication? (Or what is your most helpful piece of advice for up and coming writers?)
ELISA: The amount of time we spent on the text —which is only about 150 words, mind you—is truly shocking. How can such a short poem take so long to finish? The takeaway is that making a manuscript that is simple, clear and enjoyable is really, really hard. It takes loads of time, effort and skill. I’m so grateful I was able to tackle it with Amy—collaboration in this case was such a delight! We really worked well with each other and pushed each other to really nail each line precisely. Even though it would have been nice to take a shortcut, ensuring that what we submitted was perfect got us quick results.
AMY: For me, it was all about the enjoyment factor – insisting on that. Because life is short, and I didn’t want to spend time working on something that brought me down. (I did a lot of that leading up to this manuscript/book!) If I wasn’t having fun writing a line or working on a part of the project, I either had to stop what I was doing/change direction or find a way to enjoy it. As it turns out, even the contract process became something I enjoyed because I challenged myself to learn something new and essential to the publication process. And yes, couldn’t agree more about working with Elisa. Talk about enjoyment factor! Writing with a friend is simply the best!
SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
AMY: The process of creation and writing (and revisions) can be so isolating. For many, many years I slogged alone and wanted to give up writing on several occasions. I put a lot of pressure on myself, and took the joy out of the craft for a long time. But end to end, working on POOL PARTY has been an absolute delight. I’m continually awed and elated that this is the book that broke through first. It feels like such a nice way to start my publication journey.
ELISA: This process was so enjoyable that I wish every book was a collaboration. Part of that, perhaps, was that we took it as a creative journey together and the feeling always was, Let’s try this and if it doesn’t work we can bail. It just kept working and I’m so grateful that it turned into something beautiful we can share with the world.
SUSANNA: Amy and Elisa, thank you both so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers! It has been a real treat for us to hear from a pair of collaborators – what an opportunity to learn! We all appreciate your time and expertise and wish you all the best with this and future titles!
It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday and I have a wonderful treat for you!
A great Perfect Picture Book, a little insight from the author, 3 fabulous activity pages, and the chance for one of you (US resident only) to win a copy of the book just by leaving a comment in the comment section below by Wednesday March 30 at 9PM Eastern!
I really enjoyed this book, so I hope you’ll like it too!
Title: Jackie And The Mona Lisa
Written By: Deborah Rovin Murphy
Illustrated By: Jen Brickling
Publisher: Sleeping Bear Press, March 15, 2022, nonfiction
Suitable For Ages: 6-8
Themes/Topics: American History, Jackie Kennedy, art appreciation
Opening: “Jackie Kennedy loved poetry. She loved dance and music. And she loved art. In 1961, Jackie became the First Lady of the United States. And everyone loved Jackie. More than that, everyone wanted to be just like her.”
Text copyright Debbie Rovin Murphy 2022, illustration copyright Jen Brickling 2022, Sleeping Bear Press
Brief Synopsis: From the publisher: “Jackie Kennedy loved the arts. And America loved Jackie Kennedy. The first lady knew she had the country’s attention–what would she do with it? Encourage Americans to appreciate art, of course! She turned the White House into a historical site filled with some of America’s most treasured artifacts and pieces of art. She brought Shakespearean theater to the White House and ballerinas to the South Lawn. And most epically, she brought the Mona Lisa to the states (much to the chagrin of many Parisians) to encourage Americans to visit museums–and it worked! An inspiring story about one of the nation’s most influential first ladies.”
Text copyright Debbie Rovin Murphy 2022, illustration copyright Jen Brickling 2022, Sleeping Bear Press
Links To Resources: The back matter of the book has additional information about both Jackie Kennedy and the Mona Lisa. Please see below for some activity pages you can use with the book.
I asked Debbie what inspired her to write JACKIE AND THE MONA LISA, and she responded: “Growing up, art was always my favorite class. I teach second grade now (which I love) but had also dreamed about becoming an art teacher. This, combined with my love of history and museums, and my admiration of Jackie Kennedy, came together to inspire me to write Jackie and the Mona Lisa. Another reason for writing this particular story is my love for all of the “little known stories” in history or incredibly interesting stories that have been lost in time that I believe kids (and adults) would love to know. When I hear someone say that history is boring… I just think that they haven’t heard all of the interesting stories and anecdotes that correspond with all of the names, dates, and people we are taught to remember. I hope that this book can inspire children to go to museums and learn about the arts.”
A little bit about the author:
Author Debbie Rovin Murphy is a children’s book writer, teacher (of more than 25 years), and mother to two grown sons. She has loved visiting museums since her class trip to the Philadelphia Museum of Art when she was in elementary school, and she was lucky enough to have seen the Mona Lisa on a trip to France. She lives in Bucks County, Pennsylvania.
Here are a few activity pages to use with the book:
Why I Like This Book: I found this book interesting, accessible, and engagingly written. I learned a lot about Jackie Kennedy’s time as First Lady and her passion for the arts. It was wonderful to have a glimpse of someone who seems so elegant searching through the White House basement! The story (without ever saying anything preachy!) clearly sends the message that if something is important to you, you can accomplish it if you put yourself into it. Young readers will really enjoy this book about everything Jackie Kennedy did for the arts in America.
Text copyright Debbie Rovin Murphy 2022, illustration copyright Jen Brickling 2022, Sleeping Bear Press
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog 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! 😊 Don’t forget to leave a comment below by Wednesday March 30 at 9PM Eastern for your chance to be randomly selected to win a copy of this wonderful book! (US residents only – sorry!)
Grab a snack and a beverage, pull up a couch, and make yourself comfy!
Today I am thrilled to introduce you to a Making Picture Book Magic graduate, author/illustrator Beverly Love Warren, as we give you a glimpse of her charming debut picture book, HAVE YOU SEEN MOUSE?
HAVE YOU SEEN MOUSE? Author/Illustrator – Beverly Love Warren Clear Fork/Spork Publication date – March 1, 2022 Fiction, 4-7 years
A young bear loses his best friend, a mouse, and searches the forest to find him only to discover his friend loves him more than he thought.
SUSANNA: Where did the idea for this book come from?
BEVERLY: My husband and I take road trips occasionally. On a trip, while driving through the mountains in Idaho, I gazed into the forest at a fallen tree. In my imagination I saw a young bear sitting on that tree weeping. I wondered why and guessed that he lost his best friend. I had my notebook with me so immediately I began the first draft. My protagonist was the bear, but who would his friend be? I had many mice as pets when I was young, and I liked the contrast of the “big” with the “little” so I chose a mouse to be the best friend. Many of my ideas come from nature, or an incident in my life or that of a friend, or something I remember from childhood. When I’m beginning a draft, I ask the who, what, when, where, why, how and what if questionsof the character, the location or the story forming in my mind. These questions also serve as a tool to help me discover the theme or plot of the story – if I don’t know it ahead of time.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
BEVERLY: I joined Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 Challenge in 2019. HAVE YOU SEEN MOUSE? was November’s entry that year. I submitted it to the forum for feedback on Nov 16, 2019, and later with my critique groups. So, I had many eyes looking at the draft and subsequent revisions. The contract with the publisher was signed on July 6, 2020. I am also the illustrator for MOUSE and was working on the illustrations for another book at the same time as I was for MOUSE (see question 5, below). The illustrations, from sketches to final art on both books, took about 16 months to complete.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
BEVERLY: I keep hard copies of my drafts and revisions in manilla folders. Once the first draft is completed, I work on the revisions with my laptop. There were about 9 or 10 revisions of MOUSE after I sent the first draft to the 12×12 forum. Usually, I would write 4 or 5 revisions before I would submit the story for the first critique in the forum or to my critique partners. Most of the time I do several revisions of a manuscript then set it aside and work on another story for a while. This is so that both myself and my critique partners can see it with fresh eyes when the revision process resumes.
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
BEVERLY: I knew once my critique partners didn’t have much else to say revision wise except for a few small punctuation corrections. Also, I know when there is a consensus in my group that the story is finished. From an artist point of view, I would want to have completed thumbnails and at least one finished illustration ready as well.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
BEVERLY: In January – February 2020 I took an illustration course with Mira Reisberg’s Children’s Book Academy. At the end of the course the illustrations each student had been working on would be shown to a few editors. Shortly after the course ended, I was contacted by the Clear Fork/Spork publisher, Callie Metler. She had a manuscript by another author that she offered me to illustrate. After reading it I agreed. Sometime later as we were working on the other book Callie said she really liked the palette I used in Mira’s class. I told her there was a manuscript that went with it and asked if she would be interested in reading it. She graciously said yes. Later she said the story was precious and wanted to acquire it.
SUSANNA: How long after you found out about your book going to acquisitions (if you did) or after you submitted were you told it was a “yes”?
BEVERLY: Clear Fork/ Spork is a small publishing house. Because I was already working directly with the publisher on the other picture book it only took about two weeks after she read the story that I was told “yes.” I wanted to complete Mira’s course and have a book dummy, one piece of final art and the manuscript ready before I considered submitting it anywhere. MOUSE was ready at the time I offered it to Clear Fork/Spork.
SUSANNA: How long was it between getting your offer and getting your contract to sign?
BEVERLY: This took a couple of weeks.
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?
BEVERLY: My celebration was during a family birthday which was a few days later. While
the family was all together in the dining room, my husband announced that I had something to tell them. The look on their faces was apprehensive but quickly changed to smiles and words of congratulations, and excitement too.
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
BEVERLY: Because the publisher had told me up front that they are a royalties-based publisher, I knew there would not be an advance on the manuscript, but the royalties would be higher than usual. However, there was a small advance on the illustrations. The time between submitting the final art to the publisher and the launch date has been about five months. The publication timeline took a bit longer than I thought it would be.
SUSANNA: Can you tell us a little about the editorial process?
BEVERLY: Thankfully, the editor’s vision for the story was the same as mine therefore there were only minor changes to the text such as removing dialogue tags. I did have a say in the placement of the text on the pages, but later a sentence or two of text was moved on to the next page for three of the spreads. I was concerned about this at first, but then realized that the change made the page turns stronger. The only changes to the art was to make the mouse smaller in a couple of the spreads.
Text and illustration copyright Barbara Love Warren, 2022, Clear Fork/Spork
Text and illustration copyright Barbara Love Warren, 2022, Clear Fork/Spork
SUSANNA: What was your experience of the illustration process like?
BEVERLY: Since I am also the illustrator of my story, I can share that process from the artist’s viewpoint. First, I was asked to submit black and white character sketches for each of the five characters in the book. Next, I sent the book dummy. This had been completed beforehand and it didn’t require much changing. After that they wanted character sketches in color and full-sized black and white sketches. Once all of this was approved, I went on to do the final art. For this book the art was created in traditional watercolor and Prisma colored pencils. After the paintings were completed, they were added to my iPad and touched up digitally. Watercolor doesn’t always transfer very well from paper to digital and since the art would be sent digitally, I needed to touch it up.
Here’s a little glimpse of Barbara’s illustration process:
Thumbnail sketches of ideas for Back Cover illustration (copyright Beverly Love Warren 2022)
Sketch of Back Cover Barbara chose (copyright Beverly Love Warren 2022)
Final of Back Cover (copyright Beverly Love Warren 2022)
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
BEVERLY: I haven’t seen any reviews yet.
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
BEVERLY: A little under 2 years.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
BEVERLY: I will be doing more, but at this point I am doing interviews on blogs such as Susanna’s. Thank you, Susanna. I belong to a marketing group called PB22Peekaboo. We support one another during our book launches. I will be going to local bookstores, libraries and doing school visits. And as I learn about more opportunities, I will take advantage of them as time permits – so I still have work ahead of me. Coloring and activities pages are on my website.
Coloring Page
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
BEVERLY: I began to write seriously when I signed up with Susanna’s class – Making Picture Book Magic. I took her class in the summer of 2017. HAVE YOU SEEN MOUSE? was acquired in the summer of 2020. Art wise it took about two to three years to get my first illustration job. At that time, I mainly illustrated posters, curriculum and educational material for the classroom.
SUSANNA: What is the most important/helpful thing you learned on your way to publication? (Or what is your most helpful piece of advice for up and coming writers?)
BEVERLY: I would agree with others about the necessity of attending classes, seminars, going to conferences and joining a critique group or two. It would be difficult traveling the road to publication alone. Feedback is essential. Encouragement from fellow writers and artists can keep you trekking when the road is rough with rejections and the negative self-talk we all deal with. It might be helpful to ask why you are writing. If it’s mainly to benefit young readers to put a smile on their face or hope in their hearts, then keep that goal in your vision and with perseverance keep moving forward. One more thing, I would be careful about comparing your journey toward publication with others. I am guilty of this and continually must remind myself that my path is different from others. We are each unique people and how our lives and opportunities evolve will be different as well.
SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
BEVERLY: There is one other thing about this book’s journey that I could share.
As I had mentioned above, at the completion of Mira’s class there would be an opportunity for some editors to view the students work. But I needed to leave the class a week before it ended because my mother became ill. I wrestled with this because we had false alarms before, and I had planned to visit her after the class ended. I didn’t want to lose this opportunity, but there was just one choice – I left the class. After 3,000 miles in the air and 4 days with my mother, she passed. I was thankful to have made the right decision. While I was away Mira entered my art in the display before the editors anyway – which brought me my debut book as an author. This was a terrific gift to have been given, especially during the season I had now entered with my mother’s passing. Good things can happen even during the challenges of life!
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series and paying it forward to other writers, Beverly! We so appreciate the opportunity to learn from you! Wishing you all the best with this and future titles!
Readers, if you have questions for Beverly, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!
You may purchase Beverly’s book at: (all links below are book-specific)
How have we gotten to Perfect Picture Book Friday again so soon? Where does the time go?!
I was hoping to post the winners of the Valentiny Contest today. I know who they are! But life continues to be a bit nuts and I haven’t had time to finish figuring out the Honorable Mentions or make any of the badges, so I thought it would be better to wait another day or two and hopefully get those done than skip them. But you guys can tell me. If you just want to know the winners and skip the rest I can put that together pretty quickly.
Meanwhile, the first day of spring is only 2 days away, so I have chosen one of my favorite books for today. It is so beautiful and so nature-oriented it makes me think of spring 😊
Title: Step Gently Out Written By: Helen Frost Photography By: Rick Lieder Candlewick, March 2012, Fiction
Themes/Topics: nature, insects, taking time to look closely, poetry
Suitable For: ages 2-7
Opening: “Step gently out,/ be still, and watch a single blade of grass.“
Brief Synopsis: (From the Booklist starred review) “Nature’s miracles are often small and hard to capture, but in a syncopated harmony of text and image, Frost and Lieder manage to depict tiny moments as seen through a bugs-eye-view of the world… Moving from day to night, the poem makes for a soothing bedtime lullaby that includes a reminder to children about the book’s small creatures: “In song and dance / and stillness, / they share the world / with you.””
Links To Resources: the back of the book includes lots of information on all the insects pictured – a resource all in itself. In addition, here are some Insect Coloring Pages. Try taking some photographs of your own. Try writing a short poem about an insect. Story Time Resources: Step Gently Out
Why I Like This Book: I am always in favor of books that encourage kids to go outside and look closely at the real world around them, really observe it, think about it, be part of it. I’m not an insect lover per se :), but this book is amazingly beautiful. I cannot stress enough how absolutely exquisite the photography is. Such detail! Here’s another little sample:
It’s breathtaking, isn’t it? and I think kids and adults alike will thoroughly enjoy looking at it, especially in combination with the poetic text which is as gorgeous in its imagery as the photography is. This book is a feast for eyes and ears and hearts!
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog 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!
Welcome, my friends, to another exciting installment of Tuesday Debut!
I am always thrilled to introduce new authors, but never more so than when the debut author about to be in the limelight is a former student, an exceptionally talented writer (a poet, no less!), and a friend. What could be better?
So without further ado, please meet and welcome today’s debutess, Renée LaTulippe, and join me in wishing her a Happy Book Birthday (yes! it’s today!) for her absolutely gorgeous debut picture book! (So pretty! 😊)
THE CRAB BALLET written by Renée M. LaTulippe illustrated by Cécile Metzger Cameron Kids/Abrams March 8, 2022 Fiction Ages 4-8
The Crab Ballet is a sunset seaside show starring the dancing crab divas and their aquatic corps de ballet. A fantastical rhyming text and sea-washed watercolors usher readers through one sea-foam-dreamy act after another, from a gentle seahorse pas de deux and dramatic dolphin leaps beyond the spray to the grand crab finale.
SUSANNA: Welcome, ! We are so incredibly thrilled to have you here with us today! Where did the idea for this book come from?
Renée: Thanks for having me on the blog, Susanna!
This book actually started as a six-stanza poem (127 words) that I wrote for a poetry contest in 2015. The challenge was to use the word “iridescent” in a poem, and that word somehow triggered an image of wet sand at sunset as the waves roll back.
Then I wondered what might happen if the receding waves revealed some sea creatures, and it just developed from there. Two things that certainly helped me shape the idea are that I have a background in theater and I actually live right by the Mediterranean sea!
I also love French, so it was exciting for me to use French ballet terms in the poem. Those have been there since the beginning—but the word “iridescent” was cut in an early draft.
This is where I do most of my writing.
SUSANNA: Wow! Nice office! How long did it take you to write this book, sitting in that lovely spot?
Renée: At some point after writing the shorter poem I realized that I could expand it into a picture-book length poem, so I began where I often begin: LISTS!
-marine animals that live or can come close to shore
-ballet terms
-rhymes
As you can see on the left side of my lists, I paired ballet terms with the creatures most likely to perform those moves, and this helped me shape the stanzas. I also spent a lot of time staring at photos and videos and looking up facts about these marine creatures, which is always an invaluable piece of my writing puzzle. A bit of research goes a long way in terms of sparking new ideas and directions you may not have thought about.
Working like this, I managed to get the poem up to eleven stanzas (244 words). I’m not sure how long it took, but I do know that this is the version I submitted to the agent I signed with, and that was in the summer of 2016—so about 15 months after I wrote the original poem. I’m a very slow writer!
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
Renée: This manuscript has had about ten revisions, but I count revisions even if I change a couple of words, and I tend to tinker.
The only major revision happened after I signed with my agent. I am fortunate that I have an editorial agent who specializes in poetry, so her feedback was essential. She felt that the story was lopsided in that I needed to fill out the second act of the story, which was quite a bit shorter than the first act.
This revision took me A YEAR! I kid you not. I had chosen such a difficult rhyme scheme that writing any more stanzas felt impossible. Granted, I didn’t actually write for that whole year; rather, I stuck the manuscript in a drawer and wished it would write itself. I don’t know what I was thinking, but I was totally blocked.
When I finally felt ready, I took it out and brought it up to sixteen stanzas (367 words), plus a glossary of French ballet terms. Phew!
I do not suggest doing this, by the way! I must have been paralyzed by fear or stupidity, or a bit of both. Revision can be daunting, yes, but now that I have more experience, I don’t balk at it and actually really like this stage.
What works best for me, so I don’t feel overwhelmed, is to do all the “easy” stuff first—changing a single word, fixing a little glitch in the meter, tweaking a rhyme, and so on. Then I move on to the larger bits of content revision one at a time. No more head in the sand!
SUSANNA: Very helpful advice. I work the same way. When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
Renée: When I sent my agent the requested revision. It may have taken forever, but we both felt that it was now a more balanced and complete story and ready to send out into the world. This was in the summer of 2017, so about two and a half years after I’d written the original poem.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
Renée: My agent started submitting it in October 2017 with a round of about five editors. Over the next couple of years it went on four other rounds, always to about 3-5 editors each time.
SUSANNA: How long after you found out about your book going to acquisitions (if you did) or after you submitted were you told it was a “yes”?
Renée: Not long at all! I know! Amazing! Cameron is ON TOP OF THINGS. We submitted to them in February 2020, heard that it was going to acquisitions about three weeks later, and got the news they wanted to acquire it four days after that. A whirlwind romance!
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”, which these days is more likely to be “the email”? (Best moment ever! ☺)
Renée: It was certainly exciting to get that YES email from my agent, especially since it was at the very start of the pandemic in March 2020. I live in Italy and things were dire, so this good news was very welcome.
The manuscript had been on submission for two and a half years, and I admit I was feeling frustrated. Plus you begin to doubt if it’s even a good story, and I wondered if it needed revision. But in the end, my agent and I both thought it was already strong, so we left it as is. Overall, it received very nice rejections from nine editors and a symphony of crickets from another thirteen. But it only takes one!
SUSANNA: That is the truth! How long was it between getting your offer and getting your contract to sign?
Renée: This actually did take longer because the publishing industry was in turmoil during the pandemic when no one knew which way was up. But Cameron was always very communicative about their timeline and delays, which I so appreciated. We received the official offer letter in July 2020 and the final contract in October of that year.
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?
Renée: I didn’t wait for the contract—I celebrated when I got the YES email from my agent! And since we were in lockdown, my husband, the only one allowed out for grocery shopping, brought home profiteroles and Bailey’s. This is my standard celebration fare. 😊
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
Renée: Of course we always want bigger advances! And honestly, I didn’t really know what to expect from any of this—I was just glad to have sold the book! The advance was initially in the under 5K range, but during this time Cameron Kids was bought by Abrams, so my agent did negotiate for and receive a bit more moola for the advance. And I have to say for the millionth time that I am so relieved to have an agent.
The rest of the contract was very standard with 5% royalties on hardcover up to 15K copies sold and 6.25% thereafter, and a bit less on paperback. The contract includes 20 author copies.
SUSANNA: Can you tell us a little about the editorial process?
Renée: I was terrified at what changes the editor might request! Remember the year it took me to do that first revision for my agent? Again, it was the difficult rhyme scheme and all those French words that made me shake in my boots! Luckily, though, the edits were not scary at all. While no significant changes were made to the story, she did ask excellent questions and make suggestions for several lines and stanzas that I thought were spot on and that gave me the opportunity to strengthen the text—exactly what I would want in an editor! The process was very respectful, and since she’s not a rhymer, she completely trusted me to be the expert on that count and to take her suggestions and make them work within my meter and rhyme scheme.
Sometimes editors can make suggestions you don’t agree with, and that’s okay too. For example, my editor wondered if we needed the second stanza at all, or if it could be combined with the first somehow. I mulled that over for a bit and tried some alternatives, but in the end I felt that the stanza should stay, and it did. In these cases, I always like to state my case, respectfully, and explain my preferences.
One “battle” I did lose, though, was on the title. The original title was THE SEASIDE CRAB BALLET, and I was so used to it after all these years that I was taken aback when she said she wanted to change it to THE CRAB BALLET. Seems like a minor thing, but everything is huge when you’re in the middle of it! She was gently insistent that it was better, so I let it go. And you know what? She was totally right. I was still skeptical, but as soon as I saw the cover I knew it was the perfect choice.
SUSANNA: What was your experience of the illustration process like?
Renée: Cameron Kids was so wonderful about keeping me apprised of developments every step of the way. I feel like I landed in some sort of publishing fairy land. As had happened with other writers I know, they did not send me a list of potential illustrators to get my opinion as I think they already had Cécile on board. This might have concerned me if it hadn’t been Cameron, but I knew their list and loved their aesthetic, so I had complete trust that they’d make a beautiful book.
I had very few art notes in my manuscript since it was self-explanatory. Though I generally keep my art notes very short, the first one was longer simply to set the scene and make it clear what exactly was happening in this funny little world I’d created:
[Art note: Seaside show about to begin as the corps de ballet—anemones, squids, turtles, seahorses—warms up at the barre.]
I received the first black-and-white storyboards via email in December 2020 and was blown away not only by Cécile’s detail, but by the fact that she had written explanations on every spread about why she had made those specific choices. Amazing! It was a great peek inside an artist’s head.
At that point, I wasn’t really sure if I was supposed to comment on the sketches or not, but I did end up sending my editor a list of notes I had on the illustrations. Nothing terribly invasive, mind you, although if there had been something really “wrong” I definitely would have spoken up. Again, the key is always respect for the whole team.
Still, I was concerned about stepping on toes, but instead she told me she’d passed my notes to the art director and that they were probably going to accommodate almost all of them (they did!). Have I mentioned that this publisher is amazing?
From there I received the color galleys and was able to give my thoughts on those as well. All around an open, inclusive, and collaborative experience!
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc? What was that like?
Renée: Yesssss. Yet another terrifying passage we must all face. The only review I’ve received so far is from Kirkus and, boy, did I cringe as I clicked on that link. I really couldn’t imagine how this book was going to be received. I’d already seen a hilarious review on Goodreads that talked about how bizarre my concept was, and though that reviewer loved the book, I was nonetheless concerned, haha. Luckily, Kirkus loved it too! What a dang relief that was!
SUSANNA: How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
Renée: I received an advance copy in January of this year, so it was 18 months from official offer to physical book. I saw on Edelweiss that the initial print run will be 20,000 copies. Sadly, I will never get to open a box of author copies. I have no use for them in Italy, so they will live with my sister in the U.S. Should I ever need an extra copy here, I will have to order it. Ah, well!
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
Renée: They sent it to the major reviewers (Kirkus, SLJ, Horn Book, etc.) as well as some influencers on Instagram. They also provided me with a hi-res cover image and an eGalley (PDF) of the book that I can share with bloggers and reviewers. I don’t know what else they may be doing internally.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
Renée: I didn’t plan on doing much, but then I got caught up in the whirlwind—and it really is way too time consuming, so proceed with caution. Here’s a list of things I did:
Cover reveal
Pre-order campaign with giveaways (including critiques)
Created activity pack for campaign and as a free download on my website. The illustrator was kind enough to provide coloring pages and images for this.
Contacted larger podcasters, bloggers, and influencers on my own. Received ZERO response.
Contacted smaller podcasts and blogs (like this one!) and set up several interviews (though not a blog tour, per se).
Participated with other writers in in-kind review exchanges on Goodreads and B&N.
Recorded a Sneak Peek & Book Giveaway video for my YouTube channel (not a book trailer) that also gives info on the pre-order campaign and giveaway.
Sent a book news email to my mailing list that included links to the Sneak Peek video and the pre-order campaign.
Social media: I do what interests me and what I have time for and try to support and share other people’s book news, and thank them for sharing mine.
Still to do: Contact ARC-sharing groups on Twitter. These are groups of educators and librarians who share your book and talk it up on social media. You can learn about it here.
It’s important to understand that the goal of all these activities is not to drive sales, which I think we as writers have very little control over. Rather, I see the promo period as a way to create a presence for you as author and an awareness of your book, and in doing so to expand your community in an organic, authentic, and reciprocal way. Everything is about relationships!
Also, so much of what we do is preaching to the choir—in this case, other writers. What I really want to do is reach educators and librarians, the gatekeepers for our books (like with the ARC-sharing groups). Next time my efforts will be more focused on these groups.
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
Renée: I started toying with picture book writing in 2012, but I can’t say I did it seriously. And although I began having poems published in anthologies in 2013, it took me quite some time to remember that I’m a poet and not a plotter and should be focusing my efforts on that. Duh! So I’d say I got serious in 2015 when I began writing my first poetry collection under the tutelage of my wonderful mentor, the late Lee Bennett Hopkins. And that is the first manuscript I sold in 2017, though it has yet to come out (LIMELIGHT: Theater Poems to Perform / Charlesbridge). THE CRAB BALLET is my debut, but it’s the second book I sold.
SUSANNA: What is the most important/helpful thing you learned on your way to publication? (Or what is your most helpful piece of advice for up and coming writers?)
Renée: Turn off the noise when you need to, to protect your mental health and creativity. The kidlit community is vast and generous, but also frenetic and cacophonous. There are deal announcements, writing challenges, pitch parties, contests, webinars, classes, cover reveals, release parties, signings, how-to advice galore, social media, more deals—all good things that, when taken in too-big doses, can easily overwhelm. You don’t need to do everything. Recognize where you are in your journey and focus on the things that help you right where you are. Take care of your quiet space. Write. We’ll be here when you get back.
SUSANNA: Excellent advice! Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
Renée: Yes—the fact that it takes a village to write a manuscript. Reading my book now is like looking at a photo album of all the people who helped it become what it is: the critique partners who suggested that phrase or that rhyme or that I write the book in the first place; the agent who saw its potential and pushed me further; the editor who helped me see the weaknesses so I could make them stronger; the family who supported me with time, ideas, and silence.
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for sharing your publication journey with us, Renée! We so appreciate it, and all the wonderful tips and advice! I’m sure I speak for everyone when I wish you the best with this and future titles!
Renée M. LaTulippe is the author of TheCrab Ballet (Cameron Kids/Abrams, 2022) and Limelight: Theater Poems to Perform (Charlesbridge, TBA) and has poems published in many anthologies including Night Wishes, School People, National Geographic’s The Poetry of US and Book of Nature Poetry,One Minute Till Bedtime, and ThankU: Poems of Gratitude.
Renée developed The Lyrical Language Lab and provides free lessons and critiques for children’s writers on her YouTube channel. She has a BFA in acting/directing and an MA in English Education. She lives by the sea in Italy with her husband and three children.
She is represented by Elizabeth Harding at Curtis Brown.
I’d like to start by apologizing for my absence lately, and for making you all wait so long for the results of the Valentiny Contest. I’m afraid a family medical situation has been demanding most of my time and, burn the candle at both ends as I might, I can’t seem to find time for everything. But I am making my way through the entries – wonderful, AMAZING entries, really! You guys all did such a good job! – enjoying every minute of reading, dreading having to narrow the field to 12, and I hope to have your results soon! Thank you all for your patience. I so appreciate it. You have been so kind about the wait!
Meanwhile, I have a treat for you today! A wonderful new book I know you’re going to love, plus a few words from the author and some wonderful activities she has provided, AND she’s offering a giveaway!!! All you have to do is leave a comment on this post by Wednesday March 9 at 9 PM Eastern and you’ll be in the running to be randomly selected to win a copy of today’s delightful book!
So let’s have a look, shall we?
Title: How To Dress A Dinosaur
Written By: Robin Currie
Illustrated By: Alycia Pace
Publisher: Familius, March 1, 2022, fiction (board book)
Suitable For Ages: 2-5 years
Themes/Topics: humor, getting dressed, dinosaurs
Opening: “Roar! Oh no – You turned into a dinosaur!”
Brief Synopsis: Every parent knows the struggle of getting a child dressed and out the door. But with a cast of hilariously coiffed dinosaurs to teach toddlers how to stomp their feet into pant legs and reach their claws into shirts, getting dressed becomes a game.
Links To Resources:
First, a few words from author Robin Currie! It’s always interesting to know where a book came from 😊
Back Story (or the Tail of the Dinosaur)
The original inspiration for this story was in the fall of 2014 when my youngest grandson was 3 years old and had many things on his mind to do with dinosaurs but few with getting dressed. James was in the dinosaur phase where he can’t pronounce “Spaghetti” but can say “Pachycephalosaurus” and correct my mispronunciation. He also owned dinosaur-themed shirts, hats, socks, jackets, and underwear. And hundreds of plastic painful-to-step-on in-the-dark dinosaur figures.
A brain burble became first a badly rhyming text – what rhymes with Diplodocus? (Hopped aboard a bus? Was oozing green pus? Super-flu-i-us?). Now I am pleased to introduce you to 14 chewable pages of How to Dress a Dinosaur! If you are counting, that is a total of 8 years for a board book! Always believe that the best ideas out there will find a home! Even if it seems to take longer than the Pleistocene era!
Dino Breakfast Starts The Day!Dino Feet!Thumb Dino!Populate the jungle with Handy Dinos!
Why I Like This Book: If you’re a parent, you’ve had the showdown at the getting dressed corral! This book makes getting dressed so much fun kids will probably want to do it extra times each day 😊 How can you not love a story that will make a necessary chore fun for everyone involved? But to make it even better, young readers will learn a little bit about dinosaurs. The art is adorable. All those cute baby dinos are irresistible. (My personal favorites are diplodocus and triceratops 😊) A fun story to read aloud, a way to make getting dressed something to look forward to, a little info about dinosaurs, and appealing illustrations – what’s not to love?
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😊
Robin Currie learned story sharing by sitting on the floor, in library story times. She has sold 1.7 M copies of her 40 storybooks and writes stories to read and read again! How to Dress a Dinosaur is available now! How to Dress a Dinosaur – Familius.com Shop
PPBF folks, please add your titles and post-specific blog 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! 😊 (And don’t forget to leave a comment by Wednesday at 9PM so you can be in the running to win a copy of this delightful book!)
Susanna Leonard Hill 
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