It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, and what with Thanksgiving right around the corner, I wanted to share this wonderful book by Linda Ashman because the song it’s based on always makes me think of going to my grandmother’s house for Thanksgiving when I was a kid! (Although we went by car, unfortunately, not by horse-drawn sleigh! 😊)
Title: Over The River And Through The Wood: A Holiday Adventure
Opening: “Pack up the pooches and load the van. We need to leave by eight! There’s so much to bring. Do we have everything? Come on, we can’t be late!“
Text copyright Linda Ashman 2015, illustration copyright Kim Smith 2015, Sterling Books
Brief Synopsis: Grandma and Grandpa have sent invitations to all the family: Come to our house for the holidays and bring your favorite pie! So all the families pack up and head out… but travel turns out to be trickier than expected!
Links To Resources: Who do you visit for the holidays? Make a photo collage of a family holiday get-together; If you travel on holidays, how do go? Draw a picture or make a model of your transportation – plane? train? bus? car? boat? Make up your own version of “Over the river” and sing who you go to visit and how you get there; Thanksgiving Turkey Rice Krispie Treats (Recipe)
Text copyright Linda Ashman 2015, illustration copyright Kim Smith 2015, Sterling Books
Why I Like This Book: This wonderful story feels new and familiar at the same time; familiar because we all know the song upon which it is based, new because the travel troubles are fresh and fun (and anyone who has ever traveled for the holidays can relate!) The story is written in Linda Ashman’s trademark fabulous rhyme which is so fun to read aloud. And the art is delightful – a perfect complement to the story – and filled with fun little details… like what happens to the pies along the way 😊 And I love that even in this day and age of planes and trains and automobiles, the whole family ends up arriving by horse-drawn sleigh! 😊
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!
text copyright Karen Jameson 2020, illustration copyright Marc Boutavant 2020, Chronicle Books
Why I Like This Book: This is a lovely lullaby of a bedtime book. The rhyming text is lyrical, with such lines as “Meadow hopper clover cropper twilight whispers. Time to furrow. Curl up tight inside your burrow” and “Nectar sipper dizzy dipper stars are twinkling. Flutter. Search. Light upon your leafy perch.” The art is warm, cozy, and inviting, and will make young readers want to curl up and sleep with the woodland animals. As a bonus, elements of nonfiction are included through the animal descriptions and the artistic depiction of their homes/habitat. A sweet, gentle bedtime read!
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!
It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday, and I’m thinking about how much I love October because of all the wonderful autumn and Halloween picture books there are. 😊 ☢️
This one is new this year from talented author/illustrator Nicola Killen and I think you will be as taken with it as I am!
Title: The Little Kitten
Written & Illustrated By: Nicola Killen
Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, July 21 2020, fiction
Suitable For Ages: 4-8 (though I think kids slightly younger would enjoy it too!)
Themes/Topics: seasons (autumn – with a nod to Halloween), kindness, friendship, doing the right thing
Opening: “It was a crisp autumn morning, and Ollie was heading outside to play, closely followed by her cat, Pumpkin.“
text and illustration copyright Nicola Killen, 2020, Paula Wiseman Books
Brief Synopsis: Ollie and her cat Pumpkin come upon a tiny kitten shivering in a pile of fallen leaves. Ollie warms the kitten up and the three become fast friends, but when Ollie sees “Lost Kitten” posters she knows she has to help her new friend get home.
text and illustration copyright Nicola Killen, 2020, Paula Wiseman Books
Why I Like This Book: I know quiet books are not the “in” thing, but I love them 😊 This book is so sweet and lovely, such a gentle story about friendship and caring on a crisp autumn day. Ollie, dressed in her cat costume, her cat Pumpkin, and the Little Kitten are three of a kind – perfect playmates. Ollie’s distraction with the kitten (which makes her lose track of her beloved Pumpkin) is very believable. Her kind heart helps her get the kitten to its rightful home. And the moment when she can’t find Pumpkin is touching and saved from being too tearful by Pumpkin’s happy reappearance. The art is what really makes this story special, though. Little die-cut windows allow for an interactive experience on some of the pages. Other pages shine with foil leaves. The simple color palette lets the warm orange really stand out. And the combination of text and art makes for a quiet, comforting story about everyone ending up where they’re supposed to be.
I hope you enjoy it as much as I do 😊
text and illustration copyright Nicola Killen, 2020, Paula Wiseman 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!
Welcome to another exciting installment of Tuesday Debut!
I realize, of course, that it is not yet Halloween 😊 But that is no reason not to delight in today’s debut picture book about Christmas and Hanukkah! Enjoy! (and preorder so you’re ready for those holidays when they come along 😊) and join me in welcoming today’s debut-ess, Janie Emaus!
Latkes For Santa Claus Written by Janie Emaus Illustrated by Bryan Langdo Published by Sky Pony October 13, 2020 Fiction, ages 3-7
Anna is excited that Santa will be visiting her house for the first time, and she wants to leave Santa a treat that blends the holidays her new family celebrates: Christmas and Hanukkah.
SUSANNA: Welcome, Janie! Thank you so much for joining us today! We’re excited to hear about your journey to publication! Where did the idea for this book come from?
JANIE: The idea grew out of my own experience. Having grown up in a Jewish home, I didn’t celebrate Christmas until I married my husband. When our daughter was small, I started looking for books to read to her about families that celebrated both Hanukkah and Christmas. Not finding anything fun and playful, I decided to write one myself.
Every year the women in our family gather to make latkes. The title came to me while I was flipping over a latke. That is the only thing about the book which has remained the same.
One of my agents along the way suggested adding the recipes at the end.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
JANIE: I came up with the idea about fifteen years ago.
As this is my first picture book, I had to remember to leave room for the illustrator to expand the story. I had difficulty in the beginning as I was used to writing middle grade and young adult stories. I was getting too wordy and descriptive.
Early on, I had an agent who helped me shorten the word length. I worked with her until she thought it was ready for submission. Most of the editors passed on the book because they didn’t need another holiday story. Ultimately my agent left the business and I continued on my own.
Throughout the years, I would put it away and work on something else. But the story wouldn’t leave me alone. Every year as the holidays approached, I searched for books with a similar theme.
Last year I pulled it out again and was determined to work on it until it sold.
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
JANIE: Yes, dozens, if not hundreds!
It started off in verse. I dumped that rather quickly and started approaching the story from a hundred different angles. Where to begin was the most difficult decision.
In the original version, the main character was alone. Then I gave her a brother. Upon the suggestion of a critique partner, he became a stepbrother. And I amped up the cooking challenge.
Every time I had a new version, I would read it aloud to myself, listening to the flow of the story. And I kept cutting words with the illustrator in mind. If I thought I was describing too much, I hit delete. Believe me, I wore the letters off that key.
Janie’s work space
SUSANNA: When did you know it was ready for submission?
JANIE: This is a hard question to answer. I knew it was getting better with each revision. Yet, I wasn’t sure it was the best it could be. Every time I reread it I changed a word here, a word there. I took long walks, talking to myself, reciting the story. But at some point, I knew I had to get it back out in the world. I hoped an editor or agent would like it enough to want to work with me.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
JANIE: I began querying agents in Oct 2019. Several passed with a polite “Thank you. Not for me at this time.” One agent did express interest but wanted some changes. She suggested I send it back to her in three months.
Meanwhile, I entered #PitMad on Thursday, December 5th, 2019. #PitMad is a Twitter event which occurs four times a year. Writers tweet a 280-character pitch for their completed manuscript, along with the corresponding hashtags to identify the genre of their work. The participating editors and agents make requests by “liking” the tweeted pitch.
Nicole Frail of Sky Pony Press liked my tweet. On Saturday, I sent her the manuscript. On Monday I received an email saying she loved my book and was taking it to her publisher. On Tuesday she offered me a contract.
I like to say it took a mere decade for me to achieve overnight success!
Janie’s work buddy, Ziva, watching her write 😊
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”?
JANIE: On that Tuesday, I was driving when my phone dinged. I glanced down quickly and saw an email from Nicole. I immediately pulled over and read her offer to publish the book.
I let out a scream and pumped my fists in the air. To the passing cars, I’m sure I looked like a middle aged women in the midst of a seizure!
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate?
JANIE: The day I signed the contract I had a martini with my family. And then another one!
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected?
JANIE: I actually had no idea what to expect as this was my first contract with a traditional publisher. My advance was under $1,000. But I was assured the book would appear in bookstores as well as outlets, such as Target and Walmart. That aspect was more important to me than the advance.
I had no idea it would distributed by Simon and Schuster until the announcement came out in Publisher’s Marketplace in February 2020. I googled the book and then I really became excited.
SUSANNA: Can you tell us anything about the editorial process?
JANIE: I didn’t have to make any major changes.
SUSANNA:What was your experience of the illustration process like?
JANIE: From the start I was very involved with the illustration. I was asked for my vision and for a possible list of illustrators. I was given the chance to see Bryan’s work before he was offered the contract. And throughout the process I was sent digital files. All the suggestions I made were passed on to Bryan and incorporated into his illustrations. I’d have to say, I was extremely pleased.
SUSANNA:Did you get to see any advance reviews? What was that like?
JANIE: So far I have not seen any reviews. They did get blurbs for the book before it went to print. And I was very happy with those.
SUSANNA: How long did it take from the offer to having the first copy?
JANIE: At the time I’m answering these questions, I still haven’t seen a hard copy! I did see the finished PDF and I loved it!
I was told the initial print was going to be around 2500
SUSANNA:What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done?
JANIE: I received an email in August that B&N had picked up the book for their holiday promotion and had committed to 2300 copies. That was another middle-aged seizure moment! I was on vacation with my grandkids and I was jumping up and down with my youngest grandson.
SUSANNA:Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
JANIE:I have set up interviews and contacted book bloggers. And I have an appearance in November at The Flintridge Bookstore in La Canada, California. But COVID has certainly put a damper on book signings and appearances.
I made postcards announcing the book and I put the photo on my business card as I was planning on attending several conferences between the signing of my contract and the release date. So, now I carry them with me everywhere I go and pass them out. And I mean everywhere! Starbucks, restaurants, novelty stores. I even gave one to the Geek Squad guy who came to set up our new TV.
Yum! Latkes 😊
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
JANIE: I’ve been writing seriously for over thirty years. But wasn’t always concentrating on picture books. My very first sale was a rhymed story, The Jogging Frog, to Cricket Magazine. This is it, I thought. I’m on my way. Well, I was on my way, alright, to hundreds of rejections. Years passed before I sold another story.
The first rejections hurt the most. I’d poured my heart and soul onto the page and was devastated when agents and editors didn’t accept what I had written.
But as the years passed, I realized how subjective this business is and that I wanted and deserved someone who shared my vision.
SUSANNA: What is the most important thing you learned?
JANIE:The most important thing I have learned is perseverance. Don’t give up. And believe in your vision for your story. I’ve had horrible experiences along the way. Times when I rewrote based on an agent’s recommendations and then it all fell apart So, trust your instincts.
It’s hard not to take rejections personally, but remember agents and editors are just people. I used to be in awe when pitching face to face. I would break into a sweat and stumble through my pitch and walk away thinking. Oh, why did I say that? And then I would obsess over the meeting well into the next workshop.
Oh, and one last thing. Join writing organizations. SCBWI has been invaluable to my success.
Thanks for reading. And good luck with your writing.
SUSANNA:Thank you so much for joining us today and sharing your writing and publication experience, Janie! We are grateful for the opportunity to learn. And I know I speak for everyone when I wish you all the best with this and future books!
Readers, if you have questions for Janie, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!
It’s Perfect Picture Book Friday! And now that it’s October, I feel justified in breaking out the Halloween picture books!
How cute is this one? 😊
Title: Little Boo Written By: Stephen Wunderli Illustrated By: Tim Zeltner Henry Holt & Company, August 2014, Fiction
Suitable For Ages: 3-7
Themes/Topics: Holidays (Halloween), Emotion (patience/impatience), Nature (lifecycle of a seed), Common Childhood Experiences (wanting to be bigger/older)
Opening: “The wind blew, the leaves fell, and a tiny seed hid in the garden. “Boo,” the seed said to a leaf rolling by. “You’re not scary at all,” the leaf said.
illustration copyright Stephen Wunderli 2014
Brief Synopsis: A little pumpkin seed tries hard to be scary but he just can’t seem to scare anyone – not the leaves or the grubs, not the snowflakes in winter or the bees in spring! “Be patient,” the wind tells him, “you’ll be scary soon enough.” But it’s awfully hard to wait!
Why I Like This Book: It’s just so cute! Look at that little pumpkin seed face – how can you not love it?! 🙂 The story is simple but so relatable for kids who always seem to want to grow up faster than nature allows. And within the sweet story we also get a nice little glimpse of the life cycle of a seed – so cleverly slipped in there! To top it off, the art is absolutely gorgeous – colorful and warm and so appealing! This is a wonderful one to add to your Halloween book shelf 😊
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!
Enjoy the long Columbus Day weekend, everyone!!! 😊
I am SO excited about today’s debut-ess I can hardly sit still enough to type! 😊
For starters, she is a dear friend and a totally awesome person!
She is also one of those people who has really worked hard to earn her place as a published author and illustrator, committing in every way to improving and perfecting her craft.
To top it off, she is the first person to appear on this series as a debut illustrator! Although she is also an author and will be featured here again in March when her debut as an author is released, this picture book features Tom Lichtenheld’s words and her amazing art. Given that Tom himself is well known as an illustrator, you know it’s some kind of special deal that he and his publisher chose someone else to illustrate this book.
And today is this book’s actual birthday! 🎂🎉🎈🧁
So without further ado, I have the very great pleasure of introducing you to my talented friend, Julie Rowan-Zoch and her debut-as-an-illustrator picture book, LOUIS!
LOUIS By Tom Lichtenheld Illustrated by Julie Rowan-Zoch HMH Oct.6, 2020 Fiction Age: 4-7
Synopsis: Louis the bear has had enough. From day one, life has been one indignity after another. If he’s not being used as a hankie, he’s being hung out to dry—literally. (No one likes clothespins used on their ears!)
This teddy is sneaking away just as soon as he can. Then again, no use running off in the rain . . .or during a show-and-tell routine. Maybe Louis has something to lose, after all.
JULIE: Hello, Susanna! Thanks for having me to introduce my picture book illustration debut today!
SUSANNA: Hi Julie! Are you kidding? I’m delighted!!! Thank you for being our first ever illustrator debut-ess! Having never illustrated a book myself and only seen the process from the writer’s side, I am eager to hear about how an illustrator takes an author’s text and turns it into a picture book. How were you approached to participate in this project?
JULIE: Via my agent, HMH sent me the manuscript and asked if I would be willing to send preliminary sketches, should I want to be considered as the illustrator. That was late in 2017, and after sending off the images we got a quick reply – I got lucky but the book would not release until Fall 2020.
SUSANNA: What did communication look like with your editor and/or art director concerning the book?
JULIE: From start to finish, all communication was conducted via email. I did get to meet both of them once in real life though!
SUSANNA: Where do you begin? How do you approach it?
JULIE: Shortly after signing the contract I asked for a more concrete timeline because I work better under a little pressure. I began sending the editor and art director sketches for Louis, a teddy bear and the main character. I sent 3 or 4 different bears knowing I had to be happy with whichever one they chose The only change they asked to make was to use the coloring from one bear, but the shape /line from another! Once I had the bear, and subsequently the boy and his sister, I began creating sketches for the dummy. The mother, bus driver, other toy animals were all developed as I went along with the dummy.
Prelim 1 (left) Prelim 2 (center) Final (right)
SUSANNA: Were art notes passed on to you via the editor?
JULIE: I believe there were two or three art notes/suggestions included in the manuscript, but I’ll admit I ignored them and allowed the images to appear as I read the text again. After delivering the full dummy, the editor asked if I might revisit one of the art notes, and I did, and we are all happy with the results!
SUSANNA: How long did it take to illustrate the book?
JULIE: I read the manuscript and completed the requested sketches in November 2017. I believe I signed the contract in January 2018. I delivered the first character sketches in early May. Did you notice the huge gap there? That’s because the team was focussed on other work, and final art would not be due until July 2019! After I delivered the sketch dummy, and again after adding color, a lot of revision work began, mostly with notes from the AD [art director], but she worked closely with the editor in giving me comments and/or suggestions. I was always assured I could keep any art elements the way I liked it if I didn’t agree with their suggestions, but I also made constructive arguments if I did want to keep something – as did they if opinions differed! I really enjoyed the collaboration! I think it was around February of 2019 that we wrapped up the dummy revision work and 4+ months later I handed in final art. The decision to include endpapers and a case cover came later, as did a small amount of text revision, which required some illustration changes.
[dummy sketch – the final is quite different]
SUSANNA: What materials, media did you use to create the artwork? Please describe the process.
JULIE: I created everything from dummy sketches to final art in Procreate on the iPad. I used to use the iPencil to draw directly onto the tablet, but while waiting for the stylus to recharge I started using my fingers – and haven’t looked back! Just like traditional work, I lay down my linework first then apply color in different layers. The resolution needed for printing is pretty high, and the higher the resolution the less layers are made available for each file. I struggle with keeping the look of a character consistent, so using layers to drop in a sketch for reference is an advantage. And of course the elements in layers help immensely with revision work! I chose my palette early on and believe I changed just one color for vibrancy after the cover design was finalized. I sent the final files in Photoshop format directly from the iPad to the publisher. On that same day my mother had an accident which required me to fly out that night. Having created everything on the iPad allowed me to make further corrections in the final art from a hospital waiting room – how lucky was that!?!
SUSANNA: Did you have any say in text placement or font choices?
JULIE: I was not given any sort of design instructions or text guidelines before handing in the dummy, so I “wrote” the text into the dummy by hand. Then the AD suggested we collaborate and create a font based off of my handwriting! So I wrote out many pangrams (sentences including all 26 letters of the alphabet) using templates she provided to maintain consistent letter height.
[pangram image]
SUSANNA: What about book dimensions and paper choices?
JULIE: With no pre-stated design guidelines I was able to choose the format myself, which is square. Based off of (one of many!) discussions I’ve had with one of my local children’s librarians, I decided on a square book that allows for a wide spread when opened. (Vicky taught me not to move the book while reading to kids, not to pan from side to side, as the children need the time to focus and absorb the image. If they can’t see from their seated position they should move, or the reader should move back, to accommodate.) After the final work was submitted I was sent single spreads in different papers. One important aspect to me is how rich black looks in a print. In October 2019 I was sent color proofs of the whole book and I think there where maybe two places where 2 color corrections needed to be made, and a “big” correction for the placement of the patch on Louis’ leg on the back cover.
SUSANNA: What things can writers do to make mss more interesting/engaging/appealing/easy-to-work-with for illustrators?
JULIE: I’m sure you’ve all heard this before, but leave room! Good writing will allow the illustrator to envision images while reading At this stage it is not yet meant for the consumer/reader. I realize this is no easy task, especially since the manuscript must go through the agent and the editor before it reaches the illustrator, but these are all professionals who work with this very unique, collaborative art form. Trust that they can “see” what isn’t in the text. Yes, there will be exceptions for image suggestions that might be necessary to understand the text, but these too should be as shapeless and colorless as possible.
SUSANNA: How does contract payment work for illustrators?
JULIE: The illustrator receives 1/2 the advance upon signing the contract, and the other 1/2 upon receipt of the final artwork. The same applies to author-illustrators.
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?
JULIE: I am lucky to be able to celebrate publishing milestones with my dear friend and fellow picture book junkie, Julie Hedlund. We meet halfway between our homes at a restaurant that features cheese! I hope we can do that again soon. I also got the fun idea to have a ring made by my friend’s daughter, and if it’s ready soon I will share a photo of the final piece with you.
SUSANNA: Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
JULIE: I admit I did not give much consideration to the details of a contract before the offer, but I was quite pleased. The rights have also been sold to a publisher in Japan and Israel, and that was something I did not expect so soon.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
JULIE: I was lucky to know a couple of other authors through the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge whose debut books were to release in 2020, and joined in on the effort with more authors and illustrators for group promotion and marketing efforts, called The Soaring 20’s. Now I would say we are in it for group support and encouragement efforts, as almost all of us will debut in Corona-Time. Gah! I contacted people like yourself to be featured in an interview or article on their blogs or podcasts. After my editor shared reviews with me, and I in turn shared them with my Soaring 20’s friends because I was so excited about good reviews, they pointed out that I should make “quote cards”, little graphics tailored for social media with blurbs from the reviews. I contacted my AD in order to incorporate the font she created, and I shared them on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook. I am in the process of creating resource materials for teachers/parents, and activity sheets are available on the HMH page already – HERE. HMH also ran a giveaway on Twitter for Int’l Teddy Bear Day (9/9), and will do another one on 10/16 for Take Your Teddy to Work/School day. I’m doing a joint outdoor signing event with my critique partner, Beth Anderson as her book, “SMELLY” KELLY releases next week, on 10/13. Fingers crossed for sunny weather!
did you know you could make teddy bears out of towels? 😊
SUSANNA: How many copies did your house do for first printing?
JULIE: I believe it’s 40K.
SUSANNA: Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
JULIE: Yes. A unique thing about this book is that I was chosen to illustrate for an illustrator! And a famous one at that! I was surprised from the get-go and didn’t find the courage to ask until I had the opportunity to meet my editor in person. She told me Tom wanted to see what the process would be like! That’s it! But with that in mind I was worried that my work would be looked at with more scrutiny as people would wonder “Why?”. The good reviews put my worries to rest, but also the support and enthusiasm I received from the editor, art director, and design team (I got to meet them as well!) throughout the entire process.
SUSANNA: Julie, thank you so much for joining us today and giving us such an enlightening glimpse of the creation of your debut picture book from the illustrator’s perspective. I learned a lot, and I’m sure everyone else did too! I know I speak for everyone when I wish you all the best of luck with this and future titles! I expect my copy of LOUIS in the mail today, and I can’t wait to read I’M A HARE, SO THERE when it comes out in March!
Illustrator (and soon to be author) Julie Rowan-Zoch
I’m afraid it’s been a rather challenging week, so I’m posting a book I’ve posted before because I have no time. But also because I really really love this book and think everyone should read it 😊 And it’s about love and friendship which seem especially important right now.
Title: Rosie And Rasmus
Written & Illustrated By: Serena Geddes
Aladdin, April 2 2019, fiction
Suitable For Ages: 4-8
Themes/Topics: friendship
Opening: “This is Rosie. She lives in a little village with cobblestone streets, a water fountain, and an ice cream stand. Every day Rosie watches and wishes. She watches as the others play. She wishes someone would see her.“
Brief Synopsis: Rosie, a lonely little girl, meets Rasmus, a lonely little dragon, and they discover the extraordinary magic and power of friendship. When Rasmus has to leave, Rosie finds she has learned more than she realized about making friends.
Why I Like This Book: To me, this book is just the definition of a perfect picture book! Sweet, simple text that conveys a moving and lovely message about friendship, and enormously appealing art in soft colors with beautiful expression. Any of us who have ever known (or been) a shy and lonely preschooler can relate to Rosie’s longing for a friend. You just have to see the page where she and Rasmus meet. He’s hidden up in a tree, and she’s sitting forlornly on the ground below, and out of the tree comes his tail – only his tail – offering her a flower 🌸 So incredibly sweet! Rasmus has his own problems. He can’t fly. So Rosie does everything in her power to help him. When his wings finally grow and he has has to fly off and do dragon things, they say a tearful goodbye. Rosie goes back to her village, once again watching the other children and wishing for a friend. But this time, she knows what to do. And I’m not going to tell you, because you just have to read this book and see for yourself!
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!
It’s Tuesday, and I’m so excited to introduce you to a new debut-ess! Let’s give a warm welcome to the lovely and talented Jolene Gutiérrez and have a look at her book about learning to respect personal space!
Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader written by Jolene Gutiérrez illustrated by Heather Bell published on August 11, 2020 Clear Fork/Spork Publishing Fiction, ages 5-9
Oliver hopes he can learn to be a good friend by observing how guinea pig friends Mac and Cheese interact. Snuggling might be OK for guinea pigs, but Oliver’s classmates don’t like him getting in their personal space bubbles!
SUSANNA: Thank you so much for joining us today, Jolene! We are all excited to hear about your journey to publication! Where did the idea for this book come from?
JOLENE: Based on some of my experiences as a teacher librarian and a parent, I know that many kids struggle with the concept of personal space and friendship/social skills. I wanted to write a story that would give kids and adults talking points and tools around these topics.
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
JOLENE: My first draft took me a few weeks to write, but something about it wasn’t quite right. I tinkered with it on and off over a couple of years (in addition to writing other things).
SUSANNA: Did you go through many revisions?
JOLENE: Yes, I went through many revisions! Originally, the story included tiny aliens in flying saucers who were zooming into people’s personal space. In 2018, I had a critique with Callie Metler-Smith, owner of Clear Fork Publishing. While we were looking at the manuscript, Callie said, “Why not take out the aliens and just make this about a boy who struggles with personal space? Lots of people can relate to that.”
SUSANNA: When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
JOLENE: After my initial critique with Callie, she said she’d be interested in seeing the edits I made to my manuscript, so I shared them with her. We went back and forth for 3 or 4 months, tweaking the story and making edits.
SUSANNA: When and how did you submit?
JOLENE: At the same time I was making edits on Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader with Callie, I was wrapping up one of Mira Reisberg’s Children’s Book Academy courses, the Craft and Business of Writing Children’s Books. I didn’t have an agent at this time, but Mira had invited me to submit one of my other manuscripts to Clear Fork Publishing and Callie invited me to submit Mac and Cheese (then called The Personal Space Invader), so in the summer of 2018, I submitted both manuscripts to Clear Fork.
SUSANNA: When did you get “the call”? (Best moment ever! 😊)
JOLENE: At the end of October in 2018, Callie reached out via email and asked for my address and phone number. . .I was cautiously optimistic. I didn’t want to get too excited and be disappointed. 😉 So when Callie called me and said she and Mira would like to publish Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader, I was over the moon happy!!
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?
JOLENE: After I finished screaming and jumping up and down, my family and I went out for dinner at a nice restaurant and I ate chocolate!
SUSANNA: Can you tell us a little about the editorial process?
JOLENE: Much of the revision process happened before Callie offered me a contract. After I signed the contract, there was more work with fine-tuning the manuscript and language and making sure the pagination worked. Although I never say it in the text, my main character Oliver is a boy on the autism spectrum, so I had a few sensitivity readers including people with autism and school counselors who have worked with children with autism, and I incorporated their feedback into my edits as well.
SUSANNA: What can you tell us about your experience of the illustration process?
JOLENE: Before Callie and Mira signed an illustrator, they did show me a few options and asked their favorite illustrator, Heather Bell, to create character sketches. When they shared Heather’s character sketches, I fell in love with her gorgeous illustrations. Mira hosted various video meetings with Heather and I where we looked at the spreads and talked through edits.
From the very beginning, I knew I wanted Oliver to have a notebook where he wrote and sketched his observations about the world, so I included that information in the form of art notes. My first art note in the manuscript read: Mac and Cheese are guinea pigs. Oliver watches them and takes notes/sketches pictures in notebook. Oliver’s notebook is with him throughout the book, and I love the adorable sketches Heather created within. Here’s an example of Oliver with his notebook and one of the sketches he made based on what he saw Mac and Cheese doing.
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc.? What was that like?
JOLENE: Yes, and that was tough. I made a conscious choice not to label Oliver as a boy with autism, and my reviewer from Kirkus didn’t like that. The reviewer wrote, in part, “Gutiérrez’s simple story, sprinkled with a few Spanish words from the teacher, lacks the context needed to explain why this young, apparent middle grader has no socialization skills, introducing his difficulty with the simple line “I’ve always wondered how to be a good friend.” The author’s note discusses how acceptable personal-space boundaries can vary culturally and individually but does not illuminate Oliver’s particular challenges further.”
I still feel strongly that a person (or reader) doesn’t need to know a child’s diagnosis (if they have one) to treat them as an individual and with respect and compassion. Many people are challenged by personal space, and I didn’t want it to be viewed as something that only people with autism struggle with.
SUSANNA: I understand your reasoning and think it is sound! (And a lot of us have had less than complimentary reviews from Kirkus! 😊) How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
JOLENE: A little over 1½ years—it felt like a long time, but honestly, this is pretty fast in the picture book world!
SUSANNA: What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
JOLENE: They’ve promoted Mac and Cheese in blog posts, on their websites, in Mira’s Children’s Book Academy, and on social media.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
JOLENE: I created a teacher’s guide, activity guide, and craft sheets (with the help of illustrator Heather Bell and my daughter, Shaian Gutiérrez), and created book swag like bookmarks, stickers, and pins (again, with the help of Shaian). I made a book trailer and sell sheets. I am a member of debut book groups Picture Book Buzz and Perfect2020PBs. I was part of a blog tour, participated in Twitter parties, and have done a few virtual school visits. I partnered with my local SCBWI chapter on some events, did a book launch party with local book store Second Store to the Right, was hosted on the Reading with Your Kids podcast, and presented to the Detroit Writing Room. I’m scheduled as a guest presenter for Children’s Book Academy as well.
SUSANNA: Wow! You’ve been busy! How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
JOLENE: Oh, boy. Well, I joined SCBWI in 2008, and at that time, I wanted to write picture books. A friend who was also a writer told me that the picture book market is really difficult to break into, especially since I’m not an illustrator, so she encouraged me to write within another genre. I tried young adult first, but in 2013, I joined Julie Hedlund’s 12×12 group. I still worked on young adult and middle grade as well, but I finally allowed myself to follow my heart write picture books. I received my contract in 2018.
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?)
JOLENE: I always knew the writing journey would teach me patience. It has also taught me persistence. There were times during this journey that I considered giving up. I’m a teacher/librarian as well, so I would say to myself, “What are you doing? You already have a day job and there aren’t enough hours in the day! You don’t need to write.” But the truth was, I did need to write. Not to pay the bills, but to feed my soul. So I told myself I’d just keep writing as long as I was moved to do so. I gave myself permission to stop if the joy in the process disappeared. But the joy never disappeared, because writing is like magic—you’re conjuring something larger than yourself. I self-talk like that a lot, and another thing I’ve told myself in regards to reaching my goals is that I have two choices: to stop working toward a goal (in which case I’ll never reach that goal), or to continue working toward a goal (in which case I’ll get there eventually). The other thought I would offer is try to surround yourself with a supportive community. The KidLit community is one of the kindest communities you’ll find anywhere. Connect with others who are moved to make magic like you are. Share tips and tricks. Read others’ work. Read their books and leave reviews. Settle in with the people who will hold you up when you’re falling and lift you up when you’ve done well.
This is me with Daffodil, a baby squirrel we found right before a blizzard in April 2020. My daughter and I fed him every 2 hours and released him in our back yard in July. He still visits us.And these are our 3 rescue dogs, Wynter, Echo, and Summer. 😊
SUSANNA: Great advice! Thank you so much for taking the time to participate in this series, Jolene, and for paying it forward to other writers! I know I speak for everyone when I wish you the very best of luck with this and future titles!!! 😊
JOLENE: Thank YOU so much for this amazing opportunity! I’m so grateful!!
Readers, if you have questions for Jolene, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!
You may purchase Jolene’s book at: (all links below are book-specific)
I love the book I’m sharing today. It portrays friendship so believably, and the moment of separation with such tenderness. If you’re a writer, this is a wonderful example to study of how to create emotion with simple text and few words.
Title: Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away
Written By: Meg Medina
Illustrated By: Sonia Sanchez
Candlewick, September 2020, fiction
Suitable For Ages: 5-7
Themes/Topics: friendship, moving, separation
Opening: “Evelyn Del Rey is my mejor amiga, my numero uno best friend. “Come play, Daniela,” she says, just like she always does. Just like today is any other day.“
text copyright Meg Medina 2020, illustration copyright Sonia Sanchez 2020 Candlewick
Brief Synopsis: Evelyn Del Rey is Daniela’s best friend. They do everything together and even live in twin apartments across the street from each other. But today Evelyn is moving away. Putting off the moment as long as they can, the girls play until it’s time to say goodbye.
text copyright Meg Medina 2020, illustration copyright Sonia Sanchez 2020 Candlewick
Why I Like This Book: Like all the best picture books, this book evokes deep emotion with a simple, beautifully crafted and well written story in very few words. Anyone who has ever had to leave someone they love, even for a little while (and I think we’ve all had that experience!) will relate to this story and be touched by it. The colorful art shows the girls’ urban neighborhood and so many little details of their shared experience – holding hands, the string that runs between their bedroom windows so they can pass things back and forth, the stickers they put on each others’ cheeks. And we are left in no doubt at the end about the place each will always have in the heart of the other, even if things have changed and Evelyn will no longer be right next door. Nothing can take the place of your very first best friend.
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!
It’s Tuesday, everyone! And you know what that means!
It means that today is the first day of Autumn!
from the forthcoming DEAR GRANDMA by Susanna Leonard Hill, illustrated by John Joseph Sourcebooks Wonderland January 5, 2021
Also, it just so happens to be Elephant Appreciation Day! So here are some elephants for you to appreciate 😊
But even more exciting than those things is that Tuesday means it’s time to meet a debut author and have a look at her brand new picture book whose book birthday is TODAY! 😊🎉🧁🎈
I’m delighted to introduce you to the talented Nancy Roe Pimm and her very interesting book about a refugee from Afghanistan who becomes a pilot and travels across five continents!
FLY, GIRL, FLY: SHAESTA WAIZ SOARS AROUND THE WORLD written by Nancy Roe Pimm illustrated by Alexandra Bye Beaming Books September 22, 2020 Nonfiction ages 5-10.
“You must believe in yourself and allow your dreams to soar.” –Shaesta Waiz Shaesta Waiz, a refugee from Afghanistan, dreamed of doing great things. But first she had to leave a refugee camp with her family to make a new life in America, overcome gender stereotypes, be the first in her family to go to college, and overcome her fear of flying. After becoming a pilot, Shaesta made the flight of a lifetime by crossing five continents, making thirty stops in twenty-two countries.
SUSANNA:Welcome, Nancy! We’re so thrilled to have you here with us today! Where did the idea for this book come from?
NANCY: I wrote a middle-grade biography titled, The Jerrie Mock Story: The First Woman to Fly Solo Around the World. While I interviewed Jerrie in her Florida living room, she told me a young woman named Shaesta Waiz had visited the week before. Shaesta was an immigrant from Afghanistan, and she sought advice since she too wished to fly around the world. As Jerrie told me about Shaesta, she put her finger to her temple and said, “Shaesta is a smart girl. She is going to do it.” Shaesta and I met at an airshow where I was promoting The Jerrie Mock Story and she was planning her circumnavigation of the globe. When Shaesta completed her historic flight, she asked me to write her story.
Nancy Roe Pimm (author) and Shaesta Waiz (pilot)
SUSANNA: How long did it take you to write this book?
NANCY: It took me two years to write Fly, Girl, Fly. Different versions of this manuscript made it through all of the editorial hoops at two different publishing houses, only to get rejected in acquisitions. Acquisitions is the last hurdle to clear on the path to publication, and it is strictly a business decision and a numbers game at that point. I’m glad I kept moving forward despite the rejections. Sometimes you must fly through turbulence to get to the blue skies ahead.
SUSANNA:Did you go through many revisions?
NANCY: I went through lots of revisions with many versions of the manuscript. But looking back, I was able to pull out the best aspects of each revision to create one manuscript that shined. Nothing is really wasted. During the journey to publication I received editorial feedback from professional editors, and I found the experience priceless. Once I signed the contract with Beaming Books, we went through three months of revisions.
SUSANNA:When did you know your manuscript was ready for submission?
NANCY: I begin with a very messy first draft. After a few revisions, I bring the manuscript to my monthly critique group. I also love taking my work in progress or WIP to a writer’s retreats. One of my favorites is a weekend retreat given by award-winning picture book author and editor, Michelle Houts.https://michellehouts.com/home-old/editorial-and-consulting-services/
With Fly, Girl, Fly I also hired professional editor and award-winning picture book author Jenn Bailey. After lots of feedback and many revisions, I felt it was ready to submit. (Jenn Bailey can be contacted through reedsy.com)
Nancy’s co-worker – Tessie the cattle dog 😊
SUSANNA:When and how did you submit?
NANCY: I do not have an agent. I have eight published narrative nonfiction books and almost all of them were submitted directly to editors who accept unsolicited material. I painstakingly go over each query letter, and my nonfiction proposals go through numerous revisions before submission. I’ve met a few editors at SCBWI conferences and that is how Fly, Girl, Fly came close to publication twice, but crash landed. So, I tried something different—PBPItch, a twitter platform where you can pitch a story idea to editors and agents on certain days of the year. If you a get a “like” from an agent or editor, you need to look up the submission guidelines on their website and send your manuscript for consideration. Another twitter pitch event is #Pitmad
SUSANNA:When did you get “the call”?
NANCY:Fly, Girl, Fly had spent six months with one editor and three months with another before I finally submitted my pitch in June 2019. I revised a few times for Beaming Books and the contract came in September via email while I was on vacation in Paris. It is always nerve-wracking negotiating the terms without an agent, but the folks at Beaming Books were wonderful.
SUSANNA: How did you celebrate signing your contract?
NANCY:After I virtually signed the contract on September 23, 2019, I climbed to the top of the Arc de Triomphe, gave thanks, and raised my hands in victory—for climbing the steps and for getting a book deal. Best moment ever! I also popped the cork on a bottle of champagne!
SUSANNA:Was the contract what you expected in terms of advance, royalty percentage, publication timeline, author copies etc.?
NANCY:This is my debut picture book so I didn’t know what to expect. I hear most picture books take two years or more after the contract is signed. My publisher worked quickly and one year later, September 22, the book is released. I was given a nice advance, 10% royalties, and 20 free copies of the book.
SUSANNA: What can you tell us about the editorial process?
NANCY: I had a great experience. The editor and I went through several rounds of revisions, and we were both very respectful in our back and forth. The editor suggested I focus on how Shaesta took on new challenges and built her confidence. Shaesta overcoming her fears was an integral part of the story. We worked together to bring Shaesta’s inspirational story to life in forty pages.
Shaesta Waiz and Nancy Pimm
SUSANNA:Tell us a little about your experience of the illustration process?
NANCY: A big lesson I learned is that picture books are a 50-50 proposition with an author and an editor. An illustrator does not want to see any illustration notes. This is how it was explained to me: “Would you want the illustrator to tell you what to write and what not to write?” I did not send any illustration notes. I did see sketches, and I asked for a few little tweaks. The publisher sent me a digital advanced reading copy (ARC), and I was blown away! Alexandra’s illustrations were stunning. She really portrayed Shaesta’s spunk when needed, and at other times—her fear
Text copyright Nancy Pimm 2020, illustration copyright Alexandra Bye 2020 Beaming BooksText copyright Nancy Pimm 2020, illustration copyright Alexandra Bye 2020 Beaming BooksText copyright Nancy Pimm 2020, illustration copyright Alexandra Bye 2020 Beaming BooksText copyright Nancy Pimm 2020, illustration copyright Alexandra Bye 2020 Beaming Books
Dreaming Big
Feminism
Resilience
Opportunity
Refugees
Aviation
SUSANNA: Did you get to see advance reviews from Kirkus, SLJ, etc?
NANCY:I just saw a nice review from School Library Journal: K-Gr 3-Pimm’s debut picture book introduces readers to an inspirational young pilot named Shaesta Waiz, who was born in a refugee camp in Afghanistan. Waiz’s family was able to break free from the camp and move to America. Waiz, who grew up in California, defied expectations in many ways. She overcame language barriers at a young age, studied hard to become the first in her family to graduate from college, and became the first certified female pilot from Afghanistan. At the age of 30, she became the youngest woman in history to fly a single-engine aircraft around the world. Waiz’s story encourages children to never give up. This book could serve as an engaging read-aloud or an enjoyable solo reading experience. Bye’s colorful illustrations are emotive and elegant. Readers will be inspired to chase their own dreams. An author’s note and a personal note to children from Waiz are included. VERDICT Recommended for any classroom, library, or home collection.Kristin Unruh, Siersma Elem. Sch., Warren, MIα(c) Copyright 2011. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
SUSANNA:How long did it take from offer to having the first copy in your hand?
NANCY:It only took one year from the signing of the contract to holding the book in my hand. My debut picture book arrived one week ago. I hugged it. I looked at my name on its spine. I smelled the book and felt the raised lettering that spells the words, Fly, Girl, Fly on the cover. I’ve never piloted a plane myself, but I felt like I was flying then!
SUSANNA:It’s a wonderful feeling, isn’t it?! What kind of marketing and promotion has your publisher done for this book?
NANCY: Beaming Books sent media releases to flying magazines and parenting magazines. They pitched to major media outlets like Newsweek and TIME, as well as bloggers such as The Children’s Book Review and Mr. Schu Reads. The publisher also sent the book to all awards committees who may be interested.
SUSANNA: Describe any marketing/promotion you did for this book.
NANCY: I formed a launch team to help spread the word about my new book. I also made promotional material in the form of book marks and flyers. I hope to promote my book through my interactive virtual author visit. I started a newsletter to introduce readers to Shaesta Waiz and share stories that are not in the picture book. You can subscribe to my newsletter at: https://mailchi.mp/4a1c99c8b497/nodream2big. I wrote a magazine article for Girls in Aviation magazine. Although I try to do what I can, it is more challenging due to the pandemic. Many of the book fairs and author presentations are now cancelled. On a positive note, I am having a virtual book launch party with Cover to Cover Bookstore. Shaesta Waiz lives in Dubai, and she normally would have had to miss out on this event. But since we are all Zooming these days, Shaesta will be a featured guest at the book launch party! Please join us on Saturday, September 26 at 11:00 a.m. ET. The more the merrier! Register on the link below!
SUSANNA: How long was it between the time you started writing seriously and the time you sold your first picture book?
NANCY: I wrote my first book, Horses, Horses, Horses, at age ten and a picture book, Penelope the Platypus, nearly twenty years ago. Neither of those books ever got published. In those twenty years, though, I have written a couple of novels, and had a bunch of magazine articles and seven nonfiction books published. But the idea of getting the elusive picture book published continued to haunt me. Five years ago, I took action. I studied Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul. I took out my highlighter and read it cover to cover—twice. On each library trip, I checked out 30 picture books. Award-winning picture book author Will Hillenbrand gave me great advice. He said, “Read tons of picture books, take your favorites, and type the text into your computer to learn the rhythm and understand the flow of the picture book.” I went to Society of Children’s Book Writing and Illustrating (SCBWI) conferences and took every picture book breakout session. If you haven’t joined SCBWI, I highly recommend it. I always learn a lot, grow in my craft, and I love the meeting fellow authors.
SUSANNA:Anything else you’d like to share about your book’s journey from inspiration to publication?
NANCY:There really are no short-cuts. I’ve made many mistakes along the way, but I learned from each and every one. I’ve learned to love revising. Like a potter with clay, we must remove the impurities and get the lumps out. Then you can begin to knead and shape. When you are happy with your creation, fire away! It’s ready to send! I’ve almost given up on many occasions, but I always found a way to say yes and work even harder. In closing, I wish you the best in your journey and I’ll leave you with a few pointers to consider.
Develop your craft (Highlights Foundation, SCBWI conferences, 12 by 12, SCBWI digital webinars, Children’s Book Insider)
Join a critique group
Read a lot and read as a writer
Use mentor texts
Keep saying, “Yes!”
The three P’s Perseverance, Patience, and Persistence
Channel your emotions into your story. The writer’s heart needs to connect to the reader’s heart.
SUSANNA:Nancy, thank you so much for joining us today and sharing your experience. We all benefit from hearing about other authors’ journeys! I know I speak for everyone when I say best of luck with this and future titles!
NANCY: Thank you, Susanna Leonard Hill, for giving me this opportunity to celebrate my debut picture book and to share with fellow writers. I very much appreciate it!
Readers, if you have questions for Nancy, please post them in the comments below and if she has time I’m sure she’ll respond!
You may purchase Nancy’s book at: (all links below are book-specific)
Susanna Leonard Hill 
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