Rebecca Donnelly is a middle grade and picture book author. Her most recent books are The Friendship Lie (Capstone) and Cats Are a Liquid (Henry Holt Books for Young Readers). She's also a children's librarian. Rebecca lives in northern New York.
So what are Rebecca’s 5 Favorites?:
Favorite place to write:
Most of my writing gets done at the dining room table or the couch, but maybe one day I'll get a real desk!
Favorite mentor text:
For rhyming picture book nonfiction, I love WATER IS WATER, by Miranda Paul and illustrated by Jason Chin. The gentle rhythm, the perfect page turns--it's genius.
Favorite writing tip:
Not sure if this is a tip, but as you go along in your career, your ability to glean the useful elements of an idea and visualize it as a written piece tends to improve. It gets easier to yes to the right ideas and no to the wrong ideas. If it seems like all you see are the wrong ideas, wait--the right one will come along.
Favorite marketing tip:
If you buy one thing to advertise your book, buy postcards. They're versatile and comparatively cheap, and they make a great showcase for your cover. You can use them like a bookmark, but you can also mail them!
Favorite book event of the year:
I don't make it to a lot of big book events, but every year, I go to the Empire State Award luncheon at the New York Library Association conference. It's always a joy to listen to the current winner's speech and get a book signed. The award is given annually to a children's author or illustrator living in New York State, and we have a lot of authors here! This year, it's going to Bryan Collier.
To learn more about Rebecca’s work, visit her website.
As always, if you have read any of the books discussed here, please consider writing a quick review using the links above.