Karlin Gray

Three years ago, illustrator Laura Lee was inspired by what she saw on one her neighborhood walks and wrote her #firstpicturebook about a girl who has a unique superpower. This month her creation leaps onto bookshelves! "A visually captivating read” (Kirkus Reviews), CAT EYES “is a very special picture book story for children ages 5 to 7 and will prove to be an immediately and enduringly popular addition to family, preschool, elementary school, and community library collections for young readers” (Midwest Book Review).

Q. Was CAT EYES the first picture book manuscript you ever wrote? If not, what was the first picture book you wrote and what happened to it?
A. Yes, I was working on a few at the time concurrently as the book progressed, but it’s the first ‘finished’ one that I made with illustrations. 

Q. What inspired CAT EYES?
A. It was a walk down my neighborhood street.  Gum Street.  It’s this little hidden residential street by the side of the highway and near the train tracks.  A bit vagabond.  There was this abandoned cherry orchard that I used to walk by on that street, where a several vagabond cats lived… a nice lady in the community looked after them.  So on one of my many walks down Gum Street, my husband pointed out that I had Cat Eyes, because I always am able to see them when no one else can or before anyone can.  So I thought, wouldn’t it be fun to write a story about a girl who has this special superpower?  CAT EYES was born.

Q. How did you pick the title of your book?
A. I always loved cat eye glasses, and Miki, the girl in the story has a distinctive pair of red ones.  A friend of mine from Turkey used to have red ones that inspired me.  And Miki has that special superpower.  So she literally has cat eyes and figuratively has cat eyes. 

Q. Do you write by hand or on the computer?
A. I write on the computer. 

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft?
A. (Spoiler) The scene where Miki reunites with the special cat.  It was part of the first draft, but I changed the setting entirely. 

Q. How did you select the names for your characters? 
A. Originally I had picked Greta, because I liked the way it sounded.  But the main character is Asian so Ripple Grove wanted to go with an asian-sounding name, and we settled on Miki.  Miki was the name of my one and only cat.  My Miki got her name from the single name, Miki, given to several dozens of cats that lived on a farm in Slovenia.  My friend’s grandmother would call out ‘Miki!,’ and they would come running from all directions for food. 

Q. Why did you decide to tell the story in third person? 
A. I think at some point I had a first-person version but third person made more sense to me because Miki travels through landscapes imagining all these cat characters.  You get less inside Miki’s head but focus more on what she sees through the illustrations. 

Q. How much of the story did you know when you began writing CAT EYES? 
A. It’s hard to remember how it started, it was three years ago!  I think I wrote the actual story in about a day, then revised it over and over.  The story arc, which has evolved has essentially stayed true to that first draft.  I do remember going pretty quickly into visualizing the story in thumbnails.   

Q. Did you write the story first, then illustrate it? Or did the images appear before the words?
A. I think I held the images of the locations in my head from places I’ve spent time in my life— my favorite local park in San Mateo, a street I lived on in the West Village in NY, but otherwise words came first. 

Q. Did CAT EYES receive any rejection letters? If so, how many (ballpark)?
A. Oh yes!  Many, many, many.  Well, I first sent out to agents, and got some positive feedback which was great but no one liked both the story and the illustration style.  I sent out about 70.  Then I sent out to publishers who accept unsolicited manuscripts, and was lucky to find a publisher directly who loved the project.  I think I sent out about 50 of those!

Q. Describe your reaction when you received an offer on CAT EYES.
A. I couldn’t believe that someone believed in me!  It was so amazing.  I was ready to put the project on the shelf, and get back to my day job.  When Ripple Grove contacted me I was so excited but also nervous because I didn’t know where it would lead.  I’m so happy they found me!

Q. How long did CAT EYES take to be published—from the time you received an offer until it was printed?
A. One year. 

Q. Was there a part that you really loved but had to edit out? Or did you think of something later that you wanted to add?
A. All the changes made were well-considered so no— working with Rob and Amanda at Ripple Grove was easy because they are such amazing creative collaborators.  As a creative professional it’s a rare thing to have that kind of collaboration.

Q. Did you create any book swag for CAT EYES? If so, what kind?
A. Not yet— except for a little trailer.  Maybe I will!  I think it would be fun to make prints of Miki’s red glasses.  I’ve considered making a 3d book.  Cat Eyes headbands with ears could be cool too.  I notice a lot of kids wear those these days!

Q. What is your #1 tip to those who want to write picture books?
A. Do it!  Get a lot of feedback, try things out.  Be open to evolving everything. 

Q. Do you have a favorite writing exercise or marketing tip that you can share?
A. Hm.  I don’t do Twitter, but I share occasionally on Instagram.  It’s actually an amazing creative community, to get support and explore different artist styles.  I’m going to learn more about social media marketing in the future— I think everyone has to do their own social media marketing these days to gain support.  Which is good but also a lot of work!

Q. What are you working on now?
A. I have several projects in the works! I'm working on three picture book manuscripts, one is about mommy days, another is about saying farewell to a house and hello to a new one, and the third is about a sneeze. Yup, a sneeze.

Q. Where can people find you? (Website, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
A.
IG:  https://www.instagram.com/worldoflauralee/
Web: www.worldoflauralee.com

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Robert Broder is the Publisher and Creative Director at Ripple Grove Press where he has worked on several picture book debuts. But recently Rob published his own #firstpicturebook. “Impressively original and immensely entertaining“ (Midwest Book Review), PAUL AND HIS UKULELE is “a quiet story of a life made happy by following a passion for music” (Booklist)

Q. Was PAUL AND HIS UKULELE the first picture book manuscript you ever wrote? If not, what was the first picture book you wrote and what happened to it? 
A. PAUL AND HIS UKULELE was not my first picture book.  It was probably a rhyming story about a weed growing next to a flower.  But that was a long time ago.

Q. What are the pros and cons of being the publisher and author of PAUL AND HIS UKULELE?
A. The pros were being able to take a story we liked and making it a book.  The cons would be, well, during the making of the book, I didn't tell Jenn Kocsmiesky, the illustrator that I wrote the book. I didn't want that in the back of her mind because I was also the creative director on the project. 

Q. What inspired PAUL AND HIS UKULELE?
A. I guess you can say my own life.  I traveled quite a bit, then met Amanda, started playing ukulele, started Ripple Grove Press.  So when you read the book, there are similarities.

Q. How did you pick the title of your book?
A. The title for the book was original "Paul" because I like simple titles. But our distributor suggested when searching (on the internet or in data bases) for just the title "Paul" a whole lot would come up.  But when searching for "Paul and His Ukulele" it narrows the search.  But I like this more.  Because the book really is about Paul and his love for his ukulele.  

Q. Do you write by hand or on the computer?
A. I start by hand, then type it up. Then print it out, then edit it. Then fix those edits on the computer, then print it out again. and keep doing this process. I like editing on paper.

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft?
A. There's a spread where Paul is playing his ukulele on his front porch, while the other kids play freeze tag.  When I see that spread I think, that's me.  I was the kid that was indoors playing with Legos or my Matchbox cars instead of outside playing sports or physical activities. 

Q. How did you select the names for your characters? 
A. I was looking for a very simple name for the main character.  And I have a friend named Paul, and it just stuck. Four-Finger Frank came to me because Frank is such a mechanic’s name.  And then since a ukulele has four strings, it fit.  I thought it was funny that something must have happened to his finger a long time ago being a mechanic. And Clementine came to me because I wanted a longer name than Paul. And was also fitting because the name is in a song, which is what he's searching for in the book.

Q. What made you decide to tell the story in third person? 
A. Maybe because it’s similar to my own life, I wanted to remove myself from it.

Q. How much of the story did you know when you began writing PAUL AND HIS UKULELE? 
A. I would say half.  And as I kept writing, more and more comes from it.

Q. What jumped out at you when you saw the first sketches and jacket cover?
A. When I wrote Paul, in my mind he was always a boy.  But when I saw Jenn's portfolio, she had these wonderful foxes.  It just fit. So when I first saw the sketches, it just shined. And Jenn and I discussed together what the cover and back cover should be.

Q. When you read PAUL AND HIS UKULELE to kids, which part of the book gets the best reaction?
A. I would say when Paul meets Four-Finger Frank.  I usually do a lower voice for Frank too.  Since he's illustrated as a Pig, and he's a mechanic, I imagine him having a very rough, low sounding voice.

Q. Did you create any book swag for PAUL AND HIS UKULELE? If so, what kind?
A. My wife surprised me with pins with images from the book.  So sweet. I can't wait to give them out at my story times.

Q. What is your #1 tip for picture-book writers?
A. READ PICTURE BOOKS!!! Sorry for the all caps.  I hear all the time "I want to write picture books" or "it looks so easy" but they don't read picture books. It will help guide your style and imagination.

Q. Do you have a favorite writing exercise or marketing tip that you can share?
A. My favorite writing exercise is going for walks and making myself think on the story. What is working, what isn't, what will make your story slightly different. The mindful walk helps shape the story.

Q. What are you working on now?
A. I am working on a couple more picture books. Trying to think outside the box. Building on sweet characters in unique situations.

Q. Is there a public launch for the book (reading/part at bookstore, library, etc.)?
A.
Saturday, Nov 3 at Phoenix Books in Rutland Vermont at 11am with Jenn Kocsmiesky
Saturday, Nov 17 at Northshire Books in Saratoga Springs NY at 11am with Jenn Kocsmiesky
Here's the event calendar link: 
http://www.ripplegrovepress.com/new-events/?view=calendar&month=September-2018

Q. Where can people find you? (Website, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
A.
RobertBroder.com
@RobbieBroder
RippleGrovePress.com/Paul  
Book trailer

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Driving past a seltzer factory, Casey W. Robinson saw something that inspired her #firstpicturebook. Today she tells us how she travelled from that moment of inspiration to the publication of IVER & ELLSWORTH —“an original and unfailingly entertaining picture book" (Midwest Book Review), “sure to be a bedtime favorite.” (BookPage).

Q. Was IVER & ELLSWORTH the first picture book manuscript you ever wrote? If not, what was the first picture book you wrote and what happened to it?
A. Definitely not! I wrote many (terrible) picture book manuscripts before Iver & Ellsworth. They all sit very neatly in a file marked OLD on my computer.

Q. What inspired IVER & ELLSWORTH?
A. I was on a road trip with my family and we drove past the Polar Seltzer factory in nearby Worcester, MA. The factory has a rooftop bear, which we’ve driven past many times. But this time as we waved to the bear I thought, I wonder what this bear’s name is and what kind of life he leads… this would make a great story.

Q. How did you pick the title of your book?
A. It was the obvious choice!

Q. Do you write by hand or on the computer?
A. Mostly on the computer because it’s fast and I constantly fiddle with words as I write. But I take notes on paper whenever I think of a phrase, first line, bit of dialog etc so there are scraps of paper all over my house and tucked into pockets of clothing and jackets.

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft?
A. The two-page spread that begins “Before he returns to work, Iver always makes sure that Ellsworth looks his best.” This was in the first draft. I just love the way Melissa pulled it all into one spread.

Q. How did you select the names for your characters? 
A. “Iver” was easy – it felt like it suited his character, an older name, uncommon but not too quirky. (I have a list of names I like that I keep for characters yet to be created.) Originally the bear’s name was Orson. But as that is the trademarked name of the Polar Seltzer bear, my editor and I brainstormed new names – he liked “Ellsworth” because of the character in Deadwood, and I liked it because it's a town in Maine near where I grew up.

Q. Why did you decide to tell the story in third person? 
A. Third person provided the right distance from which to observe this story.

Q. How much of the story did you know when you began writing IVER & ELLSWORTH? 
A. I knew the beginning – both the setting and how to establish their deep friendship. But I had no idea how it would end! I wrote and re-wrote many different endings before I settled on one that felt right. And then we changed it again during revisions.

Q. Did IVER & ELLSWORTH receive any rejection letters? If so, how many (ballpark)?
A. Actually, no. Ripple Grove Press was my first submission. I took a long time to assess which publisher would be the right fit for the story. Also: I’ve received plenty of rejections since then!

Q. Describe your reaction when you received an offer on IVER & ELLSWORTH.
A. Ecstatic. I remember jumping up and down in my kitchen with excitement and the stunned looks of delight on my three daughters’ faces as they watched me and wondered what on earth was happening.

Q. What kind of input did you have in choosing an illustrator for the book? 
A. Rob and I had a few in-depth conversations about general art direction. I sent him the names of a few illustrators whose style felt similar to what I had in mind for IVER & ELLSWORTH. We were definitely on the same page and I felt very comfortable when he said I’d hear from him once he had signed the illustrator.

Q. What jumped out at you when you saw the first sketches and jacket cover?
A. When I saw the very first sketch of the characters, my first reaction was “Of course!” I didn’t know Iver wears a cap and has a mustache, but of course he does. I had the same reaction when I saw the jacket cover – Of course. It’s perfect.

Q. How long did IVER & ELLSWORTH take to be published—from the time you received an offer until it was printed?
A. Two years.

Q. Was there a part that you really loved but had to edit out? Or did you think of something later that you wanted to add?
A. We turned a good portion of what I’d written for the second half of the book into wordless spreads, so I edited out probably ~150 words. But for good reason – that part of the book is now much more powerful because you get to experience it visually alongside the main characters.

Q. When you read IVER & ELLSWORTH to kids, which part of the book gets the best reaction?
A. When the wordless spreads begin, kids usually lean right in to see what’s happening. The scene where Ellsworth is next to the Dinosaur billboard seems to be a crowd pleaser.

Q. Did you create any book swag for IVER & ELLSWORTH? If so, what kind?
A. I did – bookmarks, post cards and stickers. For my book launch event I also got balloons printed with Ellsworth on one side, which I love!

Q. What is your #1 tip for picture-book writers?
A. Read as much as possible – all types of picture books, old and new. And don’t limit yourself to picture books: novels, graphic novels, poetry -- be insatiably curious about words and the art of storytelling.

Q. Do you have a favorite writing exercise or marketing tip that you can share?
A. Marketing tip: Spend time helping to promote other authors and the books you love – write online reviews or reviews on your blog, post book covers on social media, retweet news of deals or book launches. The kidlit community is fueled by this kind of reciprocity; it will come back around when it’s your turn to celebrate.

Q. What are you working on now?
A. Many more picture book manuscripts. I have about 6 that are in various stages of revision.

Q. Where can people find you? (Website, Twitter, Instagram, etc.)
www.CaseyWRobinson.com
https://twitter.com/CaseyWRobinson
https://www.instagram.com/cwrobinson/

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After spending ten years as a physical therapist specializing in brain injury rehabilitation, Katey Howes turned her attention to becoming a children’s author. She is a team member of All the Wonders website and writes a popular blog, kateywrites. And come August—her #firstpicturebook will be published by Ripple Grove Press! Thank you Katey for giving us a peek into the process:

Q. Was GRANDMOTHER THORN the first picture book manuscript you ever wrote? If not, what was the first picture book you wrote and what happened to it?
A. I’ve written a lot of short stories and poems over the years, but I really began writing picture book manuscripts in 2014, when I decided to quit my job as a physical therapist and focus on a writing career. GRANDMOTHER THORN was the third picture book manuscript I felt was “ready to polish,” though there were dozens of false starts and ideas that never made it to that stage. The first manuscript I felt was polished enough to submit was rejected by a few agents as “too quiet for the market” and sat in a drawer for a few years. I’m reworking it right now with the help of my critique group and agent. And that second manuscript was the beginnings of what is now MAGNOLIA MUDD AND THE SUPER JUMPTASTIC LAUNCHER DELUXE, which is being published by Sterling in Fall 2017. Back then, I called it Julia Mudd Won’t Wear That Dress. What a difference a few years makes!

Q. What inspired GRANDMOTHER THORN?
A. Great question! I have a small yard here in New Jersey, especially when compared to the open space I was accustomed to when I lived in the Midwest. To make the most of it, my husband and I planted raspberry and blackberry bushes in a narrow, sandy garden bed (about 18 inches wide and 6 feet long) between the back wall of the house and the stone patio. Well, the bushes must have liked it, because they grew like crazy! In a little over a year, the blackberry bush stretched almost 13 feet tall, and the raspberry bushes were trying to take over my patio. In an epic attempt to battle them into submission against a trellis, I got poked by one thorn too many and yelled “sooner or later, everything meets its match!” I was not entirely sure whether I was talking about the bush, or myself, but the idea for GRANDMOTHER THORN took root in that moment.

Q. How did you pick the title of your book?
A. I knew the theme I wanted for the book early on – but not where or when it would be set, or even a lot about the main characters. I wrote it many different ways, draping settings and voices around my theme to see what fit best. When I set it in a small Japanese village, inspired by the artistry of Japanese gardens, Grandmother Thorn practically wrote herself into the tale. I knew very quickly that her struggle and growth would be the heart of the story, and therefore the title.

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft?
A. I love the image of Grandmother Thorn as she follows her one friend, Ojiisan, along the pebbled path from her door, smoothing out stones disrupted by his twisted foot. This early glimpse into her need for order, and her willingness to allow order to be disrupted – for a short time – for the sake of her friend, has always seemed poignant to me. The detail was not part of early drafts, but evolved over time as I changed the characters slightly to both challenge and complement one another.

Q. How did you select the names for your characters?
A. At first, I wanted to use Japanese names for the characters – perhaps something that would literally translate to “Grandmother Thorn” and “Limping Man.” Our fairy tales and folk tales have such a tradition of these type of names – like Little Red Riding Hood and Cinderella, for example - and I felt it would lend to the folktale tone. After several conversations with native speakers of Japanese, hearing their thoughts on how the translations could be misconstrued, and realizing that for the average picture book reader they might also be difficult to pronounce, I decided to use names that would be simpler and easy to say.

Q. How did you decide whether to tell the story in first or third person?
A. I never considered writing this story in first person, as I really wanted to be able to look in on Grandmother’s world from the outside.

Q. How much of the story did you know when you began writing GRANDMOTHER THORN?
A. As I mentioned before, I knew the theme I wanted to explore – that of balancing chaos and control - and the vehicle – a garden – that I wanted to use to create the story. But the specific characters and twists and turns of the plot evolved through a lot of exploration and many very different drafts.

Q. Did GRANDMOTHER THORN receive any rejection letters? If so, how many (ballpark)?
A. Oh, yes! I received at least ten very nice rejection letters for GRANDMOTHER THORN before getting the incredibly exciting call from Rob Broder of Ripple Grove Press. Most of the rejections claimed to love the lyricism and symbolism of the story, but said that it would be a tough sell in the current market because it was “quiet.” Several agents who read GRANDMOTHER THORN asked to see other works from me.

Q. Describe your reaction when you received an offer on GRANDMOTHER THORN.
A. I was pretty much in shock! I was actually out on my back patio, right next to the devilish berry bushes that started it all, when I received the call from Ripple Grove Press. Rob Broder told me that they had read the manuscript “at least a dozen times” and never grew tired of it, and that that was the quality they looked for in books they made. I remember getting teary-eyed as I realized that someone else connected with GRANDMOTHER THORN the way I did.

Q. What kind of input did you have in choosing an illustrator for the book?
A. Ripple Grove Press is wonderful in the way they respect the artistic vision of both the author and the illustrator. I was asked to provide links to images or portfolios that represented my vision of the book. Once the illustrator was selected, she took some time to build her own vision, and then asked if there were any images that had influenced me. I was able to share with her pictures of my berry bushes, as well as tell her how traditional woodblock prints (called ukiyo-e) by Japanese artist Hokusai helped me envision the story’s Shizuku village.

Q. What jumped out at you when you saw the first sketches and jacket cover?
A. The first glimpses of the illustrations blew me away. The intricacy of Rebecca Hahn’s work, and the way that she brought the garden to life – almost as a character in its own right – made my heart leap.

Q. How long did GRANDMOTHER THORN take to be published—from the time you received an offer until it was printed?
A. All told, it will be about 30 months to publication.

Q. What is your #1 tip to those who want to write picture books?
A. Read as many picture books as you can!

Q. Do you have a favorite writing exercise that you can share?
A. I constantly write ideas – whether it’s for a plot, a character name, a funny line of dialogue – on sticky notes and stick them up on the side of my bookcase next to my desk. When I feel stumped or blocked or uninspired, I grab a note – or maybe 2 or 3 – and see what I can make of them in 15 minutes.

Q. What are you working on now?
A. I’m revising a rhyming picture book manuscript and a middle grade novel, as well as drafting a picture book full of mythological creatures.

Q. Where can people find you? (Website, Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
A. My author website is a great place to start: www.kateyhowes.com! I’m active on Twitter @kateywrites and on Instagram @kidlitlove. You’ll also find me at All The Wonders, where I help readers journey beyond the book, and as a member of Picture the Books, a website featuring authors with 2017 debut picture books.
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A contractor for an educational research foundation and a global relocation company, Wendy BooydeGraaff is also the author of a book which has inspired several children to go outside, pick up shiny gum wrappers at the park, and add them to a pretend pie. Today she talks to us about her #firstpicturebook SALAD PIE—“a fine addition to collections in need of imaginative friendship tales” (School Library Journal).

Q. Was SALAD PIE the first picture book manuscript you ever wrote? If not, what was the first picture book you wrote and what happened to it?
A. No, I wrote many things before SALAD PIE, and the first picture book manuscript I wrote and sent out was about the ubiquitous story line of a new sibling, so while I still think the manuscript is cute, it’s locked away in my files.

Q. What inspired SALAD PIE?
A. My creative and imaginative daughter, when she was two years old, going on three.

Q. How did you pick the title of your book?
A. This is one of those times when the title came first, and then the story. My daughter and I were at the park and she was playing pretend and said, “Salad Pie,” which I thought was so clever and creative that I repeated it in my head over and over all the way home. Then, during her rest time, I scribbled out the first draft of the story.

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft?
A. Well, let me answer that creatively. In the first drafts, the ending was different. I had Herbert sitting down to enjoy Salad Pie with Maggie, and then he forgot to pretend to eat the pretend pie. He took a real bite of leaves and gum wrapper and crab apple, which I thought was quite funny and ironic (especially to adults). I agreed to change the ending for Ripple Grove Press, and I think it is a much better ending for this story, and it now highlights Maggie’s acceptance of Herbert and his ideas for their next playdate.

Q. How did you select the names for your characters? 
A. The names Maggie and Herbert are right there in my first handwritten draft. They just seemed like the right names that fit the characters; my subconcious chose them.

Q. Why did you decide to tell the story in third person? 
A. Third person allows the reader to see the actions of Maggie and Herbert and make their own judgements.

Q. How much of the story did you know when you began writing SALAD PIE? 
A. The entire story came out in the first draft. After that, it took many readings and critique group meetings to make sure the story was saying what I thought it did. That’s always the trick of writing for me: to make sure I’m saying what I think I’m saying.

Q. Did SALAD PIE receive any rejection letters? If so, how many (ballpark)?
A. Yes, I had some rejections but the number is locked in a secret vault. ;)

Q. Describe your reaction when you received an offer on SALAD PIE.
A. Well, Ripple Grove Press had my manuscript for eight or nine months. I had politely nudged them twice at three-to-four month intervals to determine the status of SALAD PIE, and both times they asked for a little more time. Then I came back from a short vacation and heard the message on my home phone that they wanted to talk to me. I started getting excited, and sure enough, when I called back, Rob said they wanted to publish SALAD PIE. There were very few edits, mainly the ending, which he told me about before I signed the contract. Then we went over the manuscript a few more times, especially after the initial sketches were in, to make it perfect.

Q. What kind of input did you have in choosing an illustrator for the book? 
A. They asked for input, so I sent some ideas of illustrator styles, but they chose the illustrator, Bryan Langdo.

Q. What jumped out at you when you saw the first sketches and jacket cover?
A. The first illustration I saw was a character sketch of Maggie with her curly hair (which I loved because I have very curly hair) and puddle jumper boots. I thought her fun-loving, inventive personality was captured perfectly. The cover shows Maggie overjoyed with her invention, and Herbert in the background. I’m very happy with it.

Q. How long did SALAD PIE take to be published—from the time you received an offer until it was printed?
A. Just under two years.The verbal offer was in June of 2014, the contract was signed eight days later, and SALAD PIE was released on March 1, 2016.

Q. Is there anything you would change in the book today if you could reprint it? (Was there a part that you really loved but had to edit out? Or did you think of something later that you wanted to add?)
A. I’ve read this book aloud in book stores, on Skype visits, in real classrooms, and I don’t have any words or punctuation I want to change. This is surprising, because I am a nitpick, but also a tribute to Ripple Grove Press’s process, which was very careful and not rushed.

Q. When you do readings of SALAD PIE which part of the book gets the best reaction?
A. Invariably, when Maggie and Salad Pie tumble down, down, down the slide…and I turn the page and—nope, I’m not going to tell you. You have to read the book! But at readings, I always get a reaction.

Q. What is your #1 tip to those who want to write picture books?
A. Spend lots of time thinking about the words you write, rereading them and making sure they really are the words that are telling the story in the best way possible.

Q. Do you have a favorite writing exercise that you can share?
A. There are many writing exercises that I love, but I think my favourite stems from people-watching. Sit on a bench somewhere and watch the people who pass. Ask questions about them. Where are they going? What job do they do? Once you see someone that sparks your imagination, gather in as many details as possible about that person and then write. Make up everything you don’t know, from where they live to what books they read. It doesn’t matter if that person leaves—maybe it’s even better—because now you are in the realm of fiction, using your imagination to springboard there.

Q. What are you working on now?
A. I am working on more picture books and a middle grade manuscript.

Q. Where can people find you? (Website, Twitter, Facebook, etc.)
A:
website: http://www.wendybooydegraaff.com/
Read about many other picture book authors and illustrators at On the Scene in 2016: https://onthescenein2016.wordpress.com/
Connect and share your favorite outdoorsy books on:
@BooyTweets: https://twitter.com/BooyTweets
Pinterest: https://www.pinterest.com/wbooydegraaff/salad-pie/
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/14531750.Wendy_BooydeGraaff.
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Library Assistant Lauri Fortino is a strong supporter of library and literacy initiatives and the creator of Frog On A Blog, a forum for writers and fans of children’s picture books to share their views on all-things picture books. But today she shares the story of how she created her first picture book, THE PEDDLER'S BED—"a quirky little tale that expresses the core message of kindness and hospitality, sharing what you have with others, no matter how humble or how fine" (Midwest Book Review).

Q. Was THE PEDDLER'S BED the first picture book manuscript you ever wrote? If not, what was the first picture book you wrote and what happened to it?
A. I have written several picture book manuscripts, both before and after The Peddler’s Bed. My first picture book story was called Freddy Bear Goes Here and There, which I completed while taking a children’s writer’s course back in 2005. The story has gone through several revisions and title changes (and rejections) since then. I just recently dug it out again for even more revisions. It’s barely recognizable now as the story I wrote over ten years ago.

Q. What inspired THE PEDDLER'S BED?
A. My inspiration for THE PEDDLER’S BED came from a sense of gratitude I felt toward family and friends for their generosity. When my husband and I first got married, much of our furniture was given to us, including our bed. The story is all about kindness and generosity and I really feel the world could use more of both.

Q. How did you pick the title of your book?
A. The title just came to me when I knew the story was going to be about a peddler who tries to sell a bed. The title for The peddler’s bed never changed.

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft?
A. My favorite part is the little man’s dog Happy. He was in the story from the beginning. I’m pretty sure my dog influenced my decision to include a canine companion in the book.

Q. Why did you decide to tell the story in third person?
A. At the time, I was writing all of my stories in third person and hadn’t considered anything else. I’ve become more comfortable experimenting with different points of view now. I’m even working on a story that breaks the fourth wall.

Q. How much of the story did you know when you began writing THE PEDDLER'S BED? 
A. I had a rough idea of what the story was about, how it would begin, and how I wanted it to end. But my plot was disjointed. I had to work on connecting the dots from beginning to end in a way that made sense.

Q. Did THE PEDDLER'S BED receive any rejection letters? If so, how many (ballpark)?
A. Before sending the manuscript to Ripple Grove Press, I had sent it out only twice, and received back two rejections.

Q. Describe your reaction when you received an offer on THE PEDDLER'S BED.
A. There was a message on my answering machine when I arrived home from work (I work at my local public library) from Rob Broder, president and founder of Ripple Grove Press, saying he’s interested in THE PEDDLER’S BED and to call him to discuss a possible contract. Well, I must have replayed the message at least four or five times to be sure I was hearing correctly. Needless to say, I was thrilled!

Q. What kind of input did you have in choosing an illustrator for the book? 
A. Rob and I discussed illustration style and he asked me to name a few books with styles that I thought were a good fit for the story. We seemed to be in agreement about what direction to take the art. Then Rob contacted Bong Redila to see if he’d be interested in illustrating the book. I’m super pleased with Bong’s illustrations. They’re so colorful and unique.

Q. What jumped out at you when you saw the first sketches and jacket cover?
A. The first thing that jumped out at me was that the peddler’s cart looked very different from what I had envisioned. But that was perfectly okay. I loved the sketches! It’s fascinating to see how an illustrator takes your words and ideas and brings them to life.

Q. How long did THE PEDDLER'S BED take to be published—from the time you received an offer until it was printed?
A. I signed the contract October 31, 2013 and the publication date was September 1, 2015, so nearly two years. But I received my author copies in April of 2015.

Q. Is there anything you would change in the book today if you could reprint it? (Was there a part that you really loved but had to edit out? Or did you think of something later that you wanted to add?)
A. I’m sure there’d be a lot of things I’d change if I picked it apart, but I try not to do that. As writers, our inner editors are always talking, making us believe what we’ve written isn’t ready, finished, or good enough. Sometimes you just have to put him/her on mute and let it go.

Q. Can you share any funny or memorable parts of letters from kids about THE PEDDLER'S BED?
A. This isn’t from letters, but from talking to the kids about the book after I’ve read it. The book ends with the little man asleep on the bed on his front porch. I like to ask the kids how they think the little man will get the bed inside the house. One child said he’d prop open the roof and lower it down. You can’t beat the ingenuity of kids.

Q. When you do readings of THE PEDDLER'S BED which part of the book gets the best reaction?
A. What gets the best reaction actually happens before I read the book. Because there is a dog in the story, I like to share a picture of my dog with the kids. I show them a blown up picture of my dog with crazy, static-zapped, fly-away hair and tell the kids he was having a bad hair day. They love it!

Q. What is your #1 tip to those who want to write picture books?
A. Read bunches of picture books, especially new ones! Go to the library and raid their New Picture Book shelves. If you want to get published the traditional way, it’s important to really get a feel for the format and a clearer picture of what publishers are publishing and what’s selling in the current market. That said, don’t try to copy what others have done. Create something new. Write the stories that only you can write.

Q. What are you working on now?
A. I’m working on several picture book manuscripts as well as a children’s chapter book. My goal this year is to find a literary agent to represent my work.
To learn more about Lauri, visit her website
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Digital Artist Jami Gigot has worked on films such as Avatar, Tim Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory and Captain America. But today, she is telling us the story of how she created her first picture book, MAE AND THE MOON—"a sweet, quiet story suitable for a cozy bedtime reading" (School Library Journal).

Q. Was MAE AND THE MOON the first picture book manuscript you ever wrote? If not, what was the first picture book you wrote and what happened to it?
A. I had been writing several Shel Silverstein-style silly poems and wanted to do something with them, so I took a continuing education class in Picture Book Illustration at Emily Carr University. MAE AND THE MOON was an idea I started to develop while I was taking the course. It was the first picture book manuscript I wrote.

Q. What inspired MAE AND THE MOON?
A. As a toddler, my daughter was completely fascinated with the moon and we would play a game where we would try to spot it. One evening she said, "The moon is following us!" That single phrase started me writing.

Q. How did you pick the title of your book?
A. At first the project started as a poem called, "The Moon is Following Me." Ripple Grove Press loved the idea but didn't love the rhyme, so I rewrote the manuscript in a more traditional narrative style. In the poem the protagonist spoke in the first person and did not have a name. But, the character was always inspired by my daughter, and I was in fact drawing a stylized version of her. I toyed with the idea of having the character be called "the little girl", but in the end, I decided to go ahead and use my daughter's name, Mae. Hence, MAE AND THE MOON became the title.

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft?
A. My favorite part of the book is the wordless page where she gives the moon a full body hug. This was not in the first draft at all. In the first draft Mae gets angry when the moon doesn't answer her, and when the moon disappears, she thinks she scared it away. This is very different from where the story ended up. The final draft has a much more imaginative tone with her journeying to space to find the moon.

Q. How did you select the names for your characters?
A. As I mentioned, Mae is actually my daughter's name and this character is loosely based on her. The dog character is completely made up and not based on a real dog. My publisher started calling the dog Luna, which is how we referred to her throughout the process, although her name is never mentioned in the book.

Q. Why did you decide to tell the story in third person?
A. I tried different variations and this seemed to have the nicest tone.

Q. How much of the story did you know when you began writing MAE AND THE MOON?
A. Only the very basic premise really. I knew a little girl would have a playful relationship with the moon, and would feel upset when it disappeared. It evolved from there. I often write several drafts of my stories and they tend to evolve into something that I hadn't necessarily thought about from the beginning.

Q. Did you write the story first, then illustrate it? Or did the images appear before the words?
A. For MAE AND THE MOON, I wrote the initial poem that the story evolved from first. Very quickly though, I started doing character sketches, and creating a dummy book. Generally in my process, the images and text are linked from the beginning. I’ll have a draft of a manuscript next to character sketches in my sketchbook, and I’ll start making thumbnail storyboards pretty early on. Slowly things evolve to be more organized as I make revisions and work things out.

Q. Did MAE AND THE MOON receive any rejection letters? If so, how many (ballpark)?
A. I sent it to around ten places, and I received rejections from four of those, and no responses from several. Then I got a call from Ripple Grove Press and the discussions started.

Q. Describe your reaction when you received an offer on MAE AND THE MOON.
I was over the moon of course!

Q. How long did MAE AND THE MOON take to be published—from the time you received an offer until it was printed?
A. About a year for me to finish the book from the time of offer, and then another eight months or so before it hit shelves. During the process of making this book, I was also working full time as a digital film artist, and I'm a mother of two, so it was a lot of late nights. Despite the lack of sleep, I absolutely loved the entire experience of making this book. It truly is my passion to make picture books, and I learned so much along the way.

Q. Is there anything you would change in the book today if you could reprint it? (Was there a part that you really loved but had to edit out? Or did you think of something later that you wanted to add?)
A. I am still very much learning and honing my craft as both a writer and illustrator. That being said, I think that this book represents me at this moment in my career, and because the character is based on my daughter it will always be incredibly special to me. Rather than think about what I would change, I prefer to take what I learned and put that into my next project.

Q. Can you share any funny or memorable parts of letters from kids about MAE AND THE MOON?
A. One of my favorites is the question "How does she breathe in outer space?" Or, "Is that a pot on her head?"

Q. When you do readings of MAE AND THE MOON, which part of the book gets the best reaction?
A. The wordless pages are very fun because it gives a great opportunity for the kids to get involved. I like to open it up and let the kids tell me what's happening in the book.

Q. What is your #1 tip to those who want to write picture books?
A. If this is your passion, keep at it! The children's writing community is absolutely amazing and supportive. Find a good critique group and work hard on your revisions and/or art, and be open to constructive criticism.

Q. What are you working on now?
A. I am currently working on a project I am really excited about. It's a companion book for MAE AND THE MOON entitled SEB AND THE SUN. This one is for my son, Sebastien. It will have a similar look and vibe to MAE AND THE MOON, but is quite different, and brings many new challenges.

To learn more about Jami Gigot, visit her website.
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