Karlin Gray

Ammi-Joan Paquette is an agent, mother, traveler, chocolate connoisseur, and a writer of picture books and chapter books, including the PRINCESS JUNIPER series. But today she takes some time to look back at her very first picture book, THE TIPTOE GUIDE TO TRACKING FAIRIES where "kids will enjoy spotting the fantastical creatures hiding here and there amongst the flora and fauna of the outdoor settings” (Booklist).

Q. Was THE TIPTOE GUIDE TO TRACKING FAIRIES the first picture book manuscript you ever wrote? If not, what was the first picture book you wrote and what happened to it?
A: It’s definitely not the first manuscript I wrote - I’ve always been working on many different projects at once. This first dates back I think to 2005, so I’ve got no idea what other manuscripts were in the works back then. But I do know they were many, and generally in poor shape. ;)

Q. What inspired THE TIPTOE GUIDE TO TRACKING FAIRIES?
A: It was inspired by a nature walk I took with my daughters, who were then 6 and 8. They were not especially keen on walks at that time, so we decided that, to liven things up, we would take a stroll through our local nature preserve while being on the lookout for spots where fairies might be hiding. From there the story took on a life of its own - and the result is as you see it!

Q. How did you pick the title of your book?
A: Originally the book was called simply TRACKING FAIRIES. However, my editor felt this could invoke a harsher feel: ‘tracking’ in the sense of ‘hunting’ (poor fairies!). My writer friend Natalie Lorenzi suggested the “Tiptoe Guide” portion, which I think did a brilliant job of softening and tying the whole title together. I love the result!

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft?
A: I think my favorite is probably the final page-turn spread revealing the fairies at the end. And interestingly, this was NOT in the original draft! My first incarnations were all very true to life, whereby the fairies were not found this time, but we had so much fun looking for them and will return again another time. The idea being that the readers could see the fairies, even though the kids didn’t. But my editor wisely said that we needed that satisfying payoff where the kids DO find their fairies - and I’m so glad she did.

Q. How long did THE TIPTOE GUIDE TO TRACKING FAIRIES take to be published—from the time you received an offer until it was printed?
A: First started writing it in 2005. It sold in 2007, and was published in 2009.

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 confess that there is a word repetition on the first page that makes me wilt each time I see it ;)

Q. What is your #1 tip to those who want to write picture books?
A: Read as many picture books as you can, especially ones which are debuts and newly released. Familiarizing yourself with what’s out there and what’s selling now is a really valuable tool to crafting your own masterpieces!

To learn more about Ammi-Joan Paquette, visit her website.
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Shana Keller is a busy writer, mom, wife, and traveler but today she takes some time to talk about her first picture book, TICKTOCK BANNEKER'S CLOCK—"a lovely book about time, patience and genius in its purest form" (Black History Channel).

Q. Was TICKTOCK BANNEKER'S CLOCK 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, Banneker was not my first picture book. I’ve written several. The first one was about storms and it is currently unpublished.

Q. What inspired TICKTOCK BANNEKER'S CLOCK?
A. The fact that I had never heard of him until my 1st grader came home with an article about his overall achievements. Intrigued, I began to research him.

Q. How did you pick the title of your book?
A. Through trial and error. I knew that I wanted his name in the title, and luckily my editor supported that.

Q. What resources did you use while researching TICKTOCK BANNEKER'S CLOCK? 
A. I started off with the library of course and read everything I could get my hands on, which wasn’t much compared to say, Frederick Douglass or Harriet Tubman. A lot of previous books published about him were no longer circulating. I ended up finding several books online and frequenting used bookstores both at home (Pennsylvania) and one state over (Ohio)! After initial reading, I contacted the Benjamin Banneker Historical Park & Museum. That visit led to meeting one of Banneker’s collateral descendants, which led to meeting others, and then the opportunity to interview them. I also went to the Maryland Historical Society and was able to find some of those hard-to-find books and see original documents that mentioned Banneker.

Q. How did you decide where to start and end this nonfiction story?
A. The more I researched him, the more it felt right to focus his story on the achievement that everyone supported during a divisive time in our history, and one he did of his own volition. It’s noted that people came from near and far to see his clock.

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft?
A. My favorite part is when he realizes he can cure wood. That’s problem solving and perseverance at its best! Yes, that part made it in the book.

Q. Did TICKTOCK BANNEKER'S CLOCK receive any rejection letters? If so, how many (ballpark)?
A. Yes. Seven (I believe), and one request for a myth, rather than a historical biography, which was still a rejection but encouraging nonetheless.

Q. Describe your reaction when you received an offer on TICKTOCK BANNEKER'S CLOCK.
A. Pure shock and joy. I read the email about thirty times. Then read it out loud to my husband. I know I scared him at first. He thought something really bad happened because of my total shock!

Q. What kind of input did you have in choosing an illustrator for the book? 
A. I didn’t have any initial input, but fortunately they paired me with an amazing illustrator. My input came afterwards when the sketches were made.

Q. What jumped out at you when you saw the first sketches and jacket cover?
A. It was kind of like reading the offer letter again. Pure joy and excitement.

Q. How long did TICKTOCK BANNEKER'S CLOCK take to be published—from the time you received an offer until it was printed?
A. We were fast-tracked, which I know is unusual. It only took one year.

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. Not a thing! I love it.

Q. Can you share any memorable parts of letters from kids about TICKTOCK BANNEKER'S CLOCK?
A. We gave my daughter’s teacher a book for their classroom library. They made a thank you card with a picture of the pocket watch on the front. It is the sweetest card ever.

Q. When you do readings of TICKTOCK BANNEKER'S CLOCK, which part of the book gets the best reaction?
A. When Banneker sets his clock on the mantel, that sense of pride pervades.

Q. What is your #1 tip to those who want to write picture books?
A. Find a topic you love or a person you love and go with it.

Q. Do you have a favorite writing exercise that you can share?
A. Journaling, but not for me, it’s for my characters!

Q. What are you working on now?
I have several on-going projects. I’m working on two other picture books, both historical, and literally as of Saturday, a new middle-grade story has sunk itself into my mind! I’m obsessed with it.
To learn more about Shana Keller and her projects, visit her website

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Ed Masessa's work includes managing selections for Scholastic Book Fairs, critiquing books, and writing children's books. He is the author of the New York Times bestseller THE WANDMAKER'S GUIDEBOOK but today he looks back at his first picture book, SCARECROW MAGIC—"Halloween-worthy chills for any time of year." (Publishers Weekly, starred review).

Q. Was SCARECROW MAGIC 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 at least 20 picture manuscripts but Scarecrow is the first one that has been published. Which means there are many more to come! My very first attempt (some 15 years ago) was about a woodpecker with a soft beak – quite a handicap. I still believe in that one and plan to make some adjustments to make it more relevant to the current diversity initiatives that are sweeping the publishing industry. I might have been ahead of my time.

Q. What inspired SCARECROW MAGIC?
A. Like many of my generation, The Wizard of Oz was my favorite movie as a child. It was shown once a year on TV and it wasn’t until we got our first color TV that I realized that part of it was filmed in color. The flying monkey scene might have been terrifying if I hadn’t been so inquisitive. As they threw Scarecrow’s straw all around, I always wondered what happened to his bones. I thought it would be a cool tribute to my childhood imagination to create a scarecrow with a skeleton.

Q. How did you pick the title of your book?
A. I tend to believe that a full moon holds a bit of magic that is capable of making strange things happen. Add a scarecrow, and there you have it.

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft?
A. When they are playing jacks and eating snacks and treats that have the odor of feet. My original draft spent too much time on the set-up and not enough time having fun. I started adding more games and coming up with gross ideas and that’s when the story took off.

Q. Why did you decide to tell the story in third person?
A. Honestly, I never considered telling it any other way.

Q. Was SCARECROW MAGIC always in rhyme or was there another version in prose?
A. The story was always intended rhyme. That said, I’ve heard many editors at conferences tell authors that they really don’t like to see submissions written in rhyme. Yet so many picture books are rhyming. The trick is in making it rhyme with a natural cadence. I have a musical background which I think helped.

Q. How much of the story did you know when you began writing SCARECROW MAGIC?
A. I knew the beginning and the end, and that I wanted it to be a fun book to read aloud. Everything that happened in the middle evolved over the course of many revisions.

Q. Did SCARECROW MAGIC receive any rejection letters? If so, how many (ballpark)?
A. My agent, Marcia Wernick, helped me polish the draft and sent it to a half dozen or so editors over the course of several months. They all came back with a “well done, but…” And all of the ‘buts’ hit upon a central theme – the story dragged. So I kept the bones of the story and went to work on picking up the pace and the fun factor.

Q. Describe your reaction when you received an offer on SCARECROW MAGIC.
A. I was so happy I almost hung up the phone without asking how much the publisher was offering.


Q. What kind of input did you have in choosing an illustrator for the book?
A. Most picture book authors are not given the opportunity to select an illustrator, but because I’ve been working in children’s publishing for 20 years, I was allowed to offer some suggestions. Matt Myers was my first choice and I was elated that they agreed.

Q. What jumped out at you when you saw the first sketches and jacket cover?
A. I thought it was brilliant! He totally captured the balance between fun and scary. And the back cover concept was amazing! I never saw that coming and actually laughed out loud when I saw it.

Q. How long did SCARECROW MAGIC take to be published—from the time you received an offer until it was printed?
A. About two years, but I think part of that was because it is definitely a Fall book.

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. No, but I liked the character so much that I wrote a sequel… that will probably never be published. It was a heartwarming Christmas story with Scarecrow helping an abandoned puppy. And even though I had Scarecrow dressed in a ratty old Santa suit, there was a lot of resistance to using a scarecrow as a “Christmas” character. I’ve not given up, but I may eventually give in and turn the scarecrow into a snowman.

Q. Can you share any funny or memorable parts of letters from kids about SCARECROW MAGIC?
A. Some of the hand-drawn pictures I get are pretty funny – and usually better than I could have done.

Q. When you do readings of SCARECROW MAGIC, which part of the book gets the best reaction?
A. When Scarecrow jumps into the pond with just his underwear on. I didn’t write that into my notes and never saw it coming. But Matt has a terrific sense of humor and knew that any scene with underwear would tickle a kid’s funny bone.

Q. What is your #1 tip to those who want to write picture books?
A. If something isn’t working, don’t force it. Just scrap it and find a different approach. There are very few bad ideas but lots of bad execution.

Q. Do you have a favorite writing exercise that you can share? I love going to art shows and museums.
A. My favorite exercise is taking a piece of art or an ancient artifact and creating a story about it. I just let my imagination run wild. The more bizarre the better, because usually I will hit on something that can be fleshed out. There is a lot of truth to the adage ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’.

Q. What are you working on now?
A. I am revising the sequel to the Wandmaker, my first novel which was published in May. Wandmaker’s Apprentice is due out in Summer 2017. I am also working on my next picture book as well as a chapter book series that pays a bit of homage to one of my childhood heroes, Ray Harryhausen.

To learn more about Ed Masessa and his books, visit his website.
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Brittany R. Jacobs writes and implements educational curriculum and is the illustrator of MIA LEE IS WHEELING THROUGH MIDDLE SCHOOL. But today, she is talking to us about writing and illustrating her first picture book THE KRAKEN'S RULES FOR MAKING FRIENDS—"a playfully illustrated, gratifying, and thoughtful look at what it takes to make friends" (thepicturebookreview.com).
Q. You have illustrated books before THE KRAKEN'S RULES FOR MAKING FRIENDS. How did you make the transition to writer/illustrator and how does it compare with being an illustrator of someone else's work?
A. Ironically enough, I started out as an author/illustrator, and was asked to do the illustrations for the Shang sisters' middle grade novel after I had already signed the contract and submitted the final artwork for the Kraken. The middle grade novel's production was so much faster than the Kraken and ended up in print before my book. So my transition was going from writing and illustrating to just illustrating. It was nice to have all of the editorial issued hammered out before I joined the team!

Q. Was THE KRAKEN'S RULES FOR MAKING FRIENDS the first picture book manuscript you ever wrote? If not, what was the first picture book you wrote and what happened to it?
A. Not even close! About 9 years ago I attended my first class on writing for children at the Loft Literary Center in Minneapolis, MN and subsequently wrote my first picture book manuscript (dummy actually because I did the illustrations too) entitled What's That Awful Smell?! Well, it turns out that the awful smell was that dummy! Of course I didn't know it then, but looking back it makes me cringe to see what I produced in the early stages of this career. I still have the manuscript, and all of the rejection letters that it accumulated, as well as the DOZENS of other manuscripts I have written/illustrated over the years. Before I got picked up by my agent I had accumulated a whopping 287 rejection letters with various dummies! I think one of the main reasons I stuck it out all these years is because I was naive enough to think that I was always around the corner from success!

Q. What inspired THE KRAKEN'S RULES FOR MAKING FRIENDS?
A. One cold February evening I received an email from Clelia Gore, asking me to join in on a call for a picture book dummy. Dozens of author/illustrators were contacted and we were given two weeks to create a picture book dummy with 3 final art spreads and a full manuscript about the Kraken. I immediately got to work, and - spoiler alert - I got the gig! I liked the idea of the Kraken trying to make friends, but inadvertently scaring everyone away because of his monster's stereotype and having another "monster" helping to bridge the gap.

Q. How did you pick the title of your book?
A. I didn't get to pick the title for this book. I had pushed for Here Comes The Kraken, but through the editorial process they came up with the current title. Now seeing the book from a bit of a distance (meaning I haven't worked on the kraken since January) I can see that they were right, and the title they chose is perfect!

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft?
A. My favorite part is the very last spread/line, "Well, all but one." I love the idea that it only takes one person (or fish) to make a difference. It is one of the only things that remained from the original draft. Everything else (text and illustrations) went through round after round of edits.

Q. Why did you decide to tell the story in third person?
A. In the beginning I toyed around with telling the story from the Kraken's point of view, but I wanted to show why the fish don't like him. He's big and scary and has a terrible temper. Bringing the narration out to third person allowed for the reader to experience more of the characters.

Q. How much of the story did you know when you began writing THE KRAKEN'S RULES FOR MAKING FRIENDS?
A. I start out with pictures first, and then whatever the pictures don't convey I fill in the gaps with text. At the beginning I knew the start and the ending, but it took several drafts to figure out the 'rules' that drive the story.

Q. Did you write the story first, then illustrate it? Or did the images appear before the words?
A. Ha, got ahead of myself there! Well, like I said, I illustrate first and then go back and fill in the text. By "illustrate" I mean thumbnail on a small scale. In fact, if someone else looked at my initial sketches they would probably only see scribbles. These thumbnails are a point of reference for myself. Once the text is nailed down then I go back and flesh out the sketches to scale and then work on color.

Q. Did THE KRAKEN'S RULES FOR MAKING FRIENDS receive any rejection letters? If so, how many (ballpark)?
A. We had one heckuva time selling the Kraken, and it was because of the artwork. About 20 houses turned us down because they didn't love my illustration style. There was even a point where I considered selling the manuscript and letting someone else do the artwork. Thankfully Pow! saved the day and offered a contract for both text and illustrations, and we ended up with a lovely book.

Q. Describe your reaction when you received an offer on THE KRAKEN'S RULES FOR MAKING FRIENDS.
A. I cried. A lot! I was in the car and got a call from my agent, and I knew even before I answered that this was it. I kept myself together while on the phone with Clelia, but as soon as I hung up then the water works started! I had been trying to get published for 8 years and had heard, "Thanks, but no thanks" so many times that when I finally heard "Yes!" I just lost it.

Q. How long did THE KRAKEN'S RULES FOR MAKING FRIENDS take to be published—from the time you received an offer until it was printed?
A. I signed the contract in November of '15 and it hit shelves October '16, so a little less than one year. This is a very tight timeframe! Two weeks after the contract was signed 4 final art spreads were due, and the text and art all had to be turned in by early January.

Q. What is your #1 tip to those who want to write picture books?
A. Read, read READ! Get your hands on as many picture books as you can! You need to know what's out there, and what's selling in order to sell something yourself.

Q. Do you have a favorite writing exercise that you can share?
A. I LOVE poetry starters! They are simple, fast and wildly creative ways to keep the juices flowing.

Q. What are you working on now?
A. My agent and I are in the process of pitching a WILDly fun picture book, I have illustrations for another BEARy good picture book project out for review, and I just signed a contract to write a resource book for librarians on how to transform libraries into Adventure Learning Centers. Lots of fun projects!

Again, thank you so much Karlin!
To learn more about Brittany and her books, visit her website.
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It's October—a good time to celebrate bats . . . especially THE GENTLEMAN BAT! So let's look back at a Q&A by Abraham Schroeder on a book that "took almost ten years of tinkering."

It's October—time for all things pumpkin, witches, ghosts, and monsters! So let's look back at a Q&A by funny lady Tara Lazar on her first picture book, THE MONSTORE!

Former attorney and legal editor, Robin Newman prefers to write about witches, mice, pigs, and peacocks. She’s the author of The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake and has two books coming out in 2017—The Case of the Poached Egg, illustrated by Deborah Zemke (Creston Books) and No Peacocks! Illustrated by Chris Ewald (Sky Pony Press). But today she shares her recipe for brewing up her first picture book, HILDIE BITTERPICKLES NEEDS HER SLEEP—"A witch's search for a good night's sleep results in numerous run-ins with nursery rhyme and fairy tale characters in this entertaining story from Newman (The Case of the Missing Carrot Cake) and newcomer Ewald. Publishers Weekly

Q. Was HILDIE BITTERPICKLES NEEDS HER SLEEP the first picture book manuscript you ever wrote? If not, what was the first picture book you wrote and what happened to it?
A. Far from it! The first picture book that I wrote was about two sophisticated and somewhat snooty city cats who unfortunately get a country dog as a houseguest. Quite honestly, it wasn’t very good and not much came of the story.

Q. What inspired HILDIE BITTERPICKLES NEEDS HER SLEEP?
A. Hildie BItterpickles Needs Her Sleep was inspired by a neighbor’s witch weathervane.

Q. How did you pick the title of your book?
A. I played around with the title a lot. Some previous titles were: “There’s No Place Like Home,” “The Witches and The Real Estate Agent,” and “Shhh! Don’t Wake the Witch!” Originally, the story was about three witches, Hildie, Marge and Blanche. But the story was dialogue heavy with three witches. Once I narrowed the story down to one witch, Hildie Bitterpickles Needs Her Sleep just seemed like a good fit.

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft?
A. Hands down it’s the classified ads in The Daily Witch. The classified ads were not part of that first draft.

Q. How did you select the names for your characters? 
A. Food seems to seep into a number of my writings and I was playing around with the idea of what would you call a cranky, bitter witch in a pickle. Hence, the creation of Bitterpickles. For Hildie’s cat, I came up with Clawdia. What else would a witch’s cat be called? And Monty seemed to suit the personality of a slick real estate agent who happened to be a rat.

Q. Why did you decide to tell the story in third person?
A. I like that you can confide facts to the reader with a third person narrator. The story also never felt like it should be written in the first person.

Q. How much of the story did you know when you began writing HILDIE BITTERPICKLES NEEDS HER SLEEP? 
A. I knew I wanted to write a book about a witch with some real estate/neighbor-relation problems. But exactly what that was took some time to flush out.

Q. Did HILDIE BITTERPICKLES NEEDS HER SLEEP receive any rejection letters? If so, how many (ballpark)?
A. I think I received one or two rejections. And I remember one of the rejections arrived long after I had already signed the contract with Creston Books. It was for a very early draft of the story.

Q. Describe your reaction when you received an offer on HILDIE BITTERPICKLES NEEDS HER SLEEP.
A. Words can’t describe it! I think I may have cried. It was definitely up there with passing the bar exam and finishing my first marathon.

Q. What kind of input did you have in choosing an illustrator for the book? 
A. My editor and publisher had asked me my thoughts about Chris Ewald. I loved his work. He is AMAZINGLY talented.

Q. What jumped out at you when you saw the first sketches and jacket cover?
A. Wow! The illustrations were incredible. They were so much better than anything I could have ever imagined. I had never pictured Hildie as a child. I imagined her as a green cranky old witch. I’m so glad Chris had a very different vision of Hildie. And I love that Chris’ sense of humor also comes out in all of the illustrations. He has an incredible eye for detail.

Q. How long did HILDIE BITTERPICKLES NEEDS HER SLEEP take to be published—from the time you received an offer until it was printed?
A. It took about two years (I think). It was originally scheduled to come out before THE CASE OF THE MISSING CARROT CAKE but the schedules got flipped.

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 love the book. I was tweaking and re-tweaking the text to the very end. I’m thrilled with the final result.

Q. Can you share any funny or memorable parts of letters from kids about HILDIE BITTERPICKLES NEEDS HER SLEEP?
A. One of the very best things about being a children’s book author is getting mail from kids. I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE their letters. I save each and every one. Last year I Skyped with a school in Indiana for World Read Aloud Day and after reading Hildie and doing a q&a, my dog, Madeleine, made an appearance. She was extremely popular with the kids, as you can see by the letters below:
"Dear Ms. Newman, Thank you for skyping with us. I loved your book and your dog."
"Dear Ms. Newman, Thank you for being nice and wearing your witch hat. The book you read was awesome. Your witch hat was awesome too and your dog was cute."

Q. When you do readings of HILDIE BITTERPICKLES NEEDS HER SLEEP, which part of the book gets the best reaction?
A. The kids really enjoy spotting all of the fairy tale characters that are included in the illustrations. (As I told you, Chris Ewald is amazing!)

Q. What is your #1 tip to those who want to write picture books?
A. Read. Write. Rinse and repeat.

Q. Do you have a favorite writing exercise that you can share?
A. I spend a lot of time on character development. I do character studies for all my characters (even if they’re just quick notes) and try to come up with a minimum of four or five traits.

Q. What are you working on now?
A. I’m currently working on a bunch of picture books and rewrites. Stay tuned for details.

Karlin, Many thanks for taking the time to interview me. Wonderful questions. All the very best and much continued success with your writing.

Learn more about Robin Newman and her books:
Website: www.robinnewmanbooks.com 
Twitter: @robinnewmanbook
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/pages/RobinNewmanBooks/339179099505049
Link to the book trailer: https://youtu.be/WDvzxiV0OwE
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This week, I'm posting 10 tips from previous posts. If you would like to sign up for my monthly newsletter, hop on over here. (Last week's contest has ended and the winner has been notified by email.)

Jami Gigot: "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."

Christin Lozano: "Spend lots of time at your local public library reading what's currently being published as well as older titles. This will give you the best picture of the children's picture book world and it may even spark an idea for your first book."

Lauri Fortino: "Don’t try to copy what others have done. Create something new. Write the stories that only you can write."

Nancy Churnin: "If you are writing a non-fiction biography, ask yourself what was the person’s dream when that person was a child."

David Litchfield: "What I have learnt is that a good idea and a good concept can impress anyone."

Josh Funk: "Every book you write is likely to be better than the last, especially if you're going to conferences, getting feedback, learning about the industry, making (and learning) from mistakes, and more."

Katrina Goldsaito: "Rewriting was all about revealing the heart, all about making sure that every piece of the story is beating along with it—but it was there all along."

Deborah Freedman: "READ READ READ, and then read some more. With intention."

Heather Lang: "As the rejections continued to trickle in on my fiction, Alice inspired me to keep going. I kept a quote from her on my desk: When the going gets tough and you feel like throwing your hands in the air, listen to that voice that tells you, ‘Keep going. Hang in there.’ Guts and determination will pull you through.”

Hazel Mitchell: "It's good for the parent to have something to read aloud and not just to look at the pictures and also gives the child something to linger over."
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Originally from England, where she attended art-college and served in the Royal Navy, Hazel Mitchell now lives and works in Maine. She has illustrated many books for children including Imani’s Moon, One Word Pearl, Animally, and Where Do Fairies Go When It Snows? But today, she is talking about her author-illustrator debut, TOBY. "This familiar story with a family cast not often seen in picture books will warm dog-loving hearts.—School Library Journal

Q. You illustrated several books before TOBY. How did you make the transition to writer/illustrator and how does it compare with being an illustrator of someone else's work?
A. That's a good question. I have always written, but I've always been an artist first, even at school. It's what I was best at. But throughout my life I've always tinkered with story ideas. Finishing them was the big problem! It's easy to start, right? I think we all have a mountain of unfinished projects in drawers or under the mattress. So, I went to art college, art became my career (I worked as a graphic designer until I came to America in 2000). When I began to finally think seriously about trying to get work in the children's trade book industry, it was natural that I'd showcase my artwork first and that's how I got my first books to illustrate. But I was still working on stories. It was a great learning curve illustrating first and I enjoy collaborating very much with authors. But I still wanted to write my own books! And I wanted an agent and I wanted one who would represent my writing too. So I figured I'd better start finishing my story ideas. I'd been rejected by agents in the past (part of the course), but when I started to write about Toby finishing the first draft/dummy happened in 4 weeks. And strangely enough, my agent, Ginger Knowlton of Curtis Brown Ltd., signed me 4 weeks after that! This is my first book as author and illustrator. It's different in several ways from being illustrator only. When you receive a manuscript to illustrate, the idea is all ready conceived, you are working with someone else's idea. When it's your story, you are working on both sides of the fence at once. When I'm illustrating someone else's book I am always conscious of their words, hoping they will like the finished product and that I will do them justice. When I was illustrating my own book I felt like I had a split personality in some ways. I am looking forward to working on more of my own stories, but I also want to work on other manuscripts too ... because it's a wonderment drawing things you would never have conceived yourself.

Q. What inspired TOBY?
A. Toby, my poodle! I adopted him from Houlton Humane Animal Shelter, Aroostook, Maine in fall 2013. I posted a lot about him on social media and his development as a very fearful dog. People really loved him. It was actually Harold Underdown who suggested I write a book about him. And the rest, as they say, is history.

Q. How did you pick the title of your book?
A. It was always 'TOBY'. My editor (Liz Bicknell) and art director (Ann Stott) at Candlewick threw some other ideas on the table, but 'TOBY' was the final choice.

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft?
A. I have a lot of favorite parts, because although Toby is adopted in the book by a fictionalized character, much of what happens is from real stuff that happened with Toby. I think my fav scene is the part where the boy, who is Toby's new owner, comes downstairs when Toby's howling, gives him a toy rabbit and sleeps next to Toby to sooth him, (my husband did that the first few nights Toby was with us). And yes it was in the first draft (and we had about 5 drafts!).

Q. How did you select the names for your characters?
A. This is easy - I only have one named character! The boy and the Dad in the story are unnamed. Although Dad calls the boy 'Bud' affectionately. I don't know if that is his real name. My husband calls his son 'Bud' occasionally.

Q. How did you decide between telling the story in first person or third person?
A. Originally I wanted it to be almost wordless. But as I worked on the story with my editor and art director, we felt more words were needed. So it's mostly conversational in graphic panels, with some short lines in first person to lead the reader from one scene to another. It's good for the parent to have something to read aloud and not just to look at the pictures and also gives the child something to linger over.

Q. How much of the story did you know when you began writing TOBY?
A. Hmm. A fair bit. I knew that it was about my dog in a fictionalized setting. (Writing about me would have been boring ... and the child is someone the reader can identify with). But I didn't know the ending. Well I did, but I didn't know how I would get to it. And a LOT changed in revisions!

Q. Did you write the story first, then illustrate it? Or did the images appear before the words?
A. I started this process doing lots of scenes about Toby that I sketched and then linked together. There where very few words. As the story grew in revision more words were added, and taken away, and added. It was an interesting process and very different from how I imagined it worked in the beginning of my career... write a manuscript - draw the pictures. It's a BOOK!

Q. Did TOBY receive any rejection letters? If so, how many (ballpark)?
A. Easy again ... NONE. My agent signed me on the strength of Toby and Elizabeth Bicknell at Candlewick bought it. (But if you want to see my big pile of rejection letters from all my other projects, I can count them).

Q. Describe your reaction when you received an offer on TOBY.
A.*&^#%#^%^^!%^()))!)**#&^#^%^ SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!
But I also need to add to this that while the manuscript was being considered at Candlewick, the real Toby went missing! He was gone for eight days (and he had never even really been out of our garden!). There was huge search for him locally, people were holding their breath on social media and checking in to see if he had been found. At that time no one even knew the book was on submission! Luckily Toby found his way back ... if he hadn't I didn't know if I could have done the book. Talk about high drama ...

Q. How long did TOBY take to be published—from the time you received an offer until it was printed?
A. The offer was made Labor Day 2014 and publication day is Sept 13th 2016. So almost exactly 2 years!

Q. Is there anything you would change in the book today? (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. That's hard. There are always things you want to change. Images you wish you could do over ... I don't think there is anything I want to add. We did edit out one scene though, where Toby licks the boy's hand when he is sleeping. Toby did that to me the first week he was with us. He wouldn't touch us when we were awake. But it wasn't moving the story forward in the book. Kill your darlings!

Q. What is your #1 tip for writing picture books?
A. Write what's in your heart.

Watch TOBY's book trailer.
To learn more about Hazel and all her books, visit her at her website.

A winner has been selected and the contest is now closed. Thanks for participating! To celebrate TOBY's publication, Hazel is giving away a copy of TOBY. Simply comment below to enter. One comment per person, US addresses only, please.
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Heather Lang writes nonfiction picture books about extraordinary women, including The Original Cowgirl: The Wild Adventures of Lucille Mulhall, Fearless Flyer: Ruth Law and Her Flying Machine, and her upcoming book Swimming with Sharks: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark (December 2016). But today she looks back and shares the story of writing her first picture book, QUEEN OF THE TRACK: ALICE COACHMAN, OLYMPIC HIGH-JUMP CHAMPION—"a rich, deep depiction of Coachman's determination to overcome obstacles." (Booklist)

Q. Was QUEEN OF THE TRACK 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 wish! It took me seven years to write something worthy of publication. When my kids were little my love for Jane Yolen’s OWL MOON inspired me to write a lyrical picture book called GETAWAY about the kids’ fishing adventures with their grandfather. My kids illustrated it, and we gave it to my father-in-law for Christmas. It might have been a sweet story, but let’s just say I had no business submitting it to publishers. Maybe I’ll take it out of the drawer someday and work on it again…

Q. What inspired QUEEN OF THE TRACK?
A. QUEEN was my first attempt at writing nonfiction. I had written and submitted half-a-dozen picture books and two chapter books and received lots of rejections. I was a lawyer in my previous life and always loved research, so I decided to try nonfiction. Why not?! I immediately adored the research—the treasure hunt. I love sports, so I searched for a female athlete, and when I read about Alice Coachman I was amazed I’d never heard of this phenomenal woman. As the rejections continued to trickle in on my fiction, Alice inspired me to keep going. I kept a quote from her on my desk: “When the going gets tough and you feel like throwing your hands in the air, listen to that voice that tells you, ‘Keep going. Hang in there.’ Guts and determination will pull you through.”

Q. How did you pick the title of your book?
A. “Queen of the Track,” was one of Alice’s nicknames. Although she wasn’t treated like a queen by society, she behaved like one and really did dominate the track for a number of years in sprinting events and the high jump. The title also worked nicely with the ending—the King presents Alice (“the Queen”) with her gold medal.

Q. What resources did you use while researching QUEEN OF THE TRACK?
A. I read newspaper and magazine articles, lots of books about the 1948 Olympics and the segregated south, and an adult biography. I watched video interviews and historic footage and studied old photos. And of course, my favorite resource was Alice herself. She and her son were so helpful—answering my many questions. It was such a thrill to finally meet her in person after the book came out. We spent a wonderful day together in Albany, Georgia!

Q. How did you decide where to start and end this nonfiction story?
A. It’s always a challenge with picture book biographies deciding whether to focus on one event or a short part of a person’s life or even an entire life. Lots of things factor into that decision, like what research is available and what I really want my book to be about. I decided I wanted the book to be about Alice’s incredible determination and tenacity in the face of so many obstacles—poverty, segregation, and gender discrimination. In order to pull that off, I needed to start with her childhood. I always knew I wanted to end the book with her winning the gold medal—such a high point.

Q. What is your favorite part of the book? And was that part in the first draft?
A. I had to look back at my first draft to answer this—there were sooooo many drafts. I love the scene when she ran barefoot on the dirt roads and tied together sticks and rags to make her own jumps. It’s the fact that drew me immediately to this story, so that has always been a favorite. I also love the spread on the bus in London—where, unlike the segregated south, she could sit in any seat she wanted to admire the English countryside. That scene was not in my early drafts, and I love the emotion the art conveys.

Q. Did QUEEN OF THE TRACK receive any rejection letters? If so, how many (ballpark)?
A. No, I was extremely lucky on this book. I had a critique with a former editor from Boyds Mills Press. She was so helpful and in the end offered to send it to Larry Rosler, a Senior Editor at Boyds Mills. The 2012 Olympics were going to be in London for the first time since 1948 (when Alice won gold), so there was a big marketing tie-in. (And no, I’m embarrassed to say I didn’t realize this when I started writing the book—it was dumb luck!) They accepted it right away.

Q. Describe your reaction when you received an offer on QUEEN OF THE TRACK.
A. I had to sit down and take some deep breaths! Then I immediately called the people who had been with me every step of the way—my husband and friends from my writing group.

Q. What kind of input did you have in choosing an illustrator for the book?
A. Zero. The publisher had a great relationship with Floyd Cooper, and they knew right away he would be perfect for the book. I was ecstatic. Imagine having your first book illustrated by Floyd Cooper?!

Q. What jumped out at you when you saw the first sketches and jacket cover?
A. It’s difficult to describe the thrill! It’s the first time when I truly believed there would be a book. And Floyd’s art was gorgeous. He captured Alice’s spirit and the mood perfectly.

Q. How long did QUEEN OF THE TRACK take to be published—from the time you received an offer until it was printed?
A. Two years and four months!

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. The truth is—I can always find something to tweak. It’s as difficult for me to stop tinkering with text as it is for me to stop researching. I’m sure there is a word I would replace or a phrase I could edit. But I’m really happy with the pacing of the book, so I don’t think I’d add any other scenes. If I did, I’d have to take something out, and there’s nothing I could part with!

Q. Can you share any funny or memorable parts of letters from kids about QUEEN OF THE TRACK?
A. One little girl offered me some advice—she said, “If you get more determined like Alice Coachman, I’m sure you could get better at the high jump.” My bio on the flap mentions how I jumped 3 ½ feet in sixth grade and won a blue ribbon. Apparently she didn’t think I was blue-ribbon-worthy!

Q. When you do readings of QUEEN OF THE TRACK, which part of the book gets the best reaction?
A. Kids love the suspense of the ending spreads--when she fights for gold at the Olympics.

Q. What is your #1 tip for writing picture books?
A. Other than read and write a lot, which I think most serious writers do anyway, I’d say, join a critique group and surround yourself with other writers. Not only does my writing get better from critiquing other writers’ work, but the feedback and support is essential in this tough business.

Q. Do you have a favorite writing exercise that you can share?
A. That’s a toughie. It depends on the kind of book and what the problem is with the text. One thing I often do is rewrite the text in a different point of view. My picture book biographies have all been in third person. Early on I like to write a draft in first person. You will be amazed at the things you discover. It shows where you have holes, and it can really help with voice when you go back to third person.

Q. What are you working on now?
A. I’m really excited about my next book SWIMMING WITH SHARKS: The Daring Discoveries of Eugenie Clark, coming out on December 1st. I’m having fun working on a book trailer, marketing materials, and my website. I’m also working on a new picture book biography and playing around with some fiction!

Thanks so much for these terrific questions, Karlin. It’s been a lot of fun remembering the challenges and joys of that first book! And congratulations on NADIA—what a fantastic book about another trailblazing Olympic champion!

To learn more about Heather and her books, visit her website.

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