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Official registration for STORYSTORM 2021 is now closed.
You can still participate by reading the daily posts and creating story ideas, but you will not be eligible for prizes.
(But you will be eligible for a pile of brand new story ideas to keep you writing through the year!)
Every year when Storystorm rolls around, I like to pick a theme for this registration post.
This year’s theme will come as no surprise…
WE FINALLY MADE IT THROUGH 2020!
And that’s all I have to say about that.
Welcome to STORYSTORM 2021!
Four years ago I changed the name and month of my annual writing challenge, from Picture Book Idea Month (PiBoIdMo) to STORYSTORM. Why? Answer’s here.
Although this challenge begun as a picture book writer’s event, any writer interested in brainstorming new story ideas in January is invited to join the STORYSTORM challenge of 30 ideas in 31 days. Any genre, any style; student, amateur, hobbyist, aspiring author or seasoned professional.
How does STORYSTORM work? It’s simple…
- Register.
- Read the daily posts on this blog, beginning January 1st.
- Write down one (or more) story idea daily.
- At the end of January if you have at least 30 new ideas, you can sign the STORYSTORM PLEDGE and be eligible for PRIZES.
So are you ready? Follow these steps:
- Register ON THIS BLOG POST by signing your name ONCE in the comments below. Full name, nickname, whatever name you’ll use for the entire event.
- Teachers participating with a class can register under the teacher’s name.
- Please leave ONE comment ONLY. Do not reply to say “hi” to a friend. Do not comment to fix a mistake. ONE COMMENT. Don’t worry if it isn’t perfect.
- Registering makes you eligible for prizes.
Visit this blog daily (taralazar.com) in January for inspirational essays by guest bloggers—professional authors, illustrators and experts in creativity.
Instead of visiting the blog directly, you can receive the daily posts via email by entering your address and clicking the “Follow Tara’s Blog” button in the left column—look under my photo for it.
At the end of January, if you have at least 30 ideas, sign the STORYSTORM PLEDGE (to be posted on January 31) and qualify for prizes.
Prizes include agent feedback, signed books, original art, writerly gadgets and gizmos.
Remember, do not share your ideas publicly in January. They are YOURS. No need to prove that you have them at the end of the month. The pledge you will sign is on the honor system.
Are you in? Awesome. Optionally, pick up your Official Participant badge (by Mike Ciccotello) below and affix it to any social media account you wish. (Right click to save to your computer, then upload it anywhere.)
You can also opt to join the STORYSTORM Facebook discussion group. Everyone needs writing friends!
(Your writing pals this year are our lightbulb mascots, Earl and Pearl!)
The Facebook group remains a year-round source of writing information and support, mostly focused on picture books, I admit, because that is where this all began.
STORYSTORM registration will remain open through JANUARY 7th.
In the meantime, head over to STORYSTORM SWAG CENTRAL to pick up your official journal. All proceeds from sales ($4 per item) will be donated to children’s hunger charity Blessings in a Backpack. There are mugs and shirts, too!
Thank you for joining, and let’s have a month filled with creativity and joy!
There’s an adorable new furbaby coming to town! It’s JET THE CAT (IS NOT A CAT), a debut picture book by Phaea Crede! Let’s take a look at that non-feline feline, illustrated by Terry Runyan…
Phaea, as you know, the Storystorm Challenge is coming soon, so I’m sure blog readers are going to want to know how the idea for JET began!
The original inspiration came from my 3rd grade teacher. Without meaning to (I hope) she made me feel like I couldn’t be a good writer because of my learning disability. That rotten feeling imprinted on me that “real writers don’t have dyslexia.”
Happily, I outgrew that idea. But I wanted to write something that called back to that sadness and frustration I’d felt as a child, but with humor! The image of a cat hearing she wasn’t a REAL cat because she liked water seemed perfect. I wanted Jet to realize by the end that she gets to define what being a cat is for herself.
I love that theme in a book—that being yourself is the only way to be.
Did you want to be a children’s writer when you were young?
No way! Writing seemed way too hard. I wanted to be a farmer—although I’m sure I got the idea that farms were fun from reading picture books…? I only started writing seriously in my late 20s, and that was mostly comedy sketches when I was performing at the Upright Citizen’s Brigade Theatre. But when you think about it, picture books aren’t that different from comedy sketches.
Speaking of sketches, tell us about the first time you saw Jet brought to life by Terry Runyan.
That was a bonkers moment. The first time I saw Jet was the same day I found out Terry would be illustrating the story. Along with that great news, my editor sent Terry’s character sketch of Jet just sitting and looking out at the reader. Jet had this open, sweet expression, pink cheeks, and these little lets that totally killed me. I screamed when I saw her and probably scared my family.
Jet’s world is so colorful and fun. It’s a bright, happy book. Is that who you are as a writer? What can we expect next from you?
Oh, thank you. And I HOPE that’s who I am as a writer. I often say that goofy enthusiasm is 80% of my brand, and I believe that translates to my stories as well! Embracing the silliness of life is my ultimate goal. This may sound cliché, but I just want to write stories that make kids laugh AND inspire them to be themselves. That’s what I needed as a kid! As for the future I’m working on a few (very silly) projects right now and I’ll have some big news to share publicly soon. But my main focus right now is introducing Jet to the world!
Thanks for showing Jet off! What a cutie!
JET THE CAT (IS NOT A CAT) will be released with Barefoot Books on May 1, 2021!
Best wishes with the book and your future projects!
Phaea Crede writes silly picture books for silly kids. She’s had lots of writing jobs in her life, like scriptwriting for the TV shows Nature Cat and Word Girl. Once, she even got to play video games and write about them for a living! But nothing in the world compares to writing picture books. Visit her online at phaeacrede.com.
with author-illustrator Monica Arnaldo
I’m so excited to be on the blog today (thank you Tara!) sharing a bit about Bed—the main character from my latest picture book, TIME FOR BED’S STORY.
Bringing an inanimate object to life for a book presents a number of challenges, both from a writing and an illustration standpoint, and this fall I got the chance to explore the process all over again by building a scale-model of Bed for a window display!
Here’s an early snapshot of Bed’s cardboard frame, to give you a streamlined idea of the design:
I wanted Bed’s look to reflect the personality of the character, with the traditional angles and lines of the headboard hopefully conveying a no-nonsense, dignified air. I felt that the fussier Bed seemed to the reader, the more satisfying it would be to watch the child barge in and make a mockery of bedtime.
A few more details and a coat of paint brought Bed’s signature scowl to life:
Next came all the soft stuff: mattress, pillow, quilt. After all, Bed has a soft side of course! The quilt in particular really helps warm things up. In the book illustrations the design is based on a loose interpretation of the old “broken dishes” pattern, which dates back to the 1790s, but sewing the real thing proved much harder (I am decidedly not a quilter!).
The finishing touches were Bed’s stickers, of course! I drew all the unicorns, rainbows, pizza and dinos in marker on some label paper with a sticky backing, and then cut them out and stuck them roughly where they appear in the artwork (which is certainly one way to kill a quarantine afternoon).
And here is the final product installed in the window at the wonderful Babar Books (Montrealers, check them out!). I’m so thrilled with the result, and love this old grump so much. Hopefully you feel better after sharing your story, Bed.
Monica, I’m thankful that you’ve made your Bed, because now I can interview him!
Hello Bed, you’re looking comfy today. You know, it’s not every day that I get to interview a bed! What do you like to do to wind down for the night and get ready for sleep?
Hello Tara Lazar, thank you. It is not every day that Bed gets to feel heard.
Bed likes to practice some calming meditation exercises, or sometimes do some reading if there’s a book open nearby. Anything to try and get centered before the chaos of bedtime begins.
Oh, no, Bed! Chaos? Bedtime is supposed to be a quiet, soothing experience. What is going on over there?
Well, Tara Lazar, Bed’s child has no interest in a soothing bedtime experience, and quiet is not a big part of the routine. Singing? Yes. Yelling? Sometimes. But mostly there are many excuses about another book, or glass of water, or trip to the bathroom. And always there is kicking.
Can you just close your eyes and drift off? I’ve got some breathing exercises that work well. Or maybe you need a weighted blanket? I haven’t tried one but I’ve heard they’re excellent!
Bed has never heard of this “weighted blanket” before—is that like when your child takes all of their toys and several very heavy books and household items and hides them under their blanket as a game but then forgets about them for several days? Because Bed did not find that helpful. Please send Bed the breathing exercises, though.
Besides the exercises, is there anything else you want, Bed? You know, the holidays are almost here!
(Breathe in for 5, hold for 7, exhale for 8.)
Well Tara Lazar, Bed doesn’t like to complain, but the holidays can be a stressful time—all the excitement and seasonal treats Bed’s child consumes can lead to some pretty late nights. So if Bed could ask for anything, it would be a little understanding. Maybe, just once, there could be a bedtime where Bed’s feelings are considered also? …And maybe some new picture books to liven up the bedtime rotation.
Thanks, Bed. Picture books are perfect!
In fact, let’s give a lucky blog reader a copy of your book, TIME FOR BED’S STORY from Kids Can Press!
Leave a comment below and a random winner will be chosen before the holidays.
Good luck!
Monica Arnaldo is an illustrator and author living in Montreal. In addition to children’s books, her work has appeared in children’s magazines and middle grade novels. Client include HarpeCollins/Katherine Tegen Books, Kids Can Press, Owlkids Books, Penguin Random House, Editions Scholastic, and Chirp Magazine. Visit her online at monica-arnaldo.com and follow her on Instagram @monicaarnaldo.
Our first gift this year is the adorable “Snow Bear” mascot by the generous and talented Tatjana Mai-Wyss. Give her a follow on Instagram @tatjanamaiwyss for a daily dose of happy! You can also find her art on Etsy.
Speaking of Etsy, that’s where our initial group of gifts can be found. Etsy offers a variety of unique treasures for a superstar scribe. Here are a few examples…
This is a handsome, protective and useful phone case. There are several Etsy artisans offering similar ones—you can pick a favorite—although I’m sold on the vintage book design.
If you like to bake, then these are for you! Fahgettaboud gingerbread men! Your favorite writer wants to bite into Emily Dickinson!
Alternatively, give these to your writer-baker friend and they’ll gift you right back with a set of Shakespeare sugar cookies. (I see two sprinkles making a fine mustache.)
Bonus: this scarf goes with any sweater hue!
Genius! Decals! You don’t need to hire a painter!
Beautiful keepsake journals in every jewel color of the rainbow.
I had never seen this before, but serendipity had me stumble over these games of yore. The first is from thee 1920’s and the second is the 1943 “Salem Edition.”
I love games of all kinds. Maybe your friend the children’s writer does, too. After all, we’re just overgrown kids.
MoMA “Writer’s Block” Jumping Game
Based on the perennial waiting-for-our-food-at-the-diner game, this version features colorful pencils to lighten the writer’s blocked mood.
Invented by a writing professor, this card game offers character traits, situations and motivations even your most daringly creative friend never thought of shoving into one story.
Pick some cards and then steer the story your way!
Modcloth is one of my favorite places to shop for quirky clothes. They are equally offbeat with their accessories!
It looks like it carries pencils, but it carries stuff to buy pencils.
How I needed these when writing THE UPPER CASE! (Not because I was cursing while creating it, but because these characters make cameos!)
OK, so maybe your writer friend wants to do some actual writing!
Bright and smooth for fanciful journaling.
Delde Sliding, Standing Pen Pouch
I stole this idea from Heidi Stemple! This case is amazing…you unzip, pull down on the side handles, and all your writing implements are there for the grabbing! Indispensable for book signings!
Writes like paper, saves like a computer!
Watch the demo of this simple, straightforward method of connecting ideas visually. Scapple is helpful writer’s tool from the folks at Literature & Latte who brought you Scrivener.
While your writerly pal is doing their thing, they could use a thing to ensure their comfort. (If they’re cozy, they will keep that B.I.C.!)
Happy heat for happy feet!
Hot tea! Hot coffee! Hot cocoa! YES, PLEASE!
Secret Garden Sherpa Fleece Blanket
Other blankets available; I just loved the birdie!
I know some fashionistas say that adults should not wear cartoon merch. You know what I say to that? See this gift.
Panda Fleece-Lined Slipper Socks
Cute AND cozy—the perfect combination!
Your writer, while feeling cozy, will also get hungry. To stop hangry from spilling onto the page, consider these snacks.
I ordered these for my daughter’s birthday and I can say MMMMRFFFFUMMFF!
(That’s “yummy” while my mouth is full.)
Based on popular street food from India, this is a bag of spice and crunch. I usually opt for the mild, but the hot variety isn’t too hot!
Each month they ship a book, coffee/tea and chocolate. The gift that keeps you eating and reading!
As I often tell students, to be a good writer, you have to be a good reader.
Women of Letters Scratch-Off Chart
As you read, scratch off the title to reveal the woman behind it all!
Here’s how it works…you nail it into your wall and place your books atop! Voila!
“Here I come to save the page!”
Have a clever burn within reach.
Once your writer has a book published, they need a way to display it!
I first discovered these hand-made, sturdy stands at my local indie, The Bookworm in Bernardsville, NJ. I ordered a set of 6 for myself and they are the hit of every book festival! They hold about 5-6 picture books, titled upward for optimal viewing as crowds stroll by. There’s even a space on the front of the stand to place a small sign.
The wooden dowels are removable, which makes packing them up and transporting them easy. They have different sizes for various kinds of books. Best career purchase I ever made!
One last gift, this one for writers to give the non-writers in their life.
With StoryWorth, you encourage family and close friends to share stories you haven’t heard before, then they’re collected and bound into a book. That’s a monumental memento! I wish this was around when my grandparents were still here!
I hope you enjoyed these gift suggestions!
Share the love and share your own picks in the comments!
Happy Holidays!
According to the Pew Research Center, 1 in 5 U.S. adults were raised in an interfaith family. While that doesn’t necessarily mean a Christian/Jewish upbringing, it is the most common mix…which makes me wonder why there aren’t more books that explore this dynamic.
Well, Janie Emaus has a sweet (and savory) picture book for those families! Introducing LATKES FOR SANTA CLAUS!
Janie, what was your inspiration for this story?
I grew up in a Jewish family and celebrated my first Christmas after marrying my husband. When our daughter was born, we had a Christmas Tree and a Menorah. As she grew up, I wondered if it was ever confusing for her. I looked for books with characters she could relate to and not finding any that were written in a fun, entertaining way, I decided to write my own. And because there weren’t any books, I thought, this would sell in a heartbeat! Wrong. Over two decades of heartbeats passed before the book sold.
Wow, that is an epic level of perseverance! What kept you going?
I’m always writing something. I would put the story away for months at a time and concentrate on another project. I sold a YA romance, Mercury in Retro Love, to a small press, which has since gone out of business and I have the rights back. I started blogging and writing for various websites. Along the way, I won an honorary mention in the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop competition. I had several agents and am actually querying again with my women’s fiction. I’ve learned not to take rejection personally, which is difficult at times. Because as writers we pour our heart and soul onto the page.
Yes, you took your family’s experience and poured it into this book. I know many families who celebrate both Christmas and Hanukkah. What was one of your family’s favorite holiday traditions?
Our favorite family tradition is getting together and making latkes! The women get together and chop, peel, fry, gossip, drink and laugh. We usually make them a few days before our Hanukkah dinner. Of course, this year will be a much smaller event. And yes, I’ve made latkes for Santa Claus, but he ate them with us at the dinner table and not on his sleigh!
Well, I’m known to prefer salty over sweet, so if I were Santa, I’d love to get a latke! (I mean, how many cookies could he possibly eat?)
Thanks for sharing your story of perseverance, Janie!
Blog readers, leave a comment below to enter the book giveaway.
One random commenter will win a copy of LATKES FOR SANTA CLAUS.
Good luck!
Janie Emaus’s debut picture book, Latkes for Santa Claus, was released October 13th. She is also the author of the young adult novel, Mercury in Retro Love. Her essays and short stories have appeared in numerous anthologies and websites. In 2016 she won honorary mention in the Erma Bombeck Writers’ Workshop Competition. To learn more about Janie, visit her website at janieemaus.com and follow her blog at https://medium.com/@janieemaus.
Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and if you’re like me, you want to dig into dessert first! So today I’m pleased as punch to highlight Hayley Barrett and Alison Jay’s newest confection—THE TINY BAKER!
Oh wow, it’s a delicious read!
Hayley, how did you get the idea for the story? Did you sing “Hold me closer, Tiny Baker…save your appetite for the pie tray…”?
THE TINY BAKER came to me as a first line, “The tiny baker bakes for ants.” That was enough to get my mind swirling with teatime treats meant for elegANT (get it?) customers. I had such fun playing with the cookies and pastries, stirring as many into the story as I possibly could. When British illustrator Alison Jay was selected to create the book’s artwork, I knew she’d whip up a fanciful fairyland, and she most certainly did.
But that first line didn’t remain your first line…
…how and why did you revise it?
The editorial process for THE TINY BAKER was straightforward and fairly easy. Barefoot Books’ Emma Parkin and I understood each other and the story right away. I was sorry to lose the mention of ants in the first line, but I trusted Alison Jay’s imagination and approach. I was confident she’d illustrate the teashop’s patrons with myrmecological and sartorial panache.
Once the first line change was made, I found I was free to describe the sweets on offer right away. That was nothing but fun.
Now let’s let everyone in on a secret…we share the same agent…and all three of us share a love of baking. What did our agent do when you sent her the manuscript?
As everyone knows, Ammi-Joan Paquette is an ace baker with a serious sweet tooth, so I knew she’d savor this story. I couldn’t wait to send it to her. Once I did, we worked together on a few small changes, then dusted the finished text with powdered sugar and sent THE TINY BAKER on submission. Waiting, whether for cookies in the oven or a book on submission, is always the hardest part, right? But patience pays off in the end.
So tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and I’m betting you and your Tiny Baker have a favorite recipe to share…? (Pretty please with a cherry on top?)
Of course!!! Here’s a small batch version of my family’s recipe for sugary, spicy:
MARY ANNE COOKIES
Ingredients:
- 1/3 c. all-purpose flour, sifted before measuring
- 1/3 c. granulated sugar, plus extra for rolling dough balls
- 2 Tbsp. molasses
- ½ stick of softened butter
- ½ tsp. each of cloves, ginger, cinnamon
- 1 large egg white
- ¼ tsp. regular salt
- ¼ tsp. baking soda
Prep:
- Preheat oven to 375.
- Line cookie sheet with parchment paper, if available.
- Fill a small bowl with granulated sugar & set aside.
Recipe:
- Cream together butter and 1/3 cup sugar until light and fluffy.
- Blend egg white into butter and sugar mixture
- In another mixing bowl, whisk flour with spices, salt, and baking soda.
- Blend dry and wet ingredients into a stiff dough.
- Roll walnut-sized pieces of dough into balls.
- Drop balls into bowl of sugar and roll to coat completely.
- Place dough balls on parchment-lined or ungreased cookie sheet.
- Bake 10-12 minutes until cookies are set and fragrant.
- Transfer to a rack to cool completely.
Enjoy!
Besides an appetite, what do you want kids to take away after reading THE TINY BAKER?
The picture book process invites serendipity. Writers and illustrators often share stories about the unexpected coincidences and surprising connections that arise. Although I began writing The Tiny Baker years ago, it now strikes me as a book fitted to this particular moment. The Covid-19 pandemic has knocked many of us flat on our backsides. We’re often “bewildered, flummoxed, in distress,” just like my bumblebee baker when she loses her beetle brigade.
I hope young readers notice how the baker’s community rallies—quickly and cooperatively—to assist their overwhelmed friend. Whether each day is good or not so good, may we follow their example and be there for one another.
Wow, a book with sweets and a sweet message. You can’t ask for more.
Thank you, Hayley! And congratulations on THE TINY BAKER, which is available now from Barefoot Books!
Blog readers, you can win a copy, too!
Leave a comment below…why don’t you share your favorite dessert?!
A random winner will be selected soon.
Good luck!
Hayley Barrett loves to write picture books. She is the author of Babymoon, illustrated by Juana Martinez-Neal, and What Miss Mitchell Saw, illustrated by Diana Sudyka. Girl Versus Squirrel, illustrated by Renée Andriani, released in June 2020, followed by The Tiny Baker from Barefoot Books in fall 2020. Hayley Barrett lives and writes outside of Boston. Learn more about Hayley and her books at HayleyBarrett.com.
I’m a sucker for a good pun. And when that pun serves a holiday that I celebrate, well, I have to celebrate the pun, too! So author Laura Gehl is here today with her new book, HAPPY LLAMAKKAH!
Laura, what sparked your idea for HAPPY LLAMAKKAH?
This was one of those books where the title came first. What’s not to love about a llama/Hanukkah combination? Usually when a great title pops into my head, I discover a book with that title already exists. I was amazed to find that wasn’t the case with this one. My Internet search found plenty of ugly Happy Llamakkah sweaters (my entire family is getting matching ones for Hanukkah this year…shhhh!), but no books. Still, figuring out the right story to go with the title was harder.
So many to choose from! Who knew?
I started off in a completely different direction from where I ended up. My first draft involved a human family encountering a llama family while backpacking over Hanukkah. That draft included, among other Hanukkah/llama connections, using llama poop to start a fire to light the Hanukkah candles (based on my research, this is completely possible, and I recommend everyone try it). A few of my critique partners gently pointed out that the jaunty tone of the title didn’t quite match with the text, which actually had a fairly serious storyline despite poop playing a key role. They suggested perhaps a rhyming story aimed at younger readers, with Happy Llamakkah as a refrain, would work better. After that, the book came together quickly, with no humans and no poop—only llamas and latkes.
What a hilarious story! Now I gotta think of a follow-up question to that!
Do Llamas celebrate Hanukkah any differently than humans?
Short answer—no! Longer answer: the Llama family in the book enjoys all the same Hanukkah activities as my own family…including lighting candles, playing dreidel, eating gelt and sufganiyot, and exchanging gifts. The only key differences are that the llamas in the book make a snow llama instead of a snowman (one of my very favorite illustrations by Lydia Nichols!) and that the Llama family gets to have friends come over to celebrate with them, since COVID is not a part of their world. Speaking of which, when you are finished looking up “ugly Happy Llamakah sweater,” you should look up “llama antibodies COVID-19.” A truly fascinating rabbit-hole into which to descend. You’re welcome.
Now we all know coal, carrots and a scarf make good snowman decorations. Do you have any tips for building snow llamas?
Why yes, Tara, indeed I do!
- Invite a real llama over to be your model.
- Build a llama body and head out of snow.
- Add ears and fur with hay and grasses. Take a photo quickly before Step #4.
- Watch the real llama eat all the hay and grasses off of the snow llama.
- Snuggle with the real llama while enjoying a cup of hot chocolate and wearing your Happy Llamakah sweater.
But don’t forget the llatkes! (Did you see that clever spelling?)
Umm, sure.
And llighting the Menorah!
OK, Tara.
And spinning…wait for it…the driedellama!
Great.
Are we done here?
Yes! Thank you for stopping by and for offering a signed copy to one of our blog readers! (US only)
Please leave one comment below to enter.
A winner will be selected on December 1! Good luck!
And…if you order a copy of Happy Llamakkah by December 7 from any independent bookstore, send your receipt to Laura at AuthorLauraGehl@gmail.com to receive a personalized Hanukkah card, bookplate, and llama stickers.
Laura Gehl is the author of more than twenty picture books, board books, and early readers. Her 2020 releases included Baby Paleontologist, Judge Juliette, May Saves the Day, Cat Has a Plan, and The Ninja Club Sleepover. Laura loves to snuggle up with a llama while reading a good book. Or at least she would love to give it a try! Visit her online at lauragehl.com.
by Kira Bigwood
Thank you so much, Tara, for having me on your blog today. I’m thrilled to share my story—a Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature success story…that almost wasn’t.
It was 2018, and the third year in a row I was applying to the annual RUCCL One-on-One Plus Conference. If I’m being honest, I was feeling a bit deflated. The previous two years, I submitted what I thought were my absolute-slam-dunk manuscripts…andddddd got rejected. That year, I didn’t feel I had anything that resembled even a layup. I waited until the very last day to submit, and then decided to try something different.
Remember that Seinfeld episode where George does everything opposite?
Jerry tells him, “If every instinct you have is wrong, then the opposite would have to be right.”
I decided to test this theory. Going against all my instincts, I submitted what I thought was my weakest story (writing is subjective, after all). And wouldn’t you know, I got accepted!
Now I had been given the thrilling opportunity to travel to New Jersey. Where I knew no one. To attend a conference. Where I knew no one. And go over my work, face to face, with a real live editor (who, to recap, I did not know).
Kira was terrified.
But I wasn’t Kira. I was Opposite Kira!
For one whole weekend, I forced myself to go against every introvert instinct I had (a truly, truly difficult thing to do). Every time I felt like retreating into my bagel and cream cheese, I wondered, “What would Costanza do?”
That is how I found myself walking solo into a hotel bar to meet up with other attendees. That is how I found myself striking up a conversation with the conference co-chair (the charming Tara herself, who gave me a shout-out during her closing remarks). That is how I found myself showing my mentor one last manuscript—“It’s a lullaby for little spies, but it might not be anything yet”—which is how I found myself chatting up a different editor at lunch, who just happened to love spy stories.
And that, my friends, is how I found myself with a debut picture book.
SECRET, SECRET AGENT GUY (a 007-twist on the classic Twinkle, Twinkle Little Star) illustrated by the talented Celia Krampien, releases this May from Atheneum/Simon & Schuster. And all because I went against every instinct I had.
If you’re in a rut, why not try being your opposite self? Why not try doing everything “wrong?” It just might be the rightest thing you do.
Blog readers, Kira is giving away a PB critique!
Leave a comment below to enter.
A random winner will be selected soon!
Good luck!
Kira Bigwood is an advertising copywriter and kidlit author who lives in Chicago with her husband and three “spirited” children. Her debut picture book, SECRET, SECRET AGENT GUY, is now available for pre-order.. Say “Hi!” on Instagram @kirabigwood and Twitter @KBigwood.
by Charles Ghigna, aka Father Goose
We are excited to have Tara Lazar host our cover reveal today. Thank you!
A POEM IS A FIREFLY was truly a joy to create! I wanted to introduce the magic and wonder of poetry to young readers in a new and exciting way. My mission was to show children that poetry lives all around them, especially in nature. All they have to do is stop and look around. What better way to introduce children to the marvels of poetry than to have a friendly bunch of woodland animals gather in a forest clearing to answer the question, “What is a poem?” Of course, I wanted each character to show their answer in a metaphor, along with a catchy rhyme. What an exciting challenge that was! I only hope children and their parents have nearly as much fun reading A POEM IS A FIREFLY as I did in writing it.
It was also a pleasure for me to see our story and characters come to life in Michelle Hazelwood Hyde’s lovable illustrations. She captures such joy and whimsy in every scene, in the personality of each character. Children will have fun discovering their favorites, from the the cuddly bear on the cover to the big friendly moose who playfully wanders in and out of each scene from the early morning sunrise to the early evening when the firefly comes out to play.
And now, let’s hear from the talented illustrator, Michelle Hazelwood Hyde!
My absolute favorite moment of summer is when the fireflies begin to come out. I remember as a little girl catching them with my brother, sister, and cousins. It was so pure and magical. It still is to me. So when I was invited to illustrate the manuscript A POEM IS A FIREFLY, it was a dream come true. I am so grateful to get the opportunity to recreate those innocent moments of my childhood through the eyes of a series of playful animals. I hope the cover takes you to a peaceful summer evening, with all the wonderful shades of blues and greens, and that magic moment you spot your first firefly. At that moment if feels like anything is possible. It truly is.
Thank you for sharing your beautiful cover and story behind the story, Charles and Michelle!
A POEM IS A FIREFLY releases on May 28, 2021 from Schiffer Kids and is available for pre-order now.
As a thank you for visiting the cover reveal today, Charles is giving away a paperback copy of his book ILLUSIONS: Poetry and Art for the Young at Heart.
Leave one comment to enter.
A winner will be randomly selected soon.
Good luck!
I have always loved novelty books—they are proof that big things come in small packages! With their brief yet powerful words, adorable pictures, and clever format, they are the book equivalent of a “fun size” candy bar. I’ve even tried to write a couple, but who knows if they’ll ever be published? I’m no Salina Yoon!
Today, author Terry Pierce tells us about her newest novelty book, illustrated by Suzy Ultman, and how it came to be.
Terry, I’ve often heard it’s extremely difficult to get a novelty book deal if you’re an author-only (and not an author-illustrator). Please tell us now that’s bunkum!
Oh, Tara, I wish I could tell you that’s bunkum, but I honestly have to say that LOVE CAN COME IN MANY WAYS (as a novelty book) was an extremely happy accident. It began as a picture book, strangely, born out of politics. After the 2016 national election, I was so saddened at the civil discourse in our country. People just weren’t being nice, in my opinion, so I found myself wanting to write about something up-lifting. Perhaps to lift my own spirits, but I wanted to create a book that would make children feel better about the world.
I decided to write a picture book about love, but wanted to make it super kid-friendly, so I used animals as the focus. For weeks, I poured over images of animals showing affection, which certainly filled my heart (and time—oh boy, what a rabbit hole it is to seek adorable animal photos online!). When I saw a photo of a mother and baby giraffe looking at each other, I had my opening line:
Nose to nose or gaze to gaze,
Love can come in many ways.
I worked on the manuscript (writing-revising-incorporating feedback from my critique group) for about three months. During that time, I realized it leaned more toward being a board book due to the sparse text and simple concept. When it was ready, I sent it to my agent, hoping she would love it as much as I did.
She held it for a few weeks before submitting it to a round of editors. Lucky for us, Chronicle Books expressed interest five days later. And it was my brilliant editor Ariel Richardson who envisioned it as a novelty book! Of course, I was thrilled! I’d always wanted to publish a novelty book, but as you wisely noted, it’s not easy for an author-only to sell one (I came close once, but ultimately it was a pass).
So was it your editor’s idea to do the felt flaps, uncovering the sweet surprises? How did that concept come together?
The initial idea was to publish it as a novelty book with various moving parts (flaps, tabs, etc.) but soon into the process, Ariel let me know they wanted to use felt flaps exclusively. She was excited about some gorgeous felt samples they’d found that were both beautifully colored and durable (to withstand the tugs and manipulations of small hands). When she emailed me the sample color palettes, I absolutely agreed!
Once we knew it would be a lift-a-flap book, it was then time for the amazing Suzy Ultman to start the rough sketches, which included possible flap placement. Suzy is such a talent for drawing “all things tiny” as I like to say, and she did a great job of incorporating the text into those sweet surprises under the flaps.
Did this concept change any of your text? Were animals brought in or moved out to make optimal use of the flaps?
We did make some slight changes to the text but not to adapt to the flap concept. Suzy was so creative in how she implemented the flap idea—some flaps were body parts (an elephant’s ear, a swan’s wing), others were part of their design (a heart-spotted giraffe has a felt heart that lifts, for example) that I didn’t need to change the text and one even became a leaf.
Where we did make some minor changes were to the types of animals. I wrote the line, “Enclosed in tender, toothy jaws” based on a photo of an alligator carrying her baby in her mouth. It was SO cool! But no matter how Suzy drew it, it looked like the mom was eating her baby! Yikes! We discussed other animals and decided pandas would work better since they have kid-appeal and do in fact, carry their babies in their mouths.
Another line I changed was, “Through soothing songs that mama sings” (originally featuring belugas) to “Through lively songs that mama sings” because Ariel thought it would work better visually to feature a full-spread pond scene with the raccoon and swan on the left, and frogs on the right.
One of my favorite flap ideas was with the final page. Originally, we were going to have speech bubble flaps, but it didn’t quite work out spatially because we really wanted to show a diverse cast of humans on the final spread. We opted for one speech bubble flap instead. Ariel had asked me to think of possible phrases and the first one that came to mind was how I always sign my first board book (Mama Loves You So), “You are loved!” The team agreed it was a great message to end the reading/snuggling/bonding experience, and with the neon pink flap over it, well, it’s perfect!
Terry, this book is sweet and adorable. Congratulations and thanks for talking about its creation!
Blog readers, you can win a copy of LOVE CAN COME IN MANY WAYS!
Just leave one (not many) comment below.
A random winner will be chosen soon!
Good luck!
With twenty-five published books, Terry Pierce has experienced the joys of being a writer in many ways. She has a B.A. degree in Early Childhood Development and an international A.M.I. teaching diploma. Terry was a pre-primary Montessori teacher for twenty-two years before deciding to follow my dream of writing for children (what she calls, “the best mid-life crisis ever!”). She’s been writing since 1999, with her work appearing in magazines and the children’s book market. She has an MFA in Writing for Children &Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts, including the Picture Book Concentration certification. She also teaches online children’s writing courses for the UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. Visit her at terrypiercebooks.com.
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 