by Colleen Rowan Kosinski
I’ve been waiting for this month for a long time. My new picture book, LOVE MADE ME MORE, released on December 13th.
LOVE MADE ME MORE is a heartfelt tale of a friendship between a boy and an origami crane that continues throughout the boy’s life.
When a boy’s grandmother shows him how to fold an origami crane, the boy and crane become instant friends. They sail around the room and play, but the crane also watches over the boy and comforts him in a time of loss. The crane is always on the boy’s nightstand―it’s the last thing he sees each night and the first thing he sees each morning.
Over time, the boy grows older, and the crane becomes dusty. But even when the boy becomes a young man, the crane plays a part in the most important moments of his life. And one day, just like his grandmother before him, the man shows his own son how to fold an origami crane as the original crane looks on.
When I showed my agent this book I thought it might be a hard sell. After all, we writers often hear that books written about inanimate objects are tough to pull off—and to sell. But I believed in this story and so did my agent. Also, it wasn’t my first rodeo writing and selling a book about an inanimate object.
In 2021, my story A HOME AGAIN came out. This story was told through the eyes of a house whose family had moved away—leaving it sad and depressed, not knowing if it could ever love again. My new story, LOVE MADE ME MORE, is told through the eyes of an origami crane and how it’s life and love changes over time. So why were both these books so successful in attracting an editor? I think perhaps it’s because, while writing, I always kept in mind the idea that these characters were children who were dealing with changes in life.
One of the things I did with both of these books was to think about emotions and how an object would express that emotion without the use of eyes or a mouth, or whatever attributes that object possessed. For example, how would a paper crane express excitement? Flutter its wings? Sadness? Let its tail droop? And, how about words associated with paper? Crinkle, fold, rip—could they also be incorporated into how the crane expressed itself?
Try it out. Find an object and see if you can think of creative ways the object could show happiness, sadness, anger, etc. It’s a really fun exercise.
I was also very fortunate to be paired with a talented illustrator named Sonia Sanchez. Being an illustrator myself, I know that endowing an inanimate object with emotion and making it a character that children will care about is not an easy task. But, Sonia pulls this off wonderfully creating graceful movement on the pages with her loose line work and bright colors.
So, now my little crane is soaring its way into bookstores and hopefully into the hands of many young readers. I think my little crane would flutter its wings, and swish its tail from side to side at that idea.
I think so, too, Colleen! Congratulations on your newest book!
Blog readers, Colleen is giving away a copy of LOVE MADE ME MORE. Just leave one comment below to enter. A random winner will be chosen…next year! (I mean next month.)
Colleen Kosinski writes picture books and middle grade novels. Her picture books include LILLA’S SUNFLOWERS, A HOME AGAIN, and LOVE MADE ME MORE (2022). Her middle grade novel is titled, A Promise Stitched In Time. She works as an editor at Reedsy.com and teaches classes on picture book writing. She is also involved in her local chapter of the SCBWI, and the Rutgers University Council on Children’s Literature. Colleen is a graduate of Rutgers University, as are her husband and sons. Her daughter followed the bright lights to work in the film industry in LA. Colleen works from her Cherry Hill, NJ studio with her canine assistant, Sage.
If you’d like to learn more about her or any of her other books, visit her at ColleenRowanKosinski.com.
This year I asked a couple author friends what they’d recommend for a writerly holiday gift.
Phyllis Harris first started her career in graphic design at a newspaper while also freelancing at Hallmark Cards. She then shifted to illustration full time where she has happily continued for the past 20 years, creating the art for over 30 children’s books. In recent years, she has focused more on her writing as well as illustrating picture books. Her debut author/illustrator picture book, THE GIFT SHOP BEAR which released on October 26, 2021.
Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark writes picture book biographies of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) as well as fiction. Her books have earned multiple starred trade reviews, been chosen as Junior Library Guild Selections, and received awards such as Outstanding Science Trade Book, Best STEM Book, Crystal Kite Award, Cook Prize Honor, and Parents’ Choice Gold Medal. Her titles include ADA BYRON LOVELACE AND THE THINKING MACHINE, GRACE HOPPER: QUEEN OF COMPUTER CODE, HEDY LAMARR’S DOUBLE LIFE, NUMBERS IN MOTION, and CODE BREAKER, SPY HUNTER. Laurie has an MFA in Writing from VCFA and frequently presents at schools as well as national professional conferences (NSTA, NCTE, ALA, TLA, etc.). She is a former software engineer and computer science professor. You can find Laurie at 
Chana Stiefel is the award-winning author of more than 30 punny and poignant books for children. Her nonfiction books include THE TOWER OF LIFE, the true story of Holocaust survivor and historian Yaffa Eliach (a Junior Libary Guild Gold Medal Selection, Scholastic); LET LIBERTY RISE: How America’s Schoolchildren Helped Save the Statue of Liberty (a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, Scholastic, 2021), and ANIMAL ZOMBIES & OTHER REAL-LIFE MONSTERS (a Top 10 YALSA Quick Pick, NatGeoKids). Chana’s funny fictional picture books include MENDEL’S HANUKKAH MESS UP (Kalaniot), MY NAME IS WAKAWAKALOCH (HMH), and DADDY DEPOT (Feiwel & Friends). Follow her @chanastiefel on 
Susan Hughes is an award-winning writer of many books for children, both fiction and non-fiction, including HOORAY FOR TRUCKS!, WALKING FOR WATER: How One Boy Stood Up for Gender Equality, and Off to Class. Also a freelance writer, editor, and story coach, Susan lives in Toronto, Canada. Find out more about her at 
Valerie Bolling is the author of the 2021 SCBWI Crystal Kite award-winning and CT Book Award finalist LET’S DANCE! Valerie has been an educator for almost 30 years. Immersed in the writing community, Valerie is on the faculty at Westport Writers’ Workshop and a member of SCBWI, the Authors Guild, NCTE, and ILA. She is also a 2020 WNDB Mentee and a 2022 WNDB Mentor as well as a member of Black Creators HeadQuarters, The Brown Bookshelf and Highlights Foundation’s Amplify Black Stories, and 12X12 Picture Book Challenge. In addition, Valerie is a member of three co-marketing groups—Kid Lit in Color, Soaring 20s PBs, and PB Crew 22—and three picture book critique groups. Valerie and her husband live in Connecticut. Get all her links and connect with her here: 
Rachelle Burk writes fiction and nonfiction for ages 2-12, including three other Rockridge Press titles. Her works include picture books, chapter books, and an award-winning science-adventure novel. She visits schools around the country with her dynamic Author Visit programs. New Orleans born and bred, she now lives in New Jersey. When she’s not writing, Rachelle loves adventure travel and scuba diving with her husband and daughters. Visit her at 
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 