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by Colleen Rowan Kosinski
I’ve always been a “treasure hunter.” I’ll comb through yard sales, estate sales, and thrift shops searching for that piece of overlooked “gold.” Sometimes the treasure is not obvious, but if you surround it with a cloak of mystery and mythology then that simple walking stick can become a staff that was carried to traverse a mysterious land by a wizened wizard. Why, that cracked tea pot sitting all alone on the shelf. It was used to serve Hollywood’s biggest movie stars. If only it could talk! There are so many nuggets of stories all around us!
I guess in a roundabout way I am talking about imagination. Seeing into an object and creating a world for it. And, I would guess my specialty is creating stories about inanimate objects.
My last book told the story of an origami crane and how its life changed over the years. I love circular stories and this idea fit perfectly. But, back to inspiration. My daughter-in-law had made me a little blue origami crane. I’d nestled it on top of a piece of furniture in my bedroom. One night I was looking at the crane and thinking “what was its life like?” Did it like being stuck in this room? Did it wish to be a real bird? Ultimately, that was not the story I told but “what ifs” are a great way to get the imagination going. I finally landed on the idea that a child had made an origami crane and it had become the child’s best friend. But as the child grew, that relationship changed (as do most relationships.) The crane was forgotten for many years as the boy was occupied with life—and a girlfriend. Eventually, the boy proposed to the girl and used the crane’s paper to write his marriage proposal. Now the crane was also prized by the girl. Then the boy and girl had a baby. The boy used the crane in a mobile for the baby. The crane was then also prized by the baby. Although, their relationship changed, the boy and his crane always had love. The book is called LOVE MADE ME MORE.
In my book previous to LOVE MADE ME MORE, my inspiration was also an inanimate object—a house. How was I inspired? Well, my children are all grown and have moved out, so my husband and I were talking about downsizing. When we told our kids they were sad. They said they couldn’t imagine not being able to visit their childhood home. I was very surprised that our grownup children felt such a strong connection to our house. One day, while sitting out back looking up at the house, I started imagining how it would feel if we left it. Would it miss us? Would it accept new owners? These “what ifs” grew into an entire personality being created for a house, and led to my story A HOME AGAIN.
My obsession with making inanimate objects speak continues. I recently signed the contract for my next book. And, it’s about the relationship between a little girl and a fallen star. My agent is also currently shopping another book—told through the eyes of a boat!
My challenge for you:
Find an object. It can be anything. And start asking “what ifs.” For example, a glass of water. What if it remembers a time when it was a million raindrops. Or, what if it remembers the excitement of rushing around rocks in a river. Perhaps that was scary? Exhilarating? The possibilities are endless. Have fun! Maybe you’ll find your next story under a rock—or maybe the rock will be the subject!
Colleen Rowan Kosinski is giving away six copies of LOVE MADE ME MORE to be awarded to six random commenters.
You’re eligible to win if you’re a registered Storystorm 2024 participant and you have commented only once on today’s blog post.
Prizes will be distributed at the conclusion of Storystorm.
Colleen Rowan Kosinski writes picture books and middle grade novels. Her picture books include LILLA’S SUUNFLOWERS, A HOME AGAIN, and LOVE MADE ME MORE (2022). Her middle grade novel is titled A PROMISE STITCHED IN TIME. For the last year she has been working as an editor at Reedsy.com and teaching 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. Visit her online at ColleenRowanKosinski.com and follow her on Instagram @ColleenKosinski.
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.
♬ ♪ “Our house is a very, very, very fine house…” ♬ ♪
Good thing you can’t hear me singing. It’s not as fine as the house.
And it’s certainly not as fine as the house in A HOME AGAIN, coming in November from Two Lions!
A HOME AGAIN is a beautiful story told from a unique perspective—the home’s point of view! A family once roamed its cozy, lively rooms, but then they move out. How does the house feel? What will happen next?
Colleen, this blog is all about story ideas. How did you get this one?
I got the idea for my story when my husband and I became empty-nesters. I thought maybe we should downsize to a smaller house. When I mentioned it to the kids they were upset—which I didn’t expect. One of my sons said, “I can’t imagine driving by and not being able to visit our childhood home.” So I scratched my plans and started renovating their old bedrooms. As I thought about our conversations, I wondered if a house had feelings, how would it feel about us moving. That thought was the catalyst for the story. Once I started writing the words just flowed. In fact, I wrote the first draft on a return flight from New Orleans. While writing I tried to imagine the new family who would bring love back to the house. We had been on vacation with our friends, Michael and Walter, who had recently bought a new house. They were my inspiration for the new family in my fictional house.
The illustrations by Valeria Docampo positively glow with warmth! How did you feel when you first saw them?
I was over the moon when I saw the illustrations. Being an illustrator myself, I worried someone else’s work wouldn’t capture my vision. But they were more than I could have imagined. Valeria Docampo’s work is gorgeous and the feeling she portrayed through her imagery really elevated the story. I feel so lucky that my editor found such a talented person to partner with us on this project.
This book can certainly help children who are moving to a new home. How can other children relate to this story?
I think of the house as a child learning about the world. Children can experience all types of loss—divorce, the introduction of a step parent, or even the loss of one or both parents. The story shows that even though situations may change, love in still possible.
I also wanted the story to speak to diversity and non-traditional families. The second family has two dads, but it is not the focus of the story. Children should see all types of families in picture books and accept them as normal.
Colleen, thank you for such a heart-warming story!
Blog readers, Colleen is giving away a copy of her book, which will be released with Two Lions on November 1st.
Leave one comment below to enter. A random winner will be selected next month.
Good luck!
Colleen Rowan Kosinski writes picture books and middle grade novels. Her picture books include LILLA’S SUUNFLOWERS, A HOME AGAIN, and LOVE MADE ME MORE (2022). Her middle grade novel is titled A PROMISE STITCHED IN TIME. For the last year she has been working as an editor at Reedsy.com and teaching 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. Visit her online at ColleenRowanKosinski.com and follow her on Twitter @ColleenKosinski.
Not long ago I had the book launch for my debut picture book, LILLA’S SUNFLOWERS. It was an exciting, invigorating, and tiring day.
Now I am deep into the marketing phase—not a hat I was prepared to wear. My degree is in visual art, not marketing, but with the help of my husband we are making some progress.
Here is a synopsis of my story: Lilla and Papa enjoy spending magical times in Lilla’s sunflower patch. Before Papa leaves for a trip that will take him far away from home for a long time, Lilla gives him a sunflower seed. “To remember me, Papa,” Lilla whispers.
Seasons pass, and Lilla’s mood falls like autumn leaves.
Finally, news comes that her papa is coming home! The following summer, to her surprise, she receives letters from families with photos of their loved ones pictured with sunflowers. She learns that her gift to her father brightened the dark days for many people, and that her one small seed continued spreading sunshine across the country.
Through the illustrations, the reader learns Lilla’s father has left for military deployment. The story was inspired by videos of children and pets being reunited with their loved ones who’d been deployed to serve our country.
As I wrote my story I knew I wanted it to be heartwarming. Funny stories are great, but not really me. Even as a small child my favorite book was a touching book called THE SHEEP OF THE LAL BAGH. It was about a sheep that was replaced by a lawnmower and is brought back when the townspeople realize what a unique contribution he made to their town.
So I wrote in my quiet style and hoped it would sell. And it did—within months. But I was not prepared for the impact the words and images that once only existed in my mind would have on others.
It didn’t hit me until after the book launch when I received a touching email from a reader who said my book was just what her family needed—her husband was being deployed in 2017 for a year.
Another surprise I received was from a veteran who read my book and bought it to read to his grandchildren. He planned to read to them as a way to open a discussion about how their mom handled his deployment during the Korean War.
Like the flowers in Lilla’s garden, I hope my little book of hope can continue to reach many readers and bring a little sunshine far and wide.
Colleen Rowan Kosinski
is an author-illustrator of children’s books. As a lover of nature and animals, in the spring you can usually find her nursing a sick rabbit or robin back to health. Colleen resides in Cherry Hill, NJ with her husband, three sons, Doberman Pinscher, Rottweiler, and Miniature Dachshund. Follow her journey @writergirlrowan.
Thank you, Colleen, for such a touching story behind the story. Colleen is giving away a copy of LILLA’S SUNFLOWERS to a random commenter. Leave a comment below, one comment per person, US addresses only, please. A winner will be randomly selected in two weeks.
GOOD LUCK!
Writing for Kids (While Raising Them) 