Educational Activities: Izzy Gizmo and the Invention Convention by Pip Jones

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Izzy Gizmo and the Invention Convention
Author: Pip Jones
Illustrator: Sara Ogilvie
Peachtree Publishing
1 March 2020
32 pages

Book description from Goodreads: “Izzy and Fixer are back for more machine mayhem …

While their fellow contestants at the Invention Convention are intent on making shiny new things using old power, can Izzy and Fixer build a recycling machine fuelled by nature… AND win the coveted Genius Guild badge along the way?

A joyful celebration of the magic of make-​do-​and-​mend from the creators of the much-​loved Izzy Gizm0.”

Need some reviews of Izzy Gizmo and the Invention Convention?

And here’s a bonus Q&A with both Pip Jones and Sara Ogilvie @ Books for Keeps.

Educational Activities inspired by Pip Jones’ Izzy Gizmo and the Invention Convention:

  • Before Reading–From looking at the front and back cover: 
    • Where and when does this story seem to take place?
    • What do you already know about inventing and inventions?
    • What expression does Izzy seem to have?
    • Who are the characters on the back cover? What are they up to?
    • If you could ask the author any question before you read the book, what would it be?
  • After Reading–Now that you’ve read the story: 
    • What’s Izzy’s main problem/​challenge in this story?
    • What were the most important events in the story?
    • What is the main message of this book?
    • What other story does Izzy Gizmo and the Invention Convention remind you of?
    • Which of the inventions sound most fun? Bake-​O-​Copter? Automa-​Stretchy? Opti-Logger?
    • If the story had a sequel, what do you think it would be about? What else might Izzy be up to?
  • Writing–Which of the other Genius Guild members do you imagine has the most interesting story of their own? Will Digg? Maximillian Spout? Abi von Lavish? Gillian Din? Write that story as you imagine it. Feel free to draw pictures to go with the story. Consider sharing your finished piece with an adult or friend and ask them what they enjoy best about your work.
  • Activities–With an adult’s help, try some of the following invention-​themed activities, all inspired by one of the greatest inventors of all time–Leonardo Da Vinci: 
  • Further Reading–Which of these other picture books about kid inventors have you read? (Click on the book cover for more information on any of these titles!)

Author Interview: Trisha Speed Shaskan

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The March 2020 Author Interview is with Trisha Speed Shaskan, a Minneapolis writer who’s authored 40+ books. I had the pleasure of meeting her at a Highlights Foundation writing retreat this past November, and straight off, I knew she was OPB material. Why? Because she loves dogs, thinks snorts are funny, and makes a lot of good kidlit. What more do you need than that, right?

Just in case you DO need a bit more to properly frame this interview, here are seven delightful Trisha facts.

  1. She has a dog named Beatrix Fluffernutter named after Beatrix Potter and the east coast sandwich with marshmallow fluff and peanut butter in it.
  2. She allowed the stars of her picture book, Punk Skunks!, to do a no-​holds-​barred interview at The Little Crooked Cottage.
  3. Just last year, she did an 18-​day, 22-​library “Create Your Own Comics” workshop in northern Minnesota alongside her husband/children’s book author & illustrator Stephen Shaskan.
  4. First read The Hobbit while traveling the London countryside by train.
  5. Worked at Wild Rumpus Books for Young Readers that is also licensed as a pet store! Among the children’s books, you’ll find animals both caged (chinchillas, a cockatiel, rats) and running free (chickens and Manx cats). During a Bunnicula anniversary event with author James Howe, Trisha kept the energetic bunnies from busting out of a cage.
  6. Worked as a literacy coach in an elementary school’s afterschool program.
  7. At the University of Minnesota-​Twin Cities, she was the mascot, Goldy Gopher. (But not for sports, she notes—only for PR events.)

With that, let’s get to the interview!

RVC: Let’s start with how you’re living the picture book author dream—you’re married to a pro illustrator. How did that come about (I hear it has to do with a rock band!), and how do you successfully work together to make great kidlit?

TSS: After receiving my B.A. in English, I worked at an elementary school where I met my future husband Stephen Shaskan. During the day, I worked as an educational assistant, and after school, I taught creative writing. During recess and in between resolving fights, flipping the rope for double dutch, and playing tag, Stephen and I connected over the picture books we were using in our classes, such as Raising Dragons by Jerdine Nolen and illustrated by Elise Primavera. We both loved a range of music from The Cure to Funkadelic.

RVC: With in-​common music like that, it’s no wonder you hit it off!

TSS: Absolutely. Yet for a couple years, we hung out as friends. Then I knew I wanted to date him. During my break at school, I drove to the floral shop to pick up some flowers to bring home. I also bought a bouquet of my faves, Stargazer lilies, for Stephen. When I arrived at school, Stephen was in the parking lot. When I got out of the car, I thought the bouquet looked huge; I felt too shy to give it to him. “Stargazer Lilies,” Stephen said, “My favorite.” I told him I bought them to bring home and placed the bouquet in the backseat of my car. Later on, during his art class, Stephen drew a beautiful picture of the Stargazer lilies and gave it to me as a gift. Soon afterwards, we dated. We also formed a band. I played drums. Stephen played guitar. But it took me a long time to tell him I had actually bought those Stargazer lilies for him!

RVC: What a great story.

TSS: Our friendship and the band were the start of many collaborations. At school, we co-​taught a class together. Eventually we ended up working on books together. I had known I wanted to write children’s books since college, so I went grad school to become a better writer. During that time, Stephen worked as an early childhood educator where he played guitar and sang songs about underwear and dinosaurs. But he also read picture books and loved the format. Between that experience, his degree in illustration, and my interest in writing for children, Stephen began creating children’s books.

RVC: And that’s when you started working together?

TSS: That’s right. At first, Stephen and I created our own books, but eventually we collaborated on picture books and graphic novels. We’re able to work well together because we respect each other, communicate really well, and can both laugh at ourselves. When we create a book together, we make sure we’re both fully invested in the story and play equal roles.

Punk Skunks is drawn from our experience playing music together but also using music with kids in the classroom. Neither of us would’ve created that book alone. Together, we brainstormed and figured out the plot and characters. But I don’t interfere with Stephen’s illustration process. And he doesn’t interfere with my writing process. While working on Punk Skunks, I was surprised by the art. I didn’t know there’d be a chorus of bunnies. Why wouldn’t there be?!

RVC: In your life and in interviews, the two of you have been quite open about how you’re able to stay married and continue to be effective collaborators. What are a few of your best tips for working with another creative?

TSS: When we collaborate on books, since we’re in the same house (versus people who collaborate with friends or a sibling), all of our resources go into one place: the same book. Especially when promoting it. So, it’s good to mix it up; sometimes work solo, sometimes work together. That way our house can remain somewhat clean.

RVC: What are some of the warning signs that it might not be a literary love match?

TSS: How do you know the collaboration isn’t working? If you’re not enjoying working together, or if it doesn’t feel good, it’s not a match. While Stephen and I enjoy creating books together and doing school visits together, there are some parts of the book business we do separately. For example, I do some presentations and attend some conferences by myself. We’ve figured out what works best by trying a bunch of things. If it’s more stress than fun, it’s not worth it.

RVC: Let’s jump back to your writerly beginnings. You wrote all kinds of things as a kid. Where’d you get the writing bug?

TSS: I grew up in the “Free to Be You and Me” era in a home filled with books and imagination. As a child, my parents read picture books to me. My mom called our milk “Mickey milk” because of In the Night Kitchen by Maurice Sendak. When I was in elementary school, my older sister Nicole had a witchcraft book that contained a glossary of imaginary creatures in the back. She read the definitions aloud: banshee, elf, fairy. Then we made up stories about the creatures. Brownies were my favorite because despite their small stature, they caused a huge amount of havoc. Nicole and I also ran through a field of what I now know were weeds but we believed were flowers that certainly contained fairies.

RVC: What did your family think about you majoring in English at the University of Minnesota? And then getting an MFA in creative writing?

TSS: My mother didn’t think my English degree was practical. She wanted me to become a teacher, which would’ve been a good idea since I ended up teaching writing! My father told me I could do whatever I set out to do. Whenever he wanted to do anything, he figured it out, worked at it, and went for it. As a young man, he earned a technical college degree, apprenticed as a sheet metal worker, and worked for a heating and ventilating business until he was ready to launch his own business. His you-​can-​do-​anything-​you-​set-​your-​mind-​to attitude always inspired me. By the time I returned to college to get my MFA, my mother was happy I was leaving the “nonprofits” (where I ran a youth program) to pursue my passion for writing. HA!

RVC: What’s the most valuable takeaway from your MFA days?

TSS: I knew in order to get published I needed to become a better writer. During my MFA days, I dug in, sentence by sentence, and studied how language worked in all kinds of books from fiction, to nonfiction, to poetry. In my own writing, I learned to look for repetitive ideas and ask questions, such as: Is this dialogue moving the story forward?

RVC: You got started with work-​for-​hire books, with your first being an easy reader, The Treasure Map. How did that come about, and is that a viable way for new authors to break into the world of kidlit?

TSS: During my first year in the MFA program, I wrote The Treasure Map and an editor at the nearby, local Capstone Press bought it plus 3 more books to-​be-​determined. I continued writing more books-​for-​hire, often in a series, such as Word Fun: If You Were Alliteration. I wrote over 40 books-​for-​hire. Those books opened up opportunities. Before I was traditionally published (although the easy readers were original, I didn’t own the copyrights), being published allowed me to apply for the McKnight Fellowship in Children’s Literature for $25,000 at a time when I felt like quitting writing. I won the Fellowship. I also won an artist grant from the state of MN to move from work-​for-​hire to writing my own stories. A couple of my books-​for-​hire sold well, which led to school visits. I couldn’t make a living solely on writing books-​for-​hire, but the benefits I have received from those books have made a huge impact on my career.

RVC: What are some of the things that doing so many work-​for-​hire books—most of which were for kids older than picture-​book age—taught you?

TSS: I learned to write at different reading-​levels from kindergarten through second grade. I learned to communicate complex ideas in simple language; for example, jet propulsion at a second-​grade reading level. I learned that when I study a topic and get to know it, whether it’s the Mississippi River or an octopus, I often fall in love with the topic; just like getting to know a person who becomes a lovely friend.

RVC: You broke into picture books in 2016 with Punk Skunks! What got you to make that move? 

TSS: I worked for hire to make money, but always worked on my own stories. My agent and Stephen’s sent out an early chapter book I wrote and paired it with some of Stephen’s illustrations. An editor liked the story but wanted me to try in a different format or wanted us to pitch a new story. We pitched a new story. That’s when we began to collaborate on what became Punk Skunks! At first it was an illustrated chapter book, but after the editor who asked for it rejected it, we thought it would make a better picture book. One of my writing teachers used to say “No work is lost work,” and thankfully that rang true.

RVC: You seem to have a special affinity for the main character in your own 2019 picture book, The Itty-​Bitty Witch. Why’s that so?

TSS: Betty Ann Batsworth is not only small, but she’s also determined. She never gives up.

RVC: What appeals to you most about picture books, both making them and reading them?

TSS: Reading a picture book to children is an interactive experience. The story speaks the language of poetry and song; the language is active. Picture books also contain visual literacy. Children infer what occurs between the text and art. And the art can contain a beautiful range of styles and mediums–whatever best fits the story–that adds to the colorful dance between the book and its audience.

RVC: What makes a Trisha Speed Shaskan school visit special?

TSS: As an educator, I LOVE school visits and the students and staff can tell; I bring my passion, positive energy, and enthusiasm for stories and creativity. I keep the visit interactive. I show students: Creating stories is fun and accessible to everyone!

RVC: As an author, how do you measure success?

TSS: If I feel I have created the best possible story I can, I consider it a success.

RVC: Last “serious” question to this part of the interview. You and your husband have different agents—you work with Sara Crowe at Pippin Properties, and he works with Teresa Kietlinski at Bookmark Literary. Do you ever have that my-​dad-​can-​beat-​up-​your-​dad thing where you brag about your respective agent’s superpowers in an awesome display of vicarious one-upmanship?

TSS: SNORT! Stephen and I are extremely grateful and lucky to have two, phenomenal agents that are uniquely perfect for each one of us! We admire each other’s agents and our own, so it all works out.

RVC: Glad to hear it!

Alright, it’s time to fire up THE LIGHTNING ROUND!!! That means fastball questions and rocket-​blast answers. Ready?

TSS: Set!

RVC: Best picture book sound effect—burp, fart, or snort?

TSS: LOL! “SNORT!” Of course!

RVC: Favorite literary villain?

TSS: Cruella de Vil, who puts the vile in villain!

RVC: Something about your writing process that might surprise people?

TSS: For every book I write, I do research. My favorite type of research is consulting an expert. For Q & Ray Case #2: Meteorite or Meteor-​Wrong, I asked Dr. Randy Korotev who has been studying meteorites for over 40 years to check the science to make sure it was accurate. After reading a page in the book where Ray was eating a Limburger and onion sandwich, Dr. Korotev told me: When he was in elementary school, each day he walked home for lunch and ate the exact same sandwich!

RVC: Best compliment a kid ever gave your writing?

TSS: It ROCKS!

RVC: Thanks so much, Trisha! This was a snort-​tastically good time!

 

Picture Book Review: The Society of Distinguished Lemmings by Julie Colombet

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The Society of Distinguished Lemmings
Author: Julie Colombet
Illustrator: Julie Colombet
Peachtree
1 March 2020
40 pages

This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (lead lemming researcher at Only Picture Books) and Ringling College of Art and Design Illustration Professor (and new OPB friend) Rebecca Zomchek.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

Is there ever a happy ending for a story about lemmings? Thanks to Julie Colombet’s The Society of Distinguished Lemmings, the answer is now an emphatic “yes!”

This fancy society of lemmings have 10 rules to follow, with #1 being “Lemmings Only” and #10 insisting “No Questioning the Rules.” Not a problem for these rule-​following lemmings! But then lemming Bertie decides to leave the underground burrow because even distinguished lemmings can sometimes get TOO noisy. Once Bertie reaches the surface, though–gets the shock of his small life. He encounters a creature that he suspects is a bear! But Bear isn’t going to eat him–instead, it licks him, and just like that, they’re pals.

Bear doesn’t show interest in any of Bertie’s distinguished activities (painting and playing chess), but Bertie is quite taken by Bear’s most un-​distinguished activities (rolling in flowers, climbing tress, and jumping in mud puddles). When the other lemmings eventually learn of Bear, they are reluctant to let him join their society despite Bertie’s hope that they do so–Bear’s a bear after all, and he doesn’t appreciate the same things that the oh-​so-​fancy lemmings do. “The bear will never be distinguished,” they ultimately decide.

Bertie and Bear are then left behind when the others go on a sudden vacation (the dangerous migration we all worried would come when we heard the term “lemming” via the title). Some extremely fortuitous reading material (a book called A Short History of Lemmings) concerns Bertie and Bear enough such that they rush to the ocean to ensure their lemming buddies are safe. To no one’s surprise, the lemmings aren’t safe–they swam out too far into the deep water and are exhausted. But the distance is easily covered by Bear’s superior swimming ability, and he rescues them all, which earns him immediate entry into the new Society of Distinguished Lemmings…and Bears.

I’ll let Rebecca point out the visual jokes and discuss how the comic-​style multi-​vocal technique works to give voice to the many, many lemmings in this story. Instead, I’ll focus on three aspects on the story side of things.

  1. The wordplay here is fun, with such bear-​adjacent lines as “This is unbearable” and how Bear worries that things are “about to get grizzly.”
  2. The story offers a palatable take on kid topics such as following rules, supporting your friends, and accepting differences in others.
  3. Many of the funniest lines in the story appear in word balloons–kids will likely enjoy reading them, and will note different/​new things with subsequent reads, much like in a well-​done Search-​and-​Find where there’s always seemingly more to appreciate.

In sum, The Society of Distinguished Lemmings is a promising premise that ends up somewhat underdeveloped thanks to convenient moments (the right passage of the right book being read at the right time), a huh? moment (why does lemming Bertie need a book to teach him about a lemming’s penchant for a watery end via a migration?), and a relatively predictable conclusion (strong-​but-​shunned bear saves stodgy/​snobby lemmings). Yet make no mistake–the fundamental concept is fun, the lemming art entertaining, and the sense of play welcome. Taken together, it’s a mostly encouraging debut from French author/​illustrator Julie Colombet.

3.75 out of 5 pencils

– Rebecca’s Review of the Illustrations–

From the expressive and character-​filled endpapers to the illustrated pages sprawling with dozens of ludicrous lemmings, The Society of Distinguished Lemmings is a fun and detail-​filled adventure from beginning to end.

Colombet’s soft style, with contrasting bright-​eyed characters and funny expressions, builds a wonderful bridge between comic and book form illustrations. Her detailed page layouts use speech bubbles to invite the viewer to explore her complex scenes that add to the larger story. Filled with tiny props and dozens of unique characters, these add amusing jokes and side narratives to serious situations and a larger moral.

Despite Colombet’s soft and friendly style, the images are actually quite nuanced.  When we’re first introduced to our lemming protagonist, Bertie, we are shown that he is unique among his compatriots, both because of his open-​minded attitude and his polka-​dotted coat, instead of a traditional striped pattern. This pattern mixing is a nice visual cue of individuality for a younger audience where the other lemmings can blend together, indicating their crowd-​like mentality. In each scene, as we see more of the lemmings and their new friend, Bear, the clear and exaggerated expressions really help communicate the attitudes and emotions of the characters and how they relate to each other as the story progresses. The bear’s expressions, in particular, show a great inner arc that transitions from fear to joy as his friends are rescued, resulting in a happy ending.

Some of my favorite pages are the underground scenes showing the lemmings’ home and the final scene where we see the lemmings and Bear finally relaxing together. I love the way we see dozens of characters on a page, but if we take the time, we can break down each area into unique instances and dramas so each page becomes dozens of moments the audience can come back to again and again. These scenes–filled with tiny chandeliers, dining tables with minuscule cutlery and goblets, concert halls, and portrait galleries–help contrast strongly with outdoor scenes in which we see Bertie and Bear bonding over simpler pleasures. It’s a nice visual resolution to see these two worlds merge at the end of the book in a large outdoor picnic

There are a lot of exciting details for readers young and old to discover on each page of this book. Colombet’s style brings the simple story to life and adds wonderful expression and humor to a profound narrative about learning to stand up to peer pressure, having fun, and being yourself.

4.5 out of 5 crayons

Rebecca Zomchek is a children’s book illustrator who has worked as a concept artist and cartoonist. She earned her BFA from Syracuse University and her MFA from The School of Visual Arts; she teaches Illustration at the Ringling College of Art and Design. Rebecca likes distinguished things like classical music and museums, but also loves being outside and getting paint everywhere.

Editor Interview: Andrea Spooner (Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)

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It’s with great pleasure that I introduce Andrea Spooner, this month’s Industry Interview subject. Andrea’s the Vice President and Editorial Director of Picture Books at Little, Brown Books for Young Readers (LBYR). When I realized her imprint won a Caldecott Medal three years in a row, I knew I needed to find out a bit more about what kind of picture book magic they were cooking up there.

Here’s a bit about her. After joining LBYR in 2003, she’s worked with an amazing list of authors, including:

She’s also edited dozens of James Patterson’s books. What impresses me most of all, though, is how the people she works with rave about her. Consider this endorsement, from writer Crescent Dragonwagon: “Andrea took a lot of time finding just the right artist, and she is taking a lot of time working with him, and me. In 40 years of working with different publishers, I can remember no other children’s book editor who has ever involved me quite so much in the selection of the artists, and has engaged me so thoughtfully in discussing the pictures and my reactions to them.” And she adds that Andrea is “one of the most attentive and respectful editors I have ever had.”

Wow.

With that, let’s get on to the interview!

RVC: For some, working in the kidlit business seemed destined in the stars from the start. For others, it’s a curious accumulation of events that brought them to that future. Which was it for you? 

AS: Destined from the start! My mother was an artist and art historian, and my father was an English professor with a focus on writing short stories. I read voraciously and wrote prolifically as a child. The first long-​form story I wrote and illustrated, at age six, was called The Girl Who Hated School, followed up by an “illustrated novel” called Nancy and the U.F.O.! So, I always wanted to make books. I loved the interaction of picture and word… and nothing ever moved me like the books I read as a kid. I even wrote my college application essays about the Nancy Drew series as well as my favorite book of all time, Freaky Friday by Mary Rodgers. I guess it was a clear sign I took kidlit seriously from the beginning.

RVC: My kids wore out the DVD version of Freaky Friday with Jamie Lee Curtis, Mark Harmon, and Lindsay Lohan. But prior to that, I recall liking that book a great deal myself!

What were some of the key elements/​choices of your life that prepared you to be an editor?

AS: The most significant choice leading me toward my career might have been the day in seventh grade when I decided to join Yearbook Club, even though I was told it was only for eighth graders. Turns out just showing up with genuine commitment was more important than my age, and before the year was out I was editor-in-chief.

RVC: As former Prime Minister Benjamin Disraeli famously said, “History is made by those who show up.”

AS: Editing the yearbook took over my life all the way through college. And perhaps choosing to go to Smith College, known for breeding kidlit folk, prepared me for this editing life! At Smith, I was a studio art major and writing minor, and there’s nothing quite like all those group critique sessions to prepare you for the task of gently sharing feedback.

RVC: Let’s talk recent picture book projects. What’s on the docket for 2020 that has you excited?

AS: Oh dear, it’s like you’re asking a mother to talk about her favorite child—it’s inherent betrayal not to speak of all of my books! I’m asking the universe to forgive me in advance for not mentioning the entire LBYR picture book list. But I don’t think anyone would begrudge me for sharing my intense excitement for Jerry Pinkney’s next brilliantly-​illustrated retelling! It’s The Little Mermaid… and it’s the first major picture book version that reinvents the story as a friendship story instead of a romance, and that features a cast of mermaids with brown skin. It also leaves readers with the critical message that you should never give up your voice for anything. I think it has potential to become the most definitive contemporary reimagining of the story.

RVC: With books like that coming out from LBYR, I get a real sense why you’ve got that incredibly impressive 3‑peat of Caldecotts going. But I’ll ask anyway–to what do you attribute that streak of success?

AS: Do you mean when LBYR won a Medal three years in a row in 2015–2017? Or… do you mean last year in 2019 when we took three out of the five stickers?

Okay, okay, I don’t mean to sound smug, but yeah, we’re kind of proud of the track record. What I’m most proud of is that these stickers are on books with many different artists and editors and art directors. There’s not just one superstar on the list. It’s really about strong teamwork, I think. There are a lot of eyes on the project, from acquisition through creative development, and everyone on the team is very invested from day one. We also have a fantastic school & library division making sure the books get in front of all the right people at the right time.

RVC: Speaking of 3s, you personally edited three Caldecott winners as well. Coincidence?

AS: I’m exceptionally lucky! It helps when you’re working with bona-​fide geniuses like Jerry Pinkney, Patrick McDonnell, and Oge Mora, who all have pretty powerful and sophisticated creative muses. And I wouldn’t be working with them if it weren’t for the intercession of my former mentor David Reuther, former LBYR editor Amy Lin, and art director Sasha Illingworth, so I can’t take credit for actually discovering this incredible talent.

If I ever make a difference in elevating work to a sticker-​worthy level, it’s likely derived from my willingness to question a choice that’s being made and to push the author or artist to justify it, even the seasoned people. But I’m also willing to step back and let the artist’s muse be the voice in charge. The trick is figuring out when the time is right for each!

RVC: I was pleasantly surprised to find that you edited one of my fav picture books of 2018, Thank You, Omu! How did that project come into being?

AS: It’s such a happy story! One of our art directors, Sasha Illingworth, was providing critiques at the Rhode Island School of Design in a picture book-​making class, and she came back recommending that editors take a look at several of the students’ final projects, which really impressed her. Oge’s project, Omu’s Stew, was at the top. It was clear from the start that Oge had a remarkable handle on the totality of what makes a great picture book, and that it came naturally to her. We offered her a two-​book deal while she was still a senior in college.

RVC: That’s an inspiring story for sure! What’s it like working with such an early-​career talent? What kind of different considerations do you have with them versus, say, working with a mid-​career or senior-​level creative?

AS: I think the way I work is mostly unrelated to how long the creator has been in the business. Of course, with debut talent I try to make sure that I take more time to explain the stages of the publishing process, and the vocabulary and quirks of it. Ultimately, though, each creator has individual needs that aren’t related to where in their career they are. I first try to get a sense of what their goals for the project are, figure out what makes their creative heart ticks, and learn what kind of managing or mentorship they need to generate their best work. Sometimes that involves trial and error, for sure. For me, with a new author it can take longer to figure out the key to a smooth creative process. After I’ve worked with someone once or twice, it’s easier to keep the author or artist happily engaged, productive, and open to feedback.

RVC: You’ve talked about how one of the many tasks of an editor is to improve the read-​aloud experience. What are some specific ways that can happen?

AS: We start by reading that manuscript aloud. Authors can do this too as they write and self-​edit. If you find yourself tripping on certain word/​sound combinations or sentences, rewrite it or cut it. Better yet, have a few others read the manuscript aloud and flag any patterns of stumbling. Reading the text aloud also gives you a sense of where the pacing feels too slow. Sometimes I find myself looking forward to the end of a sentence, paragraph, or page. That might be the sign of an area that can be tightened. I want to feel like I’m relishing each word.

RVC: With my fav picture books, that’s exactly it. “Relishing each word.”

AS: And, of course, we think about the page turns—they’re an essential part of the read-​aloud experience. Those dramatic pauses should be intentionally placed. They propel you through the narrative, and can leave you with an underlying question about what’s going to happen next. I always start editing by paginating a text, since helps me focus on the read-​aloud experience.

RVC: At LBYR acquisitions meetings, are picture book manuscripts actually read aloud? Does everyone have a copy in front of them, too?

AS: Reading the book aloud would be part of my fantasy vision of an acquisitions meeting—I’d love to know if any houses actually do that! But, it’s essential that everyone reads and thinks about acquisitions materials ahead of time; there would rarely be time to perform the books live in such meeting. At LBYR, editorial directors for each genre under consideration are expected to have vetted the manuscript for its viability prior to putting it on the agenda. And sometimes, read-​aloud quality emerges later in the editing and polishing process. So, the manuscript might not even have a perfect “mouthfeel” at acquisitions stage, but it has enough other exciting qualities to motivate us to make an offer.

RVC: So much of the submission process is a matchmaking game that can feel like blind luck, at times. Let’s help some people out here. What are a few likes/​dislikes of yours in terms of themes, subjects, and/​or styles?

AS: As an editorial director, I’ve trained myself to look beyond my own personal likes and dislikes when considering if a project is right for the LBYR list. We need a diverse portfolio in all respects in order to survive and thrive. As an example, I used to say “don’t send me lovey-​dovey books”, but nowadays, I’m totally open to them. I’m better able to look beyond the genre and think “are there audiences out there that like this and want this? Is the market for this kind of thing underserved, or do we have a gap on our list for it?” Some people might say it’s freeing to get to the point in your career when you’re at liberty to only work on the books you personally adore. For me it’s been the opposite–it’s actually been really freeing to embrace things I wouldn’t have necessarily purchased for my own collection.

Is that a cop-​out answer?

RVC: Well…

AS: Okay, okay, I’ll give you this much: For personal projects, right now I’m dreaming of silly-​but-​smart stories that scratch the itch we all have to laugh more in our increasingly troubled world. I tend to be drawn to absurdist humor. Science and nature/​environmental themes often resonate with me. I’m also keen on books that address important moments of child development, and I’m currently seeking more stories that feature differently-​abled characters from authentic perspectives. I’m also always looking for substantive stories with strong voice, re-​readability, and emotional resonance. For art, I look for work with a “signature style.” Once a style becomes trendy and ubiquitous, I’m less stimulated by it.

RVC: Beyond any issue of theme, subject, or style, what are your submission pet peeves?

AS: Manuscripts accompanied by an eternally long pitches and story summaries that are longer than the story itself. Give me one really strong paragraph about the market viability and comparative titles, and if there’s an interesting backstory to the story or connection to the author’s life, that can be another tight paragraph. Also, if we want to get petty for a moment, I’m put off by manuscripts that are single-spaced!

RVC: I’m so glad you said that. I’ve been telling students for years to keep on double-​spacing their submissions, and I’m not sure they believe me. Now I have proof!

AS: By the way, including art notes in a picture book text is absolutely not a pet peeve of mine. So many picture book writers have been told not to do this. But to me, I like to know that a writer has a sense of how visual storytelling impacts a narrative and how they intrinsically work together. A writer shouldn’t be wedded to their proposed vision, but they could convey it at pre-​acquisition for the sake of transparency, and sense. You have to remember that the non-​editorial folks like sales and marketing who are a part of the acquisition conversation may not have the same visual literacy or imagination as an author—and even the best editors aren’t capable of reading an author’s mind! But I am perfectly capable of removing art notes from a manuscript after acquisition if I think they’ll impede an artist’s own personal vision.

RVC: Lots of kidlit industry folks spend a lot of time on social media and their web presence. You seem less concerned about that. Is that a choice or the effects of being so busy with work that it’s on the perpetual back burner?

AS: Thanks for shooting that arrow right into my Achilles heel, Ryan!

RVC: Is it really an Achilles heel?

AS: Sometimes I think it is, but I have complicated feelings about it. I unequivocally admire with awe and wonder those many editors who consistently produce high-​quality books, manage robust lists, and maintain a vibrant social media presence. I’ll never be one of them, and it’s probably a personal failing of mine, but I have to embrace what I’m best at and make the most of it. We have a fantastic marketing department to publicize the authors and books. My “brand,” if I must have one in this day and age, is about what I do behind the curtains rather than what I’m saying on the public stage.

RVC: Let’s talk about that behind-​the-​curtains stuff.

AS: Here’s the thing: I spend or eleven or twelve hours a day largely in front of a screen. I don’t want to spend one minute more. This time and energy, for me, is best spent working for my authors, managing projects as seamlessly as possible, shaping the list and mentoring staff. I consider myself not just an editor, but a customer service representative—and I say that in all seriousness! My number one goal is for everyone, externally and internally, to feel like the process went off as smoothly as possible, and that we made a book we couldn’t have done better… without the benefit of hindsight, anyway.

I haven’t yet found a way to do all that and spend time sorting through the daily mess of social media and maintain my own polished social presence in a way that would meet my own standards. Frankly, I’m really not good at expressing any worthwhile thought in 140 characters or less, as you can see from this interview! There’s too much unnecessary chatter out there as it is. I see myself doing the world a service by not adding to it.

RVC: I typically keep my questions focused on picture books, but my kids LOVED the Patterson Middle School series, so I have to ask something about him. He’s so prolific that I’m inclined to ask how many James Pattersons there are! But I’ll assume there’s just one (unless you secretly tell me otherwise). 

Here’s an actual question about him, though–in all your experience in working with him, what has surprised you the most?

AS: That he is the real deal in every respect. He’s just one person, yes, who’s deeply connected to every book with his name on it—he’s not rubber-​stamping anything. There’s no team of people inventing the core stories; he drafts every single outline, and even the kids’ book outlines we worked on together were about 50 pages long, so there’s a lot of detail. He’s always at his desk working. Over the course of a dozen years of working together I could probably count on one hand times I called him that he didn’t pick up the phone. He’s genuinely passionate about writing, and promoting the pleasure and excitement of reading, which is what motivated his move into kids’ books. There’s nothing he’d rather being doing than writing. Except occasionally playing golf or watching a movie. I also learned a lot from Jim about the craft of commercial writing, especially when it comes to the emotional experience of reading. But those are trade secrets I can’t give away!

RVC: Alright, it’s time for the final part of the interview. The always-​surprising, often-​quippy, ever-​zippy LIGHTNING ROUND. Are you ready?

AS: Of course not! Have you not yet noticed that quips are not my specialty? Remember what I said about being able to say anything in 140 characters or less?

RVC: Don’t overthink it.

AS: That’s what my bosses always say on my performance reviews. Okay, let’s try it!

RVC: Star Trek, Star Wars, or Stargate?

AS: Star Trek! I mean… Leonard Nimoy, George Takei, Nichelle Nichols… and quantum teleportation!

RVC: Secret hobby you have that no one would suspect?

AS: Will anyone know what pysanka is?

RVC: Probably not. Let’s save them from having to Google it, though.

AS: It’s the art of making Ukranian Easter eggs with old-​world tools like a wooden/​metal stylus, beeswax, an open flame, and dyes. Mine are not anywhere near as good as what you see on Wikipedia.

RVC: What four picture book characters do you invite over for Sunday afternoon smoothies at the Spooner house? What’s your dream lineup?

AS: Well, if it’s Sunday afternoon in our little apartment, they’d have to be very well-​behaved! So I think Rosie Revere, Ada Twist, Sofia Valdez, and Iggy Peck would fit make for some very scintillating conversation. My other favorites are way too naughty.

RVC: Hardest venue to get a starred review?

AS: I can’t remember the last time I got a star from The Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. I don’t lose sleep over it.

RVC: Coolest non-​LBYR picture book of 2019?

AS: Hmmm, when it comes to “cool” I think the Melissas have it, for me—I’m debating between The Balcony by Melissa Castrillon and How to Read a Book by Kwame Alexander and Melissa Sweet. The art for both books just vibrates with energy, passion, and endless detail.

RVC: Three words that sum up your picture book philosophy.

AS: Aw, that’s just cruel. I am not a woman of brevity…

RVC: Give it a shot!

AS: Read. It. Again.

RVC: Thanks so much, Andrea! 

And for you artistic OPB fans out there, here’s a LBYR public service announcement. They’re starting their fourth year of the Emerging Artist Award. Their first winner just had their book published and it won a New York Times Best Illustrated Book of 2019 honor, so the future seems bright for these winners. Consider applying–perhaps you’ll soon be working with Andrea or one of her amazingly cool colleagues!

Educational Activities: Space Mice by Lori Haskins Houran

On By Only Picture BooksIn Educational Activities

Space Mice
Author: Lori Haskins Houran
Illustrator: Priscilla Alpaugh
Albert Whitman & Co.
1 March 2020
32 pages

Book description from Goodreads: “When two hungry mice spot a giant yellow ball of cheese in the night sky, they get right to work building a rocket ship so they can take a big bite out of that glowing full moon. After sailing through starry skies, the mice arrive at the feast of their dreams–and soon the moon isn’t so full anymore! Simple, rhythmic text makes this a great read-​aloud for future astronauts.”

Need some reviews of Space Mice?

Educational Activities inspired by Lori Haskins Houran’s Space Mice:

  • Before Reading–From looking at the front and back cover: 
    • Where and when does this story seem to take place?
    • What do you already know about astronauts?
    • Why might mice want to travel into space?
    • What emotion do the mice on the cover seem to be feeling?
    • If you could ask the author any question before you read the book, what would it be?
  • After Reading–Now that you’ve read the story: 
    • Is this book fiction or nonfiction? How do you know?
    • What is problem do the mice face in the story?
    • What were the most important events in the story?
    • What is the main message of this book?
    • What other story does this one remind you of?
    • Which of the sound effects did you most like? Grumble grumble, phew phew, or something else?
    • If the story had a sequel, what do you think it would be about? Where else might those hungry mice go?
  • Writing–Clearly these mice are interested in science and technology. Using your own imagination, write about another situation where they use science and/​or technology to solve a different problem than being hungry. Feel free to draw pictures to go with the story. Consider sharing your finished piece with an adult or friend and ask them what they enjoy best about your work.
  • Interview–Sometimes the best way to get to know someone is interviewing them. If you interviewed the space mice with the following questions, how might they respond? Consider inviting an adult or friend to either ask questions (or answer them) as they imagine the mice might. Feel free to add more questions of your own! 
    • What is your favorite cheese?
    • What do you like most about the moon?
    • What was the biggest challenge in building the rocket ship?
    • What’s your favorite sport?
    • What is your earliest memory?
    • What secret do you have?
    • What is your dream job?
    • Where would you most like to live?
  • Craft–With an adult’s help, try some of the following space-​themed crafts: 
  • Further Reading–Space Mice is–as one might reasonably expect–about two mice who build a rocket and travel into space. Which of these other picture books about space travel have you read? (Click on the book cover for more information on any of these titles!)

 

Author/​Illustrator Interview: Elisha Cooper

On By Only Picture BooksIn Author Interviews, Illustrator Interviews

This month’s interview is with Elisha Cooper, an author who both writes and illustrates his own picture books. Instead of doing a standard bio paragraph here, let’s begin the process of getting to know him and his work a little bit better via two lists.

List One—Books Elisha Made:

  • While Elisha has created a lot of picture books, here are a few that OPB especially digs. For details on any of them, go ahead and click on those lovely covers!

List Two—Stuff Elisha Likes:

 

And, because we like to underpromise and overdeliver here at OPB, I offer a bonus third list, detailing a few of the various ways you can find out more about Elisha’s fine work via the Internet.

List Three—Bonus Stuff!

With that, let’s move on to the interview!

RVC: I confess—after reading scads of interviews others have done with you, I can’t find anyone who asked this question, so I’ll ask it. How do you pronounce your name? Is “Elisha” like Uh-​LIE-​sha, or Uh-​LEE-​sha? Something else entirely? This word-​loving, name-​loving person needs to know!

EC: It’s Uh-​LIE-​sha, though I’m fine with any pronunciation. I had a friend in high school who spent four years calling me “Isaiah.” There have been times I wish I’d been named Elijah (the more famous prophet), as that is easier to pronounce, and sounds tougher. But I’ve come to appreciate my name, its ambiguity.

Just this week The Cleveland Plain Dealer reviewed my book, praising the author and “her” beautiful watercolors. I sort of love that.

RVC: Wow, that’s some crackerjack reporting from The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Well done them!

Now that we’ve gotten the vital 411 on this name situation, let’s talk about your most recent picture book, River, which has been well received by readers and critics. In your Author’s Note for that book, you thank the Sendak Foundation. But on other occasions, you’ve also claimed to have been “the worst Maurice Sendak Fellow ever.” I’m getting the sense that you’re a man of great contradictions.

I wonder—is this an example of what you wrote in 2008 for Publisher’s Weekly in an article called “About the Author” where you mused on the “unique ridiculousness of the author’s note”?

EC: I know I’m trying to have it both ways. I was one of the worst Sendak fellows (I didn’t work in the studio they gave me), but the fellowship was also incredibly important for River. It allowed me the space to think, and start sketching nature along the Hudson. With that Publisher’s Weekly piece I believe I was trying to point out how we as authors (we as humans, really) are always trying to craft and present a more perfect version of ourselves. I’m as guilty of that as anyone.

RVC: Speaking of versions of ourselves…how did the actual version of yourself that grew up on a farm inform your work as a picture book maker?

EC: Animals, animals, animals. And views! I was surrounded by barn cats, dogs, goats and cows. I drew them, walked with them, milked them (my goats), and read with them. They were my companions. I read a ton, too, when I wasn’t shooting my BB gun or throwing a football.

In some deep way–and I know this answer has that crafting revisionism I was just disparaging–my childhood could not have been better designed for a future children’s book author.

RVC: Rumor has it that you would’ve preferred to play in the NFL than create kid’s books. Fact, or alternate fact?

EC: Fact. Who wouldn’t?! Yes, like any number of kids in the 80s, I dreamed of playing professional football. I even sent drawings of Lynn Swann to Lynn Swann (the Pittsburgh Steelers were my team). I think I still have the autographed photo he sent me in response. I played football at Yale, but was a back-​up. I still love football, how within the brutal mayhem there can be moments of grace and beauty.

RVC: At what point did you realize you were well-​suited to create picture books? Was it post-​college during that stint as a messenger for The New Yorker where you delivered art and manuscripts (which sounds pretty cool, by the way)?

EC: Hmm, I don’t know if there was one moment. I’ve always kept sketchbooks. Always written, always drawn. When I was at The New Yorker, a colleague  suggested I try children’s books and I sort of slid into the field. I’m still uncertain what makes a picture book a children’s book (Sendak has a great rant about that). My hope is that if I love something, and draw and write about it, a child or an adult out there may love it, too.

I don’t mean to punt on your question, but I don’t think I’ve ever had one “eureka” moment. I’ve always felt art in me. Which doesn’t mean I don’t get stuck, or rip stuff up, or struggle. I know something’s good, though, when I tape it on my wall and it stays there.

RVC: I suspect that most picture book makers believe their process to be bizarre, messy, and/​or inefficient. Given that, I’m still asking: what’s YOUR process? How does the magic happen for you?

EC: Coffee. Family. Newspaper. Second coffee. Music. Write (café), or paint (home). Third coffee. Paint more. Run. Visit bookstore. Bike along river. Read. Cook. Family. Sports. Sleep.

Repeat.

RVC: How does the process differ for making your non-​kid books, like A Year in New York and Falling: A Daughter, a Father, and a Journey Back?

EC: For my books of essays, the memoirs (Crawling and Falling), I just spent more time writing. Which is sort of obvious! More hours in Brooklyn at favorite cafés, taking notes then writing up those notes, then editing editing editing. The more I make books, the more I think of myself as an editor. This goes for my children’s books, as well. I put something up on the wall, look at it hard, then change it.

RVC: Here’s something that’ll likely surprise you. I think I personally know some of the barns you used in your book Farm. How? Well, I went to Northern Illinois University for my undergrad degree (Go Huskies!), and I’ve read that you spent a lot of time driving around DeKalb County (for you non-​NIU types, that’s where NIU is located—about 60 miles west of Chicago, smack-​dab in the middle of Big Corn country) with your sketchbook while cooking up that book. Is this possible or am I way off base here?

EC: That’s so cool. Go Huskies! Yes, Farm is set almost entirely in DeKalb County. I drove many back roads there. While the farm in my book is a combination of a few farms, the main “model” was a farm in Hinckley, Illinois. A wonderful family let me hang around their farm for the year; a highlight was riding in the their combine harvester.

Writing that sentence, I realize how lucky I am to be doing what I’m doing (whatever that is).

RVC: What’s the most challenging part about drawing a barn well?

EC: No challenge. A barn is a barn, and I like to draw them (which reminds me: Edward Hopper painted barns so well). Now, having said that, and knowing this makes me sound a little cocky, here’s a list of things I can’t draw: donkeys, giraffes, horses, dinosaurs, dragons, faces, cactuses, politicians, canyons, hands, violins, lips. The list goes on!

RVC: Here’s one final set of questions for this part of the interview. Looking back at Big Cat, Little Cat—one of my Elisha Cooper favs that could’ve been included at the list in the intro but I wanted to save it for the Big Finish here!—what are you most proud of about it now? How has your relationship with it changed over the years? 

EC: Thank you! I’m so glad you like the book. Though, I’m not sure if I view my books in that way, with pride (in other words, it’s just a book). That could be my hang-​up with the word “pride,” as I do feel a sense of contentment with this book. I like the simple ink line in Big Cat. I had never used ink before, so that was a cool learning experience. I suppose the Caldecott Honor changed my relationship with the book, but I have tried not to let it. I try to remember the book I made.

RVC: Okay, it’s time to shift gears to part two of the interview—the no-​holds-​barred LIGHTNING ROUND! Zippy questions and zappy answers, please. Ready?

EC: Scared!

RVC: Most underrated Pittsburgh Steeler of all time?

EC: Louis Lipps.

RVC: Most surprising thing on your playlist right now?

EC: What’s a playlist? Don’t have one. Though I do have an old wood-​cased CD player next to my desk.

For River, I penciled the book to Hamilton, and painted it to Turandot, La Boheme, and Madame Butterfly.

RVC: Which animal didn’t quite make the cut (but you wished had!) for 8: An Animal Alphabet?

EC: Ooof. I think I packed every animal I could into that book.

RVC: Which do you fret over more—words or images?

EC: Don’t fret.

RVC: Best compliment a child ever gave on your picture books?

EC: Oh, goodness. I’d have to answer with the image, in my mind’s eye, of a kid after a school assembly clutching my book in her arms and looking up at me. That look floors me every time.

RVC: Three words that sum up your philosophy of picture books?

EC: Location, location, location. Um, no. Isn’t that for real estate? But, you know what, since where I actually am–whether it be in a café or alongside a river–is so essential to my work, I’ll stick with that answer.

 RVC: Thanks so much, Elisha!

EC: And thank you! This was fun.