Educational Activities: Duck on a Disco Ball by Jeff Mack

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Duck on a Disco Ball (A Duck in the Fridge Book)
Author: Jeff Mack
Illustrator: Jeff Mack
Two Lions
1 November 2018
40 pages

 

The latest picture book in the Duck in the Fridge series has silliness that builds with each page of this high-​energy, pun-​filled story.

Need some reviews of Duck on a Disco Ball?

Youth Services Book Review

Five Dollar Shake

Kirkus

Beagles and Books

 

And why not enjoy the book trailer, too?

Educational Activities inspired by Jeff Mack’s Duck on a Disco Ball:

  • Before Reading–Ask students:
    • “What do you like most about ducks?”
    • “Why role do you imagine that a disco ball plays in the story?”
    • “What do you notice about the back cover?”
  • After Reading–Did the giant party really happen or was it just as dream? What do YOU think?
  • After Reading–This book is full of puns (like calling Mom + Dad + Duck “party animals”) and jokes (like “What do you get when you cross an elephant with a fish? Swimming trunks!”). What are some of your favorite jokes? Need some more? 
  • Drawing–What do you think your parents do after you go to bed? Read books? Watch TV? Have a party with a bunch of animals? Using crayons or colored pencils, draw your answer on a sheet of paper.
  • Craft–With an adult’s help, try out some of the following duck crafts. 
  • Further Reading–Ducks are pretty awesome. But let’s face it–ducks don’t get as many starring roles in picture books as they might deserve. In the following titles, though, they do. So read some of the following and enjoy the quacktastic fun. Which of these ducks is your favorite? Which duck seems most likely to throw the best party?
    (Click on the book cover for more information on any of these titles!)

Author Interview: Lynne Marie

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This month’s author interview is with Florida writer Lynne Marie. Before the official OPB interview starts, let’s get to know a bit about her via a Ten Cool Bio Factoids list. Enjoy!

  1. Lynne’s favorite 3 places? The library. The World. Disney.
  2. She lives on a lake in South Florida “which she shares with many feathered and scaled friends,” including a a Great Blue Heron named Baymax and four Wood Storks named Michelangelo, Donatello, Raphael, and Leonardo (and of course, her daughter Kayla, son Kevin, and Schipperke puppy, Anakin).
  3. She’s originally from Nesconset, NY but has lived in Sanibel, FL and in Hollywood, FL.
  4. Each year, she tries to read 1,000 picture books. Most years, she succeeds!
  5. Former pets include five hedgehogs: Nike, Willow, Sirena, Athena, and Hamlet as well as a Schipperke name Dante and an African Bullfrog named Bully.
  6. Hedgehog Nike was the inspiration for Lynne’s two Hedgehog books.
  7. She studied English at SUNY Empire State College.
  8. She has two children who “always provide lots of inspiration for her stories.”
  9. She’s a longtime SCBWI member (since 2000).
  10. She loves to travel … which is probably why she also works as as travel agent.

So without further ado, here’s the OPB interview with Lynne, plus a few links if you need more Lynne Marie magic!

Website: www.literallylynnemarie.com
Blog: literallylynnemarie.blogspot.com
Twitter: www.twitter.com/Literally_Lynne
Instagram: www.instagram.com/pictures.by.pixel.pixie
Facebook: www.facebook.com/WordsandPictures.by.LynneMarie
Critique and Mentorship Website: www.thepicturebookmechanic.com (Coming Soon!)

RVC: Prior to getting your first book deal, you had a lot of success in the magazine world with hits at Spider, Hopscotch, Family Fun, Writer’s Digest, etc. What was your first professional writing credit? 

LM: I have been writing practically all my life and majored in English and Children’s Literature in College and drafted pleadings as a Paralegal, so I did have some experience and skills when I started in magazines. I was fortunate enough to have a small tidbit published in Family Fun Magazine (a parenting magazine) in 1997 as my first official magazine credit. Then, I had another small tidbit published in their book, Games on the Go, in 1998. That’s all it took for me to get the “publication bug” and I have been writing with an eye toward publication ever since!

RVC: What was your most meaningful strike in the magazine marketplace?

LM: Hands down, the most important strike was when I sold my story “Arachne’s Thread” to Highlights for Children, in or around 2003. Ironically, this is scheduled for publication in March 2019.

RVC: My goodness, that’s a long time from acceptance to publication.

LM: “Arachne’s Threat” is a Greek myth about spiders — I think it was really well written, however I was surprised they bought it because it was a little dark for them. I submitted it anyway because they didn’t have many Greek myths and it was one of my favorites and it sold.

Highlights pays upon acceptance and then puts it in a topic folder for future consideration. I guess the world is ready for such myths now 😉

RVC: So you’ve been seriously studying the art of writing picture books for about two decades thanks to college classes, online classes, conferences, and more. What helped the most? What role did mentors and writing critique groups play into your development?

LM: I dabbled in book reviews, poetry, and parenting articles for a while before finding my way to picture books in 1999. Once I decided on that path, I went to Borders and purchased a copy of the Children’s Writer’s & Illustrator’s Market and joined SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). I would have to say, without a doubt, that SCBWI helped the most. 

I have attended conferences on Long Island, in NYC, Massachusetts (NESCBWI), upstate NY (Hudson Valley SCBWI), Western Pennsylvania, Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, LA (each of these several times), Florida and even one in Madrid, Spain. This organization provided knowledge, information, connections, resources and opportunities. In fact, my first book sold indirectly through a NY conference (the editor passed it along to a colleague) and my second book sold as a result of that as well, and my fourth book sold to Meredith Mundy of Sterling as a result of a critique at the 2016 Orlando Florida Conference. She didn’t take the critique submission as she had too many dinosaur books on her list, but asked what else I had. So, I pitched Moldilocks and the 3 Scares, and she asked that I send it. It’s coming out from Sterling in fall 2019. 

RVC: You’ve said that the thing about picture book writing is that it’s NOT about good writing–instead, it’s about great writing. Help clarify that important distinction.

LM:Yes–I’ve also said that great writing is just a foundation for success. The truly essential quality is great storytelling. It doesn’t matter how lovely your writing is if you can’t effectively tell a story and grip the reader to follow your character and seamless plot wherever he/​she/​it goes. 

RVC: What’s the most unexpected tool in your writer’s toolbox?

LM: Hmmm…I would have to say reading, because it’s just so much a basic and not surprising answer that it is often overlooked. Each of my books that have been published are a result of reading at least 50–100 books on similar themes and topics and making sure that my book was as good as, if not better, than the rest AND that it filled a hole in a publisher’s market and list. 

I also think you learn gads from participating in an active critique group AND really considering criticism whether you agree with it or not. 

RVC: What do you get out of your work as a book reviewer and a writer for Children’s Book Insider?

LM: My work as a book reviewer makes me an educated reader, which is essential for success. It also feeds into what I wrote above. This year, I am a Cybils Elementary and Middle Grade Nonfiction Judge, so I am getting to read and review the best of the best! I am truly getting a sense of what publishers are looking for nonfiction, what they’ve published and even, what they haven’t yet published. 

With Write for Kids (Children’s Book Insider), I am getting a chance to share my connections with others and make new ones through the editors and Agents that I interview, as well as learn and get invaluable information from the other columnists who I write with via our monthly e‑zine.

RVC: Let’s talk about your two Hedgehog books. What was the process of developing the character of Spike?

LM: Spike was inspired by my actual Hedgehog, Apollo Nike, who I called Nike and nicknamed Spikey Nike. He was very nervous and would spike a lot around people and noises. No one could hold him but me. Though he had a prickly exterior, he was fine with the right person, and that’s where the idea of Sheldon came from (someone who can handle him physically). 

I thought about equating him with a child and realized that a bus ride would be very scary and unnerving for him, especially if it hit a bump. And wham! The story was born. As always, figuring out the solution was the challenge, but also fun, as I considered which animals he could and couldn’t sit next to. Of course, Sheldon the Turtle, won the seat. 

RVC: Does Spike have more adventures in him?

LM: I truly hope that he does.

RVC: You’ve got a new picture book that just came out. What’s the story of how The Star in the Christmas Play came to be?

LM: The Star in the Christmas Play is one of my older stories that was inspired by a stuffed giraffe that my daughter had named Raffi. The idea began with a character and his flaw/​story problem–he was too tall to do what he wanted to do. From there, I did have quite a challenge in envisioning a solution for being too tall, so I flipped it in my mind and started to think of the things that a giraffe wouldn’t be too tall for. Because some of them were too obvious and/​or visited in other books, my mind raced past them. Then I thought of “to be a star.” 

From there, my mind tumbled around with the word “play” (movie star or lead in a play) and a variety of scenarios until I settled on one of the most famous stars of all (the Star of Bethlehem). From that point, everything came together so nicely and I knew what Raffi wanted in the story–to be the “star” of the Christmas Play. 

After completion, I put this away and only looked at it from time to time. Until…I saw the Sparkhouse Family (now Beaming Books) Contest. I didn’t really have much in the way of religious-​themed book beside this one (although religion is really just the backdrop and the theme is accepting yourself and finding your own way to shine), but I sent it along anyway. Sometime after the close of the contest, Andrew DeYoung contacted me to tell me although my entry didn’t win, they couldn’t stop thinking about it and and were sending it to acquisitions the next month! Thankfully, it passed through and came to life in the capable hands of Lorna Hussey, illustrator of my second book, Hedgehog’s 100th Day of School.

RVC: Want to tease us about picture books under contract?

LM: Both Moldilocks and the 3 Scares (Sterling) story and/​or Let’s Eat! Mealtimes Around the World, are scheduled for release in fall 2019. Moldilocks is a Goldilocks retelling starring a zombie girl and monsters, so of course, I am extremely excited about this. It adds another level to the story in that the lives of  three monsters who feel something is missing become “just right” when an orphaned Zombie girl sloshes across their porch and into their hearts. And Let’s Eat is a fun exploration of meals and customs of children from 13 countries across the world. We intend to offer a lot of supplemental materials via both my blog and the Beaming Books blog, like recipes and other fun information.

RVC: Speed Round! Ready … go! Worst name for a hedgehog?

LM: LOL. Probably Prickles. 

RVC: Most underappreciated food joint at Disney?

LM: Oh, gosh–I could do an entire interview on this. For fast food at Magic Kingdom, Casey Jr. They have a really tasty Vegan Slaw dog. For full service–everyone wants to eat at Cinderella’s Castle but my absolute favorite is 1900 Park Fare where you get to meet Cinderella and the Prince, but even better–the Wicked Stepmother and the Stepsisters. And the buffet is decent too. 

Since this has become more popular over the years on its own, I’ll add the buffet at Trail’s End at the Fort Wilderness Campgrounds AND breakfast at the Garden Grill in Epcot. 

RVC: Favorite writing venue?

LM: At home, in my office on my computer, surrounded by all my books and inspirational tchotckhes. I love my writing space. 

RVC: Best picture book of 2018?

LM: Oh, goodness! This is a tough one. But thinking of the books that I just read, I really loved Bully by Jennifer Sattler and Lost in the Library: A Story of Patience and Fortitude by Josh Funk. Misunderstood Shark by Ame Dyckman, If Wendell Had a Walrus by Lori Mortensen, just to name a few because I honestly could go on and on and on.

[Sidenote from OPB: Check out Lori’s fall 2018 interview with us!]

RVC: The most important reason aspiring writers should join SCBWI?

LM: I am a HUGE fan of SCBWI for so many reasons. However, joining SCBWI and going to conferences is only part of the recipe for success. You have to do the work. Read, write, revise, critique, be critiqued, read, write, revise, repeat.

RVC: Three words that describe your approach to picture book writing.

LM: Humor. Heart. Imagination. 

RVC: Thanks so much, Lynne!

Picture Book Review: Nature’s Friend: The Gwen Frostic Story by Lindsey McDivitt

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Nature’s Friend: The Gwen Frostic Story
Author: Lindsey McDivitt
Illustrator: Eileen Ryan Ewen
Sleeping Bear Press
4 August 2018
32 pages

 

This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (#1 “Friend of the Trees” at Only Picture Books) and and Florida-​based author/​illustrator Linda Shute.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

It’s always wonderful to read picture book texts where the author has a poetic sensibility about sound, as one can hear in “like a small fawn follows its herd,” which is how McDivitt describes Gwen’s relationship to her brothers and sisters. You hear it again with this line: “tiny town tucked into the thumb of Michigan.” While there are other instances of this type of attention to language, my favorite might well be “tiny ferns unfurled at her feet.” It’s clear early on that McDivitt is trying to create an image system from the natural world to prepare readers for Gwen’s later work as lover of nature.

Nature’s Friend shares Gwen’s entire life trajectory–all nine decades of it. She went from being a sickly child to a prominent businesswoman, successful artist, and environmental pioneer. She was so successful, in fact, that she left an estate of $13 million to Western Michigan University, which renamed its art school in her honor. While Gwen started off with clear physical challenges, she simply never saw herself as disabled. That’s an important message for young readers, to be sure.

Gwen’s life is so full of interesting things that trying to capture it all in a single book feels a bit like one of those Dagwood sandwiches–short of being a comic character with a jaw that can unhinge, there’s no way to quite get your mouth around all that deliciousness.

One of the nice touches in this book is how quotations by Gwen are occasionally included in soft blue letters at the bottom of the page. While some might include such quotations as back matter, these each seen specifically selected for the spread where they’re used. That’s a fine touch.

There’s even a craft project at the end of the book, along with additional back matter about Gwen’s life.

This is an empowering book about a truly noteworthy, admirable woman.

4.25 out of 5 pencils

–Linda’s Review of the Illustrations–

On the jacket of Nature’s Friend, dark tree trunks and limbs frame an alert turn-​of-​the century young Gwen sketching in a north woods glade. Artist Ewen draws us through the frame with a cast of half-​concealed wildlife friends in the greenery surrounding Gwen.

The watercolor color and line medium, warm colors, and intimate viewpoint lend a confident, cheerful mood to the mile marker scenes of Gwen’s life. A large page size, with widely line-​spaced blocks of text on generous white fields are inviting for the six to eight year old transitioning to independent reading. Many spreads feature Frostic quotes in a tall font that suggests hand lettering. Their sky blue tint prevents them from competing visually with the story text blocks, but beckons the reader to return and contemplate Gwen’s words. They soften and add interest to the generally airy page design.

We linger looking at Gwen’s early years long enough for the reader to identify with her, then sweep forward through her life watching her mature, her clothing and hair interestingly reflecting styles of the passing decades. The interior settings–her childhood classroom and home, Chicago trolley and print business, woodsy gift shop and sitting room–are well described, lending the story authenticity. For the outdoor scenes, the artist relies heavily on the less realistic and more decorative style used on the jacket.

Gwen’s physical handicaps are difficult to detect in the pictures. What is clearly shown is her spirit, determination, and resourcefulness, which leave an afterglow of optimism and peace.

4 out of 5 crayons


Linda Shute is an author/​illustrator who earned a degree in art and art history at Florida State University and taught children’s book illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design.
She loves peanuts and beach sunsets.

Picture Book List: Nine Terrific Poetry Picture Books

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One of the pleasures of reading poetry is to witness the urgency, the intensity, and the sheer beauty of language. This is as true in well-​written picture books as it is in the classic “adult” poems of Rumi, Emily Dickinson, Robert Frost, or Yusef Komunyakaa.

As I think about which relatively-​recent picture books most embrace the wonders that poetry offers, I recall what Romanian-​born German poet Paul Celan once wrote:

“A poem … can be a message in a bottle, sent out in the–not always greatly hopeful–belief that somewhere and sometime it could wash up on land, on heartland perhaps. Poems in this sense, too, are under way: they are making toward something.”

Each of the following picture books all are a “making toward something” that’s remarkable thanks to their use of poetic forms and a keen sensibility for language.

See for yourself.

Thunder Underground by Jane Yolen (illustrated by Josee Masse)

In this collection of 21 playful poems by kidlit master Jane Yolen, readers learn all about the things beneath the Earth’s surface: subways, fossils, pirate treasure, caves, magma, and even tectonic plates. A Kirkus starred review notes that the poems honor “the ability of young readers to navigate syntax, imagery, and wordplay… a thoughtful exploration of nature expressed in poetry that should open the eyes of children to unseen worlds.”

 

Jazz Day: The Making of a Famous Photograph by Roxane Orgill (illustrated by Francis Vallejo)

In playful verse and vibrant images, this book captures an amazing real-​world moment from 1958, when Esquire magazine and graphic designer Art Kane brought together a group of 57 beloved jazz musicians to be photographed outside a Harlem brownstone. Celebrate Picture Books notes that author Roxane Orgill “recreates the syncopation of jazz and the exhilaration of the photo shoot in twenty poems that capture the sights, sounds, conversations, horseplay, and vibe of that special day that forever commemorate the Golden Age of Jazz.”

One especially cool feature? A fold-​out page in the book shares the final product of that historic photo shoot.

 

H is for Haiku: A Treasury of Haiku from A to Z by Sydell Rosenberg (illustrated by Sawsan Chalabi)

Writer’s Rumpus reports that this book is “a delightful exploration of the alphabet through Haiku. Each page explores a moment in time with lovely, lyrical and luscious language. Colorful, playful illustrations complement the poetic text.” As the late Rosenberg once shared: “The split second one starts to touch a flower–real or plastic? That’s haiku. Before the hoof comes down–that’s haiku.”

 

In the Land of Milk and Honey by Joyce Carol Thomas (illustrated by Floyd Cooper)

This book tells the true story of Joyce Carol Thomas’ trip as a girl from Oklahoma to California in 1948. A Booklist review shares that “clear free verse captures the excitement of the journey–the steaming train, the hissing wheels, the long lonesome whistle.” But don’t neglect Floyd Cooper’s masterful pastel artwork and oil wash paintings which are equally impressive and help make this book a must-read.

 

If I Never Forever Endeavor by Holly Meade

This book tells the inner story of a fledgling thinking about leaving the nest, but isn’t quite ready to go. To fly or not to fly? That is the question explored in these poems that emphasize rhyme, repetition, and onomatopoeia.

A Storypath review says that “the bird’s soliloquy is rhythmic and memorable and will be picked up by the listeners by the second reading.”

 

Out of Wonder: Poems Celebrating Poets by Kwame Alexander and Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth (illustrated by Ekua Holmes)

Newbery Award-​winning author and poet Kwame Alexander–with Chris Colderley and Marjory Wentworth–writes poems about great poets … in the style of those poets themselves. In an NPR interview, Alexander states that the three aims for this book are to encourage kids to read poetry, introduce them to great poets, and inspire them to write poems of their own. “It’s a lofty goal,” he admits, “but I think that’s a metaphor for what poetry is.”

 

A Poke in the I: A Collection of Concrete Poems by Paul B. Janeczko (illustrated by Chris Raschka)

This award-​winning collection of 30 poems provides no end of fun thanks to a commitment to the playfulness of poetry.  A Booklist starred review explains that “these aren’t poems to read aloud, but to look at and laugh at together, with young children and especially older readers, who will enjoy the surprise of what words look like and what can be done with them.” A Publisher’s Weekly starred review adds that this book is “an uncluttered, meditative space for the picturesque language.”

 

Marvelous Math: A Book of Poems by Lee Bennett Hopkins (illustrated by Karen Barbour)

It’s hard to imagine a list of good poetry picture books without including something by Lee Bennett Hopkins, the grand master of poetry and poetry anthologies for young readers. The 16 poems in this book–two written by Hopkins and the rest written by others–all include math or numbers as a thematic element. A few of my favorites? Lillian M. Fisher’s “To Build a House,” Janet S. Wong’s “One to Ten” and Felice Holman’s “Counting Birds.”

 

Where the Sidewalk Ends: Poems and Drawings by Shel Silverstein

What can be said about a poetry book from 1974 that nearly all adults recall with wonder, joy, and an enduring sense of nostalgia?

Sisters are auctioned off.

Sarah Cynthia Sylvia Stout will simply not take the garbage out!

A girl eats a whale.

Crocodiles go to the dentist.

Silverstein’s poetic mad-​but-​makes-​sense world is one where you wash your shadow and plant diamond gardens. Yes, his poems are loads of fun, but he’s a master wordsmith whose writing is far more profound than you might realize at first.

 

Editor Interview: Christina Pulles (Sterling Publishing)

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The October 2018 Industry Insider interview is with Christina Pulles, Executive Editor at Sterling Children’s Books.

By way of introduction, here’s a quick bio snippet on Christina:

Christina Pulles joined Sterling Children’s Books in June 2015, and before that worked at Simon & Schuster’s Simon Spotlight imprint. Realistic middle grade holds a soft spot in her heart, but she also loves working on everything from board books to fiction and nonfiction picture books. Originally from the Chicago area, she now reads, runs, bakes, and eats in Brooklyn with her husband.

Sterling Website: www.sterlingpublishing.com
Twitter: twitter.com/ChristinaPulles

RVC: Like most in the writing/​publishing biz, you were a mega-​reader as a kid. But you’ve said that it was only in high school that you first started thinking about being a book editor. How did that idea come about? And what specifically appealed to you about that job?

CP: I became an editor for my high school newspaper, and I loved coming up with ideas for stories and writing them or editing them, but it just didn’t feel like exactly what I wanted to do, both the writing and the journalism parts. I don’t know how exactly I came to the realization that there were editors for books, too, but once I did I knew that was what I wanted to do—to sit quietly and read books all day (which, of course, is not at all what my job is like).

RVC: So we’re both Chicago natives! I started my writing career while doing my undergrad at Northern Illinois University, and you got your first publishing world job in the Windy City, too–at the book distributor Independent Publishers Group (IPG). What did you do there, and what did you learn that helped you be a more successful editor down the road?

CP: I absolutely loved working at IPG. I was a Sales Associate there, first assisting our B&N rep and then expanding to work on other national accounts. Seeing how the buyers’ estimates would change based on what materials we had available to show them helped me understand how important it is to always get my Sales team the materials they need to give each book its best shot.

RVC: After a stint at Simon & Schuster’s Spotlight imprint, you moved to Sterling Publishing, a mid-​sized New York publisher. It’s also one of the few picture book publishers that still allow unsolicited, unagented submissions, right? What are some of the WOW-​level slush successes you’ve witnessed?

CP: Before my time at Sterling, another editor, Zaneta Jung, found Josh Funk’s amazing Lady Pancake & Sir French Toast in our slush pile, though he got an agent and signed other deals soon after. One of my favorite upcoming projects came in as an unagented, snail-​mail submission: When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree by Jamie L. B. Deenihan.

RVC: Jamie’s book is terrific. Let’s circle back on that in a moment. (She and I are pals, plus OPB just interviewed her agent, Linda Camacho, two months back. Small world, huh?)

But talk a bit more about how the acquisition process works at Sterling. What departments are involved? How much autonomy do editors have? What’s the typical time frame for a submission that makes it all the way through?

CP: It can take a very long time, unfortunately—definitely up to a few months! Because we’re a smaller company, we get the whole team involved in the process, all the way up to our President. This ends up being a great thing, though, as everyone gets excited about a book right from the start.

RVC: So you’ve bought two picture books from Jamie now–When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree and When Grandpa Gives You a Toolbox.  What kind of pitch did you make to your team for those manuscripts? Was it all about comps (competing titles) and P&Ls (profit and loss estimates), language use, story elements, an agent’s charisma, or … ? What works to make the magic happen and the deal to emerge?

CP: It was a combination of all of those things! I create a memo to share with the team that includes a positioning statement (a very quick line about what a book is and why someone would want to buy it), a brief description of the story, an author bio, and comp titles. The sales team reviews all of that information to determine how many copies they think they can sell to their accounts. Then we plug those numbers into our P&L to see if the project will make a profit.

I think Jamie’s books were a particularly easy sell because of both the grandparent angle—people can buy them for Grandparents’ Day, Mother’s Day, and Father’s Day—and the message about putting down electronics, getting outdoors, and making something special.

RVC: That’s a great message for sure. It gets me wondering just how aware writers are about built-​in hooks and the reasons editors really take on a manuscript. Now you recently participated in a critique opportunity for picture book writers via Inked Voices which included conversations about stories and the pitches. What are the most common errors you find in picture book submissions? In queries/​pitches/​cover letters? 

CP: I got to read some great projects in my Inked Voices session, and this feedback doesn’t necessarily apply to those!

With submissions in general, I see a lot of rhyming text that doesn’t work. If you’re going to write in rhyme, read your text aloud constantly to see if it’s scanning properly. Keep in mind that other people in different regions or countries may not pronounce things the same way you do. Try to choose your words based on more than the fact that they rhyme with the last word of the previous line—they should fit naturally into the story, too.

In pitch letters, we get all kinds of mistakes in terms of who the manuscripts are being submitted to! Do your research about an editor before pitching them, and make sure the house actually publishes books like the one you’re submitting. Not every book has to have a hook as specific as a grandparent hook—maybe the hook of your manuscript is that it deals with emotional intelligence, or it’s connected to STEAM in some way, or it illustrates a great friendship. Whatever stands out about your manuscript, make sure to include that in your cover letter!

RVC: I feel your pain. Despite this being the OnlyPictureBooks blog, I still get unsolicited YA and adult books for review. One time, I even got a business how-​to book. Ugh!

This all gets me thinking about another issue writers sometimes fret over–the importance of an author platform. I get it! Part of why I’m doing OPB is to grow my platform in the kidlit world. I also do it because OPB is fun, interesting, educational, and full of good literary karma for all involved, as you’ll soon find.

So for you and for Sterling, on a scale of 1 (least) to 10 (most), how important is it that a potential picture book author has a platform? Has that level of importance changed over the years? Do you anticipate it changing in the future?

CP:  I do think it’s becoming more and more important—I would say it’s moved from a 5 to a 6 in the past few years. Authors that have a big social media presence are often able to build up hype for their books, and that leads to sales. A platform doesn’t have to be all about social media (which I’m not great at, anyway); having a nice website and being able to set up school visits and events on your own are also huge selling points for a picture book author.

RVC: What’s the most exciting trend you’re seeing in picture books now?

CP: I’m excited by two things: the sophistication of some recent picture books like A Different Pond by Bao Phi and How to Make Friends with a Ghost by Rebecca Green, and the inclusivity of books like The Day You Begin by Jacqueline Woodson and Rafael López and All Are Welcome by Alexandra Penfold and Suzanne Kaufman. I don’t think either of these things should be trends; they’re recognizing children for what they’re capable of understanding and they should inform how we approach children’s books in general.

RVC: Okay, it’s time for the Speed Round. GO! Which videos are more likely to suck you into the time-​wasting internet void–kittens or baby pandas?

CP: Baby pandas. I’m not a cat person (that’s relevant to my submission tastes, too!).

RVC: Best place to get cupcakes in Brooklyn?

CP: It’s not in Brooklyn, but Molly’s Cupcakes in the West Village is my favorite. Their original location is in Chicago.

RVC: Best Chicago pizza?

CP: I was raised on Lou Malnati’s. My husband hasn’t even tried any of the other places yet.

RVC: My brother LOVES Lou Malnati’s, too. Next question, though–what’s the coolest literary pilgrimage you’ve taken?

CP: I went to Prince Edward Island on my honeymoon, and it really was everything I hoped—we saw the Green Gables house, ate amazing seafood, biked along the rocky red coast, and had dinner in Charlottetown.

RVC: Picture book character you’d most want to meet in real life?

CP: The mouse from If You Give a Mouse a Cookie.

RVC: What never-​before-​authored-​anything celebrity do you think would write the best picture book?

CP: I’m obsessed with Jane the Virgin and Gina Rodriguez, and I think a picture book either from Gina or from the character of Jane would be a lot of fun! She’s a romance writer on the show and S&S published “her” book last year.

RVC: Best picture book published in the last year that too few people are talking about?

CP: Two of my own books, Magnolia Mudd and the Super Jumptastic Launcher Deluxe by Katey Howes and Valerio Fabbretti and Help Find Frank by Anne Bollman are so charming and fun, and I’d love to see them get more attention!

On the non-​Sterling side, I’ve been in love with All the Way to Havana by Margarita Engle and Mike Curato since it came out last year, and haven’t heard as much about it as I would have thought.

RVC: Three words that authors you’ve worked with will say about their experiences with you and Sterling.

CP: Attentive, enthusiastic, and innovative—I hope!

RVC: Thanks a ton, Christina! 

Educational Activities: What Can You Do with a Toolbox? by Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri

On By Only Picture BooksIn Educational Activities

 

What Can You Do with a Toolbox?
Author: Anthony Carrino and John Colaneri
Illustrator: Maple Lam
Paula Wiseman Books
28 August 2018
32 pages

 

 

From HGTV stars, cousins, and best friends John Colaneri and Anthony Carrino comes this new picture book that introduces young readers to the tools in every toolbox, and shows how to use them, too.

Need some reviews of What Can You Do with a Toolbox?

Kirkus

Publisher’s Weekly

 

And here’s a brief interview with the authors about the book.

Parade

Educational Activities inspired by John Colaneri and Anthony Carrino’s What Can You Do with a Toolbox?:

  • Before Reading–Ask students:
    • “Which people in your life have their own toolbox? What do they use it for?”
    • “What do YOU expect to find in a toolbox? What do you NOT expect to find in a toolbox?”
    • “What do you notice about the front cover of this book? About the back cover?”
  • After Reading–Which of the tools mentioned in this book looks like the most fun to use? Why/​why not?
  • Crafts–(As the book says, always enlist the help of an adult when using tools!) Consider using tools to make your own cool project. Some ideas: 
  • Drawing–In this story, one of the things that they use tools to build is a playground. If you were in charge of the playground design, what would it look like? What type of playground equipment and toys would it have? What wouldn’t it have? Use colored pencils or crayons and paper to draw that perfect playground.
  • Invention–The tools mentioned in this book–hammer, screwdriver, and wrench–are quite commonly found in a toolbox. Create your own new tool. What’s it called? What does it do? What does it look like? Use colored pencils or crayons and paper to draw your new tool.
  • Further Reading–This book is all about tools as well as how to use them! Read one or more of the following picture books which are also about tools. Which book do you most enjoy? Which book makes tools look the most cool? In which book would you most like to be a character? Why?
    (Click on the book cover for more information on any of these titles!)