Tag: Ryan G. Van Cleave

Author Interview: Audrey Vernick

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We’re closing out the year with Audrey Vernick, who’s the author of numerous picture books (including some that we’ve showcased here at OPB). She’s a prolific kidlit collaborator, too, having coauthored four picture books with Liz Garton Scanlon and two middle-​grade novels with Olugbemisola Rhuday-Perkovich.

Audrey’s also a dog person. As a child, she had a “not very bright small white dog,” and these days, she lives in New Jersey with her family and a “medium-​sized fairly smart black dog.” She also writes about dogs and other animals, too. Like buffalos!

And perhaps most important, Audrey—who grew up in Queens—is a big-​time NY Yankees fan. Go, Yanks!!!

With that, let’s jump ahead to the interview so we can learn more about her.

Audrey’s website

Audrey’s Facebook

Audrey’s Twitter

RVC: Rumor has it you were a huge fan of Harriet the Spy. True fact or an apocryphal story?

AV: True, and my love and respect for the text grew as I got older. I absolutely love how imperfect she is.

RVC: I was a Harriet fan, too. She’s awesome! Now, prior to getting an MFA in creative writing from Sarah Lawrence College, what did you think you were going to do for a living?

AV: Well, this is both prior and post, because I didn’t really expect the MFA to boost my employment opportunities. (And I was ever so right about that.) My last two jobs were writing periodicals for schools and libraries, and I wrote literary short fiction on the side. Opportunities to practice and improve your writing are always worthwhile and I thought I’d likely continue on with the work I was doing.

RVC: Long ago, I recall an interview where you talked about how challenging it is to understand—let alone use—a writing voice. This was specifically in relation to your Buffalo series, I think. What’s your relationship to writing voice today? 

AV: This is a very annoying answer, so I apologize for that. Voice has always been the thing I have the least trouble with. It is almost always there. (I struggle mightily with plot.) And if voice is not there, that’s a pretty good hint to me that I have a lot I still need to figure out.

RVC: So it’s a warning sign then. Okay.

AV: With the Buffalo books, I remember learning how to get out of my own way. I realized I didn’t need to answer questions that really didn’t need answering, though they are sometimes called out when I’m meeting with young readers. Like how did that Buffalo get through the kindergarten classroom door? Wouldn’t Buffalo break the desks and chairs?

RVC: So, Is Your Buffalo Ready for Kindergarten? was your first picture book published with a major house. What’s the story behind that story?

AV: My first agent represented primarily adult fiction writers. At the time I signed with her, I was writing fiction for both young readers and for adults. I was the one who had knowledge about the children’s market, and I pretty much had to direct her regarding who to submit to, etc. It wasn’t ideal, but I was getting read much faster than I had been when I did not have representation. When she was ready to part ways with me, I wanted to cling to her. But practically instantaneously upon signing with an agent with good relationships of her own within the market for which I was writing, something shifted in me. My writing became so much freer now that it wasn’t also my job to figure out where to submit, who required exclusives, etc. I’m not wildly self-​aware, but I remember thinking, wow. Look at that.

RVC: What was the biggest lesson that book offered you?

AV: There were many. That important step of getting out of my own way—setting the parameters of my characters’ worlds without explanation. But also—and this was hard for a relative newbie to publishing—to fight for the lines that you truly can’t stand to cut. I gave in on a lot on that book, but I was so glad to hold onto one particular line, because it is almost every kindergartner’s favorite. (It has to do with snack time for a cud chewer.)

RVC: You’re a funny writer. At what part of the writing process does the humor emerge?

AV: Thank you! It’s usually right there, tucked into voice, when I get down the first draft. I would have a very hard time returning to a manuscript and trying to punch it up with jokes. When things are going well, it’s almost as though my fingers know something before my head thinks it. Like they have a fun surprise they can’t wait to type for me.

RVC: What’s your best tip for those who aspire to write their own laugh-​out-​loud picture books?

AV: This is actually useful for anything you’re trying to do that doesn’t come easily/naturally—force yourself to come up with an absurd number of possible ideas, ranging from predictable to profoundly absurd. Remind yourself it’s just a list, no one will see it, but ask a lot of yourself, like I need a list of 25 things this character could say right here. There’s something about being forced to do an impossible number that forces the inner critic to shut up. Very often, in addition to a ton of crap, there will be something you’d have never thought of if you hadn’t forced the big list. It works!

RVC: That’s a great idea–thanks for that! Will you also please talk a bit about the importance of community in a writer’s life in general and your life in specific?

AV: Most of my writing friends are members of some kind of writing group. I am not, but I have a few brilliant friends who read my manuscripts and in turn I read theirs. I could not submit manuscripts to my agent without this part of my writing process. I find it almost embarrassing how clearly they see what’s not working when I cannot, but more than that, I’m so grateful for their insight. I also have friends with whom I get together and complain. This is tricky business. A person who has published a lot, for example, should probably not do this with someone seeking their first sale. But those of us in similar places can and do spend hours complaining about slights and frustrations and jealousies, while we are simultaneously aware of how lucky we are.

RVC: Let’s talk about collaboration. I’ve had Liz Garton Scanlon join us at OPB before, but I’d like to hear your side of things. How did you first partner with Liz on picture books?

AV: We share an agent, Erin Murphy.

RVC: Another OPB interview person! Here’s the link to her fine interview.

AV: Liz and I had met and liked each other but we live far apart and collaboration wasn’t something either of us had been actively seeking. One day, Erin sent us both an email with the review of a book (and it drives us crazy that none of us can remember which book) and wrote something like, “If you two had a book baby together, it would be this book.” And I immediately thought oh my god, there is nothing I want more in this world than to have a book baby with Liz.

RVC: That’s hilarious!

AV: At that point, it was just waiting for the right idea to come along, which happened when I got a cold and my Ms turned into Bs and we wrote Bob, Not Bob!. We recently received news of the sale of our fifth book together, though the deal has not yet been announced.

RVC: How are your collaborations with Liz different than those with your middle-​grade novel partner, Olugbemisola Rhuday-​Perkovich?

AV: At my core, I am more a picture-​book writer than a novel writer. So I feel like my writing chops are better suited to the work I do with Liz. Thankfully, both women are remarkable and brilliant writers. (When choosing a writing partner, choose a brilliant writer. You’re welcome.)

The process was very different. When writing Two Naomis and Naomis Too, Gbemi and I were alternating chapters, each writing from the point of view of a different character. If there was something in the other’s chapter we wanted to change/​talk about, we’d indicate that with a comment in the margins of the document we sent back and forth. With Liz, we do not track changes and for the most part do not use comments. We back-​and-​forth the manuscript, and when it’s my turn, I treat it like it’s my manuscript—if I want to cut a line, I just do. If I want to reorder some lines, I do. And, of course, she does the same. And we VERY rarely go backwards to reincorporate something that’s been cut.

RVC: In all of your experience with collaboration, what has surprised you the most?

AV: The joy. The way that my cowriter can absolutely surprise and delight me with something I didn’t see coming. It’s a very improv way to write—very yes and.

RVC: What are a couple of key tips about being part of a successful writing collaboration?

AV: Begin with a kind, funny, wise collaborator. Make sure you’re on the same page—as in if one of you has strict ideas about how the collaboration will work and the other is more of a figure-​it-​out-​as-​we-​go person, there might be some avoidable conflicts to work through.

It wouldn’t work for everyone, but I feel like Liz and I sort of stumbled into a system that works so well for us. One of us starts—maybe half a page, maybe less, and emails it to the other. We number each draft so one of us ends up with all even drafts, the other with odd. And we’re willing to admit when something isn’t working, sometimes trying again, and sometimes giving up.

With novels, we learned an interesting lesson on the Naomis books. The first book is about two separate characters whose lives come together (spoiler alert). The second is not. The two characters (whoops—even bigger spoiler alert) are now living in the same home. In hindsight—the reason winging it worked on the first book and didn’t on the second had to do with where the characters were. For the second book, we’d have been better served with some kind of loose outline at least. I am quite sure our editor would have thanked us for that.

RVC: You’re a huge baseball fan, and that comes through in your writing with such books as She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story and All Star: How Larry Doby Smashed the Color Barrier in Baseball.

AV: Oh, baseball. November to February are such bleak months in the northeast and then add in no baseball and it can just make me weep. There’s a line in Brothers at Bat (warning, yes–I am about to quote myself) that says about the Acerra family, “Baseball set the rhythms of their life.” And I didn’t see it at the time, but it’s true of me too. When spring training starts, it’s such a relief.

RVC: What’s the most difficult aspect of writing picture books about baseball?

AV: Finding a new story. Also, I really like to write about women in baseball, and so far I’ve only written and published two of those. There aren’t that many! One great thing is that people know this about me and so I receive links to interesting articles from everyone—people I went to elementary school with, other writers, distant relatives.

RVC: What’s your favorite baseball picture book? 

AV: My favorites are the books that resonated for both me and my kids. My son, now a married adult, can still quote from Jonah Winter’s Fair Ball!: 14 Great Stars from Baseball’s Negro Leagues. And we were all really fond of Peter Golenbock’s Teammates.

RVC: One final question for this part of the interview. Brag time! What should we be looking for from you in the future? 

AV: Three collaborations with Liz! First up, and BRILLIANTLY illustrated by Lynnor Bontigao, The World’s Best Class Plant, from Putnam. After that, Homesick, illustrated by Daniel Miyares, a Neal Porter Book. And another not yet announced. Also, this just delights me—She Loved Baseball: The Effa Manley Story—which first published in 2010, will be available in paperback in January!

RVC: Okay, Audrey. It’s time for the SPEED ROUND! We’re looking for zippy-​skippy questions followed by flappy-​snappy answers. Are you ready to blast to the finish line?

AV: So ready!

RVC: What secret talent do you have that no one would expect?

AV: I can tell if someone is a Mets or Yankees fan, just by looking at them.

RVC: If you were a clown-​themed superhero, what power(s) would you have?

AV: It would have something to do with being one of many tumbling out of a tiny car.

RVC: If you played professional baseball, what position would you play? And what would your nickname be?

AV: If I weren’t so short, I’d be thrown out into right field because of my skill level (no offense intended, AL MVP). My height would probably leave me in the middle infield but most likely I’d ride the bench. I haven’t yet had a nickname stick for the long haul.

Man, now I want a nickname.

RVC: What’s your most important good writing habit?

AV: Stubbornness—going back to the beginning and trying again when it’s not working.

RVC: Your favorite picture book of 2022?

AV: I cannot pick one. I can hone the list down to 112, but that is neither flappy nor snappy.

RVC: What’s the best thing a child has ever said about your writing?

AV: My favorite letter from a kid is attached. It is the best thing ever said about anything ever.

RVC: Thanks so much, Audrey!

AV: Thank you!!

Picture Book Review: Wombat Said Come In by Carmen Agra Deedy

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Wombat Said Come In
Author: Carmen Agra Deedy
Illustrator: Brian Lies
Peachtree
6 October 2022
48 pages

This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Owner/​Operator of Only Picture Books) and Ringling College of Art and Design Illustration Professor (and OPB pal) David C. Gardner.

 

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

Give most writers a story about hiding out from an Australian brushfire and you might have a scary story. Not so with Wombat Said Come In. From the start, Carmen Agra Deedy is playing with language as you can see with the sound repetition in “Wombat was not worried,” or “Walleeooooo, Wombat!” That’s fun. And to ensure young readers aren’t worried, there’s “Fire had passed over his burrow before.” Whew. That distances the danger even more, so we can focus on the “crazy quilt” or the tea and cookies in Wombat’s hands.

The story quickly becomes one of constant interruptions. First, Wallaby hops by because he can’t get safely back to his own home. Whether you recall the title or not, of course Wombat invites Wallaby inside his cool, safe underground home. Soon, we’ve got Kookaburra, Platypus, Koala, and Sugar Glider joining the group–one after another–in the safety of Wombat’s home.

Worse, they’re making a mess, sleeping in his quilt, wearing his slippers, and using his handkerchiefs. The art does a splendid job of showing how displeased Wombat is growing. Eventually, “days passed,” and finally it’s safe to go outside. Wombat might like the guests, but he says it plainly: “GO HOME! It’s safe for you to rove and roam, and time for me to be alone. Skedaddle! Shoo! Go home!”

That seems like the end of things, but Sugar Glider (who is oh-​so-​cute in the art) says, “No home-​home to go to-​to.” So, of course, Wombat responds with, “Come in.”

It’s a story of gentleness and generosity, though it’s also about setting limits. You could also easily use this story as a launching point for discussions on gratitude, patience, and how house guests should behave. I’m also a fan of how this book quietly presents the challenges of dealing with a natural disaster without letting that aspect overpower the story.

There’s a lyrical read-​aloud quality to this book, too, that will help make young readers want to hear Wombat’s story again and again. Perhaps Wombat’s inviting refrain will inspire others to be equally generous in times of need.

4.5 out of 5 pencils

 

–David’s Review of the Illustrations–

Acclaimed author Jane Yolen maintains that the best children’s book illustrations don’t just decorate the book. They deepen it.

Brian Lies does just that in Wombat Said Come In. He wordlessly builds anticipation and sets the scene for the story even before the title page. In a clever cross-​section of Wombat’s underground home, Wombat is reading in his cozy den. You could spend an afternoon exploring the illustration’s charming details, a Lies trademark. Next, a double spread takes a striking high-​angle view of the path leading up to Wombat’s front door. In the red Australian soil, assorted animal tracks suggest the animals we’ll encounter by the end of the book. A welcome mat is an important detail. The single image conveys one of the themes: All are welcome here.

In addition to his use of clever, fresh, and surprising details, Lies is known for his capturing of light, which is especially strong throughout. His technique of layering acrylics and sculpting with light and shadow, using vibrant colors so delicious, I had to catch my breath at a few page turns. The light is so convincing at times, the characters seem to leap off the page.

When the story begins, Wombat answers the door with his comfy quilt and cookies and tea, which makes the interruption of all his animal neighbors all the more disruptive and funny. The pictures are consistently lighthearted, painted in vibrant jewel tones. Lies conveys Wombat’s growing frustration amidst his neighbors’ chaos with a light touch, so the character never comes across as mean. And the fire blazing outside is never shown, only indicated by smoke, so the book is never scary.

Every page is fun. The pictures bounce with variety, inventive layouts, and plenty of action. They send us tumbling forward along with Wombat, building to the requisite climactic party scene, a striking spread with a background of rich orange, the burrow’s wall, characters flying everywhere, and a single line of text. Poor Wombat is hopelessly trapped underground with the craziness. Could things get any worse?

In fact, things get better.

Wombat emerges the next morning. The fire has died. It is safe for his neighbors to leave. Lies adds a lovely grace note, deepening the text again: a tiny, green seedling catches the light. The light on the final welcome mat illustration, repeated from the beginning of the book, has gone rosy and warm with morning, sprigs of new grass sprouting. Lies beautifully extends the hope in the text, hope that springs from Wombat’s kindness, with this final image of new growth.

5 out of 5 crayons

David C. Gardner is an award-​winning illustrator and visual development artist. A former artist for Walt Disney Animation Studios, he has illustrated numerous picture books, including Write On, Irving Berlin! by Leslie Kimmelman (which appeared on OPB in May 2018). Published by Sleeping Bear Press, that book won a 2021 Charlotte Award from the New York State Reading Association. It tells the true story of little Izzy Baline, who immigrated to New York City in 1893 and grew up to become Irving Berlin, one of the most well-​known composers of popular music in America. David teaches illustration at Ringling College of Art and Design.

To learn more about David’s own work, please visit FlyingDogStudio.com.

Editor Interview: Reka Simonsen (Atheneum)

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This month’s Industry Insider is Reka Simonsen. Prior to becoming Editorial Director at Atheneum, she worked at various publishers and bookstores such as Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Henry Holt Books for Young Readers, and Books of Wonder.

To know why we’re so excited to have her join us at OPB, just look at some of the people she’s worked with—Margarita Engle, Carole Boston Weatherford, Evan Turk, Frank Morrison, Jamie Sumner, Linda Urban, Joy McCullough, Emily Ecton, Melanie Crowder, Brian Pinkney, Sean Qualls, Lita Judge, and Lloyd Alexander, among others.

And then there’s the awards that books she’s edited have won—a Newbery Honor, a Coretta Scott King Award and an Honor, a Geisel Honor, a Sibert Honor, Walter Honors, a PEN USA Award, several Pura Belpré Awards and Honors, Jane Addams Peace Awards and Honors, Americás Awards and Honors, a Christopher Medal, Charlotte Zolotow Awards, and they’ve been finalists for the Morris Award, the Andre Norton Award, and the Edgar Award.

Wow, right? Let’s get straight to the interview to discover how Reka makes the magic happen.

RVC: What was your first vital/​transformative experience with books?

RS: Books have been such an important part of my life since very early childhood that it’s hard to think of one transformative experience that I’ve had in relation to them, but some of my earliest and happiest memories are of reading with my father. Long after I’d passed the usual age for bedtime stories, he and I would take turns reading to each other, often from favorites like My Family and Other Animals by Gerald Durrell. I still reread that book almost every year, in memory of my dad. And I very nearly became a wildlife biologist because of Gerald Durrell’s books…

RVC: You graduated from Hunter College with degrees in art and English. What was the career plan at that point? Was it wildlife biology?

RS: Getting a job with health insurance! I’m joking, but not really. I deferred college for several years while I trained as a dancer, so when I did finally go to school, I knew the financial insecurity that comes from being in the arts. Because of that, I was aiming for a career that fulfilled both my need for creativity and my need for basic benefits. I was working part-​time in publishing while I was in college, so I already knew I liked the work; my goal was just to get into the area of publishing that I had always loved: children’s books.

RVC: Though most people think of you as a kidlit editor, you got your start by editing textbooks and coffee table books. How did that work prepare you to be an editor for children’s books? 

RS: At the time, I wondered if the skills specific to those two types of books would be of any use once I started working with children’s books. Turns out that a few of them have. Knowing how to do photo research and obtain permissions has come in handy when I’ve worked on nonfiction books. And editing coffee table books gave me a good eye for how art and text work together to create visual energy and interest for readers, whether young or old.

RVC: What was the first picture book you edited? 

RS: At first, I edited a lot of things that I inherited from predecessors. The first picture book I acquired and edited was Head, Body, Legs, a Liberian creation story by Won-​Ldy Paye and Margaret Lippert, illustrated by Julie Paschkis.

RVC: What was the most important lesson that book taught you?

RS: The importance of working collaboratively, which is something I agreed with in theory but had never had such a hands-​on experience of before this book. The text is a collaboration between two authors: Won-​Ldy is from Liberia and has known the traditional tale his whole life, and as a professional storyteller he can hold an audience rapt with his rendition of it. But he had not written a book before, which was where his friend and collaborator Margaret came in. She is a writer and educator, and she knows how to shape things so that the written version that a parent might read with their kid lands with the same impact that the story has when told in the oral tradition. Then the two of them worked directly with their friend Julie to help interpret the story visually, which was not an easy task, given that it’s about three individual body parts trying to figure out how to come together to make a person! Usually, authors and illustrators do not work directly with one another, but in this case all three of them were friends, and that brought another layer to the book. The art director and I worked closely with all three of them to help shape the folktale into a wonderful book. It was an incredible experience!

RVC: That sounds amazing! Now, what’s the most common misconception about editors?

RS: Even in the book world, I find that most people still think that editing means correcting grammar and punctuation—the kind of red-​pen editing that a lot of us are familiar with from the notes teachers wrote on our school essays. More experienced writers and agents know otherwise, of course, but first-​time authors still often expect that the first thing they’ll see from an editor is a detailed line-​level edit of the manuscript, which is usually a much later step in the process, rather than a letter or conversation that looks at the bigger picture aspects of the story, which is more often the first editorial step.

RVC: What was the most demanding/​challenging picture book you’ve worked on?

RS: I’d have to say A Violin for Elva by Mary Lyn Ray, illustrated by Tricia Tusa. The book itself was wonderful, as were the author and the illustrator, who are both incredibly talented, and lovely people to boot. But long before I started at Harcourt, the two of them had disagreed about the vision for the book, and so the project languished for many, many years. Then I approached them about finding a way forward together, and we were able to do that. While I’d like to think that my fresh perspective and sheer brilliance were what did the trick, I think it was more that enough time had passed for everyone to approach it with more clarity.

RVC: In the few years I’ve been doing interviews here at OPB, I’ve only had a few with a noticeably absent digital footprint. While you’re not quite in the running with them, you’re close! What’s your relationship to social media?

RS:  Ha! Well, it is intentional. While social media has some wonderful upsides, it has a lot of downsides, and for me there are just too many instances where it goes negative and seems to bring out the worst even in well-​intentioned people. I really don’t need to see more of that than necessary—the state of the world provides quite enough stress these days!—so I stay off social media as much as I can. I find that even without being very active on most platforms, I still hear the big headline-​level events and news fairly quickly.

RVC: How important is it for authors to use social media or maintain some type of web presence?

RS: It seems to be much more important for YA authors than for authors writing in any other age category of children’s books. While of course it’s helpful to have some online presence, there just aren’t many platforms where people outside the industry chat up picture books or middle-​grade novels, so the kind of TikTok phenomenon that some YA and adult books are benefiting from just doesn’t seem to be happening for other sorts of books.

RVC: How do you handle pressure at work?

RS: It is very easy in our industry to spend every waking hour either working or thinking about work, an unhealthy situation that has gotten even more pervasive since the pandemic has resulted in many of us working from home indefinitely. But I try very hard to shut down my computer at a reasonable time except when there’s a truly urgent reason for me to keep working at that moment and turn my mind to something else. Plus, I’ve built in other activities, fun things that aren’t work related, that force me to stop work by a certain time at least a few days a week. When things are stressful, often it helps if I take a walk to get some fresh air—even better if I get to see some happy dogs out and about!

RVC: Do you ever get editor’s block?

RS: Oh, yes; I think every editor does once in a while. For me, it helps to read a really good book that I didn’t edit! And sometimes revisiting old favorites can rekindle the spark and remind me why I love working with children’s books. I think it’s also really important to have some creative outlets that are not about books. As editors, our work is often creative and fulfilling, but we can’t mistake that for having our own creative passions that are entirely separate from our jobs. For me, those are things like singing in a chorus, working in the garden, cooking, and to keep both my hands and my mind busy but relaxed, knitting while watching basketball.

RVC: One last question for this part of the interview. It’s brag time! What upcoming projects are you especially excited about? 

RS:  Where to start?! I’m beyond excited about Daughters of Oduma by Moses Ose Utomi, an incredibly fresh, epic YA fantasy inspired by West African culture that’s coming out in February. It’s the story of an élite female fighter named Dirt who feels she’s over the hill but must reenter the competition to protect her found family of younger sisters. It’s a fiercely feminist, body-​positive novel with characters that just grab you by the heart and don’t let go.

I’m also absolutely thrilled about Emma Otheguy’s picture book Martina Has Too Many Tías which has the most adorable illustrations by Sara Palacios. It is a wonderful reimagining of the beloved Caribbean folktale “La Cucaracha Martina” that any child (or adult!) with a loud, lively family will be able to relate to.

RVC: Thanks for that, Reka. But now it’s time for the LIGHTNING ROUND! Zippy questions and zappy answers. Are you ready?

RS: Yes!

RVC: What secret talent do you have that no one would suspect?

RS: I can write backwards—mirror writing. It’s not a very useful talent, but it’s kind of a fun parlor trick. And I found out the hard way (by breaking my wrist) that I can write with both hands, though admittedly my left-​hand writing is at about a third-​grade level.

RVC: You can only eat one food for the rest of your life. What is it?

RS: Only one? I guess I’ll have to go with my favorite birthday cake: lemon cake with lemon curd and whipped cream.

RVC: Five things we’d see if we checked out your favorite writing/​editing place.

RS: My tortoiseshell cat, Maisie, who is trying to crawl into my lap; an in-​progress knitted blanket that at this point is just big enough to keep my toes warm; a view of my newly planted garden which will hopefully be more impressive next year; two very tall, very full bookcases; and two beloved original Edward Gorey prints.

RVC: What’s the One That Got Away?

RS: Oh, there’s more than one! The two that have stuck with me the most, even though they were a long time ago now, are The Thing about Jellyfish by Ali Benjamin and We Are Not Free by Traci Chee.

RVC: Who sets the standard for writing picture books with heart?

RS: So many wonderful writers to choose from, but two who always speak to my heart are Julie Fogliano and Mem Fox.

RVC: What literary agent’s compliment about you would please you most?

RS: I suppose that they’ve heard great things about me and have been wanting to work with me!

RVC: Thanks so much, Reka!

Educational Activities: Mending the Moon by Emma Pearl

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Mending the Moon
Author: Emma Pearl
Illustrator: Sara Ugolotti
1 November 2022
Page Street Publishing
32 pages

Book description from Goodreads: “One fateful night, the moon shines so big and so bright that it is too heavy to hold itself up in the sky. When it tumbles down and breaks into many glimmering pieces, Luna sees the whole thing. Her grandfather Poppa warns that without the moon in the sky, the oceans will stop moving and the earth will start to wobble. Luna and Poppa must mend it, but they may not be able to do it all on their own.

The mountain is alive with creatures big and small whose watchful eyes also saw the moon fall. Together, can they find all the shards, stick them together, and get the moon safely back into the sky?

In this enchanting tale with a timeless, folklore feel, a girl, her grandfather, and all the animals of the mountain hold the power to set the world right and forever leave their mark on the moon.”

Need some reviews on Mending the Moon?

Educational Activities inspired by Mending the Moon:

  • Before Reading–From looking at the front and back cover: 
    • What do you think of when you think about the moon?
    • What’s different about the moon on the front and back cover?
    • Where and when does this story seem to take place?
    • What does it mean to “mend” something?
    • What questions would you like to ask the author before you read the book?
  • After Reading–Now that you’ve read the story: 
    • What do you think caused the moon to shatter?
    • “The moon is more important than you can imagine,” says Poppa. Why?
    • The child’s name is “Luna.” Why might that be an especially appropriate name?
    • What did you think of the book’s ending?
    • Have you ever seen moon smudges before?
    • Which picture did you like the most? Why?
    • Did you like this book? Why/​why not?
  • Drawing–How do you like the illustrations of the moon? Does it look like what YOU think the moon looks like? Use colored pencils, crayons, or markers to create your own moon art for this story or simply to be art all on its own. Is the moon broken or whole in your art? Does it have smudges or not? Consider sharing your work with a friend or family member.
  • Crafting–Since the moon plays such a big role in this story, let’s enjoy some moon crafts! (For those of you who enjoyed last month’s moon-​themed crafts, these are all new ones!) 
  • Further Reading–Learn more about the moon by reading these related books. Which of these have you already read? Which of the others would you want to read first? (Click on any book cover for more information on these titles!)

Author Interview: Marcy Campbell

On By Only Picture BooksIn Author Interviews5 Comments

This month’s interview is with Marcy Campbell, whose debut picture book, Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse!, was a Junior Library Guild Selection, a Top 10 Indie Next Pick, Winner of the Comstock Read-​Aloud Award, the recipient of the SCBWI Crystal Kite Award, and was translated into eight languages. She’s since gone on to write other award-​wining picture books and middle-​grade novels as well.

These days, she lives in Ohio with a husband, children, a rescue dog named Turtle, and two (formerly stray) cats.  She’s also especially fond of:

  • Soft pajamas
  • A bed full of pillows
  • Coffee
  • Chocolate

Yeah, Marcy fits in great with the OPB family—no doubt about it. Let’s get to know our new friend even better via this interview!

RVC: In the bio on your website, you said you didn’t grow up with books. How did you come to love them enough to make it a career?

MC: I was always a storyteller. I made up stories to tell my pets at a very young age, but it was teachers who fueled my love of books. I still remember crying at my desk in fifth grade during a post-​recess read aloud when Charlotte (from Charlotte’s Web) died. I still haven’t quite recovered.

RVC: I fully understand. I haven’t quite recovered either.

MC: Because my family wasn’t into books, I started writing my own stories in elementary school and collecting them in a cardboard box I referred to as my “library.”

RVC: When did you first realize you were going to be a writer in terms of a career?

MC: There wasn’t an official parting of the clouds where a beam of light reached down, though that would have been cool. I’d always written, but I don’t remember really feeling like I’d earned the title “writer” until a beloved college professor (a successfully published author herself) sat me down one day in her office and told me I was. She gave me the pep talk I desperately needed, the “permission,” if you will, to feel proud of my work and confident enough to keep pursuing it, despite not having grown up with much support.

RVC: That’s awesome. Teachers like that are worth their weight in gold. Your first professional experiences as a writer were in public relations. What skills/​lessons from that job translate well into the world of kidlit writing?

MC: More than anything, my job in PR gave me the opportunity to learn and practice many different types of writing for different audiences. I initially worked at an agency with various clients in different industries, and on any given day, I might be writing a newsletter, a speech, catalog copy, and oh so many press releases. When I decided to try writing for kids, I took the approach that since it was writing, I could study it, and figure it out.

RVC: What kind of formal training do you have in writing?

MC: My undergraduate degree is in Mass Communication/​Public Relations, which involved a lot of writing courses, and I double-​minored in English and Psychology (helpful when creating characters!). When I left the PR world, I went back to school to get an MA in Creative Writing. Though I learned a lot in my grad school courses, probably the most valuable part of that experience was being in a community of people who loved storytelling as much as I did and were committed to making it a career.

RVC: Please share the story of how you landed your literary agent, Steven Malk.

MC: Around the time I had a draft of Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse ready to go, I had a few friendly exchanges with a kidlit agent on Twitter, and she agreed to look, then kindly informed me I needed to cut the manuscript in half. She wasn’t interested in repping the book, regardless, so after making some major revisions, I started looking up agents on various lists I found online. That’s one way of doing it, and I sent a query to one agent from that research who never responded. But the better way to find an agent is to look at the books you love and see who represents those authors.

Last Stop on Market Street by Matt de la Peña and Christian Robinson had a huge impact on me as I was writing Adrian, and Steve Malk reps both Matt and Christian. So, I sent an email query with my manuscript to Steve, saying how much I loved that book. After a lengthy phone call, we started working together. I couldn’t believe it was happening for weeks afterwards, but if anyone thinks I was an “overnight” success, they should know I had racked up more than 300 agent and small press rejections on an adult novel I’d been working on for years. Turns out, I was just writing for the wrong age group.

RVC: Thanks for sharing that–it’s helpful to put it all in perspective. Now, how long after you partnered up did you get the offer for your debut picture book, Adrian Simcox Does NOT Have a Horse?

MC: It happened quickly. Steve sent it out just after I signed with him, and we had multiple responses the same day. The book sold at auction shortly thereafter. I’ve since learned that super-​speediness is not the norm!

RVC: I can confirm that! What’s the story of how that particular story came to you?

MC: When I decided I wanted to try writing a picture book, I started journaling ideas, and some of those ideas came from my own childhood. In early elementary school, I knew a boy who had a lot of nice things, and I was jealous of him. He also said he had a horse, which was not true, and it just drove me crazy because, although we lived on a farm, we did not have horses, and I really wanted one. The similarities to real-​life end there, but that one line in my journal, “A boy says he has a horse, and a girl doesn’t believe him,” became my first published book.

RVC: What was the most important lesson that debut picture book taught you?

MC: Oh, so many! But one important thing was that you can’t please everybody. That book has done and is still doing extremely well–it’s won awards and all that–but of course, there are people who hate it. It’s easy to repeat the negative comments in your head and forget the positive ones, which are far more numerous. As a reader, I know not every book is for me. I’ve put aside award-​winning novels that “everyone loves,” but if it’s not doing it for me, I stop reading and pick up something else, knowing I’m just not the right reader for that particular book at that particular time. Nothing against the author’s writing or my taste. I just move on. No books are universally loved.

RVC: Describe your writing process for picture books.

MC: Each one has been different. Something Good, for example, was my response to a real-​life event, and came out pretty quickly. Others have taken more time to cultivate. I tend to freewrite around an idea for quite a while, picking it up periodically and adding more material until I start to see the shape of a story. At that point, I sit down to write a draft. Then, I put it away. Then, I pick it up in a few days or weeks and decide whether I still want to work on it.

Sometimes, I think, well, that was a fun writing exercise, but it’s not a story, or at least not a story I’m interested in right now. When a story really grabs me, and I start working on individual lines, then it gets really fun. And, of course, I spend a lot of time reading my drafts aloud since that’s how picture books are mostly shared. It keeps my old dog awake when he’d rather be napping, but I think he forgives me.

RVC: How is the process different than for writing middle grade books?

MC: Very different. I tried being a “pantser” (flying by the seat of my pants) when I wrote my first novel, which never went anywhere. After reading a lot of craft books, and studying other middle-​grade authors, I finally settled on a process that results in a loose outline, which I would describe more as a scene list rather than a formal, Roman numeral type of thing. To get to that point, though, I might have 100 pages of freewriting on plot, characters, etc., and once I get some things figured out, I work very physically, with scraps of paper for each scene, colored markers designating subplots, and a whole lot of floor to lay it all out. During the height of the pandemic, when my kids and husband were working from home, I ended up in our unfinished attic, in my winter coat, because it was the only place I could lay out all my scenes undisturbed. I’m sure I looked like I had completely lost my mind, but my family is used to that by now. And yes, I know there’s software for this type of thing, but I’m very tactile. I like to hold the scenes and move them around physically.

RVC: You just had another picture book come out. Is The More You Give a response to The Giving Tree?

MC: Partially, yes. Believe it or not, I hadn’t read The Giving Tree until I became a parent and boy, did I hate it! So, I was thinking about writing a response to that with more giving, less taking, and no room for a rotten little boy/​man. I also wanted a subtle message about caring for the environment. I also wanted to explain how some things that are worth doing can take a long time. I wasn’t sure whether I could do all of that in one book until I heard a proverb, “Plant a tree you’ll never see the shade of.” I was at an SCBWI conference when a speaker said that, and I have no idea what the rest of her talk was about because I started scribbling out a draft of The More You Give (at that time, called The Giving Boy) in the back of the room. Sometimes you just need that spark to tie all your ideas together.

RVC: What are you most pleased with regarding that book?

MC: Francesca Sanna’s art is just breathtakingly lovely. I love poring over all the little details. I especially like flipping between the spreads where the forest is growing bit by bit. And the last spread, with a celebration taking place in the woods, is one of those images I wish I could drop myself right into in real life.

RVC: What’s the best writing advice you ever received? Who gave it, and what did it mean to you?

MC: When I had that life-​changing discussion with the professor I mentioned before, I remember her passing along some advice that she herself had gotten as a young author from her great-​aunt, who told her, “Somebody’s got to write all those books. Why shouldn’t it be you?” It’s incredibly simple, but at the time, since I was crippled with major imposter syndrome, it really made a difference. There’s tons of writing advice I’ve been given and ignored, too. Write what you know, write every day, quit watching cat videos …

RVC: In all your experience of being a writer, what has most surprised you?

MC: I think when I started, I was worried I wouldn’t be able to come up with ideas, which has not been a problem. Ideas really are everywhere. It’s coming up with viable ideas, ones that will translate well unto the page and be compelling to read, that is more difficult. On the business side, I had no idea how long it takes to produce a book, especially a picture book. There are so many steps involved, and so many people. I’m amazed that a picture book doesn’t cost a hundred dollars.

RVC: One final question for this part of the interview, please. What new projects are you working on?

MC: I have a picture book titled, What Are You Waiting For? in the works, with Shelley Johannes illustrating (Little, Brown, 2025). It’s a book about taking chances and pursuing goals, and picking yourself up when things don’t go as planned. I’m also working on another middle-​grade novel and, of course, always thinking up picture book ideas.

RVC: Alrighty. Now it’s time for the Speed Round, which means blazing-​fast questions followed by meteor-​swift answers. Are you ready?

MC: SO ready.

RVC: What secret talent do you have that no one would suspect?

MC: Cattle judging? Though I never did particularly well in those competitions (it’s all about the udder, folks). I was, however, the junior dairy showmanship winner at our county fair. This is basically the ability to lead a calf around with a halter in a very controlled and, can I say graceful? manner. I have a way with animals, large and small, and have always adored them. I also don’t eat them. I’m a whiz at organizing things, too, though people who know me wouldn’t be surprised by that. I can take your junk drawer and turn it into a thing of beauty.

RVC: What animal would be cutest if it were scaled down to the size of a kitten?

MC: Buffaloes. Watch out for the tiny horns, though.

RVC: If someone narrated your life, who would you want to be the narrator?

MC: Is Morgan Freeman available? He could bring some gravitas to my daily tasks for sure. “And now the author takes a break from writing a sure-​to-​be bestseller … to clean the toilets.”

Can you hear it?

RVC: What surprising books are on your nightstand?

MC: I always have home decorating books and magazines around. If it’s a night where I don’t want to get too involved in a book (and stay up too late), I read those. I’ve had a copy of Dracula there for over a year. My daughter read it in her language arts class, and since I’ve never read it, I borrowed it from her. Every time I dip into it, though, I get too scared and end up having weird dreams. Someday I will finish it…in the daytime.

RVC: Who sets the standard for emotional picture books?

MR: Big influences for me have been Jacqueline Woodson, Matt de la Peña, Philip Stead, Mac Barnett (I’m thinking of Extra Yarn here, though Mac is a great inspiration for funny books, too).

On the middle-​grade side, Kate DiCamillo has been my guiding star.

RVC: What’s the best compliment a child ever gave your books?

MC: A very shy little girl came to one of my events recently with her mom. She didn’t speak to me, but gave me a book she had made with folded paper and crayons. It was a story about her, and me, and books. I was so incredibly touched. That a child could imagine herself so fully in conversation with me through my books, that she would create her own book about it, well, that was something awfully special. I keep the book in my office where I can see it, in case I need a reminder of who I’m writing for.

RVC: What a way to end this interview. Thanks so much, Marcy!

Cover Reveal: The Witness Trees by Ryan G. Van Cleave

On By Only Picture BooksIn Cover Reveals4 Comments

We’re doing more and more Cover Reveals at OPB these days, and I got to thinking…I’m so pleased with the cover of my own new picture book that I wanted to have a big to-​do about it. So, that’s what I’m doing here!

You all know I don’t just drop covers and call it a blog post. Instead of that, I always include a mini-​interview because context is everything. Even though I’ll be the one asking AND answering the interview questions in this post, I’ll give it some extra oomph to ensure it’s up to OPB’s usual standards of fun and excellence.

Now, without further ado, here’s the cover to The Witness Trees: Historic Moments and the Trees Who Watched Them Happen (Bushel & Peck, March 2023).

OPB: How did the idea for this book come about?

RVC: I’ve always been interested in history, but when I visited California for the first time when I was 10 or so, I was in awe of the towering redwoods. THIS was living history, I realized.

Over the years, I’ve been fortunate enough to have seen trees far older than America. Talk about putting things in perspective, right?

The idea of trees that witness history stuck with me. When I finally sat down to write this book, the title came first, and then I just worked with the idea of giving voice to the specific trees that have stood witness to some of the most important moments in human history. To no one’s surprise, the trees speak in a poetic manner, which just makes sense–trees are poetic and beautiful and glorious in every way.

OPB: Who created the art for this book?

RVC: He’s a Vietnamese artist named Đốm Đốm. My editor just knew he was right for this project, and from the start, Đốm Đốm did exactly what a good illustrator does–he deepened and expanded the text in ways I didn’t anticipate.

OPB: This is a Bushel & Peck book, right? Aren’t you working there?

RVC: It’s a curious situation, yes. After a number of conversations in late 2021 and early 2022, the owner, David Miles, bought a few of my picture book manuscripts. Soon after, he hired me to offer some editorial input on another book he’d acquired. It went so well that he eventually brought me on in a more sizable capacity.

These days, I’m serving as editor for most of their books, save for the middle grade and young adult books. It’s a great outfit and I’m pleased to be part of the team. Plus, working with a gifted artist and art director like David–whether that’s on my own books or the books of others–is an education every time.

OPB: One last question. What’s the most important lesson that this book taught you?

RVC: This book taught me that when an editor says, “I like the book but I’m going to pass because I don’t have a clear vision for it,” that it’s a real thing. While it’s always frustrating to come up short with a submission, the editor has to LOVE LOVE LOVE the manuscript or the magic isn’t likely to happen.

David DID have a clear vision for this from the start, and because of that, the entire process has gone smoothly, and the end product is looking better than I expected. It feels and looks magical to me. I’m incredibly pleased.

OPB: Thanks for sharing the cover with OPB. Best of luck with the book!