Tag: Ryan G. Van Cleave

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

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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!)

 

Author Interview: Lori Mortensen

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This month’s Author Interview is with Lori Mortensen, an award-​winning children’s book author of more than 70 books and over 350 stories and articles. Her recent picture book releases include If Wendell Had a Walrus, Chicken Lily, Mousequerade Ball illustrated by New York Times bestselling illustrator Betsy Lewin, and Cowpoke Clyde Rides the Range, a sequel to Cowpoke Clyde & Dirty Dawg, one of Amazon’s best picture books of 2013.

When she’s not letting her cat in, or out, or in, she’s tapping away at her computer, conjuring, coaxing, and prodding her latest stories to life. Sometimes takes a break and answers marvelous questions posed by Ryan G. Van Cleave at Only Picture Books.

For more information about her books, critique service, events, and upcoming releases, visit her website at www.lorimortensen.com.

Blog: http://lorimortensen.blogspot.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lorimortensen
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/lori.mortensen.77
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/90109.Lori_Mortensen

RVC: At what point did you realize that you were a writer? What were the warning signs?

LM: Interestingly, I didn’t begin writing until I was a stay-​at-​home mother of three. Up until then, I was an avid reader, but writing never occurred to me. I’d never met a writer, and the whole thing seemed completely out of the realm of possibilities. However, when I had my own children, I was reintroduced to children’s literature and began to wonder what I could write.

Taking a gigantic step, I signed up for a writing course through the Institute of Children’s Literature. Although I was a complete beginner, I soaked up each lesson like a sponge and each step was a thrilling challenge. When I sold my final assignment to a children’s magazine, I was hooked. If they wanted this story, maybe they’d want another. And if they bought something, maybe another publisher would too. I’ve been writing ever since.

It’s been my privilege to be a writing instructor for the Institute of Children’s Literature for the past 12 years which continues to be a rewarding, full-​circle experience.

RVC: How does your teaching at the Institute inform your own writing?

LM: The particular course I teach is writing for children’s magazines. After reading and critiquing hundreds of manuscripts, it’s easy to see the common mistakes nearly all new writers make. When I began writing many years ago, I made them too. But over time, challenge by challenge, writers improve as they put in the time to understand and hone their craft.

Most students are surprised at the work and persistence it takes to succeed. Some decide writing is not for them. However, when students catch the vision and are willing to put in the work, success follows. Teaching is a regular reminder that writers can improve, and whatever measure of success they achieve is in direct proportion to the effort they’re willing to put into it. It’s a truism for nearly anything in life.

RVC: What are a few of those common mistakes that nearly all new writers make?

LM: The most common mistakes have to do with point of view and conflict. Many new writers create a cast of characters and then try to tell everyone’s story all at once. By jumping from one point of view to the next, they end up not telling anyone’s story. If there was a main character, they were quickly lost in the shuffle.

Lack of conflict is another common mistake. Many new writers don’t realize that there needs to be a story problem for the main character to face and resolve. Without conflict, there is no story or reason to keep reading. Who resolves the story problem is just as critical. Many times, new authors just can’t help putting parents in charge. The parents tell the main character what to do and teach them a lesson that’s usually about not lying, stealing, or cheating. It’s a challenge for new authors to see things from a child’s perspective instead of the wise, responsible adult’s.

RVC: Your Twitter bio claims that you’re the not-​so-​proud owner of a “misbehaving muse.” Tell me more.

LM: If I could tame that muse, I certainly would. As it is, sometimes ideas land at my feet and blossom into wonderful, exciting projects, and other times it’s a wrestling match to see who will come out on top. While many writers lose count of all the ideas popping into their head, for me it’s more like a Sherlock Holmes affair. Instead of fending off a deluge of ideas, I have to pluck them out of my world like shiny pennies waiting to be found. In either case, it’s an exhilarating and rewarding process to see an idea come together in its finished form.

Now if my muse would get on the ball, I’d get bushels of projects done!

RVC: What does your writing process look like, and what role does revision play in it?

LM: My writing process begins with an idea. Where that idea comes from is the challenge. Sometimes an idea lands at my feet. Other times, I show up at my computer with nothing in mind and know I need to get started on something. I often start the process by immersing myself in the collection of picture books in my bookcase. Sometimes the rhythm of the language sparks an idea. Other times, it’s an illustration or style that gets me thinking. Then, I start writing and see where it takes me. Many times, I don’t know where it’s going when I begin, but as I progress, new ideas come to mind and the story begins to take shape.

Getting through the first draft is the biggest hurtle because it would be so easy to toss it in the bin at this point. What a horrible, ill-​conceived mess! But luckily, I’ve learned to trust the revision process. How many times do I revise? Numbers aren’t important, but quality is. When the manuscript is as good as I can make it, I share it with my trusted critique partners knowing they’ll see things I missed. Once the feedback is in, I return to the revision process. I may not agree with everything they’ve said, but their feedback is invaluable. They not only celebrate what’s wonderful about the manuscript, they help me see where it falls short and how it can be improved.

RVC: Why picture books?

LM: Although I’m an avid reader of adult literature—cozy mysteries, biographies, and a variety of nonfiction, I love to read and write picture books. To me, they’re like mini masterpieces—clever, humorous, smart, informative, whimsical, and unforgettable—all packed within 32 pages. I love the awesome mashup of the words and art and the challenge of writing what I would love to read.

RVC: The first book of yours that I ever ran across was Cindy Moo, where a cow hears the age-​old nursery rhyme and decides to prove that cows CAN jump over the moon. How do you know when rhyme is right for a book—like it is for Cindy Moo—or when it’s going to get in the way of the story?

LM: In the case of Cindy Moo, it was clear from the beginning that I would tell this story in rhyme because it was based on the rhyming nursery rhyme, Hey Diddle Diddle. I wrote the Cowpoke Clyde and Dirty Dawg series in rhyme because it seemed like the perfect way to capture Cowpoke Clyde’s rambunctious efforts to catch ol’ Dirty Dawg. Rhyme has a rhythm so I used it to magnify the energy and pace of the chase. As you noted, however, rhyme isn’t suited for everything.

For me, the key is finding the voice of the story. Some ideas lend themselves to rhyme and others don’t. For example, when I began writing If Wendell Had a Walrus, this opening line came to mind: “One day Wendell was minding his own business when a walrus floated by. Of course, it wasn’t a real walrus. Just a cloud one. But when Wendell saw it, he started thinking about real ones all the same.” In this instance, writing it in prose captured the thoughtful nature of the moment where the character was simply looking up at the clouds and imagining.

RVC: Music or silence when writing?

LM: Silence. I’ve always thought it would be great to write with music percolating in the background, like having a direct link to some musical muse. But silence works best for me. When there’s music, or even conversations going on in the background, it makes it harder for me to listen to the stream of thoughts going on in my head which is the essence of writing.

RVC: Dream illustrator you haven’t yet worked with?

LM: What a great question. For someone who writes picture books, this is the dream, icing-​on-​the-​cake question, indeed. Although I have dozens of favorites, my top illustrators would have to be Peter Brown, Oliver Jeffers, and Rowboat Watkins. Their work is so fresh, so original, so … emotionally satisfying! The last may seem like an odd category, but one of the things I love about their work is the brilliant way they convey their characters’ emotions along the way.

A few more favorites include Tracey Campbell Pearson, Levi Pinfold, and Poly Bernatene. (I could go on and on!) Interestingly, one of my recent favorite picture books was Marilyn’s Monsters written by Michelle Knudsen and illustrated by Matt Phelan. I was thrilled when Matt Phelan came on board to illustrate my latest picture book release, If Wendell Had a Walrus.

RVC: The name of your “megafluffy” cat is …

LM: Max

RVC: If your 70+ books got involved in a literary deathmatch—totally Mad Max style—which title would the last one standing? And which would you have been secretly rooting for?

LM: Wow! That creates an interesting mental picture, doesn’t it? I think Cowpoke Clyde and Dirty Dawg would come out on top, fer sure. Clyde would grab his rope, lasso the lot, then get on with washing his ol’ Dirty Dawg. Yee-​haw! No need to root for him because Cowpoke Clyde would have it in the bag all along.

RVC: Best compliment a child has ever given you about your books?

LM: “Read it again!”

RVC: Thanks so much, Lori! 😊

 

Picture Book Review: The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld

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The Rabbit Listened
Author: Cori Doerrfeld
Illustrator: Cori Doerrfeld
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
20 February 2018
40 pages

 


This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Top Rabbit at Only Picture Books) and Ringling College of Art and Design Illustration Professor (and OPB champion) John Herzog.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

While this is a quiet book in many ways, the story starts with a disaster–birds knock down Taylor’s super-​tall, super-​cool block tower. In response, animal after animal arrives, with each acting in ways that match their animal nature. The chicken? It clucks away endlessly. The bear? It wants to roar and be mad. The snake? Revenge! But none of these interactions prove useful to Taylor, so each animal eventually wanders off. They all are more or less well-​intentioned, but they are more concerned with their solutions than thinking about what–if anything–Taylor needs.

It’s only the rabbit that doesn’t try to impose its natural response to the situation. It simply listens and is present, moving closer until “Taylor could feel its warm body.” This allows the child–half of the reviewers claim it’s a he, and half say Taylor is 100% gender neutral–to have their own range of reactions. Given the chance to respond as Taylor chooses, Taylor’s able to move past the many emotions (laughing, shouting, etc.) and can finally build once again.

Some readers will surely want to play up the animal voices to good effect when reading The Rabbit Listened to a child. The pacing of this story, too, lends itself well to reading aloud.

Will some readers find the message too straightforward or didactic? Perhaps. But it’s a sweet, simple story that teaches empathy, and that’s a lesson parents like myself wish were included in more picture books.

4 out of 5 pencils

–John’s Review of the Illustrations–

I’m really torn when it comes to The Rabbit Listened. No doubt Cori Doerrfeld has crafted an interesting take on what is essentially the five stages of grief. From an illustration standpoint, however, I feel there were a few missed opportunities.

For example, Taylor–our protagonist–is visited by all kinds of animals. We see them with Taylor in various spot illustrations that are organized just so on the page. On the far side of one spread, we see the animals walking away from Taylor, who’s on the opposite side. It’s adequate, I suppose, but we never truly get a sense of the crowd. We never get an image of all the animals overshadowing Taylor, enhancing and illustrating that overwhelming feeling of isolation. We get a great image of the bear doing that, but it would’ve felt much more powerful if all of the animals were there looking down at us.

Honestly, a little disorganization would’ve tremendously helped the first half of this book. Animals! Animals everywhere! Spouting advice and nonsense! It would’ve made the quieter scenes with the rabbit during the second half all the more endearing, providing some much-​needed contrast from the animal madness. Instead, the illustrations just feel a bit flat and somewhat sparse.

The strongest aspect of this book is the design of the main character. It’s very clear that Taylor is who we should be rooting for with their fun, messy hair and rounded features. The rabbit is fluffy and cute, of course, but feels a bit stock. The rest of the animals are designed somewhat grotesquely to emphasize Taylor’s ambivalence and aversion to their advice, I imagine. Yet from my perspective, these animals were only trying to help. Yes, they went about it in a bombastic way, but that doesn’t make them monsters. I wish they were softened up a bit, if anything to reinforce the idea that loved ones who suggest action in times of turmoil are only trying to help.

Perhaps I’m reading a bit too much into it.

I definitely like that we don’t have much of a sense of place and time, and I absolutely love the final image where we see Taylor’s vision of their next big building venture. And please don’t get me wrong–it’s important to listen in a situation like this. And Taylor eventually accepts what happened and moves on, which is nice and quite appropriate. For me, however, The Rabbit Listened perhaps aspires to be greater and deeper than it actually is.

3 out of 5 crayons

John Herzog is an illustrator and educator. His clients include Hasbro, James Patterson, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, and Highlights for Children. He also teaches illustration classes at Ringling College of Art and Design. He lives in Florida with his wife, two kids, a pair of tarantulas, a bearded dragon, and a fish.
 

Agent Interview: Elizabeth Harding (Curtis Brown Ltd.)

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It’s with oodles of pleasure that I bring kidlit agent Elizabeth Harding to OPB for this month’s Insider Interview. Why am I so totally stoked about this? Three reasons.

  1. Curtis Brown Ltd. has been representing authors since 1914 and is one of the very best full-​service literary agencies in the publishing world.
  2. Elizabeth reps a great list of authors and illustrators of picture books, middle-​grade fiction, and young adult fiction, including Jane Yolen, Karen Cushman, Robert Cormier, S.E. Hinton, Nikki Grimes, Lee Bennett Hopkins, Jane Dyer, Heidi Stemple, Pat Mora, Gordon Korman, Gennifer Choldenko, and so many more.
  3. As of August 2018, she’s MY agent, too. (Here’s my reaction to when Elizabeth offered to rep my writing)

Elizabeth started at Curtis Brown Ltd. almost 20 years ago as an assistant to the legendary Marilyn E. Marlow. Elizabeth’s list includes New York Times bestsellers, Newbery, National Book Award, Printz, and Coretta Scott King honor and award winners. She’s a graduate of the University of Michigan (there’s a 93% chance that she’ll use the phrase “Go Blue!” on any given day—it’s true!), a devoted and lifelong fan of her hometown Cleveland teams (she’ll be celebrating all week the Browns’ first win since the Stone Age), and lives in Manhattan with her husband and four sons.

Agency Website: https://www.curtisbrown.com/agents/elizabeth-harding-vice-president/
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/elizabeth-harding-03a2335
Twitter: https://twitter.com/ehardingnyc

RVC: Thanks for agreeing to let OPB readers in on this interview, which is primarily about you and I getting to know each other as we embark on a literary partnership together. So let’s just jump right in. 

A common lament at writing conferences is that it seems harder to get a kidlit literary agent than it is snare a publishing contract. What do you think? Is there any truth to that? 

EH: I’m not sure I can answer that, to be honest. There are so many more agents now who specialize in children’s literature compared to when I first started, so there seems to be a broad pool of kidlit agents.

On the other hand, the quality of queries and manuscripts which I receive these days is on average much greater than when I first started, as is the sheer volume. I think social media has given new writers invaluable connections and accessible tools to better their craft. And writers these days are so savvy. So I would guess that I am not alone in saying that I receive many, many submissions that are good, but I wait for the one that is amazing.

RVC: How many queries do you get a month and what’s the ratio of No to Yes?

EH: I receive anywhere between 30–50 queries per week, which include full picture book manuscripts and sample pages for middle-​grade and YA. I confess that my Query Inbox usually eats me alive, but I do take on perhaps 1–3 new writers/​illustrators per year. I also pass along queries to my colleagues if I think it might be of interest to them.

RVC: What’s the most common reason(s) for passing on a query?

EH: The feeling of sameness. Or just feeling overwhelmed with my current workload.

RVC: You’ve been in the kidlit agenting business for some time now, so you’ve been able to witness how the industry changes, adapts, and transforms. What are you noticing now that’s significantly different than, say, five or ten years ago?

EH: Authors have to shoulder so much more publicity/​marketing responsibility than ten years ago. At the same time, authors have so many more opportunities via social media to make their own direct connections with readers, bloggers (also new in the last decade) and teachers and librarians. The author-​as-​a-​brand mindset is much more common today. When I started, I think that type of name-​branding was reserved for the biggest of authors while now every author can create and build their own platform, brand, etc.

RVC: If you could wave your magic wand and change one thing about the publishing industry, what would it be?

EH: That time secretly would stop each day for an extra two hours – but just for everyone in publishing so we could all catch up.

RVC: Describe your ideal client.

EH: Everyone on my list!

RVC: Describe the writer from hell.

EH: An Ohio State fan.

RVC: You’re blessed to be able to work with such an amazing group of talented writers. Jane Yolen, in particular, is one of my favs. She even did an interview with OPB not that long ago! What’s the best thing about working with her? 

EH: Aside from Jane’s versatile and astounding talent, she is beyond generous with her time and knowledge. I still learn from her.

RVC: What’s Jane’s most underappreciated but still yowzers-​great book?

EH: Personally, I love Jane’s Commander Toad series illustrated by Bruce Degen. All of my boys–regardless of which school they attended at the time–brought home old, tattered paperback copies of Commander Toad straight from their classroom book bins.

RVC: Lightning round! Favorite place to get a top-​notch cupcake in NYC?

EH: Two Little Red Hens.

RVC: Star Wars or Star Trek?

EH: Star Wars.

RVC: Would you rather do battle with 1 horse-​sized duck or 100 duck-​sized horses?

EH: Definitely 1 horse-​sized duck. Once I win the battle and tame it, I can fly around like Mother Goose 2.0–I’ll be Mother Duck but perhaps with a better hat.

RVC: Greatest Cleveland sports hero other than LeBron?

EH: I grew up watching Bernie Kosar, so I’ll choose him. If I had to choose a current Cleveland sports hero, I’d chose the entire Cleveland Indians team.

RVC: Craziest thing an author wanted to have included in their contract? 

EH: Mum’s the word!

RVC: Single most important thing working with Marilyn taught you?

EH: Be persistent. And never do business at a party.

RVC: Three words that describe a great literary agent/​client relationship?

EH: Teamwork, respect, fun.

RVC: You’re the best, Elizabeth. Thanks so much!

Educational Activities: Are You Scared, Darth Vader? by Adam Rex

On By Only Picture BooksIn Educational Activities

 

Are You Scared, Darth Vader?
Author: Adam Rex
Illustrator: Adam Rex
Disney Lucasfilm Press
3 July 2018
48 pages

 

 

The latest picture book from  New York Times bestselling author/​illustrator Adam Rex reveals how everyone’s favorite Star Wars “villain”–Darth Vader–is challenged by a narrator who keeps trying to scare him.

Need some reviews of Are You Scared, Darth Vader?

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Youth Services Book Review

Educational Activities inspired by Adam Rex’s Are You Scared, Darth Vader?:

  • Before Reading–Ask students:
    • “What do you already know about Darth Vader?”
    • “Do you believe Darth Vader when he says on the cover that ‘I fear nothing’”?
    • “What do you notice about the front cover of this book? About the back cover?”
  • After Reading–How surprised were you with what scares Darth Vader? Why/​why not?
  • After Reading–If Adam Rex were to write an Are You Scared? book about YOU, what might be the one thing at the end that you’re scared of?
  • Drawing–If Darth Vader wanted a new uniform and helmet that made him a little less scary-​looking, what would that look like? Using colored pencils or crayons and paper, draw him a new uniform and helmet.
  • Crafts–With a parent’s help, make your own Star Wars-​themed craft. 
  • Further Reading–Darth Vader has appeared in other picture books before. Consider reading one or more of the following. In which one do you like Darth Vader the most? Do any of the Darth Vaders in these other books seem scared? Does Darth Vader seem like a good parent? A good friend?
    (Click on the book cover for more information on any of these titles!)