Tag: Ryan G. Van Cleave

Illustrator Interview: Floyd Cooper

On By Only Picture BooksIn Illustrator Interviews1 Comment

This is an exciting time for OPB–it’s our FIRST EVER illustrator interview. Yay!

Even better, it’s with the amazing Floyd Cooper who I got to meet and listen to at the Orlando SCBWI conference this past summer! Double/​triple yay!

For those how somehow don’t know all about Floyd … he’s the Coretta Scott King award-​winning illustrator of more than 90 books for children. Floyd started his career in illustration at Hallmark. After a successful career in the industrial side of art, he made the leap into picture books with Eloise Greenfield’s Grandpa’s Face in 1996.

Since then, Floyd has worked with bestselling authors such as Jane Yolen, Nikki Grimes, and Virginia Fleming. In addition, Floyd has illustrated and authored many of his own books, such as Jump!: From the Life of Michael Jordan, and the ALA notable book, Coming Home: From the Life of Langston Hughes.

About working in the world of kidlit, Floyd says: “Giving kids a positive alternative to counteract the negative impact of what is conveyed in today’s media is a huge opportunity.”

Website: www.floydcooper.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/floyd.cooper.12
LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/floyd-cooper-652b2511

RVC: You’ve used the word “voice” a lot when talking about those involved in the making of picture books.

FC: As illustrators and writers, I believe we’re born different–we’re wired differently. For both types, you’re always working with voice. You’re using the various languages you’re blessed with–your creative sensibilities. We use these things to communicate what we hope to say in the language of art and text.

It’s so wonderful when it comes together, and I can’t think of any other thing on earth where these two disciplines come together into one unit, one package, and have such a unified voice.

RVC: When did you first realize that you were an artist–that you had a creative voice?

FC: For me, it started early. I was three years old. This was in Oklahoma–Dad was building a house, and one day, there on a piece of Sheetrock on the side of the house, I scratched a big, wonderful illustration of a duck right on it. Of course, no one else saw a duck because it was drawn by a three year old.

I saw the duck quite clearly.

From that point on, it affected the way I looked at the world. I’m sure that my style, and how I create my art, all goes back to that day and the time I had to erase my duck.

RVC: Share a bit about what your post-​duck childhood was like.

My mother told me stories and we read a lot of books together. I remember my first book–a Little Golden Book called The Fire Engine Book. From reading this and so many other titles, my imagination was constantly fed, and it helped me on the path of expressing myself visually.

When I was seven, for my birthday, someone knew my predilection and I got my very first art supplies. A tray of colors and a scraggly brush. I used that to start making pictures.

RVC: Was it smooth sailing from then on?

FC: Not at all. There were 11 elementary schools in north Tulsa, and I attended all of them. We lived in low-​income housing–there was a lot of moving. Each school I went to, I had to make new friends, and make new connections. I found very early on that I could find myself a friend by showing the art teacher my drawings and paintings. I learned the currency of art–the value of it. Art helped me get by.

My teachers started to notice my work and whisper good things into my ear. And you know what happens when teachers say good things in a kid’s year.

The more they said, the more I painted, and I painted my way right into the University of Oklahoma thanks to a scholarship. And from there, I got my first job working at Hallmark.

RVC: Weren’t you warned away from working for Hallmark?

FC: Well, my professors thought it was a poor option. I liked to say that it was a great job, but you wouldn’t want to live there.

During my two years there, I never did get a chance to make a greeting card–Hallmark turned everything down. Every time something of mine got turned down, though, I found myself a reason to go the art supply room and totally load up. So in a sense, it all seemed to work out.

This was one of many important life lessons.

RVC: Free art supplies are awesome?

FC: Absolutely.

RVC: Despite never making a greeting card, how important was that time at Hallmark for your own development as an artist? 

FC: Hallmark regularly brought in illustrators to give workshops to their REAL artists, and I wasn’t supposed to go. I was just a revamper, after all But I had two friends from Brooklyn working with me, and when the big artists came, we all snuck into the seminars and workshops. That’s how I met one of my heroes, Mr. Mark English. He’s a prominent illustrator from the 80s and 90s. He was the king of illustration in those days. He helped me out a good bit, and we ended up working on some big projects together.

The way it worked was that I’d do the black and white, and sometimes the color too, and the famous guy comes in and signs his name to the whole job. I was willing to do that because he was Mr. Famous.

My days at Hallmark, though, were numbered once they saw me working with Mark English. It wouldn’t be long before I had my first big sale and was off to New York to do my own art full-time.

RVC: That’s partially because you weren’t actually an artist for Hallmark , were you?

FC: That’s right. I worked in a department called revamp, where you take art from the vault and change it, erase it to make it more marketable. Little pigs became little dogs. And peonies became daisies. Whatever the market conditions needed, the revamp department would deliver.

The next time you’re shopping for a greeting card, look closely. There might be a ghost image.

RVC: So you had to erase your duck, and Hallmark paid you to erase greeting card art. It seems like that all played a large part into the distinctive subtractive style you use today.

FC: You’re talking about oil wash on board. I put a thin coat of oil paint on an illustration board with a 1‑inch brush. When it dries, I use a cheap, stretchy eraser to create shapes into the background. You can create a bit of color by adding some white paint, and even more with crayons, acrylics, and oil color.

There are many different approaches to age-​old problems. This is mine–a 50-​cent eraser.

I love erasers. I have a big collection of erasers at home. I have ink erasers, pink erases, even a Spongebob eraser. But my favorite? A cheapo stretchy one.

RVC: So let’s talk about your interactions and influence on artists of today. Many of them–especially artists of color–look up to you. What do you say to young people when they admit they’re starting to think about maybe becoming an illustrator?

FC: Always keep a sketchbook with you. Draw all the time.

Plus it’s very important to have a good education as well. Make sure that every discipline is well-​represented in your studies–don’t just double-​down on art. It all helps you become a better artist.

RVC: Let’s say that someone has studied widely but has now finally committed to art. Now what? What’s the #1 struggle that illustrators face when looking to break into the picture book world?

FC: The secret to success in picture books–the secret channel–is getting an editor. Having a relationship with a good editor will offer you career longevity.

You may get a book published. You may self-​publish a book that does well. But nothing beats having an editor at a publishing company who believes in your work and battles for you and your work when people don’t get it. These editors often find ways to keep you working.

RVC: So how do we get one of those saints editors?

FC: Get connected with professional organizations like SCBWI. That’s a great start. Then go to conferences like SCBWI and others–that’s how you can meet them directly. Attend the workshops and seminars. Get yourself and your work in front of them.

As preparation for meeting editors, though, you need to build your technical craft. That comes from hard work, dedication, and reading lots of books. You should read every book you can get your hands on. Inhale them.

At some point, you’ll know the market really well. That’ll guide you as to who is publishing what, and help you see where you might fit in the overall scheme.

RVC: Your overall scheme includes your wife, Velma, being your agent. What’s the best thing about that?

FC: She understands me. Even if you have an agent who isn’t your spouse, having an agent IS like having a spouse. It’s like a marriage–it’s a relationship.

RVC: It’s time for … The Lightning Round! Ready? GO! Favorite guilty pleasure reading?

FC: I love biographies. I make them too, but I’ve always been quite a history buff–especially sports books, and sports history.

Currently, I’m reading Sally Jenkins’ The Real All Americans–it’s a wonderful story. She’s so great at building this big panorama of huge historical events, how they all relate, and how we can see them through the Native American’s eyes and through the settler’s eyes, too.

RVC: If you’re playing hooky versus making art, you’re most likely …

FC: Watching DVDs or playing solitaire. It depends on where I am, and what kind of break I’m taking.

If it’s a major break, I like to run at night. I used to play tennis quite a bit, but it’s been a long time since I’ve been on the court.

RVC: Favorite Crayola color?

FC: Grape.

RVC: If you didn’t create that duck way back when, and you never went down the path of art, what would you instead be doing today?

FC: I was a consumer of The Weekly Reader in third grade, and I remember reading a lot about the US Navy hospital ship, the SS Hope.

I always had a desire to be a doctor. And all of my aunts and great aunts wanted that for me, too. I was good with my hands and I was fairly bright, so they always had it in their minds that I’d go to med school to become a surgeon.

Of course, I ran into issues with high school chemistry and, well, art was always there. I didn’t even know I could make money as an artist. But I learned quickly that you can make doctor money as an illustrator.

RVC: What’s the greatest compliment someone can give you about your art?

FC: That they like it enough to buy my book. It’s always a great compliment sometime choose to pay money for something you created.

RVC: Name someone you’d most like to work with on a book.

FC: I’d LOVE to work with LeBron James on a book. I’ll take Steph Curry, too. I’m a big basketball fan.

RVC: What about Draymond Green?

FC: Oh yeah. He’s fierce on the court–he can be a real bug in your bonnet there–but he’s definitely a guy you want on your side.

RVC: And you’re an illustrator any picture book author would want on their side, too. Thanks for sharing your story here, Floyd!

Picture Book Review: A Dog Named Doug by Karma Wilson and Matt Myers

On By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Reviews

 

A Dog Named Doug
Author: Karma Wilson
Illustrator: Matt Myers
Margaret K. McElderry Books
26 June 2018
40 pages


This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (“Best of Show” winner at Only Picture Books) and Ringling College of Art and Design Illustration Professor David C. Gardner.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

Choosing what to run with for this month’s review proved easier than usual–I’m a Karma Wilson fan (Bear Snores On got worn out in the Van Cleave household), and I’m a dog lover (rumor has it that I’ve twice chased a mailman). So when A Dog Named Doug arrived, it barked dug its way to the top of the list where it stayed. Like a good dog book should.

So here’s the story: A dog (named Doug) digs. He digs more. And more. And more. And then he goes to bed where he (1% spoiler here) dreams of digging in a (decidedly strange, and possibly too weird for some kids) dreamworld.

To be fair, a dog who digs because dogs like to dig isn’t much of a plot. But the book has three things really going for it that quite likely overcome any real or perceived weakness in the basic premise.

  1. The art is both compelling AND clever. See David’s review about that aspect of the book below.
  2. I have to mention the art again. Sorry to step on your toes so much, David. But the terrific art by illustrator Matt Myers frequently works as typography, such as a dirt mound becoming an A in “I can dig better than you!” or many dirt mounds becoming Ms in “Many miles of dirt Doug dug, leaving heaps and piles and mounds of mud.”
  3. The refrain of “Oh boy, did Doug dig!” is sure to encourage readers to shout it out during storytime. Plus the loose, easy rhymes that Karma’s known for are present here as well.

Part of the fun here is that Doug’s digging takes him to a whimsical range of destinations. The Old West. The White House (note the female POC/​President of Color). The ocean floor. Stonehenge. Some kind of Egyptian tomb. And even a bowling alley. He even digs to the other side of the earth where the perspective is, quite reasonably, upside down.

It’s a fun, rollicking book, to be sure. But some readers could get tripped up with the tongue-​twister start, and others might find the entire tail (yep–a pun!) a bit one note (Doug/​dog/​dug).

In sum, this is a playful book that could be–for the right child and adult reader–an enjoyable bedtime story with serious read-​aloud potential.

4 out of 5 pencils paws

–David’s Review of the Illustrations–

The cover starts us off on just the right note, with a vignette placing Doug digging in the text against a stark white background–a lovely, graphic design–and painted with such vigor that you can feel the dog digging furiously, happy, if a bit manic, capturing perfectly in one image what the book is about.

The palette is bright, saturated, and lighthearted without ever tipping into garishness. The whole book has the feel of an animated Looney Tunes short–madcap and raucous. The layouts are cinematic, utilizing a variety of close-​ups and long shots, and the brushwork is loose and energetic, with dabs of acrylic and oil paint so juicy and playful that you can almost feel them popping off the page.

What I appreciate most about Matt Myers’ illustrations are that they veer alongside and, at times, away from, the minimal text, often taking the lead and keeping us guessing: Where will Doug pop up next? The pictures, not the text, make this book a page turner.

This is exactly what Maurice Sendak suggested the pictures should do in a picture book–depict not just what the words are telling us, but take the story even further.

When Doug decides to head home, the text only tells us Doug is digging. But Mr. Myers turns the vignettes depicting Doug’s journey into a cartoony delight, with no rhyme or reason except to entertain a young reader (and their adult companion).

Near the end, the text tells us only that Doug was in his bed. But the illustration shows Doug in his owners’ bed, dreaming away. It’s an inspired choice–another gentle gag as the book is winding down.

A final example–and my favorite moment in the entire book–is when Doug digs all the way to China. The text only reads “Oh boy, did Doug dig, and dig, and dig.” In this fantastic spread, and with the help of some inspired handling of text, Mr. Myers shows that he can still see the world through a kid’s eyes.

Sharing the storytelling duties with the author to this extent is an illustrator’s dream. Matt Myers rises to the occasion splendidly.

4 out of 5 crayons dirt mounds

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 his latest from Sleeping Bear Press, Write On, Irving Berlin! by Leslie Kimmelman (which appeared on OPB not so long ago). 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 his work, please visit FlyingDogStudio.com.

(Ryan’s note: With a website name like that, you can see why I asked him to pitch in for this month’s review!)

Agent Interview: Linda Camacho (Gallt & Zacker Literary Agency)

On By Only Picture BooksIn Agent Interviews

The August 2018 Industry Insider interview is with literary agent Linda Camacho. While I often cobble together my own version of a bio for interview subjects, this time around, you get it straight from Linda herself. Enjoy the switcheroo!

“Before I moved to Gallt & Zacker, I was with Prospect Agency and held various roles on the publishing side. After graduating from Cornell in 2005, I interned at Simon & Schuster and Writers House Literary Agency, and worked at Penguin and Random House. Somewhere in there, I got an MFA in creative writing from the Vermont College of Fine Arts.

Besides books, I love chocolate, travel, and far too much TV. In terms of submissions, I’m pretty omnivorous. I indulge in a variety of categories and genres, ranging from picture book to adult, from clean and lighthearted contemporary to edgy and dark fantasy.”

Agency Website: www.galltzacker.com
Facebook: www.facebook.com/linda.camacho19
Twitter: twitter.com/LindaRandom

RVC: As revealed in your bio, you got your start on the publishing side of things. What did your time at S&S, Random House, and Penguin do to prepare you to become an agent? 

LC: I worked in different departments in adult and children’s, from marketing to operations and foreign rights. In seeing the other side of the table, as an agent I’m better able to understand the processes of publishing better so that I know what questions to ask and how to better manage the expectations of my clients.

RVC: What’s an example of that insider publishing 411? For example, what’s something you wouldn’t have known to care so much about had you simply started out and stayed on the agent side of the equation?

LC: I definitely wouldn’t have realized the importance of metadata–the basic information about a book that you see flow out to websites like Amazon and Edelweiss, like ISBN, BISAC category, pub date, and such. How a book is categorized and cataloged in the scheme of metadata can affect a book’s discoverability, and, ultimately, sales. It’s all so changeable, really, and I learned about that from working in marketing operations, where I had to worry about those details.

RVC: So you went back to school and earned an MFA from the Vermont College of Fine Arts after you had your foot in the door in the publishing world. How did that happen, and what did the MFA do for you? 

LC: I knew I wanted to get a graduate degree, but it had to be in something I was passionate about. I enjoyed writing and, luckily, Random House has a tuition reimbursement program, so while I was working there, I decided to apply. The MFA in writing helped sharpen my editorial skills. Also, having gone through the writing pains, I became much more empathetic with my clients, to say the least!

RVC: Speaking of editorial skills–what’s one of your big grammar bugaboos? What drives you bonkers when you see an otherwise competent manuscript come across your desk but it has this ONE BIG GLARING GRAMMAR ARRRGHH thing happening?

I’ll share mine if you share yours!

LC: Misuse of commas is a big one for me! If someone doesn’t know how to use them, that issue crops up quite a bit throughout the text.

RVC: Oof–that’s a good one. Err, I mean a bad one. Well, you know what I mean.

The grammar gaff that makes my nostril hairs curl is the confusion over it’s vs. its. I tell my students all the time that guessing is not an acceptable option. Write down the two definitions on a Post-​It note. Stick said Post-​It note to your computer. Glance at said Post-​It note as needed. Review regularly. 

Its = possessive (The dog licked its paw.)
It’s = it + is (It’s pretty gross to see a dog lick its muddy paw.)

Voila, right?

LC: That has come to mind for me, too, actually! I feel your pain. 🙁

RVC: Alright–back to the interview. One of your clients, Jamie LB Deenihan, and I both took Jane Yolen’s Picture Book Boot Camp together back in April 2017. One of the manuscripts Jamie was working on at the time was When Grandpa Gives You a Toolbox–which you recently sold to Sterling. What grabs you most about this manuscript? 

Additionally–I happen to know that this story went through a lot of variations and revisions, as most picture book manuscript inevitably do. How did you know when it was 100% ready to send out? What’s your process for determining that?

LC: Jamie’s so great!

RVC: Totally agree! Plus she knows oodles about pets, picture books, and lemon trees. Just saying.

LC: When Grandpa Gives You a Toolbox definitely underwent quite a few revisions. I provided feedback, but because this was a potential companion book to her first book with Sterling (When Grandma Gives You a Lemon Tree), a majority of the process was between Jamie and her editor. Eventually, Jamie got the manuscript to a place where her editor offered.

Jamie and I had gone back and forth on the manuscript before going on sub and, really, it’s instinct that tells me when to go out on sub. I try to help Jamie get it into its best shape possible and then I send her work out into the world when it just feels ready.

Recently, Jamie and I did go out on sub with another picture book that sold within a few months to a big 5 house and we’re eagerly awaiting the day we can announce that one.

RVC: Congrats on that! 

One of the other topics I wanted to ask you about is We Need Diverse Books. How important is this movement in general and this nonprofit organization in specific? 

LC: I could go on and on ad nauseam about the importance of the diversity movement, but the best I can say about it is this: It’s long overdue.

Inclusion is not a new conversation by any stretch, but from the moment #WeNeedDiverseBooks went viral, the publishing industry took notice in a way it hadn’t before. Things are changing and while we still have far to go, I’m optimistic it’ll only get better from here. We just have to keep pushing and remembering that this is more than a “trend.”

RVC: Since we’re hitting the biggest PB issues of the day here, let’s go after one more. A few weeks back, Lupine Grove Literary Agency unexpectedly shut down, and a lot of authors who thought they were being properly represented were horrified to discover that nothing could be further from the truth. The Lupine Grove client pool included quite a few PB authors.

Tell me a bit about what the value of a quality literary agent is today, and also how vital trust, honesty, openness, and a collaborative spirit is to its success.

LC: The Lupine Grove discovery was certainly a shock to so many people. Trust is certainly key to the agent-​client relationship, so all I can advise creatives is to stay open, trust their instincts, and to keep a supportive community around them.

RVC: It’s time for the lightning round. Ready … GO! Favorite hobbit?

LC: Peregrin “Pippin” Took.

RVC: Neil Gaiman–great English writer or the greatest English writer?

LC: Great English writer. 🙂

RVC: The Hollywood celeb Linda Camacho is most likely to be mistaken for?

LC: I can’t say that I’d ever be mistaken for a celebrity. LOL. An extra maybe?

RVC: “If I never got into the world of writing, publishing, or agenting, I’d instead be …”

LC: Ha–I’d be a divorce attorney. It’s sad and all, but it doesn’t sound dull.

RVC: Longest amount of time it took to secure a deal for a picture book manuscript you repped?

LC: About 5 months. I do have a couple out on sub that have been out longer, so if they sell (fingers crossed!), maybe those will set the new record.

RVC: Shortest amount of time it took to secure a deal for a picture book manuscript you repped?

LC: So far, two months. So nothing too crazy yet!

RVC: Since we mentioned Jane Yolen in this interview… your favorite Jane Yolen picture book?

LC: Owl Moon–it’s so lyrical.

RVC: Three words that describe your dream client?

LC: Professional, hard-​working, and kind.

RVC: Thanks so much, Linda!

 

 

Educational Activities: Dear Substitute by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick

On By Only Picture BooksIn Educational Activities

 

Dear Substitute
Authors: Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick
Illustrator: Chris Raschka
Disney Hyperion
19 June 2018
40 pages

 

The latest picture book from the writing duo of Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick, Dear Substitute, tells the story of how one student bristles at the change of routine that occurs when a substitute teacher, Miss Pelly, comes to class.

Need some reviews of Dear Substitute?

Kirkus

Publisher’s Weekly

Here’s to a Happy Ending

Educational Activities inspired by Liz Garton Scanlon and Audrey Vernick’s Dear Substitute:

  • Before Reading–Ask students:
    • “Have you ever had a substitute teacher before? How did that experience go?”
    • “Why do you think the title of this book is Dear Substitute?”
    • “What do you notice about the front cover of this book? About the back cover?”
  • After Reading–What does the main character mean at the end of the story by saying: “sometimes you’ve got to mix things up a little”?
  • After Reading–This entire story is written in letters. Why do you suppose the authors chose that option? What did you think when the main character wrote a letter to the pledge of allegiance, the library, and lunch?
  • Further Reading–One of the new things that Miss Pelly introduces to the main character is poetry. Even though the main character didn’t know much about poetry, “it turns out I really like poetry. Especially funny poetry. Especially funny poetry about pelicans. And crocodiles. And underwear.” Read one or more of the following poetry picture books.  Are any of these poems as funny as the “Dear Turtle” poem that Miss Pelly helped write?What do YOU think about poetry? What type of poems do you prefer?

    (Click on the book cover for more information on any of these titles!)        

  • Writing–Write your own “Dear _​_​_​_​_​” poem to a favorite teacher, a treasured toy, or something abstract (like love, hunger, or tiredness). Want some more poetry writing ideas? 
  • Writing–This story is primarily told through letters. Write a letter to one or both of the authors that shares what you liked most about this book. Consider sending the letter to the authors (with an adult’s help). Here’s one way to reach each authors. 

 

Author Interview: Liz Garton Scanlon

On By Only Picture BooksIn Author Interviews

This month’s author interview is with Liz Garton Scanlon. I had the pleasure of witnessing two days of her talking about picture books at the June 2018 SCBWI Summer Workshop in Orlando. Let’s be clear—I filled two pads of paper with scribbles/​notes.

She’s got bunches of things worth sharing as introductory bio material, but let’s just focus on the 10 factoids about her that I find most fascinating. Without further ado, they are:

  1. She “wrote an overly long autobiography in second grade.”
  2. She’s lived in Colorado, Wisconsin, Ohio, England, Colorado (again), California, and Texas, where she has since lived for many years. (Austin, Texas shout out!)
  3. She aspires to one day beat her family at board games.
  4. She has “dozens of cousins.”
  5. She has “very curly hair.”
  6. She is “darn good at shuffling cards.”
  7. She teaches at the Vermont College of Fine Arts.
  8. Her dream breakfast? Strong coffee and gingerbread pancakes.
  9. She works, mostly, in a “closet-​sized studio at an old library table.”
  10. Joanne Woodward narrated a video Liz’s second book, All the World.

And the bonus factoid #11? She’s the author of lots of picture books, including these three (below) that I dig quite a bit.

      

Website: http://lizgartonscanlon.com
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/liz.g.scanlon
Twitter: https://twitter.com/lgartonscanlon
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/liz-garton-scanlon-8045533/

RVC: I can see where degrees in journalism and English can lead you to the path to writing for kids. Same with editing a poetry journal. But corporate marketing communications? Was writing picture books an antidote to that? Or did that offer you skills that translated better than one might expert to writing picture books?

LGS: Ha ha—this question makes me laugh! YES, writing picture books is an absolute antidote to writing corporate communications. I left that job after one too many conference calls sent me to bed with a migraine. When I finally got up, I knew I was done.

That said, the work served me in many ways. First, it made it possible for us to have babies, pay our mortgage, and send my husband to graduate school all at the same time! But also, corporate work provided a steep learning curve in subject matter that was new to me since it required precision on a deadline and it asked for brevity and flair. I think I got to be a better writer through all that, so I’m thankful.

RVC: A Sock Is a Pocket for Your Toes is a fun title. That was your first picture book, too, right? What’s the story of how that came to be?

LGS: Yep, that was my first book. I wrote it when my eldest daughter was a baby. I was getting her dressed one day and said, “Look, a sock is a pocket for your toes!” and instantly, I was flooded with more than enough pocket metaphors to fill a picture book! But it wasn’t just my first book—it was also a mini-​education in writing rhyme for kids. I had submitted a manuscript that was, metrically, very loose—almost free form—and my editor asked for exactitude. Predictable syllabics and rhythm for the read-​aloud set! This makes sense when you think about it, but it was a tough lesson to learn because revising rhyme is excruciating.

RVC: Let’s talk about rhyme a bit more. Pretty much everyone likes it … when it’s done well. How DOES someone write/​revise for rhyme? Any strategies? Tips?

LGS: Oh, rhyme. It’s so good when it’s good, isn’t it? So musical. So memorable. But boy, is it tricky. Here’s the thing—it’s more than coming up with a few decent end rhymes. It’s coming up with perfect end rhymes that actually serve the story at hand. That say what we want them to say. That say what the story needs (rather than forcing an illogical digression just to make the rhyme work). And it’s about perfect meter, too. Rhyme is nothing without meter, so we need a regular syllabic pattern along with the rhyme scheme, and we need to make sure we’re not having to put the emPHAsis on the wrong syLABble when we read it aloud.

As for revising, we must be willing to unravel the whole thing if necessary. We tend to think that once rhyme is drafted, it’s sacrosanct. But sometimes we have to pull it apart—and even toss out darn good lines—to get it right.

RVC: On one hand, the story of how A Sock Is a Pocket for Your Toes is one of those easy-​peasy it-​worked-​like-​magic tales, right? But didn’t it also have quite a few hiccups/​challenges along the way?

LGS: Sure, every book has its hiccups. And speaking of rhyme and meter, I wrote and submitted that manuscript with no discernible pattern to it at all. I thought I was composing jazz, and that the variations were creative and fun! My editor helped me see that I was making it almost impossible to read aloud and I’d done away with all the rhythmic predictability that makes rhyme so pleasurable to kids. Honestly, A Sock Is a Pocket for Your Toes served as my own mini picture book boot camp, and I needed it.

RVC: Your Caldecott-honored picture book, All the World, was illustrated by Marla Frazee. What was it like working with her?

LGS: I was a serious devotee of Marla’s work long before she was my illustrator or my friend. In fact, our first-​ever contact came via a fan letter I wrote her after reading the Clementine books with my girls. Her illustrations in All the World made the book what it is—a physical place of beauty and comfort and communion open to every reader. And making it together was, really, a deep pleasure. The process was more collaborative than most picture book projects in that we spent time over many months—via phone and email, and with our editor Allyn Johnston of Beach Lane Books—massaging the text and illustrations until the marriage was just right.

I’ll always treasure that experience and the final product.

RVC: Speaking of collaborations … you’ve successfully written picture books with Audrey Vernick. What’s your secret? What do you get out of collaborating? How do you make it work so well?

LGS: Key to collaboration is admiration and connection and respect. If I didn’t adore Audrey and her writing—and vice versa—I don’t think this would work. Also, we do something kind of brave (or crazy)—we write by passing a Word doc back and forth, and we don’t use comments or edit mode. At all. When it’s our turn, we just add and delete and amend as we see fit. Without permission. We take absolute ownership—until it’s time to send it on. In that way, the piece is completely ours and then again, not ours at all. The result is that we’re deeply engaged but not egoic, which is good for the work and our own well-​being. Also, it’s really fun.

RVC: While I’m sure that you had some degree of fun while writing of all of your books, it seems that Kate, Who Tamed the Wind might’ve also provided a lot of challenges for you. Far more than usual, right?

LGS: That book. Oh, mercy. It took more than fifteen years from idea to publication. And more than 100 drafts. There are rhymed and unrhymed versions. Versions with a man, a woman, a little boy, a little girl. Versions written in past tense and present.

Honestly, if there was something to try, I promise you I tried it. What I wanted, in the end, was something lyrical, relational, environmental, cumulative, mystical, personal, read-aloudable—and I guess it just took me a long, long time to achieve all that.

RVC: Let’s talk about the drafting process. You’ve got an interesting idea regarding the value of those first drafts.

LGS: Anne Lamott talks about “shitty first drafts,” and this is just my version of that. I constantly remind myself that a first draft doesn’t have to be lovely. It doesn’t have to flow, or be the right shape or length. It doesn’t have to be good at all! It just has to reveal itself to me.

It’s a place where I get to bumble about, where I get to walk myself into the story—to tell myself the story. Once I’ve done that, then it’s time to figure out how to tell it to everybody else.

RVC: Speed round! Hardest word you’ve ever managed to rhyme well.

LGS: Oooo, I’ve got a few. Lemonade. Steadfast. Strut. I do love the puzzle of a good rhyme!

RVC: An illustrator you’d love to work with on a future book of yours.

LGS: I have SO MANY ILLUSTRATOR DREAMS. Many of them, of course, have been answered! (I’ve been very, very lucky in this regard.) As you know, I just spent a day teaching with Floyd Cooper at the Florida SCBWI conference and I love that man and his work, so that would be pretty great. But I’m also always yearning to work with up-​and-​coming female illustrators who are still having a harder time getting noticed in the picture book world. More than half my books have been illustrated by women and I’m liking that track record.

RVC: If you had to write longhand, would you use a pencil or pen?

LGS: Pencil—as long as it was really sharp.

RVC: If you never became a writer, you’d instead be …

LGS: A lawyer. I like arguing and I did well on the logic portion of the GRE. So, yes. A lawyer … but living on a horse farm.

RVC: Best late-​night snack?

LGS: Popcorn with chili powder and brewer’s yeast.

RVC: Favorite non-​kidlit genre to read?

LGS: I always have a novel, a collection of short stories, and a book of poetry on my bedside table. I choose based on time of day, emotional state, and exhaustion level.

RVC: Best compliment a child could ever give you about one of your books?

LGS: “I’m gonna write a book like this someday.”

RVC: Thanks oodles, Liz!

Picture Book Review: Perfectly Norman by Tom Percival

On By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Reviews

 

Perfectly Norman
Author: Tom Percival
Illustrator: Tom Percival
Bloomsbury Children’s Books
1 May 2018
32 pages

 


This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Employee of the Month at Only Picture Books) and Florida-​based author/​illustrator Linda Shute.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

Maybe it’s because I’ve been binge-​watching Glee or because I have a teen and a tween living under my roof, but I’m smitten these days by books that encourage young people to be who they are versus who others want them to be. And that’s the story here with poor Norman who plays with his dog and seems just like every other little boy until one day, he sprouts a set of beautiful wings. He flies and zooms and soars, as happy as can be. But then he gets worried what everyone else will think. No one else has wings, do they? What will they all think?

So he hides those wings under a big coat and kind of huddles into himself.

As one would expect, wearing a big yellow jacket all the time is no fun and creates its own set of problems. Bath time? Bed time? Birthday parties? Yikes. “The coat was hot and uncomfortable, but Norman had decided that no one should see his wings–ever.” Norman remains in misery on the sidelines while the other kids go about their lives and do kid stuff.

Finally, thanks to the encouragement of his parents, Norman sheds his coat and reveals his glorious, colorful wings. And in doing so, a few of his peers are empowered to do the same and show their own wings. The sky is filled with flying kids who are having the time of their lives.

So while Norman might not be “perfectly normal,” he is “perfectly Norman,” and that’s far more important, he realizes at last.

Of course, the wings symbolize freedom and the story is fairly on-​the-​nose regarding its message that it’s better to accept your true identity than to live any type of lie. That’s a message every parent can support.

Many readers will feel uplifted by this tale of finding one’s place in the world. An enjoyable and satisfying read.

4 out of 5 pencils

–Linda’s Review of the Illustrations–

Right from the git-​go, it is hard to miss Perfectly Norman. The book stands a foot tall and gleams life-​jacket red. Even the brush script title glows in the semi-​dark. Strongly designed by Bloomsbury’s Goldy Bond, it is the ideal format to be read and shown to a young group because the target audience is not just the “Normans” out there, but their friends and classmates. Percival’s characters are drawn simply and lightheartedly with emotional appeal, inviting reader identification.

Norman lives in a sepia suburb. The townhomes, his diverse friends, and even his parents (one noticeable darker than the other) occupy bland tonality, but NOT NORMAN! He is the colorful character in their midst starting on page one. The only creatures, besides Norman, who live in the domain of color are the birds, in their bit of blue sky—a spoiler clue revealed on page two that can be enjoyed upon rereading. The spotlight is on Norman in his yellow clothing, and on the birds and (Let’s not forget!), the multi-​hued wings, focusing young listener/​viewers on Norman’s journey right through to its chromatically joyous conclusion.

And once Norman’s story is revealed…well, there’s time to go back and wander the interesting, humorous, warm details of his sepia world. This is a picture book that works on many levels.

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.