Tag: Ryan G. Van Cleave

Agent Interview: Adria Goetz (Martin Literary Management)

On By Only Picture BooksIn Agent Interviews5 Comments

This month’s Industry Insider Interview is with Adria Goetz, a Senior Literary Manager at Martin Literary Management. In addition to earning a BA in English (with a creative writing emphasis) from the University of Washington, she graduated from The Columbia Publishing Course’s intensive coursework in all aspects of book, magazine, and digital media publishing.

Before moving into her current role, Adria worked in the Pierce County Library System’s Communications department, in addition to spending three years as an intern and assistant at Martin Literary.

These days, she lives in an old Victorian farmhouse in the Seattle area—which she dearly hopes is haunted with friendly ghosts—with her husband and two cats.

Adria represents a wide range of writing, including:

  • picture books
  • middle grade
  • young adult
  • graphic novels
  • adult fiction (especially rom-​coms, female-​driven thrillers/​suspense, and general fiction)
  • quirky gift books
  • Christian devotionals

Let’s share some links and get right to the interview!

RVC: I’ve heard rumors that you’ve got a secret weapon in terms of your agenting—the 5 in 5 Rule. Care to dish?

AG: Sure! The 5 in 5 rule is: if I can’t think of 5 specific editors I’d send a project to within reading five chapters of a manuscript, I pass. This is because I want to make sure that if I offer representation to someone, it’s because I love their work but also because I think I’m the right advocate for them. If I don’t have a good sense for which editors would be a good fit for a project, then I’m probably not the right fit for that writer and am better off cheering them on from the sidelines, rather than guiding their career.

RVC: What’s the picture book equivalent of 5 in 5?

AG: I think it’s the same general idea with picture books, in that when I’m reviewing a picture book submission, I really need to make sure that I have a strong sense for which editors are looking for that type of project. Most of the time with picture books, I can make that call at based off their pitch/​description of the project in their query letter. If the concept excites me, then I’ll take a good look at the manuscript to review the writing.

RVC: What appeals to you most about picture books?

AG: I’m a very visual person and I’ve always loved art (my house is covered in art and wallpaper with lots of different patterns and textures), so I love that picture books are a very unique and specific form of visual storytelling.

RVC: What was the story of your first picture book sale?

AG: Aw! The first picture book I ever sold was Rice from Heaven, which was written by Tina Cho and illustrated by Keum Jin Song, and sold to Little Bee Books. I represented the author, Tina Cho, who crafted a really interesting manuscript based on a real story of people in South Korea who fill giant balloons full of rice and float them over the mountainous border into North Korea, with the hope that they’ll be able to help feed the starving, impoverished people who live there. It’s a beautiful story of empathy and kindness.

RVC: That sounds absolutely lovely.

AG: We submitted it to a small list of publishers, and we received good feedback, but it felt like something was missing. It was sort of a straightforward text at the time. I shared the manuscript with my colleague Clelia Gore [OPB interjection and horn-​tooting here–we interviewed her back in 2020!] to get her perspective, and she encouraged us to rework the language to make it feel more lyrical. Once I gave that simple note to Tina, it was like she knew exactly what to do. She reworked it to make it more lyrical and poetic, and the text came to life. We shopped that new version and sold it pretty quickly to Little Bee Books.

Tina Cho was one of the first clients I ever signed, and she really, really took a chance on a brand new, very green agent. Since then, we’ve done a slew of books together: Rice from Heaven (Little Bee Books, 2018), Korean Celebrations (Tuttle, 2018), My Breakfast with Jesus (Harvest House Kids, 2020), The Ocean Calls (Kokila, 2020) which received three starred reviews, and an upcoming graphic novel-​in-​verse called The Other Side of Tomorrow, which will publish with HarperAlley in 2023. There will be many more in the future, too!

RVC: I know The Ocean Calls quite well. It even made it onto the OPB 20 Favorites of 2020 list!

AG: It’s a very special book!

RVC: What about Rice from Heaven initially grabbed you in manuscript form?

AG: I loved that it showed an example of a tangible way to show kindness in a very conflict-​filled world.

RVC: Let’s get into the agenting day-​to-​day stuff. You recently announced on Twitter that while you’ve never closed to queries before, you’re temporarily doing that. How bloated did you inbox get?

AG: That’s right, this is the first time I’ve EVER closed since I started agenting! It’s bittersweet because I love getting to review submissions every day. I’ve never felt like, “Ugh, my slush pile.” I still think it’s somewhat magical to wake up every morning and have a bunch of new stories in my inbox, waiting for me to read them. I only closed because I am taking a temporary medical leave while I recover from an upcoming surgery. (Nothing scary, for what it’s worth.) I already can’t wait to open back up, though!

RVC: I’ll definitely be sending you some warm, healing thoughts!

AG: Thanks!

RVC: In the past, you’ve given a workshop entitled “The Art of the Query Letter.” What’s the extra pizzazz you recommend people use to capture the attention of an agent or editor?

AG: I love teaching that workshop! The most important part of query letters is to make sure to include all of the basics: title, genre, reader category (meaning PB, MG, YA, etc.), word count, concise pitch, comp titles, and an author bio.

My hyper-​specific “pro tip” is to use a specific subject line in your email. When I receive a query, the first place I usually see it is on my phone when I get an email notification. So if I see the subject line “Query” or “Submission” it doesn’t catch my eye and I’ll probably quickly shuffle it to my query folder to look at later. But if I were to see the subject line “Query for MG Fantasy – THE LIBRARY OF CURIOSITIES” I’m instantly intrigued, and probably going to stop everything I’m doing to take a look. And that did happen, by the way, when Jenny Lundquist queried me with The Library of Curiosities, which we are now shopping. 🙂

RVC: When you start reading queries again, what type of picture books would you be most interested in seeing? Mermaids? Raccoons? Ghosts? Karaōke? Something else?

AG: Yes to all of those! Also, my picture book trinity tends to be the three following categories: humor, Own Voices, and magical.

RVC: I find that writers often aren’t sure how to navigate a career that spans both the Christian and general marketplace. What advice do you have for them? 

AG: I would say: learn how to tailor your projects for both markets. Some projects might be inspired by scripture, but if they don’t directly reference the Bible or the Christian faith, they could potentially appeal to the general market. It works the other way around, too. Rice from Heaven by Tina Cho and Keum Jin Song, Taste Your Words by Bonnie Clark and Todd Bright, and The Other Side of Tomorrow by Tina Cho and Deb Lee are a few examples of projects that were pitched to both markets.

RVC: Do you have other clients who offer a good blueprint for this kind of wide-​ranging career?

AG: Caryn Rivadeneira and Dave Connis both write for the general market and the Christian market, and juggle things beautifully, I think.

RVC: Speaking of advice, what’s the best piece of agenting advice you ever received?

AG: My boss Sharlene Martin has always said, “You can’t get what you don’t ask for.” And my colleague Clelia Gore has oftentimes told me, “Plead your case.” I keep both of these in mind when I’m negotiating for my clients, or advocating on their behalf. It’s amazing what you can get if you just ask for what you want, and explain why you should get it. It’s very intuitive and it’s basically Negotiating 101, but it’s stuck with me because I remember when I was a kid watching Trump on “Celebrity Apprentice” and just thinking… there’s no way I could ever be a businesswoman that negotiates because I thought you had to be a bully in order to be good at negotiating. It seemed so scary to me. Now that I’m in the real world as an adult, working with all female mentors and in a heavily female industry, I know that when it comes to negotiating, just being smart and respectful in negotiations can usually get you what you want.

RVC: I ask this a lot, but writers want me to keep asking, so here goes. What are your thoughts on illustration notes?

AG: I think a handful of illustration notes in a picture book manuscript is just fine. I encourage my clients to only use them when it’s something that is crucial to the storytelling, and can only happen within the illustrations themselves. It’s also a project-​by-​project basis. For example, comedic picture books that utilize dissonance between what the character is saying and what is happening in the art, like The Big Bed by Bunmi Laditan, might require more notes to clearly communicate what’s going on in the story.

RVC: We’re on the same page here, it seems. We reviewed The Big Bed, as well!

Now, here’s a weird curveball question—in your “My Favorite Books” board on Pinterest, you have Lisel Mueller’s Alive Together: New and Selected Poems. She’s one of my top five poets of all time because of how she (among other things) manipulates language and animates the world with wonder and sorrow in equal measure. I could go on and on about the bittersweet, shadowy depths of her writing.

What do you like about her work?

AG: Oh my goodness, that collection of poetry is just pure magic, isn’t it? I pulled out my copy this morning and have been rereading all of the dog-​eared and marked-​up pages I have. I personally love reading poetry that feels very accessible, but still has depth to it, which is exactly how I would describe her work. You can see how much empathy and imagination and whimsy she had as a person, but as someone who was a young girl in Germany as the Nazis were rising to power, and then immigrated with her family to the United States, she experienced a lot of trauma and grief at a very formative time in her life, and you can see that in her work. So, her poetry has whimsy, but it also has grit, and I think that’s a really captivating combination.

P.S. It makes me so happy to think of people visiting that Pinterest board, so thank you!

RVC: Happy to help!

Now… last question for this part of the interview. What’s a current picture book project that you’re totally stoked about?

AG: Lou by Breanna Carzoo. It’s about a fire hydrant named Lou who has grown weary of being the neighborhood dog toilet. It’s hilarious, the art is incredible, and I’m so excited for it to publish with HarperCollins in 2022.

RVC: Hah–sounds great! But now it’s time for the SPEED ROUND. Blasty fasty question and zippy skippy answers please. Are…you…ready?

AG: Let’s do it.

RVC: Dinosaurs, dragons, or dolphins?

AG: Dragons.

RVC: Best place to get a Seattle cup of coffee?

AG: Jewel Box Café. Mostly because of the atmosphere—it has a very dark academia aesthetic, you feel like you’re having a cup of coffee in the Beauty and the Beast library.

RVC: If you had to be “trapped” in a picture book for a day, what book would you choose?

AG: Hello Lighthouse by Sophie Blackall! I’d love to be a lighthouse keeper.

RVC: What’s a recent Christian picture book that really got your attention?

AG: I thought The Wonder That Is You by Glenys Nellist and Aurelie Blanz was beautiful.

RVC: What’s the One That Got Away?

AG: Oh, gosh! Just one? So many people have turned me down over the years! Well, there is one wonderful author/​illustrator in particular who comes to mind, but I won’t mention her by name. She signed with an incredible agent though, so I really don’t blame her!

RVC: Your picture book philosophy in five words or less.

AG: Every child deserves a mirror.

RVC: Thanks so much, Adria! This has been fun.

Educational Activities: Albert Einstein by Inspired Inner Genius

On By Only Picture BooksIn Educational Activities

Albert Einstein
Author: Stephanie Willis
Illustrator: Aimee Hawk
30 March 2021
Inspired Inner Genius
34 pages

Book description from Goodreads: “Today, Einstein is widely recognized as a genius and one of the greatest physicists in history, but things didn’t start off that way. Einstein was slow at speech and spoke only from the age of 3. Despite his slow start, Einstein was always curious and imaginative. It was these qualities that eventually lead to some of his craziest ideas and experiments. Some of his most famous inventions include the mass energy equivalence formula E = MC2, the theory of relativity and quantum theory.

Everyone is a genius. But if you judge a fish by its ability to climb a tree, it will live its whole life believing that it is stupid. — Albert Einstein

Imagine the disaster if Einstein stopped inventing because of fear. Now, imagine the possibilities if everyone explored courageously just like him. Let’s realize that imagination.”

Educational Activities inspired by Inspired Inner Genius’ Albert Einstein:

  • Before Reading–From looking at the front and back cover: 
    • Where and when do you think this story takes place?
    • Does think this book will be real or make believe?
    • What does the name “Albert Einstein” mean to you?
    • From looking at the images around him, what kind of work do you think Albert does?
  • After Reading–Now that you’ve read the story: 
    • Who was Albert Einstein?
    • Why was Albert so important?
    • How did you feel when that teacher said Albert would never amount to anything?
    • Why didn’t Albert give up when no one took his ideas about science seriously?
    • What’s the most useful lesson from Albert’s life?
    • Which of the pictures of Albert do you like the most? Why?
  • Creativity–Part of what made Albert Einstein so successful in everything he did was his creativity, which is finding new and useful ways of doing or thinking about something. Let’s practice that ourselves! How many different uses can you think of for a sock? A paperclip? A pencil? Consider having a contest with a friend to see who can dream up the most new possibilities in one minute.
  • Art–Albert Einstein had a lot of ideas about the sun and our planets. Make a drawing of your favorite planet, whether it’s Earth or not! Feel free to get creative with how you handle color, size, shape, and style. Have fun with it–Albert would approve!
  • Crafting–Try your hand at one or more of the following crafts (use recyclable materials when you can!) about the many things we find in space–Albert Einstein loved looking at and thinking about space! Get an adult to help, just to be on the safe side: 
  • Further Reading–Which of these other picture books about famous scientists have you read? (Click on any book cover for more information on these titles!)

 

Author Interview: Nicola Davies

On By Only Picture BooksIn Author Interviews

June’s Author Interview is with English zoologist and writer Nicola Davies, who was one of the original presenters for the terrific BBC children’s show “The Really Wild Show.” Nicola got her first pair of binoculars at age eight, and she’s been gazing out at the world of animals ever since, from geese in Scotland to humpbacked whales in NewFoundland to chameleons in Madagascar to bat-​eared foxes in Kenya to saltwater crocodiles in Australia.

Oh, and she’s written a good number of things along the way, including novels, poetry, and picture books. A few OPB favorites include:

That’s it–thinking about those books again has me excited to hear from Nicola. Let’s get right to the interview!

RVC: Which came first—the love for animals or the love for stories?

ND: I don’t think I could separate them. I came from a family which loved both. My father trained as a biologist and was a keen naturalist but he loved poems and stories too, so information was always imparted in some kind of narrative. My mother was a natural storyteller and instinctively packaged information in narrative. So I grew up with nature poetry and story twined together.

RVC: What inspired you to combine your love of stories with the love of animals?

ND: Entirely intuitively. The natural world is full of ready-​made stories…seasonal cycles, life cycles, nutrient cycles, food chains–all of these are narratives ready and waiting to be retold.

RVC: On a scale of 1 to 10, how interested are kids in animals?

ND: Oh, about 12! I’ve never met a child who wasn’t instinctively connected with and interested in nature. That is the connection that I seek to deepen and strengthen into a lifetime bond.

RVC: Most of your kidlit seems to blend nonfiction and fiction. How do you find the balance?

ND: Narrative is a psychological carrier bag–it can carry real facts and invented ones. But with an invented narrative structure that carries real facts, the narrative itself also has to reflect reality and the factual content you want to deliver. With my hero of the wild series, real conservation stories are told through the medium of invented characters and storylines, but both character and plot are very closely based on real people and events.

The Lion Who Stole My Arm is based on a real conservation project in Mozambique, in the Niassa reserve, and the child at the centre of the story on a real child who was attacked by a lion. The only things I changed were the location of the child to just over the border in Tanzania; the age of my character is 10, the real one 5; and which arm he lost, with the real child losing the left and my character the right. Then I engineered the plot to reveal other background aspects of the real situation. It’s like patchwork!

I did the same with Ride the Wind–a story about a Chilean fisher family who catch an albatross on their long line. It conveys information about the catching of endangered sea birds but also about how some S and C American families are affected by migration to the US. Ditto my book about Hummingbirds.

RVC: Ideally, where do you want those books shelved in the library or at a bookstore?

ND: Anywhere where kids will find them! Ideally two copies–one in fiction and one in nonfiction.

RVC: You’re the first person I’ve interviewed here who worked with/​for the BBC. How did you get that gig, and what was it like?

ND: I was working on a PhD on bat feeding ecology at Bristol University, just a five-​minute walk from the NHU’s home at the BBC in Bristol. When it became obvious that the Tory government were cutting grants for primary research and that, in any case, research would be “preaching to the choir,” I jumped ship and knocked on their door until they let me in. But I wasn’t really cut out for TV–it was very competitive and I’m not good at competing.

I did discover that I could write, so I started writing scripts for the programmes I presented.

RVC: You’ve said before that “while every book is a story, every book also has its own story of how it came to be.” What’s the story behind Gaia Warriors, which is a book about climate change?

ND: My publisher was approached by James Lovelock who wanted to collaborate with a children’s writer to do a book about climate change. I was reluctant to work with him but I was persuaded, and in the end he just left me to it and we got on fine.

I wanted to do a book that gave children:

  1. the arguments to use to put forward the case to climate change deniers,
  2. hope that action is possible,
  3. examples of interesting ways to live their lives that would be stimulating, satisfying, AND fight CC.

RVC: What’s the most important thing writers should know or understand about creating a picture book that deals with a tough topic?

ND: Do your research. Talk to people who have experienced what you write about even if you also have your own experiences to draw on. Be sensitive, be brave, and remember there are as many ways to tell the same story as there are threads in a spider’s web. Find your way.

RVC: Your book Just Ducks! came out just a few months back. How do you go about writing a book like that so it’s more than just a pile of duck facts? 

ND: Find the true narrative that carries the facts. In this case it was easy…I really did live in a house by the river (the river Exe in Devon ) and I heard ducks every morning. So everything in that book happened to me multiple times. All I had to do was imagine it happening to a young child.

RVC: You’ve got a very strong view on what narrative is. Care to share it once again?

ND: It’s a piece of writing with a shape. A beginning, a middle, and an end. It should be memorable–i.e. psychologically portable. It should have a clear voice that speaks to the reader. And I like narratives with answered questions and open ends that the reader can think about and engage with.

RVC: I’m guessing that the reason you sometimes rhyme—as you do in The Secret of the Egg and other books—stems from your love of poetry. What are some strategies for getting rhyme to really work in a picture book?

ND: Well, the first is to have an editor who lets you do it. Not all allow it.

The second is don’t let the rhyme dictate the thought. Don’t use words you’d never otherwise use just to rhyme (unless you can make a really good aural joke with it). Be super careful with meter…don’t cheat!

RVC: One last question for this part of the interview. In all your experience in writing children’s literature, what has surprised you the most?

ND: I’ve had many lovely surprises from children who respond to and remember bits of my books, identify with characters, and point out things I’ve never thought of. It’s the BEST part of writing for kids.

RVC: Alright. Here we go with the Speed Round! Six fast questions coming at you, starting with…most underappreciated animal?

ND: All the ones that we allow to go extinct before we even named them. All the unseen insects and soil invertebrates that hold ecosystems together, on whom our very lives depend and which we totally ignore. Darwin understood this. That’s why he spent so much time studying earthworms.

RVC: Most underappreciated Welsh food?

ND: Lava bread. It looks a bit like fresh cow poo but is wonderful and very good for you. (It’s seaweed!)

RVC: Which animal would you most want to write a picture book biography about you?

ND:The tiger in my new novel The Song That Sings Us. He’s called Skrimsli.

RVC: Your favorite animal picture book of 2020?

ND: The Lost Spells by Robert Macfarlane and Jackie Morris.

RVC: Your one-​sentence mission as a picture book author?

ND: To fan the spark of childhood curiosity into a lifelong bonfire.

RVC: Best compliment a child reader ever gave you?

ND: About my book The Promise, a very disadvantaged child from a school in Boston said, “THAT BOOK WAS ABOUT ME!” 

RVC: Thanks so much, Nicola! This was terrific.

Picture Book Review: Keeping the City Going by Brian Floca

On By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Reviews

27 April 2021
40 pages

This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (#1 city-​goer at Only Picture Books) and freelance author/​illustrator Kelly Light.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

Brian Floca’s new picture book, Keeping the City Going, tells a familiar story since it’s one we all lived some version of since early 2020. Our narrator is a young child who immediately turns the story’s focus outward into the “almost, but not entirely” empty streets where a few people are “there because we need them.” What Floca is directing our attention to are those who continued to work to keep the city going when COVID-​19 threatened to shut everything down.

Bus drivers, train engineers, food delivery people, police officers, taxi drivers, trash collectors, postal carriers, package couriers, construction crews, EMTs, doctors, nurses, aides, and more–they’re all here in these pages, each nobly doing what has to be done so that we can “not feel so alone” and that we can “stay connected.”

While the art is on par with Floca’s award-​winning work in his other books–I’ll let Kelly explain why below–his attention to sound is truly interesting. It starts with the awareness that “the voice of the city is low,” but as the story continues and we witness the work of so many brave souls, the noise–the life–of the city increases. “A clap, a whistle, a call.” Then “pots BANG! Drums BOOM! Bells RING! Horns BLOW!–a racket, a din, and a row!”

The end of the book follows through on this metaphor of the city having a voice. Ultimately, this voice says what we all want it to–a well-​earned THANK YOU to the people still out on the streets, working hard to keep our city going, whether it’s NYC, Chicago, Scranton, or Sarasota.

Those who didn’t experience COVID-​19 in NYC might find it odd for Floca to be so specific about the 7pm celebrations. An Author’s Note explains that: “I took additional inspiration from neighbors I could hear cheering every evening at seven o’clock, through the spring. Home from school and home from work, isolated and with stresses and struggles of their own, they were sounding from their windows and stoops a daily expression of gratitude toward healthcare and other workers still on the job—cheers we cannot imagine to be all we owe those workers, but that helped lift morale in the early, overwhelming days of the pandemic, when the lift was badly needed.”

What’s lovely is that the children at the start of the book are here, too, showing their appreciation and happiness along with the rest. They’re part of the “we” that includes us–the readers, too.

Like LeUyen Pham’s Outside, Inside (which we reviewed here at OPB), this is an important book to help young readers make sense of the pandemic. And it’s a welcome Thank You! to a group of people–and a city–that deserves it.

This heartfelt, earnest book is both delightful and appropriate.

4.5 out of 5 pencils

 

–Kelly’s Review of the Illustrations–

I moved from Brooklyn to Western, MA in the summer of 2019. Neither you nor I could have any clue that just a year later, we would be in an unprecedented, global lockdown. I was glued to the footage on the TV of NYC. I found it hard to fathom the rush, the hum, the cacophony of NYC, hushed. I was so moved by scenes of the exuberant 7PM pot clanging and cheering to honor the essential workers.

In his book Keeping the City Going, Brian Floca captures first-​hand the experience of living in NYC in 2020 as well as capturing the fighting NYC spirit as it endures an unimaginable pandemic. Floca must have been a wartime illustrator in a past life. Ernest Shepherd, illustrator of Winnie the Pooh and master draftsman, was himself a WWI illustrator. He might look at Floca’s work here and see a kindred pencil. Managing to merge a journalistic drawing approach with visual storytelling for an audience of young readers, Keeping the City Going is a time capsule of an awful time that chooses to hold on to and depict the best of what took place in the midst of the worst year in modern history. There is an intimacy in Floca’s art where there could have been a detached voyeuristic view in the streetscapes. There is a love, simply drawn into every line, for the city he calls home.

I found myself recognizing so much in Floca’s drawings. I saw the “Thank You, Thank You, Thank You” plastic bags found in every bodega used to deliver food all over the five boroughs. I recognized the brownstones, the skyline and the corner of Smith Street in Brooklyn. “The City” has specific shapes and colors–the repetitive rectangles of bricks and buildings and doors and stoops and skyscrapers and trucks and windows. The windows are the frames, the visual device Floca uses to help us focus in and recognize one other thing: the humanity. Keeping The City Going is truly a book about humanity. New York City’s greatness is its people. The faces seen through the windows, the children, the essential workers, the families and the cats are all giving us the feeling that we, too, are peering in to the city, appreciating everyone keeping it moving.

The palette is warm and golden, as if it is summer in the city, except that there are long sleeves and pants on everyone. Perhaps his choice of palette is intentional–to warm our feelings as we heal from our collective trauma. There are down jackets and scarves on the workers and bike delivery guys, letting us know that though there is a chill in the air, there is protection.

Floca begins the book with two children tentatively pulling back a curtain to look out of a window. The children appear on several more pages and we see them join in with the joyous 7PM tribute to the service workers of the city. Watching the children find ways to acclimate to this strange way of life is reassuring and affirms that life goes on. Floca draws humans in a simplified realistic style in contrast to his obvious enjoyment of mechanical detail. The figures are drawn expertly and not “over drawn.” He could have created visual noise with never-​ending detail. Instead, he treats the people with sensitivity and restraint and good gesture drawing.

The boldest illustration in the book is of the ambulance. The EMT is looking directly out at the reader, her two dot eyes making eye contact with us. The vehicle is drawn with the technical accuracy that has garnered Floca many awards including a Caldecott for 2013’s Locomotive.

His ability to draw is unquestionable. His ability to NOT over-​draw, is his greatest gift. Using watercolor and ink, Floca lifts his pen off of the paper in all of the right places. He allows the color to do some of the work to outline form. In some places, like on the side of a sanitation truck, every lever and button and reflector and decal is drawn, but the tires? They are loose with lines wrapping around to describe the tire more than define it. The faces with masks adorned are only given a touch of ink to maintain their softness. This skill comes from observational drawing–drawing from live models and sitting with a sketchbook on a lap. Floca has the uncanny ability to show you a lot, to teach you how things are made in his drawings and in this book, and to make you feel something with his art.

Keeping the City Going is more than another historical nonfiction feat of draftsmanship that marvels at the mechanics of man-​made wonders. Floca can draw those. This time out, he applied his skills to capture the greatest act of mankind–kindness.

4.5 out of 5 colored pencils

Kelly Light lives in Amherst, MA but grew up down the shore in New Jersey surrounded by giant pink dinosaurs, cotton candy colors, and Skee-​Ball sounds. She was schooled on Saturday-​morning cartoons and Sunday funny pages. She picked up a pencil, started drawing, and never stopped.

Kelly is the author/​Illustrator of the Louise series. Louise Loves Art and Louise and Andie, The Art of Friendship are the first two picture books in the series. Louise Loves Bake Sales and Louise and The Class Pet are the first readers in HarperCollins’ I Can Read program.

Kelly has also illustrated Elvis and the Underdogs and Elvis and the Underdogs: Secrets, Secret Service, and Room Service by Jenny Lee, and The Quirks series by Erin Soderberg.

Website: www.kellylight.com

Picture Book List: 20 Fun Books About Birthdays

On By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Lists

May is my birthday month, so parties, ice cream cake, and balloons are on my mind. If you’d like to get all celebration‑y with me, enjoy this list of festive picture books about birthdays.

Why 20 items on this list? Because that’s my birthdate, of course!

(If I missed including any amazing picture books about birthdays, let me know about them in the comments.)

The Backwards Birthday Party by Tom Chapin and John Forster, illustrated by Chuck Groenink (Feb 2015)

AGES 4–7

From Goodreads: “Have a happy birthday—the backwards way! Full of fun and based on the hit song from Tom Chapin and John Forster, this is a celebratory birthday bash like no other.

Put your clothes on inside out, heat up the ice cream, and hang on to your party hats—because everything’s out of whack at the backwards birthday party!

From beloved, three-​time Grammy-​winning singer-​songwriter Tom Chapin, four-​time Grammy-​nominated singer-​songwriter John Forster, and with stunning illustrations from Chuck Groenink comes the zaniest birthday party you’ll ever attend.”

 

A Birthday Cake Is No Ordinary Cake by Debra Frasier (Sept 2006)

AGES 4–7

From Goodreads: “Welcome aboard our spinning Earth as it travels on its immense journey around the Sun. Bring a bowl–and come along! Help collect the ingredients for a cake as big as a year, and see how every circle around the Sun … equals one. One what? One birthday cake!

For fifteen years, On the Day You Were Born has been the classic book to welcome new babies into the world. Now, this jubilant companion celebrates every year thereafter in the life of a child–and of our great green planet Earth.

Includes delicious cake and frosting recipes, explanations of how the years are marked in nature, and a section called “How many days to your birthday?” so kids can actually find their own special day.”

 

A Birthday for Frances by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Lillian Hoban (Oct 1994)

AGES 2–6

From Goodreads: “It is Gloria’s birthday but Frances is not sure whether or not to give Gloria a present, as she is the kind of little sister who can’t catch, can’t throw and who when playing hide-​and-​seek, always hides in places where part of her is sticking out.

Will Frances give Gloria her present..?”

 

The Birthday Party by Helen Oxenbury (April 1983)

AGES 3–7

From Goodreads: “After choosing a gift for her friend’s birthday, a young girl has trouble relinquishing it.”

 

The Birthday Queen by Audrey and Don Wood (Aug 2013)

AGES 4–8

From Goodreads: “Bestselling award-​winners Don and Audrey Wood celebrate your birthday with the best party in the world!

Happy Birthday to you! Today is the most exciting day of the year, and the Birthday Queen knows exactly how to fill it with fun surprises! From decorating your home to baking your favorite cake, the Birthday Queen doesn’t forget a thing as she creates a party beyond your wildest dreams! Children will crow with delight as she tests a wild assortment of games and clowns, wraps your gifts, and splashes the kitchen with huge bowls of colorful frosting. Here come your guests! Now it’s time to celebrate!

Known for their warmth and imagination, Audrey and Don Wood create a story that crackles with the excitement of the best homemade birthday parties. Their simple narrative speaks directly to the child: You! And who is the Birthday Queen? In a sweet, satisfying ending, the amazing woman who made your special birthday party is revealed to be the person who loves you most–your mother! Children will be begging to read this all year round!”

 

Birthday Rules by Laurie Friedman, illustrated by Teresa Murfin (March 2015)

AGES 5–9

From Goodreads: “When it comes to birthdays, no one knows how to party like Percy! Just follow his simple rules like #2 “Happy times call for happy measures” and #9 “Be careful what you wish for“to make the most of your celebration. Even when the cake has been consumed and the presents put away, Percy still has a trick up his sleeve to make a birthday extra special! Through clever rhymes and bright, humorous illustrations from the creators of Thanksgiving Rules and Back-​to-​School Rules, Percy shows how to make the most of a birthday celebration.”

 

Boa’s Bad Birthday by Jeanne Willis, illustrated by Tony Ross (Aug 2016)

AGES 4–8

From Goodreads: “It was Boa’s birthday.
It was going to be the best one ever.
Or so he hoped.

He invited his friends round.
They would all bring him wonderful presents.
Or would they?”

 

Bunny Cakes by Rosemary Wells (Feb 2000)

AGES 3–5

From Goodreads: “It’s Grandma’s birthday, and Max wants to make her an icky, worm-​infested cake. But Ruby says, “No, Max. We are going to make Grandma an angel surprise cake, with raspberry-​fluff icing.” Will Max let his bossy older sister keep him out of the kitchen? Or will they both become bunnies who bake?”

 

Happy Birthday, Cupcake by Terry Border (July 2015)

AGES 5–8

From Goodreads: “What’s a cupcake to do when she needs to plan her birthday party? In this hilarious, kid-​friendly homage to food and birthdays, Cupcake runs through tons of ideas while her best friend, Blueberry Muffin, finds reasons why they won’t work: Soup gets seasick; Donut melts in the sun; someone might get squashed during musical chairs; and Cupcake is not very good at limbo (her icing might get sliced off!). Just as Cupcake is ready to crumble, Blueberry Muffin has one last idea that just might save the day.

With laugh-​out-​loud visual gags (like a band made up of beans–the musical fruit, of course), this book is sure to put a birthday smile on any kid’s face (and on adult faces as well).”

 

Happy Birthday, Moon by Frank Asch (Jan 1982)

AGES 2–6

From Goodreads: “Bear loves the moon so much that he wants to give him a birthday present. But he doesn’t know when his birthday is or what to get him. So Bear goes to have a little chat with the moon. A poetic fantasy, Happy Birthday, Moon has delighted fans for years as a simple yet reassuring celebration of love and friendship. Gently told with warm words and charming illustrations by creator Frank Asch, Happy Birthday, Moon was cited by The New York Times as one of the ten best titles of the year.”

 

How Do Dinosaurs Say Happy Birthday? by Jane Yolen, illustrated by Mark Teague (Sept 2011)

AGES 2–4

From Goodreads: “Surprise! Our bestselling little dinosaurs are back for a BIG birthday celebration! Everyone has a birthday, and from riotous birthday parties to the excitement of being one year older, having a birthday is the highlight of a young child’s year. All little dinosaurs love to get presents, and this new board book will be an immediate favorite. From birthday hats to Ceratosaurus-​sized cakes, America’s young readers will laugh out loud as the celebration moves from “bad” birthday behavior to just the right amount of silliness and sharing. Bestselling duo Jane Yolen and Mark Teague have created the perfect introduction to birthday parties, with the same beloved humor and warmth of all their previous bestselling “How Do Dinosaurs” books. Here’s a wonderful way to say “Happy Birthday!” to any dinosaur…young or old!”

 

If a T. Rex Crashes Your Birthday Party by Jill Esbaum, illustrated by Dasha Tolstikova (Aug 2016)

AGES 4–7

From Goodreads: “You never know what will happen when a T. Rex crashes your birthday party. Sure, you’ll be super excited when he turns up at your door. But then he’ll stomp. He’ll ROAR. He’ll look at you as if he’s wondering how you taste with a little mustard. In the end, though, you just may find yourself asking him to come back next year! This delightfully whimsical picture book has a fun twist kids will love.”

 

If You Give a Pig a Party by Laura Numeroff, illustrated by Felicia Bond (Sept 2005)

AGES 2–4

From Goodreads: “If you give a pig a party, she’s going to ask for some balloons. When you give her the balloons, she’ll want to decorate the house. When she’s finished, she’ll put on her favorite dress…

Fans of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie will love this perfect addition to the series!

The If You Give… series is a perennial favorite among children. With its spare, rhythmic text and circular tale, these books are perfect for beginning readers and story time. Sure to inspire giggles and requests to “read it again!”

 

If You Had Your Birthday Party on the Moon by Joyce Lapin, illustrated by Simona Ceccarelli (April 2019)

AGES 7+

From Goodreads: “If you had your birthday party on the moon, what would it be like? Blast off to an extraterrestrial celebration and find out! This cool picture book combines fun and facts to help kids learn all about outer space.

Have your birthday party on the moon and everyone will come! After all, who wouldn’t want to ride in a rocket and celebrate for a day that lasts as long as a month on Earth? Then, young partygoers could romp in a low-​gravity playground; watch candles and balloons behave weirdly in the Moon’s atmosphere; and see why the “moon angels” they make in the thick carpet of lunar dust will last for thousands of years. With each discovery, kids learn the science behind the surprise, explained in terms they’ll understand. Complete with sidebars and a glossary, this entertaining adventure is perfect for sharing at home and at school”

 

My Lucky Birthday by Keiko Kasza (May 2013)

AGES 3–5

From Goodreads: “A hilarious trickster tale companion to the story time hit My Lucky Day.

Just as Alligator Al is planning the perfect birthday dinner for himself, there is a knock on his door. It’s a delicious-​looking piglet—how lucky!But as Al prepares his feast, the piglet makes some suggestions. Shouldn’t Al have a big birthday cake? Piglet can tell him how to make one. And wouldn’t the celebration be more fun with fancy decorations and party guests? Piglet would be happy to ask some friends to come over.

Al is so lucky that Piglet is there to help…or is he? Could Piglet have a clever party trick up his sleeve?

Fans of trickster tales, rooting for the underdog, and the proven crowd favorite My Lucky Day will be thrilled to see who turns out to have the luckiest birthday of all.”

 

Oscar’s Half Birthday by Bob Graham (May 2005)

AGES 2–5

From Goodreads: “Baby Oscar’s half birthday is full cause for celebration in this amusing tale of an urban family outing, affectionately told by the inimitable Bob Graham.

“Perfect day for a half birthday,”
says Oscar’s dad.
The birthday boy waves his wet fists.
“And a picnic,” says Oscar’s mom.

Oscar is six months old today, but the truth is that no one can wait for his whole birthday. So there’s nothing else for Mom and Dad to do but pack some sandwiches, park Oscar in his stroller, and take older sister Millie — handmade fairy wings attached — to the “half country” of their urban park for a half-​birthday party. As always in the warm, quirky world of Bob Graham, the joy is in the details — a stop in a graffitied tunnel as the train rushes overhead; the expressions on Oscar’s face as he watches a single leaf fall; the little half candle on his cake; and the impromptu gathering of admiring park visitors who join, one by one, in the hearty birthday song. With his jaunty watercolors full of charming surprises and a gently humorous text, Bob Graham creates an endearing, unconventional family readers will be happy to meet, and they’ll be tickled to join in their celebration.”

 

Otto Has a Birthday Party by Todd Parr (April 2004)

AGES 2–4

From Goodreads: “There is a problem with the cake Otto the dog makes for his birthday party, but he and his friends have a good time anyway.”

 

Ten Rules of the Birthday Wish by Beth Ferry, illustrated by Tom Lichtenheld (Feb 2019)

AGES 4–8

From Goodreads: “A joyful picture book that celebrates every kid’s favorite day of the year, full of adorable art from the illustrator of Goodnight Goodnight Construction Site and I Wish You More.

The most important rule is #1: It must be your birthday.

After that’s been established, a crew of hilarious animals help picture book pros Tom Lichtenheld and Beth Ferry take readers through a joyous romp that covers the most important elements of every year’s most essential holiday, including singing; closing your eyes and making a wish; blowing out candles on a cake, then settling into bed and dreaming of your wish coming true.”

 

Scaredy Squirrel Has a Birthday Party by Mélanie Watt (March 2014)

AGES 4–8

From Goodreads: “In the fifth book, Scaredy Squirrel plans his own birthday and surprise!… things get very crowded. Scaredy Squirrel is planning his own birthday party for one — but despite his detailed plans, things get out of control when the party animals arrive.He’s back! Scaredy Squirrel, the loveable worrywart, returns for another nutty adventure. Scaredy never plans big birthday parties. He’d rather celebrate alone quietly in the safety of his nut tree and avoid those pesky party animals (ants, clownfish, ponies and Bigfoot). When all his excessive plans are thrown up in the air like confetti, will Scaredy play dead and cancel? Or will he face the music?”

 

When’s My Birthday? by Julie Fogliano, illustrated by Christian Robinson (Sept 2017)

AGES 3–6

From Goodreads: “In this enthusiastic celebration of all things BIRTHDAY, acclaimed author Julie Fogliano and award-​winning illustrator Christian Robinson bring you the perfect birthday book! Join our excited narrator as she lists all the things that will make her birthday the BEST birthday.

when’s my birthday?
where’s my birthday?
how many days until my birthday?

i’d like a pony for my birthday
and a necklace for my birthday.
i’d like a chicken for my birthday.
i’d like a ball to bounce and bounce.

i’d like a big cake on my birthday
with lots of chocolate on my birthday
and lots of candles on my birthday
1, 2, 3, 4, 5, and 6!”

Agent Interview: Liza Fleissig @ Liza Royce Agency LLC

On By Only Picture BooksIn Agent Interviews4 Comments

Let me introduce you to literary agent Liza Fleissig, who opened the Liza Royce Agency (LRA) with partner Ginger Harris-​Dontzin in 2011. They describe their business as “a cross-​platform company providing development, representation, and strategic career management for clients in all media” that has a goal “to represent clients in all stages of their careers, from the most established to those developing their craft, as well as debuts.”

An unexpected bonus that Liza and Ginger bring to the agenting world is a combined 40 years of negotiating experience thanks to being partners in NYC litigation firms prior to launching LRA. From the start, LRA books have won awards and made waves.

Let’s find out why!

RVC: Clearly you had other plans than being a literary agent (witness those many years in the legal world). What got you back into a more bookish life?

LF: I had been searching for something creative to do for a long time after my children were born. I loved practicing law, but it started to feel more like a chore than a career, and I knew it was time to take a break. I’m a voracious reader and always had a strong sphere of influence from friends in the publishing and film industries, and the light bulb just went off. I guess when you come from an entrepreneurial family, it’s in your blood to take risks and try new things.

RVC: Most people who interview agents ask this same question: “What does a typical day in your life look like?” I’ll bet my next picture-​book manuscript that I already know your answer, which has six parts, given in no particular order beyond how they came to me.

  1. being a great mom to kids (school, homework, sports/​events)
  2. making terrific meals (more on this later)
  3. pounding through work emails, dealing with contracts, and reading/​editing client work
  4. multitasking (probably with lunch meetings, exercise, and hobbies)
  5. being an attentive spouse/​family member
  6. reading, reading, reading until the stars lull you to sleep

Well, did I nail it? Am I close?

LF: Wow, if only… You make it sound so seamless.

My life is more of a comedic sitcom. Especially these days–between the pandemic, remote learning, clients around the country, working with our LA people, and finalizing a project with a company in India–I barely know what day it is. I always try to start the day with a plan, but inevitably by mid-​morning madness ensues; though somehow, almost magically, everything falls into place by the time my husband gets home.

Seriously, one time on a work conference call, my new puppy spilled her water bowl so I slipped and fell, as my daughter called out that her toilet was clogged, and a bottle of ketchup crashed everywhere as I knocked it over trying to get to the paper towels. My apartment looked like a crime scene.

But by the end of the day, it was like it never happened…

RVC: I know the feeling!

Since your life is full of curve balls, let me toss you one more by way of asking something that people rarely ask industry folks. What do you see as the role of the picture book writer in the world?

LF: Such a great question! Picture books are such a special way to introduce kids to the world around them. So, writers who can break down important subjects, offer developmentally appropriate information, or discuss exceptional inspiring people in relatable terms, play such an important role in our future generations’ ways of thinking.

That said, picture book writers should also bring joy and the silly. Like adults, kids need downtime too–and sometimes just want to have fun!

RVC: One of your first big picture book hits was Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine, by Laurie Wallmark (who we just interviewed at OPB a few months back). What was it about that book that landed so well with readers and critics (witness three starred reviews—Kirkus, PW, and Booklist)?

LF: Ahh, Laurie Wallmark is an über talented nonfiction writer. You might be surprised to know that her books often take months, if not years, to research. She literally checks out every single book she can find in the library about her subject, often even from other lending libraries. And unlike many picture book bio authors, she writes the dialogue with the subject’s actual words. Through diaries, letters, and other artifacts, she weaves stories with so much dimension.

RVC: Another of your books that’s now garnering a lot of awards and attention is a book we featured here at OPB—Sophia Gholz’s The Boy Who Grew a Forest. That book came out a year ago, though, and my writer friends who publish adult titles with big NYC houses tell me their books get a few months before being deemed a winner (or not). 

How true does that limited success window seem to be for picture books?

LF: There is no magic formula, and whether a big house deems something a winner or not, we see things differently. There are many backlisted books that still get a ton of our attention, and rightly so. Sure, it’s great if your book comes out of the gate swinging, but others can attain just as much success with a slow burn. Circumstances can’t be controlled (pandemic, weather, etc.) but a good book is a good book anytime it finds its way into the right reader’s hands!

RVC: What about for MG or YA?

LF: The same holds true for MG and YA.

RVC: Let’s talk about the challenge of building a brand. In your mind, what IS a successful writer brand? At what point in a writing career should someone have one? What might a writer expect an agent do to create/​maintain/​expand their brand? 

LF: This is not a quick answer or even a one-​size-​fits-​all kind. Some writers are prolific, writing across different genres and even age groups. Others definitely benefit from having a brand–but what is “successful” isn’t the “brand,” it’s the author. Either the author is finding his or her audience, or not. And, what to expect from an agent is opening a Pandora’s box.

I don’t want to speak for others, but LRA is a cross-​platform agency, so we really work with our clients on all levels, from development of the IP to exploiting it on different mediums, and doing so can often include marketing support, from helping with social media building to organizing launch events.

RVC: Your client, Amy Moore, says she knew you were The One when you gave a list of spot-​on revision requests. How extensive do those get? And how much back-​and-​forth generally happens between a client first sending you a manuscript and you firing it off to editors?

LF: As many times as it takes. Full stop.

RVC: Great answer!

LF: We have a very intensive process, both with employing former acquiring editors to weigh in for us, along with our own comments. And between the two of us, Ginger is really the “Picture Book Queen” and goes way into the weeds on PB revisions and it often takes numerous rewrites before we even consider sending it off. Yes, it can take a while, but LRA is known for very strong and polished submissions, even if they miss the mark, and that will never change.

RVC: Your clients are lucky, lucky, lucky,

Now, when you started LRA, it seemed like you participated in a lot of conferences, events, and contests. How much is that a part of what you do now?

LF: No dust grows here. We are happy to attend all of the conferences we did before, such as SCBWI and Thrillerfest any time they will have us–even virtually–and are always open to new ones. We believe that engaging with the community and meeting talent at all stages in their career remains important.

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

LF: How even when an editor loves a book, and an entire editorial team loves a book, it can still be turned down at acquisitions. There are so many aspects to this business that transcend the joy of storytelling, which can be super frustrating.

RVC: I’ll squeeze in one more question before getting to the last part of the interview. Some people might not realize this, but you’re a longtime, hardcore vegan who makes meat dishes for your family. If you were ever going to eat meat again, which of your own dishes would you nosh on?

LF: Honestly, it’s a non-​starter. I have been vegan for decades, before it was even a “thing,” and meat doesn’t appeal to me on any level. But if you’re hinting at which meals am I most known for? Lambchops are my kids’ favorite, with my Mexican taco night being a close second, and then meat lasagna and Cajun shrimp with sausage are tied at third.

That said, I started making “Freezer Family meals” with a crock pot during the pandemic, and I feel like a major chef now 😊

RVC: I’m trying to stop thinking about tacos because it’s time for the SPEED ROUND! Quicky questions and zippy answers, please. Ready?

LF: Sure.

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

LF: I have a keen intuition–my family calls it my Spidey Sense and friends call me a witch!

RVC: What’s your literary mascot?

LF: Ha! My puppy. She is a Maltipoo and her name is Lambchop. Lamby follows me everywhere!

RVC: Your favorite place to get pizza in NYC?

LF: This is tricky since as you noted, I’m vegan. But my kids love Don Filippo. They have tons of different types of pizza you can get by the slice plus their garlic knots are fantastic.

RVC: The last WOW-​good picture book not by a client?

LF: The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld–it’s stunning and brilliant. And I am happy to give a shout-​out to Cori’s agent, Rachel Orr, who is amazing at spotting talent.

RVC: What would Ginger say is your agenting superpower? 

LF: That I am relentless and never give up when I am passionate about a project.

RVC: The next picture book trend you hope to see?

LF: Hmmm…that’s a good question. Not sure about a “trend” but I think any PB that empowers kids or deals with a historical subject that engages a child to read and learn are my soft spots. Those and silly ones! There’s always room for humor!

RVC: Thanks for stopping by OPB, Liza. We loved having you here!

LF: Thanks for having me! It’s always humbling to be asked.