Tag: Ryan G. Van Cleave

Author/​Illustrator Interview: Marla Frazee

On By Only Picture BooksIn Author Interviews, Illustrator Interviews1 Comment

It’s always a treat when we get a picture book author who illustrates as well, and that’s exactly what we have with our January interview with Marla Frazee. (Witness two Caldecott Honors for her fine illustration work!) She was born and raised in LA, and has three grown sons who are off in the world, making her proud.

To get to know her a little bit better, let’s play seven truths and one lie. Here we go!

Marla:

  1. created the artwork for Sara Pennypacker’s bestselling Clementine series.
  2. had a childhood pet—a dog named Pappy who ran away at top speed every chance he got.
  3. refused to go to nursery school (and found kindergarten terrifying!).
  4. had to go to detention for wearing a clown costume to a high school assembly.
  5. was a contestant on Art Linkletter’s “Kids Say the Darnedest Things” TV show.
  6. has a Little Free Library in her front yard.
  7. authored The Boss Baby, which was adapted into a Dreamworks movie of the same name.
  8. works in a red-​doored studio in her backyard beneath an avocado tree.

Want to know which one is the falsehood? Read on and find out! The answer will be in the interview below.

RVC: What was the picture book that set you on the path to being a picture book maker?

MF: It was, without a doubt, Where the Wild Things Are. I was 8 years old when it came out. I loved books, loved to draw, and was already planning to be a children’s book author and illustrator, but the moment I saw Max’s bedroom turn into a forest in just three page turns, well… it sealed the deal. I just wanted to learn how to make that sort of magic happen.

It’s still my favorite book of all time and I’m still trying to figure out how Sendak did what he did in it.

RVC: I’m sure you’ve been asked this before—are you a writer who does art, or an artist who writes? 

MF: I’m an illustrator who tells stories with pictures—and often words.

RVC: What kind of training did you have for your writing and your art?

MF: I went to ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, CA, and received a BFA in Illustration. I’ve attended as many SCBWI (Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators) conferences as I could. I’m also a long-​time subscriber to The Horn Book Magazine which has given me a sense of both publishing history and its current state, notable books and the people who make them, and some understanding about why certain books get great reviews and others don’t. When I had children and read a bazillion books to them over the years, I developed my own passionate opinions about which children’s books worked and which didn’t. That’s been my training!

RVC: It took a while for you to break into picture books.

MF: It did take a while! No one could ever say I was an overnight success!

RVC: What kinds of things did you do along the way before landing that first book deal?

MF: I worked at Disney Studios after I graduated and quickly realized it wasn’t for me. I quit after 6 weeks to become a freelancer—and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. In the years after that, I did whatever kind of illustration job I could get: textbook and mass-​market books for kids, editorial illustration, advertising, greeting cards, and stuff like McDonald’s Happy Meals boxes and kid-​friendly mascots for every team in the National Football League. But during all those years, I was trying to get published. I just wanted to make picture books.

RVC: You’ve had incredible success as an illustrator for picture books, having received a Caldecott Honor for All the World and A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever. How aware were you of those books being special during their making?

MF: I’m not sure how this will sound, but I always think the book I’m working on is special. If I don’t, I’ll keep revising until I do. And if I still don’t, as painful as it is, I put it away. The thing I am most surprised about, honestly, is which of my books do end up connecting more than others. I am the worst judge of how a book of mine will do once it is out in the world.

RVC: Liz Garton Scanlon did an interview with OPB in 2018—she’s terrific. What was the biggest challenge you faced in illustrating her manuscript All the World?

MF: Liz IS terrific. I’m with you on that!

RVC: Absolutely!

MF: Back to the previous question, I was immediately aware that her manuscript for All the World read like a classic. The biggest challenge I faced was getting my head around the title. I mean, a book about ALL the world? I knew I couldn’t illustrate a book about all the world. So I thought about what it was like to feel a part of the world—to be somewhere you love with people you love—and illustrated that.

It took a while to figure out. I dumped a nearly finished sketch dummy and started over. Our editor, Allyn Johnston of Beach Lane Books, kept both Liz and me on track through a number of revisions. Allyn had a sense of the emotional power of All the World from the start. She was instrumental in how that book came to be.

RVC: How is the process different with illustrating your own books versus the books of others?

MF: I love alternating between doing one of my own books and then illustrating someone else’s words. The process is very different. If it’s my own, I’m moving back and forth between pictures and words. It’s usually a big mess and I often don’t know it will come together. On the other hand, when I say yes to a manuscript, it’s already written. And it intrigues me, challenges me, and isn’t anything that I could’ve come up with myself. My job is to bring the picture story to a place where it is an equal partner to the words. It feels acrobatic.

RVC: How many books are you typically working on at the same time, and how long do they generally take?

MF: I typically work on one book at a time and once I’m actively in process (as opposed to marinating), each book usually takes a year.

RVC: Let’s talk about Boot & Shoe. On one paw, it’s a funny dog bromance, but on the other paw—like so much of your work—there’s wit and wisdom, as well. How did this interesting story come about?

MF: Ha! Well asked!

Let’s see. I was teaching my Children’s Book Illustration class at ArtCenter, something I’ve done on and off for 25 years, and I listened as a student read Blueberries for Sal to the class. I love that book and it’s been a major influence in my own work, but this was the first time since I was a child that anyone read it aloud to me. I was thinking about how hilarious it is when we, the reader, know what’s going on but the characters don’t. Little Sal is following Little Bear’s mom and Little Bear is following Little Sal’s mom, and they don’t know it yet! But we do!

I decided right then that I wanted to make a book like that. I remembered how fun and funny it was to play hide-​and-​seek around a tree; one person going one way, the other person going the opposite way. That’s how the idea started.

RVC: Which of your books surprised you the most in terms of how it came out?

MF: The Boss Baby was one of the hardest books to figure out. It was funny in concept but unfunny for a long time in execution. The baby character needed to be cute, but not-​cute. The tone needed to be understood by a child, but sophisticated. The setting needed to be contrived, but realistic. I almost gave up on it. Obviously, I’m very glad it finally worked.

RVC: I think it’s fair to say that you might be best known–beyond the kidlit world—for The Boss Baby movie. How did that all happen?

MF: I heard that DreamWorks animation was interested in optioning The Boss Baby right before the book was published. I was thrilled, of course, but didn’t take this to mean a feature length film would actually be made. I know there are a lot of hurdles. But we just kept hearing good news about where it was in first the development process, and then in the production process.

During these years, DreamWorks invited me to the studio a number of times to meet the filmmakers and see the progress. It was an incredible experience to watch how much love, care, and talent went into it all. I always left completely blown away and inspired.

RVC: Just the other day, I saw that the movie sequel is coming out in late 2021, and there’s the Netflix TV show that’s been going for a few years now. How involved are you in the spinoffs?

MF: I was invited to see the sequel a few months ago when it was about 60% finished and had a great conversation with the producer afterward, but I have no creative involvement with the Boss Baby films or TV show. I’m more like a soccer mom. I sit on the sidelines and cheer.

RVC: You once said that kids read the pictures in a picture book in a way that adults no longer can. What does that mean? 

MF: Kids really read pictures. For story. For meaning. They see everything. No detail escapes them. They’re experts at it.

I think that once we learn to read words, this picture-​reading skill lessens and words take precedence. By the time we’re grownups, we aren’t all that great at reading pictures. We see them, sure, but we don’t study them the way kids do. I feel honored and humbled to be working for an audience of picture-​reading experts.

RVC: You’re really good at working the page turn—something would-​be picture book writers often ignore or struggle with. What’s your secret?

MF: What a nice thing to say! I work on thumbnails sketches for months and months to get the pagination right. The picture book form is a beautiful challenge and the page turn is one of its most unique and important features.

RVC: One final question for the “serious” part of the interview. What’s something you’re working on now that you’re really excited about?

MF: I’m trying to get a project to work. And I’m afraid it might not work. So “excited” isn’t something I’m feeling yet. More like determined. I’m really determined. I can’t talk about it yet.

RVC: I understand completely. With my own writing, I keep things quiet until that’s no longer an option, one way or another. Best of luck with it!

MF: Thanks!

RVC: Okey dokey, Marla. You’ve been waiting for it, and now it’s here—the Speed Round! Zoomy questions and zippy answers, please! Are you ready?

MF: I’m not too zippy, but sure…

RVC: Star Trek, Star Wars, or Stargate?

MF: None of the above. But have you ever seen the 2012 Sean Baker film Starlet? I loved that!

RVC: Best place in Pasadena for California pizza? 

Casa Bianca Pizza Pie in Eagle Rock (which is Pasadena-​adjacent; the neighboring town). Get the eggplant pizza.

RVC: Who would’ve been your Dream Author to illustrate for? 

MF: Ruth Krauss.

RVC: What’s your go-​to art tool?

MF: An eraser, maybe? I erase A LOT!

RVC: What’s the last picture book you read that totally WOWed you?

MF: I was blown away by The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown, written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Sarah Jacoby. The way it was written and the way it was illustrated and the person it is about. My god. I felt that it was an innovative and expertly crafted as Margaret Wise Brown’s work was and because of that, it honored her legacy in every way possible.

RVC: Three words that sum up your picture book philosophy.

MF: Go for emotion.

RVC: Thanks so much, Marla! And for those who really want to know which of the bio “facts” in the introduction was actually a falsehood, the answer is…

MF: I wasn’t on Art Linkletter’s TV show, but my best friend Lisa Gilden was. She won a bunch of prizes that we played with together. I recall a toy vacuum cleaner and a croquet set. Obviously the croquet set was more fun!

RVC: For those of you who didn’t notice, the above falsehood means that Marla WAS sent to detention “for wearing a clown costume to a high school assembly.” And Marla was nice enough to include a photo by way of proof. What better way to end this interview than that? Thanks, Marla!!

Picture Book Review: Opening the Road: Victor Hugo Green and His Green Book by Keila V. Dawson

On By Only Picture BooksIn Picture Book Reviews
Author: Keila V. Dawson
Illustrator: Alleana Harris
Beaming Books
26 January 2021
40 pages

This month’s PB review is by Ryan G. Van Cleave (Amateur Travel Aficionado at Only Picture Books) and OPB newcomer Edna Cabcabin Moran.

–Ryan’s Review of the Writing–

In 1930s America, segregation was legal, and that meant Black Americans couldn’t do many of the things others could simply because they were Black. When New York mail carrier Victor Hugo Green found a guide for Jewish people that listed stores that sold kosher food, he got an idea. What if he put together his own guide that shared information about where Black Americans were safe and welcome?

Opening the Road tells the story of how Green got the idea, created the first guide, expanded it because of increasingly popular demand, and ultimately changed the lives of countless people because it offered Black people a list of safe places they could trust. He sold a lot of copies of his guide even before a national gas station chain started stocking it. Before long, the US government dubbed “The Green Book” an “official Negro travel guide.”

Green’s dream was that his guide would one day become obsolete, and in 1964, the US Congress “passed a law that made separating people by race illegal.” As a result, notes author Dawson, the 1966–67 Green Book was the very last edition ever published.

Dawson’s prose throughout the book is understated, which is an interesting choice considering the emotionally charged subject matter. Since the flip side is potential melodrama, it’s a tough balance to negotiate–no doubt about it. Another challenge nonfiction picture book authors face with subject matter like this is finding ways to engage children in a story that doesn’t feature children. Right on page one–as well as the cover–Victor Hugo Green is an adult. Perhaps what draws child readers are phrases like “a make-​do toilet” and “sold like hotcakes!” or Alleana Harris’ potent illustrations which show conflict via contrast in many pages.

I’ll let Edna explain what’s going on with the art, since that’s her expertise.

A two-​page Author’s Note supported by a two-​page timeline helps contextualize Victor Hugo Green’s life and historical contribution. It also connects this story to Black Lives Matter and includes a clear call to action to fight injustice.

Opening the Road is fundamentally about the power within all of us to make a difference and change the world. It’s a clear must-​have for public and school libraries. Adults who want another avenue to discuss the power of the human spirit to resist might find this an apt conversation starter, too.

4.25 out of 5 pencils

 

–Edna’s Review of the Illustrations–

The visual story of Victor Hugo Green and his Negro Motorist Green Book springs off the page in Keila V. Dawson’s Opening the Road thanks to illustrator Alleanna Harris’ intriguing combination of painterly and minimalist renderings. Harris’ keen digitally-​created melding of artistic expression and socio-​political references offers a frank, unsentimental, and impactful view of Black peoples’ experience in mid-​century America.

Harris’ illustrations open on a strong note. In the first double-​page spread, the bold shape of a two-​lane highway shown in one-​point perspective juts out from behind a minimally rendered car. Harris cleverly frames the faces of a frustrated Victor Hugo Green and his worried wife, Alma, with the simple form of a windshield. Through textural brushwork and thoughtful design, Harris sets a compelling stage for the Green Book’s inception and journey.

In subsequent pages, Harris composes painterly settings and deceivingly simple layouts that indicate a deeper narrative around Jim Crow rules: Long-​distance travelers, unable to stop at a highway café, continue down a lonely stretch of highway; a white girl and a Black girl, with their backs to one another, walk away from segregated water fountains stationed at the center of the double-​page spread; and in the first set of one-​page illustrations, an image of a Black driver being told to leave a “sundown town” is juxtaposed with an illustration of Black children being kept out of a playground. Each of these scenes is powerful on their own but in succession they form a gripping visual tale.

Harris’ work is reminiscent of the architectural and scenic treatments of mid-​century painter, Edward Hopper, as well as illustrative styles from the Little Golden Books of the same era. The first two-​thirds of illustrations for Opening the Road are marvelously executed, setting up an expectation of continued dynamic page design, engaging sequential narrative, and fully-​rendered paintings. Yet, the final double-​page spreads fall a bit short. The bottom sections repeat the pattern of images in the lower half of the page and text at the top, and there are no textural treatments or background elements to draw one’s eyes up and around the pages.

The scene depicting protestors in the bottom foreground of the spread is interesting but the digital technique of repeating the crowd and blurring them out is a departure from Harris’ painterly handling of background elements. Plus, the blurring calls attention to itself. In the page spread that follows, a gray-​haired woman sitting at a desk with Victor is placed in the bottom foreground, while the background is rendered with blue lines and light blue shading. The blue lines remind me of non-​photo blue pens and pencils used in sketching and art production. This treatment and style is yet another departure from Harris’ painterly renderings such as that shown in the kitchen table scene of Victor and Alma writing letters.

Overall, I enjoy Harris’ illustrations and narrative voice and would’ve appreciated the same consistency and dynamics of the early pages in the final spreads. For me, the layout and style choices are a missed opportunity at bringing the visual narrative full circle. Yet, I had a change of perspective on the last double-​page spread with its layout split in half by the illustration at the bottom and the text on top, against a paper-​white background. I wondered if the visual “questions” of the first spread were answered by the last spread. (This is based on a writing tip offered by acclaimed author, Jane Yolen—that good endings “answer” the questions in a story’s opening).

I came to appreciate that Harris does answer the opening spread with her depiction of a present-​day Black family (on the bottom half of the page) traveling in a car that “drives” to the right, into the future. The characters’ expressions are happy and hopeful, conveying Victor’s dream of “no Green Book for Black people.”

Lastly, nonfiction picture book backmatter often includes spot illustrations that add interest and round out the feeling of the book. The author notes pages are text-​heavy and devoid of images, so I am glad to see Harris’ charming illustrations in the fun timeline of the Negro Motorist Green Book.

4.25 out of 5 crayons

Edna Cabcabin Moran is an author/​illustrator, poet, arts educator, and hula dancer. Having been raised in the continental US east and west coasts, Iceland, and Hawai’i, Edna’s approach to storytelling and teaching is informed by her multicultural experiences and rooted in her arts-​integrative practices.

Edna’s latest picture book is Honu and Moa (BeachHouse Publishing), a Hawaiiana mash-​up of the Tortoise and The Hare and recipient of a 2019 Aesop Accolade.

https://kidlitedna.com

 

Only Picture Books’ 20 Favorites of 2020

On By Only Picture BooksIn OPB Favorites, Picture Book Lists

2020 was a rough year–no doubt about it. But at least we had some first-​rate new picture books to help us through it all.

This list is our subjective ranking of 20 books OPB really liked from this past year. If we missed a great book, please take a moment to share your 2020 faves in the comment section

Great work should be recognized, valued, and encouraged.

We hope OPB helps make all that happen.

All of a Sudden and Forever by Chris Barton, illustrated by Nicole Xu (4 February 2020)

This nonfiction book tenderly handles the Oklahoma City Bombing of 1995–Barton does a wonderful job of showing how healing happens after a collective tragedy. The art by debut illustrator Xu elevates an already beautiful story.

 

Construction People by Lee Bennett Hopkins (editor), illustrated by Ellen Shi (16 March 2020)

The late Lee Bennett Hopkins assembled 14 poems about the wide range of people needed to build a city high rise. The poems are noisy and fun in all the right ways for young readers–this is a real treat.

 

Digging for Words: José Alberto Gutiérrez and the Library He Built by Angela Burke Kunkel, illustrated by Paolo Escobar (8 September 2020)

This book offers a wonderful look at Colombia while telling the amazing story of a garbage collector in Bogotá who created a library that started with a single discarded book that he found on his route. Digging for Words has solid read-​aloud potential, too, which isn’t always the case with nonfiction.

 

Evelyn Del Rey Is Moving Away by Meg Medina, illustrated by Sonia Sánchez (8 September 2020)

The first-​person present-​tense story is a believable tale of how the friendship of two girls can survive anything–including separation/​change. Sánchez’s mixed-​media art is bright, vibrant, and lovely.

 

Hans Christian Anderson: The Journey of His Life by Heinz Janisch, illustrated by Maja Kastelic (1 September 2020)

OPB reviewed this book earlier this year, and months later, we still think it’s still a standout. This story-​in-​a-​story biography is simply enchanting.

 

Hike by Pete Oswald (17 March 2020)

There simply aren’t enough quality father-​son picture books, but this one adds to that list. The adventure is nearly wordless, but the journey is marvelous for father, son, and reader. Delightful, and with just a hint of whimsy.

 

Honeybee: the Busy Life of Apis Mellifera by Candace Fleming, illustrated by Eric Rohmann (4 February 2020)

Fleming crafts language that manages to communicate the facts of the honeybee’s intriguing short life, but it’s Rohmann’s exquisite oil paint illustrations that makes this book soar. The close-​ups can easily be mistaken for photographs! Watch for the gorgeous gatefold at the very end, as well as a backmatter essay on the plight of the honeybees.

 

I Am Every Good Thing by Derrick Barnes, illustrated by Gordon C. James (1 September 2020)

There are catchy, memorable lines throughout (“I am good to the core, like the center of a cinnamon roll”) that readers will delight in. But it’s the empowering message of self-​affirmation and value here that makes this a must-​read. James’ oil-​paintings are richly textured and powerful–watch for a cameo from Barack Obama!

 

If You Come to Earth by Sophie Blackall (15 September 2020)

While the premise is intriguing (how might you introduce Earth to a visitor from outer space?), it’s no surprise that two-​time Caldecott winner Blackall’s illustrations steal the show. Her stunning attention to detail showcases the diversity of our planet in all of its glory. Simply beautiful.

If you liked Oliver Jeffers’ Here We Are: Notes for Living on Planet Earth, If You Come to Earth will likely be a hit, as well.

 

Lights on Wonder Rock by David Litchfield (8 September 2020)

In this story, Heather yearns to go to outer space. But is she truly ready to leave Earth–and everything about it–behind? I think I love this cover (and story) because it reminds me of E.T., but the graphic novel style throughout is equally compelling. Note the numerous wordless spreads that burst with delicious light and color. Litchfield is really, really good.

 

Nonsense!: The Curious Story of Edward Gorey by Lori Mortensen, illustrated by Chloe Bristol (24 March 2020)

A lyrical biography about the curious, strange man who served as inspiration for other curious, strange creatives (like Tim Burton and Lemony Snicket)? Yes, please! Of course, both the lyrical and artistic elements are positively Gorey-​esque. A generous two-​page Author’s Note helps round out a reader’s understanding of Gorey’s amazing life and accomplishments.

 

The Ocean Calls: A Haenyeo Mermaid Story by Tina Cho, illustrated by Jess X. Snow (4 August 2020)

“Haenyeo” means free diving, and we learn all about that in this lovely story where a Korean girl dreams of being a haenyeo and diving deep to grab treasures from the ocean floor, just as generations have done before, and just as her grandma does now. There’s plenty of STEM appeal here, but it’s also a sweet story about family and tradition.

 

The Old Truck by Jarrett Pumphrey and Jerome Pumphrey (7 January 2020)

The retro design is what first catches my eye, but I’m quickly taken by this eloquent ode to perseverance and grit. OPB is definitely looking forward to more picture books from the Pumphrey brothers.

 

Outside In by Deborah Underwood, illustrated by Cindy Derby (14 April 2020)

Each year, it seems OPB includes a Deborah Underwood story in one way or another, and here’s yet another fine one. The starred review at Kirkus has it right–this book is a “love letter to nature.” Best of all, Outside In isn’t preachy nor heavy-​handed. It’s (appropriately) quiet, wise, and wondrous.

 

The Paper Kingdom by Helena Ku Rhee, illustrated by Pascal Campion (18 February 2020)

What a cool book! It’s the “simple” story of a parent going to work, but it’s filtered through the wondrous imagination of a child. Yes, there’s social critique tucked away in these pages, but even if a child doesn’t get that, this book will resonate on many levels.

 

A Polar Bear in the Snow by Mac Barnett, illustrated by Shawn Harris (13 October 2020)

Children will love the in-​text questions about where this polar bear is going–it’s a great way to get them involved in the storytelling. The art is simple and charming, as is this captivating Arctic adventure.

 

The Secret Garden of George Washington Carver by Gene Barretta, illustrated Frank Morrison (14 January 2020)

I love picture book biographies–especially when it’s about someone I THINK I know, then I come to realize how much more there is to their story. That’s the case here in this dignified and interesting take on the life of George Washington Carver–a “living folk hero.”

 

The Truth About Dragons by Jaime Zollars (15 September 2020)

This debut picture book will help readers see beyond their fears to find their own strength/​inner dragon. It’s a delightful take about the anxiety of new experiences.

 

We Are Water Protectors by Carole Lindstrom, illustrated by Michaela Goade (17 March 2020)

It’s hard to say which is more captivating–the potent words of Lindstrom or the lush art of Goade. Regardless, it’s a passionate call for much-​needed environmental stewardship that shows how interconnected our world is. Simply lovely.

 

Your Name Is a Song by Jamilah Thompkins-​Bigelow (7 July 2020)

A young girl is understandably unhappy at how people mishandling her name, yet her mother teaches her about the magic and music of names…including her own. It’s a celebration of language and history suitable for all readers.

Editor Interview: Melissa Manlove (Chronicle Books)

On By Only Picture BooksIn Editor Interviews1 Comment

This month’s Industry Insider interview is with Chronicle Books senior editor Melissa Manlove. I first met her in Miami back in 2018 when she gave an inspiring one-​day workshop on picture books with Sylvie Frank—I have pages of scribbled notes to prove it! And I’ve been a fan of Melissa’s ever since.

Melissa didn’t go the regular route to a job in the kidlit world. Her college major was Classics, and she also immersed herself in mythology, folklore, Shakespeare, Milton, Chaucer, Hindu religion, poetry, and more. Talk about a wide-​ranging liberal arts education!

Now it’s no secret that I’m a fan of Chronicle books, and Melissa’s own list has too many faves to list here, so I’ll simply limit myself to three really fine picture books that I urge you to read.

Now that we’re all pals with Melissa, let’s chat!

https://twitter.com/mmanlove

https://www.chroniclebooks.com/

RVC: Let’s start by talking about Chronicle. You’ve been there for 16 years. What’s the best thing about working at an independently owned company? 

MM: There’s a lot of trust invested in the people making the books—aside from covers, the book making process is the privilege of a very small group who work with the author and artist, and I think that makes space for the selfhood of the book itself.

RVC: That’s a great phrase–“selfhood of the book.”

Among your various superpowers is an ability to translate Latin and Ancient Greek. How did your college degree in Classics prepare you for a career in kidlit?

MM: I’ve forgotten most of my Greek and Latin, but my studies of those languages, as well as Russian, French, and Spanish really helped to underline that each language has its own rhythms and music. That and the background in mythology have been a help to how I understand story as a performance art.

RVC: How IS story performance art?

MM: Not all story is necessarily performed, but picture books—especially for the younger ages–are most often read aloud, and that requires the author to consider how their text informs performance. In my talks, I point out that all of the clues authors leave that might inform performance add up to voice. Storytelling started before writing, and passed from voice to ear to mind long before there was written history, and it is still in the profoundly human circle of firelight and voice (whether the firelight comes from a screen these days or not) that we remember what it means to have a shared story.

RVC: And there’s a great explanation on why so many editors are deeply concerned with a manuscript’s “voice.” Thanks for that!

Speaking of editors, I’ve got a few students at Ringling College who are interested in that as a career. When I tell them that a shockingly large percentage of an editor’s day is spent handling email and attending meetings, they don’t quite buy it. Care to drop a truth bomb on me/​them/​everyone?

MM: You are so right!

An editor’s job is in the vast majority a communications job—passing and filtering information between designer, production manager, copyeditors, proofreaders, fact-​checkers, sales reps, marketing, author, artist, agents … Editors are meant to be the hub of a wheel of people, and the guardian of what the book is meant to be to all its stakeholders. It means that I actually edit and read submissions on the weekends, mostly.

RVC: Let’s dig a bit deeper into the life of an editor. How many submissions do you see in a week?

MM: 10–15 from agents, another 5–10 from writers’ conferences that I’ve taught at. But Chronicle’s Children’s Division accepts unagented submissions, and of those we get about 200 per week.

RVC: What’s your favorite part of a workday?

MM: Editing is always my favorite—talking to writers about the craft of writing; talking about the infinitely varied path toward finding what a book wants to be.

RVC: Now I’m going to get all complimenty. It’s clear to me that you’re open to nonfiction picture books that avoid the expected approach, which often is cold precision and a sense of linearity and/​or formality. 

Take Josephine, for example. That book delivers facts, but it’s got real heart, too.

MM: True stories fascinate me, but even more fascinating is what makes a story feel true. That’s something you could give many names, and yes—heart is one of those. After all, what’s the point of telling kids about the world if we don’t also communicate why we should care?

RVC: Is it fair to say that Josephine—as well as many of your nonfiction books—fundamentally presents a transformation arc? Is that something you’re looking for in submissions?

MM: Often, yes! Readers love a transformation arc because when we see how a character can change themselves, we know we have that power, too. And changing ourselves is changing the world.

RVC: From looking at what you teach at conferences and at Storyteller Academy, rhyme is something you appreciate (when it’s done well). So, let me ask—how do you know when it’s done well? What do you look for?

MM: Poetry of all kinds is aware of the space it occupies—in its rhythms, in its breaths, in its white space on the page. Some people are more naturally attuned to the way language moves through its music. But every poet becomes familiar with the idea of scansion, whether they decide to use its structure to build something, or break it purposefully.

RVC: What’s the easiest way to help aspiring rhymers understand syllabic vs accentual poetry?

MM: The question is which you are counting to make a poem. Haiku counts syllables. Sonnets count syllables and accented syllables. Mother Goose just counts accented syllables. Take Humpty Dumpty—the first and second lines have a different number of syllables than the third and fourth lines. But all four lines have the same number of accented syllables—beats.

RVC: What are a few of your favorite rhyming books?

MM: I love Bubble Trouble, Go to Sleep Little Farm, Goodnight Moon, All the World, Bad Bye Good Bye, I Ain’t Gonna Paint No More…

And of course I’m very proud of my many rhyming picture books, which include Interstellar Cinderella and its sequels, Mighty Mighty Construction Site and its sequels, You Are New, Water Sings Blue, Green Is a Chile Pepper, and of course parts of Josephine.

Look for Bathe the Cat and It’s So Quiet coming soon!

RVC: Attendees of your SCBWI workshops on picture book voice rave and rave about them. Now, let’s be honest—if we wanted to really go deep into voice, that’d need to be its own interview. But can you share a misconception about voice that gets writers into trouble?

MM: I think the worst misconception is that a great writer has a single voice. That might be true of reporters. But adapting voice to story, character, mood—that’s what storytellers do.

RVC: In all your experience as a kidlit editor, what has surprised you the most?

MM: There are too many to count or rank!

One of the great gifts of this job is how wide a variety of skills it asks of you, and how wide a variety of experiences it offers. I suppose one is that I’m now teaching public speaking—something I feared and loathed for years. There’s a transformation arc for you!

RVC: What was your secret for moving from a state of fear about public speaking to being comfortable teaching it to others?

MM: The psychiatrist Fritz Perls said “fear is excitement without the breath” and that’s the truth—if you can take a breath and get excited about what you fear, the nervous energy before you go on stage becomes the energy you use to reach out to your audience, and to give them something that matters.

RVC: Love it. Thanks for that!

One last question for this part of the interview. You’ve been a bookseller for a long, long time. Do you still do that? And do you still put on puppet shows?

MM: Sadly, my mother (with whom I did the puppet shows) decided to retire from show business, but I still work at a bookstore on the weekend! I love recommending books.

RVC: Alright, Melissa—it’s time for the SPEED ROUND! Lickety-​split questions followed by zappity-​fast answers. Are you ready?

MM: Oh! Really? I—

RVC: What’s a secret talent of yours?

MM: Um. I can recite Ladle Rat Rotten Hut from memory?

RVC: If you had to live inside a picture book world for a day, which book would you choose?

MM: Oh, well, here at the end of 2020 I’m wishing for something cozy. Maybe something by Phoebe Wahl?

RVC: How would you use a 30-​second ad slot at the next Super Bowl?

MM: Probably for an encouragement to reading aloud to kids. Parents give it up too early and too easy, and it makes a huge difference!

RVC: What’s the One That Got Away?

MM: Small in the City. *shakes fist at Neal Porter* (Neal knows I love him)

RVC: Five things you can’t do your job without.

MM: People! That’s who it’s for.

Kids, educators, my friends and colleagues at Chronicle, my brilliant authors and artists, and my own child self.

RVC: Something your authors and illustrators probably say about you.

MM: Oh no. My anxiety and guilt wants to answer “delinquent”—it’s so hard to keep up with this job, especially in a pandemic year. But I guess what I hope I am to my authors and artists is someone who wants their hearts—what’s best and worst about them, what’s true.

RVC: Thanks so much, Melissa. It was great having you come by OPB!

Educational Activities: Lights Out by Marsha Diane Arnold

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Lights Out
Author: Marsha Diane Arnold
Illustrator: Susan Reagan
18 August 2020
Creative Editions
32 pages

I’ve been out in the middle of Iowa at night, so I’ve seen a lightless sky. It’s amazing!

Book description from Goodreads: “In a world marred by light pollution, this quest for true darkness is a clarion call to turn out the lights—so that all may see.”

Need some reviews of Lights Out?

Here’s a short bonus interview with author Marsha Diane Arnold at Night Sky Tourist.

Here’s another author interview at Picture Book Builders.

And here’s one more author interview, too–this time from from Jena Benton.

Educational Activities inspired by Marsha Diane Arnold’s Lights Out:

  • Before Reading–From looking at the front and back cover: 
    • Where and when do you think this story takes place?
    • What does the phrase “lights out” make you think of?
    • What kind of creatures are on the front cover? 
      • Is it relevant that they are creatures of air, land, and water?
    • What’s special about the letter i in the title on the front cover?
    • Is there anything else that you note about the title? (Perhaps in terms of color?)
  • After Reading–Now that you’ve read the story: 
    • What other story/​book/​film/​tv show does Lights Out remind you of?
    • What is the author’s main message with this book?
    • Why do you think there are sea turtles on the end papers?
    • Where do Fox, Frog, Bear, Firefly, and Songbird want to go? 
      • Why?
    • Early in the book, there’s a sizable list of things that create light. What other light sources can you add?
    • When the story ends with “Lights on,” is that a good thing, a bad thing, or something else entirely?
  • Science–Many of the animals in this book are nocturnal, meaning that they’re only active during the dark. In fact, nearly half of the animals in the world are nocturnal! Learn more about nocturnal creatures in the following two videos.

  • Writing–Try your hand at writing the story of a creature who is affected by a specific type of pollution (water? air? noise? light? something else?). Consider using crayons or colored pencils to create illustrations. Share your results with an adult!
  • Art–Imagine what the sky might look like if no human-​made light sources are present. What colors would you notice? Would you see the same constellations and shapes you do now? How clear would the sky be? Create that image with painting, crayons, or colored pencils. Consider sharing it with a friend or adult, and explain your creative choices.
  • Further Reading–Which of these other picture books about pollution have you read? (Click on the book cover for more information on any of these titles!)

Author Interview: Doreen Cronin

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Talk about ending the year strong! This month’s author interview is with bestselling, award-​winning author Doreen Cronin, who’s known for (among other things) her Click, Clack series. If you don’t know these books, please remedy that immediately because they are truly first-​rate. Here are just a few of my faves from that series:

Doreen’s also the author of Rescue Bunnies, Bloom, Smick!, and many other books. She currently resides in New York City with her husband, two daughters, and a dog named Buster.

Let’s get on with the interview!

RVC: You were lucky enough to receive some very early encouragement from a teacher. What was it, and what did it mean to you?

DC: I was a very quiet, very studious six year old–with a deep fear of speaking up in class. My first-​grade teacher, Mrs. Cooper, couldn’t really get me to open up in class, so she started to give me writing assignments. Funny thing is, I didn’t consider them work since they were chances to “speak” in poem, in song, and in stories. She was just brilliant.

After quite a few of these “assignments,” which were really just opportunities to be heard, she said, “Ah, I see now. You’re a writer.”

I didn’t know “writer” could be a job. I’m not even sure I connected it with books, per se, but I knew she was right.  “I am a writer.”  On the hard days now, I still have to remind myself.

RVC: You took a sidetrack from Mrs. Cooper’s plan for you becoming a writer. You went to St. John’s Law School in the late 1990s and practiced law in downtown Manhattan for a few years. What appealed about that type of career?

DC: The research–and the writing! A career where I get to bury myself in these giant, gorgeously bound law books and analyze cases and then write pages and pages of a position or an argument? That was, at its core, a writing job, and I absolutely loved it.

RVC: How long were you juggling the two careers? Were you writing the entire time you were practicing law?

DC: I wrote so much when I was practicing law. When time is scarce, you make the most of it. And when your brain is going all day, it just doesn’t shut off at night (as we all know.).

Luckily for me, my brain could review documents and read cases and write briefs all day–and many nights and weekends–and then when I got home, she wanted to talk about cows. I let her talk.

RVC: Your dual-​career story reminds me a good bit of John Grisham, who also moved from a successful legal career to a successful writing one. How did you know when it was time to stop juggling and take the literary plunge?

DC:  I don’t know how many readers are familiar with the “interoffice envelope,” but it is (was?) a large, manila-​type envelope with printed lines of “To” and “From” on front and back, to be re-​used over and over again.  At the top of the envelope was a deep maroon “paper button” and a string that looped around it (to secure the contents, ha!).  The mailroom would drop off piles of these and inside were memos, of course, and briefs you worked on that have now been red-​inked to within an inch of their original arguments (and not nearly as kindly as your editor’s remarks. Think “CRONIN, THIS IS NONSENSICAL GARBAGE” as opposed to “I’m not sure what you’re saying here.”).

Something happened a few months after Click Clack Moo was published and I would unloop the paper button on the  interoffice envelope and letters addressed Doreen Cronin, Author, would spill out. Readers were asking me what Duck was going to do next. And did I visit schools? And what was my favorite color?

That’s when I started to think about writing full time. I had lunch with two of my publishing colleagues and asked them if I should quit my day job. They both said “absolutely not.” So, of course, I did, because I don’t like being told what to do.

RVC: Let’s talk about Betsy Lewin. When did you first see the illustrations for Click, Clack, Moo?

DC: Oh, boy, very late in the game. I had never spoken to the art director or to Betsy. I was sent a copy of the sketches (by REAL MAIL, with STAMPS) and I was speechless. I had no idea what any of the characters looked like when I wrote the story. I didn’t even think about what they might look like.

Then I opened my envelope (another big manila one), and there they were.

It felt like they had been born. I actually cried. It was an extraordinary feeling to see them and meet them for the first time. Even if it meant crying alone through a fog of cigarette smoke. (Yes, I quit a long time ago.)

RVC: Why do you think her art works so well with the Click Clack books?

DC: Because she’s brilliant and funny and generous and so is her art. Betsy speaks in pictures and I speak in words and they just work together. Our written story and our illustrated story just understand each other and complement each other. I don’t know how else to explain it.

RVC: How collaborative is the storymaking process between the two of you?

DC: It isn’t! I like to write and then get out of the way.

There have been a few occasions over the years where Betsy will call me and say, “Can we talk about this page? I’m having some difficulty.” On every single one of those occasions, the problem was the text.

RVC: My kids really got a kick out of the Bug Diary series. The first one, Diary of a Worm, came out in 2003. What’s the story of how that book came about?

DC: I was trying to write a book about a girl with a really annoying kid brother (hello, autobiography). So when he bothered her, she would call him a pest and then…name the pest.  So, “You’re so annoying, you’re like…a worm!”  Then kid brother, being full of grit and resilience, would look up the pest and find out what makes the pest “good.”

Yes, pretty boring.

After about six months of writing that, I wrote a page where the kid brother writes in his journal as a worm, having been hurled that insult by his rude sister (hello, autobiography). After revising and revising that manuscript, that single page was the only page I liked, thus, Diary of a Worm was born.

RVC: I’m glad you stuck with the idea long enough to find the story you intended. Sometimes those things hide forever!

You’ve been fortunate to have earned a lot of honors, awards, and successes for your writing. Which meant the most to you?

DC: The first one, the Caldecott Honor for Betsy and the book for Click Clack Moo. Why? Because I didn’t even know what it was–I was blissfully unaware in the most innocent and ignorant way. Wasn’t aware of the ALA awards, wasn’t aware what was happening on that Monday in January. I had the day off from lawyering and I slept in. When the phone rang, I had absolutely no assumptions about who would be calling.

Ignorance really is bliss sometimes. Once you become aware of it–YOU WANT IT.

RVC: One last question for this part of the interview. You seem to be drawn to animal characters. Which of them do you feel is most like you?

DC: Ha! Duck and Worm. Duck is the side of my personality that has a problem with authority, and Worm is the side of my personality that needs to write to be heard.

RVC: Okey dokey, it’s time to get serious with a capital S—that’s because it’s the Speed Round. Zoomy questions and lickety-​split answers, please. Are you ready, Doreen?

DC: Always ready…

RVC: The best place in NYC for bagels? Pizza? Smoothies?

DC: My kitchen! It’s the most boring of answers ever given to the NYC’s best question, but due to an autoimmune condition, I live a dairy-​free, gluten-​free life. So I make my own GF bagels, GF pizza, and dairy-​free smoothies. ALL DAY LONG.

I would like to take this opportunity to plug the enormous, counter-​hogging air fryer–because it has transformed my soggy, gluten-​free life into a crispy extravaganza!

RVC: On a scale of 1 to 84, how much did you intend Click, Clack, Moo to be a sneaky lesson in collective bargaining?

DC: Ha! ZERO. I thought it was about the power of the written word–and how language changes everything. My then-​husband called me a socialist after he read it.

RVC: If Duck ran for President in 2020, what would’ve been his campaign promise?

DC: 2020–Back the Quack!

RVC: Five words that describe your writing process.

DC: Chaotic, sporadic, hilarious, inspired, tiring.

RVC: What was your favorite picture book of 2019?

DC: I couldn’t possibly!

RVC: Best compliment a child ever gave your books?

DC: Compliments from children make me cry. The best one is probably “I want to be a writer now, too!” Mrs. Cooper strikes again!

The funniest inquiry I ever got was, “Are you okay?”

RVC: Thanks so much, Doreen! We really enjoyed having you swing by to wrap up 2020 in style!