Meet Iza Trapani, Author/Illustrator - And A Giveaway!

Happy Monday Everyone!  I hope you all had a lovely weekend!

You know, I struggle a little with this blog schedule.  On the one hand, I don't want to post more than three days a week.  On the other hand, I don't want to cram so much into a post that you the one look at all that text and skip on to the next blog (I know - I haven't quite mastered that one :)).  On the other hand, I don't want to post twice in a day because that's as bad as adding a day -  I know how busy everyone is, how many great blogs there are to read out there, and how limited your time is.  On the other hand (I believe we're up to four hands now... so you see the struggle!) there's is so much to share!!!  I had thought I could solve one problem by posting the monthly interviews on Saturday or Sunday, but I didn't like that and neither, I think, did you.  We all need a break.  So I'm booting Oh Susanna this week and putting the interview in here.

And oh I have such a treat for you today!  Please join me in welcoming the incomparable Iza Trapani!

SLH:  When did you first become interested in writing and/or illustrating?  Was it something you always did, or something you came to later in life?

Author/Illustrator Iza Trapani

IT:  I have been an artist since I could hold a pencil in my hand (or lipstick for that matter; as a toddler, I used my mom‘s lipstick to paint a masterpiece on our wall.) I have also always enjoyed writing, especially poetry. In high school and college, while art was my main focus, I took as many creative writing courses as I could.

SLH:  Were you encouraged by family/teachers?

IT:  Yes, as long as I stayed away from the lipstick, my family encouraged me. They read and sang to me and instilled in me a lifelong love of art, language and music. Friends and teachers did as well, throughout my whole life. Their belief in me has always been and continues to be empowering.

SLH:  You are both an author and an illustrator.  Which comes first for you, the story or the art?

        

IT:  The story comes first, but I  envision the pictures as I write it. I want to be sure that the story suggests wonderful imagery and that scenes vary from page to page.

SLH:  Where/when/how do you get your ideas?

At the most inopportune times- in the middle of the night, in the shower, when I am driving...The idea for my first children‘s book, What am I? An Animal Guessing Game came to me  when I was on  a long mountain bike ride twenty-two years ago. When a turtle crosed the trail in front of me, I made up a little rhyming riddle about him. By the time I returned home an hour or so later, I had the book roughed out and some of the verses composed.  I  never really thought of myself as a writer until that point.  I had a portfolio packed with children‘s book art but not one story. And then one day (thank you turtle), I tapped into that part of my brain, and after that ideas kept pouring out.

SLH:  What has been the most challenging thing you have faced as an author/illustrator?

IT:  Maybe two things: The waiting- hearing back from editors and art directors, waiting for the book to be printed, waiting for reviews, waiting for royalty statements...The other challenge is  having my illustrations in progress (especially covers) reviewed by, not just the art director and editor, but the marketing team, the sales team, the editorial departments etc. I am very easy to work with and totally open to viable suggestions, but after a while it becomes “art by committee.” Have you ever heard the expression that “ a camel is a horse that was designed by a committee?” Well, it‘s something like that!

SLH:  What has been the most wonderful thing that has happened to you as an author/illustrator?

IT:  I can‘t put my finger on one thing. There have been so many exciting and gratifying moments. What warms my heart the most is the love and loyalty from my generous fan base - the parents, the early educators, the children, the supportive fellow authors, like you, Susanna. I have met so many wonderful people on this great journey!

SLH:  What has been your best selling book so far?

IT:  The Itsy Bitsy Spider. I am proud (and amazed) to say it has sold over a million copies  and is still going strong.

SLH:  Why do you think that might have been?

IT:  Timing might have had something to do with it. There weren‘t many retellings of nursery rhymes at the time (that I know of ) and so I found a niche in the market. The book became instantly popular with teachers, especially Pre-K to K. I had very positive feedback from early educators telling me how useful the book was in teaching young children to read - that the kids recognized the title so they were eager to look inside the book, that they already knew the first verse so that gave them confidence to learn the other verses. Plus the book could be sung for even easier learning.

SLH:  Were you surprised by one book's success over another's?

IT:  With over twenty years of practice, both my writing and illustration have improved, so it surprises me that my fifteenth book, Froggie Went A-Courtin’, which has some of my best artwork, is not doing anywhere near as well as my second book,  The Itsy Bitsy Spider.

SLH:  Have all your titles earned out?

IT:  Fifteen of the seventeen books that I haveboth written and illustrated have earned out. I have also illustrated four books for other authors and two of those have earned out.

SLH:  Are they all still in print?

IT:  All but one of my titles, a non-nursery rhyme book, My Jack are still in print. Of the four books I illustrated for other authors, only one, The Wedding by Eve Bunting, is still in print.  I have worked with small presses, who keep books in print longer than some of the big houses. My books have had a long run. I have been very lucky.

SLH:  Have sales affected publishers' willingness to do further projects in a good or bad way?

IT:  The publishing world is in such a sea of change right now and publishers are wary and much more discriminating. It's a very tough market right now- even for those of us with good track records.

SLH:  Can you give us any hints about what you’re working on now?

IT:  I have a new book coming out Apri11, 2012- The Bear Went Over the Mountain. As for works in progress, I have a few children's stories brewing and am  also working on the last chapter of an adult(maybe YA) memoir.

SLH:  What advice do you have for authors/illustrators just starting out?

IT:  Spend A LOT of time reading and studying children’s books. Read adult books on writing and/or illustrating. Practice and work hard on your stories and art. Take classes, workshops, join a critique group. Look honestly at your work and polish it to the best of your ability before submitting. There is a wealth of information on the internet. Check out writing/illustrating blogs.  Join the SCBWI  (society for children’s book writers and illustrators)who offer great advice and opportunities for those hoping to become published.

SLH:  Where can we find you?

IT:  My website: www.izatrapani.com

My blog: http://izatrapani.com/blog

My Facebook Page: Iza Trapani author/illustrator

Twitter: @IzaTrapani

And now the quick, fun questions for the end! :)

Agented or not? agented

Traditionally or self-published? traditionally

Hard copy or digital? hard copy

Apps or not? no

Left-handed or right?  I''m a rightie (hands only :-), though I have suspicions I was born leftie and my parents raised me to use my right hand. I lead with my left hand in so many things…Long answer!

Plotter or pantser? plonster

Laptop or desktop? laptop

Mac or PC? Mac

Day or night worker? day

Coffee or tea? Both

Snack or not? Snack

Salty or sweet? Yes!

Quiet or music? quiet when writing/music when illustrating

Cat or dog? One of each (although - SLH here - I've seen her dog and he's more like a pony :))

Currently reading? Besides blogs? :-) Smoke and Mirrors by Neil Gaiman

Thank you so much for joining us, Iza!

And now, as if that very informative interview wasn't enough, you all have a chance to win a signed, hardcover copy of Iza's brand new book which isn't even officially out until April 1!!!  To qualify, leave a comment below in which (in addition to whatever else you might or might not say) you include 4 rhyming lines about a bear :)  Qualified comments will be loaded into random.org and one lucky winner will receive The Bear Went Over The Mountain before the rest of the world :)

Now, very quickly before we go:
1.  Look for Phyllis's visit to Saskatchewan on Beth's blog tomorrow (Tuesday, March 20) - it promises to be quite something!
2.  I will be featured on Children's Literature Network's new feature - Bookscope: The Story Behind The Story - with the story behind Not Yet, Rose tomorrow also! (link will be added when I have it!)
3.  Phyllis had an AMAZING visit to Missouri which you won't want to miss (especially if you're a CARS fan :)) so please visit Andi :)  And be sure to check in with Phyllis's World Tour page for updates between blog posts here!

Thank you all for visiting with Iza!  Now write those 4 rhyming lines about a bear :) - you could WIN!!!  (Oh, and please get your rhyming lines in by 5 PM EDT Tuesday March 20 - the winner will be announced Wednesday!)

Perfect Picture Book Friday - The Quiltmaker's Gift Plus Straight From The Editor #6

Boy has his week flown past!  It may have something to do with trying to keep up with a certain wanderlust groundhog who is cavorting about the globe in a way that suggests time has no meaning :)  But before we catch up with Phyllis, let's relax for a moment with today's Perfect Picture Book.

The Quiltmaker's Gift
Written By: Jeff Brumbeau
Illustrated By: Gail de Marcken
Pfeifer-Hamilton Publishers, 2000, Fiction

Suitable For: ages 4-8 (publisher's rec, but text-heavy so maybe preferable for older end or kids with a good attention span.)

Themes/Topics: generosity, greed, helping others

Opening: "There was once a quilt maker who kept a house in the blue misty mountains up high.  Even the oldest great, great grandfather could not recall a time when she was not up there, sewing away day after day.  Here and there and wherever the sun warmed the earth, it was said she made the prettiest quilts anyone had ever seen."

Brief Synopsis:  A kind-hearted quilt maker makes the most beautiful quilts the world has ever seen, but rather than sell them she gives them away to the poor.  When a greedy king wants one, he must learn the joy of giving before he can hope to receive.

Links To Resources: The end papers of the book show numerous quilt patterns by picture and name, and the inside of the dust jacket has a fabulous illustration where kids (and grown-ups :)) can search for all the items given away by the king - the ultimate hidden picture!  Here is a Teacher's Guide suitable for upper elementary.  And here is The Quiltmaker's Gift Website which is full of great resources including puzzles and games, stories of generosity from around the globe, and many other things - even a book on how to make the quilts pictured.

Why I Like This Book:  Although this book got rather luke warm reviews, I love it, and my children all loved it.  It's one of an increasingly rarer breed of picture book these days - the kind with more than 500-1000 words.  As such, it's better suited to the older end of the picture book age group (or good listeners) and I love picture books that fall into that category.  The language is lyrical, the pictures are gorgeous and full of details, and the story has a nice message about what is really important in life.

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Next up is our latest Straight From The Editor with Erin Molta.

Here's what Erin had to say:

This seems like it will be cute. Just a couple of minor suggestions.

(Original pitch): Three frolicking baby giraffes try to find a place to play on a hot and crowded savannah. They find it isn’t an easy task. They run into a troop of baboons, a dazzle of zebras, and a pride of lions. At last, they turn to the river, only to be confronted by hippopotami. Our giraffes find fun and friendship at the end of a long a grueling day.

Confronted indicates confrontational and doesn’t provide quite the right lead-in to, “Our giraffes finding fun and friendship . . .”  so you need to say something like, “Finally, the giraffes find fun and friendship. . .” or mention what it is that the giraffes did to change the hippos’ minds so that they are welcomed rather than confronted. It would also be cool if you added the group name for hippopotami (bloat, herd, pod?)

I hope everyone finds something helpful to take away!

Finally, I hope you've all been keeping up with that whirlwind Phyllis!  I can't believe how wonderful all her hostesses have been so far!  They have been showing her SUCH a good time.  She is seeing the sights and learning all about the USA - geography, history, fashion :) (yes, leave it to Phyllis to try to figure out how to wear her sombrero and her coonskin cap at the same time!)  If you haven't had a chance yet, please check out Phyllis's World Tour on the tab above, as well as Kirsten's, Natalie's First, Second and Third, Kelly's, and Hannah's posts detailing Phyllis's visits to California, Texas, Florida, and Colorado!  They have all taken Phyllis to wonderful places, and been so creative, and posted such fantastic photos, I urge you all to take a look when you have a spare minute.  Phyllis also left for New Zealand and the UK this morning, and arrived in Missouri around noon.  It would seem the space-time continuum does not apply to her :)

Keep your eye on Phyllis's World Tour tab which will be updated even when it's not a posting day here, and tune in next week for more adventures.  Also, on Monday, instead of Oh Susanna, we will have a visit from the delightful Iza Trapani for our monthly interview which promises to be amazing!

PPBF bloggers, please add your post-specific links to the list below!  Have a great weekend everybody!

Would You Read It Wednesday - The 31st Pitch, More Awards... And A Surprise!!!

Golly!  I'm so excited my fingers are literally tripping over the key board, so please forgive me if I make a lot of typos!  And no, it is not because I am over caffeinated.  Or over chocolated.  Yet.  (Although I do have a cup of coffee and a chocolate croissant near to hand lest I become faint whilst typing :))

First, I have been honored with more awards!  The lovely Clar has give me The Sunshine Award and The Kreativ Blogger Award.  Thank you so much Clar!  As I responded to awards just a week ago, I will refrain from boring you all again, but I did place the awards in my left sidebar with thanks to everyone who gave them to me.  And you know my policy with passing awards on - I think you all deserve them, so help yourselves! :) (You can lift them from the sidebar.)

And, this just in, the wonderful Christie at Write Wild has awarded me the Pot 'O Gold Blogger Award - such a prestigious honor!  There are rules about accepting which I'm not going to manage just now because this post is already long and I added this in after I wrote it, but I wanted to acknowledge and thank her for the award and all her kind words!  Thank you, Christie!  (I'm going to pop the award in the sidebar for now because I'm not posting on it properly but do take a look! - so pretty!)

Next, I want to update you on Phyllis's World Tour.

WOW is she having a blast!  She has already been to The Golden State With Kirsten, The Sunshine State With Kelly, and The Lone Star State With Natalie, and has arrived at Pam Courtney's young literacy programs in The Peach Tree State!  Last I heard she was headed for The Show Me State as well as back to The Golden State.  (Bonus points to anyone who can identify the states by their nicknames.  There will be a quiz on April 1st :))

You can follow all her travels with photos and weather reports on her new special tab above:  Phyllis's World Tour.  But for your extra convenience here's a little sneak peek:

Here she is, lounging in what the locals refer to as "some sort of palm tree"
- I believe that is a botanical term :)

And here she is modeling her sombrero, which I have a
sneaking suspicion she plans never to take off!  Ever!

Thanks to everyone who has hosted her so far.  I hope she has been behaving herself!

Now, before we get to Would You Read It, I have a surprise for you!  Actually, it was a surprise for me, too!  Yesterday afternoon, I opened an email from the lovely Donna Farrell (you all remember her from her interview, right?  My multi-talented web designer?)  Well!

LOOK WHAT SHE MADE US!!!

illustrations copyright Jeff Ebbeler
badge designed by Donna Farrell

Is this a thing of complete beauty and awesomeness or what???!!!  And I didn't even ask her (although I had been thinking about making a badge and who I should ask to design it.)  Apparently, in addition to her creative talents, she is also a mind reader :)  I love this so much I want to make stickers... and bookmarks... and car magnets... maybe a billboard in Times Square :)

Anyway, I will be plastering it anywhere I can possibly get away with it, including but not limited to my blog sidebar and the Phyllis World Tour page and FB and maybe a huge one for my living room and perhaps a flag on Blueberry Hill, and you are all welcome to share it too!  But would you kindly do me a favor if you use it and mention that the illustrations copyright is to Jeff Ebbeler and the badge was designed by Donna Farrell?  Because they deserve the credit!

You have NO IDEA how hard it was for me not to post this on FB the second I got it.  I hope you're all admiring my self-restraint :)  I think it's so incredibly perfect!  (The badge, I mean, not my self-restraint!) (You probably couldn't tell that from the amount of gushing :))

Okay.  Now we have to get down to business.  Sorry, Miranda for keeping you waiting!  It's time for Would You Read It, and this week's post is from the wonderful Miranda who has just returned from The Gambia!  Miranda Paul is an author who began her career studying aquatic biology and other oddities.  Now a mother, picture book writer, and editor, she splits her time between getting splashed by her kids, wading through revision, and drowning in submissions at Rate Your Story.  Read more at: Miranda's Website and Miranda's Blog.

Here is her pitch:

Working Title:  Reef Stew
Age/Genre:  Rhyming Picture Book ages 4-8
The Pitch:  When a shipwreck destroys their reef, the shellfish grow selfish and every creature’s a crab.  Can Whale stir up happiness with a single piece of stony coral?  Filled with slurps, burps, and spicy sargassum, this quirky version of a classic tale will send ripples of laughter through any school of young guppies.

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Miranda improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  Go ahead and send your pitch for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Miranda is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!

And please stay tuned for more exciting updates from Phyllis! :)

Phyllis's World Tour Begins! And Oh Susanna - What Is An "Editorial" Agent?

Holy high and dry, Batman!

Phyllis has been sighted in the Mojave Desert!!!

It's true!  She made the first stop on her World Tour (really, something as incredible as a World Tour has to be capitalized :)) at Kirsten's house.  Kirsten and her family gave Phyllis a warm welcome and showed her a truly amazing time, including some important firsts for her:

First Time Piloting An F-117 Night Hawk

As you can see, this picture was taken after she had successfully landed the plane.  That Phyllis is a born pilot :)

First Time In A Joshua Tree

Actually, it was the first time she had even SEEN a Joshua Tree.  This picture was taken after she climbed down because furry brown groundhogs don't show up well against furry brown bark.  But in case you didn't know, groundhogs are members of the squirrel family and they can climb!

For a detailed post on Phyllis's first stop in California, hop on over to Kirsten's blog.  (For those of you ahead of me in time zone, or any other early birds, if the link doesn't work right away it's because Kirsten is 3 hours behind me and her post may not be up yet, and I won't have a post-specific link until later today - but I will update the link, I promise!)

Phyllis is now on her way to Texas, where I hear Natalie has wonderful things in store for her visit.  We will keep you posted.  And by gum, I'd better get that extra tab up top pretty durn soon! *scribbles on very long to-do list!*

After all that excitement, you can probably barely concentrate on regular life, but let's give it a try.  Most likely some chocolate would help, even though it's not Wednesday :)

Today's Oh Susanna question comes to us from Penny.  She says:

"When I have searched the internet in search of agents, some sites point out that some agents are more editorial than others.  What exactly does this mean?  Will an agent actually make specific changes to your manuscript or will they give general feedback and have you make the changes?"

This question is both easy and hard to answer.

From the easy side:  Yes.  To both.

Some agents are quite "editorial".  They read a MS and give very specific suggestions for change and improvement.  I'm sure it is up to the author to actually make those changes, but they are quite specifically suggested in some cases, and the understanding is that without the changes the agent won't send the MS out.

Other agents are not editorial at all.  They read a MS and say, "Yes, I'll send it out," or "No, this one doesn't work for me," end of conversation.

Still other agents fall somewhere in the middle.  They may give a broader, less specific suggestion, for example, "Change the beginning," or, "It needs more emotional tension," or "Give me a better idea of who exactly Jenny is" but they don't give you suggestions as to how to achieve that, or any kind of specific details.

The harder side of the question is how to find out how "editorial" an agent is when you're looking and thinking about submitting to them, and what kind of agent/amount of editorializing works best for you, which you may not know until you've gotten a little further in to the publishing process.

Some writers want a lot of hand-holding.  They like agents who will give them a lot of very specific feedback.  Other writers can't bear to have someone else monkeying so much with their work.  (Still others would never dream of having an agent at all, but that is a whole nother issue!)

Finding the right agent is about so many things - personality, taste, and amount of editorializing being some of the key questions you need to address.  It's especially difficult because it's possible that the only agent offers you get might be from people whose style doesn't match yours.  Then you have to think long and hard about what you really want.

For my part, I do have an agent.  (As you can see in my sidebar - Liza Voges of Eden Street Lit :))  She has a lot of experience, an encyclopedic knowledge of the publishing world, and a keen sense for what works and what doesn't.  I would rank her somewhere in between on the editorializing scale.  If I send her a MS she thinks she can't sell, she'll just say so.  If it doesn't work, she won't waste my time or hers trying to force the issue.  If I send her a MS she thinks is really strong, she sends it out.  If I send her one where she feels there's potential but I haven't pulled it off right, she'll give me a general comment like, "Try to write it more from the baby's POV" or "The end is too abrupt."  Then it's up to me to figure out how to make changes that will make the MS work for her.  Sometimes I can, and sometimes I can't.

No matter who your agent is, though, they won't (and shouldn't) do your job for you.  It is up to you to give them only your very best work.  Too many half-baked, sloppy MSS will find you looking for a new agent.

I know a number of people who read this blog have agents.  It would be wonderful if you would share your thoughts and experiences in the comments for readers to learn from!  If you can share your agent's name and how "editorial" she/he is, I'm sure that would be very helpful to people starting their search!

Others of you, what would you look for?  Would you prefer a lot of editorializing or a little?

Perfect Picture Book Friday - Neville

Golly gee willikers!  We have just been so busy this week!  Today, in addition to PPBF, I also have the pleasure of announcing the February Pitch Winner.  And knowing me, I'll think of a few other things...  But you know the rules :)  PPB first!

Neville
Written By: Norton Juster
Illustrated By: G. Brian Karas
Schwartz & Wade, October 2011, Fiction

Suitable For: ages 4-8

Themes/Topics: moving, making new friends

Opening: "The big gray van pulled away from the curb, moved slowly down the street, and disappeared around the corner.  Now it was quiet, and there he was, where he really didn't want to be."

Brief Synopsis: (from Amazon's book description): "This is a simply told story about a boy who moves to a new neighborhood and finds a unique way to make friends."

Links To Resources:  Although this book has been out for 6 months, I was not able to find any online resources.  I was surprised.  (Granted I was cross-eyed tired when I looked and may have missed something - feel free to point it out if you know of any!)  So.  This book would make a good jumping off point for a discussion about either being "the new kid" or being kind to someone else who is.  How can one meet people and make friends?  Alternatively, how can one help others feel welcome?  It would be equally good for discussions about moving. What are some hard things about moving?  What are some good things?  A child who is moving to a new home could make a keepsake book to remind him of the home he's leaving behind.

Why I Like This Book:  This is a simple story, but so nicely told that you feel the boy's emotions perfectly, from sadness and loneliness to hope to contentment.  I like the fact that he goes out and tries to make friends - he doesn't just sit home and mope, he takes positive action in spite of his feelings.  This is one clever boy.  He finds a very innovative way to make friends, and it works like a charm.  I bet the ending surprises a lot of kids :)  I love the line where he says, "People always say you'll love something when they know you won't" - something a kid would say!

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

Now, before I get to the Pitch Winner :), I knew I'd think of other things!  I forgot to mention on Wednesday that I was interviewed on Kai Strand's blog.  I posted it on FB and a few of you lovely people visited and commented, but I wanted to mention it here too because Kai was so nice to have me and I don't want her to be disappointed at the turn-out!  So if you have a moment, and you need something to do, and you want to hear about my childhood :) hop on over to Kai's.  (BTW, Kai keeps an eye out for other authors who might want to participate in her Three Times A Charm interviews, so some of you might like a turn!)

Also, sources close to the hog have indicated that Phyllis has arrived in California!!! and we should be hearing from her Florida any time now... maybe in time for Monday! Wouldn't that be exciting!  Phyllis is especially happy to be on tour since today, at a school visit, someone mistook her for a chipmunk!  (Sometimes I wonder if kids go outside enough to see animals!  A chipmunk?  Really? :))

Okay.  Enough with the stalling :)  The February Pitch Winner, whose Pitch has been sent to editor Erin Molta for critique and comments is....

Sharron

Congratulations, Sharron!  And congratulations to everyone who bravely put forth their pitches for critique.  I hope you all got some valuable and helpful feedback so that even if you didn't win a read by Erin you still gained from the experience!  Thank you all for participating and, judging by the voting results, everyone had a tough choice - three people were fairly close in the running so you all must have done a good job!!!

PPB bloggers, please leave your post-specific link in the list below so we can all come visit :)  Have a great weekend, everyone, and we'll meet back here Monday for a new Oh Susanna question, and maybe Straight From The Editor and maybe a report from Phyllis :)

Would You Read It Wednesday - The 30th Pitch... And Some Awards... And A Journey!

Well, boys and girls, I am just chock full of news today!  I hope you've got your chocolate-covered Wheaties close by!

First off, I'd like to thank the lovely Rachel from Writing On The Wall for bestowing upon me not one, but TWO awesome awards which I have never received before:

The Sunshine Award - so pretty :)

AND

The Dream Launcher Award - so inspiring!

Of course there are a few questions that go along with the awards...

1. Favorite Color?  Blue

2. Favorite Animal? A tie between horses and dogs

3. Favorite Number? 9

4. Favorite (non-alcoholic) drink? I pretty much only drink water or seltzer... well, not counting coffee :)  But if we're talking favorite, maybe iced tea (definitely sweetened) or orange peach mango juice!

5. Face Book or Twitter? Face Book!  I haven't even tried Twitter - I find it very intimidating for some reason.

6. My Passion? Writing and my family (not necessarily in that order :))

7. Getting or Giving Presents?  Definitely giving!

8. Favorite Pattern?  Hmm... I don't really do patterns... maybe something very simple and floral?

9. Favorite Day of the Week? I don't know why, but I think maybe Tuesday.  How random is that? :)

10. Favorite Flower? Carnations - I love the smell!

And of course I'm supposed to pass these awards along... and I can NEVER choose who to pass them to because you are all so wonderful... so as usual I will sidestep by saying that if you like these awards and you follow my blog, you may have them because you're all awesome :)  Consider them given :)

Moving right along, item 2 on today's jam-packed agenda is Phyllis's World Tour!

Yes, you heard me right.  There are those who have called her PHYLLIS THE INCREDIBLE INTERNATIONAL ROCK STAR (though I'm not naming any names :))

As we speak, 2 copies of April Fool, Phyllis are winging their way out - one to Florida, the other to California - to begin whirlwind tours of the USA.  Each person who receives the book will read it (sometimes to their kids or classrooms), blog about it, sign it, and pass it on to the next person.  In addition to the two copies making the rounds, lovely supporters in Canada, France, Italy and possibly even New Zealand will also be blogging about our April jester.  One special copy is going to Texas to begin a tour of US schools, and another special copy is going to Georgia to make the rounds of 2 fabulous literacy programs!  How much awesomeness can one month hold???

I will be adding a special tab up top on my blog so you can all follow Phyllis's adventures with ease, and virtually visit all the fantastic places she's going!  There will be blog links and, I'm really hoping, photos!!!  I'd also really like to have a map involved, but that is most probably beyond my technological skill, and my number one tech advisor has abandoned me to go to college...  so we'll just have to see about that :)

And now, when you're already so excited by receiving awards and hearing about Phyllis's World Tour, I present you with today's Would You Read It from the awesome Renee who can spout incredible poetry even whilst laid up sick in bed!

Renee is a full-time editor/writer for All About Learning Press for whom she co-authors early readers and blogs on grammar as her alter ego, the Chipmunk of Doom. A wife and mom to twin toddler boys, she lives in Italy where she runs around the countryside filming silly poetry videos for her blog No Water River. This is her first foray out of her poetic comfort zone and into the psychedelic world of prose PBs. Be gentle with her.

And here's her pitch:

Working Title: Doris And The Scaredy Cats

Age/Genre: Fiction PB ages 4+

The Pitch:  Intrigued by the herd of petrified cats that show up at her door with their little suitcases, Doris is determined to un-petrify her furry new housemates -- despite her family's pleas to send them away before she ends up a scaredy cat, too. Doris will either calm the cats' jitters or make her family's fear come true -- or neither.     

So what do you think?  Would You Read It?  YES, MAYBE or NO?

If your answer is YES, please feel free to tell us what you particularly liked and why the pitch piqued your interest.  If your answer is MAYBE or NO, please feel free to tell us what you think could be better in the spirit of helping Renee improve her pitch.  Helpful examples of possible alternate wordings are welcome.  (However, I must ask that comments be constructive and respectful.  I reserve the right not to publish comments that are mean because that is not what this is about.)

Please send YOUR pitches for the coming weeks!  For rules and where to submit, click on this link Would You Read It or on the Would You Read It tab in the bar above.  Go ahead and send your pitch for a chance for it to be read by editor Erin Molta!

Renee is looking forward to your thoughts on her pitch!

If you haven't had a chance to vote on the February Pitch Pick, there's still almost a day to go.  Click HERE and vote.

And that's it.  I'm finally done.  And you probably all noticed that I way made up for last week's succinctness :)

P.S.  One last thing I just realized, for any of you who were interested in Monday's Oh Susanna question about leaving room for the illustrator.  Serendipitously, Janice Hardy blogged about this very topic yesterday and you can see her terrific post HERE.

Pitch Pick # 6 and Oh, Susanna - How Does A PB author Know How Much "Space" To Leave The Illustrator?

Oh, Happy Monday!

It's March!  So even if we're at the in-like-a-lion stage, spring is beginning to feel like a possibility :)  Here's a little something to get you thinking spring :)

google images

Today, fun of fun, we have the February Pitch Pick to determine which of our talented writers will get to have her pitch sent to editor Erin Molta for critique!

A little refresher:

#1  Dede

Working Title: Summer of '71

Age/Genre: MG

The Pitch:  When eleven-year old Fiona peered through the broken slat of the caretaker’s shed at the back corner of the West End Cemetery, the last thing she expected to see was a girl about her own age, asleep on the dirt floor. Thus begins an unlikely friendship that carries them through a summer of bullies, a best friend’s betrayal, and a life-changing tragedy. 

#2  Sarah

Working Title: Starstruck

Age/Genre: YA

Pitch: Seventeen year old Katie literally stumbles into Matt's life one icy January morning. Within two months they're friends, and in three, they're dating. But there's a snag. Matt is a movie star and teenage heart-throb. Katie's living the dream that every other girl her age has, but the dazzle of having a famous boyfriend only lasts so long. How will Katie cope when the line between dream and nightmare becomes blurred? 

#3  Sharron

Working Title: Sorrysorrysorry

Age/Genre: Early PB (ages 2-5)

The Pitch:  Three frolicking baby giraffes try to find a place to play on a hot and crowded savannah. They find it isn’t an easy task. They run into a troop of baboons, a dazzle of zebras, and a pride of lions. At last, they turn to the river, only to be confronted by hippopotami. Our giraffes find fun and friendship at the end of a long a grueling day.

#4  Jennifer R

Working Title:  The Birthday Bash

Age/Genre: PB (ages 6-8)

The Pitch:  It's Sylvia's birthday tomorrow and Stan and Louie have a big surprise party planned. With hilarity and hi-jinks the two raccoons search for Sylvia's favorite foods in the forest, garages and backyard patios. Will they find what they're looking for or will the birthday party be a bust?

#5  Jennifer Y

Working Title:  Planet Vacation

Age/Genre: Picture Book (ages 4-8)

The Pitch:  Rose takes a vacation to visit the planets.  Will she get a chance to rollerblade on the rings of Saturn and scuba dive for starfish on Jupiter or will her trip be nothing like she dreamed?

A tough choice as always, made tougher by the fact that February, although a short month, managed to have 5 Wednesdays!

Please cast your vote for the best pitch in the poll below by Wednesday March 7 at 11:59 PM EST.  That way I can announce the winner on Friday after Perfect Picture Books :)

Moving right along, we also have an Oh, Susanna question today.

Darshana asks,

I am a pre-published PB author still learning her craft.
I keep hearing to leave enough "space" for the illustrator to do their job.
In other words, don't overwrite.
How do you make that call when you are writing your MS.

For example:

"Jay .. " sighed Mr. Martin. "You could have entered the Academy. You'll have to wait until next year to try out again."

Jay's head dropped and his feathers dropped.   <<< is this needed in text or do I leave it for the illustrator to show?

Teary-eyed, Jay flew away to the coast.

Another excellent question!

A picture book is supposed to be a marriage of words and art.  The author should tell half the story, and the illustrator should tell the other half.  This means that, unless it is absolutely crucial to the plot for some reason (as in Lilly's Purple Plastic Purse) you do not need to say that the MC is wearing a red coat, or that her hair is blond, or his dad drives a Chevy.  Leave those details to the illustrator's imagination.

That said, there are some things which are crucial on first reading (for the editor and illustrator to imagine) that can later be cut from the text once they've done their job - i.e. once the illustrator has shown it.  An example, from Can't Sleep Without Sheep, was that in the original ms it said "The hippos waddled forward.  'We're going to need a crane,' said the sheep.  "This could take a while.'"  Once Mike had drawn the crane, we didn't need that sentence anymore and were able to go to the funnier, "The hippos waddled forward.  'This could take a while,' said the sheep."

Another option, to be used sparingly because most editors and illustrators don't like it, is to include art specs.  This should only be done when something specific HAS to be drawn to make the story work, or when the text is so spare that the reader won't know what you intend without the art notes.  For example, the text of No Dogs Allowed.  If you scroll down that link on Linda Ashman's page, you can click on the actual manuscript and see how she did it.

But ultimately, it is your job as author to use the strongest nouns and verbs you can, so that your intent is crystal clear without having to explain.

In your example above, I don't think you need the part you asked about.  If you go straight from "try again" to "Teary-eyed, Jay flew away...", you have clearly indicated his sadness with "teary-eyed"and an illustrator is likely to pick up on that and paint his dejection.

But this is where picture books are different from every other genre.  The illustrator might paint something else.  And it might be just as good as what you intended, or even better!

So your job is to tell the story and let the illustrator draw it.

And be forewarned that when your book arrives in proof form, it may not be quite what you expected, but that doesn't mean it isn't great!

Anyone else who has submitted mss, please chime in with your thoughts.  And illustrators too - what do you like to see?

Perfect Picture Book Friday - Z Is For Moose

I'm so excited that it's Perfect Picture Book Friday because this week I found a brand new book that is so good I can't wait to share it with you!

(As we have not yet settled on an official PPBF snack, grab your cheesecake, popcorn, milk and cookies, or fruit inspired treat and get ready:))

I don't know about you, but for me, there are some books I love because I loved them as a child, and some I love because I loved them with my children.  There are some I like that end up growing into love.  But of the many, many picture books I read, there aren't a lot that grab me from the first read and make me want to tell everyone I know about them.  Today's book is one of those books.  I was genuinely delighted when I read it, and afterwards all I could think was man! I wish I'd thought of that and written that book!!! :)

Are you ready?  Here it is :)

Z Is For Moose
Written By: Kelly Bingham
Illustrated By: Paul O. Zelinsky
Greenwillow Books, 2012, Fiction

Suitable For: ages 3-7

Themes/Topics: alphabet, friendship, humor, patience, problem solving

Opening: "A is for Apple.  B is for Ball.  C is for Cat.  D is for Moose.  "Moose? No. Moose does not start with D.  You are on the wrong page."

Brief Synopsis:  (from the book summary) "Moose, terribly eager to play his part in the alphabet book his friend Zebra is putting together, behaves rather badly until Zebra finds a spot for him."

Links To Resources: This book was released on February 28 (I told you it was brand new!) and try as I might, I couldn't find any activities online!  No coloring pages or anything - nothing on Kelly's or Paul's sites.  So here are a few other things to try: Alphabet Activities, More Alphabet Activities, How To Draw A Moose, How To Draw A Zebra, have kids "direct" their own alphabet book - what would they choose to illustrate each letter?  Now have them do the illustrations!

Why I Like This Book:  Well, it's just perfect!  It's so simple, yet so fun!  It starts out as you'd expect an alphabet book to - A is for Apple.  But by the D page things have already turned topsy-turvy.  D is not for moose!  But Moose is so eager to get involved he can't wait (and what child can't relate to that?!)  On the E, F and subsequent pages he wonders, now? now?  He bumps into Elephant,  He sneaks in around the edges.  He runs along the label of the jam jar.  K.  L.  And at last, M!!!  But Moose is in for a rude surprise... followed by angry Moose.... followed by sad Moose... until in the end, Zebra finds a way to make it right, leaving Moose so delighted that on the end papers he begs, "Can we do it again?"  The story plays on the alphabet's predictability/familiarity by going in an unexpected direction.  The art is absolutely fabulous, chock full of humorous detail, making the most of every opportunity for fun.  Do you want to know how much I love this book?  I am buying a copy for my granddaughter!

For the complete list of books with resources, please visit Perfect Picture Books.

As you all know, as a small thank you to all of you who work so hard on Perfect Picture Books, I randomly pick a winner from the PPB bloggers each month to receive a prize - you get one entry for every book you add in the month.  November's winner was Stacy, December's winner was Clar, and January's was Miranda.  This month 32 bloggers added 112 books (not counting me)!  Thanks to the wonder that is random.org I am happy to announce this month's winner is Jackie C of The Castle Library!  Jackie, please email me (handy button in sidebar) and let me know which prize you'd like.  I always have a random mixed bag of goodies lying around which changes from month to month... this month's choice is hmmm.... you probably don't want raccoon nest material... or those old socks... Here!  How about one of the following: a copy of Ann Whitford Paul's book Writing Picture Books, or a copy of Anne Mazer and Ellen Potter's book Spilling Ink, or a copy of The Other Side by Jacqueline Woodson, or a signed copy of April Fool, Phyllis! from yours truly.  Your pick!

Perfect Picture Book bloggers, please remember to add your post-specific link to the list below, and I hope you'll all join me on Monday for the February Pitch Pick - it promises to be a good one!  Have a great weekend! :)