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Jennifer Kam’s amazingly sweet and touching Until the Blueberries Grow released May 1. We are here to celebrate her book and all the behind-the-scenes tidbits readers need to know. Another PB22Peekaboo author, Tamara Girardi, released her debut board book, Why, Daddy? Why?, May 10. Since Jennifer and Tamara both have May book birthdays and also paternal themes, they interviewed each other about their process and experience bringing their stories to fruition. You can find Jen’s interview with Tamara here. So without further ado, here is Tamara’s interview with Jen! Tamara: Welcome, Jen! Thanks for doing this interview! Tell us a little bit about the book and how you got the idea. Jen: I was inspired to write Until the Blueberries Grow when my grandfather moved away, across the country. I was already an adult at the time, but those feelings of loss—of the void that his move created, were strong. I wanted—needed—to write about it. Until the Blueberries Grow, is a reimagining of the experience through the eyes of a child, perhaps how I would’ve felt if I had been a little girl when he left. Incidentally, “Zayde” is “Grandpa” in Yiddish. My grandparents spoke both English and Yiddish (usually Yiddish when they didn’t want me to understand what they were saying!)  Tamara: Oh that’s so funny! Until the Blueberries Grow tells such a powerful story of family, but I especially loved the reciprocal aspect of Zayde and Ben's relationship. As you developed this relationship in your story, what were the most important points for you to develop for young readers? Jen: It was important for me to show the love between Ben and his Zayde, as well as the reassurance Zayde offers that even though things will change, he and Ben will continue to share more loving, wonderful experiences together. Tamara: Can you tell us about your path to publication? Tell us about the query process and timeline. Struggles? Tips? Jen: My path to publication has been anything but direct—although if you talk to enough writers, I think you’ll find, in many ways, this is something of the norm. I wrote for years, creating both picture book and novel drafts, and also freelanced for magazines and newspapers. Eventually, I entered the Vermont College of Fine Arts and earned my MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. During this wonderful time, I put aside the pursuit of publication and instead focused on developing my craft. Still, it took several more years to publish my debut novel—a supernatural mystery—DEVIN RHODES IS DEAD, with Charlesbridge Publishing. Then several more years until I was offered a contract with PJ Library on Until the Blueberries Grow. I didn’t submit Until the Blueberries Grow directly to PJ Library, but in fact, entered the SCBWI PJ Library Jewish Stories Award contest. And…I didn’t win! A few weeks after the winners were announced, I received an email—PJ Library/PJ Publishing was interested in chatting about my story. A phone call followed, and soon after, a contract. Sometimes, when you don’t win, you still win. Tamara: Wow! That’s amazing! You never now how that call will finally come! What have you found to be the most rewarding aspect of writing for kids? Jen: I don’t have one favorite part, but I love to meet my readers, either in person through school visits and writing workshops, virtually on Zoom, or online through my website. I love when kids tell me about the stories they’re writing, or that after we met, they decided to write their own stories. I’m especially grateful for the wonderful relationships I’ve developed with other writers. I was fortunate to connect early on in my career with the writing community at Vermont College of Fine Arts, where I earned my MFA, and at the Writing Barn in Austin, where I’ve taken both in-person and online classes. Through these wonderful connections, I met many of my closest writer friends and my critique partners. I’m also grateful to be a part of the 12x12 Challenge picture book group, the Jewish Kidlit Mavens, and PB22Peekaboo launch group, where there’s tons of support and amazing people. Tamara: Can you tell us about the illustrations and the illustrator? Jen: I haven’t actually met Sally Walker, but I’m grateful she was the one who brought my story to life. I was a joy to see her sketches transform into gorgeous, colorful, textured illustrations. I especially love the way she conveys emotion with her art. Tamara: Do you have any words of wisdom for authors who might be at that critical point in their publication journey? What was most valuable to you along the way? Jen: Grit. Sheer, unadulterated, roll-your-sleeves-up, butt-in-chair grit! The only way to not succeed, is to stop trying. If writing is what you love, keep at it. Just keep at it. The world needs your stories. Tamara: Yes! I love that. Thank you so much for sharing that insight. Grit is everything in this industry. Congratulations on your picture book debut. Readers should click on over and order it now! Jennifer Wolf Kam
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Tamara Girardi’s adorable and relatable board book Why, Daddy? Why? released May 10th. We’re here to celebrate her book and all the fun details of her writing life. Another PB22Peekaboo author, Jennifer Kam, released her debut picture book May 1st. Since Tamara and Jennifer both have May book birthdays and also paternal themes, they interviewed each other about their process and the experience of bringing their stories to fruition. You can catch Jen’s interview on this blog here. Welcome Tamara and Jen! Jen: I’m excited to chat with you, Tamara. Thanks so much for doing this interview. Why, Daddy? Why? is such a delightful and endearing book filled with humor and gentle reassurance. Can you talk a little about the inspiration for this story? Tamara: Yes! Thank you for that description. I agree, but that's so well-said. When my seven-year-old daughter was three, she used to ask the string of "why?" questions so many parents have heard, but she asked them by using the word "why" at the beginning of the sentence and then again at the end. I always thought it was adorable, and it softened the questioning, I suppose. She asked both me and my husband questions that way, but I liked the idea of celebrating the daddy/daughter relationship, so I framed the book as questions to a father. It's a sweet way to honor my daughter's relationship with my husband.  Jen: I love that, what a sweet story! You’ve had a busy year with two books releasing within a few months of one another, congratulations! Can you tell us about your path to publication? The query process and timeline. Struggles? Tips? Tamara: Oh my goodness. The struggles are many, or at least they were for me. There are definitely those quick publishing deal stories, but they don't happen to everyone. I wrote for fifteen years before becoming published. Interestingly, Why, Daddy? Why? was the first picture book I submitted for publication, and it was picked up. That was after years of submitting young adult fiction with no publishing deals! That said, I've received plenty of rejections for picture books since! I've seen it all though: querying with no offers, querying with multiple offers, being agented, having a book die on sub, parting ways with an agent, searching for a new agent, and then finally signing contracts with small publishers as an unagented author. All I can say is the path you envision for yourself is not always the path you find. Keep writing. Keep submitting. Keep growing. Keep an open mind, and the right opportunity will find you. Jen: That’s great—and much needed--advice, thank you! You write for both young children and young adults. Can you tell us a little about your approach to writing for different age groups and what you enjoy most about writing for each of these age groups? Tamara: Before I signed my six-book deal with Wise Wolf Books for young adult contemporary novels, I enjoyed toggling back and forth between writing YA and picture books. Mostly, I would write PB during the academic year as I'm a full-time professor, and I'd write YA on my breaks from work. I could write PB in short bursts, but I needed that deep focus that I could only achieve when my mind wasn't torn between so many tasks and responsibilities. I'm learning how to better manage that, but I'm also struggling with it at times, too. I love writing picture books for children because it helps me connect with my own kids. They're ages 3-10. Children's stories are fun, and I enjoy the opportunity to be clever with a rhyme or creative with a piece of history or biography. I love seeing children's books come to life with illustrations, too. I mostly read YA, so I'm excited to publish in the age category. I love writing strong protagonists who go for their dreams, even if that means they have to step on some toes. We've programmed women and girls to be too nice. A female can be respectful and still ambitious. I want to contribute to that narrative and empower young women to choose themselves when they see fit. Jen: That’s so interesting. Thank you for giving us such wonderful insight into your writing process and inspiration. Can you tell us about the illustrations and the illustrator for Why, Daddy? Why? Tamara: Yes! Nichola Cowdery illustrated the book, and she did an incredible job. What I love most are the sweet details on the pages. She captured the love between the two characters so well, and she added so much value to the book. For instance, readers will see a cat on several of the pages. They might also recognize a bug and other small details. So as kids read a relatively simple story, they can engage the illustrations in a game of hide and seek. I am so pleased and honored by her work. Jen: I agree—what beautiful illustrations. What else is on the horizon for you Tamara: Thanks for asking! It's a busy year for me. After fifteen years of writing and submitting, I have five books releasing this year! Four of them are young adult contemporary novels in the Iron Valley sports series. Wise Wolf Books operates under a rapid release model, which is kind of exciting, and I think readers like to immerse themselves in a world and binge. They're releasing a novel each quarter, and of course, Why, Daddy? Why? releases in May! When I signed with Wise Wolf, they also acquired another YA contemporary series that I'll share more about later this year, but the first book releases in January of 2023, and the second book only a few months later. So that will be seven books releasing in the course of fifteen months! I'm also working on a few short stories about the Iron Valley High characters, and those will be available only to my newsletter subscribers, so of course, hop over to my website and subscribe asap!  Jen: Wow! That’s amazing and quite inspiring! Do you have any words of wisdom for authors who might be at that critical point in their publication journey? What was most valuable to you along the way? Tamara: Every time I considered stepping away from writing - not quitting because I know I would always need to write - something happened in my career that reminded me to keep pushing. That's not to say breaks aren't beneficial. We all need them! I will also say that it's crucial to surround yourself with amazing people. There are so many writers out there, and they are generous and brilliant. Get to know them. Exchange work with them. Learn about their processes and experiences. It's been the people I love and respect that have kept me going when the path became a little too bumpy. As I mention in the acknowledgments of my debut, Gridiron Girl, they are my people. Jen: Yes! Writers are the best, and those connections are so important and sustaining. Congratulations on all of your success! Readers should click on over to their favorite bookstore and order it now! In fact, here are some links to make that happen: Mystery Lovers Bookshop Amazon Link
Hi, Kristen and Sam! Welcome to the PBPeekaboo author interview series! Congratulations on your picture book, Miss Rita, Mystery Reader, which arrives May 3rd from Macmillan.  Where did you get the idea for MISS RITA, MYSTERY READER and what was it like to collaborate with your co-author, Sam? Kristen: I got the idea for MISS RITA, MYSTERY READER when I was having lunch with some college friends. We were talking about how the world has changed so much since RuPaul’s Drag Race, how drag queens have become more part of the mainstream, including drag story times. My mind wandered to a book idea—what about a drag queen story time book about a drag queen dad getting ready for a story time? I mentioned it to Sam, my nephew, who was living with my family at the time, and it clicked with him. Working with Sam was great; we laughed a lot. Since we’re both creatives, it turns out we think in a very similar way. I mentioned to his dad, my big brother Dave, that we are more alike than I had ever realized and he nodded—he’d noticed that a long time ago. Why did you feel it was important to write this book? Why did you make Tori a non-binary character? Sam: It felt really important to write this book because they are just isn’t enough kid accessible queer culture, particularly culture associated with drag. Drag is such an inspiring and affirming part of queer culture that I can remember feeling connected to it as a very young person before I really had a name for it. (According to my mother, I saw my first drag queen when I was three years old walking down the streets of Provincetown – my mother remembers the queen as looking exactly like Barbra Streisand while singing like Frank Sinatra.) As for why we decided to make Tori non-binary, it’s largely for the same reasons – so much of how we find and affirm our identity as young people is by reflecting what we see, what we absorb through culture in media, and for kids, there can always be more queer representation for them to identify with and see themselves in. Kristen: As Rudine Simms Bishop said, books should be “Mirrors, windows, and sliding glass doors” for kids. What other projects are you currently working on? Kristen: We are working on more picture books, stay tuned! Sam: I am working on a YA novel and, of course, making costumes for local Boston area drag queens. Kristen: I am working on a middle grade environmental fantasy, a picture book about a boy who has a tiny dragon living in his house and no one believes him, and a new mythical creatures anthology with The Writers’ Loft, my art-and-writing community. I also run a non-profit called Little Book Locker that gives away books to kids who don’t have books. What advice would you give to aspiring authors? Kristen: Don’t be afraid to collaborate on a project with a fellow creative friend or relative! Also don’t be afraid to indie-publish something if it doesn’t get “chosen” by the world of traditional publishing for some reason. Hire an editor, an artist if you need illustrations, make it as high quality as you possibly can, and put it out into the world. If money is an issue check out what people do on kickstarter. Thank you, Kristen and Sam, for giving us insight into your new book!
Hi, Mark! Welcome to the PBPeekaboo author interview series! Congratulations on your debut picture book, Cinderelliot: A Scrumptious Fairytale, which arrives May 3rd from Running Press Kids.  Where did you get the idea for Cinderelliot and what was it like to collaborate with your co-author Rachel Smoka-Richardson? I came up with the idea after reading the book PRINCE & KNIGHT by Daniel Haack which was published on May 1, 2018. This is a picture book about a prince and knight who fall in love and get married. Soon after I read it, I thought about Cinderella and wondered what it would be like to write a gay version. I wrote the first draft in July 2018. After I wrote the first few drafts, I sent it to Rachel for feedback as we were friends and had met through volunteering at Minnesota SCBWI conferences. We had given each other feedback on other stories before CINDERELLIOT. Rachel gave me feedback and I revised. I sent it back to her and then she suggested the idea of collaborating. I said yes, as I thought it was a great idea. The collaboration was a wonderful experience! We kept sending the story back and forth through email to each other from July/Aug 2018-Spring 2019. Each time we got the story more focused and tightened it up. Why did you add in the baking twist? Are either of you bakers? The first few drafts of the story had Cinderelliot competing in a sporting competition where he did wood carving, and his two brothers swam and hunted. This version just wasn’t working, and I couldn’t figure out how to get around the hunting aspect. I didn’t think that would go over very well in schools or with parents. Rachel came up with the idea for the baking competition. I thought it was a great idea and so we spent months reworking that aspect of the story. We added in more baking vocabulary and a variety of baked goods. What other projects are you currently working on? I am working on a Ghost/Halloween story. I have another project that I just revised for my editor. But I can’t give any details yet until it’s announced. What advice would you give to aspiring authors? My advice would be to read lots of picture books. Check out stacks of the latest ones from the library and see what is being published today. Join a critique group. Join SCBWI and attend their webinars and conferences. They have many resources and offer many opportunities to learn the craft, hear an editor speak, or get feedback from an editor or agent. I would also encourage others to keep writing stories. Don’t worry if they aren’t perfect. Just keep at it and try and revise and make it the best story you can. Take some children’s writing classes. Learn all you can about the craft. Above all, don’t give up! Be persistent, patient, and professional. Thank you, Mark, for making the time to speak with us about your book.
 Hi Cindy! Welcome to the PB22Peekaboo author interview! Congratulations on your new picture book, This Could Be You, which arrived April 2022 from Cardinal Rule Press. Tell us a little bit about the book and how you got the idea. Unlike my other manuscripts, This Could Be You started with a clear vision and intention. I wanted to empower children of all abilities and backgrounds to not only believe in themselves but to be strong and resilient in the pursuit of their dreams. Equipping adults with the tools to help in the process was also a must. Although I knew I was fighting against cautionary advice (don’t write in rhyme, don’t write books without a plot, don’t write books with a mission) I felt this was a book that needed to be written. What gave you the idea to include growth mindset backmatter? Including back matter was always a part of the plan. I want adults to see that encouraging a growth mindset in children (and themselves) can be as simple as tweaking their perception and language.  You definitely make growth mindset accessible with that great back matter! I love all the different characters who appear on the cover of your book -- they are each unique and clearly have their own passions! How did you feel when you first saw the illustrations? Did you have any input on the story they tell? Did you include art notes with your text submission? I cried! I was on a walk with my family and after shrieking like a wild woman, we all stopped and huddled around my phone. It was a great day. I had no input at all. Trusting someone with your baby is terrifying (I can be a bit of a control freak). I was truly amazed when I saw how well the illustrator Julia Seal “got” me – in fact, I had played around with the illustrations myself and many of the elements were similar (especially the diversity factor). That said, she added so much more depth to the book. One of my favorite parts is the endpapers. Julia had the idea of including pictures from real kids depicting their dream occupations. We had a contest to choose a few and included friends and family members. Our “Jr. Illustrators” as I call them were thrilled. It is magical!  Oh, I just love that! There are so many opportunities for kids to see themselves in your book, from the cover through the endpapers! Can you tell us about your path to publication? Tell us about the query process and timeline. Struggles? Tips? The journey has been long (about 7 years), but so much fun. I started the process as a way to deal with my “empty nest” struggles and became totally engrossed. I attended conferences, took classes, and became very involved with the online kidlit community (I couldn’t have done it without them). Like many of us I started submitting my stories too soon, backed off and got more critiques, and learned from my mistakes (growth mindset). After a short stint with an agent, I hit the query trail again and am now represented by Hannah Mann from Writer’s House. I have a couple of stories out with publishers now – hopefully more good news soon. Although I’m not a surfer, I often feel like I’m riding the waves, hoping to keep my balance. Growth mindset for writers, too, huh? Sounds about right! Do you have any words of wisdom for authors who might be at that critical point in their publication journey? What was most valuable to you along the way? Keep writing, keep learning, keep believing in yourself. I love the quote from Richard Bach that reads: “A professional writer is an amateur who didn't quit.” Above all else, write what YOU want to write. After years of writing what I thought publishers wanted, I decided to write what I wanted/needed to write. Such important advice. There’s great heart in a story that you want/need to write! What have you found to be the most rewarding aspect of writing for kids? Every step in this journey has been more rewarding than the last. It is important to celebrate any progress. Sharing the journey of publishing with my grandsons and the rest of my family has been magical. I can’t wait to share it with more kids.  What else is on the horizon for you? I have more stories that my agent is submitting to publishers and one day I hope to illustrate one as well (time for more classes). I am also developing an initiative I call Partners in Literacy in which businesses and organizations can sponsor school visits by providing each child with a book from a local indie. I hope to kick this off soon (info on my website). I can’t wait to hear more about Partners in Literacy – this sounds like a very important initiative! Thank you so much for taking the time to be interviewed. Congratulations on This Could be You! We can’t wait to see it out in the world. Thanks so much, Jen! I’ve loved working with the PBPeekaboo22 crew. Teamwork!
 Hi Jen! Welcome to the PB22Peekaboo author interview! Congratulations on your new picture book, This is the Boat That Ben Built, which arrives on March 15, 2022, with Pajama Press. Tell us a little bit about the book and how you got the idea. Thanks, Cindy! In This is the Boat that Ben Built, young Ben sets out to explore the river equipped with a sturdy boat, some sample-collection gear, and his scientific curiosity. Along the way he meets a black bear taking a swim, a moose all wobbly and slim, a goose with a gorgeous grin, and a heron all proper and prim…but things really start happening after the owl HOOs loudly on a whim. I first got the idea for this book because of my love for cumulative stories. I particularly loved The Napping House by Audrey Wood (illustrated by Don Wood) and Simms Taback's version of This is the House that Jack Built. I was finishing up my final semester in the Writing for Children and Young Adults Master of Fine Arts program at Vermont College of Fine Arts (VCFA), and I needed a break from writing the middle grade novel that was making up the biggest chunk of my creative thesis. So, I set myself a fun challenge: to try to mimic the rhythm and rhyme of the cumulative story This is the House that Jack Built, and set it in the woods. The first version of this story was called This is the Cabin that Ben Built and I imagined Ben to be a man who built a cabin by a river. He wanted to go for a quiet paddle in his canoe, but the animals who lived there had other ideas... While I was successful with the rhythm and rhyme, I must say that it took me a long time to get the cumulative part of the story working! Many revisions later, I settled on the version of This is the Boat that Ben Built that was published. As you can tell, is quite different than its precursor! There’s an extensive backmatter section about the northern river ecosystem in the book. How did that come to be? Oh, that was an idea I had, later in the revision process. While the story could certainly stand alone, I liked the idea of adding more content to help kids think about the real-life interactions of the animals in the book. Certainly, they wouldn’t really all be swimming together like they are in the story, but they are interconnected in important ways. I added in fun facts about the animals and talked about their predator-prey relationships. It turned out that my editor, Erin Alladin, agreed that the backmatter would be an important part of the book, as you can see from the space ultimately devoted to it. It’s my hope that kids will be curious to learn more about and explore river ecosystems near them (in the company of a trusted adult, of course!).  Can you tell us about your path to publication? Tell us about the query process and timeline. Struggles? Tips? I started querying this story to publishers in 2013, right after graduating from VCFA. Unfortunately, I didn't take the time to really read and study the kinds of books that different publishers were acquiring, so I got a big list of Canadian publishers and sent it out pretty haphazardly. No luck. (TIP: Don’t do that. Read a lot of recently published books! Study each publisher’s style and learn where your story fits!) I put the manuscript away for a couple of years and worked on other stories, and when I came back to it in 2017, I saw it with fresh eyes and could tell that there were issues with the cumulative element of the story. (TIP: Give your story some breathing room! It’s ok to put it away for a bit and come back to it later.) So, I worked on it some more, then sent it out again, this time being more targeted in my selection of publishers. When I heard from an editor at Pajama Press that she was taking it to acquisitions, I was so excited! Unfortunately, it wasn't a great fit at the time, but she said they would keep it on file... and a year later, they reached out and asked if it was still available! (TIP: This publishing thing is a rollercoaster. A slow rollercoaster. You are not alone – keep at it!) I signed the contract in 2020, after they had found the perfect illustrator for the project. Do you have any words of wisdom for authors who might be at that critical point in their publication journey? What was most valuable to you along the way? I think there are three important pieces to the publication journey: being brave enough to keep sharing your work, being humble enough to keep learning, and surrounding yourself with people who value and encourage your persistence. I am so fortunate to have had a whole host of amazing mentors and critique partners to share my work with over the years; their thoughts and feedback have helped me understand how others read and respond to my words. I have taken part in many learning opportunities through groups like the Canadian Society of Children’s Authors, Illustrators and Performers (CANSCAIP), The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI), the 12x12 Picture Book Challenge, The Writing Barn, and my VCFA Alumnx network. And I have friends and family who have stood by me and who encourage me to keep pushing toward my dream.  The cover image by Maggie Zeng is enchanting. How did you feel when you first saw the illustrations? Did you have any input on the story they tell? Did you include art notes with your text submission? Oh yes, Maggie’s work is so beautiful! I was mesmerized when I saw the cover. I love how vast and deep she makes that river scene feel, how the light comes down into the water, and how Ben looks so content and focused up in his boat… Gorgeous! And then when I saw all the animals, and that double-page spread with the goose flying overhead, I got chills. She did such a great job capturing the unique qualities of the animals and the beauty of the river. Believe it or not, I did not include any art notes in my submission. The magic between text and illustration came together thanks to Maggie, our editor Erin Alladin, and publisher Gail Winskill! I was very excited to see what would come out of it, and it was worth the wait! What have you found to be the most rewarding aspect of writing for kids? Well, I think that the most rewarding aspect is yet to come – seeing how kids respond to my books and engaging with them about the story and the writing process. I hope that my books inspire them to explore and create. What else is on the horizon for you? I signed with my agent, Lori Steel, at Raven Quill Literary Agency in December 2021, and I’m out on submission now with some more picture book manuscripts. I’m working on an early chapter book series and a middle grade novel, and, after a number of years being out of the classroom, I am excited to start visiting schools and libraries to share my book! So, goodness, there’s lots on the horizon, and I’m looking forward to what’s yet to come! Thank you so much for taking the time to be interviewed. Congratulations on This is the Boat That Ben Built! We can’t wait to see it out in the world. Thank you so much, Cindy! It was a pleasure to have had the opportunity!
 Hello Teresa. Your book is beautiful. Hi Beverly, thank you! I see that you have a busy life with two young children and a career beyond writing. When did you know that you wanted to write for children – did your own children play a large part in this desire, or was the desire there much earlier on? I feel that the desire to write has been with me for a long time. When I was in fourth grade I would write a lot during the school bus rides to and from elementary. At one point I wrote 100 pages, which felt like a great accomplishment to me at the time. As an undergrad I wrote a few original children’s book stories and even had a friends illustrate and insert typeface for fun. However, it wasn’t until I received a random Tweet from an acquisitions editor at Beaming Books that I realized I wanted to write for a publisher. How long did it take from the time you began seriously writing that you signed a contract for your book and how long did it take from the signed contract to your launch date? I initially spoke to Naomi Krueger, the acquisitions editor at Beaming Books, on September 9th, 2020. I wrote the first draft that week and sent it to Naomi on September 14th. I signed my contract on November 5th for my March 8, 2022 launch date. The art in your book is lovely. Did you have any say in the choosing of the artist or in the artist’s sketches and ideas? Naomi and I discussed several artists and styles that we both liked. Khoa Le, however, was my first choice. Naomi had discovered her and as soon as I saw her portfolio she vaulted to the top of my illustrator list. I did not have a say in the cover initially, as that stayed in house until we adjusted a few details and typeset. I was very fortunate to have considerable input in art direction, which is not always the case with picture books. Since the book is very specifically theological and I wanted to be very intentional about inclusion I requested numerous additions and changes along the way. In the description of your book, we see that the theme focuses on the feminine and nurturing side of God’s nature. In your bio you mention that you are currently a hospice chaplain and an ordained minister. How much has your calling in this area influenced or inspired the theme of your book? How did the process of this theme evolve? For this book I’m most inspired by my role as a minister. I was ordained in June of 2018 after I graduated from Vanderbilt Divinity School in May. The following week our second child was born. There is a small growing number of progressive Christian picture books, but they remain few and far between. I can list the number of Christian picture books on feminine imagery of God on one hand. This was really disheartening to me as I have learned so much about theology and faith from the scholarly work of Womanist and feminist theologians. Naomi suggested I try to write a book on maternal imagery of God. I sat down at church one evening that week and the writing just flowed. You told me that you had an interesting story about how your book was acquired. Can you share that with us? Yes, I had posted some of my paper cut art on Twitter in September and two images really caught some traction online. They were illustrations of Shiprah and Puah from Exodus; and Mahlah, Noah, Hoglah, Milcah, and Tirzah, the daughters of Zelophad, from their story in Numbers and Joshua, in the Hebrew Bible. I saw one comment from Naomi Krueger, who I did not know previously. She asked if I had ever considered writing a children’s book and I almost fell out of my chair.  Do you have any other stories or projects that you are currently working on? I have a few picture book projects I’m revising and I am also one of three writers for the Shine story Bible coming out in 2023 from MennoMedia and Brethren Press. What has been the most challenging, enjoyable or surprising thing that you’ve learned along your path from story idea to your book launch? Waiting has probably been the most challenging part. I’m not very patient and publishing is very long compared to other endeavors and jobs I’ve had over the years. I’ve so enjoyed working with Naomi as my editor, especially as a debut author. I’m still surprised by the inequities in publishing in general, whether it’s celebrity authors, ghost writers, writers of color, accessibility for disabled readers, or advances with agented vs. un-agented authors and illustrators. Do you have any words of wisdom or something else that you would like to share with those who may be behind you on the journey of writing to publication? It seems like so much of published writing revolves around the right timing. Do your research when it comes to publishers, editors, agents, and contracts. Joining the #SCBWI (Society of Children’s Books Writers and Illustrators) was initially very helpful to me. Later next month I’m looking forward to attending the Kwelli conference, a writing conference specifically for writers of color. BIPOC writers and illustrators are still woefully underrepresented in traditional publishing. Finding mentors, fellow creators, and places to hone your craft will all benefit you in your writing journey. Teresa, thank you for taking the time to be interviewed. All the best to you on your inspiring book. Thank you so much, Beverly. Mother God releases March 8th
Today we’re joined by Beverly Love Warren, who has not one, but TWO books coming out this spring! Beverly grew up on Long Island, New York and is a graduate of the Fashion Institute of Technology, where she studied illustration and design. After graduating, she worked as a paste-up artist and taught art for grades K-8. Later, she became a member of SCBWI and illustrated children’s literature. Currently, she lives in Washington State with her husband. When she is not illustrating, you can find her writing stories, hiking, at church or enjoying time spent with her three children and six grandchildren.  Thanks for stopping by today, Beverly! You must be excited to see your debut picture book arriving so soon in the world. How long has the process taken, and what’s it been like? Yes, I am excited. I began the draft of Have You Seen Mouse in November 2019 while I was in my first year as a member of Julie Hedlund’s 12x12 Picture Book Writing Challenge. For those not familiar with 12x12, the challenge is to write one draft a month for twelve months. In the summer of 2020, I signed the contract with Callie Metler, publisher of Spork for Mouse to be published. How it was acquired is answered in a question below. The final art was completed at the end of September 2021. Writing the first draft to the publishing date spanned a 15-16 month period. The process for writing Mouse went a lot quicker than most of my other stories. So, tell us about Have You Seen Mouse? (Spork, 2022) …where did the idea come from? My husband and I like to take road trips when time permits. On one such trip we were driving through the mountains in northern Idaho. As I gazed into the forest from the car window, I saw a fallen tree. In my imagination a bear was sitting on that tree crying. I wondered why and guessed that he had lost his best friend. I had my notebook with me and immediately began the draft. But who or what would be his friend? When I was young, I had lots of mice as pets. The pairing of a bear with a mouse seemed like an unusual match, but I liked it, so a mouse became the best friend. As I reflect on the stories I write it seems that there is a common theme to, not all but many of them. Usually, one of the two primary characters makes some sort of a sacrifice for the sake of the love of the other character, and so it is with Have You Seen Mouse?  Your background was in illustration; had you always planned to write, as well? How did you approach creating the manuscript, as far as writing the text and creating the pictures? No, I had not always planned to write, but years ago I used to illustrate children’s educational literature. During that time an interest developed to also write because of the many books I had read to my children, and because of the material I was illustrating. But various life changes and responsibilities, put that desire on hold. Then in November 2016 my husband and I took a trip to New Zealand and toured the Weta Workshop in Wellington. This is where the props for the Lord of the Rings movies were made. Due to that tour and visits to the movie sites a desire to write was re-ignited and I decided to begin taking some writing courses when I returned home, which is what I did. My approach to creating a story is to begin with the text first. I work out the story visually in my mind asking the “who, what, when, where, why, how and what if” questions, as I write. Then I revise. Once the revision process is finished, I do character sketches and create a book dummy or thumbnails to confirm that the text and page turns are working. When I’m thinking about creating the spreads, I want to be sure that there is at least one close up of the main character, some distance shots, an overhead spread (bird’s eye view) and a viewpoint from below (worm’s eye view) if possible, and I want to try and capture the emotion of a scene. And, if a story lends itself to different times of the day, that’s nice too. I also want to consider motion, color and the line quality of the art. Once the spreads are finished and approved, then I will create one spread of final art. If I don’t like the way that illustration turned out I will try again in a different medium or render it in some different way, until I’m satisfied. Though it can vary, this is usually the process I use as I create.  The illustrations are very child-friendly and warm. What type of media did you use? They look like pencil and watercolor. You’re quite right. I created the illustrations for Have You Seen Mouse? with watercolor paints and Prisma color pencils - on 140lb Arches hot press paper. Once the illustrations were finished, I put them in my iPad. Since the publisher preferred that I send the art digitally, and because photographed watercolor paintings don’t always appear very well in digital form, I touched them up using Procreate to make the illustrations look close to what they looked like on paper. Congratulations, by the way, on your second book, Fishing with Grandpa and Skye (Spork,2022), written by our friend and fellow PB22Peekaboo member Candace Spizzirri, which comes out about a month after this one! How did that come about? Was it because both books have the same publisher? Thank you! The acquiring of both books are tied together. In January 2020, I took Mira Reisberg’s Children’s Book Academy illustration course. At the end of the course, Callie Metler, the publisher of Spork, saw the illustrations that I did in Mira’s class. About a month later she contacted me with the offer to illustrate Candace’s book. As I was working with Callie on Candace’s book, she said that she really liked the pallet I used for the art in Mira’s class. I told her that there was a story that went with the art and asked if she would like to see it. Graciously she agreed. Her comment later was that the story was precious. I then took a bold step and asked – “does that mean you would like to publish it?” “Yup,” she answered. No matter how many books I publish, each one has a unique story behind the book or the production of the book. Can you share something surprising you encountered as a debut author/illustrator? Or is there anything you think readers might find interesting about Have Your Seen Mouse? I don’t have a unique story behind the book’s production or process, nor did anything surprising happen. But if there is a unique story it would be this: I knew at the end of Mira’s six week-long illustration course there would be editors looking at the final art the students had completed in the class. Of course, we were all hoping for editorial interest. But my mother became ill during week five and I needed to fly 3,000 miles to visit her. We had false alarms with her before and I preferred to wait a week until the class ended. I wrestled with this and prayed for wisdom because I was concerned about my mother, but I also didn’t want to lose this opportunity. Then a thought came to mind – “go and this will be taken care of.” So, I contacted Mira and pulled out of her class. Thankfully it was the right decision. I had four good days with my mother and then she passed. In the meantime, Mira entered what I had done so far in her class for the editorial viewing and that is where my publisher saw what later became pages 6-7 & 14-15 of Have You Seen Mouse? So, what’s next on the horizon for you? Good question. I have a picture book story out on submission right now. I also have three others that are finished or almost finished revision-wise. Two of them have the thumbnails and one piece of final art completed. I’m also working on a middle grade novel about a boy who is struggling with growing family responsibility because his father has broken a promise and seems to have disappeared – thank you for asking! Well, congratulations again on your debut picture book, Bev – you’ll never forget the feeling of holding that baby in your hands for the first time! And thanks for visiting! Thank you for doing this interview, Matt. All the best to you on your new release, as well.
 Hi Matt! Welcome to the PB22Peekaboo author interview! Congratulations on your new picture book. I AM TODAY arrives on January 25, 2022, with POW! Kids Books. Thank YOU, Lisa! I appreciate it. Tell us a little bit about the book and how you got the idea. In the summer of 2020, shortly after the pandemic hit, I felt like I needed to write something empowering for kids; so many, including my own, had no control over what was happening. Remote schooling, video playdates, cancelled vacations. So I began brainstorming ideas by doing attempting to come up with a non-grammatical title. I know that’s not something they usually teach in writing workshops, but I figured a non-grammatical title could be potentially very poetic and thought-provoking – and would hopefully draw attention. After all, poets are all about seeking unexpected connections through unusual wordplay! So I thought about it for a while and eventually the phrase, "I am today" popped into my head. I loved it! Once I had that to hold onto, the concept for the book came together pretty quickly: what if a child doesn't want to wait to be "the Future," in order to make a difference in the world? You’ve been a poet for pretty much your whole life. What made you decide to turn your focus to writing for kids? Well, I never call myself a ‘poet,’ but I have been writing poetry for a long time – my first published poem was in New England College’s literary magazine way back when I was a junior in high school, and over the years I had several adult-oriented poems published in various journals and anthologies. But every now and then I’d write a children’s poem and didn’t know what to do with it. So in 2009, I decided to make a concerted effort to be published in children’s literature. I joined an SCBWI critique group in 2010 and went to my first conference in 2011, and after chatting at lunch with Lin Oliver and my former neighbor, the late Tomie dePaola, they suggested I get in touch with Lee Bennett Hopkins, who held the Guinness World Record for the number of children’s poetry anthologies he had created – nearly 130! Lee was instrumental in helping me get some of my poetry published (I was fortunate to be included in many of his anthologies before he passed away a couple of years ago), and he also connected me with the woman who would become my Flashlight Night editor, the incredible Rebecca Davis. I now have more than 30 poems published in books like Lee’s anthologies, The National Geographic Book of Nature Poetry, and “Highlights for Children” magazine, and 13 books either out or under contract – and my love of poetry remains strong! You’ve had several picture books released since your 2017 debut of FLASHLIGHT NIGHT. Congratulations, by the way! Can you tell us about your path to publication with I AM TODAY? Tell us about the query process and timeline. Well, there wasn’t much of a query process, to be honest…after I had written and polished the manuscript and knew it was ready for submission, I sent it off to my DON’T ASK A DINOSAUR editor, Jordan Nielsen, at POW! Kids Books because I had a feeling it would be the type of book she’d love. Sure enough, I emailed it at 3:30 in the afternoon and at 4:35 I had received an email back from her, telling me she wanted it! That’s the fastest I’ve ever sold a book, and I’m not sure it’s a record I’ll ever break, ha! The path to publication, however, took much longer; the book was scheduled to be published Oct. 5, 2021, a year after I signed the contract (which is pretty fast for the publishing industry). Unfortunately, due to the supply chain crisis we keep hearing about, the date got pushed out til Nov. 30, then Dec. 21, and now Jan. 25! So fingers crossed we can celebrate next Tuesday! Do you have any words of wisdom for authors who might be at that critical point in their publication journey? The best advice I can give anyone is to work hard and hang in there. Like Jane Yolen says, Do. The. Work. That’s the secret behind her BIC Rule (“Butt in Chair”), and it’s a simple and effective rule. No one is more surprised than I am at how far I’ve come in just 11 years, but it’s all due to working hard – writing, polishing, submitting, networking, marketing – and not giving up. ONCE UPON ANOTHER TIME went through 25 editors and agents before it was picked up by Beaming Books – so where would I be if I had quit after 24 rejections? I play indoor soccer on two different leagues and although I’m never the most talented player on the field, I’m always running, passing, defending. I always say that my writing career is just like soccer: whatever I lack in talent, I make up for in hustle! The I AM TODAY illustrations by Patricia Pessoa are beautiful and vibrant. How did you feel when you first saw them? Did you have any input on the story they tell? Did you include art notes with your text submission? I loved them! Early on, Jordan sent me portfolios of several illustrators and asked whose work I preferred – for which I’m grateful, as that is something most authors don’t get to do. When I told her I felt Patricia’s style was the best for the book, she told me she had thought the same thing! So she contacted Patricia and they set to work. I had no input on Patricia’s illustrations, although Jordan kept me apprised of how they were coming along, so it was nice to see the progression from rough sketch to final art. As for illustration notes, I try to forgo them whenever possible. In this case, all I said at the beginning of the manuscript was, “A child notices an injustice – perhaps a park being destroyed or a bully at school – and decides they don’t need to wait, to help.” That was it! I created a narrative, but the plot belongs entirely to illustrator Patricia Pessoa… I AM TODAY is a story about a little girl who discovers pollution is threatening sea turtles in her town, she thinks about what to do, devises a plan, gets the town to join in, the beach is cleaned up and the turtles are saved, and everyone is happy at the end and the little girl is satisfied knowing she did her part to make the world a better place. Yet, NONE of that is my text! I simply created what I call a “story skeleton” to allow an illustrator to tell their own story – which helps create a perfect blend of art and text. What have you found to be the most rewarding aspect of writing for kids? I think most authors will say the same thing: knowing kids are enjoying our stories and finding themselves in them. And not just through reading my books and poems, but through school visits; I’ve been told on more than one occasion that a child in a class has felt vindicated that it’s ok for them to enjoy writing stories or drawing pictures, rather than taking part in other more common pursuits like sports or video games. Two years ago during the pandemic, one elementary school student was so excited after I had visited the class virtually that he told his teacher he was going to go home and write his own book – and sure enough, the next day, he brought in a stack of papers with his book written on them. He was beaming! And I was, too. After all, what better feeling can an author have? You have another picture book coming out later this year. Can you give us a sneak peek? What else is on the horizon for you? My next picture book will be A BEGINNER’S GUIDE TO BEING HUMAN (Beaming Books, 2022), and the official cover reveal will take place on KidLitTV Feb. 1! This is a book I was asked to write by my ONCE UPON ANOTHER TIME editor, Naomi Krueger. I’d sent her a manuscript for a different picture book, and although she liked it she didn’t feel it would work for them – but she DID ask if I had an interest in writing a totally different book, but with the same sort of style. I said, sure! I also have a couple of other picture books coming out next year, as well as a poetry anthology of my own, which includes some really well-known, highly-esteemed folks – I can’t wait to share more news about that! Thank you so much for taking the time to be interviewed. Congratulations on I AM TODAY! We can’t wait to see it out in the world. Thank YOU, Lisa! I appreciate it. And congratulations on LETTERS TO LIVE BY, which just came out – it sounds like such a unique and necessary book.
Thank you, Lisa for agreeing to be interviewed for the PB22Peekaboo Blog! Thank you for interviewing me, Bonnie. This is fun!!  First let’s start with your book! Letters To Live By: An Alphabet Book With Intention is available now for pre-order and will be released on January 11, 2022 by Running Press. We are so excited to see it come to the bookshelves. You mentioned that you first wrote this book as a memo to yourself six years ago. What was going on in your life at that time that made you take pause and contemplate your intentions this way? When I wrote this alphabetical list of intentions, I was looking at all the things in my life that needed improvement. My youngest had just graduated from high school and was off to college, and the empty nest was – well, empty. Simply said, I was facing the rest of my life and trying to figure out how I wanted it to look. I had just completed a writing certificate program at UC Berkeley Extension and was trying to figure out next steps. Although I had published a handful of essays and short stories, what I really wanted was to break into children’s literature but had only seen rejection. It was time to Become Brave, Embrace Education and apply to an MFA program that focused on children’s lit. I did just that and enrolled at Hamline the following year, where I honed my picture book skills and learned how to write middle grade novels. It is not lost on me that my debut picture book is one that I simply wrote for myself to help me find a roadmap forward in my life. When we write authentically from the heart, the magic happens! Can you tell us a little bit more about your time in the query trenches? Oh, the query trenches! I lived there for so long. Ha ha! I definitely started querying long before I knew what I was doing. Even still, I wouldn’t change those rookie mistakes because they led me to where I am now. In the beginning, I queried various picture book manuscripts with agents and editors (who accepted unsolicited submissions). It was a life of rejection. Eventually I realized that I needed to start over completely and enrolled in my local UC Berkeley Extension, taking night classes in creative writing. During that time, I published a handful of personal essays and short stories, and then it was time to circle back to picture books. I decided to double down on my studies and applied to Hamline University’s MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults. This was a game changer for me. After completing the program, I began to query again. Interestingly, it was in a conference workshop that I met my agent, Jennifer Mattson of Andrea Brown Literary Agency. By this time, I had eight years of manuscripts in my computer. This is the beauty of spending so much time working on your craft. You will eventually have a computer full of manuscripts to polish! I still occasionally query essays and short stories and continue to write across genres. The query trenches never really go away. But it has all been worth it! Do you have any words of wisdom for authors who might be at that critical point in their journey? It all has to go exactly the way it is going! You are doing it the right way – even if it is the wrong way. Does that make sense? For example, if you’ve queried your precious manuscript that has never been critiqued by anyone and you get rejected all over the place, now you know to get yourself a good critique group and start over. There is no shame in this. We are all learning. We are all doing the best we can. Dive in and work hard. It is going to happen – it’s just a matter of time. You mention in your personal essay that you questioned your abilities as an author many times before finding success. Where did you find the strength to persevere after facing rejections? It’s never easy. But as writers, I believe that when we turn the corner from wanting to “get published” to wanting to write, as Hemingway said, “one true sentence,” things change. As corny as it sounds, I am a truth seeker. I’m not saying I have all the answers (I barely have any), but my writing is so much more to me than a publishing contract. When I realized this, that I am doing this to learn about myself and the world, rejection just became part of that learning. I’m not saying it doesn’t sting, but it is a vital part of the process. You wrote that you struggled with reading as a child. If you could go back in time and talk to that version of yourself, what would you tell her? I love this question! It was so hard for me to focus as a child. Sometimes, it still is. I would tell my young self that it is OK to pick a book that is short, that has large font, plenty of white space, and lots of pictures. I would also tell myself that whatever I discovered about the book I was reading, whatever my opinion of it, I was right. I believe that when a child reads a book, every single thing they think about what they’ve read is valid. Reading comprehension is different for all of us. We are never wrong for thinking or feeling whatever it is we think or feel about the books we read. The whole point is to think or feel something. How can that be wrong? The illustrations in the book are gorgeous. Åsa Gilland is an amazing illustrator. What were your feelings when they were first revealed to you? Absolute delight!!! I felt so honored to have my words paired with the brilliance of Asa. Her work is so full of joy and wonder and just perfect for this book. I especially love the characters and all their wonderful details. I have so enjoyed following Asa’s other projects as well and am utterly thrilled to have the chance to work with her!! Thank you so much for sharing your story with us, Lisa. We can’t wait to set our own intentions for 2022 using your picture book as our guide.
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