YOU HEARD IT HERE FIRST- HALF-TRUTHS HAS A HOME!

It's been a long time since I've published a "You Heard It Here First" blog post. 

It's been an even longer time since I first began writing Half-Truths. 

My first blog was in 2007 when I wrote about attending a SCBWI-Carolinas conference and finding my character's voice. Since then, I've written over 100 blog posts about this writing journey. The list includes the books I've read, 

a few of the over 100 people I interviewed, the workshops I took, and some of my major revisions. I applied for several SCBWI WIP grants and queried agents and publishers. Although I never won a contest or received a bite (although a few rejections were encouraging and personal), my vision for my book became clearer. 

One of my special interviewees, Price Davis.
He is standing in front of his childhood home in Cherry, NC.

Ask me how many drafts I've completed and I can't answer. Officially, I have ten drafts in Word and fourteen in Scrivener. Each of these drafts was revised countless times. 

One way of visualizing where scenes would go.

Sixteen years is a long time to be working on one book, but as I soon realized after beginning this task, I didn't know what I didn't know. There were times that I took breaks and worked on other projects too. Each time I returned to the manuscript, I still loved the characters and the plot. 

In the beginning, I had an idea about a white girl (Kate) who moved to the Myers Park neighborhood of Charlotte, NC from a farm in either South Carolina or North Carolina. She would feel like an outsider as she tried to figure out where she belonged in the world of 1950s debutantes. Soon after moving to her grandmother's home, she would meet a Black girl, Lillian. They would have an off-and-on friendship but would eventually bond over finding a remedy for Kate's goat's ringworm. There would be betrayal, the uncovering of long-buried family secrets, and clandestine trips to a funeral home and a cemetery. 

All that has stayed the same. But, so much has changed. 

I wrestled with how to begin the story and rewrote the beginning at least 50 times. I put in the murder of Lillian's brother and then took it out. I gave each girl a boyfriend and then, based on Rebecca Petruck's advice that I was getting too far away from my theme, I took them out. I spent two years writing it from both girls' POVs and then abandoned that idea. I made up a fictional town named Crossroads, NC until my mentor, Joyce Hostetter, convinced me that there was real history in Tabor City, NC that I should use. I changed the names of characters, deleted scenes that I loved, battled confusion and discouragement, and tried to figure out if this was a middle-grade or young adult book.

Until I found Monarch Educational Services in July. 

My Talking Story newsletter partner, Rebecca Wheeler, published her debut YA novel, WHISPERING THROUGH WATER with Monarch in January. She recommended querying the publisher, Jennifer Lowry. Despite being afraid of another rejection, within thirty minutes of sending my query, Jennifer responded that it was stellar. A few minutes later she asked for the full manuscript. That was beyond my craziest dream!

In September Jennifer provided detailed editorial input. One of her first reactions was that she saw Half-Truths as a young adult book and not as middle grade. Monarch is committed to clean reads and provides content ratings for all of their books. Since Half-Truths includes a reference to a sexual encounter between a slave owner and his slave, Jennifer felt strongly that it is a young adult novel. Since I've debated this issue so many times I'm happy to identify it as YA and for this conflict resolution! By the way, I've seen this book as upper middle-grade and expect that it will interest readers from 12 and up. 

Finally, after years of writing, rewriting, planning, and proofreading, I'm thrilled to announce, that Half-Truths will be published in June 2025. 

If you're my Facebook friend, you may have wondered why the picture of Blue Willow china has been my profile picture for all these years. If you want to be one of the first to find out its role in Half-Truths, leave me a comment (including your email address if you think I might not have it) and I'll send you a digital ARC (Advanced Reader's Copy) about six months before the book releases. The only qualification is that you post a review on Goodreads, Barnes & Noble, or Independent Book Review.  (Amazon won't allow you to post a review until the book's release.)

Thank you for joining me in this publication journey. 

MOON TREE: The Story of One Extraordinary Tree-- A Review, Book Journey, and Giveaway

Sometimes authors stumble upon their stories. And even though that story takes time to write, that initial connection remains strong when the book is brought into the world. 

As you'll read in the book journey below, that was the case for Carolyn Fraiser's debut STEM picture book, MOON TREE: The Story of One Extraordinary Tree (Reycraft Books, 2022) illustrated by Simona Mulazzani. 

REVIEW

Carolyn Fraiser, my SCBWI-Carolinas friend, makes writing a picture book look easy. The text is sparse yet lyrical.  But actually, the process of uncovering the "of course!" structure came only after many revisions. 

The story seems to begin with an ordinary sycamore in an ordinary forest. But actually, here is the true beginning many years before that tree was alive:

One ordinary boy

who dashes among the trees

At home, he watches

war planes soar

in the Oklahoma sky

and dreams that one day 

he will fly. 

        

He grew up to be...

He became a pilot who races through the skies. He watches others touch space.  Maybe one day, he'll fly even higher.

He does! And becomes,

the one NASA astronaut who packs his bag with seeds to honor the men who rescue trees.

But, back on earth, the container holding the seeds breaks and the seeds scatter. 

Along comes one forest researcher who watches them sprout and,

decides to send the "Moon Trees" to camps, schools, and state forests to celebrate the bicentennial. 

Everyone forgets about the trees until one third-grade girl finds a sycamore at her camp that is "named after the moon." She is curious and encourages her class to find out why it is called a moon tree.

In the end, the girl and the class discover the story of the Moon Tree--the book that your students, kids, or grandkids, will enjoy reading over and over again.  As you can see from the images I've included in this review, Simona Mulazzani's illustrations are out-of-this-world imaginative, and beautiful!

CAROLYN'S BOOK JOURNEY

I spent 20 years writing for adults before I decided to pursue writing for children, and it still took me 10 years to get a book published! Since I had written a lot for adult magazines, I started with children's magazines and had several pieces published. But book publishing was harder. I wrote and submitted many stories before I even started working on Moon Tree. 

I wanted to write Moon Tree from the day I stumbled across our local moon tree at the Cradle of Forestry in Pisgah Forest. I had never heard of the moon trees and the story fascinated me. I spent 6 months diving deep into research. I wasn't sure how to approach the story so I looked at it from every angle I could -- from Stuart Roosa's biography to the history of the Apollo program. I interviewed people with NASA and the US Forest Service, listened to interviews, read tons of newspaper articles, and watched every documentary I could find on the Apollo program. When I came across the story of the 3rd-grade class project, I had the opportunity to interview the teacher, and I knew I wanted to include that angle in my story. But my initial drafts were far from what ended up being published. 

My first draft was close to 1500 words with lengthy sidebars on every page. Then I wrote a fictionalized version from the perspective of the tree. I tried some other angles, but none of them really stuck. Then an agent challenged me to try a lyrical approach, which was more in my wheelhouse than anything else I had been trying. I let the idea simmer for several months before trying again. 

I  began to think about each element and person of the story and how if any of those pieces were missing, the story might not have happened or may have been lost to history. That's what gave me the idea of starting with the concept of "one" because each one made a difference -- right down to the third-grade girl. I didn't know if it would work, but it did!   

I literally put all my research away and focused on the essence of the story. What came out was the final version that ended up in print

Rejections? Oh, there were A LOT! I think I had about 50 rejections from this manuscript alone, but most were from early versions of the story. Once I had the final version, I saw interest pick up almost immediately. 

I had been familiar with Reycraft from my research with various publishers and friends who had published through them. I had been selected for a mentorship with Vivian Kirkfield who convinced me that the version I had was ready to go out. I think I put the pitch out there for a few Twitter pitch contests. A friend saw it and thought it would be a good fit for Reycraft. She suggested that I submit it to them, so once I got the green light from Vivian, I did. 

A BOOK WITH KID APPEAL

As you know, I love giving books to my grandkids. MOON TREE is one that I'm sure will be read over and over again. The boys loved counting all the trees! And of course, my granddaughter insisted on reading it herself. 

GIVEAWAY

Reycraft is donating a copy of MOON TREE. I'm giving it away through the spring issue of the Talking Story newsletter. Leave a comment with your email address if you are new to my blog and I'll add your name to the giveaway list. A winner will be chosen on April 17th. U.S. addresses only. If you are an educator, decide to follow my blog, or also leave a comment through the newsletter, I'll enter your name twice.

TWO HISTORICAL PICTURE BOOK by MEGAN HOYT

 Today I'm proud to share two informational picture books by my SCBWI-Carolinas colleague, Megan Hoyt. No giveaways this week--my grandchildren will be the proud recipients of these fine books. But in case you need one (or two!) more gifts for the young reader in your life, check out these marvelous books.

Megan Hoyt discovers small pieces of history that are stories begging to be told and then writes them in a way that engages both children and adults. These picture books are for slightly older readers and can be used as classroom resources in grades 1-3. Both books have extensive back matter which include Megan's interest in the topic, additional information about the subject, timelines, and sources. BARTALI'S BICYCLE also includes a letter to the reader from Gino's granddaughter, Lisa. THE GREATEST SONG OF ALL includes the petition which Isaac Stern wrote to save Carnegie Hall. 

REVIEWS

BARTALI'S BICYCLE is stunningly illustrated by Italian illustrator, Iacopo Bruno.

Gino Bartali thought of himself as an ordinary bicyclist in Italy in the 1930s. But he was far from ordinary.

For eight years he trained along Italy's mountains and rugged paths. He won race after race, including the prestigious Tour de France in 1938. 

When World War II broke out, Gino refused to believe the lies that leaders were spreading about the Jews. 

He watched as Jews were rounded up and taken away on trucks. He wanted to help--but how?

A priest contacted him and asked him to deliver secret identity papers to Jews who were trying to escape. Although he was afraid of getting caught, he decided to help. "Some medals are pinned to your soul, not your jacket," he said. 

He stuffed the fake identity papers into his hollow bicycle bars and delivered them to hundreds of families, he hid his friend's family in his cellar, and rescued prisoners. 

Gino was a humble man who didn't want to be recognized.

"Good is something you do, not something you talk about," he said. 

But stories trickled out. Children came forward. 

Grateful families remembered the remarkable Gino Bartali, the Tour de France winner, Italian sports hero, and...secret champion.

THE GREATEST SONG OF ALL is brought alive by talented illustrator, Katie Hickey.

When Carnegie Hall opened in 1891 in New York City, Issac Stern wasn't even born yet. He was a young promising violinist in 1934 when Albert Einstein educated the audience with theories of splitting atoms and bending time.

But someone new would soon step onto the legendary stage. Without him, Carnegie Hall's story might have ended right there.

Issac was talented, but his parents were poor Jewish immigrants from Ukraine. They scrimped and said until pennies became dollars. Then they sent their son to the best violin teacher in town."

Issac practiced for years and at 23, made his Carnegie Hall debut. He ended up playing there more than fifty times. This cavernous ruby-colored room felt like a second home to Issac.  Little did Issac know that a powerful city planner, Robert Moses, had other plans for Carnegie Hall. 

His mind swirled with grids and sketches and pans. It may have looked like he was making the city more beautiful, but when Mr. Moses decide Manhattan needed a new, bigger, music hall, he didn't mind knocking down eighteen city blocks to make room for it.

The wrecking ball was scheduled for March 31, 1960. But Mr. Moses hadn't met Issac Stern's opposition.

Music lovers, musicians, and dancers protested against the demolition. But to no avail... Issac couldn't persuade the mayor to preserve the Hall--and he didn't have the five million dollars that was needed to purchase it. 

But Jacob Kaplan, a wealthy business man did! In the nick of time, Issac and his supporters were able to save the magnificent hall and...

Carnegie Hall opened its doors to talented performers from all over the world--rich and poor, young and old, American-born or immigrants seeking a better life, like Issac Stern's family did many years ago.

                                                    ***

Megan told me that she is attracted to stories that hold a personal connection.  For Megan's connection to each topic (and a hint at what she is working on next), please visit the Talking Story Facebook page. (Interviews will be posted on December 20 and 21. If you aren't a member yet, just request to join and I'll approve you.)

                                                    ***

Congratulations to Danielle Hammelef who won The Snowman's Waltz and to Marci Whitehurst who won Baa, Baa, Tap, Sheep 

Teddy, Let's Go! A Debut Picture Book Review, Author & Illustrator Interviews, and a Giveaway!

 Today, I have the honor and delight to introduce a fellow Matthews, North Carolina writer, Michelle Nott. Michelle is celebrating the publication of her debut picture book, Teddy, Let's Go (Enchanted Lion Books: December 2022). After the review, make sure you read my interviews with Michelle and Nahid Kazemi, the illustrator. It'll make you want to pass this sweet multi-generational book along to your child or grandchild.

REVIEW

I have reviewed hundreds of picture books, but I can't remember any that open with three wordless pages. These pages depict Teddy's "birth." 

Here is one of the spreads:

Following these sewing scenes, the reader meets Teddy's creator. "The wavy-haired woman with love in her eyes pulled me close and whispered in my ear."

Teddy "floats" into his new home and is introduced to his owner. "This...is Teddy," the wavy-haired lady says. 

A nose as small as mine rubbed against my cheek.
We were made for each other.

Teddy goes everywhere with the little girl.  They eat mushy vegetables together and both need a bath. They celebrate their first birthday with cake and party hats. When she begins to talk, Teddy names her.

She soon had a name for everything. "Here's my Rabbit and my Giraffe
and my Teddy and my...my...my."
So I called her by her favorite word: My.

No matter what they did together, Teddy always listened for his name and knew what would come next, Teddy, let's go."

My grows up and...

One summer, I climbed into My's backpack
and we rode a bus to camp.

Teddy was often left behind in the cabin (which he guarded) and tried to figure out what he was supposed to do next. He watched and the screen door sprung open, and laughter blew in. (I had to include that line because I love it!)

Teddy and My return home after camp and Teddy hiked to the top of her dresser. 

Some days I didn't see much of My. 

But when she noticed me alone, she always

 reminded me how strong I was 

and how high and how far I could go.

And when it was time to settle down, I listened.

"Teddy, let's go!"

After their seventh birthday when "Teddy whispered happy dreams in her ear," he felt something different. Days and nights passed. He listened. Then one day, A small voice cried. My went still. I stretched out my arms and legs so My would know I was still there.

My scrubs Teddy and sews some loose stuffing back inside of him. Then she says, "Teddy, let's go!" She closes one door and opens another.

"This," she said ,"is Teddy."

I floated down to our first bed and to a new baby. This was our moment. 

I listened...and whispered happy dreams in his ear. 

                                                    ****

I love so much about this sparsely written and beautifully illustrated picture book. I love how the author brings the story full circle in the same way that Bevan, A Well-Loved Bear did. I love Michelle's lyrical language, her use of repetition, and the threads that connect the grandmother to her granddaughter and then connect My to her baby brother. And as a daughter who learned to sew on my mother's Singer sewing machine and has made her share of stuffed animals and pillows with my own daughters and granddaughters... I love how My sews up Teddy just like her grandma. 

As a special treat, you are going to hear how both Michelle and Nahid drew from their own childhood experiences to write and illustrate Teddy. AND you'll also hear how their vision for the wordless pages was exactly the same without ever consulting with one another. 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

Carol: What was the inspiration for Teddy, Let's Go!

Michelle: I was inspired to write this story by the teddy bear that my grandmother hand-made for me when I was born. I still have it right here on a shelf in my office. But I was sitting in my children's bedroom, when they were around kindergarten age, with them and Teddy when I started to think about all the adventures this bear has been on through my childhood. I then envisioned different scenarios that he may experience with my own children. Although the book is not autobiographical, it is heavily inspired by childhood imagination, milestones, and intergenerational love. 

Carol: What was your path to publication?

Michelle: As mentioned, the idea for this story occurred when my children were quite young. At first, I wrote it as a bedtime story for them. Once I discovered SCBWI and CBI, I revised and shaped it in hopes of publication. After querying it for  a couple years, I often read that it was lovely but "too quiet." So, I put it away. 

Fast forward to my daughters in high school, I queried Essie White with a middle grade novel who really liked my writing and asked if I also wrote picture books. I sent her three --two that were more commercial and Teddy Let's Go! She signed me for Teddy. A couple years later, she sold the manuscript to Enchanted Lion Books with Nahid Kazemi as the illustrator. I could not have been more thrilled!

In a very early draft, I had paragraphs describing the grandmother sewing and stitching Teddy together. All that description was lovely for an oral story at bedtime, but entirely too much for a book. Nor would it be necessary. I cut it all before submitting it to agents. I didn't even add an illustration note. And then, I saw the PDF of the final art by Nahid. She had brilliantly illustrated in the first wordless spreads just what I had imagined in my head.

ILLUSTRATOR INTERVIEW

Carol: What medium did you use? I love how the images are soft and almost pastel-like. How did you achieve that effect?

Nahid: I use chalk pastels in a way that looks like watercolor. In order to get this effect, I've made them powdery. For the red, I used cotton instead of a brush. When I illustrate, I use stuff like cotton, brushes, tissue paper, and cotton swabs.

Carol:  Out of curiosity, why did you picture the grandmother with a very old Singer sewing machine? The story appears to be a contemporary story except for the hand-turned machine. (Reader: this illustration is not pictured in my review.)

Nahid: Your question about a hand-turned Singer sewing machine is very good. This machine belonged to my mother when I was a kid and we made a lot of creative stuff with it. 

Carol:  I was wondering about the wordless pages in the beginning. Was that something you and the art director came up with?

Nahid: It was my suggestion. I wanted kids to know how Teddy was born. Indeed, I wanted to depict giving birth to Teddy so that it might be a metaphor for giving birth to the baby. This book was a very challenging book. It took a few years to work on the illustrations and I changed most of them a few times in order to get the best result.

                                                    *****

Now you know some of the layers that went into creating this special book.

PREORDER! AUTHOR SIGNING!

As I have mentioned in previous blogs, you help authors when you preorder their books. You can find Teddy, Let's Go at your local bookstore or here and here. 

If you live anywhere near Charlotte, NC, come meet Michelle and purchase a copy of her book at Park Road Books on November 19. 

GIVEAWAY

If you are interested in winning this book (and who wouldn't?) please leave a comment by October 27. This time, if you are a parent or grandparent OR are expecting a baby or grandchild in the near future, I'll put your name in twice. U.S. addresses only. Remember, if you are new to my blog, don't forget to leave your name and email address! 

Congratulations to Emily Weitz, a new subscriber to my blog, who won Bug On the Rug from last week's blog.

UNICORNS OF THE SECRET STABLE: Early Chapter Books Review and TALKING STORY

REVIEW OF UNICORNS OF THE SECRET STABLE

I'm joined by my granddaughter, Eleanor Edgar, in this review.

Almost 7-year-old Eleanor, with
her new books, unicorn, and favorite dog. 

It’s been a long time since I’ve read early chapter books. But when my fellow SCBWI-Carolinas friend, Laurie Edwards, reached out to me with the promise of books, how could I say no?

Below you’ll find a review of four of Laurie's newest stories (Books 9-11) in the Unicorn of the Secret Stable series. Each book includes this introduction to the series, so the books can also be read as stand alone books. 

The books are perfect for girl readers who are new to chapter books; they're each around 70 pages. The large font, few words on the page, and occasional illustrations by Jomike Tejido, help readers make the transition from picture books to chapter books. 

The stories are an interesting mix of fantasy and reality. The two protagonists, Iris and her younger sister Ruby, received the key to the Magic Gate from their mother, who no longer remembers the unicorns. She insists that her daughters have active imaginations--which is a wonderful theme within all the stories. 

The author does a good job of differentiating the "real" world from the fantasy world as the characters must unlock a gate and go into the Enchanted Realm to interact with their unicorns. There's a C.S. Lewis feel to the books as the characters go through this portal into an imaginary world. In the "real" world the girls experience modern-day problems and have typical sibling and friend issues. 

Each book ends with three sets of "Think About It" questions that encourage readers to delve more deeply into the story's message. 

UNICORNS TO THE RESCUE

Carol's thoughts: Ruby and her favorite unicorn, Tempest, is gone! Iris is desperate to find her and asks the flying unicorn, Ember Shadow. to help with the search. After a time of worry and distress, Iris finds Ruby imprisoned in a cave. Iris uses her wits and the unicorns' help to engineer her sister's rescue. 

LUCKY AND THE DRAGON

Eleanor’s thoughts: “This story is about a unicorn and a dragon. The unicorn, Lucky, defends the herd of unicorns from a dragon, Spitfire, who flew down and tried to hurt the unicorns.  But he did not hurt him because Lucky scared him by standing on his hind legs and looking like he would fight. In the end they got along well because Spitfire said he was sorry and Lucky forgave him. I loved it!” ❤️❤️❤️

Carol's thoughts: This story had an interesting parallel between the

unicorn story and Ruby's struggles to make a new friend. 

MAGICAL UNICORN HORNS

Carol's thoughts: The "real world" problem in this book is a nosy reporter who wants to obtain a unicorn horn.  He says he wants to find out if they have magic healing powers, but the girls don't trust him as he shadows them and tries to get into Magic Moon Stable. They outwit him (of course!) and the end questions reinforce messages of protection and true friendship. 

MERMAID MAGIC 

Carol's thoughts: Ruby is sad when her best friend leaves for summer vacation. Iris encourages her to keep an open mind about their vacation. When the girls meet two new unicorns, they're surprised at the places their new friends take them. They explore the snowy Northlands and discover--of all things--a mermaid and narwhals. 

I wish I had these books when I was a first grader! The interaction of imagination with the characters' "real lives" is clever. I hope many readers stretch their imaginations as they enter into the Enchanted Realm and the adventures that lie there.

Since Eleanor is now enjoying these books, I have three different giveaways for you instead. As promised, the spring issue of Talking Story, is on "How to Empower Disability Through Kid's Lit." Here's another chance to win Monica Roe's book, AIR; A.B. Donahue's book, NO CLUES YOU LOSE; and a picture book illustrated by SCBWI-Carolina's own Vanessa Brantley Newton, MY THREE BEST FRIENDS and ME, ZULAY. Giveaway ends April 16,--Make sure you leave a comment through the email address in the newsletter. 

Congratulations to Theresa Milstein who won a copy of No Clues You Lose from my last blog. 

A PENNY'S WORTH: A Picture Book Review, Giveaway, and Mini-Author & Illustrator Interviews

 

"Hot off the minting press, Penny sparkled." That's the first line of Kimberly Wilson's debut picture book, A PENNY'S WORTH (Page Street Kids, 2022). With engaging illustrations by Mark Hoffman, this STEM story of a pretty copper penny will find a special place in a preschool - second grader's heart. 

REVIEW

Penny launches into life ready to be spent. But she soon finds out that while other money appears useful, she is ignored, forgotten, or worse--stuck to a piece of gum. "This is non-cents! she thought."

She sets off on a journey to prove her worth. 

First she tries her hand at following Quarter into an arcade slot. CLINK, CLANK, CLUNK Penny is returned. "I wish I measured up, Penny thought."

Next, she tries her hand at buying some penny candy. 

But, as Dime points out, a penny won't buy a lollipop like it used to. 

Penny takes a tailspin and goes over the edge when she reads this headline:

She peers down and imagines life as a sewer cent...

"....Ignored. Forgotten. Stuck." (I assume if this was a novel this would be her "Dark Night of the Soul" moment.)

A friend comes alongside and leads her out of despair. "Heads up," another penny said, "we're good luck when we put our best face forward!" 

Penny follows and finds herself by the side of a fountain filled with pennies. A little boy picks her up and she listens to his whispered wish. 

"She beamed. He can count on me!"

As you can tell, Kimberly is a punny writer (Sorry! I couldn't help it!) and includes world play and puns so that adults will enjoy reading it also. To find out more of Kimberly's "Two Cents on Picking the Perfect Pun," click here for her recent SCBWI-Carolinas post.

AUTHOR & ILLUSTRATOR INTERVIEW

Carol to Kimberly: How did you come up with the idea for A Penny's Worth?

Kimberly: A Penny’s Worth began as a Storystorm 2019 idea. I looked at the coin jug on my kitchen counter and saw something more––a plucky penny on a mission to prove she’s cent-national, despite her face value. Through Penny’s journey, I realized I not only had the opportunity to make readers laugh with countless puns and introduce them to money math, but also to show them the importance of self-worth.

Carol: What was your path to publication?

Kimberly: The writing journey for this book took me to a NJ SCBWI conference in June 2019 where I was asked to revise and resubmit to Page Street Kids. I was thrilled, and after working with them on a few rounds of revisions, they made an offer approximately a year later!

Carol: What did you think of Mark Hoffman's illustrations?

Kimberly: I am a huge fan! When I first saw the character sketches, I was captivated by the colors, dimension, and expressions––and who doesn’t love a penny in pants! When I saw the final art, one of many things I was taken with was the retro feel Mark gave to the arcade and candy shop. 

Carol: What's next?

Kimberly: A DOLLAR'S GRAND DREAM (Spring, 2023, Page Street Kids).

                                                                                ****

Carol to Mark: What medium did you use?

Mark: Acrylic.

Carol: What was it like illustrating this book?

Mark: The book was a lot of fun to work on because it had so much going on with each spread. This meant I got to think of the page like a collage of moments. Hopefully that comes across in the reading of it. 

Carol: Why did you use green so much in the illustrations?

Mark: I wanted to capture a hint of the oxidized copper.

(Carol to herself: And I thought it was because the book was about money!)

A Penny's Worth comes out April 5! Join Kimberly and Mark for their virtual launch which will be moderated by SCBWI-Carolina's own Ashley Belote. And, if you're in Charlotte, NC, come meet Kimberly at Park Road Books (THE independent bookstore in Charlotte) on April 24 for story time and reading. 

GIVEAWAY

To enter this giveaway, just leave me a comment. MAKE SURE YOU LEAVE YOUR EMAIL ADDRESS IF YOU ARE NEW TO MY BLOG! If you already subscribe to my blog, I'll put your name in twice. If you don't already subscribe but decide to follow my blog, I'll add your name for a second chance. Giveaway ends April 7.

Congratulations to Gail Cartee, who edged her way to the front of the crowd last week and won THE VERY OLDEST PEAR TREE.

BATTLE OF THE BUTTS: The Science Behind Animal Behinds-- A Nonfiction Picture Book Review and Author Interview

BATTLE OF THE BUTTS (Running Press, 2021) by Jocelyn Rish with illustrations by David Creighton-Pester, is really about a battle to determine which animal has the best buttocks of all. As Jocelyn tells her young readers in the introduction:

You're the judge in the Battle of the Butts. As you meet each challenger in this battle and learn about their posterior power, it's up to you to rate them:

• Terrific Tushie
• Remarkable Rump
• Cool Caboose
• Passable Posterior
• Boring Backside

What kid can resist being a judge--particularly a judge of animals' backsides?!

With that intriguing set-up, Jocelyn begins this fact-filled and incredibly kid-friendly book. 

REVIEW

Two spreads are dedicated to each of the ten challengers" posteriors: the "Pudgy Posterior" A.K.A. the Manatee; the "Tough Toushie A.K.A. the Wombat; the "Bum Breather" A.K.A. the Fitzroy River Turtle; the "Toot Talker" A.K.A. the Herring; the "Cannon Caboose" A.K.A. the Bombardier Beetle, the "Projectile Pooper" A.K.A. the Silver-Spotted Skipper Caterpillar; the "Fatal Farter" A.K.A The Beaded Lacewing; the "Beach Bum" A.K.A. the Parrotfish; the "Two-headed Tooter" A.K.A. the Sonoran Coral Snake; and the "The Hotel Hiney" A.K.A. The Sea Cucumber. 

(Clearly, Jocelyn has too much time on her hands if all she is doing is sitting around thinking up amazing alliterations!)

The Manatee's Posterior Power

The book begins with the manatee (which by the way, I had the pleasure of swimming with a few years ago. Unfortunately, the water was a little murky so I didn't get to observe their "posterior power" -- they swim using farts!).

Besides that important piece of information, In the "Extra Booty" section I also learned that manatees' intestines are as long as a bowling alley (65 feet) and as wide as a dollar bill (6 inches in diameter). But wait--there's more! 

Butt Bonus: When manatees are unable to poop because they're constipated, they lose buoyancy control and float with their tails higher than the rest of their bodies. Once they are finally able to poop again, they will let out a massive fart and are then able to swim normally.

I know... you've been waiting all your life to know that about manatees, right?

The Wombat's Posterior Power

Jocelyn's research took her far and wide. In the process she found the Australian wombat. You'll never guess what their posterior power is so I'll let you in on a secret---their butts are shields that protect themselves and destroy their enemies! 

If a predator manages to push its head into the entrance, the wombat uses its strong legs to slam its butt against the predator's head. Wham! It crushes the predator's skull against the roof the burrow, killing it. That's one deadly derrière!

 

Not only that, but according to the "Butt Bonus," wombat poop is shaped like cubes. They mark their territory on rocks and logs and the square shape stops the pellets from rolling onto the ground. Pretty amazing, huh?

Whether you want to read more about a turtle who breathes through his butt; herring who communicate through farts ("Bluurp! Hey dude, you're too close to my left, move over a few inches); or the beetle that deploys a chemical poison from his "super soaker butt"--than this is the book for you! Parents, caretakers, teachers--you all will love introducing your pre-school through second grader to these crazily cool creatures. (Uh oh, Jocelyn! Your alliteration is contagious!)

The book ends with a challenge to the kid judges and a glossary highlighting unfamiliar words. Kudos also to artist David Creighton Pester for his clever and colorful illustrations. 

AUTHOR INTERVIEW

In this interview Jocelyn not only shares what's coming up next, but her (very early!) inspiration for writing BUTTS.

CAROL: “Why butts?” Why did you think of this idea in the first place?

JOCELYN: I'm not sure if I should admit this, but I have a pretty terrible Twitter habit. Late one night when I should have been doing something productive (like sleeping!), I was mindlessly scrolling Twitter when I saw an adorable graphic of a manatee that said, “Manatees can control their buoyancy through an endless cycle of farting. There. That’s a thing you know now.” I didn't think that could possibly be true, so I googled, and it was! The best part is the google search also brought up articles about other animals that do weird things with their tushies. From that night of learning funny fanny facts, BATTLE OF THE BUTTS was born!

The picture that started it all.
FUN FACT: Jocelyn has been enamored with manatees since she was a kid.

CAROL: How did you pick these ten animals? 

JOCELYN: As I discovered there were other animals out there with remarkable rumps, I started googling things like: "animals with weird butts" and "funny butt abilities" and other silly terms like that. As new animals came up in searches, I added them to my notes. Then I researched each animal further in scientific journals to separate fact from internet legend. When it came time to decide on the final ten animals, I tried to pick a variety of scientific classifications, with different types of booty abilities, and a mix of water and land (there are five of each). But I still have plenty of animals with funky fannies available to make BATTLE OF THE BUTTS NUMBER 2. 😆

CAROL: I love the judging format. How did you come up with that?

 

JOCELYN: Thank you! As I read about the various fanny facts, I envisioned the animals on stage showing off their tushie talents reality show style, like America’s Got Talent or American Idol. I started playing around with titles like Butts Got Talent or Butt Idol, but those didn’t feel right. When I hit on the alliteration of BATTLE OF THE BUTTS, I immediately knew that was the title. So then I started thinking, if it’s a battle, then there has to be a winner, and if there’s a winner, there should be judges – and of course the kids will be the judges! From there, it was just a matter of hitting up the thesaurus to come up with fun names for each judging category. 

CAROL: The language is very kid-friendly.  Did it take many drafts to get in all the lovely alliteration?  Did you have any kid beta-readers? 

 

JOCELYN: I’m so glad you think so! It was important to me that along with the funny butt facts that the book also be fun to read out loud. I’m actually an alliteration aficionado (probably too much so!), so it kind of comes naturally as I write. I found lists online of synonyms for butts, farts, and poop (there are a shocking number of alternate potty words!) and kept those beside my thesaurus as I wrote my first draft. Then I sent it to my critique partners, and from their feedback, I did some tightening and tweaking. At that point, I felt ready to query, so it was really only two drafts. 

 

My cousin’s son loves animals and nature, so he read it for me and found an issue where I said poisonous rather than venomous when talking about the snake, so that was a great catch (Thanks, Colton!). I also read it with my Reading Partners student, having him mark places that made him laugh and places he didn’t understand. That was very helpful for adding words to the glossary. 

 

CAROL: How has the book been received? Are schools using it? Do you have plans for online curriculum guides? 

 

JOCELYN: Friends and even strangers on social media have been so sweet about sending me videos of their kids reading BUTTS and giggling. One little girl was laughing so hard she fell over sideways on the couch, which totally made my day. So I think kids are enjoying it like I hoped. 

 

I participated in World Read Aloud Day with ten schools last month and had such a blast reading with the kids. They asked such insightful questions. And I’m reading with eight more schools next week for Read Across America Day – I can’t wait! I’d love to have a curriculum guide, but I’ll definitely have to outsource that. It’s on my To Do list! 

CAROL: What awards have you won?

 

For BATTLE OF THE BUTTS, I was thrilled that the Missouri Association of School Librarians included BUTTS on their 2022 Dogwood Book List for Nonfiction.

 

As for non-BUTTS awards, I’ve been fortunate to win several like the 2020 Book Pipeline YA Unpublished Contest, the 2013 SCBWI WIP Grant for Contemporary Novel for Young People, and the 2009 Highlights Fiction contest. 

It’s because of that last one that I first met you because my prize was tuition to the Highlights Chautauqua summer session! 

This picture popped up in Jocelyn's FB feed.
I'd forgotten we were there together!

 

CAROL: What’s next?

 

The illustrator David Creighton-Pester is currently working his magic again on BATTLE OF THE BRAINS, which is scheduled for release on Nov 8, 2022. It’s about ten animals with mind-blowing brain abilities.

 

And I’ve pitch my agent and editor several ideas for a third BATTLE book, so fingers crossed. Also, I was inspired by Tara Lazar’s Storystorm with several fiction ideas, one of which I’m currently scribbling about in my notebook. I hope it shapes into something creepy and fun!

 

GIVEAWAY INFORMATION

No giveaway this time.  I hope my grandkids laugh themselves off the sofa when I read them this book! Congratulations to Joan Edwards who won The View from the Very Best House in Town and to Donna Johnson for winning I Want My Book Back.