Dedicated to Dedications III

Have you ever wondered about the stories behind the dedications in your favorite books?

In this latest addition to our posts about dedications, a few more Picture the Books authors share stories about their dedications. In this rare glimpse behind the scenes, the authors give us insight about who they honored and why.

 

Julie Segal-Water’s debut book, THIS IS NOT A NORMAL ANIMAL BOOK, illustrated by Brian Biggs, will be released on October 31, 2017 by Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books.

Julie dedicated her book to two very, very supportive people in her life.

I dedicated the book to my husband and son because they are my everything. They both also made considerable contributions to the book — from the inspiration arising from reading to my son, to my husband’s push to attend the conference where I met my editor, to cheering for me ceaselessly, and even to suggesting lines that appear in the book. Further, the word “uncompromising,” has double meaning. It refers to my unyielding love for my family, and signals the book’s central meta-fiction conflict — an author who does not want to compromise with the illustrator on how to draw the animals in the book.

 

I HAVE A BALLOON is Ariel Bernstein’s debut picture book. Illustrated by Scott Magoon, and published by Margaret K. McElderry Books/Simon & Schuster. It’s in stores now!

Ariel’s dedication is about the two people who inspired the book. Hint: They happen to be very close to her.

I dedicated my book to my two children because they inspired the story of two characters, an owl and a monkey, who both want a shiny red balloon. My daughter thinks she’s more like Owl and her brother is more like Monkey, which is probably true.

 

Marcie Colleen’s debut, LOVE, TRIANGLE, illustrated by Bob Shea, was just released on October 3^rd from Balzer + Bray.

Marcie’s dedication is to a few of her besties who offered support though the crazy world of children’s publishing.

My three bestest girlfriends are fellow writers Kat Yeh, Joyce Wan, and Amber Alvarez. To say that they complete me would be an understatement. We all met through writing conferences and quickly became a foursome, supporting each other with giggles and tears every step of the way. 

When LOVE, TRIANGLE went to auction, Kat and Joyce, with Amber on speaker phone, held vigil with mimosas and much needed “auction watching.” We started to call our group the Love Quadrangle shortly after. 

It was a no-brainer, come dedication time that this book would be for these very special women in my life. The best part was that I kept it a secret until Kat saw the book at Book Expo America and read the dedication. Sometimes making your BFFs cry is a good thing. 🙂

Emma Otheguy’s first picture book, MARTI’S SONG FOR FREEDOM, illustrated by Beatriz Vidal is available now.

Her dedication story is both inspiring and in Spanish! 

I dedicated this book to my parents, in Spanish, because they were the people who first shared José Martí and Cuban culture with me. In the dedication, I reference our trips down I-95 to visit family in Miami, and how my parents would always point out the royal palms (palmas reales) that reminded them of Cuba. A hundred years earlier, palmas reales had also been a symbol of longing and love for Cuba to José Martí. 

Patricia Toht’s latest picture book, PICK A PINE TREE, is illustrated by Jarvis and published by Candlewick.

This book is appropriately dedicated to her favorite holiday helpers.

 

This book is dedicated to my four children. Our family is crazy about Christmas celebrations and decorating the tree is always a fun, noisy event. Every year I buy the kids new ornaments, usually signifying a special moment from that year. I put little white tags on the ornaments to specify whose is whose (and avoid arguments), and now our tree looks like it is a salesman’s sampler of ornaments!

Andrea J. Loney had two picture books published this year. BUNNY BEAR, illustrated by Carmen Saldana (Albert Whitman and Company, January 2017), and TAKE A PICTURE OF ME, JAMES VANDERZEE, (Lee & Low Books, July 2017), illustrated by Keith Mallett.

 

 

Both are dedicated to special people in her family.

This was my first book dedication and I wasn’t sure who to include — my initial list filled up a whole sheet of paper! But even though my friends and family are scattered across the country, across the world, and even on the other side of the veil, I carry them all in my heart. This dedication was my way of including everyone.

 

 

My maternal grandpa was a classical pianist who toured the music halls of Europe during World War 2, and I grew up in awe of his life-long devotion to elegance and artistry. My paternal granddaddy was a joyful Panamanian party guy with an infectious laugh. He connected with the world through his passion for amateur photography, and everywhere he went in the world people were delighted to befriend him. I am so thrilled that this book blends the sensibilities of both of my beloved grandfathers.

Jannie Ho wrote and illustrated the upcoming picture book, BEAR AND CHICKEN. It will be published by Running press on November 14, 2017.

Her dedication may not be fully appreciated right now, but it certainly will be later!

It is for my daughter, who is a picky eater but always loved soup. She is at a picture book reading age and I thought she would appreciate having her name in a printed book. 

Erica Sirotich’s debut as author/illustrator is FOUND DOGS, published by Dial Books this past summer.

Erica proves that no one says you’re required to dedicate your books to a human. Erica’s dedication is to the inspiration behind the book!

 

 

FOUND DOGS is dedicated to my best friend Russell. He’s my thirteen year old terrier. Found Dogs is a counting book about adopting dogs 

from the city shelter and was inspired by his story. Russ was one of those dogs who ended up at an overcrowded animal services facility and had very little time to make it out. On his last day there, he w

as given a second chance by a rescue group. I found Russell a couple weeks later and knew he was the one. Ten years later, he is still the best buddy and studio-mate a girl could ask for. In Found 

Dogs, all the dogs are as lucky as Russ; each one meets his perfect person and goes home. 

 

Two Debut Interview – Gina Perry

Today’s Picture the Books Two Debut Interview, Debut author Ariel Bernstein interviews debut author Gina Perry about Gina’s illustrator debut, IT’S GREAT BEING A DAD (written by Dan Bar-El)! 

Ariel: Gina, congratulations on your picture book debut, IT’S GREAT BEING A DAD!

Gina: Thank you so much, Ariel! I still love that the word debut applies to something in my life. It sounds so formal and celebratory!

Ariel: If you could choose to live in the world of any picture book, which world would it be? Why?

Gina: When I’m working hard on final artwork for a picture book it seems like I live in that world. It’s a wonderful, immersive feeling. If I had to pick another world, it would be Emily Hughes’ Wild. Her environments are gorgeous and mysterious and who wouldn’t want to roll around with friendly (but wild) foxes!

Ariel: You get to pick a pen name – what is it?

Gina: I actually have a pen name! My maiden name is Perry. My married name is very similar (it even rhymes!) so it gets a tad confusing at times. I do like the slight bit of intrigue of having an alias.

Ariel: If you could take credit for ANY other published PB out there, which one would you choose?

Gina: Oh, just about anything by Peter Brown but especially MY TEACHER IS A MONSTER! (NO, I AM NOT.) It has all my favorite things in a picture book: humor, horror, friendship, and a revelation. Every last visual detail is lush but also adds to the story.

Ariel: How many siblings do you have and where do you fall in the birth order? Did it matter?

Gina: I am one of three girls, and as I’ve heard all my life, “She’s the baby.” Being the youngest had an enormous impact on my life. I had a lot more freedom and independence, but I was also interested in very different things growing up (books, school, art) so I carved my own path rather than following anything they had done before.

Ariel: Tell me about the pet/s you had growing up.

Gina: Dogs were always part of our home. My favorite little guy was a Lhasa Apso mutt named Fred. He always looked dirty, attacked the mail as it came in the mail slot, and was generally disliked by most of my family. But he waited for me to come home each day and spent all his time with me. There is something really special about having a dog show loyalty to just you in a busy household. That helped me overlook some of his other personality (and hygiene) quirks.

Ariel: Most fun or funniest job you’ve had, besides author/illustrator?

Gina: My first job after college was at a small animation studio in Boston called Olive Jar Studios. It almost felt like an extension of college: all young creatives, fun work, long hours, lots of take-out. I get to impress my kids that I once worked on Pillsbury Doughboy and Nesquik commercials. It also doesn’t hurt that it’s where I met my husband!

Ariel: What do you think would be the perfect Father Day activity?

Gina: Well, hopefully you have a copy of IT’S GREAT BEING A DAD to read, followed by cards and goofy gifts for Dad, a big homemade breakfast spread, and a family ping pong tournament.

Ariel: You have two debut books this year – congratulations! IT’S GREAT BEING A DAD, written by Dan Bar-el and illustrated by you, and SMALL, which you both wrote and illustrated. How did it compare to illustrate a book you wrote versus one written by another author?

Gina: Thank you! I had been working on SMALL for such a long time before it was acquired that it felt easy-breezy and thrilling to actually get down to final art. IT’S GREAT BEING A DAD required a lot more time to brainstorm character, setting, and compositions. I worked on them back to back so it felt more like a happy blur than anything else. I fully admit to tearing up while working on both books. It has been a long journey to publication and I felt the joy of reaching a huge career goal every day.

Ariel: Do you have any advice for illustrators about preparing for a debut publication?

Gina: Absolutely! Don’t be afraid to ask questions – you have lots of advocates wanting the book to succeed. Reach out to anyone who can help you navigate new waters. I have moments where I feel totally clueless about marketing, but I know I can ask friends, my agent, my publicist and find the answers I need.

Ariel: What’s next for you? Are you currently working on a new project?

Gina: I am working on final art for my next picture book as author/illustrator, TOO MUCH! NOT ENOUGH! to be published by Tundra, Summer 2018. This was my very first completed dummy and I am over the moon to get this book into the world. After that I will be working on another picture book for Tundra and hopefully submitting an early reader series proposal that I’ve been too busy to finish.

DEBUT AUTHOR BIO

Gina Perry is an author and illustrator working under the tall pines in New Hampshire.

She grew up in Massachusetts, drawing, playing with yarn, and burning through all the books in the library. Gina went to Syracuse University and worked in animation and as an art director before realizing that children’s books were her true calling. Her debut picture book, It’s Great Being a Dad (Tundra, April 4, 2017) , written by Dan Bar-el, is a hilarious story about imagination, play, and the best parts about being a dad. Her picture book debut as author/illustrator, Small (little bee books, August 1, 2017), is an empowering story about a small girl in the city, who shows us what happens if you take one big and brave step. Future books include Too Much Not Enough (Tundra, Summer 2018) and a yet untitled picture book (Tundra, Summer 2019). Visit her at ginaperry.com or on twitter @ginamarieperry or instagram @ginapineapple

INTERVIEWER BIO

Ariel Bernstein is the author of I HAVE A BALLOON, illustrated by Scott Magoon (Paula Wiseman Books/Simon and Schuster, Sept. 26, 2017) and the chapter book series WARREN & DRAGON, illustrated by Mike Malbrough (Viking Children’s, Summer 2018). You can find Ariel online at http://www.arielbernsteinbooks.com , and on Twitter @ArielBBooks .

Stay up-to-date with all the Picture the Books debuts, news, and interviews on Twitter at @picturethebooks, on Instagram @picturethebooks and by becoming a follower of our website/blog using the Follow button on this page!

Two Debut Interview – Lori Richmond

 

In today’s Picture the Books Two Debut Interview, debut author Camille Andros discusses PAX AND BLUE with debut author/illustrator Lori Richmond.

 

PAX AND BLUE is illustrator Lori Richmond’s authorial debut (Simon and Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books, Fall 2017). Pax is the littlest everywhere he goes. In school. At playtime. On the train. Then Pax meets a pigeon at the park—he names him Blue and makes a friend who knows what it’s like to be small. And understanding each other can lead to the best friendships. You can purchase Pax and Blue now, or ask for it at your favorite bookseller.

 

CAMILLE: Hi, Lori!  I thought we could take a page out of Cece Bell and Lauren Castillo’s pro book and have a conversation like they did on Phil and Erin Stead’s Number Five Bus blog.

Which brings up several of my favorite things…Cece Bell, Lauren, and the Stead’s. It doesn’t get much better than those four, does it? You are lucky enough to know Lauren right? When did you guys meet?

 

LORI: Yes! Lauren was a former student of my husband’s at School of Visual Arts MFA program. But the first time she and I personally connected was at her reading of CITY CAT at Greenlight Bookstore in Brooklyn. 

CAMILLE: Ahhh…the Brooklyn connection. Nice! CITY CAT is adorable. It reminds me a bit of YOUR darling new book PAX AND BLUE!

Do you have favorite authors and/or illustrators that inspire you and your work or PAX AND BLUE specifically?

LORI:  I know, Brooklyn is everywhere, especially in kid lit. I absolutely love Bernard Waber’s LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE. Lyle is this big green thing on every page that stands out against all the neutral backgrounds. I wanted PAX AND BLUE to be a modern version of this. Since the story is about the emotional connection between two friends, I wanted them to really stand out on every page and have their surroundings recede. The background people and environments all visually blend together in the same shade of purple-y gray to allow the eye to go right to Pax and Blue. Was that answer too long?

 

CAMILLE: Not at all. I love it! I love to hear the process/reasoning behind the story and the art. I’m not an illustrator but the art has always been my favorite part of picture books. I love LYLE, LYLE CROCODILE and I love how you incorporated the elements you loved from it into PAX AND BLUE.

Do you remember CRICTOR by Tommi Ungerer? I remember staring at those pictures for what seemed like hours. I was fascinated by the idea of a friendly helpful snake.

How does your process work? Do you come up with the story first and then art or does an image come to you that you create a story around?

LORI:  The story always comes first. Even if the full narrative isn’t there, there is some idea or basic outline in place before I begin drawing. I admire those artists who live with characters for years in their sketchbook and have a lightning strike. That never, ever happens to me. It’s usually not even raining. Writing is hard.

CAMILLE:  I think so too. The only time I’ve ever had a lightning strike was when I was a senior in high school and I hadn’t finished an AP English assignment to write a Thanksgiving poem. My subconscious must have worked on it all night because I woke up early the next morning and wrote the weirdest, wackiest, poem in about one minute flat about decapitating a Thanksgiving Turkey. My teacher read it to every class, and I was so proud. I wish I knew what happened to that poem.

Someone asked me this question once and I thought it was interesting. If you could take credit for writing/illustrating one picture book already out there, which one would it be and why?

LORI:  Fun question! I really love THE CARROT SEED by Ruth Krauss and Crockett Johnson. It is deceptively simple with spare text and simple drawings of figures without environments. But the message of never giving up on what you believe in is so universal and timeless.

CAMILLE:  Yes! It’s the deceptively simple books that are some of the best. I could go back and forth picking your brilliant brain like this every day, but I should let you get back to creating beautiful books.

I’ll leave you with this one last question. If you could tell anything to your six-year old self what would you say?

LORI: “Lori, when you are in 5th grade, you will win the school spelling bee on the word ‘bivouac.’ This will happen after a several-round final battle against a kid named Billy. It will be an incredible triumph that you will continue to share with people when you’re 40.”

CAMILLE:  I can’t think of a better note to end on. Thanks Lori!

Now, everyone should go check out PAX AND BLUE available wherever books are sold!

Lori Richmond is a corporate creative director turned picture book author-illustrator. Her first solo book, Pax and Blue (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books), released February 2017. Her second solo book, Bunny’s Staycation (Scholastic), will debut in 2018. Lori is also the illustrator of A Hop is Up! (Bloomsbury) and two more books coming in 2018. As a former contributing editor and media spokesperson for pregnancy and parenting brand, The Bump, Lori has appeared as a sought-after expert on all things baby on TODAY, Good Morning America, CNN, and more. She lives and creates with her family in Brooklyn, NY. Learn more about Lori at www.LoriDraws.com and on Twitter @loririchmond

 

Camille Andros is the author of Charlotte the Scientist is Squished, her picture book debut, illustrated by Brianne Farley (HMHKids/Clarion, March 2017). She loves asking questions and won first place in the school science fair when she was in Kindergarten. She lives in Chapel Hill, North Carolina with her husband and six children who know a little something about being squished. Visit Camille online at www.camilleandros.com on Twitter @camdros, and Instagram @camilleandros.

 

Stay up-to-date with all the Picture the Books debuts, news, and interviews on Twitter at @picturethebooks, on Instagram @picturethebooks and by becoming a follower of our website/blog using the Follow button on this page!

Dedicated to Dedications

by Peter McCleery

For an author, choosing your dedication is one of the most satisfying milestones of being published. It’s the moment when you get to thank that special someone who helped make it all possible. And for a first time author it’s even more special. You’ll never have a first dedication ever again.

Have you ever wondered about the stories behind the dedications in your favorite books? In today’s post, a few Picture the Books authors share their stories about who they chose and why.

Annie Silvestro’s book BUNNY’S BOOK CLUB, illustrated by Tatiana Mai-Wyss, will be released by Doubleday Books for Young Readers on February 7th.

Annie dedicated her book to three people!

Bunny loves books, so I dedicated the story to my husband, Joe, who collects art books and built a floor-to-ceiling bookshelf to contain them. 

Also, to our son Sam, who sets new records for books checked out each time we go to the library, and who is never, ever, without one.

And finally, to our son Charlie, another avid book-lover who especially adores being read to while cuddling (which I also adore).

I love these three bookworms most in the world! They help, encourage, and inspire me in countless ways every day. I will be forever grateful!

PAX AND BLUE is Lori Richmond’s debut as both author and illustrator. It releases on February 7^th from Paula Wiseman Books/S&S.

Her dedication story involves some serious crying in public.

When I received the email from my editor that she needed my dedication for PAX AND BLUE, I was spending the hour before a parent-teacher conference working in the café at Whole Foods, a supermarket near my sons’ school. I thought about how I could possibly express what I wanted to say to my boys in just a line or two of text, and how incredibly special it was that my first book would be for them. Soon, I had full-on tears rolling down my cheeks, I was blowing my nose, my eyes were turning all red and puffy… total mess. I got some serious side-eye from the woman sitting next to me, who was just trying to enjoy her morning coffee and muffin in peace.

 

 

 

Michelle Schaub’s debut, FRESH-PICKED POETRY: A DAY AT THE FARMERS’ MARKET, illustrated by Amy Huntington, is being published on March 14^th by Charlesbridge.

Her dedication story sounds delicious.

I have been exploring farmers’ markets with my three children since I was pushing them from vendor to vendor in strollers. (My youngest is now 14!) Many of the poems in Fresh-Picked were inspired by adventures I’ve had with my children at various markets around the country, so dedicating the book to them was a natural choice.

 

Peter McCleery’s first book, BOB AND JOSS GET LOST!, illustrated by Vin Vogel, releases February 28^th  from HarperCollins.

His dedication is, um, well, we’ll let him explain.

I dedicated this book to my wife Stephanie. No, she is not a marmot. “Nice marmot” is a line from the movie The Big Lebowski which we watched on our first date. My wife is the reason I am able to write at all. She supports me in countless ways, but mostly by never mentioning how annoying it is to be married to someone who writes children’s books. She doesn’t complain about the lack of income, the hours spent away from family, or how I relentlessly talk about children’s books. She just lets me do it. How awesome is that?

Heather Preusser’s debut picture book, A SYMPHONY OF COWBELLS, illustrated by Eileen Ryan Ewen, releases on March 15^th by Sleeping Bear Press.

Heather’s dedication is a behind-the-scenes look at how she was inspired.

I’m dedicating this book to my husband, Jan, and my sister-in-law, Wiebke. Wiebke’s adventures on a Swiss dairy farm inspired my story. She too encountered a stubborn cow who, similar to Elfi, refused to parade to the high meadows when her big, booming bell was traded for a tiny one that merely tinkled.

Gretchen Brandenburg McLellan’s first picture book, MRS. MCBEE LEAVES ROOM 3, illustrated by Grace Zong, is being by published by Peachtree on April 1.

Gretchen’s dedication is what dedications are all about. A touching tribute to someone special.

“To Susan Champion, who left us all too soon”

The impact of teachers leaving a class or school can shake a child’s world. I wrote my debut picture book MRS. MCBEE LEAVES ROOM 3 when my school district was experiencing growing pains with the impending opening of a new school, and children and teachers alike were uncertain where they would end up in the fall. At the same time, a dear friend and fellow teacher had already said good-bye to her class. She was losing her final battle with breast cancer. Telling Susan that I was dedicating my first book to her was the last gift I gave her. 

We hope you enjoyed getting to know the very special stories behind these dedications. Check out our BOOKS and CREATORS pages for even more insider information on 2017 debut picture books. And don’t forget to follow us here and on Twitter and IG @picturethebooks! We’ll be sharing lots of excitement all year long.

Picture the Books Launch Week Giveaway

 

THE RAFFLECOPTER IS NOW CLOSED! THANKS TO EVERYONE WHO ENTERED!

Prize winners will be announced soon. 

We are so thrilled to be launching Picture the Books site, and we want to spread the excitement and anticipation we feel when we think about our upcoming picture books. It’s a special time for all of us, and we’ve got some special gifts for all of you!

Please, take a few minutes to explore the Picture the Books site, to follow us on Twitter and Instagram, and to get to know our amazing members and their books. If you’re a teacher, librarian, or bookseller, we’d love your thoughts on the resources you are most likely to use, so we can support your work with the people who matter most – the readers!

And to thank you for taking the time to get to know us, we’ve got some amazing prizes.

Please complete the Rafflecopter  to enter. You could win a Skype visit with one of our fabulous authors or illustrators, signed art from an upcoming picture book, or the grand prize: a year of signed debut picture books!*

Prizes include:

30 min Skype visits with: Chana Stiefel, Emma Otheguy, Carter Higgins, Julie Segal-Walters, Katey Howes, Anna Forrester, Lori Richmond, Patricia Toht, Joy Keller

Signed art from Erica Sirotich’s Found Dogs

A year* of signed debut picture books from Picture the Books members.

*Due to the unpredictability of the publishing industry, books may not arrive one per calendar month, but winner is guaranteed a minimum of twelve signed books between February 2017 and February 2018.