What inspired you to write THIS LITTLE PIGGY: AN OWNER’S MANUAL?

There were a lot of different inspirations for this book as it evolved. The idea first sparked when I found the word “hogwash” funny. I was just minding my own business, doodling on the couch when I heard someone on whatever show my family was watching say “hogwash,” and I got images in my head of kids trying to bathe a pig. The first version of my story was pretty much a long-running (and probably annoying) joke of having to bathe and immediately re-bathe, over and over, a pig named Snowflake. I had originally intended to title my project HOGWASH, but I found a couple of other children’s books with that title. Still, I finished creating the story, and my agent and I submitted it as THE ULTIMATE PIG CARE HANDBOOK. Eventually, it became THIS LITTLE PIGGY: AN OWNER’S MANUAL. 

In your story, Brother and Sister's mother is quite obsessive about her garden, and is not at all keen on them getting a pet pig. Any similar childhood experiences?
 
My own mother was equally obsessive and overly-fond of her garden, so much so that I used to tell her I hated her flowers and didn’t want to have to look at them. She (jokingly, I think) threatened to ground me once if I didn’t come look at her garden, so she partly inspired the mom-character in the book. (Incidentally, she still makes me look at her garden when I visit her, but I don’t mind so much anymore.) 

I also desperately wanted a pet when I was a kid and embarked on a many-years-long campaign of pestering my dad to let me get a puppy. When I turned 15, I changed tactics and my friend Rozz and I conspired. She got me a kitten for my birthday and I begged and made sad faces until my dad gave in and said I could keep him. 

In your illustrations, you chose to depict a blended family. Any particular reason why? 

I wanted to depict a blended family where two single adults with children come together. Brother and Sister are step-siblings, with the emphasis on siblings. There is also a dad in This Little Piggy’s family, he just didn’t make it into the final version, as Mom is the one they ultimately have to convince.

Why did you decide to tell the story using a comic-book style for a format, and was this type of book fun to create?

I think stories aimed at kids who are emerging or struggling readers work really well in a hybrid chapter book/graphic novel format. Speech bubbles help to break up the text into smaller blocks so it’s not as daunting to read. The pictures help them to decode the words and also provide a lot of humor and interest to hold their attention. Aladdin Pix books are part chapter book, part graphic novel, and part picture book. 

Besides, comic books are just cool and even cooler to create. 

As both the writer and the illustrator of this book, please share your process. 

For this story, I wrote the words first, then sketched the illustrations, but I made art notes for myself while writing. More recently, on a new project, I’ve simultaneously written the text and drew rough thumbnail sketches, and that’s been a really fun and productive way for me to work. 

Did you do a lot of research about pigs for this project?

I researched pigs because I wanted to include a few fun facts in the text, but the drawings of Snowflake came from my head with no visual reference. I meant for him to look like a child’s drawing. I also wanted the original version to appear like it was a how-to manual written by kids for other kids. I had painted lined paper, added the characters with a stick-figure feel to them, and doodled all over the pages. But that ended up being a bit busy.

I still drew the kids and Snowflake to be reminiscent of stick figures. And as the narrator of the book, I talk directly to the kids as if advising them on how to care for their pet pig. (Unfortunately, I don't always give them the best advice.)

What did you love about working with Karen and Laura, your editor and art director, throughout this project?

Karen and Laura are oodles of fun to work with! We had a few conference calls with all three of us to go over the art and text together as the book was developing, and my cheeks hurt from laughing so much. Plus, they are both brilliantly creative and come up with fantastic ideas. I couldn’t be happier with the outcome. 

When revising as per the suggestions of your agent, editor, and art director, what were some of the challenges? But why are you glad you made those changes? 

Adriann is a gifted editorial agent and is always super insightful and sharp. She suggested I cut short the running gag of the never-ending bath, and impose more of a narrative. So I went back to the drawing board, and included other kinds of pig care into the plot. The story ended with the kids doing a great job caring for him, and then presenting Snowflake to mom. (Only the house, garden, and yard are pretty much destroyed.) So Adriann's suggestions allowed me to further explore the family-pet relationship of the kids and Snowflake.

The biggest change I made came from Karen, my editor's, suggestion. After she acquired the project, she wanted me to turn the original story, a picture book, into a chapter book. So I had to start almost from scratch to expand the story. I really love the new version and I’ve recently discovered that a lot of my unpublished picture books really need to be chapter books, too. 

On the design end, Laura, my art director, asked me to redesign sister's look. Originally, Sister was wearing a purple dress with a strawberry on it. Her hair was similar, wavy and flowed horizontally, but it wasn’t pulled back from her face. She also wore big, red-rimmed glasses. Laura thought she looked a bit too granny-ish. She asked me to re-draw Sister wearing shorts like her brother. I  mulled over her suggestion, and opted to dress Sister in clam-diggers, as they were one of my favorite things to wear when I was a kid. I removed Sister's glasses and tied up her hair, and I think she’s absolutely adorable now.

When you received your box of author copies, what did you love about the final product? 

As of this writing, I haven't received my author copies yet, but my lovely and thoughtful editor, Karen Nagel, surprised me with two advance final copies, tied in a pretty red ribbon. I was thrilled! I think Aladdin makes beautiful books. I was giddy over the finishing details: spot gloss on the front and back paper-over-board cover, beautiful red end pages, and high quality interior pages. It’s a chapter book but it’s picture book quality. It will endure many readings and after-reading hugs. (Or am I the only one who hugs their books?) 

What kind of fun activities do you have in store for your book launch and school visits?

I live in a small town in Canada, so I haven’t really planned anything....yet. I did recently visit a school where I gave four presentations. I read from THIS LITTLE PIGGY and we did a few fun activities, including making our own Pet Wish-List, like brother does in the book. I’m pretty shy and get some serious stage fright, so I find in-person and even online visits a bit scary, but I am trying to be more outgoing and social these days. The kids are just too much fun.

What do you hope kids who read this book will carry away with them?

That being yourself is what matters most.

Brother and Sister want to adopt Snowflake as a member of the family. They think Mom will accept Snowflake only if he is well-groomed, eats his veggies, stays out of the compost, and wins a prize at the fair. Snowflake isn’t the perfect pig the kids thought they needed him to be, but they love him anyway, and are determined to keep him. But they have to convince mom. In the end, Snowflake is just being himself (chasing after some pesky crows eating Mom’s garden). He manages to win over Mom. She thinks, like Brother and Sister, that he is SOME pig. 

Oh, and I also hope kids will agree with Snowflake that eating jelly doughnuts is awesome (just not stale ones from the compost)!

It's a rare thing for me to find a book that I literally cannot put down. But that is exactly what happened when I checked out from my library GARVEY'S CHOICE. This middle-grade novel-in-verse begs for you to turn the page. For one thing, the words are spun absolutely beautiful. They are sparse, yet packed with emotion. They are simple yet profound. They are placed on the stream of a heartfelt story like stones across a bubbling brook. You simply can't help but to skip across.

Another thing that kept me reading is that I had an immediate connection with Garvey, a young man who struggles to find acceptance at school, at home, and within himself. The main reason, however, I read GARVEY'S CHOICE in one sitting is that I just had to find out how things would turn out for Garvey. I had to see him through to the end.

​It's no wonder GARVEY's CHOICE, written by an amazing poet and an award-winning author, Nikki Grimes, and published in October 2016 by Wordsong, an imprint of Boyd's Mill's Press, has garnered so much literary praise, being chosen as a Kirkus Review Best Book of the Year, a School Library Journal Best Book of the Year, and a ALA Quick Pick for Reluctant Readers, among many others.

While GARVEY'S CHOICE is a timeless book for all ages, it is a perfect book for middle-grade readers, for the issues Garvey faces are those many younger teens of today face, too. Like Garvey, they may suffer from a lack of self-worth and use food to compensate. Like Garvey's father who would rather find his son on a basketball court than with his nose inside a book, their parents may unwittingly make them feel like they can never measure up. And like Garvey, they may find that being the popular kid in school may not ever be their reality.

But young ones who read this book will come to appreciate as Garvey did that one or two genuine friends, especially the kind who cheer you on, are better than a hundred superficial ones, and that standing up for yourself and believing in yourself is something within everyone's reach.

​What do you love about the process of illustrating children's books?

I love that in trying to incite the imagination of children I can be as creative as I want to be. I cannot express how rewarding it is to do this for a living, to have the chance to bring a story to life!

How did you find your way into the field of kidlit illustration?

Ever since I was a little girl, I’ve always wanted to be an artist. I went to college for fine art, not knowing where that path would lead me, but in my free time I drew illustrations for fun. It was only when I graduated and had more spare time to create anything my heart desired (which mainly consisted of fairies, mermaids and other mythical beings) that I accepted my true calling of being a kidlit illustrator.  

Afterwards, I devoted my time and energy to learning about the children’s book industry and how to show my work to the right audience. I also got involved with organizations like SCBWI, and I began posting my artwork on social media. Eventually, I found myself in a niche with other kidlit enthusiasts who shared my passion for literature and art.

 What is your process for creating characters that show natural, kid-like expressions? 

Simply put, I sketch a lot. When I’m not working on an assignment, I like to experiment by playing around with different facial features and expressions. And when I remember to do so, I carry around my sketchbook, in case I come across a person with interesting features, or if inspiration happens to strike.

What are you working on now?

At the moment I am working on two children’s books that will be published in 2018. The first is a picture book about a sweet little girl who loves to wear her mother’s khimar, a head covering worn by some Muslim women. The second is a picture book biography about the talented Janet Collins who was the first African American prima ballerina to perform at New York’s Metropolitan Opera House. I’m really excited for everyone to see these books when they’re published!

Any advice for kidlit artists regarding developing a personal style?

Draw as often as you can until you feel comfortable and proud of the artwork you produce. I believe you’ll have a gut feeling when your work is coming together because it will just feel right. Also, I highly recommend that you look at a variety of illustrators’ artwork. I have found this to be very inspiring, and hopefully it will light a fire within you to create something amazing.   

Why do you love creating illustrations with children in mind?
 
Children know how to play. Everything is possible for them. Everything has the power to amaze them. I love their minds, their ability to fly. What is there not to enjoy and love about making their little hearts sing?
 
What type of children's books would you like to illustrate?
 
I’m really new to the book-illustrating business, but I do love the creative process of taking a story and making it fly, using my art to add magic to it. There’s so much drama in our lives, and so it brings me joy to be able to add happiness to the world through my art. I love happy and shiny.
 
Describe your process.
 
First, I do an observational study of whatever I’m going to draw—animals, bugs, plants. I capture the detail, the structure, what makes them what they are. That is my sketching stage. Then, I add to the sketching process by finding my way, my style when drawing them. Once I have decided how I’ll draw them, I begin the first stage of the artwork, the painting stage. At this point, I use a very loose expression of the animal’s shape and colour. Next, I add the contours. The inking stage is usually the last step. Finally, I do a last check-up, inspecting the piece for all the fine details.
 
Of course, in the case of illustrating a book, I will have to do extra sketches and put on paper my ideas for every scene. I’ll have to express through my art the core message of the book. It will be a wonderful process where I will need to get in touch with the author’s feelings and thoughts for that particular scene, and then see what I can add to that.
 
What stylistic choices do you make in order to instill so much joy and fun into your illustrations?
 
I love impressionism, the use of colour and expressing the core of things without needing to create perfect contours. I love lines. Lines add strength and structure. While loose lines make us feel relaxed somehow. I love naivety too, and I try to infuse a naive sense of perspective into the space and volume of the piece. I love the happiness I find in colours. I love happy. Mostly, I try to create something that instills part of my soul into whatever I’m creating.

​Tell me about yourself. Have you always loved drawing?
 
Yes! Since I was a little girl, I loved to craft, to paint, to draw and create all kind of things. When I was five, I invented a stamping process for myself. I made tons of landscapes with trees using ink. I even sold them! I made clay sculptures and sold them, too. I held weekly drawing contests with my best friend and we had a lot of fun selecting a theme for it and choosing the winners. My friend and I took the drawings to a professional art teacher, my mom’s friend, and she critiqued the drawings. She was lovely and taught us a lot during those two years of contests.
 
What was your path toward being a professional illustrator?
 
I graduated college with a degree in computer science. I moved to a small town, apart from my parents, and started working as a computer-programming teacher at the local university. In the meantime, my dad sent me a surprise gift—a small drawing tablet. I loved it. It was like starting my creative process all over again! Many years later, after developing my own digital style, I got in touch with my current mentor and art teacher, Carlos Palacios. I’ve been his student for four years now. He has been teaching me how to draw portraits and academic drawing, using paper and pencil--old-school stuff. The learning process has been fun and hard work, a rewarding experience.
 
How has living in Argentina influenced your artistic style?
 
Hmmm. I’m not sure it has influenced me at all. I supposed there must be an influence, as I am Argentinian, but I can’t tell you exactly what it could possibly be! I am online a lot. Like a lot. I’m always admiring amazing artists and illustrators. And I’m always taking online courses.
 
Have you been able to quit your day job in order to illustrate full-time?
 
Not yet. I am still teaching about computers at the local university. But I do sell my handicrafts, hand-painted journals, and art locally. On my online store, I sell hand-crafted miniatures and prints of my work on bags, mugs, shower curtains, pillows, clocks... I’d love to one day have a big art studio where I can work all day long, but right now, when my day-job is done, I go home and make my crafts, or paint, or go to my computer and do what I love—create art.

Along with the other orphaned children, Emmie marches along reluctantly with her gas mask in hand. She is being led away from London, for it's 1939 and the war has made the city too dangerous of a place to live. So she must board a train for the country and find protection at Misselthwaite Hall, the manor house of the patron of the orphanage, Mrs. Craven.
Emmie wants to take Lucy, the stray cat she'd been feeding, along with her. But Emmie has to leave Lucy behind. (Stray cats do not like being placed in baskets.) Emmie is upset. Who will feed Lucy now? And what if the poisonous gas comes? How will Lucy escape? But Emmie is left no choice. She must follow the matrons to her new home.

​Once at Misselthwaite, Emmie begins to discover the secrets of old rooms and passageways, and the freedom of being outdoors. How she loves the smell of the country, the sounds of the country, being in the country! And when a friendly robin takes an interest in her, Emmie can scarcely believe it. Eventually, Emmie follows the bird and ends up beyond a vine-covered door inside a wall and into a well-kept garden. Emmie wonders why this beautiful garden is tucked away. Soon Emmie, from the pages of an old diary, has the answer. This garden once was the secret place of a lonely, little girl named Mary. Perhaps this garden would be Emmie's secret place, too! If only Lucy were there to enjoy it!
​Emmie, however, soon realizes that this garden is not so secret after all. Once, while hidden from sight, she sees Mrs. Craven slipping quietly into the garden to tend the roses. And that rude boy of the house, Jack, he knows all about the garden, too. Still, the garden becomes a place where Emmie can truly feel at home. Then one day, terrible news reaches Misselthwaite, and the old gardener tells Emmie she must keep away from the garden. Will Emmie have to stay away from the garden for good? Will she ever see Lucy again? Will the war take all that is good in Emmie's life away--forever? You'll just have to pick up a copy of RETURN TO THE SECRET GARDEN to find out.
Young readers who love the Classics will enjoy this book, a sequel to THE SECRET GARDEN written by, Frances Hodgson Burnett. As a historical-fiction novel for independent middle-grade readers, RETURN TO THE SECRET GARDEN has a timeless quality about it. There is a bit of a mystery interwoven in the tale, and young readers will enjoy unraveling it. RETURN TO THE SECRET GARDEN is written by Holly Webb, and is published by Sourcebooks Jabberwocky (November 2016).

Personalize it or get to the story's point?
I don't mind a line or two of personalization, but I definitely want to get right into the story quickly. I know what I'm looking for. I want to hear about the character and their conflict--that's what's going to make me decide whether to keep reading or not.

How to personalize?
I definitely love getting a line or two about the author in their bio--even if it's just something personal and not related to writing accomplishments. And I'm a big fan of comp titles. I love to read, and when a writer and I have favorite books in common that makes me think we could be a good match.

Perfectly personal
I love the books and authors I represent and I never get tired of hearing someone else say so too, especially if they mention loving a book that's similar to theirs. If an author is querying a YA Historical for instance and they mention that they loved A Death-Struck Year, that is a good sign I might like this project too.

Too personal, people!
Someone told me once that they lived only a few streets away from my apartment which was creepy. It's never a good sign when someone tells me that they really like my picture on our website or that my smile "looks chipper." A certain amount of professionalism should start the agent-author relationship in a query. 

 Suzie Townsend  has been part of the team at New Leaf Literary & Media since its inception in 2012. Suzie represents all brands of children’s and adult fiction. On the children’s side, she particularly loves YA and MG, those with strong characters and voice-driven stories that break out of the typical tropes of their genres. She’s always looking for unique voices in stories. Suzie can be found online HERE and Tweeting @sztownsend81.

Personalize it or get to the story's point?
I prefer the straightforward approach, unless the writer actually knows me. For instance, if they met me at a conference, interacted with me on Twitter, etc., I want to know that.

How to personalize?
This may be a good example for personalization to lead into a query:

Hi Uwe,
 
I was inspired at the conference to pick up your client's book, SONG OF SUMMER. I’m on vacation right now, and just wanted to let you know I just finished it. It was wonderful. I couldn’t put it down, and have the sunburn to prove it. It really swept me away!

So yeah, if a writer says they read something one of my client's wrote and honestly loved it, that is something I'd enjoy hearing.

Too personal, people!
If someone does not know me and tells me things about myself that they would only know if they extensively googled me beyond a professional level, then I might feel that the writer kind of stalked me, which may creep me out. It all depends though. It is one of those "I get that weird feeling when I read it" kind of thing.

Personalize it or get to the story's point?
I definitely like for writers to personalize their queries to me. It shows me that they're not just randomly picking names of agents out of a hat to query, but that they've chosen me for some specific reason. And I love knowing what that reason is!

How to personalize?
I'd love to know why a writer is querying me. Is it because of something I said on my blog/Twitter/Tumblr, or in person at a conference? A client's book they read and loved? Tell me why you want ME to read your book, not just any agent.

Perfectly-personal example, please.
Keep it simple, like:

​I loved ANNA AND THE FRENCH KISS by Stephanie Perkins, and I hope you enjoy my boarding school story, X. Or I follow Maureen Johnson on Twitter, and I hope my novel about people in jars will likewise entertain you.

With a precautionary pause
Be wary of just randomly naming clients from my list and blindly praising them. If you're a client's critique partner, great, please say so. But be warned, if you say, "I love your client's [unpublished] book, and I hope you like this just as much!" I immediately doubt that you've actually done any research on me or my list.

Too personal, people!
Comments about pictures I post publicly of my kids maybe fine, but you saying you followed me into Target the other day--that is a little scary.

​Personalize it or get to the story's point?
Personally, I think the query letter should be concise, easy-to-read, and yes, personalized. I actually focus way more on the first and third paragraphs (Note, there should only be three paragraphs), the introduction (which should be personalized to connect to me) and the bio (which tells me about you). Most writers have a hard time doing synopses of their books so I give them the benefit of the doubt.

How to personalize?
At the very least mention this interview. (Smile.) Make sure you spell names correctly. Otherwise, it is good advice to find agents by looking in the acknowledgements in books you like or that compare to the one you are writing and contact that agent, referencing the book (which is personalizing it).  

Personal & true. 
If a writer drops mention of a book I've represented, I'd like to know they've legitimately read it. That said, be sure if you reference a client's book as "great" it's already been published. Otherwise, I can see through the comparison. If I'm honest, even then I'll give the querier a break, as it still means they did some research. But if a writer says my client Kate Beaton recommended them, I'll find out very quickly if it's untrue, and I'll toss the pages without reading. 

Personal pictures?
There is NO need for you to send pictures of yourself. 

What did you and Libby enjoy about creating the book trailer for RACE CAR DREAMS?  

We had such fun bringing Sharon’s words and Dave Mottram’s art together in the video to complement the awesome book they created.

On a personal note, this project was special because it was the first collaboration for my daughter, Libby, and I. We each have a different skill set, so it was amazing for us to be able to bring them both together.

How did you snag the assignment to create the book-trailer for RACE CAR DREAMS? 

I've been creating author websites for about seven years now (Sharon is a client), and Libby has been editing personal videos since middle school.

When Sharon asked if I created book trailers, I said, “I don't, but I know someone who is great with video…my daughter.”

We were thrilled that Sharon was open to having us take on the project.  

And we are excited that we have already been hired to create another trailer for Lisa Wheeler’s upcoming release The Christmas Boot that is illustrated by the very talented Jerry Pinkney!

What was your creative process in creating the book trailer?

Sharon supplied me a PDF of Race Car Dreams to use to create her webpage. I was able to pull artwork from this to create the trailer.

Sharon also gave us a script of sorts to work from. This included the text that appears in the video.

To create the animations it was necessary to pull images from the book that supported the script. Photoshop was used to isolate parts of images that would later ‘move’ in the video. In some cases this would leave a void in the art. I would then need to use Photoshop-manipulation to fill in the void.

The next steps were all Libby’s. She used Final Cut Pro to turn all these bits and pieces into the final video. Music and sound were merged with the images, and transitions were added.

Though the trailer is only 50 seconds long, how long did it take you to create it? Were there any bumps in the road?

Because this was our first collaboration there was a bit of a learning curve and just like writing there were revisions that needed to be made.

I would say it took us a couple of weeks to find our footing.  

Funny that you mention bumps in the road. We literally had one of those. In the scene where the race car speeds down the road, the road is not a straight line. This curve threw us a curve! Making the car move smoothly along the path was tricky and was one of the elements that took us the longest.

The music for the book trailer perfectly suits the tone of Sharon's sweet bedtime story. How did you choose it?

The music that is selected for videos needs to be in the public domain, so Libby started there. She then narrowed her search to terms like; kid friendly music, music for children. She sampled songs until she found the perfect fit.

After reading the text for RACE CAR DREAMS, what did you think of the manuscript and what illustrative vision did you have for it?

The rhyme and rhythm of Sharon Chriscoe’s text immediately brought out the essence of a classic nighttime read. We were all captivated by the little race car character and how the story follows him from the end of his race day through his nightly routine and on into dreamland. When searching for an illustrator, we knew it would be important to find someone who could bring the character to life in a way that felt human, and we also wanted someone who could capture the dreamy, magical light of the nighttime atmosphere.
 
How did Dave's portfolio come to your attention and why did you think his work would marry well with Sharon's manuscript?

Finding Dave is an example of how I tend to fall down rabbit holes when looking for picture book illustrators. I really like the search and discovery process. I came across his work on Dribbble, which is a social media site for illustrators and designers. Although at the time he didn’t have examples of anthropomorphized machinery in his portfolio, he had everything we were looking for that we could pick out in various pieces of his: amazing machinery, cute character designs (with irresistible eyes!), and a dreamy nightscape. We had faith that with art direction he would be able to bring all of those things together in one book—and he did!
 
Explain what factors came to play when you were deciding how to juxtapose Sharon's text with Dave's illustrations?

Working with Sharon’s editor at the time, Marlo Scrimizzi, we figured out most text placement in the early stages of development and kept fluid during rough sketches. With rhyming text there are some limitations to layout because certain lines need to stay together. But I like to create opportunities for the text to really mingle with the art, like on the aerial view of the winding road, and I’m fortunate that the team liked it. That particular spread changed a lot from thumbnail to final sketch. Initially Dave interpreted it as two separate pages--one just a regular view of Race Car coming towards the wash and one of Race Car going through the wash. In order to establish a better transition, and vary the perspective so we could see more of the world Race Car lived in, I suggested that he show a birds-eye view of where he was going from and to. Dave took that direction and delivered it better than we ever could have imagined. I added the text on the curve of the road to help keep the motion moving forward.
 
What about Dave's work ethic made the process of creating this book easier to accomplish?

Dave is a real pro and dynamite with character development, bringing out emotional variety and personality to all of them. (Fun fact: it was his idea to have Race Car have “2” painted on his side. Brilliant!) Going into this project we knew the challenge was going to be working more on backgrounds and scenery, though, since this was one of his first picture books. He ended up doing a great job building up scenes. He was a great collaborator, an efficient problem-solver, and flexible to art direction, which helped us bring out the best in the book as a whole.
 
Can you tell us, where are you in the planning process for RACE CAR DREAMS's companion, BULLDOZER DREAMS? 

BULLDOZER DREAMS has kicked into gear. We are anxiously awaiting the sketches from the incredibly talented John Joven. The book will feel similar in style to RACE CAR DREAMS, but John definitely has his own voice and has added his own artistic twist and flare to the project that has helped distinguish them.

PUBLISHER'S BLURB:​
​After a day at the track of zipping and zooming, a race car is tired and ready for bed. He washes his rims, fills his tummy with oil, and chooses a book that is all about speed. All toasty and warm, he drifts off to sleep, he shifts into gear . . . and dreams of the race!

RACE CAR DREAMS is a delightful, bedtime tale written by Sharon Chriscoe, illustrated by Dave Mottram and published by Running Press Kids (September 2016).

When you "inherited" RACE CAR DREAMS from Marlo Scrimizzi, what was your first impression of Sharon's bedtime tale?

I simply fell in love with the book at first sight! I remember that my first week in the office, an advance copy was placed on my desk and I couldn’t stop smiling at the story and the illustrations. The premise of Sharon’s book is so simple yet so delightful and Dave’s artwork really helps her text come to life.
 
At what point in the publication process did you take over the steering wheel for RACE CAR DREAMS?

I really came in at the very tail end—Marlo handled everything from the acquisition to the editing to working with Teresa on the art direction. The book was already at the printer once I arrived, but I did see an advance copy my first week at RP Kids and was able to send a copy to Sharon that week as well. Since then, Sharon and I have been working on another book with a similar storyline, and RACE CAR DREAMS clearly paved the way for our upcoming book and has helped me make a lot of my editorial suggestions for that text.
 
In your opinion, why should an author like Sharon not worry to much when her editor changes?

It can be a scary and apprehensive time with your editor leaves the company you are publishing with, and I know that many authors panic a little bit, hoping that their new editor will understand their vision as much as their acquiring editor did. But even though individual editors have their own style of working, we all essentially perform the same functions and follow similar guidelines in how we take a book from acquisition and manuscript to finished product. Incoming editors want to make sure that existing authors feel valued and that their work will be in good hands. In Sharon’s case here, RACE CAR DREAMS was essentially finished, but she did have another book lined up with RP Kids, so I wanted to make sure we connected early on to build our own relationship so we could begin the creative and editorial process. Changes in editors simply requires patience and understanding on both sides—from the author and from the new editor. I hope Sharon felt that the transition was a smooth one.
 
Once you got caught up to speed, how excited were you to see RACE CAR DREAMS achieve the finish line of going to press?

I wish I could even take credit in seeing RACE CAR DREAMS off to press, but it was already there when I arrived! But it has been exciting to see the early reception we are getting for the book (from our sales team and customers) and to watch Sharon gear up for her publicity campaign with our team.
 
Tell us how the spark for BULLDOZER DREAMS, a companion book for RACE CAR DREAMS, came about?

My publisher and I were discussing the follow-up to RACE CAR DREAMS one day in her office and were trying to brainstorm different types of machinery or vehicles that we could use for a second story. Sharon had come up with one great idea but we felt it maybe wasn’t quite strong enough for the second book. So the publisher and I were thinking about what sorts of vehicles young kids are fascinated with and we instantly went to construction vehicles. And the bulldozer just sort of formed out of that (complete with his orange cone lovey!). I shared the idea with Sharon who took it and developed a funny and playful script, which is now in the process of being illustrated by John Joven.