So happy to have you, here on my blog, Jen!

Thanks for inviting me, Dionna!

First question for you. How did you find your way to becoming a picture-book writer?

As a selectively mute child, I preferred reading and writing to speaking, so it was natural for me to become a writer. My interest in books led me to get a doctorate in English and to become a tenured English professor at Norfolk State University. When I was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder in my late thirties, my writing became a mission to advocate for the autistic community. I began to write essays for publications like the New York Times and the Washington Post.

In 2017, one of my online writer friends, Rina Mae Acosta, introduced me to an illustrator, Joanne Lew-Vriethoff, who told editors at Albert Whitman about my work. They asked me if I would be interested in writing a picture book about sensory issues with autism. After a few revisions, they made an offer on the book, and Joanne ended up illustrating it! 

That's awesome! What's your debut picture book about?

TOO STICKY! SENSORY ISSUES WITH AUTISM is the story of an autistic girl named Holly who has a fear of sticky hands. She’s anxious about slime-day at school. But with the help of her family, teacher, and classmates, Holly gives slime a try. TOO STICKY! is based on my own and my daughter’s experiences living with autism and sensory issues. The fear of sticky hands is actually more of a sensory issue for me than my daughter. My daughter is much more willing to play with slime or playdough than I ever was.

What inspired you to write it?

I wrote TOO STICKY! because I wanted my kids to see themselves in a picture book. Most picture books that address autism aren’t written from the point of view of an autistic character. I named three characters in TOO STICKY! after my kids, so they could really picture themselves in the story. Watching them giggle when we read the F&G together for the first time is a moment I will never forget.

As you did your research for your book, did you learn something new?

For accuracy, I researched the science of slime. The back matter in TOO STICKY! includes a slime recipe. I had also interviewed autism researchers from around the world, and developed a special interest in the gender differences with autism. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, for every four boys diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder, only one girl is diagnosed.

An editor at Albert Whitman read my first essay for the New York Times, “What a Muppet with Autism Means to My Family,” which focuses on Sesame Street’s autistic Muppet, Julia.  She then asked me to write TOO STICKY! with an autistic girl as the main character.

In my most recent essay for the New York Times, “My Daughter and I Were Diagnosed with Autism on the Same Day,” I wrote about autistic females who are often overlooked for an autism diagnosis, including me and my daughter. When we were diagnosed, she was two and I was thirty-nine. All of the other children’s books I’ve drafted so far have autistic girls as the main characters to raise awareness and acceptance, especially for autistic females.

Why do you hope children will read your book?

I hope autistic kids will read TOO STICKY! so they see a character that reflects their own life experiences. My book is not a book about autism; it’s a book about a girl who happens to be autistic. She goes about her everyday life. She has pancakes with her family for breakfast. She interacts with her classmates at school. She loves science. But she experiences the world through an autistic lens. Her autism is part of her identity.

I also hope that other kids who read TOO STICKY! will have a better understanding of autism and will be more accepting of differences. Just as preschool kids watching Sesame Street find Julia to be a likable character, I want kids reading TOO STICKY! to root for Holly.

Your book, I know, will be a winner not only with parents and educators of autistic children the world over, but with those kids like Holly who might have a challenge when stickiness gets on their hands. Thanks so much for sharing your journey, Jen! It is truly inspiring.

You are more than welcome. 

Too Sticky! Sensory Issues with Autism
written by Jen Malia and illustrated by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff is about Holly, who loves doing experiments and learning new things in science class! But when she finds out the next experiment is making slime, she’s worried. Slime is made with glue, and glue is sticky. Holly has sensory issues because of her autism and doesn’t like anything sticky! With help from family and her teacher, Holly receives the accommodations and encouragement she needs to give slime a try.
Released by Albert Whitman & Company, April 2020

                         “Charming, inclusive, and grounded in real-life experiences.” –Kirkus
                                                           Purchase your copy, HERE.

Welcome, Dawn! Thanks for taking the time to share a little about your  important work.

No problem, Dionna. Happy to be here.

So, at what point in your life did you decide to become a cetologist (a scientist who studies whales)?

​I have been interested in dolphins since I was about 8 or 9 years old. I initially wanted to study behavior but realized during my senior year of undergrad that I should probably study physiology. An interesting fact is that studying the physiology of wild, free-ranging whales and dolphins is very difficult to do since they are in the water their entire lives. I studied thermoregulation and diving physiology of trained bottlenose dolphins in the Bahamas for my master's degree, but switched to studying wild northern elephant seal fasting physiology in California for my PhD degree because of how much easier they are to study since they haul out on the beach for long periods of time. I also studied Steller sea lions in Alaska for my post-doctoral work and then returned to studying cetaceans when I landed my current job conducting research on killer whales. 

Any particular childhood experience cement your love for orcas?

I really liked bottlenose dolphins when I was younger. This was based on marine life shows and documentaries I saw on TV and learning about the plight of dolphins and their interaction with the tuna fishery. I was impressed by the size of killer whales when I first saw one at SeaWorld San Diego during a trip I took while in college.

During my later years in college, I interned at the National Aquarium in Baltimore, first on the fish side and then with the dolphins and seals. Before that time, I had considered becoming a marine mammal trainer. That second internship with the marine mammals made me realize that I preferred studying them, rather than training them. I was intrigued by the challenge of trying to figure out how they, as warm-blooded, air-breathing mammals, adapted so well to their aqueous environment. I also wanted to conduct research that would be important for conservation.​

As an orca scientist, what type of research do you do, and why do you love it?

I classify myself as a physiological ecologist. That is someone who studies how an organism's physiology allows it to function in its environment and how the organism's environment affects the organism's physiology.  Because of this, I work on many different kinds of research projects, but most focus on quantifying and understanding the factors that impact the endangered Southern Resident killer whale population. I have conducted studies investigating killer whale behavioral responses to vessels; the energetic cost of dolphin and killer whale responses to vessels (increased swimming speed, performing surface active behaviors, and producing/increasing loudness of whistles and clicks); how body morphometric measurements (think BMI in humans) reflect killer whale condition and health; how much food killer whales need to eat; and how female killer whales pass contaminants to their calves during pregnancy and through their milk during the nursing period. Many physiological studies are impossible to conduct on wild killer whales, due to accessibility issues, so I have relied on studying trained bottlenose dolphins and killer whales for several of the research projects listed.

What type of subjects would you say kids interested in becoming orca scientists should study even before they enter college? In your opinion, what else might they do while they're young to see if it's a suitable job for them?

​Even though I am a person that studies cetaceans, I have a very broad background in science. Science and math classes, including calculus, are important! That was also evident in college. I had to take physics, biology, physiology, organic chemistry, inorganic chemistry, genetics, statistics, and other science classes in college. Things have changed a lot since I was in school, but besides realizing if you like/can handle math and science classes in middle school and high school, there isn't much more a younger person can do, unless there is an internship opportunity. Those may be limited to older students, though.

​What lesson(s) on living a good life has orca behavior taught you?

Their social structure is amazing. Family is very important, and they help their kin. They share food with each other, babysit each other's calves, and help other individuals in need. It is a beautiful, good way to live.

Thanks for sharing your story with us, Dawn. I so appreciate it! Stay well, you and yours.

My pleasure, and you too!

So excited to have you here, Iris, and to be celebrating the release of Tag Your Dreams: Poems of Play and Persistence--written by Jacqueline Jules and illustrated by you!

​The pleasure is all mine, Dionna.

Do tell. What was your process for inspiration once you read Jacqueline Jules's poems in Tag Your Dreams?

First, I tried to remember the feeling I used to get when I did something active as a kid--the fun I had and the friends I made while doing sports. Being active wasn’t just the thrill of learning a new skill, it was also a way of learning to be a team player, plus realizing what your own body is capable of! Besides reminiscing, I also re-watched (parts of) some sports-related movies from the 90s, which I loved as a kid. "The Mighty Ducks", "Sidekicks" and "The Sandlot’"are just a few that came to mind. I would say these movies inspired me visually during the process of this book. 

​Why did you choose such an airy, light color pallet when illustrating this book, and what medium did you use?

Jacqueline’s words seemed very light and sometimes dreamy to me, so I wanted the drawings to translate that atmosphere, almost like a breath of fresh air for the readers. So light, airy colours seemed appropriate, especially since many of the illustrations take place outside. I work with mixed media. I draw all the figures and elements by hand, scan them in and afterwards colour them in and place them in compositions with my computer.

​Why did you decided to portray the children in Tag Your Dreams as coming from all walks of life? 

I think it’s important that every kid can relate to the characters in these poems. Playing and being active is a trait all kids in the world possess. It’s a universal thing, so I wanted all these kids to be represented in this book. 

Why did you enjoy illustrating this book?

I really enjoyed diving into my childhood for this project and getting acquainted with sports I’d never heard of before, like flag football, kickball or foursquare. Now I feel very up to date when it comes to sports and less of an old fart--haha. 
​
Why do you hope children read and enjoy the illustrations in this book?

I hope they will feel inspired to pick up sports and just get active and ambitious and most of all, have a lot of fun doing it!

​​Images used with permission from Albert Whitman & Company

I am honored and delighted to be hosting today's blog party to celebrate the release of Jacqueline Jules's latest book for children, Tag Your Dreams: Poems of Play and Persistence. Welcome, Jacqueline!

​It's great to be here, Dionna!

Do tell. ​Why did you decide to write a collection of poems featuring outdoor play for young readers? 

Sports and games are filled with metaphors for courage, mindfulness, and self-discovery. Volleyball is one example. The rules say double hits are against the rules. That means the game needs a team effort, rather than an individual star to win. An outfielder who is running fast to catch a ball must still pay attention to the fence behind the field. Isn’t that a perfect metaphor for why we need to slow down sometimes to reach a goal? I love to walk in my neighborhood. Sometimes I will go outside, even when rain clouds are near, because it is exhilarating to enjoy the moment, regardless of what the future may bring. Writing Tag Your Dreams gave me the opportunity to explore these and many other rich metaphors.

So true, Jacqueline! Some of your poems include themes like getting back up, accepting a loss, and dealing with frustration. Why do you feel themes like those are important to address with young ones? 

Many of these poems are pep talks to myself. I wrote the title poem, “Tag Your Dreams,” when I was feeling discouraged about my writing career. Writing the poem bolstered my determination to keep writing and pursuing my own dreams. I have always been drawn to stories of perseverance. The poem “Pedaling to Piano” is about a boy who learns he can heal and feel stronger after a bad fall on his bike. “Knocking Down Ghosts” is about facing one’s fear of failure in a bowling alley. “Last Pick for Kickball” shares the emotions of a girl who surprises her peers by scoring. Each poem in Tag Your Dreams uses a sport or activity as a vehicle of self-discovery.

Life is filled with setback and loss. The ability to stand up after being knocked flat as the poem “Tae Kwon Do” describes is essential to a successful and meaningful life.   

I noticed that all of your poems in Tag Your Dreams are free verse. As a poet, do you prefer writing free verse poetry as compared to writing in rhyme or following the structure of other forms of poetry? 

While I occasionally write in rhyme, I prefer free verse. Free verse is all about economy of language. It is an exciting challenge to convey meaning compactly, with only a few words. In my writing, I strive to pack each word with power. I also love alliteration. Using the same syllable in close succession creates a lovely musical sound. 

When I teach poetry workshops to young people, I encourage students to think about what they want to say first before they try to rhyme. Sometimes students choose words because they rhyme, not because it is what they want to say. Self-expression should always come first when you write a poem.

​How long did it take for you to complete this collection of poems?

I began Tag Your Dreams over twenty years ago, when my sons were still living at home. Both of my boys loved sports. Our family life revolved around the attendance of youth baseball and basketball games. I also had partial season tickets to the Capitals to watch NHL hockey with my youngest son. As I attended game after game, I gained an appreciation for the courage athletes display in the face of challenges, particularly young athletes. It is not easy to go back to the plate after striking out, but that is what baseball players must do. Watching this inspired me to write the poem, “At Bat,” in the mid 1990’s. 

Sometime later, I was watching the Winter Olympics and was blown away by a male skater who rose after a fall as if the question of getting up never existed at all. That inspiring moment became the poem, “Olympic Skater.” Working out at the gym one evening, I had a sudden memory of learning to ski as an adult, prompting me to write “Graceless Girl Skis Down Slope.” Little by little, my poems about sports and being active accumulated. I published several in different magazines for young people which reverted the rights to me after publication. Years later, I realized I had enough poems for a poetry collection. I submitted twenty-two to my wonderful editor, Andrea Hall at Albert Whitman. She asked me to write nine more poems to fill out the collection. These additional poems gave me the opportunity to consider the metaphors in games I played as a child and to talk about my current favorite sport—hiking.          

What do you appreciate about Iris Deppe's illustrations, which accompany your poems? 

I love the joy in the illustrations. The faces of the young people in Tag Your Dreams are very expressive. And I love how the young people shown on these pages represent the beautiful diversity in our vast world.

Thanks so much for stopping by, Tami, and for sharing a little bit about themed illustrating prompts that kidlit artists might share on their social media accounts. 

Happy to share, though I must confess, I really feel like quite a failure at daily prompt illustrator challenges. 

Your work is no fail in my book! So exactly, what are these illustrator challenges and how many have you tried out?

I’m referring specifically to thematic art challenges that encourage participants to create and post to social media a prompted artwork each day of the month using the hashtag of the challenge. I began a great number of these hashtagged art challenges with high expectations but never seemed to make it past the first ten days. I could blame my failure on being a mom and a freelancer. As much as I’d love to spend endless hours at my drawing table, I still have to pay the bills, cook meals, feed hungry felines. 

Life is busy.

True this. So why bother doing these challenges at all? Why not find something else to put your creative energy into, especially if you feel like you fail at completing them?

Those short bursts of concentrated work I've done over the past five years always marked some big turning points in my artistic growth.  For example, attempting #kidlitart28 in February of 2019 helped me polish my digital techniques. The short timeframe I had to work within to post an illustration every day forced me to be very deliberate with the tools I used. 

My #inktober artwork a few years back sparked a story about some raccoons that eventually morphed into a character-driven picture-book dummy. Last year’s #inktober helped me flesh out the two main characters in a middle-grade historical mystery also under development. In addition, quite a few challenge pieces eventually made it into my portfolio after I further realized the artwork. A couple designs even became promotional postcards.

What advice do you have for kidlit illustrators out there who might be on the fence about doing these art challenges?

On one hand, challenges can be a great way to exercise and grow your skills and creativity. They provide an opportunity to experiment and a chance to connect with a community of like-minded artists. If you’ve never tried a daily art challenge, I recommend you give it a shot. Even if you manage only ten posts, you’ll still see benefits. On the other hand,  if doing a challenge is not enjoyable or is too stressful, then don't do it. You have to do what works for you as an artist.

Any tips for those giving a challenge a whirl?

I have five.

1. Polish your illustration technique.

Whether you use a dip pen or a stylus, you can use a daily challenge to perfect your mark-making. The repetition of drawing daily helps hone skills and build muscle memory.

2. Get familiar with drawing/painting a particular subject. 

One of the best ways to improve at drawing a thing is to actually draw that thing...a lot! For example, if you have trouble drawing dogs, try doing a dog a day for #doggust during the month of August. Or for #inktober, choose your own topic, like houses, vehicles, or marsupials during the month of October. The sky’s the limit and I guarantee you’ll feel more confident drawing the thing once you’ve churned out thirty of them.

3. Make your own rules. 

If daily posting makes you cringe, set an every-other-day goal or post once a week. No one will judge you. I promise. Folks will be just as happy to see what you’re sharing weekly. You can even challenge yourself to do one fully realized portfolio piece in the theme of that challenge by the end of the month. 

4. Use the challenge to develop a story. 

Imagine the possibilities of writing a picture book centered on the challenge theme or your own chosen theme. Some artists will use prompts to develop a running, daily narrative tale, which builds suspense and brings viewers back to their social media page.

5. Do the heavy lifting ahead of time. 

There’s nothing to prevent you from storyboarding and sketching ideas for a challenge before the challenge month begins. 

Good tips! Would you please share some monthly challenges that are out there for anyone to try?

Sure! Here are ten:

For February, post what you love: #kidlitart28 
For March, post robots: #marchofrobots 
For May, post mermaids: #MerMay
For June, post unicorns: #junicorn
For August, post dogs and/or dragons: #doggust and #smaugust
For September, post your sketches: #sketchtember
For October, post inked sketches: #inktober 
For November, post fictional maps: #mapvember
For December, post anything you draw: #drawcember

Thanks for those, Tami, and for stopping by to share your not-fails with us!

My pleasure.

Tami Traylor is an illustrator and graphic designer living in Chesterfield, Virginia, with three cats, two kids, and one husband.  She's been drawing and telling stories since she could hold a pencil. Her love of books and drawing goes back to her earliest memories. Those early books love drove her to pursue the study of design and illustration in college. She's been a member of SCBWI since 2005, and the graphic designer of  the Highlighter,  the quarterly newsletter of the Mid-Atlantic regional of SCBWI, since 2007. She’s the illustrator of THE 12 DANCING PRINCESSES by Carly Graf (ustyme, 2015). Check out  Tami's art-themed posts on Instagram @traylorillo or on her website traylorillo.com. 

(c) Cynthia Cliff, cynthiacliff.com

How did you find your way into kidlit art and what do you love about it?
 
I still vividly remember the books I had when I was a very young child—the smell of them, the sound of the turning pages. I remember the feeling of wonder and excitement I got when books were being read to me, and can still clearly see the illustrations all these years later. Those stories allowed me to escape from my small-town farming community and gave me a bit of a glimpse of the big world out there. Picture book illustrations made a huge positive impression on me, and now as an illustrator I love that I can give that same kind of joy to a child.
 
Tell us a little about your process.
 
I do a ton of research and look at lots of photos (I become a bit obsessed), and absorb it all. Then I put it all away so that my art can be original and stylized, and not a copy of what I’ve seen. For portraits, I’ll look at many photos of the real person and draw a composite so that I get a new and unique image and not a copy of an existing image. For character development, I find it’s helpful for me to identify a real person that I can use as inspiration for the character. Then I start to draw, doodle, sketch, and play until I develop my own characters that feel right. I work in colored pencil, pen and gouache, as well as in Photoshop and recently, in Procreate on the iPad.
 
Why do you love illustrating historical moments and people of historical note?
 
I grew up in an historical small town where very little changed from generation to generation. I could reach out and touch the past every day—the old well pump in the yard, the cannonball in the barn wall, the prerevolutionary war stone shops in my village. I found Civil War buttons and arrow heads in my backyard and I wondered what life had been like for the people that last held them. When I was a child, a fun family outing was going to a historical site, or listening to an elder share some folklore. I developed a huge appreciation for history and it still fascinates me today. I suppose if I wasn’t an artist of some kind, I’d be involved in history in some way—three of my family members are archaeologists. My goal is to bring history to life for children so they can “see” history and appreciate all that can be learned from it.

What type of details do you look for when doing your research, and how does that research inform your illustrations?
 
I love to find out how people lived their days—what they wore, ate, listened too, and read. This research informs my art and helps me connect to the subject matter, be excited about it, and find the right vibe for the time period. For instance, when researching for the illustrations I did for the Honest History magazine issue about Tesla and Edison, I looked at many of their personal items, and read about their habits and their communication with each other. I saw that Tesla was a very dapper fellow and owned many gloves to match his custom-made suits, and I noticed a pair of chartreuse gloves in a museum collection about him. To me this color signified his “outside the box” creative thinking, and symbolized how unique he was. So, I used this color for his suit in the whole issue. The color made him stand out on the page, apart from all of the brown and gray dressed folks that were typical of the time period.
 
What are you working on now and why are you enjoying it?
 
Right now, I’m writing and illustrating a graphic-novel style book, tentatively called The Night People of Owl Island. This is a mystery book for young readers about a family on vacation and it will contain lots of fun details like a map, some facts about owls, some folk lore, and some “mysterious” people. I’m still in the very beginning stages and am working out the story and starting some character development. I really love organizing and planning a large effort like this one. It will involve the perfect mix of history and nature, and I wake up every day excited to work on it.

Thanks for stopping by!

Happy to be here!

As a work-for-hire (WFH) author for publishers like Abdo and Capstone, you've written nearly thirty nonfiction books, many covering STEM topics like robotics and space travel. How did you come across this kind of work?   

Through my agent(s), I had unsuccessfully tried out for a few fiction WFH projects. Then I discovered the educational WFH market, STEM nonfiction in particular. That seemed a natural fit for me. Before writing fiction (and teaching), I’d been a science writer for over twenty years, working with NASA, the Department of Energy, and the Environmental Protection Agency. 

How would you suggest an author break into educational (or trade) market WFH?

First of all, book packagers and publishers typically have a pool of writers to which they assign books or other projects. Some publishers use packagers or producers. Others work directly with writers. Either way, to get considered for upcoming projects, you need to get yourself into one or more of those pools. You need to find your niche.

How did you find your niche?

My niche wasn’t too hard to figure out. I wrote about space, the environment, and technology for adults for years. Plus, I also did a little coding. So my niche became STEM for elementary and middle school readers. For this age, most of these books are what’s called high interest. Wrapped in glossy covers, high-interest books are chock full of visuals and sidebars. Most include activities, prompts, discussion points, and/or other special features. Often, publishers try to correlate those special features to align with Common Core and/or other standards.

What if STEM is not an author's thing? 

If STEM is not your thing, don’t worry. The educational market spans many, many nonfiction topics, formats, and age ranges. For instance, sports books are huge. (I even wrote a STEM sports book.) So are history, biographies, animals, health and fitness, careers, crafts, and social studies, to name just a few. And publishers need these books at all reading levels, including hi-lo and leveled readers. (Many publishers put out these books in Spanish too.) The most important thing is being able to research a certain topic and then be able to break down the concepts without writing down to young readers.

How might authors find a potential market for their WFH services, even if they don't have an agent?
​
You can find educational publishers and book packagers through a number of resources. Once you find publishers and/or packagers that interest you, study their catalogs, and double-check their websites for submission guidelines for freelancers. You can also check out Molly Blaisdell’s work-for-hire select educational publishers list.

Once you’ve decided who you want to work for and in what areas, you need to send them a cover letter as well as samples of your work. If you don’t have any samples, you may have to write some, depending on the publisher/packager. Some might request a resume instead. Most publishers and producers include freelancer or work-for-hire information on their websites. 

What should authors include in their cover letters, and should they expect a reply?

​The cover letter is really the critical element. In it, describe your experience, areas of expertise, education, publication history, availability, and so forth. Be specific! Don’t just say your expertise is STEM. For instance, I usually say my areas are space, environmental science, computers, and internet technology. Your specific expertise and experience may get you the gig. 

Send out the samples and cover letter—and wait. You may not hear anything until the publisher or packager has a project that fits your skills and interests. This could be a week or two—or many, many months. 

​Do you enjoy doing work-for-hire projects and does it pay well?

I enjoy the work, but to be brutally honest, the pay rates can be very low ($300 for a 500–750-word book, for example) and the turnaround times can be extremely tight (as little as one month!). So you need to be able to research and write quickly and efficiently—not just to meet the deadlines but to also make it worth your time. However, I would say that WFH can be a solid way to fill in pesky income gaps. And I know some WFH authors who do school visits to help generate revenue. But I think you should do WFH only if you love writing about science and technology—or whatever your niche is. 

Thanks again, Angie, for stopping by and for sharing your WFH know-how!

My pleasure, Dionna.

​Angie Smibert, a Mid-Atlantic SCBWI member, has penned several YA and MG science-fiction and fantasy novels. So far, she’s published twenty-six educational work-for-hire titles. As a science writer for adults, Angie received NASA’s prestigious Silver Snoopy award. Many of her work-for-hire books for younger readers are published within award-winning science series. Angie teaches writing for Indiana University East and for the online MFA program at Southern New Hampshire University. Find her online at angiesmibert.com.

Alvina, thanks so much for allowing me to interview you!

Delighted to oblige!

First question for you. Despite being an über busy vice-president and editor-in-chief at Little Brown Books for Young Readers, why did you decide to volunteer your time to mentor a children's book author from a diverse background, even without knowing if the manuscript you chose from the selections you received from The Word: A Storytelling Sanctuary would ultimately be publishable?

I have worked my whole career trying to bring diverse voices to children's books. As an industry we are working really hard to publish books written and illustrated by authors and illustrators from all walks of life. So when I heard about working as a mentor with The Word, a non-profit whose vision aligns with my own, I felt like it was something I wanted to be involved in. Actually, I wanted other Little Brown editors to get on board, too, and they were happy to do so. Aside from critiquing at SCBWI conferences, I was also really interested in seeing how a mentor-mentee relationship worked. 

So very generous of your time, Alvina! Okay, here's question two. (Admittedly, this question makes me feel awkward since I'm way more comfortable highlighting the work of other kidlit authors and illustrators, but if I don't ask it, I won't have much of an interview, will I. So here goes.) Why did you choose to mentor me and my middle-grade manuscript Mama's Chicken & Dumplings? 

I was presented with three choices. As I read the first fifty pages of each middle grade, I was looking for something that had the most potential. A manuscript I could help. I fell in love with the voice and the characters found in Mama's Chicken & Dumplings. I responded to it. Even if this manuscript is not the one that gets published, perhaps this kick will bring its author to the next manuscript that will. 

Ha-Ha! I believe its author appreciates the editor's kick. Okay, here's my last question for you. Why would you encourage other editors in the children's book community to carve out time from their busy schedules to mentor writers from all walks of life?

If editors are serious about bringing a range of inclusive books for readers from diverse backgrounds, then there's nothing quite like getting involved in mentoring like this.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my questions, Alvina. But I really have to go now. I've got a manuscript to revise, and I'm in the midst of obsessing over chapter one. 

Happy to stop by! But chapter one? Really? Do we need another kick?

A chocolate-covered truffle kick might do the trick.  

Alvina and Dionna's editor-writer mentorship program is sponsored by The Word: A Storytelling Sanctuary. The program pairs four aspiring writers from underrepresented groups with an experienced editor who provides substantive feedback to help raise their already strong manuscripts to their best position for submission to potential agents and editors.

The program offers each author an opportunity to gain knowledge from experienced acquiring editors. It does not, however, guarantee publication. It is free of cost to the authors due to the generosity of the volunteer editors. Learn more about The Word's 2019 mentorship program HERE and read a PW Bookshelf article about it HERE.

​Illustrations are used with permission from the publisher.

Salutations, Karen!  So happy to have you here! Please, do tell about your journey to becoming a kidlit author.

Glad to be here, Dionna!

​To answer your question, I’ve always loved to read, but I didn’t start writing books until I had read The Artists Way  by Julia Cameron. Part of The Artist Way program is to free-write three pages a day. You write about anything—how grumpy you feel, what you ate for breakfast, what is annoying you. You just dump. The idea is that by page three you have cleared away enough of your brain clutter to find out what is underneath. And for me what was underneath was the dream of writing a children’s book. The beginning of my manuscript The Hayley Show was started in my morning pages. Although I didn’t sell it, that book got me my agent.

In 2010, I joined SCBWI, which became a wonderful source of support and information. Through SCBWI, I learned about Vermont College of Fine Arts Writing for Children and Young Adults MFA program. And it was at VCFA that I wrote Charlie & Frog. 

Why did you decide to write this story, one that features the Deaf community?

I never planned to write about the Deaf community. I always felt that my writing life and my life as a sign language interpreter were separate entities. But all those years I was interpreting, this story was percolating—I just didn’t know it. One of my advisors at VCFA, A.S. King, wanted me to write something new. She felt I would grow more as a writer with new material. So I began writing short stories. And then one day, while sitting at my computer, this story started to come out of me. And Frog, who is Deaf, came to me clear and strong. Her character was easy to write. 

What about your characters and their friendship mirrors your life-experiences?

I tend to be more like Charlie, the quieter one. Frog fights for what she wants and has never met a stranger. Not that being quiet means weakness. Charlie is anything but weak. But Frog helps Charlie find his own strength by modeling her own power and inner drive. That is true for me, too—my closest friends show me how I can embrace my own strengths. Also, as a kid, I had fun exploring with my best friend. I wanted Charlie & Frog to have that same freedom to explore the village of Castle-on-the-Hudson. And who wouldn’t want to ride a gondola across the river on their own? Sign me up!

How did you find a home for Charlie & Frog at Disney-Hyperion and why were you pleased?

When my agent tried to sell The Hayley Show, I had about seventeen rejections (I lost count!), and one editor who was interested, but who couldn’t convince her publishing house to buy it. Ten years later, I was fortunate to have five editors who wanted Charlie and Frog! (Moral: Don’t give up! Keep writing!)

My editor at Disney-Hyperion, Tracey Keevan, is terrific. Tracey happened to watch a documentary about Martha’s Vineyard one week before she received my manuscript. Two hundred years ago, Martha’s Vineyard had a large Deaf population. Both hearing people and Deaf people signed on the island. When looking back, islanders often couldn’t remember who was Deaf and who was hearing because everyone signed. Tracey was excited to work on this story after watching that film. And I was thrilled that Disney-Hyperion hired a Deaf artist, Carlisle Robinson, to illustrate the inside chapter artwork of Charlie & Frog!

What are you working on now, and why are you enjoying it?

I am currently promoting my second Charlie & Frog book--The Boney Hand! It was published in June 2019. I love the characters and setting of Charlie & Frog, so it’s wonderful to be immersed in them again. I am also working on a picture book. Picture books just make me happy. And it’s a nice change of pace from a middle-grade book, as they are so different from each other.

Karen Kane’s path to Charlie & Frog led her from a small village near Rochester, NY, to the bustle of Washington, DC. The people she met along the way inspired her writing with their warmth and humor, especially those in the Deaf community. Karen graduated from the National Technical Institute for the Deaf and received her MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts. When she’s not writing, Karen spends her days as a sign language interpreter at Gallaudet University or lost in the stacks of her local library. Charlie & Frog, her debut novel. was nominated for  a ​2019 Edgar Award Nominated Book in the Best Juvenile category! Find her online at Karen Kane Books.

Salutations, Angela! Thanks so much for stopping by to chat with us. So, how did you find your way to becoming a kidlit artist?

I always knew I wanted to do something creative. However, it wasn’t until college that I decided I wanted to be an illustrator. There were so many majors in art school. It was difficult to pick just one. Thankfully, I had a 2D-design teacher whose work inspired me to study illustration. His work was similar to Lane Smith’s traditional illustrations, and it reminded me of how much I loved the The True Story of the Three Little Pigs. It rekindled my childhood obsession with creating books. 

From there, it wasn’t a direct shot into doing kidlit. I studied general illustration and thought I would be an editorial illustrator. There was such a prestige about that type of work. Still, outside of class I found myself drawn to children’s book illustration. I even placed in an international children’s book illustration competition called Teatro while I was still a student. Despite that, it wasn’t until the last semester of school when I took a children’s book illustration class that everything aligned. 

For the first time, I could play with camera angles, humor, and a rhythm. I could tell stories, something I always loved. I could get lost creating a whole world for a book. I also had an excuse to read a ton of a kidlit! With some hard work and some luck, I started getting interest in the work as soon as I graduated. Then I was recommended to SCBWI by Abigal Samoun, who at the time was still an editor. She now has her own literary agency called Red Fox Literary. 

SCBWI really helped launch my career. I received my first small book from Children’s Book Press at Illustrator’s Day in San Francisco. More importantly my book,  Maria Had a Little Llama, began as assignment from a SCBWI Spirit conference in Davis, California. I am happy to say I’ve been illustrating for over ten years and writing six years professionally. 

​What do you love about being a children's book creator? 

I love telling a narrative and being able to draw things that I find amusing. I’ve always been on the sillier side so this is the perfect outlet for me. Also I adore the marriage of words and pictures. As a child, I could get lost reading a book and that never went away. Now, more and more, it’s the interaction with the kids that really motivates me. Seeing what they relate to during school presentations—not just what I relate to—gives me inspiration.  

As you've been honing your craft over the years, what's one of the biggest things you've learned so far.

Luckily, I studied illustration, so my learning curve with the craft has been easier. I think the biggest things is learning how to draw kids well. It’s been a bunch of practice and studying different illustrator’s work. I’ve even created a graduate character design for a children’s book course at the Academy of Art University. When it comes to being an author, the learning curve has been larger. I often force myself to write for practice and I read children’s literature as much possible.

Probably the biggest learning curve though, is realizing the amount of promotion and business skills you need to have. People assume because it’s a creative field and everything can be done at home that you don’t have to network or promote, but that’s a huge part of the job. After all, this children’s literature is its own business.

​What types of manuscripts do you love illustrating and why?

My favorite books to illustrate are ones that either feature animals and/or have plenty of room of interpretation. Probably one of my favorite books to illustrate was MARTA! BIG AND SMALL. It has minimal text so I was able to come up a with concept for where these animals lived. That was great collaborative project. I also love illustrating my own stories because there is even room to be creative!

What are you working on now and are you having fun?

I am working on a picture book with Candlewick. It’s still in the early stages, but it’s about a girl who is scared of bees. Coming up with expressions and reactions has been so much fun. I’m also working on a few story ideas. I find that it’s important to always be generating new projects for myself. It keeps me busy and hopefully it turns into a book! 

Angela Dominguez was born in Mexico City but grew up in the great state of Texas. She is the author and illustrator of several children's books and a two-time recipient of Pura Belpré Illustration Honor. Her debut middle grade, Stella Díaz Has Something To Say, was a New York Public Library and a Chicago Public Library pick for Best Books for Kids in 2018, winner of SCBWI Sid Fleischman Award, and an ALA Notable. When Angela is not in her studio or visiting schools, she teaches at the Academy of Art University. She is represented by Wernick and Pratt Literary Agency.