When you first received the manuscript and illustrations for LITTLE PIGGY, what did you love?

I loved how these spunky siblings were on a mission, and no matter how determined they were, this pig would just not get with the program. But they loved him regardless: Snowflake was just being Snowflake!

I also loved how Cyndi captured that feeling of being a child and wanting so badly to have a pet as part of the family, and how our pets are subjected to our affections. Sometimes it’s way more fun for us than them.

What was your process when determining where to place the illustrations, texts and speech bubbles on the page so it would be visually pleasing and help move the story?  
Cyndi submitted initial sketches with rough text in place and we refined the text, images, and layouts from there. She’s a pro, so had a nice balance of image and text. Basically, all we had to do was make sure the text clearly related to the imagery and was easy to follow. Particularly with the PIX format, which is created for the reluctant reader, we didn’t want to overwhelm the reader with too much text on each page. We wanted to let the images tell part of the story and also enhance the story, adding detail and humor so the reader can linger over all that the page has to offer, and hopefully pick the book up multiple times.

Speech bubbles are also used to break the text up and condense the number of words on the page. Karen, the book's editor, is a mad genius and does an amazing job editing with scissors and tape! After that, I get on the computer and layout the text and sketches and we just keep refining and refining. 

​Take for example, the spread for pages 8-9, that started out as thumbnail sketches:

You can see how we changed the spread from showing the sister twice to just once, and we eliminated the brother altogether. This is so we wouldn't exhaust the reader by being too repetitive. On the other hand, this is the reader's first time meeting Snowflake, and they get to see him from all angles! Overall, we went from five images to four for a nice balance between the pages, and we add variety by using spots when we show Snowflake and then a cell, or panel, when showing the sister, while maintaining a nice amount of white space. You can also see how some of what was running text initially became speech in bubbles in order shorten the sentences and provide text in small doses, so it is more easily digested.

When working on revisions, what about Cyndi’s execution made it an enjoyable process? 

Cyndi is an absolute joy to work with! She is open to suggestions, quick to make changes, and with the smallest mark of her pencil can create characters with such genuine expressions that we fell in love with Brother, Sister and Snowflake over and over and over again!

When we wanted to take the "tricks" part of the story in a different direction from the initial manuscript, we asked Cyndi to take two spreads of much more complex images and text and pair it down. As soon as we opened the new sketches, Karen and I could not have been happier! Snowflake is equal parts hysterical and adorable. His expressions are perfect. Cyndi consistently “got it” whenever we needed changes. These are her characters and her story and she knew how to make it work!

What do you love about the final product, THIS LITTLE PIGGY: AN OWNER’S MANUAL?

Absolutely everything! I love the story, the characters, how funny and sweet the book is. I love how much it has to offer children of all reading levels. And I love the memories of working on the book with Cyndi and Karen--I was lucky to be a part of it!

Why do you hope THIS LITTLE PIGGY: AN OWNER’S MANUAL and its main character, Snowflake, will be a loved by kids everywhere?

I hope kids enjoy following these siblings as they work together to achieve their goal, and are charmed by Snowflake’s independent spirit!

When you first received the manuscript and illustrations for THIS LITTLE PIGGY, what did you love?

When I first received this submission, it was picture-book length (traditionally 32 pages). But, those kids! That pig! The humor and heart! All created by the inimitable Cyndi Marko! I wanted to know more about these irrepressible characters and their story. Would Cyndi be willing to develop the story so that it would fit into our Aladdin PIX line of a 64-page, illustrated chapter book? Indeed she would, and she did.  

How did your editorial skills come to play so that THIS LITTLE PIGGY's text and illustrations worked harmoniously together?
​
It was key to maintain Cyndi's sly humor and wit, visually and narratively. What reader, emerging or seasoned, doesn't enjoy silly situations and characters? Even though we could see Snowflake on every page, multiple times, (he is one of the the most lovable porcines in the history of piggies, after all), it wouldn't have served him or furthered the story's plot and action.

Also, the text (running and speech balloons) does go through many, many revisions and edits. We literally make changes until the books goes to press. THIS LITTLE PIGGY
was a particularly satisfying collaboration and meeting of comic sensibilities.

When working on revisions, what about Cyndi’s execution made it an enjoyable process?

Whether it was an editorial text suggestion or an illustrative one, Cyndi's revisions were always spot-on hilarious, and better than anything that was suggested. The expression and/or behavior of Snowflake: a wink of his eye, the upward tilt of an eyebrow, the chewing of a piece of hay, it's so evident that Cyndi loves and understands her character's motivations. and clearly knew how to convey their very essence. She is a master at revision, taking story and character to the next level.

What do you love about the final product, THIS LITTLE PIGGY: AN OWNER’S MANUAL?

I love that Cyndi's heart is on every page of this book; I love the family dynamic, that the brother and sister are so realistically realized and portrayed and that their mission is true; I love that Brother and Sister unconditionally adore their piggy and that he is their devoted friend and pet; I love the narrator's voice; I love laughing every time I read this book; I love working with Cyndi and Laura and can't wait to do it again. 

Why do you hope THIS LITTLE PIGGY: AN OWNER’S MANUAL and its main character, Snowflake, will be a loved by kids everywhere?

A story of love, perseverance, devotion, friendship, with a nod to Charlotte's Web, this is a book for readers-and pet lovers--of all ages (a beautiful 'package' to boot). 

When you first read Cyndi’s THIS LITTLE PIGGY manuscript featuring Snowflake, what did you love?

I have a cat named Piggy, so I was predisposed to love a book originally called “The Ultimate Pig Care Handbook.” Cyndi’s sense of humor, which comes across in her text and art and also in the little details, totally won my heart: the little muddy pig footprints, the extremely skeptical pig expressions, the increasingly dirty children…all so fun!

Did you work together to improve the manuscript before submitting it to editors? 

This project started out as a picture book, and most of my original notes were regarding structure and pacing. In the first version, my note to her was that half of the text is about giving the pig a bath. I asked her is the book about pig care, or about bathing a pig? Cyndi then decided to make the whole book about finding a pig and keeping it clean, but then the joke seemed to sag about halfway through. Cyndi played around with it again. She reverted back to the general pig care theme and we had a great dummy that went on submission!

When thinking about who to submit LITTLE PIGGY to, why did you think of Karen Nagel, and what was Karen’s reaction when she received the draft?

I thought Karen would appreciate Cyndi’s fun sense of humor, and I admired the scope of her work at Aladdin. What a delightful surprise when Karen called to say she loved it… and asked if Cyndi would be interested in expanding it into an early-reader graphic novel for Pix? It’s rare to have an editor buy a project when such a large edit is on the horizon, but Cyndi had proven herself with KUNG POW CHICKEN and Karen had the vision for it! Once Cyndi said she was excited to move forward, we were thrilled to accept Karen’s offer!

What do you love about the end product of Cyndi's book, THIS LITTLE PIGGY: AN OWNER’S MANUAL?

I love how Cyndi developed the kids as characters, made a fun, twisty narrative around convincing their mom to accept a pig as a pet, and how the expansion from a picture book gave us more time with Snowflake’s adorable footprints and skeptical expressions! It’s such a fun book, full of cute, hilarious illustrations and awesome situational humor, and I think readers will really love it!

On what future projects are you looking forward to working together with Cyndi?

I would love to see more chapters books featuring Snowflake, especially if readers love her as much as I do!

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.