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.

What do you love about Dave Mottram's illustrative style, especially the way he illustrates machinery? 

Dave Mottram combines both excellent draftsmanship with a strong ability to create anthropomorphic vehicles. He also uses very intentional, warm palettes that are very appealing to readers.

Do tell, how did the art director/book designer from Running Press come to contact you about Dave illustrating RACE CAR DREAMS? 

In this case, the AD had seen Dave’s work and realizing he’d be a good fit for this text, sent it directly to him. He then forwarded me the text, and I talked with Dave about the project and then negotiated the contract for him with Running Press.

Even though RACE CAR DREAMS was Dave's first picture-book, why were you confident he could do it?

That’s a good question, as I had not seen any full scenes of his work, so it was a step of faith of sorts, but I really could sense that he was capable of it, and once he started to deliver sketches and artwork, it was absolutely apparent that he’s fully capable of creating scenes and carrying a character through a range of emotions and various scenes and perspectives. He’s really quite gifted.

What do you think of the finished, published project, RACE CAR DREAMS?

I love how the little race car has such personality and energy and evokes such a range of emotion. I am absolutely thrilled with the overall quality of the artwork and the storytelling that Dave achieved.

Now that Dave has illustrated RACE CAR DREAMS, what's next on the boiler?

Actually, Dave had created an adorable tug boat piece of art for his portfolio, and that image caught the eye of an editor at Simon & Schuster who had a little tug text that he has just illustrated. And, given the amazing collaboration Running Press had with Dave, he was just sent  another “vehicle” book he is about to sign up, so watch out for it!

Anne Moore Armstrong joined the Bright Literary Agency in 2014 from a publishing background of over twenty years as a children's book designer at Little Brown and Candlewick Press where she gave art direction to countless illustrators as she designed picture books, young fiction and YA novels. Now as a Bright USA agent, Anne develops the careers of outstanding children's illustrators and supports publishing clients with a wide array of artistic styles. Best known books she's been instrumental in getting published are Jon Klassen's NY Times Best Illustrated Book, HOUSE HELP UP BY TREES (published by Candlewick Press) and THE BEAR AND THE PIANO, written and illustrated by the recent Waterstone Picture Book Award winner, David Litchfield, whom she represents. Anne can be found online Tweeting @childbookart.

Describe your creative process for RACE CAR DREAMS.

Once I read the manuscript, I started sketching out all the different possible expressions and views of our little car.
I try to do as many versions of the character as I can. I ended up doing quite a few and then we narrowed it down to the race car we were happy with. The other thing I had to really think about was the world race car lived in. Were there people? What other objects needed to be brought to life? Since we had this car with personality we needed to make characters out of the gas pumps, garage tools and things like that. Also, the little race car follows a road throughout his day. So I needed to make sure I had these important landmarks thought through. For example, the race track was a key part of his day. The creative process for this project involved sketching and mapping out all of these things. 

What inspired your color palette for this project?

I was inspired by race car colors of the 1960’s and 70’s. In particular the color of the car. The blue/green color worked for us in keeping away from the red cars and trucks that are commonly used. Also, I was inspired by the colors you see when driving home at dusk or night. Traffic lights on a dark blue night scene. 

Did you have an especially fun time envisioning a certain scene in the book?

Yes, the last scene when Race Car is dreaming of finishing first. Up until that point in the story, everything was grounded. It was fun to paint a dreamy, loose scene of the car winning it all. 

What was it like working with art director/book designer, Teresa Bonaddio, on this project?

The art director was really great to work with. I was chosen for this job based on all the little tractor paintings I had done. So, the direction was to follow that type of colorful, textured work. I enjoyed it because it forced me to step out of my comfort zone. I needed to paint more scenes and environments, which I should do more of.

How do you feel about the finished project of RACE CAR DREAMS? What do you think of the book trailer?
​
I was happy with it. I thought the book trailer was great. The overhead scene of the car driving was one of my favorites.

What drew you to Sharon Chriscoe's manuscript, RACE CAR DREAMS?

The first thing I noticed was that I couldn’t WAIT to read it out loud to my office. Multiple times. While exclaiming “Oh my gosh this is so cute” on each reading. It is! It’s so darn cute! I LOVE the idea of this animate car having a bath (car wash), book (all about speed! Cheetahs!), and dreams, just like we do. Cars are just plain fun. Sharon got the meter and rhyme beautifully, which is incredibly difficult (and amazingly rare in my inbox). I couldn’t stop thinking about it, talking about it—that’s how I know I really love something. 

What do you love about working with Sharon as a client?

Sharon, first of all, is a big ball of sunshine. Every time I hear her voice (which is a lot! I do plenty of work over the phone), I just feel great. She is so pleasant, upbeat, hardworking, and creative. I love that I can chat with her about ideas and she’ll not only be open to them, she’ll take them and run with them. 

Why did you decide to send the manuscript to Running Press editor, Marlo Scrimizzi?

I met Marlo in Philadelphia when I was there to visit my aunt, who lives nearby. Over an incredibly cool lunch (there was kale involved, but in a great way!) I grew to really appreciate Marlo’s vision for picture books, her warmth and intelligence. She’d encouraged me to send anything I was excited about, and Sharon’s work definitely applied! 

What did you think when you found out Dave Mottram would be the book's illustrator, and how do you feel about the final art?

I was so excited! We saw all these gorgeous sketches on his site, and I just knew he’d make Race Car into a car with real life and expression, which was my top priority. That said, he exceeded all of my expectations. I LOVE the way the wrench is almost like a teddy bear for Race Car, and how the moon smiles down on them. It’s beautiful. It’s the kind of book I’d think about framing for wall art. I just love the idea of looking at it all the time. 

Tell us about BULLDOZER DREAMS, the companion book for RACE CAR DREAMS to be published by Running Press in 2017, and its editor, Julie Matysik.

I was sad, of course, to hear Marlo was leaving Running Press Kids soon after RACE CAR DREAMS had gone to press—though she is, I’m sure, doing wonderful things in her new role. (She’s just that kind of person; she’ll be brilliant wherever she is.) That said, when I heard it was Julie taking over, I actually sent an email with (direct quote) I’M SO GLAD IT’S YOU. I may have actually used all caps. I’d corresponded with her in the past and always appreciated her intelligence and enthusiasm.

I believe it was Julie who came up with the idea for BULLDOZER DREAMS. We loved the image of a bulldozer making a playground (what’s more fun than a playground?) and getting tired having a long day making all of this fun happen. 

How did you turn RACE CAR DREAMS into a reality--from idea to completed manuscript?

A couple years ago while I was reading the super-talented Jane Yolen’s HOW DO DINOSAURS SAY GOODNIGHT? for around the tenth time, I found myself wanting my very own unique twist on a bedtime story. After much brainstorming, and some trial and error, it hit me . . . full throttle! A race car! Kids love race cars and I had never read about a race car getting ready for bed. I spent the next few weeks in my mobile office drafting those first words. 

Yep. That’s right, my office is not only mobile but it’s the passenger seat of a bread truck in which I work alongside my super supportive husband on our bread route. 

It took almost another year of tweaking the story, revision after revision, draft after draft (nearly 50 in total!) before Race Car became a book that was submission worthy. And I am so thankful to my wonderful critique partners and the SCBWI Blueboard members that encouraged me and helped me to get him all polished and shined.    

How did this manuscript help you snag your agent and what's it been like working with her?

I first submitted to my amazing agent, Jessica Sinsheimer through a referral. Once I hit Send on RACE CAR DREAMS, it all happened very fast. Jessica read it and immediately asked to see more of my work, which I excitedly sent along right away. At race track speed in the world of publishing, Jessica emailed me within three days asking for a phone call.

Our call took place a few days later and Jessica and I had an immediate connection. She was so wonderful and fun to talk with, and she really loved RACE CAR DREAMS! I knew right then that she was the agent for me.

Working with Jessica this past year and a half has been fabulous! She’s a very hands-on agent who cares about her clients, gives fantastic editorial advice, and has encouraged me as a writer to grow, try new ideas, and even stretch into new genres. Not only have I gained a wonderful agent, I have also gained a terrific friend. 

What was it like working with your editor at Running Press? 

Working with Marlo Scrimizzi on RACE CAR DREAMS was a blast! She’s such a lovely person! Her vision for RACE CAR DREAMS was wonderful and her editorial suggestions were brilliant. Within no time, we had RACE CAR at his top speed and ready to hand off to the illustrator. 

I was sad to hear she was leaving, but happy for her in her new role at the same time. Marlo was wonderful in reassuring me that the new editor was fantastic and that Race Car and myself would be in great hands. And I did get to say goodbye to her over the phone, which was really nice. 

What went through your mind when your editor changed, but how did it all work out?

One word--PANIC! A million thoughts rushed through my head. What if the new editor didn’t like me? What if she didn’t like my writing? Thankfully, I had my agent, my family, and my friends to calm me and tell me that everything was going to be okay. 

And guess what! It was! My new editor, Julie Matysik, has been a delight to work with. She is smart and fun and all sorts of awesome! She vroomed right up to the starting line and loved RACE CAR as much as all of us! And she wasted no time in getting book two underway. In fact, she was a key person in deciding what book two would be about. Julie and my publisher had a fun discussion about what types of vehicles would make for a great book two. They sent me a couple of titles and BULLDOZER DREAMS was one of them. When I read that title, my instant thoughts were “A Bulldozer! YES! I want to do that!” Now BULLDOZER DREAMS is with the illustrator—I can hardly wait to see the proofs! 

I consider myself to be a very lucky author in having the privilege to work with both of these amazingly talented, great editors.

When you first saw the illustrations for RACE CAR DREAMS, how did it make you feel? 

Awestruck, to say the least. Seeing the vivid expressions of Race Car, his library inside a tree, his toy wrench, the warm shades of blue and purple, and the adorable teal color with the bold orange striping and number two of Race Car was nothing short of outstanding illustrating. He is just the most adorable little car I’ve ever seen. I couldn’t be happier!

Tell us about your little toy car that will be used for future RACE CAR DREAMS book events.

Thank you so much for asking about him! Last year when Running Press Kids bought RACE CAR DREAMS, I mentioned to my husband about getting a wooden cut out of a car and painting it to look like Race Car for photo opts for book events. Well . . . my husband loved the idea but he actually thought we should take it up a few octane notches. He suggested that we find a real battery operated car and have it painted to look like Race Car. And that’s exactly what we did!
 
We found a vintage 1970’s Beetle. It was in need of a little work and at first he didn’t even run. Thank goodness, my husband is quite handy when it comes to working on pretty much anything because the little car actually needing rewiring and new pedals installed. Once he finally was fully operational with his engine, headlights, and a horn! it was time to get him off to the paint shop. We can’t wait to share him with the kids at the events and hope that they love him as much as we do. You can see pictures of his transformation on my blog. 

My library is--in a word--awesome. In my opinion, one thing that makes it so, is that we have shelves reserved just for newly-published and newly-purchased titles! Each one has a beautiful red NEW label across the spine. How I love NEW!
Every time I visit, there are NEW kidlit titles, too. I so look forward to checking out the NEW nonfiction titles, especially the biographies! It's because I love how kidlit writers use narrative nonfiction to tell their subjects' stories. Kid-friendly facts told in kid-friendly ways equals, to me, a most-delightful read. The text is sometimes lyrical, oftentimes musical, and always informational. And the art! How I love the way publishers marry text and illustrations to bring to life individuals who may have lived over a hundred years ago!
Instead of keeping all this love to myself, I thought I'd share four NEW titles that I checked out during my last library visit. If your library doesn't own copies, I would highly recommend they buy them--NEW.

​WHAT I LOVE:
I love the narrator's voice of this title. You'll feel like you're sitting at the feet of a kind great-grandmother who is telling you her family's story. I love how Dunbar's poems are carefully placed within the text in order to complete the historical narrative. (Reading Dunbar's poems aloud is a delight!) It is encouraging and inspiring to learn of Dunbar's determination to accomplish his goal of becoming a published poet, and attaining it with distinction. It is an added bonus to discover that Dunbar and the Wright brothers went to school together, helped each other out, and were friends. The illustrations, too, perfectly capture Dunbar's emotions. JUMP BACK, PAUL is a magnificent biography for middle-grade readers.
​
​TASTE-SAMPLE:
"Well, graduation time came round, and Paul's class asked him to write words for the song they would sing at the ceremony. Those boys and girls had been going to school most of their lives, but now they had to go out and start finding their own way. Don't you think they were a mite scared? And maybe a little sad? Paul had the same feelings as the rest of them. How was he going to put all that in a song? He decided to compare himself and his friends to little boats just beginning their first voyage." 

​JUMP BACK, PAUL is written by Sally Derby, illustrated by Sean Qualls,  and published by Candlewick Press. 

WHAT I LOVE:
To be honest, I'm not a baseball fan. Nonetheless, I love this picture-book biography because of how Tavares weaves throughout the story the brotherly bond that existed between Pedro Martinez and his older brother, Ramón. It is a narrative thread that makes for an emotional telling and some touching illustrations, too. Pedro is younger than Ramón. He is smaller. And at first, he can't play baseball as well as Ramón. But Pedro looks up to his big brother, and his big brother wants him to succeed. He even teaches Pedro all he knows about being a great pitcher. He lets him tag along whenever he is practicing or trying out or playing. Soon, both brothers are pitching in the major leagues. Both are exceptional at what they do. Even when Pedro and Ramón have to pitch against each other on opposing teams, they cheer each other on. After all, that's what brothers who love each other do! GROWING UP PEDRO is a great picture-book biography that kids are sure to love! 

TASTE-SAMPLE:
"During games, they sit together in the dug out. They coach each other. With his brother by his side, Pedro is better that ever."

​GROWING UP PEDRO is written and illustrated by Matt Tavares, and  published by Candlewick Press.

​ WHAT I LOVE:
I don't recall hearing the name of John Roy Lynch before reading this beautifully-illustrated picture-book biography. I learned that John Roy had an Irish father, and that when his father died he willed to him, his mother and his brother all that he owned. He gave them their legal freedom. It was heartbreaking to learn that his father's "friend" did not do as his father wished. Instead, he cheated John Roy's family out of their rightful freedom and sold them away from their home. It was exciting to learn that during Reconstruction the townspeople of Natchez, Mississippi elected John Roy to be their Justice of the Peace and later their Congressman. John Roy was hoping that, with slavery abolished, a time of liberty and justice would prevail for all. But of course, the time of Reconstruction was short-lived. His hope did not materialize. I do not love reliving this time period, but I do love learning about individuals like John Roy who managed to hold onto hope even when the promise of it flickered like an oil lamp about to burn out. And of course, I love the illustrations of this book! Tate knows how to illuminate hope on every page of THE AMAZING AGE OF JOHN ROY LYNCH.   

TASTE-SAMPLE:
"For John Roy, true emancipation came the summer he turned sixteen. It did not come from the president's pen, or even from the arrival of two hundred blue-clad men on horseback. It came instead when he sold a chicken for a dime to a Yankee soldier and bought himself a boat ride across the river back to Natchez."

​THE AMAZING AGE OF JOHN ROY LYNCH is written by Chris Barton, illustrated by Don Tate, and published by Eerdman Books For Young Readers.

WHAT I LOVE:
Imagine a little New Orleans fellow finding himself a beat-up old trombone, one so big he falls beneath the size of it while trying to play. But there's nothing small about his determination. He teaches himself to play that horn. After all, he wants to join his big brother's band! Never mind how young, how small, how short he is. Soon, he is playing his big brother's songs. What's not to love about that image? He even forms his own band with other little guys, never mind that most of them don't have real instruments. They just make their own. He sleeps with his trombone, no doubt dreaming of the music he and his friends will make in the morning. And when he attends a Bo Diddley concert with his mom, he gets right up there on that stage and starts to play! It's a delightful thing when a kid like Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews recognizes what he is passionate about. And Collier's illustrations for this book are truly amazing! His collages remind me of the instruments that Troy and his friends made using a hodge-podge of materials to create music. I love that this story is told by none other than Trombone "Shorty" himself, who is still making music with his trombone today. TROMBONE SHORTY is nothing short of a delightful read!
​
TASTE-SAMPLE:
"The crowd passed me overhead until I was standing on the stage next to Bo Diddley himself! I walked right up to the microphone and held my trombone high up in the air, ready to blow!

"What do you want to play?" Bo DIddley asked.

​​"FOLLOW ME," I said.

​TROMBONE SHORTY is written by Troy "Trombone Shorty" Andrews, illustrated by Bryan Collier, and published by Abrams Books for Young Readers.​