When you first received the manuscript for BUSY-EYED DAY, what did you love about it?

I loved all the SPACE it left for the illustrator! The language is so playful and so unique, but also so open-ended. I knew it would be one of those texts where I would be so delighted and pleasantly surprised to see where the illustrator took it.

Do tell your thought process regarding who should illustrate it, and how did you come to choose Frann?

​Andrea Welch, the book’s editor, suggested we send this manuscript to Frann Preston-Gannon. She’d been a fan of Frann’s work for a long time and had been hoping to find the perfect manuscript to send to her. I agreed, just based on Frann’s style and the samples I saw, I knew I’d love what she did!

What did you appreciate about Frann’s attitude as she worked through revising the illustrations for this story?

Frann is a total pro, so the collaborative part of the process—the back and forth between her, me, and the editor—was productive and FUN (as I believe the picture-book process should be!). I’m a firm believer that books are always better when everyone (author, illustrator, editor, art director) is open to considering a number of different solutions for any one page. Frann had a great attitude about this and was always game for trying new things and pushing existing things a bit further. 

When you saw the text alongside the illustrations, what did you love about it?

Everything! I loved the relationships Frann built within this family, the way the kids played off each other, their mom, Grammy, the nuanced moments between them all. I also just loved Frann’s treatment of the lines of text that left so much room for interpretation, One-eyed Jack/Two-eyed Zach, in particular. 

Why do you hope children will receive a copy this book?

Aside from being a darling, playful, and gorgeous book, I like how this book invites readers to look closely at everyday moments and to play with language. Maybe after reading BUSY-EYED DAY suddenly that dog won't be just a dog, but will be a wide-eyed dog, and maybe a regular trip to the park will suddenly be filled with new detail and language!

BUSY-EYED DAY is a rhyming and richly illustrated picture book that celebrates the act of being observant and enjoying the magnificence found in the everyday world, perfect for the youngest of readers. It is written by Anne Marie Pace, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon, and published by Simon & Schuster, with a release date of April 10. 2018. 
Order your copy of BUSY-EYED DAY from an indie near you.  ​​

​When you first received the manuscript for BUSY-EYED DAY, what did you love about it?

Whenever I get sent a text, the way I know it is right for me is that I am immediately hit with  an urge to start drawing. I found the sweet jollity of Anne Marie’s text instantly appealing and all I wanted to do was to start creating the characters of the two siblings. My mind led itself into the oasis of a city park and I wanted to get drawing as soon as I could. 


How did you do to get into the spirit of the story so you could tell it authentically?

This project was the first thing I came back to after my maternity leave for my first baby. For the three months previous, I had spent pretty much everyday pushing around my new-born in our local park. She was considerate enough to be born in June so thankfully my walks were taken through the summer months. 

My local park is huge and is right in the middle of Brixton in South London. If you walk to the top of the hill you can look back over the expanse of the city and see the imposing and impressive Skyline of London, while still surrounded by bird song and greenery. I used this time to take reference photos of trees and other elements of a city park that I could work from later on. Although the park in BUSY-EYED DAY isn’t directly based on my local park, it undoubtedly influenced by it!

Do tell! What was your illustrative process? 

All picture books usually start with a storyboard so you are able to map out the pages before you start the actual illustrations. This is an integral bit at this point, allowing you to nail the narrative, and that makes the illustrative process a lot easier later down the line. I also spent a while trying to get the characters right. After this I would create rough pencil sketches that I would scan into my computer and work on digitally to create a collage layered look. I'd then add textures to achieve my final colour spreads. All of this is done within Photoshop. I used a mixture of scanned in mediums, such as paint textures, and also Photoshop brushes to achieve the end result. 

Describe how you and your art director, NAME, worked together on BUSY-EYED DAY.

Creating a book is such a collaborative project. Often you will send your art director all of the storyboards that they then comment on and there is a lot of back and forth to get them to a place you are all happy with. I then started on the first round of “rough” illustrations. This took me a few months and, when I felt I was in a good place with these, I sent them off to the publisher. This is always such an interesting and nerve-wrecking point as, once they have been shown around to the appropriate people at the publisher, you receive back all the comments. When illustrating someone else’s text, this is also the point where they first see the interpretations of their words and I am always nervous to hear their thoughts! 

What are your plans for launching this book? 

As I don’t live in the States, I am slightly removed from directly launching BUSY-EYED DAY in bookshop events or schools. The book isn’t currently being published in the UK, so my main aim is to support it on lovely blogs like this one and also to make use of social media to get it noticed in the world! 

​Frann Preston-Gannon is a London based author and illustrator of books for children. Her books have been published worldwide and include THE JOURNEY HOME, DAVE'S CAVE, BECAUSE OF AN ACORN, and HOW TO LOSE A LEMUR. In April 2011, she became the first UK recipient of the Sendak Fellowship and spent a month in autumn living with and learning from the great master of illustration, Maurice Sendak, at his home in Connecticut. Fran can be found at frann.co.uk, on Twitter @frannpg, and on Instagram @frann.pg.

When you first received the manuscript for BUSY-EYED DAY, what did you love about it?

I loved the unusualness of it. The language. The wide-open illustration possibilities. The way it explored an important concept—opening your eyes to the wonderfulness in the world around us—in such a fresh, unexpected, and deceptively simple way. The text is very spare, and I think Anne Marie was concerned that it wouldn’t quite make sense to me because she included an explanation of what she envisioned was happening in the story on a second page. But that wasn’t necessary--I knew I was buying this manuscript after reading the first few lines!

Do tell about the acquisition process.

Anne Marie has a terrific agent, Linda Pratt of Wernick & Pratt, who knows my taste very well. Linda knew I liked Anne Marie’s work, and she had a hunch I would love BUSY-EYED DAY. She was right! She sent it to me, and as soon as I finished reading it, I shared it with my colleagues who loved it as well.

What did you appreciate about Anne Marie’s attitude as she worked through the story’s revision?

Anne Marie is a fantastic reviser. Each time I asked an editorial question, she responded with thoughtful, creative ideas. For instance, at the very beginning of the process we talked about the possibility of adding a refrain to the text to help pull it together, and she came up with the perfect solution. Then, as the artwork began coming in, we found ourselves wondering if we should tweak the wording in a few spots to complement Frann Preston Gannon’s pictures. Again, Anne Marie’s revisions were pitch-perfect and really brought the book to a whole new level.

When you saw the text alongside the illustrations, what did you love about it?

The finished book turned out even more terrific than I’d hoped. Anne Marie’s text is a delightful read-aloud. And there’s so much for kids to discover in Frann’s pictures. I also love how Frann’s illustrations perfectly capture the original tone and vibe of Anne Marie’s text.

Why do you hope children will receive a copy of this book?

I think little listeners and readers will respond to the fantastic language and engaging rhythm of Anne Marie’s text. I think they’ll see themselves in the playful and curious cast of characters Frann created. And I hope they’ll be inspired to get outside and use their own eyes to observe and explore the wonderful world that surrounds us.

Andrea Welch is Executive Editor at Beach Lane Books, a San Diego-based imprint of Simon & Schuster. She has the pleasure of working with a long list of talented authors and illustrators, including Liz Garton Scanlon, Denise Fleming, and April Pulley Sayre. Recent celebrated books she has edited include LIFE by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Brendan Wenzel; THE ANTLERED SHIP by Dashka Slater, illustrated by Terry & Eric Fan; and the New York Times bestselling LMNO Peas series. 

BUSY-EYED DAY is a rhyming and richly illustrated picture book that celebrates the act of being observant and enjoying the magnificence found in the everyday world, perfect for the youngest of readers. It is written by Anne Marie Pace, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon, and published by Simon & Schuster, with a release date of April 10. 2018. 
Order your copy of BUSY-EYED DAY from an indie near you.  ​

When you first received the manuscript for BUSY-EYED DAY, what did you love about it?

I was drawn to the simplicity of Anne Marie’s text that is so beautifully crafted to make for a really fun read-aloud experience. There is such a lovely, joyful rhythm to the words.

What changes did you request from Anne Marie before you started the submission process?

I didn’t request any changes to the text. This was a text that Anne Marie had written when we first began working together. I sent it out to some places, but the thing that both she and I loved about it, i.e. the simplicity and joy of the text, were thought to be too slim at the time. So the manuscript was shelved for a good long while because trying to address that concern would change so much that it would become a different story.

Do tell your thought process regarding which editor you would send it to. Why were you pleased that Andrea Welch wanted to acquire it?

The funny thing is the idea of pairing Anne Marie and her editor, Andrea Welch came before the idea of sharing this particular text.  Andrea had considered a number of Anne Marie’s manuscripts over the years, and she always made clear that she was a fan of Anne Marie’s style even though the right fit hadn’t been found. I had a good idea of what Andrea might respond to at the time we submitted BUSY-EYED DAY. I was on the phone with Anne Marie describing what I thought that was, and it was Anne Marie, not me, who said, “OK, what do you think about BUSY-EYED DAY?”  I immediately thought, “Of course!” so I sent it to Andrea straight away. Andrea got back to me that same day, and she said “I love this!”.

When you first saw the ARC of BUSY-EYED DAY, what did you love about it?

I love that the cover captures the wonderment that is at the heart of the story. I also love the warmth of the family that comes through so clearly in Frann Preston-Gannon’s illustrations. 

What do you hope children will take away from this book?

To use their eyes to notice the small things that we encounter in our day-to-day lives, things that are ordinary and extraordinary all at once.

​Linda Pratt and friend and colleague, Marcia Wernick, established the Wernick & Pratt Agency in 2011. The agency represents authors and illustrators of children’s books with a focus on attending to their long-term careers and goals. Our clients range from award-winners and bestsellers to new and emerging talents. Among Linda’s clients are Richard Peck, Kathryn Erskine, Aaron Becker, Steve Light, Lita Judge, Anne Marie Pace, and LeUyen Pham, among others.  Linda is a member of SCBWI and AAR, and  has also served on the Rutgers Council for Children’s Literature, which plans the annual Rutgers One-on-One Mentoring Conference for five years.  www.wernickpratt.com

 BUSY-EYED DAY is a rhyming and richly illustrated picture book that celebrates the act of being observant and enjoying the magnificence found in the everyday world, perfect for the youngest of readers. It is written by Anne Marie Pace, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon, and published by Simon & Schuster, with a release date of April 10. 2018. 
Order your copy of BUSY-EYED DAY from an indie near you.  ​

How did you come up with the idea for BUSY-EYED DAY? Did you have any challenges while writing it?

The original idea came from the initial couplet:  Big-eyed bug/Stalk-eyed slug. I seem to remember thinking it up while driving, so I asked my son to write it down for me on a scrap of paper. I had trouble coming up with enough bug-related verses to fill a manuscript, but when I remembered the fun my family had had on a day in Central Park a number of years ago, I was inspired to broaden my thinking about different kinds of eyes into its current incarnation.

How was writing this story different from some of your others?

Well, for one thing, it’s much shorter. I think it’s only about 60 words. For another, it rhymes. I write in rhyme about a quarter of the time, but this is my first published rhymer (another is coming in 2019!). Rhyming books are so much fun to read with kids, and they’re also good for kids learning to read, since the rhyming creates a structure in which kids are more easily able to predict new words.

Do tell about the revision process for BUSY-EYED DAY.

I think I did less revision on this manuscript than I’ve ever done for any of my other books, but there was still some. I didn’t do any for my agent; we sent it out just as I sent it to her.  After Beach Lane acquired the manuscript, there were a few changes, but they were pretty minimal. My editor Andrea Welch wanted me to add a refrain every few stanzas.  And there were small changes throughout.  For example, we talked some about whether girl and squirrel rhyme. They don’t rhyme in every English or American accent, but we decided to stay with it anyway. And there was a couplet that read Bog-eyed frog/Frog-eyed dog which was revised to read Side-eyed frog/Wide-eyed dog because there wasn’t really a bog; the frog is in a pond. The biggest change was the title, which was originally BIG-EYED BUG, but some people felt that promised kids a bug book and it’s not a bug book, so we went with BUSY-EYED DAY, which does keep its promise.

When you first saw Frann’s illustrations, what did you love about them? Did the end result surprise you in a good way?

Oh, gosh, this is hard because I’m not good at describing art.  I can tell you that as soon as Andrea mentioned Frann’s name and I looked at her website, I was smitten by her style.  I love the bright natural colors and I love the way she uses brushstrokes for beautiful, interesting effects. My favorite spread in the book is the last one, which takes a bird’s-eye view of the park and we can see all the different people and animals that Sammi and her family have seen during their busy-eyed day.

Why are you excited to see this book in the hands of children? 
​
Getting books into the hands of kids is the whole point and I like to see their reactions when they hear the story and see the illustrations. Hopefully, they will like it and not say, “Read a different one, Mom; this one’s not very good.” But that’s always a risk. (Smile!)

​Anne Marie Pace is a children's book author whose titles  include GROUNDHUG DAY (Disney-Hyperion, 2017, illustrated by Christopher Denise); PIGLOO (Henry Holt, 2016, illustrated by Lorna Hussey); and the published and upcoming books of the VAMPIRINA BALLERINA series (Disney-Hyperion, illustrated by LeUyen Pham), the inspiration for the hit Disney Junior animated series VAMPIRINA. New this spring is BUSY-EYED DAY (Beach Lane Books, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon). Find her at annemariepace.com, on Facebook, and on Twitter and Instagram @annemariepace.

BUSY-EYED DAY is a rhyming and richly illustrated picture book that celebrates the act of being observant and enjoying the magnificence found in the everyday world, perfect for the youngest of readers. It is written by Anne Marie Pace, illustrated by Frann Preston-Gannon, and published by Simon & Schuster, with a release date of April 10. 2018. 
Order your copy of BUSY-EYED DAY from an indie near you.  ​

 As an author, what do you enjoy about school visits?

School visits give me an opportunity to meet readers I wouldn’t otherwise get to meet--namely, awesome teachers and librarians and kids! My teaching career was spent working with high-schoolers, but I’ve found that the little ones are just as fun, as well as super-cute. Also, as a former teacher, I am intrigued by education issues in general, so I enjoy visiting different schools and seeing how a love of books is encouraged in classrooms at schools with varying demographics and philosophies.

In your opinion, can a Skype visit be just as fun? 

I won’t deny that Skype visits are different from in-person visits. I sing and dance with little ones in person, and that is harder, though not impossible, to do over Skype, since I’m working with a desktop computer in my kitchen, not a studio. But today’s young students have grown up with the amazing technology we have today--stuff we couldn’t have dreamed of when I was their age. So for them, talking with someone over Skype does not feel miraculous; it’s just another way of communicating. I don’t think it throws them off balance in any way. That means that most of what I do with them translates just fine to Skype. I do miss the hugs, though. You can’t Skype a hug!

Tell us about your recent deal with Disney.

A couple of years ago, my agent called to tell me that Disney Junior was interested in optioning VAMPIRINA BALLERINA for a preschool television series.  The option didn’t mean they were going to make it into a series; it meant they were asking for exclusive rights to do so if they wished. However, after many months of development, Disney Junior announced this spring that Vampirina is in production and will premiere some time in 2017. Chris Nee, the creator of the award-winning Disney Junior series Doc McStuffins, is executive producer, Norton Virgien is the co-executive producer, Nicky Phelan is directing, and Brown Bag Films from Ireland will do the animation. It really couldn’t be in better hands. The show and the books will complement rather than duplicate each other; we should think of two distinct timelines in a sci-fi universe. The books are the books and the show will be the show. I won’t have any input into the show itself, but LeUyen Pham and I are creating another Vampirina book. Think Beach Blanket Bingo meets Monster Mash, as Vampirina heads to the beach.

How has participating in and being in attendance at the Virginia Festival of the Book helped you grow as a writer?

I’ve been involved with the Virginia Festival of the Book for a long time now. I moderated panels of children’s authors for several years, then I sat on panels, then I put together panels--now my favorite thing to do are school visits. Schools in our area often schedule their author visits for Festival week, so we are all celebrating books together. It’s hard not to feel motivated and excited about our work when we are celebrating books.

What do you enjoy about Charlottesville's writing community?

University towns are always full of interesting people, aren’t they? And some of the most interesting people to me are other writers. My critique group began years ago after a panel at the Virginia Festival of the Book, and not only are we still together, but we’ve all published books. They’re not just my colleagues; they’re my friends. As the Charlottesville Events Coordinator for the Mid-Atlantic Region of the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators, I’ve had the chance to be at the hub of many children’s writing events in town. I’ve also begun teaching at WriterHouse, so I’m meeting new writers through my classes there. Children’s writers are renowned for being some of the most encouraging and helpful people around, and our children’s writers in Charlottesville are no exception. It’s a great place to live as a writer.
Anne Marie Pace is the author of  Never Ever Talk to Strangers (Scholastic Book Clubs 2010), A Teacher for Bear (Scholastic Book Clubs 2011) and the Vampirina Ballerina series (Disney-Hyperion) that is illustrated by LeUyen Pham. Her upcoming picture books include PIGLOO (Henry Holt & Co.), GROUNDHUG DAY (Disney-Hyperion), BIG-EYED BUG (Beach Lane Books), and the next adventure for Vampirina (Disney-Hyperion)! Anne-Marie’s favorite pastimes include reading, cooking, choral singing, walking in the woods, traveling, and (most importantly) spending time with family, friends and her two awesome beagle mixes (AKA mutts). She can be found online at annemariepace.com and Tweeting @AnneMariePace.