Birth Stories for Books, PIECE BY PIECE, by Stephanie Shaw

by Stephanie Shaw & Sylvie Daigneault

Today's post is a return to the Birth Stories for Books series. Our guest today is Stephanie Shaw, someone I'm pleased to consider a friend and a colleague. She's the author of many delightful picture books including, PIECE BY PIECE (illustrated by Sylvie Daigneault and published by Sleeping Bear Press, 2017), which we'll talk about today. Let's jump right in:

Dawn Prochovnic: Thank you for stopping by to talk with us, Stephanie. If I remember correctly, you and I first met at a “first pages” session at a SCBWI-Oregon conference many years ago. I recall hearing you read one of your stories aloud and thinking to myself, “This will be a book someday.” Boy was I ever right! Now you have a heap of delightful picture books to your credit. Today we’re going to talk about PIECE BY PIECE. Can you tell us a little bit about your path to publication for this particular story? 

Stephanie Shaw: Hi, Dawn!  It’s so good to be with you.  I remember that SCBWI conference where we met. It was my first and you were so kind! I didn’t know a soul and you sat with me at lunch and you were so encouraging!  None of us get to publication without tremendous support, and I certainly credit you with holding my hand along the way.

DP: I'd forgotten that it was your first conference when we met. I’m so glad I made you feel welcome! I just remember that I enjoyed meeting you and enjoyed our chats and really thought highly of the work that you shared during open mic/first pages, year after year when we would see each other. I'm so glad we have the opportunity to chat about your publishing journey. Speaking of which, reflecting on the journey from idea to published book, is there any one moment along the way that you credit with opening the door for this particular story to find its way to publication?

SS: So, writing PIECE BY PIECE was one of the sweetest journeys ever.  And, it started with doing something I really did not want to do.  While attending a Highlights Writing Summer Camp in 2013, attendees were invited to go on a ‘sensory walk’ in the woods with author Jillian Sullivan.  I thought that sounded silly. But, I did like walking and the area was beautiful, so I went along. Jillian asked us to close our eyes and just listen. She asked us to feel plants and stones. She asked us to smell grasses and sap. She taught us to use our senses to evoke words in our writing. That lesson would be ‘the moment’ in terms of PIECE BY PIECE being conceived. I just didn’t know it yet.

The following summer I developed the first draft of PIECE BY PIECE inspired by daily walks near my home.  The start of the story has the line, “All day she gathered them up: the crunch of leaves, the springiness of moss, the leap and splash of a fish.”  I knew I wanted the story to draw on all I had learned from Jillian Sullivan. I knew I wanted a quilt in it. So, the main character became a weaver and seamstress ---which is funny because I can barely sew on a button!

In the fall of 2014, I attended an Oregon SCBWI Retreat. I read that first draft at a roundtable. A visiting editor had tears in her eyes at the end. I remember she said, “That is just so sad.” So, her suggestion was to soften it a bit.  A short while later, she contacted me and asked that I send it to her once I had made some changes. I was elated.

But, in the bi-polar world of publishing, it was not meant to be. She sent the most beautiful rejection ever when she compared it to work by Isabelle Allende, but her editorial team felt it was ‘too adult.’

I did some revision work (adding the main character’s children as the ones who save the day).  By that time, I was in conversation with the Senior Editor Barb McNally at Sleeping Bear Press regarding SCHNITZEL: A CAUTIONARY TALE FOR LAZY LOUTS (my third book with SBP).  I asked if Barb would mind taking a look at PIECE BY PIECE. But I honestly wasn’t thinking of it as a submission. I just wanted some free professional advice. She wanted to pitch it to the editorial committee and within a short time it was acquired.

DP: That IS a sweet journey...almost like a fully developed story arc in and of itself! Knowing the backstory makes this lovely book even more beautiful.

Here is another curious question: When you compare one of your earliest drafts of this story to the version in the published book, what stands out for you in terms of what is most different? Likewise, is there anything in particular that stands out that was included in your earliest drafts and survived the revision process?

SS: From the first draft to the final manuscript, not terribly much changed with the exception of the children becoming more integral to the resolution. I was able to keep all the sensory language.  I was able to keep the arc of the story in terms of the seamstress beginning with a beautiful gown and then ‘piece by piece’  reducing it to scraps of cloth.

Illustrations by Sylvie Daigneault

DP: It's very inspiring that a creative exercise that you weren't even keen on doing eventually led to such a lovely story, with such beautiful illustrations! Good for you for saying "yes," to participating in the creative exercise when you could have just as easily skipped it.

Is there something you wish someone would ask you about PIECE BY PIECE and/or your path to publication that you haven’t had the opportunity to share yet? 

SS: When people ask my husband (who is not a writer) what PIECE BY PIECE is about, he always says, “It’s about a quilt.”  When people ask my writer friends what PIECE BY PIECE is about they say, “It’s about rejection and revision.”  And, of course, both are right.  As writers, we work so hard to craft something wonderful. Then we end up tearing it apart and refashioning it --- sometimes to the point where we don’t recognize it as the story we wanted to tell. It takes hard work to seamlessly put all the revisions together.

DP: Oh, so well said! 

Some of your earlier books, for example, THE LEGEND OF THE BEAVER’S TAIL (2015) and A COOKIE FOR SANTA (2014), were also published by Sleeping Bear Press. Were there notable differences in the path to publication for your earlier books as compared to PIECE BY PIECE?

SS: This would become my fourth book with Sleeping Bear Press. And each one had a bit of a different path to publication.  The first two were represented by the fabulous agent Kirsten Hall (now owner of Catbird Agency).  Kirsten was originally with an agency in London and represented illustrator Laura Watkins from my very first book BEDTIME IN THE MEADOW, Tiger Tales, 2013.  It was Kirsten who approached me about developing a Christmas story for Sleeping Bear and then later a legend, because SBP had done a call out to agents when they were looking for these types of stories. I was so fortunate that Kirsten liked what I had done with Laura and suggested that I develop these manuscripts.  But, I submitted SCHNITZEL, PIECE BY PIECE and my next book, TAILS FROM THE SHELER (2020), on my own.

That must sound like once I was ‘in’ I just got a green light on everything, but far from it.  I have pestered Sleeping Bear with many projects that have been rejected. They are a relatively small publisher and either they don’t have room for the stories, or the stories are not right for them.

So a huge difference is transitioning to submitting on my own. When Kirsten started her own agency, she was unable to take clients she had formerly represented. I now spend a great deal of time researching publishers that will take unagented authors.

DP: Glad to hear I'm not the only one in that boat! My upcoming books are also with a (wonderful!) relatively small publisher (West Margin Press). I love working with them, but I have more stories in my backlog of inventory than they could reasonably publish, and not all of my stories are a good fit for their regionally focused list. Since I, too, am unagented, I'm grateful there are publishers that will consider unagented submissions (but, the research entailed...oy!)   

One of my favorite parts of being an author is visiting schools and libraries and reading my books to children, and I’m always looking for new pro tips. I know you were a professional educator for many years. Wearing the hats of both educator and author, I suspect you’ve read to many children over the years, too. What advice or suggestions do you have for picture book authors and/or fellow story time presenters? 

SS: Regarding presentations, one thing I learned from Sleeping Bear Press is the importance of tying activities to books.  This makes the book very appealing to families, teachers and librarians. And, once that is done, I also have a ready made classroom presentations or talking points for families.

DP: That's a great tip. Thanks! 

How about if you could go back in time: What would you tell your pre-published self? Or, said another way, what do you know now, that you wished you would have known a bit earlier?

SS: There are a lot of things I would tell my pre-published self.  But, more than anything, I wish I would have joined SCBWI when I first became interested in writing. That one step would have saved me from making so many mistakes!   And, given the sloth-paced progression of the publishing world, I wish I started writing earlier.

DP: Ditto to both points! 

Before we wrap up, do you have anything you’d like to tell us about what you’re currently working on? 

SS: I’m excited to find out who the illustrator will be for the next picture book TAILS FROM THE ANIMAL SHELTER.  It has several introductions from various fictional animals seeking adoption as well as nonfiction information about the formation of the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.

As for unpublished works in progress? Well, today I am channeling my eight year old self and making up humorous conversation between bats. What’s a bat’s favorite dessert you ask?  Upside down cake.

DP: That work-in-progress sounds like a VERY fun book, Stephanie. I can't wait! 

Speaking of fun books, Stephanie has offered to gift a signed copy of PIECE BY PIECE to one lucky reader. To be eligible to win, simply write one comment below. The winner will be selected at random sometime after 12:00PM PST, March 15, 2019. 

Thank you so much for taking the time for this interview, Stephanie. It was sincerely a pleasure to learn more about you and your work! 

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Stephanie Shaw is a native Oregonian verified by her refusal to use an umbrella.  She is a graduate of Oregon State University (Go, Beavers!) and Lewis and Clark College and had the honor of working in Oregon’s public education system as a teacher, counselor and administrator. Things she loves includes: mustard, chocolate (but not together), her very tolerant husband and very soft dog Milo.  She uses the word ‘hate’ sparingly but she really, really does not like stickers on fruit and vegetables.

Her work includes numerous stories in Highlights for Kids, High Five and Old Farmer’s Almanac for Kids as well as books: Little Tiger UK: Bedtime In The Meadow, 2013, Under The Sleepy Stars, 2014, By The Light Of The Moon, 2015, Lullaby Farm, 2016.  Sleeping Bear Press: A Cookie For Santa, 2014, The Legend Of The Beaver’s Tail, 2015, Schnitzel: A Cautionary Tale For Lazy Louts, 2016, Piece By Piece, 2017, Tails From The Animal Shelter, 2020. Simon And Schuster, UK: Moo La La! Cow Goes Shopping, 2016, Read Your Story: What Would You Like For Tea?, 2018, My Shapes, 2019,  Sweet Sounds, 2020

Stephanie loves to hear from kids and fellow authors! You can contact her via her website at www.stephanieshawauthor.com.

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Birth Stories for Books is an occasional feature of Dawn Babb Prochovnic's blog. Dawn is the author of multiple picture books including Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?, Where Does a Pirate Go Potty? (forthcoming, 2019), and 16 books in the Story Time With Signs & Rhymes series. Dawn is a contributing author to Oregon Reads Aloud and a frequent presenter at schools, libraries, and educational conferences. Contact Dawn using the form at the left, or learn more at www.dawnprochovnic.com.

The "Writing Community" Part of the Writing Life

Image Source Linked Here

There are many things I love about being a writer, and in particular, a children's author. I think I've made it abundantly clear that I love the experience of school and library author visits and the opportunity to correspond with young writers. I've blogged plenty about "The Writing Life," but I realize I've not yet mentioned how much I appreciate the community of writers that I'm a part of. 

I've made writing friends through the national SCBWI organization and my local SCBWI-Oregon chapter, as well as through Willamette Writers and the Authors Guild. I've made new friends on Twitter, and developed friendships on Facebook and on Facebook groups such as Portland KidLit and Storytime Underground. I've met new friends (and caught up with old friends) at author events at my local bookstores (Green Bean Books, Annie Blooms, Dudley's Bookshop Cafe, and Powell's Books to name a few). 

I've also made new friends by following up with authors who have posted on group blogs such as GROG Blog, by writing guest posts on others' blogs, such as this post I wrote for Tara Lazar's blog, by hosting interviews with other authors on my own blog, and by participating in creative experiences such as Tara Lazar's Storystorm and Vivian Kirkfield's #50PreciousWords Contest (which ends TODAY, March 6, 2019)...and which brings me to what prompted me to write today's blog post: 

Vivian's contest is described here, but essentially, the goal is to write (and share) a story with a beginning, middle, and end that is 50 words or less. I've posted my story on Vivian's blog, but I also thought I'd post it here:

*****

Vacation! (by Dawn Prochovnic, 48 Words)

Climb the stairs to the attic.

Find my suitcase.

Clunk, clunk, clunk back down the stairs.

Make a pile of socks, shirts, and shorts.

Fill my suitcase.

Zip, zip, zip until it’s closed tight.

Load the van.

Wave goodbye to the neighbors.

Vroom, vroom, vroom. Away we go.

*****

Thanks for hosting this fun, creative event, Vivian. It got me writing today!

Dear Readers: Where have you found YOUR writing community? I'd love for you to share in the comments, so we can all continue to build community and develop new friendships. And, even if you don't learn about Vivian's contest until after this year's deadline, I'd encourage you to take a look at the posts on Vivian's blog and go make some new friends!

(Oh, and check out Vivian's latest books ... she has a heap of them! I'll be featuring Vivian's path to publication story in the Birth Stories for Books series next month on my blog!)

The "Speaking My Voice" Part of the Writing Life

One of my personal commitments is that I take the time to bring my voice to issues that I care about (or at least some of them ... there are so many). I also like to help others in their efforts to amplify their support for or opposition to shared issues of concern.

Today, instead of working on my own writing endeavors, I've taken the time to get informed about some key educational issues being considered by our state lawmakers, and to bring my voice and my perspective into the conversation. Today I wrote to lawmakers to share my support for four Senate Bills that are currently before Oregon's Senate Committee on Education: SB 456 (that removes the current standardized testing requirement for high school graduation); SB 433 (that provides further support for those parents and adult students who want to opt their child out of standardized testing), SB 428 (that calls upon the Secretary of State to perform an audit of standardized testing methods in Oregon schools), and SB 664 (that adds a requirement to include education about the Holocaust and genocide in Oregon school curriculum).

Thanks to fellow community advocate, Lisa Shultz, I learned how to navigate through OLIS to read about these bills, and to review public testimony that's been delivered thus far, etc. If you click on this OLIS link, for example, you can see the different SBs that were before the Senate Education Committee at their February 27, 2019 meeting (which I was unable to attend). If you click on a SB link, for example SB 456, you will see where the bill is currently, and that there was a hearing on February 27, 2019. If you click on the 2-27 Public Hearing link, you will see a page full of links to the written testimony that was given on that date (on the left side of the page). If you click on the little arrow on the right side of the Senate Education Community summary page next to the 2/27/2019 date, you will be taken to a recording of the hearing on that date. Pretty cool.

As I said, I wasn't able to attend the hearing on February 27th, but I did want to weigh in on the issues. I wrote the following letters, and sent them to the Education Committee members. I've copied them below in case they are helpful to you as you formulate your own opinions and/or choose to follow/lend your voice to these issues as well.

Here goes:

Letter One: 

March 5, 2019

TO: Chair Wagner and Members of the Senate Education Committee

RE: Support for SB 456

Dear Chair Wagner and Members of the Senate Education Committee,

I am a parent, community volunteer, children’s author, and vocal library and literacy advocate in Portland, Oregon. I am writing to share my support for SB 456 and my strong opposition to standardized testing as a requirement for high school graduation.

My two children have attended all levels of public school in the state of Oregon (my oldest is currently a sophomore in college, and my youngest is a junior in high school). I have been a guest author and/or community volunteer in a variety of schools throughout the state. During the 15 years I’ve been involved with Oregon’s schools, I’ve witnessed a significant shift in our public education system, focusing more and more on standardized testing and less and less on meaningful areas sadly deemed “extras” in our budget-challenged environment (e.g., art, music, reading for pleasure, library services, and even information literacy skills).

Our state is routinely strapped for funds, limiting our ability to provide a robust and well-rounded public education for our children, but yet, we continue to find the funds to pay for aggressive standardized testing protocols that have not been shown to benefit our children, our teachers, our schools, or our communities. The only stakeholders that have arguably benefitted from aggressive standardized testing protocols are the organizations whose business models depend on the endless loop of testing/consulting/ training/ and re-testing we have allowed our education system to fall prey to. While these profiteers lobby for more and more testing (so they can sell more test guides and more consulting services to help teachers teach to the test and help schools improve their test scores), our students, teachers, and schools suffer.

Yes, students should be able to demonstrate a basic level of proficiency in the essential skills of reading, writing and mathematics to earn a high school diploma. Students do this most effectively by receiving instruction and regular evaluation and grading reports from licensed teachers. Linking standardized tests to high school graduation requirements implies that these tests hold value for our students and their future. They do not.

Please support SB 456. It is time to put an end to Oregon’s unhealthy relationship with standardized testing and the special interest groups that profit from ongoing support for this testing.

Sincerely,

Dawn Prochovnic

Washington County, Oregon

(I have also provided letters of support for related SB 433 and SB 428) 

Letter Two: 

March 5, 2019

TO: Chair Wagner and Members of the Senate Education Committee

RE: Support for SB 433

Dear Chair Wagner and Members of the Senate Education Committee,

I am a parent, community volunteer, children’s author, and vocal library and literacy advocate in Portland, Oregon. I am writing to share my support for SB 433.

As a parent who has long been opposed to standardized testing (see my letter in support of SB 456), and who has opted my own children out of “Smarter Balanced Testing,” both to exert my rights as a parent, and to shine a light on the controversial issues surrounding standardized testing (call it civil disobedience, if you will), I was pleased with the successful passage of the Student Assessment Bill of Rights (HB 2655). Unfortunately, HB 2655 is not being implemented in a way that adequately protects students or their parents who wish to opt their children out of standardized testing.

Prior to the passage of HB 2655, I opted my children out of “Smarter Balanced” testing based on the religious exemption that was available at the time. To quote in part from my opt out letter at that time:

“…According to the Oxford Dictionary, religion is ‘a pursuit or interest to which someone ascribes supreme importance.’ We ascribe supreme importance to [Our Student’s] access to a comprehensive education.

Strict adherence to state and federal high-stakes standardized testing, including the extensive classroom preparation that occurs prior to test administration, prevents our child from receiving a comprehensive education. Until focus on testable skills diminishes to a reasonable extent, we will continue to withhold our child from participation in the testing program, and we ask that you honor that decision.”

Our local middle school honored my requests to opt out of Smarter Balanced testing without incident. The situation has been different at the high school level—likely because the stakes are now higher for our schools and our school’s administrators, (especially since standardized testing is the current go-to method for Oregon schools to ascertain that students are proficient in certain essential skills and thus eligible to graduate high school—again, see my letter in support of SB 456).

I am a capable, intelligent and engaged parent, yet every school year it takes me hours of phone calls, web searches, and networking with other likeminded parents to find out where our school district’s current opt out form is buried, when and where it needs to be turned in, and when the testing will take place at my child’s school. This is inappropriate, and it circumvents the intent of HB 2655, the current Student Assessment Bill of Rights. 

I’ve been vocal about my decision to opt my student out of Smarter Balanced testing, and I’ve been vocal about how others parents have the right to do the same (or at the very least, I’ve shared with other parents where the opt out forms are buried on our school district’s website, and where and when they need to be turned in by). I’ve been publically shamed at parent meetings at my child’s school for my decision to opt my student out, and I’ve been privately contacted by school administrators with requests to revisit my decision to opt my student out. I’ve also been asked by administrators to please consider how my decision negatively impacts our school, our teachers, and our students who are at risk of not graduating because they have not yet demonstrated their achievement of essential skills. 

I’m confident and courageous, as are my children, and yet I’ve found it to be uncomfortable and intimidating to assert for my child's rights on this topic. (It is not lost on me that writing this public letter in defense of opting out could arguably impair my relationship with the administrators at my child’s school. I hope not.). Furthermore, my child’s school is now referring to the upcoming standardized testing by a different name, (no longer the Smarter Balanced test), so I don’t even know if HB 2655 protects my student’s right to opt out at this time.

Please support SB 433. HB 2655 was a nice start, but it is inadequate.

Sincerely,

Dawn Prochovnic

Washington County, Oregon

(I have also provided letters of support for related SB 456 and SB 428) 

--> Letter Three: 

March 5, 2019

TO: Chair Wagner and Members of the Senate Education Committee

RE: Support for SB 428

Dear Chair Wagner and Members of the Senate Education Committee,

I am a parent, community volunteer, children’s author, and vocal library and literacy advocate in Portland, Oregon. I am writing to share my support for SB 428.

It is time for our state to take pause and audit/evaluate how it is we evaluate our students. As our schools continue to place greater and greater emphasis on the preparation for and implementation of standardized tests, we rob our children of the robust and well-rounded education they deserve, an education that includes the richness of art, music, reading for pleasure, library services, and even information literacy skills.

But that’s not all. Our testing protocols aren’t even logical, practical, or efficient. 

Consider for example, the experience of my two children. Both of them passed their reading and math essential skills benchmarks via OAKS testing during middle school (the writing test was not offered in middle school). My oldest child, who is now in college, got strong A’s in the college level, AP/Advanced Placement English and writing classes she took in high school, and she tested in the top percentiles in her college entrance exam pre-tests. This would suggest to a reasonable person that she was on track to (easily) pass the “alternative” writing essential skill benchmark when she took her college entrance exams, (which she did). However, she was still expected to sit for the Smarter Balanced standardized tests during her junior year in high school. Why? What a waste of resources.

Even though our family took the time and energy to opt her out of the duplicative Smarter Balanced testing, (see my related letter in support of SB 433) she was robbed of valuable instructional time and learning opportunities while her teachers prepped her classmates for the standardized tests. Further, she was robbed of valuable instructional time leading up to national Advanced Placement (AP) test dates because of several days worth of “essential skills” standardized testing. To note, Smarter Balanced testing would have yielded her zero benefits. Successful AP testing resulted in several college credits being earned, and THOUSANDS of tuition dollars being saved.

Fast forward three years later, and my son finds himself in the same boat. He’s already passed one AP English test (with the highest score possible, which will earn him college credit at nearly any university in the United States), yet the protocol for his high school is that he is expected to take the standardized test later this school year to assess that he has met the essential skills benchmarks. We are opting him out, too, but I continue to be frustrated and disappointed at all of the learning he is missing out on because of this duplicative standardized testing.

Please support SB 428. It’s time to re-evaluate our evaluation methods in our schools.

Sincerely,

Dawn Prochovnic

Washington County, Oregon

(I have also provided letters of support for related SB 433 and SB 456) 

 Letter Four: 

March 5, 2019

TO: Chair Wagner and Members of the Senate Education Committee:

RE: Support for SB 664

Dear Chair Wagner and Members of the Senate Education Committee,

I am writing to share my strong support for SB 664.

Our family descends from Henry Prochovnic, a Holocaust survivor. Henry’s name and the name of his parents and siblings who did not survive are written on the Holocaust Memorial in Portland’s Washington Park. My children have learned about the Holocaust because we have talked about it as a family, but I’ve been genuinely surprised by the number of students that do not know very much at all about this period of history. Case in point, just recently our local high school presented a student production of the Diary of Anne Frank. I was taken aback by how little the high school students knew about this time in world history prior to seeing this production.

The Holocaust is a bleak and dark stain on humanity, and it is a time in history that we as a society cannot afford to forget or repeat. It is mind boggling to me that this subject is not already a required topic for Oregon’s schools. Please work to change this. Please support SB 664.

Sincerely,

Dawn Prochovnic

Washington County, Oregon

Please feel welcome to use these letters as a resource and guideline or inspiration in your own advocacy work.

Birth Stories for Books: QUEENIE QUAIL CAN'T KEEP UP, by Jane Whittingham

I recently had the pleasure of interviewing author (and librarian) Jane Whittingham about the birth story for her upcoming picture book QUEENIE QUAIL CAN'T KEEP UP, illustrated by Emma Pedersen (Pajama Press, Mar 2019).

Dawn Prochovnic: Thank you for stopping by to talk with us, Jane. It’s my understanding that your path to publication has been a bit winding. Can you tell us a little bit more about this?

Jane Whittingham: Hi Dawn! Thanks so much for having me here! I've been telling stories since I was just a wee little thing, and was an avid writer during my elementary and high school years, but as I grew older I started to lose confidence in my abilities and in my self. I started to feel like everyone was so much more talented than me, and I could never imagine someone actually wanting to read my writing, let alone pay me for it! So, for many years I simply stopped writing - I was busy with work and life, and writing just felt like something I'd grown out of. When I'd finally had enough of my corporate life and went back to school to study library science, I happened upon a summer class called “Writing, Publishing and the Book Trade for Children.” I needed some credits, and it sounded like it would be fun, so I signed up. I’m so glad I did! The course walked us through the entire publishing process, from outlining a book, to workshopping, to editing and submitting. It was so eye-opening, and it really helped remind me why I used to love writing so much all those years ago. It was never about being published back then, it was about the joy of being creative! Inspired by the class, I decided to try my hand and writing my own picture books, and though I was still very nervous about the prospect of submitting, with the encouragement of my very enthusiastic partner I decided to start researching publishing houses that were accepting manuscripts. Pajama Press was actually the first publisher I contacted, and they came back with a resounding YES to my submission! Without that class, which I really just signed up for as an easy way to earn some credits, I don’t know when, if ever, I would have rediscovered that passion for creating that I’d lost so many years before.

DP: That's really remarkable, Jane. It's not often that an author's work is accepted for publication on first submission! Can you talk a little bit more about the process and timeframe between your initial idea for your story and the story that was formulated fully enough to submit to your editor?

JW: I am a very speedy writer, and I tend to write from the heart rather than the head, so I can churn out an entire picture book manuscript in a matter of minutes. The editing and refining process….can take a little bit longer! My first two picture books, Wild One and A Good Day for Ducks, were written and edited and ready for submission in a matter of days. Queenie Quail Can’t Keep Up, however, went through numerous rewrites over many, many months before I was ready to submit it - it took me a lot longer to figure out what exactly I was trying to say through the story, and how I wanted events to play out. So, it can really vary depending on the complexity of the story and the length of the text.

DP: I can barely READ a picture book in a matter of minutes, let alone write one! Let's shift to a topic I'm more familiar with: revision! When you compare one of your earliest drafts of this story to the version in the soon-to-be published book, what stands out for you in terms of what is most different? Likewise, is there anything in particular that stands out that was included in your earliest drafts and survived the revision process?

JW: Queenie Quail is my first prose picture book, which has been a very different experience for me, as I typically write in rhyme. When I first submitted the text to my editor, she responded with something along the lines of “we love it - now cut it in half!” The text I’d submitted was much too long for a picture book, and I was tasked with keeping all the characters and the basic story, without about half the words. I felt pretty daunted!! One of the first things I had to do was cut out a lot of the descriptions - a picture book is illustrated, after all, so I didn’t need to be describing scenes and characters that would be illustrated in the final book. I’d also forgotten that quail families typically include a mama and a papa - I had a mama quail in my story, but not papa! So I had to find a way to add him in. It was definitely a challenge to cut and hack apart a story I loved, but the result was so much cleaner, tighter, and better for having been so ruthlessly edited.

DP: I'm always amazed at how much a "good story" can improve with editing! As you reflect on the journey from idea to published book, is there any one moment along the way that you credit with opening the door for QUEENIE QUAIL to find its way to publication?

JW: I think the success of my first book, Wild One, really helped open the door for future books with Pajama Press. They were willing to take a chance on an unknown, unpublished writer, and the fact that the book turned out to be quite popular I think helped reassure them that I wasn’t a terrible investment. :)

DP: Yes, it's great that Pajama Press was willing to take a chance on you and that WILD ONE was such a wild success. Seeing that all three of your books were published by Pajama Press (or soon will be), how is it that you connected with them and/or your editor there? 

JW: I first chose to submit to Pajama Press because I’d enjoyed some of their previous books, and they were open to submissions from writers without agents, which many publishers aren’t. I really enjoyed working with my editor - she pushed me as a writer, but also respected and fought for my vision, so I was thrilled to work with her again and again.

DP: Were there notable differences in the path to publication for your earlier books as compared to your latest book?

JW: The biggest difference has been the speed of the publication process - my first book took two years to publish, as we spent a lot of time editing the text and seeking the right illustrator for the project. The second two books were published much more quickly, much to my delight, since I’m a terribly impatient person!

DP: I’ve read in earlier interviews that you like to travel (me too!) and you take photos of cats wherever you go (Note: If you haven’t been to Greece, it's a cat-photo-op paradise!). How do your travel experiences and your eye for photography weave their way into your picture books?

JW: I was bitten with the travel bug as a child, and I think that my adventurous spirit has infused itself into all of my characters. The children in Wild One and A Good Day for Ducks love to be outside exploring, and Queenie Quail is always stopping to look and see and hear everything around her, much like me! As much as I love to see the big tourist sites in any place I visit, it’s the quiet back streets that really fascinate me, the everyday moments, the hidden gems and treasures. So, although I hadn’t really thought about it before, my love for exploring and my passion for seeking out new things to see and experience really has been woven into my writing!

DP: That's exactly the way my family and I like to travel, too, Jane! 

Now let's talk about the artwork in your books. Since you obviously have an eye for visual art, what was it like to hand over the reins of the visual story to the illustrators you’ve been paired with?

JW: Having taken that writing course in university, I knew that picture book writers rarely have much say in how their books are illustrated, but it was still a bit of a surreal feeling to know that someone else was taking my words and turning them into art! I’ve heard stories of writers who were deeply disappointed in their art, but fortunately I’ve been very happy with my illustrators and their work. In Queenie Quail in particular I was able to weigh in on a few artistic decisions that could have impacted the story, and I’m thrilled with how the final illustrations turned out!

Queenie Quail Can't Keep Up
by Jane Whittingham and Emma Pedersen

DP: They are lovely, indeed! 

I understand that you are a librarian and you regularly deliver story time programs. Although I’m not a librarian, I, too, regularly deliver story time programs, and I’m always looking for new pro tips! What advice would you give to picture book authors from your perspective as a regular story time presenter?

JW: The number one tip would be to avoid rhyme unless you are a seasoned professional - poorly paced rhyme can really destroy any book, and make for a terrible read aloud experience. Honestly, nothing makes me chuck a book faster than poorly written rhyme. Another piece of advice would be to keep it short and snappy. Children are made to move, not sit still for long periods of time, so keep your story short and sweet, and both kids and their grownups will thank you. Read a lot of picture books, as many and as often as you can, so you can get inspiration, find out what the industry trends and standards are, and discover what books do and don’t appeal to you as a reader and a writer. Finally, read your manuscript aloud so you can get an idea of what it will actually sound like when read by parents to their children. Flow and pacing really matter, so make sure you read your story aloud, and do so after every revision, so you know just how smooth and wonderful it’s going to sound when read at storytime!

DP: These are great tips (and happily, they echo the tips I routinely give to others!) What about tips and tricks that you can share from your toolbox for story time presenters in general?

JW: S L O W  D O W N.  This is my number one tip for any presenter. Children are still learning language, so you need to make sure that you’re speaking, singing and reading at a pace that allows them ample time to process what they’re hearing. It might feel silly to read a book so slowly, and with so much emphasis, but really it does wonders for language acquisition. Keep your energy level up and smile - if kids see that reading make you happy, they’re going to want to give it a try too! And make sure you’re reading with your audience, not to your audience. Ask the children open-ended questions to get them involved in the story, and to keep them engaged - what do they think might happen next? Why do they think the characters did what they did? How might a character be feeling right now, and why do they think that? And of course, above all else, have fun!

DP: These are FABULOUS TIPS, Jane. What about for parents who are reading one-on-one with their children? What tips do you have for them?

JW: I like to refer to the “4 C’s” of raising readers - Choice, Consistency, Cuddles and Conversation. Let your children help pick out the books you read together - they are more likely to be engaged in the reading experience if the books match their interests, plus it gives them a feeling of independence and involvement. Make reading a regular part of your everyday routines, to help children understand that reading is important and worth making time for. Cuddle with your child while reading, to help them associate reading with warm, happy memories and emotions. And finally, talk with your child while you read - ask them open-ended questions that get them thinking about the story and the characters.

DP. These are great tips, and you've made them easy to remember--thanks! One last question before we wrap up: If you could go back in time, what would you tell your pre-published self? Or, said another way, what do you know now, that you wished you would have known a bit earlier?

JW: I would tell myself to be patient - with publishing, everything takes time. I’m a very impatient person who likes to get things done right away, and that’s just not how publishing works! So, relax, and just go with the flow!

DP: You speak truth, sister! Thanks for the important reminder...and thanks so much for sharing your Birth Story for Books. 

Best wishes for the successful launch of QUEENIE QUAIL CAN’T KEEP UP! I can't wait to read it! 

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Jane Whittingham is a Canadian children’s librarian and picture book author with a passion for books, tea and travel. She is the author is three picture books - Wild One (2017), A Good Day for Ducks (2018) and Queenie Quail Can’t Keep Up (2019). You can connect with Jane on her website, www.raincitylibrarian.ca or follow her on Facebook or Instagram. 





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Birth Stories for Books is an occasional feature of Dawn Babb Prochovnic's blog. Dawn is the author of multiple picture books including Where Does a Cowgirl Go Potty?, Where Does a Pirate Go Potty? (forthcoming, 2019), and 16 books in the Story Time With Signs & Rhymes series. She is a contributing author to Oregon Reads Aloud and a frequent presenter at schools, libraries, and educational conferences. Contact Dawn using the form at the left, or learn more at www.dawnprochovnic.com.