Wednesday, November 20, 2024

Book Birthday Blog with Martha Johnston

 


Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors, illustrators and translators.

 

Congratulations to Martha Johnston on the release of Iki and the Ocean Protectors

 

 

How did you come up with the idea for your book?

We knew we wanted to do another book in the Iki series, and as a board member of Regenerative Education Centers, which is a Hawaii based nonprofit, we’ve been working with the sea trees program for seven years, and it's been a really wonderful organization to partner with. Sea trees are native and restorative plants that can be planted along waterways and coastlines to protect the oceans and reefs from erosion, soot runoff and chemicals, so that we can keep our marine life safe and our ocean ecosystem safe.
 
With our regenerative agriculture projects on Maui, we've been planting 10s of 1000s of square feet of sea trees.  Which includes Our Mighty Ocean Protectors, mentioned in the book, Milo, Naupaka, and Vetiver and also coconut and other native plants. We wanted to teach families about how we can keep our oceans safe.

 


 

What is something you hope your readers will take away from your book?

Readers will take away inspiration and hope that we can protect our planet and ally with plants and animals to make the world a better place, and even little kids can play a part in this, and this can be an adventure for the entire family to bond and get closer and take part in a bigger mission. Also that many kids may not see underneath the ocean, they'll just see the surface and they don't realize there's a whole other world underneath the water. We think about trees on the land, and we are taught to plant trees. And under the water, there's a forest of seaweed and coral a variety of sea life. So the awareness hopefully builds empathy.

 


 

What was the most difficult part of writing this book?

The most difficult part of writing this book was making a more complex scientific process friendly for our littlest little ones, and to also frame something that can be sad with the things happening on our planet and show that there are actually solutions, so that we don't lose hope for the future. 


For illustrating the book, at first I was thinking the dogs would need snorkels and oxygen tanks, but because it's a children's book I took a little artistic license and pretended the pups were able to breathe underwater. I wanted to include animals that were both land animals and sea animals to transition the pups into the water. We chose playful mudskippers and puppy-like baby seal that could play on the land and ocean with the pups.  The baby seal was shy so the mother nudged the baby other to meet Ulu. Iki was acting a little shy too, hanging back behind the surfboard. The Coral reef needed to be highlighted since they are dying off due to global warming. So we created a queen ending with a celebration ala Esther Williams water ballet. 

 


 


 

What are your marketing plans for the book and where can we find it?

One of our big marketing plans for the book, from the beginning, was partnering with a larger organization to help with the marketing for every book sold of Iki and the Ocean Protectors, we are planting one square foot of Sea Trees. And having an established relationship with this organization definitely made things easier. And we are really excited to be able to have this book be a way that the organization can get even more donations and be supported by a new group of people, because we are mentioning them directly, and because we're donating with every book, we're going to be included on their website and in their holiday guide that is sent out to their email list, which is much larger than ours. We're also publishing it on Amazon and sharing on our social media so that more people can be reached. You can find it here: https://shop.thedirtyalchemy.com/collections/iki-and-his-mighty-friends

What's next for you?

We plan on continuing our Iki and his Mighty friends. There's talk of Maui land mammals. Or a kid’s cookbook. Since the character Ulu is named after an Ulu tree, which we plant here on Maui, produces breadfruit. There are many Hawaiin culture breadfruit recipes.
 
And  if luck will have it, our little dogs will have puppies, and then there'll be a whole new cast of characters.

More about the book . . .

When pollution threatens the sea, it’s time for Iki and his friends to step up and protect their ocean home!
 
Iki the curious little dog, his friend Ulu, and regenerative farmer Eddy embark on an underwater adventure. As they explore the magical world of sea creatures, from playful pufferfish to gentle whales, they discover a big problem: pollution is harming their ocean friends!
 
With the help of Milo Tree, Naupaka Shrub, and Vetiver Grass—strong and heroic plants called "SeaTrees"—Iki and his friends learn how to protect the ocean. From planting SeaTrees to making eco-friendly choices on land, they show us that even small actions can make a big difference.
 
Through this beautifully illustrated story, children will discover the magic of the ocean and how they can help keep it safe and healthy for all its inhabitants. Join Iki and his mighty friends as they become Ocean Protectors!
 
Dive into a magical underwater world where tiny actions make a big difference.
 
This book supports SeaTrees, a program of Sustainable Surf, that helps protect and restore coastal ecosystems. SeaTrees works with communities to plant mangroves, restore kelp forests, and more, helping reverse climate change by protecting our oceans. Learn more about the power of SeaTrees, visit their website: https://seatrees.org/
 
For every book purchased, 1 square foot of SeaTrees will be planted, helping restore these critical ecosystems and safeguard the ocean for future generations.

Publisher: Dirty Alchemy Inc

More about the author and illustrator . . .

Martha Johnston is an artist, graphic designer, and dog enthusiast. Inspired by her dog-grandchild, Iki, and their Maui farm, she created the Iki series to share the wonders of nature with young readers. Martha lives in Michigan with her husband and three dogs. You can find her at www.MarthaJohnstonArt.com.
 
Samantha Garcia is an author, digital marketer, and certified permaculture design specialist. She co-founded the non-profit Regenerative Education Centers with her husband, Eddy Garcia, in 2015. They live on their Maui farm with 2 dogs (Iki and Ulu), cat, sheep, peacocks, and a vibrant ecosystem of plants and animals.

Martha Johnston Instagram: @marthajohnstonart

Samantha Garcia Instagram: @thedirty alchemy

 


 

Tuesday, November 19, 2024

Book Birthday Blog with Suja Sukumar

 


Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors, illustrators and translators.

 

Congratulations to  Suja Sukumar on the release of When Mimi Went Missing

 


Please share a little about this book's journey. How did you come up with the idea?

I started writing this book about ten years ago, stealing time between my hectic work schedule and my family. I grew up on Agatha Christie and therefore it was inevitable that I’d gravitate toward mysteries and thrillers. The fast-paced twisty plots of young adult thrillers and the complex relationships and emotions portrayed in them inspired me to write a YA thriller. 


I wanted a story based in Michigan where I live and a protagonist from the South Asian diaspora because of the dearth of YA thrillers featuring main characters of South Asian ethnicity. Small towns hide the biggest secrets and therefore I settled for a small-town mystery as the perfect setting for my story. I also wanted a complex character, an underdog who beat the odds. 


And thus, I ended up with Tanvi, a sixteen-year-old orphan who lives with her aunt and cousin after her parents died in a murder-suicide when she was eight. She and her cousin share a deep sisterly bond but that is broken when her cousin joins the popular clique led by Tanvi’s bully. This betrayal triggers the trauma Tanvi had experienced when her parents died and she embarks on the subsequent crescendo of events ending in the final climax.

What inspires you to write?

Writing instills a sense of joy and peace in me. Writing a story transports me to a world where I can create characters at will and watch them live and breathe and act. My characters, once I’ve created them, often tend to take the story over and they may take the plot on a different tangent than what I’d originally planned. Therefore, I allow myself to be surprised and for me that’s a large part of the joy of fiction writing. 

What is something you hope your readers will take away from your book?

I wanted to portray my Brown, Indian American character as complex, flawed and insecure, someone who is traumatized by childhood trauma, deals with anxiety and PTSD and faces subsequent bullying in school. But she’s also someone who learns to trust herself and believe in her own self-worth, which in turn gives her the strength to fight for herself and her loved ones.

By writing this book, I wanted to show that intersectional identities exist within groups marginalized by race / ethnicity, and that we aren’t one cookie cutter monolith. Writing characters with intersectional identities not only helps readers find themselves represented but also creates empathy across the barriers of race and ethnicity.

What are your marketing plans for the book and where can we find it?

It is being marketed by my publisher Soho Press and by PRH. It’s available to preorder at several sites, including Bookshop, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Target, etc

Please visit Penguin Random House at https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/726250/when-mimi-went-missing-by-suja-sukumar/

My website https://www.sujasukumar.com/

Please also consider ordering through your favorite indie bookstore and request at your libraries.

What's next for you?

My current WIP is a young adult horror based on Indian folklore. Here, an eighteen-year-old Indian American girl intent on proving her mom’s innocence in a murder that happened decades ago in India comes face-to-face with the victim who’s haunting her ancestral home and is bent on vengeance.  I’m editing it as we speak and hoping to get it out to my agent by the end of the year.

More about the book . . .

The splintered relationship between two Indian American cousins is at the center of this dark, twisty YA mystery—perfect for fans of Tiffany D. Jackson, Karen McManus, and Angeline Boulley.



Shy, nerdy Tanvi has always thought of her perfect cousin Mimi as her sister. Not only did Mimi’s family raise Tanvi after the tragic death of her parents, fierce Mimi has always protected Tanvi at school. At least until Mimi fell under the spell of their flawless, rich classmate, Beth . . . Tanvi’s biggest bully.



Fearing another terrible year, Tanvi decides to take a desperate, preemptive strike—and captures an incriminating photo of Mimi and Beth at a party. When Tanvi wakes up the next day with a bump on her head, scratches on her leg, and no memory of what caused her injuries, Mimi is gone.



When the investigation for the missing girl takes a dark turn, Tanvi begins to fill the gaps in her memory, hoping to bring her cousin home alive. She questions Mimi’s friends and enemies—including Mimi’s shady boyfriend, who refuses to answer her questions, and Beth, who catalyzed the split between the once-close cousins. Meanwhile, the cops announce that they are now hunting a murderer—are they hunting Tanvi?



To preserve her family and find the truth, Tanvi must revisit the worst night of her life and the darkest parts of her past to discover if she’s capable of murder—and the truth of what happened to Mimi.

Publisher: Soho Press

More about the author . . .

Suja Sukumar loves hanging out in coffee shops and Indian restaurants, drawing inspiration from naan and malai kofta, masala chai and lassi. She is a member of SCBWI, Crime Writers of Color, Sisters in Crime and International Thriller Writers, and is a senior staff physician in a major health system in suburban Detroit, where she lives with her family and an elderly cat. When Mimi Went Missing is her debut novel. 

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/sujawrites/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sujasukumarwriter

TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@iamsujas?lang=en 

 


 

Friday, November 15, 2024

Editor/Writer Spotlight: Arthur Levine

Book-lover's passion, Emmanuel Querido, Erin Murphy's Dog, and real emotion: Editor and Author Arthur Levine

Photo courtesy Arthur A. Levine

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet editor and author Arthur A. Levine, esteemed faculty member of the 2014 Mackinac Island conference.

You said, when you opened shop at Levine Querido that your mission was to be a disruptive force. Disruptive, how? And did your publishing company achieve that goal?

Disruptive? I’m not sure that was my intention. More like Restorative in the sense that I wanted to bring back a way of publishing books that gave primacy to the vision of the editor and that editor’s connection with great authors and artists.  

When I started in the industry it was commonplace for a book-lover’s passion (and editors are book lovers first and foremost) to guide an acquisition; then that editor, along with art directors and designers, would have an intense, joyful period of creative work, bringing a manuscript to fruition. THEN it would be presented to a team of sales and marketing people who could use their skills to reach the biggest market they could.  

Over my decades in publishing I saw that process flipped on its head, then put through a blender, with the company’s creative employees having among the least amount of control or power and decision-making diluted by committees. I’m happy to say that if nothing else, I have achieved my goal of restoring editorial priorities to our work flow.

LQ’s mission is to focus on authors and artists who come from communities that have been historically marginalized and under-represented. And I guess that too could be considered “disruptive” within the context of an industry dominated by corporations controlled by folks responsible only for making money, with little motivation to question what cultural, racial, social biases might be informing their ideas about what “sells”, etc.

Emanuel Querido was a Dutch publisher. In 1943, he and his wife were murdered by Nazis, but his company continued to publish works in his name. Was this legacy part of the reason you joined forces?

Yes, an important part. Querido found a way to publish German writers – Jews, Dissidents, activists – whose work was banned in Germany (sound familiar?). I wanted to honor that legacy, for sure.

But he was also a brilliant publisher, who created the first quality paperback line before Penguin got into the game. His books were known for the quality of their writing AND their production values, things I’m also proud of.  

And I had been a partner of Querido NL for years, translating many of their fine authors. So the collaboration was a natural fit (though we are still very much independent companies.)

You were almost graduated from university when you decided to cast your lot with children’s book publishing. You were a poet, but apparently realized that one doesn’t easily make a living writing poetry. With New York City as your playground and a keen appreciation for show tunes, did you ever consider the stage?

Ha! No, you’re extremely kind, but I never thought I was talented enough to make it that way, or that I had the emotional fortitude to survive the effort.

Heidi Sheffield and Arthur
Photo courtesy Heidi Sheffield

You have a melodious singing voice; many of the attendees from ten years ago still remember you belting out tunes from Broadway musicals. You joined the rag-tag group of children’s book creators of Erin Murphy’s Dog, the band, not the dog. You performed with Mike Jung, Conrad Wesselhoeft, Anne Nesbet, Deborah Underwood, Gia Gordon and Kristin Nitz, with Ruth on harmonica. I’m sure there’s a musical question in there somewhere. The question is: how big a part is music in your life?

I will say that being part of Erin Murphy’s Dog was one of the great joys of my adult life, and I’m so, so sad it’s over.  I still love to sing and will do so at the most casual of invitations. I have developed an auto-immune disease that has stopped me from playing guitar (the instrument of my adulthood) but I still hope that someday I’ll be well enough to start learning again.


While on a writer retreat, I listened in awe as you read a not-quite-final draft of WHAT A BEAUTIFUL MORNING. There was not a dry eye in the room of hardened picture book pros when you finished reading. That story had a special significance for you. Please tell us about it.

It was a way for me to process the “long goodbye” I had with my dad who, because of dementia, gradually left behind his brilliant mind, his affability, his joie di vivre, and everything that made him who he was. 

In his last months he couldn’t converse with me, but if I sang a line from a show tune, his face would light up and he would sing the next line! It was his last hold on communication before even that lost strength.  So I did what authors do…and I wrote a book about it.

I had no idea you had written and published so many titles! But even legendary editors get rejected. You said some rejections were so ham-handed that you resolved to change the way you dealt out a “no.” What did you learn from the other side of the desk?

Well, I think over time as a writer and an editor I learned to understand the process of manuscript submissions in more depth and nuance. 

Think about it this way: A publisher’s job looks to the Present (books that are under contract, with deadlines set, that must be edited, crafted, art directed, etc) the Near Future (books about to be sold and marketed to the sales force, presented at conferences, etc) the Past (books that you’ve published, whose growth in the market you want to encourage) and the Future (books you seek in order to build the legacy and finances of your Publishing and make the world a better place.)   The only part of that concerning submissions is the “Future”. And it’s crucial! 

But the time for it is limited. So imagine how difficult it is to get the time to read, and to craft a rejection letter that says something meaningful and careful.  Nearly impossible. So I definitely don’t take it personally any more if someone just says, “Hey I was glad to read this but it's not a yes.”

The sensitivity read is now an essential publishing function. How do you use sensitivity readers at Levine/Querido?

View from the LQ office
courtesy Arthur Levine

Sensitivity readers (we now are more likely to call them “accuracy” readers) enable us to get a perspective that isn’t our own.  It’s actually more difficult to afford when you’re a small independent. But it hasn’t lost its importance.

Diversity, Equity and Inclusion is under fire, but that’s pretty much your company’s whole thing. You’re in liberal New York, but you have reach worldwide. Optimistic or pessimistic for the U.S. and the world as a whole?

Well, I’m not actually in New York, I’m in New Jersey. And the great thing about LQ is that “DEI” isn’t a do-goody, political statement to us. We believe in the literary power, beauty, and meaning we access by not limiting our output to what has historically been determined to be mainstream.

More than once you mention friendship as your goal in editing. How does that work in the cut throat business of publishing?

I think what you’re referring to is that I liken the necessary skills and sensitivity it takes to be a good friend, with the ones that make for being a good editor.  Real listening. Honesty. Tact. Having the other’s best interests at heart. 

I’m not sure I’d agree with an assessment of the publishing industry as “cut throat” in any case, in the sense that publishers focus on competing with each other. Truly the adversaries in this world are those who ban books and the social constructions that devalue books and reading.

How do you balance editing 8-10 books a year with all the varying schedules and challenges associated with running an indie publishing house?

It’s pretty tough, I won’t lie. But what saves me is the sense that so much more of what I spend time and effort on, as an Independent Publisher, is in the service of work I feel passionate about.

Questions from Ruth:

Arthur selfie
courtesy Arthur Levine

What do you recommend writers do to be heard and connect in these days of disjointed social media?

I’d say don’t try to be everywhere. Pick a forum that feels fun and comfortable; for instance, you, Ruth, are an artist and you like to communicate through imagery; maybe Instagram is your go-to, and you seek out others whose work you enjoy and who enjoy your work.  

Find community where the connection is genuine (as opposed to “HEY, I WROTE A BOOK, PAY ATTENTION TO ME) and grow from there.

Do you have a critique group? Who do you show your freshly-written work to?

I do not. Perhaps I should!

Ruth says you addressed illustrators national SCBWI conferences, advising them on what works and why. Do you have any advice specifically for illustrators in today’s competitive market?

First of all, I’d like to say that “today’s” is redundant. It’s always been competitive and it always will be.  

I can just say that what I look for in art is an ability to communicate real emotion that seems genuine however the style. Work on that. And please stop the Pixar imitation! LOL

From Ruth's sketchbook 2014
courtesy Ruth McNally Barshaw
http://www.ruthexpress.com


 

 

 

 

 

Friday, November 8, 2024

Author/Illustrator Spotlight: Laurie Keller

Almost a teacher, Nickelodeon, Hallmark, donuts, and Potato Pants: Author/illustrator Laurie Keller










An image from Laurie's workshop.
Many more at the end.

 

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet author/illustrator Laurie Keller, faculty member of the 2014 Mackinac Island Conference, and creator of Arnie the Doughnut

You grew up in Muskegon, went to Kansas City and then New York City. And apparently you know enough about the fifty (scrambled) states to write two picture books about them. So how and why did you end up miles from where you grew up?

Well, I don’t know more about the states than the average person so I had to do a lot of research to make those two states books! As far as moving away from Michigan, I initially left after getting my first job as an illustrator at Hallmark Cards. Then, as I was about to start my book career, I moved from Kansas City to New York City. I loved living in both places but knew at some point I wanted to move back to Michigan to be closer to my family…and to the lakes!

Of the bio blurbs, many mention the shores of Lake Michigan,but one claims you live in a little cottageon the shore line. Is that an accurate description, or just some writerly flourish by a copywriter?

I did I live in a little rental cottage — very little. I didn’t even have a studio, just the corner of a living room, which was one reason I started working digitally. But it was adorable and yes, “along the shores of Lake Michigan.” I was there for eight years until I bought a house just up the street. It had been a dream to live in this area once I moved back. It’s very quiet and lovely and a nice place to work from home.

We draw together

You were almost an elementary school teacher, but you said a faculty member of the Kendall School of Art and Design convinced you to go into illustration instead. Who was it, and what did they say to convince you to change careers?

After two years of going to Kendall, which I really loved, I worried that I might not make it as an illustrator. I come from a family of teachers and always thought I might like to do that too so I decided to switch paths and pursue a career in education. I was really torn. 

But over the summer I stopped into Kendall and I ran into one of my former instructors, Thomas Gondek. He told me I was “selling myself short” and that he thought I had what it took to succeed in the illustration world. It meant a lot to me and I realized how much I missed creating art, so once again, I switched courses, re-enrolled at Kendall and never looked back. 

I know I would have loved being a teacher but actually, with all the school visits I do, I kind of feel like now I have the best of both worlds—making books and then getting to interact with all those kiddos!

Signing for fans

In 1997, Nickelodeon hired you as an illustrator, and you created six network IDs using pipe cleaners and cell animation.  I went down the YouTube rabbit hole looking for your work without luck. What was it like working for the infant childrens cable network?

Actually, Nickelodeon didn’t hire me as an illustrator, I was just doing a lot of freelance work for them once I moved to NYC. It was GREAT! I loved every project I got to do for them, especially Pipe Cleaner Theater, as we dubbed it. It was the first time I’d ever seen any character of mine animated so it was super exciting and I loved collaborating with Nickelodeon and the animators. 

The animations aren’t available to stream, unfortunately - -it was long before Youtube and digital access to things. I have them somewhere on a good ol’ VHS tape though!

You spent seven 1/2 years with Hallmark Cards in Kansas City, and you credit the company with giving you a safe structure to stretch your creativity and work within the discipline of deadlines. A special workshop tasked you with creating cards from concept to retail-ready. Youve discussed the impact of the assignment in opening your world in interviews. Looking back, all these years later, what was the secret ingredient pointing to childrens books?     

Working at Hallmark was like going to graduate school. There were so many amazing artists who I learned so much from. Watching them helped me “zero in” more on “my style” and focus on  what I really liked to do—kids cards and humor cards. 

About 5 1/2 years in, I took part in a 4-month workshop with five other artists where we got to write and create our own cards from start to finish. They weren’t for mass market at that point but just to generate card possibilities for the planners to potentially plug into their card lines. We were in a studio where we could try all sorts of printing processes, papers, art techniques, etc. and I was obsessed with the writing and coming up with card ideas. It was truly the dream job! 

As far as children’s books go, at the time, that’s not where my head was but the workshop was what got me back into writing. The downside was, I couldn’t turn it off once I went back to my illustrator-but-not-writer job, and it drove me bonkers which led to me channeling my frustration into writing my first story, The Scrambled States of America during after work hours and eventually leaving Hallmark.

While that Hallmark workshop gave you wings towards writing and illustrating childrens books, you credit the Reading Reptile bookstore with giving you lunch hour inspiration. How soon in your 7-year stint did you think to spend your lunch hour studying picture books? Did you become a regular there? 

Once I decided that I wanted to focus on kids’ cards (about a year after starting Hallmark), another Hallmark friend and I would spend many lunch hours and weekends at The Reading Reptile for inspiration. I don’t have kids so I hadn’t looked at children’s books since I was a kid and I was blown away by all the funny, beautiful, irreverent books that were being made. I was especially inspired by Lane Smith, Jon Scieszka, William Steig, Maira Kalman and my favorite, Petra Mathers. Initially I started collecting the books because of the art but soon was as interested in the stories and knew that one day I’d like to try writing my own.

Arnie the Doughnut and Hello, Arnie! are picture books but The Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut series is classified as chapter books. Whats the difference between the two formats?

picture book

The original Arnie the Doughnut is a 40 page picture book, slated toward 4-8 year olds (but hopefully readers of all ages!) while Hello, Arnie!, also a 40-page picture book, is a prequel to the original and geared toward the slightly younger set, 3-5 year olds. 

The The Adventures of Arnie the Doughnut, however is a 3-book chapter book series, black and white art, 144 pages, aimed at 6-9 year olds. I wasn’t planning on making any sequels for Arnie, let alone a chapter book. My editor suggested, since she knew that I wanted to try my hand at writing chapter books one day, that I write one about Arnie. 

chapter book

I was skeptical at first but once I dove in I had so much fun writing them. Well, except for the third one. I was making things too complicated and it took me forever to write. I was planning on a fourth but was so mentally “spent” after the last one that I couldn’t get myself to do any more at that point. 

I loved the longer format though because it allowed me to really draw out jokes and be extra silly. I learned a lot from writing them and definitely want to make more chapter books — maybe with Arnie too!

Kirkus seems to delight in reviewing your books, as if your multiple asides gave them permission to be as punny as they wanted. For The Scrambled States they said, exuberant geographic jamboree will definitely have readers in a state.For Arnie the Doughnut, Donut expect this to pass young audiences without a sprinkle of giggles.Any other fun reviews stand out?

Well, I had the “dream of a lifetime” review from the NYTimes for Arnie the Doughnut. The title of the review, by Lawrence Downes, was “Doughnut, Go Gentle Into That Good Night” and the first lines of the review read, “LAURIE KELLER is a goofball. She's a genius. She's a goofball and a genius.” 

I remember when my editor sent it to me, my head was spinning — I couldn’t believe what I was reading! I’ve had lots of memorable reviews — some great, some not-so-great, one of which was written by a 9-year-old reader. 

School visit

I had gotten a batch of letters from a class about Arnie the Doughnut. They all wrote about how much they liked the book except a boy named Chris told me right off the bat that he “really didn’t like my book”. He wrapped it up by saying, “You should put for ages 8 and under because it is not for our age it is for babies.” It’s one of my favorite reviews because it’s so honest and unexpected and I love that his teacher let him send it and didn’t make him change it to something “nice”.

As a true novice in childrens book publishing, you called a bunch of publishers to try to set up meetings to show your work. And somehow, you got four bites, and eventually a book contract. Will you describe the door-to-door selling that happened on your New York adventure?

It’s SO EMBARRASSING to admit, because I was CLUELESS as to how to go about submitting anything to a publisher. I found the book, The Children’s Writers and Illustrators Market, which pretty much said what each publisher was looking for and how to submit, but I ignorantly ignored all that and went straight for the phone numbers. 

After I wrote the manuscript for The Scrambled States of America, I naively (my picture is in the dictionary next to that word, by the way) started calling publishers on my lunch hours from a payphone at Hallmark. I told them I was coming to NYC and that I would love to show them my manuscript and art samples (I REALLY DID THAT, UGGGH!). 

Shockingly, four publishers agreed to meet with me (most likely because I worked for Hallmark)! The meetings were wonderful and the editors were so nice and very encouraging. I eventually got a couple rejection letters but they were very positive and I wasn’t discouraged because I was still on a high from my trip to NYC and decided I wanted to move there.

When did you meet Christy Ottaviano, the superstar editor who now runs an imprint in her name? You both have flexed your creative muscles since the day you became a team. How does Christys involvement help you as you build your impressive body of work?

Henry Holt was one of the NYC publisher meetings I had and I left art samples and a copy of The Scrambled States of America manuscript with the junior editor I met with. She ended up putting one of the art samples I left with her on her door (along with a lot of other artists’ work), and 6 months later, Christy saw it and asked about it.

 The junior editor gave Christy the manuscript of The Scrambled States of America, she read it and ended up calling me that day, telling me she wanted to publish it! Fortunately I wasn’t home and she left a message on my answering machine so I have it saved somewhere (along with those VHS tapes of Pipe Cleaner Theater!). 

Her call came the week before I was moving to NYC after quitting my job at Hallmark so her timing was absolutely PERFECT which made it all the more exciting!

As far as Christy’s involvement, I always chat with her at the very inception of an idea. She’s always open-minded but sometimes asks me to work something up more before giving me the green light. There have been several things I haven’t sold her on and I keep going back to the drawing board but since I always run an idea by her before getting too far into the writing, I usually get the YAY or NAY pretty early on. She and I have a very similar sense of humor so that has helped us really click from Day One!


You won the Geisel Award for We are Growing. How does one get nominated? What kind of ceremony was involved? Did you give an acceptance speech?

I have no idea how a book gets nominated for an award but it sure was a thrill when WE ARE GROWING! won the Geisel! The ceremony took place one morning during the ALA conference. It was a huge room filled to capacity so I was extra nervous because, yes, I had to give a speech. I was so nervous, in fact, that I wouldn’t let my mom or boyfriend record it (which I regret now). 

The audience couldn’t have been more friendly though and I actually had fun soon after I started my speech. It was such an honor to be there with the other award-winners AND a huge thrill that Congressman John Lewis, was there accepting one of his many awards for MARCH. I got to meet him and he was SO NICE!

Youve illustrated at least ten books written by someone else. This began with the Marty Frye, Private Eye series by Janet Tashjian in 2000 and continued till 2023 with Bears Are Best, by Joan Holub. Does the fact that these are someone elses words constrain your punny bone?

Since I was only illustrating in those books, the “to pun or not to pun” dilemma didn’t come into play so much. I do always get more nervous though with the illustrations because it’s someone else’s story and I don’t want to mess it up! 


I illustrated Adam Rex’s, Pluto Gets the Call, and that one was different because he and his editor, Allyn Johnston, wanted me to add as many silly and informational jokes as I wanted, ala The Scrambled States of America. I was nervous about messing with Adam’s story at first but after I got into it and got positive feedback from them, it was really fun to collaborate with them.

You were heavy into your take on nonfiction subjects: The Scrambled States of America (1998), Open Wide: Tooth School Inside (2000), Grandpa Gazillions Number Yard (2005), Do Unto Otters (2007). The Arnie the Doughnut series, and most recently Potato Pants stand out as purely fun books with no science behind them. What led you off the nonfiction path?

Classroom Potato Pants

Since my first two books had that nonfiction element to them, I didn’t know if my editor would be on board when I ran the idea of a “talking doughnut who didn’t want to be eaten” past her but she loved it. I wasn’t consciously planning to go in a different direction but was transfixed while watching the doughnut-making process at a Krispy Kreme Doughnut shop and decided to write about a pastry. 

Years later, Potato Pants popped into my head while working on the first Arnie chapter book so that wasn’t planned either. It’s been a while since I’ve done anything in the nonfiction realm but I definitely want to again (by the way, I’ve heard that doughnuts and potatoes consider both of the aforementioned books to be nonfiction!).

3-D Potato Pants

You described your writing process as a lot of crumpled-up paper while writing, and extra-long days painting. Do you still create on paper? Do you have a studio or workspace, and how have you amended it to be your own?

Yes, I have a studio now so even though I’ve still been mostly digital, I’m eager to get back to more “on paper” work again now that I have some room to play. As far as making the studio my own, if the previous owners could see it — their former bedroom — they wouldn’t recognize it. 

They had a hanging bed and multicolored-striped wallpaper everywhere but I had the bed disassembled and two opposing walls painted the happiest color I could imagine — two varying shades of chartreuse! 

I just love it, but the guy who painted it was shocked when he opened the paint cans and saw the colors. He called me into the room to make sure it wasn’t a mistake. I said, “I take it not many people paint their rooms this color?”

Whats next for Laurie Keller?

A busy couple of years! I’m illustrating three books for other people and am writing/illustrating two of my own. I don’t often work on more than one thing at a time but I kind of like it — who knew?!


A virtual tour of Laurie's studio: