Illustrator Spotlight: Gijsbert (Nick) van Frankenhuyzen

Horses, sketchbook, Dad's contract, Sleeping Bear, Isle Royale storm, and Erica the welder: Illustrator Gijsbert (Nick) van Frankenhuyzen

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews children's book creators. In this piece, meet illustrator Nick van Frankenhuyzen.

I’ll admit, I don’t know my geography. Netherlands is a country, and Amsterdam is its capital, and the people are called Dutch; I learned all that on Google. You were one of seven van Frankenhuyzen siblings, what do you remember of growing up in your native country?

One of 8 siblings, 4 boys and 4 girls. I remember spending all my time outside as a very young boy, even playing in the rubble from World War Two. We had moved  from Goes where I was born, to Wageningen in 1956 because my Dad got a job as an entomologist at the Plant Protection Service based in that city. Four years later we moved to the outskirts of the city, to a new home, very close to the woods. We all spent a lot of time there, good memories.

Always drawing as a young boy, his father encouraged Gijsbert to make art his career. After high school, he attended and graduated from the Royal Academy of Arts in Arnhem, Holland. That’s a big step, supporting your art. Do you remember your first piece of art? What did you like to draw when you were a young artist?  

One thing Dad told all us kids growing up: Make your hobby your career.  My hobby was drawing. Especially horses, but I drew everything that looked interesting to me.

This is what happened:  On my fifth birthday,  my Grandma gave me a Big Box full of crayons, big fat juicy ones.  And I produced a 3 feet high by 12 feet long “mural” in the hallway of our home. My first piece of art. I was proud of it, my Dad was not, to say the least.  

The next day he gives me a sketch book and says; Next time you want to draw,  do it in here. No more drawing on the wall!  A week later my sketch book was full. What should I do? Back to drawing on the wall?  Dad had a better solution. "When your sketch book is full, you give it to me and I will get you a new one.”   

This was very special. Remember, it’s ten years after World War Two. People were poor. All us kids only got presents for a birthday and Christmas. Twice a year. That’s it.   I return my full sketch book to my Dad, I get a new one? The more I draw, the more new presents I get?  Yes, that’s how this worked out. A new book every week.  Dad dated those many books and saved them.

My drawings at this young age were just like any other kids, it was the ‘every day’ drawing that changed things slowly, I got better and better. My (crayon) grandmother was the first person that bought a “painting” from me, I was eleven years old. It was a painting of a horse in a field near where we lived.

Young Nick

At 17  I am ready to go to art school. And then Dad handed me a contract with 3 points: 

Point 1: I can go to Art school, but I have to choose a profession, I could not become just an artist.  

Point 2: If I got accepted, I  had to finish; I could not drop out (Art school was a 5 years, 8.30 am till 4 pm, 5 days a week.)  

Point 3: I had to live at home.  I could not go live in an old house with a bunch of other art students.  

Without the contract there would be no art school  so I signed the contract. I know now that I graduated 5 years later, because I had to follow those rules. Dad was right. I’m glad I’d signed that contract, even though I did not like it.

Shortly after my graduation I got a good paying job at an advertisement agency, making commercial art, layout, design, type setting, photography, illustrating etc.  I had learned it all in art school.  

I was a working artist, but after a year I knew I did not want to do this much longer.. Commercial art was not for me..( I did learn how to work very fast.)

You immigrated to the United States in 1976. What was the impetus for moving across the ocean to Michigan?

In 1974 I visited a friend in Michigan and loved it. So much room, compared to a very crowded Netherlands. (The Netherlands  has 18 million people and is 6 times smaller than Michigan with 10 million people) 

On my visit I saw a copy of the Michigan Natural  Resources Magazine. This Magazine was what I was looking for, I could do this. One year later after many letters and phone calls I got an invitation to come talk about everything.                                           

I got the job and immigrated to Michigan in 1976 , to become the Art Director of the magazine. For the next 17 years I worked for this Magazine, doing the lay out, paintings, photography, dealing with the printer etc. 17 very good years. 

Till Engler killed the Magazine in 1993 . He called it a ‘useless publication’  After 64 years he killed it. And I am unemployed now.  

I decided to build my own studio and start painting. The next 3 years I worked for MSU, Fort Michilimackinac, Fort Mackinac  murals and exhibits and many other businesses and school and libraries. I was was busy again.

 In 1995, he illustrated his first children's book, The Legend of Sleeping Bear, finally fulfilling his dream of illustrating children's books. Had you wanted to illustrate children’s books all along? Which children’s book illustrators inspired you while growing up?

I was asked by a publishing company called Sleeping BearPress to illustrate The Legend of Sleeping Bear. SBP was a golf book publisher and not doing well. They wanted to get their name out, get noticed. 

They figured that if they did the Legend of Sleeping Bear they would get recognition. They were only going to do one children’s book. Well, it took off and changed SBP to print nothing but children’s books from then on.

When I grew up there were not many children’s books that were illustrated. But at about 12 years old I did see an illustrated book and I thought, that would be fun.  

And one day in 1997 SBP asked me to illustrate their first Children’s book. In about a 20 year span, I illustrated 35 books.

 

I retired from illustrating a couple of years ago. To do things for myself, without deadlines, things just for me. Like working on my prairies and photographing everything in our backyard. I can spend hours in my blinds taking pictures.

"Finally after eight days of blue skies and sunshine, a thunderstorm shook the cabin during the night. It rained so hard, water leaked through the cabin roof... It's nine o'clock and the waves on the lake must be 10 feet tall. It's cold, rainy, and very windy. I asked for it. I got it, but now I don't know if I want it... The lake is very impressive now, white caps everywhere, waves crashing into rocks, places where I was standing yesterday are now under water. I went out and did three paintings during the storm, weighing my easel down with rocks."

That’s an excerpt of notes you took while artist-in-residence at Isle Royale in 1992. How do you paint in a raging thunderstorm?

I waited till there was a break in the rain (you can still paint with oils in a little rain) It’s the wind that is the problem. I would hang a backpack filled with rocks under my easel) It worked.

The solitude of this place is the most appealing thing about Isle Royale. I have never painted uninterrupted that much in my life. It was an opportunity of a lifetime and a challenge to transfer such overpowering landscapes to canvas." More than 30 years since, have you been able to focus on art the same way?

No, Isle Royale‘s painting excursion was the best so far in all of my life, 27 paintings in 21 days.

He started illustrating children’s books in 1998 and has done a total of 34 books.  Does Sleeping Bear Press print all your books?

I did a total of 35 books, of which 5 were done by Robbyn and me. Robbyn also wrote an alphabet book about bees, illustrated by someone else because I did not think I could do it justice.   All my books are through SBP. They send me manuscripts and I start painting. SBP was my only publisher.

How did you meet Robbyn Smith? (Please be aware that I asked her that question about you.)

My story would be the same and I like for her to tell it.

It seems like you deliberately chose Michigan. Is it similar in climate to the Netherlands?

It was Michigan because that’s where the Michigan Natural Resources Magazine was located, in the DNR buildings in Lansing.  I also think that Michigan is one of the best States (Great Lakes for one thing)

I love  Michigan.                                                                                   

The Netherlands gets way more rain during the year and less snow than Michigan.

You're an illustrator, but have you ever considered writing?

I don’t write, I only illustrate. There are days that my English, my second language, is not so good, especially when I spent time writing letters in Dutch to my brothers and sisters. That’s the time I speak two languages badly. So no writing for me. 

Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen. How often, and how badly, does your name get mangled?

Daily,  it’s even misspelt on my driver’s license (not my fault).

Van Frankenhuyzen is an unusual-enough name so that one might figure that Kees and Bea, and badass welder Erica, and Colorado dentist Jan van Frankehuyzen were related. Do you know any of them?

The last name van Frankenhuyzen belongs to my direct family. There are more, if they are spelled different it’s not my family, If it is exactly the same it is my family. Like Kees. That’s one of my brothers who lives in SSMarie in Canada.  It has to be just like this: van Frankenhuyzen 

I am pretty sure that I am the only Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen in the United States of America (and I married Robbyn Smith)

I checked the Jan van Frankenhuyzens and all of them are family, one is my brother Jan.  I could not find a Jan who is a dentist. Welder Erica could be but I got stuck looking her up. Since the Internet I have been contacted by several van Frankenhuyzens ... all family. All same spelling. 

I have been out of the country for 50 years and lots of family has been born since 1976, more generations I don’t know about. People I have never met.

You and Robbyn bought some land and returned it to its original prairie.  What’s your philosophy about humans and land management?

We put our whole property (40 acres) in a Mid Michigan Land Conservancy . That means it can never be developed- for ever. Even after we’re gone. We’re doing this for our grandchildren and their grandchildren. 

Nature is very important for us. There will be no gas station or Walmart on this property- ever. We have 5 wildlife ponds with wood duck nesting boxes, prairies, with 50 bluebird nesting boxes, woodlands and about 5 miles of  trails. 

A neighbor with a 106 acre property that is  connected to our property also joined  MMLC. All this land is now safe from ever being developed. I like to get all my neighbors involved in this.( I’m working on it.)

Which are some of your favorite paintings, and why?

A doe and a fawn

I have a couple of paintings that are not for sale. One is of my youngest daughter Kelly, working on a painting, another one is the last painting I painted for the Magazine ( a doe and a fawn) and a painting I did of Robbyn.  Those are some of my favorites  and you probably know why.

What’s next for Nick van Frankenhuyzen and your wife, Robbyn?

To continue photographing everything around us, grow more wildflowers, stay healthy and vote blue.

Writer Spotlight: Robbyn Smith

 Garden reading, animal rescue, Gijsbert, Hazel Ridge Farm, and bees: author Robbyn Smith

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI. In this piece, meet author and animal caregiver Robbyn Smith.

Robbyn has dedicated much of her life to caring for animals. As a youngster she brought orphan animals home to mend and, as an adult, folks delivered them to her doorstep. Do you remember the animal you brought home to mend? Which animal adoption convinced you to make your life about animal rehabilitation? 

A baby robin was the first and right then and there I knew I loved taking care of animals. A supportive family helps a lot. It’s amazing how many “hurt” critters a kid can find.

Growing up as the middle child in a household with six sisters, she became the “entertainer.” Her elaborate and theatrical storytelling was her way of standing out in a crowd and finding her own voice. How “elaborate and theatrical” did the middle sister get? 

Pranks, plays and shouting to be heard. I remember when electricity went out my mom couldn’t watch her shows. What was going on with “Kim & Bob” in "As the World Turns”? So we acted out their drama. 

I heard an interview of Jennifer Lawrence with Seth Meyers and he asked if she had any acting classes etc. She said no, she just lied a lot as a kid. Same with me, they were not “lies” they were colorful stories.

Her parents encouraged her to make her hobby her career, so with that in mind she attended Michigan State University and became an animal technician where she continued to care for animals. What was the transition like from small animal pests and pets, to livestock and horses? What did the large animals demand from you? Did you ever consider becoming a veterinarian? 

I wanted to be a vet ..was in pre-vet but my math was pitiful and I applied twice to vet school with not spectacular grades. When I came back early for my junior year at MSU I decided that I would apply for a job at all area vet clinics and if I got a job , I would drop out and work at what I loved to do. 

I got a job at the Haslett Animal Hospital and the rest is history. I have since been grandfathered in as a vet technician, due to my many years  working for a vet through my high school & summer college years.

 

Robbyn and Nick

She met her illustrator husband Gijsbert van Frankenhuyzen at the clinic where she worked. Together they share a mutual love of nature. Did you and Gijsbert have a “cute-meet,” or was it more of a “slow burn”? 

It took a year of him courting me before I said yes to a date. Long story short...I thought he was married so I didn’t give him much notice. He was not and after we cleared up that issue, we have been together ever since. Bought our farm in Bath in 1980, married on the farm in fall of 1981.

 

Nature journaling is a part of their daily lives and an enjoyable way to document all the special animals that have been a part of their lives. Ruth journals too, and she estimates she has 4-500 journals. How many journals in the van Frankenhuyzen household? Where do you store them? 

Never put a number on it, but several bookshelves full. I mainly journal my bee work. As a beekeeper w/30 + hives, I have to keep track of each hives health & wellness. Love those bees.

Today, Robbyn visits schools, zoos and nature centers sharing with children and adults the value of journaling, the joy of storytelling and the importance of protecting our natural world. Are most of your school visits solo, or is Nick a constant companion? 

Mixed, but mostly solo. Schools like it when we present together, but we both have so much to share we tend to do separately.

How many school visits happen at your farm? What have you done to make Hazel Ridge Farm comfortable for groups of students? 

We don’t do it anymore, but when we did,  the feedback has always been, “the best field trip ever!” It is hiker-, children- and nature-friendly. What’s not to love.?

 Saving Samantha: A True Story

 Adopted By An Owl: The True Story of Jackson the Owl

Both titles are true stories that happened to you. Do you always have happy endings for your true stories? 

In Itsy Bitsy Teeny Weeny there was an accident with the deer, but it turned out OK in the end. We have had several sad endings but have not shared them with readers.

 

As wildlife rehabilitators, Gijsbert and Robbyn, with the help of daughters Heather and Kelly, cared for orphaned and injured wildlife for over 20 years. They cared for everything from foxes, fawns, opossums and skunks to raccoons, rabbits, hawks and owls.

He is most proud of his Hazel Ridge Farm children’s book series on which he collaborated with his wife, Robbyn. These true stories, taken from their years of caring for wild animals, are filled with his beautiful illustrations.

What do you care to share about your daughters? Are they still involved in animal rescue? Are they artists like their parents? 

Both girls are creative, Kelly in her writing and Heather in her art. They both love and appreciate nature and value what being out in the woods does for their soul and their mental health.

Robbyn Smith van Frankenhuyzen and her husband Gijsbert. That’s a lot of tricky spelling. Most of that is because of Gijsbert (aka Nick). But Robbyn is an unusual spelling of that name. Your choice, or your parents? 

Mine. I was a pretty straight and narrow kid. The only rebellious thing I did was unofficially change the spelling of my name. I like to be different.

How much of a part did you play in Nick’s Sleeping Bear debut? 

A cheerleader!

Nowadays you’re still with Sleeping Bear. How do you handle the quantity of titles you and Nick, together and separately, have managed to publish? Do you handle physical books, or leave it to the bookstores? 

Both. We do school, library and etc programs so selling our own books at these event is always appreciated...plus profitable.

Would you say you lucked out and/or worked hard to achieve this lifestyle of animal rescue and art? And farm? And family? 

Success at anything is a combination of luck, being in the right place at the right time and hard work. As our parents said, “when you grow up you have to pay the bills. You might as well find something you love to do and make a living at it.” Nick & I are doing just that.

What’s next for Robbyn? 

I love my honeybees. Being a beekeeper (33 hives right now) is my passion and my joy and my meditation. There is always new stuff to learn keeping bees. It’s a joyful challenge.

 

 

 

Book Birthday Blog with Christina Fecher

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

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

 

Congratulations to Christina Fecher on the release of Santa's Summer Vacation in Michigan

  

 

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

I started working on this book when my daughter was five–she’s now 16! But as any working mom knows, our dreams often take a backseat to our very full, often overflowing daily lives. At the time, my corporate communications career was growing (still is–yay!) and my husband and I were busy raising our two kids. Like many families, our lives were packed and our time rarely felt like our own.
 
Still, I knew I needed to carve out a little time for myself. Writing a book had always been a dream of mine. So while traveling for work – after catching up on emails and finalizing communications – I didn’t turn on the TV to unwind in my hotel room. Instead, I kept my laptop open, tapped into my imagination, and started writing for me. 
 
During those quiet moments, I often thought about people who rarely get a break: small business owners, corporate spokespeople … and Santa. Santa was a huge fixture in our lives back then, and it suddenly struck me: it was time he went on vacation.
 
The proud lifelong Michigan resident in me knew just the place for his first trip.  

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

First of all, can I just say how cool it is to be able to talk about “‘my readers?” I hope they enjoy exploring Michigan through the fun rhymes and beautiful illustrations–and that it inspires them to visit these places with their families. 

What was the most difficult part of writing this book? 

Considering it took me a decade to get across the finish line, I’d say that was the most difficult part! But it also made the journey incredibly meaningful, because I’ve truly treasured – and learned from – every step along the way. 
 
If we’re talking specifically about writing, the biggest challenge was making sure the rhymes flowed naturally while still supporting the storyline. There were numerous stops and starts to get it just right. 

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

Thanks to my lifelong career in communications and publicity – and my deep appreciation for what I now call my #AuthorJourney – I began marketing my book long before I even found my illustrator and publisher. 
 
Last summer, I launched a website that features a blog chronicling both my #AuthorJourney and my life in the corporate communications world. Through the blog, I strategically revealed pieces of the book’s development and shared updates with my audience, which I then promoted on my social channels – where most of my marketing takes place right now.
 
I’ve also leaned on my knowledge of the media landscape to pitch my book’s release to reporters, bloggers, and podcasters. It’s incredibly time-consuming, but I’ve already earned coverage in two separate articles, and I’ll be appearing on a local TV station later this week and have two more interviews planned for the near future. I have more work to do here, but I’m pleased with my gains in this short amount of time.
 
In addition, I’ve tapped into my network to build new relationships and leverage existing ones to create opportunities for book signings and readings tied to larger community events. I just hosted my very first author event at the Muskegon Lumberjacks “Read to Succeed Night” hockey game on March 6. It was incredibly successful – especially considering the fans were there to watch hockey – and many left with a copy of my book! 
 
And the momentum is continuing. I have many more events lined up, including several classroom readings during March is Reading Month thanks to many of my friends who are teachers. It’s exciting, but I’ll admit—this level of outreach, promotion, and event planning takes an enormous amount of time and effort and I definitely didn’t quit my day job! Still, it’s been incredibly rewarding to see my book connecting with readers in real life. My friends keep texting me pictures of their children curled up with my book on their lap – and it truly makes my heart soar. That’s what it’s all about!
 
My book is currently available in paperback, hardcover and eBook formats on Amazon, as well as in a few local stores in the Muskegon and Grand Haven area, including Maggie’s Gourmet Foods & Gifts and The Book Cellar. I’m continuing to put in the work to expand where it’s available, so please visit my website for the latest updates on new locations and upcoming events. 

What's next for you?

Once you start, it feels like you can’t stop. My book is doing really well, and I’m using that enthusiasm to fuel my creativity. 
 
Over the summer, I wrote my second book in only three sittings. It’s still a draft that definitely needs some refinement, but my illustrator and publisher are very excited about the manuscript and are eager to continue working together. I’ve also started a third book and am currently in the “noodling” phase for a fourth.
 
This is just so much fun! Don’t get me wrong – it’s absolutely a lot of work. But it’s also  incredibly rewarding and worth every minute.
 
After the ups and downs of the past year – and, in all honestly, the decade it took me to get here – I’m first and foremost focused on my family. They’re the best set of cheerleaders I’ve ever had in my corner. I’m also still focused on my corporate communications career, but am beginning to share what I’ve learned on this journey to help other authors like me. 
 
I don’t know where all of this will lead, but for the first time in my life, I’m embracing the unknown and truly living in this beautiful moment.

More about the book . . .

Santa has traveled the world – but only from high above, speeding through the sky in his sleigh. He’s never truly visited anywhere … until now.

After tiresome preparations at the North Pole leave Santa and his team feeling glum and in need of a well-earned break, they trade their boots for flip flops and head out on their first-ever vacation in hopes of rekindling their holiday spirit. This whimsical tale of adventure is bursting with fun as Santa and the elves explore the exciting sights and sounds of Michigan, the “Mitten State.”

Illustrated by Robin Boyer

Published by: Wilson Lindberg Books, LLC

More about the author . . .

Christina Fecher is a writer, communicator, and proud West Michigander who has always believed in the power of a good story. She graduated from Michigan State University (Go Green!) with a degree in journalism and began her career as a reporter for The Detroit News, where her work earned multiple writing awards. Over the years, she moved into public relations and corporate communications, serving in both state government and the private sector, including Midwest retailer Meijer. In 2025, she embraced a longtime dream to become a children's author and set out to assemble an all-female illustrator and publisher team from the Midwest. Together, they released Santa’s Summer Vacation in Michigan in February 2026.
  
Michigan has always been Christina’s home. She was born and raised in the Mitten and has lived in each of the regions represented in her debut book. That deep sense of place helped inspire Santa’s Summer Vacation in Michigan, along with everyday adventures with her husband, their two active teenagers, and two lively fur babies. When she’s not working on her computer, you can find her cheering her children on from the sidelines, cuddling their dogs she lovingly calls “The Littles,” traveling whenever possible and spending quality time with family and friends.

https://linktr.ee/christinafecherauthor

  

Success Story: Suja Sukumar

My journey into a career in writing happened by accident. I was in my early forties, a full-time physician and mom with two young children, when my sister suggested I enter a short story competition. I didn’t get in but that attempt at writing got me hooked.

My goal was to traditionally publish while providing South Asian diaspora representation. I started with a middle grade mystery, which I ended up shelving after multiple agent rejections. To be honest, this was my fault since I hadn’t done the massive editing and research required before querying.

With my next story, a YA thriller, I joined online critique groups, Critique Circle and Agent Query being examples. I also found beta readers through (then) Twitter and through writing organizations. I researched agents using sites like Manuscript Wish List, specifically looking for ones who accepted my genre and were looking for BIPOC stories. I then sent out queries but ended up with rejections again.

By now, I was left wondering if I should just give up. I barely had any time to write between family and a job that often ran into weekends and nights. But I found I couldn’t stop. Writing gave me a sense of joy and a purpose. I decided to try querying again, this time with a YA fantasy. Unfortunately, this manuscript ended up getting shelved as well.

In 2015, I was diagnosed with stage 2 breast cancer. The months following passed in a blur of surgery, chemotherapy, and radiation. But this also allowed me a new perspective on life, to live each day and continue to go after my dreams.

So, I thought I’d give it one more shot by writing a YA thriller. I went through all the steps of editing, critiquing, beta readers, and researching agents. I had also been applying for mentoring contests during this time and was picked by the wonderful Dana Mele (People Like Us, Summer’s Edge, and the upcoming The Beast You Let In)) as mentee in the Author Mentor Match contest.

Dana helped me polish the story. A few months later, I pitched it in #DVPit on Twitter. One of the agent requests turned into an offer and In December 2018, I signed with my agent.

After months of editing, we began sending submissions to publishers in late 2019. But Covid hit by the second round and so did the rejections. By 2021, I had moved onto another manuscript when we received an email from an editor at Soho Teen; she had previously passed but wanted another look. I signed the contract in Jan 2022 and the YA thriller When Mimi Went Missing was released in Nov 2024. In Sept 2025, it won the Anthony Award for Best YA/Children’s novel.

This is my long and convoluted path to traditional publication, and I thank you for reading. My advice to fellow writers would be to stay involved within the writing community. Their encouragement and words of cheer kept me going. I wish good luck to everyone on this journey.  Keep writing all those wonderful stories!

Suja Sukumar (she/her) is an award-winning author of diverse suspense novels. Her debut YA thriller When Mimi Went Missing won the 2025 Anthony Award for Best YA/Children’s novel and the 2025 Pencraft Award for Best YA General genre. She is a member of SCBWI, Crime Writers of Color, Sisters in Crime, and International Thriller Writers. Apart from being an author, she is also a primary care physician in suburban Detroit, where she lives with her family.

Book Birthday Blog with Lisa Wheeler

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

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

 

Congratulations to Lisa Wheeler on the release of It Takes a Family to Serve

 

 

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

The initial inspiration came on Veteran’s Day of 2020. While visiting my dad—my favorite veteran—I saw a post on social media of my cousin and his family. Bryan, who is career Air Force, had been deployed six times while raising his family. I knew that his wife, Melissa, often had to be the one to move the whole family from state to state, look for a new teaching job, and have everything handled when Bryan returned. The kids also had to be flexible, always starting new schools. But they have an amazing family, and I’d always been impressed with how they functioned. I recall looking at that picture and thinking, It takes a family to serve. That was how the book idea began. 

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

That behind every service man and woman, there are those that love them, that sacrifice for them, that support them.  The book shows vignettes of different types of families engaged in different types of service. Whether it’s sending cookies to the base, taking care of pets and children, or widening doorways for a wounded vet, each person plays their part in supporting the troops. 

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

The book will be sold nationwide in both independent bookstores and online venues. Throughout March, I’ll be touring various indie bookstores that are located close to bases. The first being at Blue Dog Books in Springboro, OH on March 2nd. This store is close to Wright-Patterson AFB. I’ll also be in Winnetka, IL at The Bookstall and then traveling to schools close to the Great Lakes Naval Base in IL. We’re still working out dates. 

What's next for you? 

Next Fall is the release of the second book in the Dino-World series. I also have been asked to do a few library programs this summer because summer reading is Unearth A Story and features dinosaurs. 
 
I sold a book last Fall to Random House Studio, a new publisher for me. It’s called Nobody Notices Ghost and is to be illustrated by Christopher Thornock. That was exciting! It won’t be released until 2028, that feels so far away but I know time will fly. 

More about the book . . . 

Celebrate military families and all they do when their loved ones are away on duty in this lyrical and timeless tale.

Whether in the Navy, Air Force, Coast Guard, Army or Marines, the brave people serving the country also have family serving in important ways back home. With beautiful text and gorgeous watercolor paintings, It Takes a Family to Serve shines a light on the work and dedication of families waiting for their loved ones to come back to them, while they take care of a beloved pet, attend a special event or raise a grandchild. 

Published by: HarperCollins 

More about the author . . . 

Lisa Wheeler is the award-winning author of over 60 children’s books including Someone Builds the Dream, People Don't Bite People, and the popular Dino-Sports series.  The Christmas Boot, was the SCBWI 2017 SCBWI Golden Kite Award winner for Picture Book Text. Bubble Gum, Bubble Gum was the 2017 Michigan Reads! One Book, One State Children’s Book recipient. Her awards include The Michigan Mitten, Texas Bluebonnet, and the Theodore Geisel Honor given by the American Library Association. Lisa shares her Michigan home with one husband, one dog, and an assortment of anthropomorphic characters. Check out Lisa’s website at:  https://www.lisawheelerbooks.com/

FB: @LisaWheelerChildrenBooks
Insta: @littlelisais6 

 

 

Writer Spotlight: Patti Bumpus Richards

Another place, freelance magazine gigs, Red Line, Miranda Paul, sing me a story, and packing: author Patti Richards

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet author Patti Bumpus Richards.

I first knew I was a writer in the 7th grade. My teacher gave us an assignment (I don’t remember what it was), and I remember looking out the window and writing from what felt like another place, outside of the classroom. When I got my paper back she had written a note encouraging me to explore my gift and see how far it would take me. I’ve been exploring for more than 20 years now and loving every minute of it.

Another place. Do you still get to that place when writing?

I do! But not every time I sit down to work. It most often happens when I’m getting down an early draft of a new manuscript or when I’ve had a breakthrough during revision. When I’m intentional about having that “another place” experience, it requires quiet, comfort with where I’m working, and a deep sense of peace with urgency that the words I’m writing need to live…whether out in the world or in my computer.

After a successful education career in which she taught middle and high school language arts, social studies, public speaking and theater, Patti Richards’ inspirational connection with children simply could not be contained in the classroom. Her innate way with a story and her love of literature had long inspired her teaching. She’d written plays for her students and short stories and little snippets of this and that, but in retirement, she found she had much more to say.

Did that 7th grade teacher have any part in your career in education? Plays and short stories while you’re busy teaching?

Yes, she did! Miss Sorell had a wonderful connection to her middle school students. When I landed in a middle school classroom after first being a high school teacher, I knew I had found my sweet spot. The example she set for me all those years earlier was what I tried to emulate with my kids.

And yes, even as a busy teacher, I was always writing or working away at grading or meeting with students one-on-one to go over their revisions. I always tried to model a good work ethic to my kids, and if I gave them a writing assignment and time to do it in class (which I pretty much always did), I wanted them to see me writing too and sharing my work with them. That way no one had to feel shy about reading a crappy first draft to the group. I hope I created a safe space for my kids to share their work with me.

Patti’s insightful features on parenting, women’s health and education have been published in San Diego Parent, The Lookout, Homelife, Metro Parent and in many other print and digital publications nationwide. Patti was a Third Place Winner in the Smart Writers Amazing Story Contest in 2010 and also received the Gold Medal Award for Special Section Within a Publication (55K+ circulation), from Parenting Publications of America in 2003.

That was a whole freelance magazine writing career you carved out. What worked for you, back in the days there were still print magazines?

It all started for me when I nominated my husband for Westland’s Father of the Year Award and he won! Yes, you read that right! LOL! I had written my first picture book when my middle child was around 3, and had a request for the full manuscript, so I had already been bitten by the kid-lit bug. 

But I was also a stay-at-home mom picking up substitute teaching jobs and looking for writing gigs to bring in extra money. When I went in for the Observer interview about my husband winning Father of the Year, God whispered, “Ask the question!” 

So, at the end of the interview I asked the editor if they ever used stringers to cover local stories. She said “yes” and that she’d be in touch if/when something came up. Within a week I had my first assignment. 

From there, I started researching other local publications and found that the Metro Parent Publishing Group was taking submissions for story ideas on parenting and local resources for parents. I don’t remember what my first assignment for them was, but I developed a great relationship with the editor and worked regularly for them for several years. I did a ton of online content work for my BFF who was a magazine editor in Nashville at the time. This helped me make other connections and develop new relationships with other editors.

I think what worked for me that still works for anyone building the contract side of their writing career is what I mentioned above: developing good relationships with editors so they remember you and keep asking you to write for them. 

How do you do this? Always submit your assignments on time (early), submit the absolute best first draft of your assignment as possible (which means you’re actually submitting your fourth, fifth, or 10th draft), make your work as error free as you can, stick to your style guide like glue, and take every editorial suggestion without question. 

That last one might seem like a stretch and make some writers uncomfortable, but stay with me here. If you do everything an editor asks you to do with a, “Oh wow, I never thought of that, what a great suggestion, I love your ideas for this section, can’t believe I didn’t think of that” attitude, you will get asked back, again and again. Trust me on this!

Her first children’s story, “Fishing on the Black Volta,” was published in Boy’s Quest Magazine.

Was Boy’s Quest a scouting magazine? Do you like to fish? Did you know you were a children’s writer when this piece was published?

Boys’ Quest was part of the Fun for Kidz family of print magazines that included Boys’ Quest, Hopscotch for Girls, and Fun for Kidz. In the last few years, they combined the three into just Fun for Kidz, and it is still available as a print magazine. 

The “Fishing” piece was about my husband’s years spent growing up in West Africa as a child of missionaries. His dad took the family camping on the river once each year, and the fish they caught were massive! 

A favorite old family photo is of my father-in-law and a friend holding up a fish they had caught. They had their arms stretched completely out above their heads, holding the fish between them and it was so big the tail bent and spread out at their feet. Listening to my husband talk about these fishing adventures, including hippos swimming in the river and monkeys swinging from the trees inspired the story. And yes, I do love to fish!

Did I know I was a writer for children when this was published? I’m grateful to say that I did. That doesn’t mean I haven’t questioned that along the way, but thankfully never enough to quit!

Tell us about your non-fiction books.

OIL POWER!, THE APOLLO MISSIONS, THE SPACE SHUTTLE MISSIONS and ALL ABOUT SOCIAL NETWORKING, were each work-for-hire opportunities with Red Line Editorial. Writers submit a resume and writing samples to them with areas of interest, and they keep those on file. When a project comes up that looks like it might fit the writer’s interests, they reach out with an offer, style guide, deadlines, pay, etc. You usually have a few days to consider and then get back to them, then they send you a contract to esign, and you get started. 

These books can take a few weeks up to a few months to complete, because of the research. But I really enjoy research, and I love revising, so they were fun for me. Getting to do these books was a nice resume builder that led to an opportunity to write for Capstone’s Pebble Go and Pebble Go Next online social studies websites. 

Writing pieces for them has opened a door to write a nonfiction very early reader (grades 1-2) book about Indigenous People’s Day which comes out in 2027. I’m in the middle of that right now. It’s just 150 words with an ATOS level of 2.5, so it’s been challenging, but such fun!

Your work is part of the award-winning poetry collection, THANKU: POEMS OF GRATITUDE. How much of a part? How did your poetry find this collection?

This is a great example of how SCBWI Michigan writers help each other. My dear friend and long-time writing partner, Lisa Rose, saw an email newsletter from Miranda that had an opportunity to submit a poem for her upcoming collection. She had already contracted with well-known children’s poets for most of the poems but wanted to leave one or two spaces open for new writers. 

Since Lisa knows my work so well, and how much I love writing poetry and rhyme in particular, she forwarded me the email with big letters in the subject line: YOU NEED TO DO THIS! All caps from Lisa always means I need to stop what I’m doing and see what’s up! LOL! 

So, I did. I read Miranda’s requirements for the poem, “kid-centered poem about Thankfulness, rhyming or prose.” I can’t remember the other parameters, but I think there were a few other things, deadline, wordcount, etc. So, I got to work right away.

I tried to remember something I had been thankful for when I was a kid, and I thought about getting my first pair of glasses. I had been squinting for so long because I couldn’t see the chalkboard. But I didn’t want to tell my parents, because I didn’t want to wear glasses. 

I then made a connection to Alice Through the Looking Glass and seeing things clearly, and that’s where the idea for my poem came from for “Alice Thanks the Looking Glasses.” I finished it just in time for the deadline and hit send!

A little while later she wrote back and told me how much she liked my poem…especially how kid-centric it was, and invited me to be part of the collection.

THANKU was edited by Miranda Paul. How much did you get to interact with her?

It was, and working with her was a great experience. She sent me notes about my poem and we emailed back and forth a few times until it was just right. She was very encouraging. What you see in the collection was probably my fifth or sixth draft. 

Then being part of such an amazing group of writers for the launch was incredible. And I have to admit being a little awestruck when I saw my poem alongside the work of Jane Yolen, Charles Ghinga, and other poets I admire!

There’s so much power in helping each other! I’m so grateful for Lisa, because without her forwarding me that email, I would have missed this opportunity!

The Story of MRS. NOAH

Mining For Information

So, You Want to Be a Writer?

Sing Me a Story!

These are presentations you offer. You’re still a teacher, aren’t you? Sing Me a Story?

Once a teacher, always a teacher, right? I retired from full-time teaching when my oldest was 4 years old. But I continued to substitute teach and tutor privately until he finished fifth grade. My school presentations are directly connected not just to the things I’ve had published, but to other things I love. 

I’m a musician…play the piano and sing, and dabble in the guitar, organ and the mountain dulcimer. I still don’t practice like I should (sorry, Mom). But having other creative outlets feeds my writing. For example, Sing Me a Story is for very young audiences about seeing/hearing the music in rhyming and lyrical picture books and how that works together!

Painting and piano are some of the things you enjoy. What kind of painting do you do? How much fun do you have with a piano in the house?

I don’t paint as much as I used to, but I love acrylics and drawing/creating with charcoal/pastels. My daughters also love to paint, so when they lived at home, the easel in my office got lots of use. 

My entire family sings, so we love family sing-a-longs when we’re all together. And thirty minutes of playing/singing when I’m getting ready to write or have been at it for a few hours, helps center and feed my heart. It is one way I have devotions, offer my personal praise to God and thank Him for the gifts that words and music have been in my life.

The story of Mrs. Noah is apocryphal. A first-ever cruise family vacation, and you’re trying to manage the logistics of the trip for every one of your family members. How did the trip go?

It turned out well. It was a celebration for my parent’s 50th wedding anniversary, and they had a blast. I’ll never take another cruise again (unless it’s a much smaller boat)…too many people, not a big enough swimming pool, and I’m a bit claustrophobic…but I’m grateful we got to do it when we did. But wow, I was so tired when we got home, so MRS. NOAH was her story AND my story!

SNOW ANGELS (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt/Curious World, January 2014)

Two sisters head out into the snow to make snow angels and snow pie! But when they go to bed, the snow angel sisters come to life and have a moonlit adventure all their own. Ages 4-7.

Big name publisher, 2014. What was that experience like?

Well, the company that actually bought and published SNOW ANGELS, was called MeeGenius. It was during those years when eBooks/book apps for kids were going to be all the rage. 

At some point…I think it was a couple of years after SNOW ANGELS came out…MeeGenius was bought by HMH and came under their Curious World imprint. So, I worked with a HMH acquisitions person for a bit during the transition and it was a positive experience. 

One nice thing that did come out of it was that the person the MeeGenius authors were in contact with at HMH went on to work briefly for a similar venture through Amazon called Amazon Rapids. So, I got a chance to do a couple of work-for-hire stories for them. 

Amazon Rapids is now defunct, and although Curious World still exists, they only have a small fraction of the original stories still available. The good news is that I did get my rights back to SNOW ANGELS, so you never know what might be next for that piece.

30 years of experience writing for magazines, newspapers, websites, publishing companies and poetry journals. Ten years’ experience teaching English, creative writing and theatre.

Is there any kind of writing you haven’t done but would like to try?

You know, the two things I haven’t tried are writing YA and books for adults. I know I’m not a YA writer, so I don’t have to think about that one. But sometimes I think about writing a book for young women. 

There are so many things I’ve learned along the way about life, faith, having it all but not all at the same time, being a mom/wife/daughter/sister/friend all at the same time, body image, loving yourself and seeing yourself the way God sees you, I’d love to share them. 

I’d think of it as a love letter to my adult daughters and their friends filled with all of things I wish someone had told me when I was their age. I do lots of that with them now, but I think writing it all down (as if that’s even possible) is something that would make my heart sing. I’d feel I’d done all I could do to speak into their lives and make the journey better somehow.

I’d also like to do more conference/public speaking. As a former theatre teacher, I love teaching about the art of performance storytelling and how it informs writing and enhances author visits.

You helped found The Mitten, and conducted interviews for the Writer Spotlight. Which interviews did you most enjoy?

Wow, I’d forgotten I used to do the Writer Spotlights as well as Hugs and Hurrahs! LOL! You know, the interviews I loved the most were from the people I knew the least about. I learned something valuable from every friend I was meeting for the first time.

SE Michigan as a Shop Talk area doesn’t exist for SCBWI-MI anymore. But you had a stellar group of kidlit talent in that group, back in the day. Your group had some memorable meet ups (now I see why Shop Talks works better). What are some of your favorite memories?

Oh, my goodness…we had some wonderful Shop Talks! We met at the historic Spicer Farmhouse at Heritage Park in Farmington Hills, and what an amazing venue for creative souls. 

We had so many great speakers—Lisa Wheeler, Nancy Shaw, Shutta Crum, Ruth McNally Barshaw, Rhonda Gowler Green, Kelly Dipuccio (those names just jumped out of my memory)—we had agents and editors, volunteers who researched topics to share with the group, we used SCBWI video master classes, hosted panel discussions, and our most popular thing, critique days. I was co-chair with Jennifer Rumberger and then with Kris Munroe, and what a blessing they both were to work with!

Another project I’m focused on right now is about helping kids talk about difficult subjects. It’s called “The Elephant in the Room.” It’s my hope that this one finds its way to the right publishing home soon once I start submitting, because it’s so needed.

I’m also playing around with a fractured fairy tale called, “A Needle in a Haystack.” It’s a western/cowgirl-themed version of the “Princess and the Pea,” and I’m having tons of fun with it!

Anything come of Elephant or Haystack?

Not yet. I’ve set both aside for a while as other things I want to say, characters that need to speak, rise to the surface. I’ve learned over the years that some stories are as much about therapy for the writer and taking time to play with words as they are about publication.

You moved your office to a bedroom. Is that still your workspace? How has it changed over the years?

Not her workspace

Ha! Well, I have an absolutely beautiful office/creative space. When I moved out of the corner of the dining room, my youngest had come home from Calvin University because of COVID, my middle child had just graduated from Calvin as was starting her first teaching job that suddenly became virtual, and my husband was working from home because of shutdown. So, the girls had desks in their rooms, Gene was working from the dining room table, and I was in my office. 

As things began to open up again, my RA started to flare and I found myself working from my recliner in our family room more than from my office. My office then became the staging area for two weddings, the spare bedroom complete with camp bed, and the place to hide and wrap Christmas presents. 

I’m happy to say that my RA is back under control, my office is sparkling clean, I have a new monitor that allows me to have two versions of my novel on the screen while revising, and some pictures of my precious grandbabies…we now have three. But where am I writing from most of the time (right now even)? From my recliner by the fire place in our family room! LOL!

Ida Pluck’s Cluck?

Oh, my goodness, my dear IDA PLUCK! Her story won first place in the Detroit Writing Room awards a few years ago, and an updated version of the story took 8th place in the Writer’s Digest Awards in 2023. She is one of my favorite characters, and I’m trying my best to sell her story. She deserves to be heard! 

Ida Pluck is a duck who wants to cluck instead of quack. But no matter how hard she tries, she cannot talk chicken! When auditions for the yearly Cluck Cabaret come around, she decides that auditioning for the show is the best way to win the friendship and approval of the barnyard biddies. While waiting in line, she is overcome by the tune and beat of the music and starts quacking. The chickens, who are desperate for an alto voice to complete their Classical Cluck Quartet, hear her voice and decide they’ll take a chance on her after all. 

And for the rest, maybe you’ll get to read her tale someday! This one is actively on submission, and I’d like to thank the amazing Lisa Wheeler for challenging me to turn this story on its head and see it in a completely different way. If you are ever in need of a top-shelf critique and Lisa Wheeler is open, do it!

What’s next for Patti Richards?

Well, between submitting, revising and writing new stories, being Grammar to my three grandkids who all live in Grand Rapids, becoming a caregiver to my aging parents and being available to my adult children and my friends whenever they need me, Gene and I are determined to travel more. We have our sights set on the British Countryside sometime in 2026, but God’s plans are always better than ours, so we’ll have to wait and see.

And, I’m gearing up for a book release in the Spring of 2027 with The Little Press/Bless This Press! It’s called THEN GOD WHISPERED: A LITTLE CREATION STORY. But you’ll have to wait to hear more about that next year! Oh, and I fully intend to keep listening for God whispers that turn into ideas that become stories. I hope what I’ve shared here inspires you to do the same.


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