Book Birthday Blog with Lisa Rose

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog! 

Where we celebrate new books by Michigan's children's book authors and illustrators

Congratulations to Lisa Rose on the release of her new book,  THE POCKET PICTURE!

Q#1: Congratulations on the release of The Pocket Picture! What inspired this story?

This was a work for hire story.  I had strict guidelines, so my ideas had to have boundaries.  This isn’t always fun.  I treat it as a puzzle.  How can I say what I want to say in the borders given to me by my editor?  

Q#2: You’ve written both chapter books and picture books. How do those experiences compare? Do you have a different process for each? 

I was first a playwright.  So, when I write, I usually picture it on the stage in my head.  In picture books, each page is a scene change.  This helps the pictures tell the story as well as the words.  If the scenery just stays the same, you have a very boring book.  In longer books, you have to make sure you don’t have just “talking heads” on your stage.  “Talking heads” are boring!

Q#3: The Pocket Picture has been published with an educational publisher, like your previous books in the Star Powers series, which also have nonfiction backmatter. What do you enjoy about including educational and nonfiction elements in your books and stories? 

I’m a teacher it’s a professional hazard.  Seriously, Rourke Educational Media sells directly to the school and library marketplace.  My buyers are teachers and librarians.  As a teacher, I know how tight money can be.  I want to create a book that can be used multiple times in different lessons.  It is important to me that my readers feel it was helpful in multiple ways.

Q#4: Many of your books include themes of inclusivity and acceptance. Do you have any overarching goals or inspirations that guide your stories?

I never write a story with a “goal” or “moral lesson” in mind.  However, I’ve been a life-long fan of the underdog.  Personally, “the underdog” and me always had a lot in common.  : )   However, my daughter is legally blind and uses a cane.  As a teacher, I always talked about “diversity” and believed I had an inclusive literacy in my classroom.  However, when I went to find books that depicted my child, I found very little.  Or when I did find a book, the book was “Rudolph-The-Red-Nosed Reindeer” themed.  I realized the books I used in the classroom were similar. I just wanted a story about a girl doing kid things---just this girl used a cane and wore dark glasses.  So, I wrote them!

Q#5: What are your marketing plans for The Pocket Picture? How can people connect with you?

Because this book was a work for hire, I do very little promotion in compared to my trade books.  However, I will sell this book at other author events.  I have three upcoming picture books that I will work hard to promote.

Please visit my website www.LisaRoseWrites.com

Facebook: Lisa Rose

Twitter:LisaRoseWrites

IG: LisaRoseWrites

A little bit about the book: Jacob feels sad and anxious on his first day of school. He wants to be with his family! But he discovers there's a way to keep family members close, even when they're apart. In this book, beginning readers in prekindergarten to grade 1 can join Jacob as he shows a classmate how to make his own pocket picture—and makes a new friend!

A little bit about the author: My chapter book series Star Powers is published by Rourke Educational Media. My first picture book Shmulik Paints the Town (Kar-Ben Publishing 2016) was a PJ Library Selection in May 2016. It was sent to over 26,000 homes in North America. It will again be released to over 26,000 homes in 2020.  My short stories have been published on an app called Amazon Rapids designed for at risk readers.  I have three upcoming picture books. I founded the Missing Voice Picture Book Discussion Group, whose mission is to highlight new picture books featuring diversity and little-known subjects on a monthly basis.