Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

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

Congratulations to Buffy Silverman on the release of On a Gold-Blooming Day: Finding Fall Treasures

How did you come up with the idea for your book? Is this part of a series?

On a Gold-Blooming Day is a companion book to On a Snow-Melting Day, published in February 2020. It follows the same rhythmic pattern, exploring the changes that occur from summer to fall instead of winter to spring. Writing the second book felt a bit like plagiarism--but I guess you can't plagiarize yourself!

I wrote the first draft of On a Gold-Blooming Day during my wonderful critique group's annual retreat. We couldn't spend time together during the summer of 2020, so we met on zoom for a few days. Each night we shared what we wrote during the day. Like many people, I had trouble finding motivation to write during the height of covid shutdowns. But peer-pressure is good motivation and inspiration.

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

On a Gold-Blooming Day invites children to go outside and notice the world around them. It focuses primarily on plants and animals that a child might find in a neighborhood park or their own backyard. I hope that my book inspires a child to explore their environment and become fascinated with nature. I think a love of nature is the first step to growing into the environmental stewards our Earth desperately needs.

What is your process for creating your book? The book has beautiful photos and detailed back matter.

Since I was trying to follow the pattern of On a Snow-Melting Day, I had a roadmap for my writing. I initially wrote the four refrains for the text. Each refrain focuses on a different habitat: field, forest, pond, and human centered. That involved a lot of experimenting and playing with different word combination (for example: “On a gold-blooming, // bee-zooming, / sun-dazzling day….” Once I had a draft of the refrains, I began writing rhyming, two-word, noun-verb combinations that follow the refrains (“Crickets chirp. / Butterflies slurp”). Again, that involved a lot of trial-and-error. The last step was to write the back matter entries, which you might think was a breeze for someone who has written a lot of nonfiction books. But that was not the case!

What are your marketing plans for the book?

If you’re reading this post, I hope you’ll request On a Gold-Blooming Day at your local library! The book is intended primarily for schools and libraries, and Lerner Publishing is an expert in that market. I’ve also reached out to a few bloggers from the Poetry Friday community who have or will feature the book.

What's next for you?

Reading, writing, and walking the hound!

A little bit about the book . . .

On a Gold-Blooming Day: Finding Fall Treasures invites young listeners and readers (ages 4-8) to observe how plants and animals change as autumn begins. Brilliant photos and rhyming text work together in this engaging read-aloud, and back matter offers more information about the creatures and changes featured.

A little bit about the author . . .

Buffy Silverman is the author of over 90 nonfiction books for children, including On a Snow-Melting Day: Seeking Signs of Spring which received a star from Kirkus Reviews and was an NCTE 2021 Notable Poetry Book. Before becoming a writer, Buffy worked as a naturalist and environmental educator, and taught biology to college students. She lives near a swampy lake in Michigan where she spends outdoor time with her dog, watches and photographs nature, and writes about the creatures she observes.

https://buffysilverman.com/

https://www.facebook.com/buffy.silverman

Twitter: @BuffySilverman