Book Birthday Blog with Brynne Barnes

 

 

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

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

 

Congratulations to Brynne Barnes on the release of When I See You

 

 

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

I was thinking of writing a book like this when I was pregnant with my son.  I used to close my eyes, put my hands over my belly, and tell him stories about all of the wonderful and fantastic things we will do and the places we will see. The fantastical idea of a journey through the solar system was birthed from there. 

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

I hope they will take away the whimsy and the wonder of this big universe that we live in and know that they have a place in it that’s special and delightful and delicious. 

What inspires you to write? 

Love.  It really inspires everything I do.  From the feeling that I get when I read something I enjoy to the feeling I hope to give to my readers when I write something down — love is the answer. It always has been.  

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

I’m planning on doing some educator events for teachers through Barnes and Noble. I like to introduce creative ways to use the book in the classroom and creative methods to get kids excited about writing and creativity, in general. Check out upcoming events and book signings on my website.

What's next for you?

Next up is the brother title to Black Girl Rising: Black Boy Rising, illustrated by Bryan Collier, releasing in March 2025. 

More about the book . . . 

When I See You is an imaginative picture book with enchanting verse and whimsical illustrations journeying through the “galaxy” in a pregnant mother’s belly as she prepares to welcome her child into the world.

Publisher: Denene Millner Books/Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers

More about the author . . .

Brynne Barnes may not have wings.  But her pen does.  Or at least, she likes to think so. Since she was a kid, writing (and reading) has always made her feel like she can fly.  And she likes to remind young readers and writers that they too can fly in her classroom presentations all over the country -- and the world. When I See You is her fourth book. She is also the author of the 2022 African American Literary Award winner, Black Girl Rising, for Best Picture Book; Books Do Not Have Wings, a 2016 ABC Best Books for Young Readers; and Colors of Me, a 2012 Gelett Burgess Award Winner for First Published Book, a 2012 Friends of American Writers Award Winner for Juvenile Literature, and an Award-Winning Finalist in the Hardcover Fiction Category of The USA "Best Books 2011" Awards, sponsored by USA Book News. She is an English Professor at Schoolcraft College and a proud Michigander. Connect with Brynne online: 

Website (brynnebarnes.com)

Facebook (Brynne Barnes)

Twitter (@BrynneBarnes)

Instagram (BrynneBarnes)