Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!
Where we celebrate new books from Michigan's authors, illustrators and translators.
Congratulations to Dzvinka Hayda on the release of The Legend of the Dipper
%20(1).jpeg)
You're the author and illustrator for the book. What was your inspiration for the story?
When I graduated from the Waldorf Institute with a degree in Waldorf Education, my Aunt Daria gifted me The Children's Hour, a book of children's stories. The Legend of the Dipper, written by American children's author Carolyn Sherwin Bailey in 1906, was included in this compilation of stories. I told this story to my students during my entire teaching career. I have now rewritten and illustrated the legend in my children's picture book.
You've written and illustrated your own books. What is your creative process?
I think in pictures. The stories come to me as a sequence of pictures. First, I paint the images and then work on the words. The words are already there since I have told these stories many times throughout my teaching career. They do need to be refined and polished for the reading audience. There are 14 full-colored illustrations in each of my books, plus a cover, which I paint on canvas. With so much detail in the illustrations, it takes a tremendous amount of time. The text is revised multiple times and edited by several editors. Once done, everything gets turned over to my trusted designer for formatting.
What was the most difficult part of creating the illustrations for the book?
I'm not sure if the word difficult applies. Since the Big Dipper is real, it was essential to illustrate it as it is. The illustration of the tin dipper rising into the sky and fixing itself amongst the stars gave me great pleasure as it came out just as I had hoped.
What are your marketing plans for the book and where can we find it?
I have used social media quite successfully. My book Little Angel's Journey sold over 5,000 copies and is going into its second printing. I have an outstanding seller, Bella Luna Toys, that caters to a gentle approach to childhood and promotes and sells my books. Ukrainian museums carry my books. Once a week, I blast new notices to FB groups, such as homeschoolers, libraries, and schools. I also post reviews on social media. I place my books on consignment at local bookstores. It is the social media that brings in the most sales. Kirkus Reviews also helps me get my books in front of readers.
What's next for you?
I am in the process of creating three new books. One book is autobiographical but still geared toward young children. It is about my journey to the United States. The second is about how I grew up in a small town in the heart of Detroit and all the adventures that it offered. The third is a Ukrainian folktale about a Little Lame Duck. I have done my research on all three. Now it is the time to select which will be my next book to work on.
More about the book . . .
Katrusya and her mother love each other dearly. One day, the mother became ill, and since there was no running water in the house, Katrusya took a tin dipper and set off for the river to fetch water for her mother. She hopes to return home before it gets dark, but though she hurries as fast as she can, nighttime does come.
By the time she reaches the river, Katrusya is very tired. Filling the dipper with cool water, she starts her journey home. Along the way, Katrusya meets a thirsty dog and a lovely lady. She must decide whether to share the water with them. She remembers how her mother always told her to be kind to others.
Each time Katrusya shares the water, magical things begin to happen—the tin dipper changes to silver and then to gold.
But the most wonderful thing occurs when Katrusya's mother heals after drinking the water. Katrusya and her mother watch in awe as the dipper rises into the sky and glistens like diamonds amongst the million stars.
Publisher: Trillium Forest Press
More about the author/illustrator . . .
I was born in Kosiv, Ukraine, at the foothills of the Carpathian Mountains. I immigrated to the United States when I was seven and lived in New York's East Village. I began to draw as a young child and have not stopped since. I vividly remember my first box of crayons. It was so hot that the crayons softened and began to melt. They had to be placed in an ice box to harden. My family moved to Michigan, where I have lived since. I became a Waldorf educator, a system that teaches children through music and the arts. Part of the curriculum is oral storytelling. I would tell my students a story each day. Out of this grew a desire to write and illustrate these stories. Having limited time, my first book, Little Angel's Journey took several years to complete. Since then, I have published three more books, the newest being The Legend of the Dipper, which is making its debut. I established my own publishing company, Trillium Forest Press, and hired editors and book designers to do the work I was incapable of or did not have the time to do. I am a two-time winner of the Moonbeam Award—In 2007 for Little Angel’s Journey and in 2023 for Dzvinya’s Gift for Mama-A Ukrainian Story. This book also won the 2024 International Impact Award.
Email: Dzvinbell@juno.com
https://www.facebook.com/search/top?q=dzvinya%27s%20gift%20for%20mama
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063481961087
.jpeg)
