Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

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

Congratulations to Leslie Helakoski on the release of Fake Gnus

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

The original idea for this story came in the summer of 2019 while I was hiking on Isle Royale, the national park in Lake Superior. The island is known for its moose population and as my group hiked we listened and hoped to spot one or two.

But every time we heard something, it turned out NOT to be a moose. And I would think…Fake Moose. At home I tried writing a story about spotting a moose but it didn’t feel original and it just wasn’t singing. For the next 5 years, off and on, I worked on different versions. Finally, I let go of the missing moose and decided to play around with GNUS and NEWS and the importance of media literacy. I thought the need for this topic was only increasing. Plus, when I got to the last pages, there was a perfect spot to end the book with a missing moose!

You wrote and illustrated the book. Please describe your creative process.

The art for Fake Gnus is watercolor and pastel on Arches hot press watercolor paper. I start with a rough dummy to establish a layout and design for the book. Then I choose my favorite illustration and transfer it to the Arches paper including the text as a design element. I use Windsor Newton watercolors and Rembrandt pastels along with cut newspaper to emphasize the topic of news.

Then, I push myself to make all my subsequent illustrations just as interesting.

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

I hope readers will be reminded to ask kids where information comes from and to question the source. This is important even for young kids. I was a big Encyclopedia Brown fan when I was young and enjoyed making this into a mini-mystery.

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

I have been posting on blogs and setting up book signings. Some of these dates below have not been finalized.

I will be at McLean and Eakin in Petoskey, MI on August 11.
Highlights Foundation on September 15-19
Louisiana Book Festival, Baton Rouge, LA October 31
Cavalier Books in Lafayette, LA November.
Barnes and Noble, Lafayette, LA November
Book People in Austin, TX in November

Fake Gnus is available in most bookstores or online at Bookshop (which supports independent bookstores) https://bookshop.org/beta-search?keywords=helakoski
It is also available on Amazon.

What's next for you?

Next up…a book with Cathy Gendron called Crab Did It will be published by Charlesbridge in May of 2027. I’ve been a fan of Cathy’s work since we met years ago. We talked for years about collaborating on a project and when this came along, it was a perfect fit. Again, it is a mystery to find out who is pinching on the reef and who is not. No swimming to conclusions!

More about the book . . .

The gnu pen is empty! So where are the gnus? There are many different clues to follow, and it’s up to Scoop to decide if the evidence he hears and sees is true … or not! Someone tells Scoop they saw the gnus eating ice cream in Central Park. But this news site says they’re climbing the Empire State Building. And here’s a photo showing the gnus at a dairy farm. Can all of these sources be real gnus? Or are they fake gnus? Scoop reminds us that a fact is something that can be proven to be true. With every new source, Scoop always checks the facts!

Published by: Groundwood Books

More about the author . . .

Leslie Helakoski is the author and sometimes illustrator of 17 picture books. Her newest addition is Fake Gnus, a School Library Journal selection (Groundwood Publishing). Recent titles are When the Rain Came Down (FSG) and Gator’s Big Mouth (Pelican). Upcoming titles are Crab Did It, and Crabby Claude (Putnam).

Leslie’s award-winning books are known for their humor and word play. Woolbur (HarperCollins) was nominated for book awards in 14 states, winning honors in Florida and Michigan. It was a Book Sense Hot Pick, a Gift of Literacy book in Oregon and a Great Lakes Book Award finalist. Big Chickens (Dutton) received starred reviews in SLJ and Kirkus, won the Michigan Reads One State One Book Award, the Great Lakes Great Books award and was nominated for awards in 5 states.

Leslie served as a Regional Advisor for SCBWI Michigan and is now RA Emeritus. She runs a picture book workshop at Boyds Mills (Highlights) each summer. She divides her time between southern Louisiana and northern Michigan. See more about her books at https://www.helakoskibooks.com/.

Facebook: Leslie Helakoski
Instagram: @helakoskibooks

Welcome to SCBWI-MI's Book Birthday Blog!

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

Congratulations to Mary Zychowicz on the release of Little Buddy

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

I grew up on a farm. In fact, I learned to drive a tractor before I learned to drive a car! When my father retired he still kept his little blue tractor. When he passed away, the tractor sat in the shed and began to deteriorate. Try as we might to have it fixed, we just could not get it running. As I drove past the shed one day, I thought about the tractor. I remembered when my dad bought it and I started to imagine how that tractor felt, going from being busy and useful to having no work. Those thoughts, and what happened with the tractor after that is what inspired the story for Little Buddy. So, it’s loosely based on a true story.

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

I hope readers are reminded that even when things change in their lives, maybe a move, or a loss of some kind, there is hope in the new things that follow. Little Buddy had a good life going through the seasons, working with loving Farmer Art. But something happened and all that changed. What looked like a sad ending for Little Buddy turns into a new beginning.

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

It will be available in bookstores and online August 4th! I’m also in the process of planning a book launch, hopefully in September. I’ll be putting out flyers and postcards with the details on my social media platforms.

What's next for you?

I have a few other picture book manuscripts that I’m polishing up right now and I plan on submitting them soon!

More about the book . . .

Little Buddy is delighted when Farmer Art chooses him from all the tractors on the lot. Together, they work hard to take care of the farm throughout the seasons. But one winter morning, after a long, cold, snowy night, Farmer Art doesn't come to start Little Buddy's engine. Time passes, and Little Buddy begins to deteriorate and feels forgotten until a familiar visitor from the past shows up, giving him new hope.

Published by: Lawley Publishing

More about the author . . .

Mary grew up on a farm in Michigan where she loved summer days, playing with ‘pet’ calves in the barn, or sitting under a shade tree with a stack of books. After college she worked as a speech pathologist in the school system. When she became a mom and a Grammy, she saw the joy a good book brought to her daughter and grandchildren. She has been writing picture books since 2016, hoping to inspire and delight other children. Mary currently lives in Michigan with her husband. She still loves cows and everything farm-related, as well as reading, sewing, and gardening. Little Buddy is her debut picture book.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Writingfortikes/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/maryzychowicz/

Website: https://www.maryzychowicz.com/