Interview with Jessica Stremer

In today’s #ChatWithThePBLady, Jessica Stremer shines light on the important issue of light pollution. Read on to find out more about her book Lights Out, and how light pollution affects the wildlife around us.

Illustrations by Bonnie Pang.

📚 Do you like to have background noise when you write? Or do you prefer it to be quiet? 

Definitely quiet.

📚 If you could travel to someplace new, where would you go?

 My “to visit” list is just as long as my “to be written” list! Abroad, I really want to explore Vietnam, Cambodia, and Thailand. Within the U.S. I’d love to take a trip to New York.

📚What do you consider to be the best invention of all time? 

This is tough! There are so many things that make life easier that I’m extremely grateful for, but I can’t help to also take into consideration the environmental impacts that go along with our advancements. 

📚Now, let’s talk about your beautiful and important book Lights Out. Can you tell me a bit about the inspiration behind this story? 

I originally wrote a story about flyways and all of the obstacles birds face during migration. My agent liked the idea but felt the manuscript wasn’t quite there. She suggested I focus on just one of those obstacles, and being in Texas where the Lights Out movement is more well-known, offered that as something to look into. I hadn’t heard of the Lights Out movement, but the more I researched the more I could see the story forming.  

📚When people think of pollution, they often think of air pollution. Can you tell me more about what light pollution is, and why it’s a problem? 

Light pollution happens when artificial light causes a brightening of the night sky. Light pollution can come from street lights, porch lights, billboards, vehicles, and even indoor lights from buildings without blinds. Light pollution disrupts the night/day cycle. It can negatively alter the behavior of animals, and decrease the ability to see stars and other objects in the night sky. 

📚 In your story, Sparrow’s are affected by the city’s light pollution. Are there any other bird species or (other animals in general) that are affected by this type of pollution?

 Any type of migrating bird can be affected by light pollution. I chose to highlight the sparrow because they are what scientists call a super-collider – a species of bird that experiences a higher rate of building collisions than other species. Many other nocturnal animals are negatively affected by light pollution, including turtle hatchlings who may head inland towards the lights of nearby houses instead of out into the ocean towards the light of the moon. Light pollution can also make it more difficult for nocturnal predators to hunt.

📚Your book gives easy and practical ways that children can help fight against light pollution. Can you tell us about one of them?

 Sure! The easiest thing anyone can do is flip a switch to turn off any unnecessary outdoor lights. You can also close blinds and shades to block out light coming from inside your home. Lastly, kids can draw and write letters to their community leaders and business owners asking them to participate in Lights Out during peak migration periods.

Interview with Laura Bontje

 Meow! It’s time for another #ChatWithThePBLady! Today, I’m chatting with Laura Bontje about her new book Was It A Book I Saw? This is such a clever and fun story. Find out more by reading the interview below. 

Illustrations by Emma Lidia Squillari

📚  Do you prefer using a pen or pencil?

When I do draft in hard copy (I usually type instead), I prefer apen. I save my pencils for sketching! Outside of writing, I work as a freelance editor, so I’m surrounded by words all day. I took up sketching last year as a creative outlet that offers me a break from the literary side once in a while.

📚 Tell me a random thing you excel at.

Whac-a-Mole (the carnival game). I’m undefeated.

📚 What’s your favorite thing to put on toast?

Jam (usually raspberry). But I’m more of a bagel and cream cheese person!

📚 Now, let’s talk about your fun book Was It a Cat I Saw? Please tell us the inspiration behind this creative story.  

This story started with a name: Hannah. It’s a palindrome (that is, it’s spelled the same way forwards and backwards).

How might a book about a palindrome-loving kid incorporate palindromes? My early drafts explored a few other structural concepts (including a failed attempt to make the whole book a palindrome) before I landed on the idea of Hannah speaking in palindromes.

When I was a kid, I loved when my dad would read Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith’s picture book Math Curse, where “everything seems to be a [math] problem.” Was It a Cat I Saw?follows a more traditional narrative arc, but I was drawn to thatMath Curse–like idea of an abstract concept spreading through a character’s world. Hannah sees palindromes everywhere.

📚 Hannah is such a fun and lovable character. What five words would you use to describe her? 

Inquisitive

Helpful

Perseverant

Level (as in level-headed … but “level” is a palindrome!)

Logophile

📚 Can you tell us what part friendship plays in this sweet story?

It’s a friendship story from the start. When Otto the cat runs away, Hannah’s quick to help the boy who’s looking for him—which also gives her a chance to showcase her forward-and-backward-thinking strengths.

It was important to me for the boy to validate Hannah’s unique dialogue. It’s unusual that she only speaks in palindromes, but I wanted it to be unusual purely in a “this is a picture book, so we suspend our disbelief about fun quirks” sort of way. I never wanted her to be ostracized for her idiosyncratic languagehabits.

Hannah’s friend isn’t named until later in the book. Adult readers will enjoy recognizing his last words, but more importantly, the boy’s final line shows Hannah that he embraces her love of palindromes.

📚 Is there another fun, word-themed story in the future for you?

Fingers crossed! I’m exploring interest in a story that takes a more metatextual approach to a certain element of language, so we’ll see!

But there are definitely more stories in the future, whether word-themed or not. My cicada-inspired second book, When the Air Sang (Annick Press; illus. Sarah Whang), is more lyrical and wistful, but it features a beautifully inquisitive kid like Hannah. Coming up after that, I’ve got a book that leans back into quirkiness again—but you’ll have to stay tuned in the next few months to hear more about that one!

Interview With Bernard Gumz

Welcome to #ChatWithThePbLady! Today, I’m talking with Bernard Gumz about his hilarious new book Skrum. 👾

We’ll start with some get to know you questions. 

📚How burnt should a good piece of toast be?

I have a ten year old and five year old. Breakfast is a battle for survival. Any amount of burntness on toast is great if it gets them to school on time.

📚What’s something you always carry with you?

The One Ring from the Lord of the Rings. But not to conquer Middle Earth. My wife and I chose it as our wedding rings. We’ve been together almost 24 years so Sauron’s power remains strong.

📚 If you could only wear one color for the rest of your life, what color would you choose?

Black. I think every t-shirt I own is black. Recently my kids got me some really colorful Super Mario Bros socks and I love them. Maybe I should branch out with my wardrobe.

📚Now, let’s talk about your book Skrum. This is such a fun and delightful story. What was the inspiration behind it?

On a road trip from Texas to Indiana, my wife and I were joking about making a children’s book with an old British guy as the main character. We were trying to come up with funny lines and one that stuck was “Help! I’ve got a Skrum on me’ bum!” We didn’t know what that meant or what a Skrum was but it made us laugh. The rest of the story came from obvious questions. What is a Skrum? Is the Skrum attached to his bum or is it chasing him? What does it want with this old dude? 

📚 I mentioned that this book is really quite fun, especially to read aloud. Do you think there is a secret to writing books with a fun factor? Or does it just come naturally?

I’m so glad you had fun with it! I spent a year rewriting and redrawing big portions of Skrum before I showed it to anyone. But there are some parts that haven’t changed at all. I think everyone’s process is different. I was fortunate to have my publisher, Michele McAvoy of The Little Press also edit Skrum. She worked tirelessly to get the meter correct and made fantastic suggestions like adding onomatopoeia and extra speech bubbles to reduce word count. All of her hard work definitely amped up the fun factor.

📚I loved the use of both bright colors and black and white tones in the story. Can you tell us why you chose to have some scenes have minimal color?

Skrum starts with a chase, but it’s a chase that has been going on for 300 days. Barnabus, the old man in the story, finds himself having to explain what led up to these events. The black and white pages are flashbacks, and are designed to help kids tell the difference of what was in the past versus what is happening now.

📚The chase between the Skrum and Barnabus leads them to places all over the world. What page or scene in the book was the most fun to create? 

There is a montage in the second act of the story that was a ton of fun to illustrate. There is an earlier montage in the first act that includes the great Sphinx of Giza and a spooky forest, but the second montage has surfing, a volcano and ghosts!

Interview With Judy Campbell -Smith

Today’s #ChatWithThePBLady is going to be a sweet one! 🥳🎉

Today, I’m chatting with author Judy Campbell-Smith about her book Ice Cream Everywhere. Sweet Stories From Around The World. Let’s see what sweet things Judy can tell us about her book.

Illustrations by Lucy Semple.

📚 Tell me a word that’s really fun to say.

Hyperbole

📚What’s your favorite non writing related thing to do? 

My favorite non-writing thing to do is probably baking. My daughter keeps saying my next book should be about cupcakes, so maybe I need to think about that more!

📚 What type of job would you be terrible at?

I would be a terrible politician, and it seems like it would be no fun at all.

📚 Now, let’s talk about your book Ice Cream Everywhere. Can you tell us the inspiration behind this sweet story? 

I love ice cream! I spent a few years in New Zealand and their hokey pokey ice cream became a favorite. I also developed a little bit of a gelato habit while I was there. In 2020, I had the idea to write picture book about ice cream around the world and I knew New Zealand would be featured. From there, I did research and got excited about the idea of a book with multiple ice cream stories in it.

📚 Have you tried any of the types of ice creams in this book. If so, which one was your favorite?

I am fortunate to live in Southern California where I can find almost all of the treats mentioned within the book. It’s hard to choose a favorite but one that was new to me during the researching process was spaghettieis, the German ice cream treat. It’s fun to watch them make the gelato look like noodles, and it’s delicious with its mix of whip cream, gelato, strawberry topping and white chocolate shavings. 

📚 If you could travel to any of the places in this book, (to try the ice cream there) which one would it be?

Again, it’s so hard to choose just one! I think I have to go with Cuba to eat at Coppelia. A visit there would not just be about the ice cream, but also about the social experience since it’s such a huge gathering place. 

📚 This seems like it would be like a very fun story to write. Can you tell us about the research process behind this book?

There was so much research! I would pick a region and start looking to see what books and articles I could find about ice cream in each country. I tried to get information from sources that had lived experience with the food and country rather than stuff written by tourists. I also looked at YouTube videos to get a sense of the food and ice cream shops. For some countries, I couldn’t find enough information that felt solid enough, so those countries would fall to the bottom of my list for those to be included in the book. 

Once I felt I had a really good grasp of the ice cream treat, I looked for someone from that country or had some expertise that I could interview. Sometimes I was able to connect with interviewees through a friend or another connection, but a few of the interviewees I had to cold email after finding them on the internet. 

The most fun part of the research was eating ice cream! I visited shops and restaurants around Southern California and tried out the desserts that I hadn’t had before. It was a great excuse for a family outing. At the shops, I chatted up the staff or owners to ask a few more questions. 

Eventually I figured out that a 32-page picture book meant I could do 12 spreads, so 12 countries. I probably should have figured that out sooner, but once I knew that I eliminated even more countries and settled on what we have in the book.

The final bit of research we did once I started working with my editor was that we worked with a sensitivity reader to specifically look at the story of Syrian refugees in Jordan. That was one extra check that I wanted so that we made sure we got their story right.

The amount of research was probably too much, but it was my first attempt at an informational book. My research process has improved and streamlined with the projects I have worked on since this one. 

Interview with Shruthi Rao

Hi writing friends! Welcome to another #ChatWithThePBLady. 🥳🎉

Today, I’m talking with the author of the fun new book Kadooboo! A Silly South Indian Folk Tale.

Illustrations by Darshika Varma.

📚 What song or sound do you have as your alarm clock tone? 

Birdsong. Works great, except for in the spring when real birds chirp so early at dawn that I wake up at 4 am and paw at my phone, thinking it’s my alarm.

📚 What superpower would be most useful to have in every day life? 

Teleportation! (With rules. I’m law-abiding that way)

📚 What’s your favorite board game?

Scrabble. More for the memories associated with it than for the game itself.

📚 Now, let’s talk about your book Kadooboo. Can you please tell us the inspiration behind this story?

It’s based on a folktale I grew up with. It always made me giggle. Mispronunciation – what could be funnier to a child? 

📚 Can you tell us about a fun experience you had while making and or eating this delicious treat? 

This sweet is typically made for Ganesha Chaturthi, a festival celebrating the birth of Lord Ganesha. The aroma of frying kadooboos takes me right back to my grandmother’s place where we celebrated the festival.  

📚Why are picture books about food important, and how do they help children to learn about different cultures?

Food is universal. Consider any food, and you’ll find versions of it in another culture. Food is a way for us as humans to find both uniqueness and commonality amongst ourselves.  

📚 Do you have any other food related picture books in the works?

No more food-related books, which surprises me, considering how much I love food!

Interview With Chloe Ito Ward

It’s time for #ChatWithThePBLady! 🥳🎉

Today, let’s talk about Chloe Ito Ward’s important and beautiful book Love Grows Here.

Illustrations by Violet Kim.

Let’s start with some get to know you questions. 

📚What quote inspires you?

Oh! I love this question because I’m a quote collector. One quote that has been inspiring me lately is by Morgan Harper Nichols, “I hope one day, you look back and find: all along, you were learning to fly.”  And because I can’t help myself, another quote I’m loving is from my friend Kim-Hoa Ung’s book A GIFT FOR NAI NAI, “Always remember that small things become great when done with love.” I have that one taped to my refrigerator. 

📚What flower best represents your personality? 

My grandma’s garden has several hibiscus bushes. When I was a little girl, my mom would often put one in my hair. They grow best in tropical climates, like me, and radiate warmth, joy, and love, which I hope I do too!

📚If you could learn a new musical instrument, which one would you choose? 

There is a scene in the 1989 movie LITTLE NEMO: ADVENTURES IN SLUMBERLAND where the princess plays the harp surrounded by overflowing fountains and pink pastel roses. It’s dreamy and I’ve wanted to take harp lessons since. 

📚Love Grows Here is such a well-written and important story. Can you please tell us about your inspiration for this story, and how your childhood played a part in the book? 

Thank you for your kind words! I originally wrote LOVE GROWS HERE as a response to the rise in Asian hate during the pandemic. Hurtful phrases like “Go back to your own country” were splashed across the news. It brought up many memories from my childhood, including the constant need to reassure other people and myself that I belonged. Many of the moments in this story are inspired by my own childhood. During the pandemic I started to fiddle with the idea of fear and ignorance, and how historically, and currently, they’ve been used as a weapon, feeding racism and hate. But I also wanted to go beyond that, exploring what it means to belong, where “home” is and in the face of hate, how we can choose love instead.      

📚Your story features some beautiful and flowing alliteration throughout. How does alliteration help the tone of the story and do you have any advice for authors who want to add more alliteration to their stories? 

My advice for writers is don’t use alliteration just to use alliteration, it should have a purpose. Alliteration is great for when you want to highlight an important element or create a memorable moment. If you want to learn more about literary devices and how to use them effectively, I always suggest checking out Ebony Lynn Mudd’s courses. I’ve taken every single one and they’re phenomenal.  

📚Can you talk about the role that food plays in this story? 

Food plays such a huge role in my life. I’m either eating or thinking about what I’m going to eat next. The choice to include food in the story wasn’t intentional at first. But so many of the important conversations and moments in life involve food so it naturally fell into the story. Food conveys so many different things, it can be a reflection of who you are, an expression of love, or nourishment, healing hearts, just like in LOVE GROWS HERE.  

📚In the book, Aiko learns how important a small act of kindness can be. How can other young children discover and implement their own acts of kindness? 

One way kids can show kindness is through words and actions. In LOVE GROWS HERE Aiko makes a poster. As a teacher one thing that never failed to brighten my day was a homemade card. There is something so special about a gift made by a child. It says, I thought about you, I care about you, you are important to me. I have a notebook full of letters, cards, and drawings from my students. On difficult days I pull out that notebook and reread them. So, I would encourage kids, show and tell the people in your life that they’re important to you, whether that’s a parent, a friend, a neighbor, or the lady at the checkout stand who always gives you a smile and sticker. Spread love, you never know who needs it!  

Interview Heather Pierce Stigall

Today’s #ChatwithThePBLady is a birthday party celebration! We’re celebrating PAISLEY’S BIG BIRTHDAY with Heather Pierce Stigall! Illustrations by Natallia Bushuyeva.

We’ll start with some get to know you questions.

📚 What’s the best snack to have at a birthday party?

Savory: Tostitos “with a hint of lime” dipped in guacamole

Sweet: Anything chocolate!

📚 What’s the best way to keep warm on a cold winter’s day?

Snuggled under a blanket next to the fireplace.

📚 What’s a song that makes you happy every time you hear it? 

I’m a Believer by Smash Mouth 

📚 Now, Let’s talk about Paisley’s Big Birthday. Please tell us where you got the inspiration for this sweet story.

The origins of PAISLEY’S BIG BIRTHDAY began nine years ago when I picked up my youngest child from preschool on his birthday. He climbed into his car seat, wearing a glittery birthday crown and a slight frown. The conversation began something like this:

Birthday Boy: ​​“When is my birthday?”

Me: ​​​“Today!

Birthday Boy: ​​(shakes his head) “No. When is my real birthday?”

Me: ​​​“Today is your real birthday!”

Birthday Boy: ​​“It doesn’t feel like it.”

My mind began to spin. Why didn’t he feel like it was his birthday? Did something happen or not happen at school? What would it take for him to feel like it was his “real” birthday? A few questions later, I realized that he believed that on his birthday he would instantly “feel” older; he would magically be able to do things he wasn’t able to do the day before. But I kept the conversation going during the ride home, through lunch, and for some time after that. I asked lots of questions and listened as he shared evidence for why it was most definitely not his birthday. I was enamored with his reasoning and determination, while underneath it all I felt his disappointment that this day, one that was supposed to be special, didn’t meet his expectations. Not long after, I wrote a draft of a story about a bunny who hops out of bed the morning of her birthday, expecting to be all things “big bunny.”

📚 In what ways will children be able to relate Paisley’s endearing character?

Many children can’t wait to grow up. And most children, at one time or another, have experienced disappointment when something doesn’t go as expected. Paisley experiences both in this story. Readers will see how Paisley changes her mindset as she interacts with her younger sibling and may then realize the ways they have grown up over time.

📚 Is it possible we might see Paisley in more books in the future? 

Nothing for certain, but anything is possible!

📚 Can you give some advice to picture book writers who want to write sweet stories like this one? How can writer’s make a story that has just the right amount of sweetness without being excessive? 

I think including some moments of humor help to balance out the sweetness and keep the story from becoming too saccharine, including humor shown in illustrations. Also remember to give your characters flaws and convey a range of emotions. Like humans, characters aren’t perfect. Paisley doesn’t remain a sweet bunny throughout the story. She makes mistakes, experiences sadness and frustration, and acts out in anger as she deals with what she thinks is a disappointing birthday.

Interview with Rekha S. Rajan

It’s time for another #ChatWithThePBLady 🥳🎉 Today, I’m chatting with the wonderful Rekha S. Rajan about her fun book DANCE LIKE A PEACOCK. Illustrations by Hannah Abbo

Let’s start with some get know you questions.

📚 If you could have one super power, what would it be? 

The ability to fly!

📚Tell me about the best vacation you’ve ever been on. 

My husband, three kiddos and I visited Hawaii for the first time. It was just so lovely. The people, the weather, the food. 

📚 If your personality was a cookie, what cookie would it be?

Oatmeal Raisin

📚 Now, let’s talk about Can You Dance Like A Peacock? Please tell us about the inspiration behind this fun story. 

The idea was so spontaneous. During COVID, my three kiddos and I were at home, no outdoors, no school, no interactions. As a teacher and parent, I wanted to find a way to engage them in reading and include some physical activity. SO we would play together as animals, make sounds, crawl, and dance. That’s when the idea for CAN YOU DANCE LIKE A PEACOCK started. 

📚There are so many wonderful animals featured in this book. Which was your favorite to write about?

The peacock! They are very special to me and our family (we are from India) and peacocks symbolize many things. These include beauty, confidence, resilience and strength. I also loved writing about the dung beetle. Nothing better than dancing on a pile of poop!

📚 I loved how you combined the fun theme of dancing with interesting animal facts. Is there one fact that you found particularly fun or exciting?

 I am always amazed by how the honeybees danced to find honey. They didn’t keep it for themselves – they shared how they found honey with others. 

Also, I was always scared of bees because I was stung by a wasp when I was 2 years old. It’s important to teach young kiddos how these insects are also different (bees and wasps are not the same) and that honeybees don’t really want to bother us. They just want to get that honey!

📚 If you were having a dance party, what animal would you dance like first?

The flamingo. Dancing alone is fun – but dancing with a partner is amazing. Who would YOU dance with at a dance party?

PB Fun With Jenny

It’s time for another PB Fun with Jenny! Keep reading for updates on all things picture books.

It will soon be 2024. And a new year means new picture books! Let’s look at some of the amazing picture books that are coming out early next year.

Did you know that World Read Aloud Day is also coming up early next year? Here a few authors who are generously donating their time participate in this wonderful event.

I recently found out that January 9th is National Word Nerd Day. What a great holiday for all of us word lovers out there. Below are some great picture books to celebrate this fun holiday.

I love this quote from Eudora Welty .

Are you interested in writing humorous picture books? I have a class coming up that you may be interested.

Unleash The Funny: Writing Humorous Picture Books is a class that will feature great advice from picture book creator’s Kari Ann Gonzalez, Laura Gehl, and Laura Lavoie. *Please note the picture book creator’s will not be present during the class.

If you’re interested in this fun and informative class, please email me at jenniferpease @ authorjenniferp.com

If you’d like some help polishing your picture book stories, please consider my services. I offer affordable, timely, and thoughtful advice. I’d love to work with you.

If you’re interested, please email me at the address above. I have lots of references I can provide.

That’s all for this issue of PB Fun With Jenny. Thanks for reading!

Interview With by Jolene Gutiérrez

It’s time for #ChatWithThePBLady 🥳🎉

I’m so excited for today’s chat with Jolene Gutiérrez. We’re talking about her wonderful book Too Much: An Overwhelming Day. Illustrations by Angel Chang.

📚 What’s the last thing that made you laugh? I was just reading a punny picture book manuscript to my husband and we were both making jokes and laughing about it. 

📚If your personality was a color, what would it be? Green is my favorite color, so I’m saying green. To me, green is the color of happiness, positivity, and growth.

📚Do you prefer sweet or spicy? Usually sweet, although I do love gummy bears with chamoy and Tajín, so a little sweet, a little spicy. 

📚Now, let’s talk about your amazing book Too Much! An Overwhelming Day.  Please tell us the inspiration behind writing such an important story.

I’m a person with sensory sensitivities, and my kids are as well. For me, things like bright lights, loud noises, itchy clothes, and certain food textures are overwhelming, so when the phrase, “Too loud! Too bright! Too itchy! Too tight!” came to me, I knew I needed to write this story to help some readers feel seen and other readers grow compassion.

📚Is there a particular page or scene in the book that is your favorite? What about a favorite line? 

I love the last couple of pages in the book that feature the lines, “When feelings go on overload, I pause and breathe and all is . . . slowed.”

📚Your book has received positive reviews on both Amazon and Goodreads. Is there a particular review that stuck out or made you smile? 

There have been so many wonderful comments. The reviews that mention this book helping readers feel seen are the ones that mean the most to me. I love this review from @readingwithredandthemagpie: “When I received the book TOO MUCH! An Overwhelming Day in the mail and read it, I cried because this was the book I needed so badly when I was a child. After a lifetime of hearing from society that my sensitivity was a weakness, this book touched the parts of my childhood self that I am still working to heal and love and it is helping me to be a better parent to my own children with their different sensory needs. This book is a gift and resource that I hope will find its way into the hands and hearts of anyone who has every felt like the noise and textures and busy-ness of the world around them is too much.”

📚What do you hope children will feel after reading your book?

I hope kids who experience sensory sensitivities will feel seen and less alone, and I hope kids who haven’t experienced this will grow their compassion for and understanding of their sensitive friends.