The Next Big Thing BLOG HOP

What's a Blog Hop? Well, it's a way for you to discover authors in all phases of their careers and find out some very cool information about them. I was tagged by writer/curriculum guide specialist Marcie Colleen, so that means I have to answer the following questions and tag back to Marcie so you can read her answers. (Read Marcie's fun thoughts about what she's working on HERE. Scroll to March 6th entry.) At the end of my post, you'll see who I've tagged, and I really hope you check out her Next Big Thing!

1: What is the working title of your book? LOOK WHAT I CAN DO!

2: Where did the idea come from for the book? I had been watching the animals from my office window (see the frog and turtle from my yard?), and thought, Wow, they work so hard at every task and never give up until they're done. I remembered my own little ones and how determined they were to learn to walk, talk, read, write, jump rope, skip, and so on. That’s when the light bulb went off and I began to write!

3: What genre does your book come under? Picture Book

4: Which actors would you choose to play your characters in a movie rendition? The book is filled with animals from the forest, field, and stream. They are pictured realistically in the book, so it’s hard to imagine a human playing the part of a deer, raccoon, owl, bear, spider, or snake. But … I think it would be hysterical to substitute the Sesame Street Muppets for the animals. Instead of a rhyming picture book, it would be a jammin’ musical filled with outdoor song and dance numbers.

5: What is the one-sentence synopsis of your book? LOOK WHAT I CAN DO! celebrates how baby animals overcome challenges, whether it’s a young spider spinning a web or a small bird flying from the nest for the first time, and compares them to the littlest readers who also accomplish so much each day. (I wish I had written that very descriptive, all inclusive line, but I didn't! It's from the book jacket.)

6: Is your book self-published, published by an independent publisher, or represented by an agency? This book is published by Abrams Books for Young Readers. 

7: How long did it take you to write the first draft of your manuscript? It was sooo long ago, I actually don’t remember!

8: What other books would you compare this story to within your genre? The book has sort of an “old time” appeal to it, so maybe it would be okay if I compared it to one of those beautifully illustrated books from the fifties? HOME FOR A BUNNY by Margaret Wise Brown comes to mind. The text is simple and playful, and the illustrations make you feel like you’re able to hop inside the scene.

9: Who or what inspired you to write this book? Nature is a big part of my life, so whatever I encounter on my walks and bike rides inspires me. It could be a teeny spider or an enormous moose; the quiet softness of falling snowflakes or the loud boom of a thunderstorm. Oh, and speaking of storms, in April, I’ll be celebrating the release of a second nature-inspired picture book, STORM SONG!

10: What else about your book might pique the reader’s interest? The book is for the very young, so I hope that preschoolers and kids in kindergarten through third grade come away with the idea that can do anything they set their minds to. It may take some work, but with patience, determination, and the guidance from a loving adult they will succeed.

UP NEXT on The Next Big Thing Blog Hop is Kelly Fineman. On March 20th, Hop, HOP, HOP over to Kelly's blog to see what she's been up to in the last few months!