Author Interview: Leslie Helakoski

I'm thrilled to invite my friend author/illustrator Leslie Helakoski back to my blog. Not only is Leslie an award-winning author/illustrator but she is also the Co-Regional Advisor of the SCBWI Michigan chapter and she's part of the team that has orchestrated the Mid Wild, Wild West 2013 SCBWI Multi-State Conference in Fort Wayne, Indiana from May 3 - 5, 2013.

Today, we're here to celebrate her latest picture book Doggone Feet! (Boyds Mills Press, Mar 1, 2013) which is SO doggone cute! Congratulations, Leslie!

What was the inspiration behind this story? And the path to publication?

A couple of years ago, I saw a tapestry hanging in a shop with two dogs sitting under a table. I went back to my room and started writing about the dog’s point of view. I grew up with dogs around the table, so I was familiar with their behavior. But raising my own family with a dog under the table at mealtime gave me a new perspective. We always laughed at how the dog knew where to position herself for the most tidbits. Even though I thought this was a brilliant relatable idea, it was a tricky sell. I didn’t think I wanted to illustrate with all the perspective involved in portraying life under the table. So it was initially sent out with only the text. Several publishers passed it by thinking it was limited visually because of the setting being under a table throughout. But I could imagine it being done—I could see it in my head. Finally, I decided to illustrate a scene or two myself to show how it could be done. A couple of artist friends convinced me that the perspective could be distorted and that what I was doing was working. As soon as my agent sent it out with art it was picked up.

Doggone Feet! is told from the dog’s perspective in rhyme and the language is toe-tapping, read-a-loud fun! I’ve heard it’s very difficult to write in rhyme especially when it comes to revision. Do you approach the revision process differently when you’re revising in rhyme as opposed to prose?

The revision process is not really different for me though it does take even longer than usual. I revise the story content over and over. Then I revise the rhyme over and over. But I love the revision process. I like when I have the security of a strong story idea and I just have to play with the words until I get it smoothed out.

As your picture book career continues to build, is it easier or harder to sell a book? Does being more established help or hinder?

I think it’s still difficult to get a book idea past a marketing team these days as they are not always willing to take risks on a book that might be a bit different. But I feel lucky that I do have books out that have sold well because it does make it easier to get an editor’s attention.

How do you find a balance between the promotional/marketing/business side of being an author/illustrator and the creative/inventive/artistic side of your job?

Balance? I’m tipping over on one leg most of the time. This year I’ve decided to devote more time to marketing than I have in the past. Making myself take time to market and promote is hard for me because it’s not really where I want to spend my time. It’s hard to ignore the fact that social media makes a difference, so I have taken two months to set up signings, blog posts and to create a library story kit that will be available on my website preceding the launch of this book. I’ve also created a book trailer. Some of the marketing and planning is fun but I can’t wait to get back to actually writing.

 What do you think makes a successful picture book? 

It’s such a mystery sometimes what the public latches on to. Sometimes, I don’t get it at all. But when I do ‘get’ it, it’s usually a book with humor on a universal theme, wording that surprises me, and art I find fun and well-designed.

Where do you see yourself in ten years from now? What are you currently working on? What can readers look forward to next?

I’d like to be saying something profound and very funny about creating children’s books.It will probably take me ten years to think of something.

Right now I’m working on sketches and layouts for Big Pigs, which will be released in the spring of 2014. I just got back a 7 page editorial letter on rough sketches, so I have a lot to do. I like this part so I don’t want to have to squeeze it in.

I have a couple of other ideas percolating for picture books. I may even venture into self-publishing an idea that my editor says marketing will not get behind. Authors have other options these days, which is both scary and exciting!

To see all of Leslie's books visit her website and make sure you check back after her March 1st launch to download the story kit that accompanies Doggone Feet!  To read another interview with Leslie, including the release of Fair Cow, click HERE.

Thanks, Leslie!! I foresee another doggone award-winner with this book!

Author Interview: Liz Garton Scanlon

It’s not every day I welcome a bestselling author and poet to my blog so I’m beyond thrilled that Liz Garton Scanlon has stopped by to discuss her latest picture book Happy Birthday, Bunny! with us.  She’s a prolific picture book author and some of her highly acclaimed books include All the World, A Sock is a Pocket for Your Toes and Think Big. When she’s not writing or teaching or visiting schools, she’s busy with her girls making art, sharing quiet time with her loving hubby or finding a home for an abandoned animal. Thanks for making time in your busy schedule to chat with us!  

Happy Birthday, Bunny! Illustrated by Stephanie Graegin (Beach Lane Books, Jan 2013) invites readers into an adorable family of rabbits as they celebrate Bunny’s birthday. Birthdays are such a special part of a child’s life, a day they look forward to and treasure all year. What were birthdays like for you as a child? Did you tap into your childhood as you created the story? And how do the Scanlons celebrate birthdays today? Any traditions carried forward from your childhood?

I remember my birthdays being happy when I was little – my mom was very good at making special events extra special. This was back in the day when cakes were homemade, and mine were always beautiful. My birthday is in the spring so one year I even had a bunny cake – maybe that’s where I first felt the tickles of this book!

I’ve always tried to make my daughters’ birthdays special, too. For a number of years, we made piñatas in the weeks leading up to the big day. Often, our papier mache was so strong that not even a dad with a bat could break it open!

But even best-laid birthday plans can go awry. I grew up in the mountains and my “spring” birthday was often interrupted by a late season blizzard. My oldest daughter’s September birthday often sees record-breaking heat. And my youngest daughter was so sick on her 2^nd birthday that we practically had to skip the whole thing. Plus, birthday parties sometimes require patience, etiquette and sharing skills well beyond what the birthday boy or girl is truly up to. I think it’s those things that really inspired this book for me. Birthdays are full of expectation – sometimes so much so that they’re a little overwhelming for the guest of honor.

You skillfully unveil the inquisitive nature of a child in choosing a question and answer structure for this book, did the story start out this way or did it evolve over many drafts? 

Even my very first draft was in question/answer format (though LOTS of the specific questions and answers later changed). I’ve never written a piece using this structure before, but it worked because of that sense of birthday overwhelm I was just talking about. We bring so much energy to birthdays, but little ones – turning 1 or 2 or 4  or 5 – must be SO confused. They don’t know the traditions, the rituals, the rules. What would happen, I wondered, if one of them just asked? And we answered?

Liz and I in 2008 at the Hill Country  Book Festival

At what stage did you see Stephanie Graegin’s art for the book and were there any surprises?

I saw some of Stephanie’s sketches relatively early on and I adored them. But, I was surprised, once the final art came along, how much MORE I loved it with color. Her palette is so rich and creamy, and every inch of the book is awash in color – from the endpapers on. I feel very lucky to have been paired with her and her beautiful work.

Here’s one other fun thing to share about Stephanie’s art. Her animals were so endearing – so perfect – that we changed the title for them! The book was originally called HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BABY! but once those animals came to life, our editor suggested changing it to HAPPY BIRTHDAY, BUNNY! and I’m so glad we did.

You’ve just returned from a fabulous vacation with your family, will this latest adventure spawn any future stories? Can you share a favorite memory from your trip?

We just spent a month traveling around Asia – specifically China, Laos and Thailand. I hope a story might emerge from the experiences we had, but there are no guarantees. I work with a very independent muse J.

There is a really interesting tradition of haggling for goods in developing countries – my kids find it fascinating and a little off-putting. The key is to be gracious but straight-up. The artisans are quite good at balancing those, and with a little practice you can mirror them. I’ll bet there’s a story in there somewhere, don’t you think?

As for a favorite memory, wow. That’s like asking if I have a favorite book. We loved every place we went, everything we did, and nearly all the food we tried!  I think the best part of the whole thing was just being together as a family. Our girls are getting older and are off living their own lives more and more, so to have so many uninterrupted days together (and nights, crammed into little guesthouse dorms!), that’s something I’ll treasure forever.

The book officially released on January 15^th, and a release party is planned, please share all the juicy details for readers.

I’ll be at BookPeople in Austin,Texas, this Saturday, January 26, at 2:00 p.m. Think “birthday party meets storytime”: bunnies, balloons, cake! Come one and all…

Thanks, Liz

Thank you, Carmen, for having me. It’s been a treat!

To read more advice from Liz, click HERE to read highlights from her panel at the 17th Texas Book Festival on the Hen & Ink Literary Studio blog.

Author/illustrator Interview: Doug Cushman

I’m thrilled to be interviewing Hen & Ink coop mate, Doug Cushman about his newest book Pigmares: Porcine Poems of the Silver Screen (Charlesbridge, 2012). When I signed with the agency in the Spring, I thought “WOW” for obviously a number of reasons, but having heard many of Doug’s early reader series read-aloud by my children – I was a huge fan and excited to know we were within the same barnyard, so to speak. 

Plus, my husband and I honeymooned in Paris and toured the French countryside so anybody who lives in France has a special place in my heart. Not to mention, anyone who can draw silly pigs and make me laugh is a friend of mine.  Mais, oui?

From the Jacket Flap copy of Pigmares: Porcine Poems of theSilver Screen:

Whether it’s the lonely outcast Frankenswine, the crabby Porker form the Black Lagoon, or the sleep-loving Pigzilla, the creatures in this clever mash-up of poetry, monsters, and piggy puns are sure to curl your tail and tickle your hooves.

Author and illustrator Doug Chushman hams it up in this hog-wild homage to classic monster movies.

Bienvenue, Doug!

Tell us a little about yourself and how you came to be a children’s author and illustrator? What were you like as a young child? How did your childhood influence the books you write and illustrate today?

I was born in Springfield, Ohio and moved to Connecticut with my family when I was 14 years old. From Day One (almost), I was drawing and writing stories, copying cartoon characters from the newspaper and inventing my own characters. While in junior high and high school, I created comic books lampooning my teachers, selling them to my classmates for a nickel a piece. So I had a commercial bent of mind from the start.

I watched some of the old westerns on TV like the Lone Ranger and Wild Bill Hitchcock and of course classic cartoon shows like Rocky and Bullwinkle. I read lots of books throughout my childhood, the usual stuff mostly like the Hardy Boys, The Three Investigators, Sherlock Holmes and some sci-fi. And of course comic books. All of it added to my backlog of references for my own books.

What was the inspiration behind Pigmares: PorcinePoems of the Silver Screen (Charlesbridge, 2012)?

I love old cheap B movies, the corny monster movies. Some of them actually are very well made and have heart to them. Look at Boris Karloff’s portrayal of the Creature in Frankenstein, he almost makes one cry. And of course I love drawing pigs. Such intelligence and grace. And silly. What could be better, writing and drawing pigs as classic monsters? A match made in heaven, in my opinion.

What came first the pictures or the poems? The characters or the plot?

There really isn’t a “plot” per se in Pigmares, more of a theme, classic movie monsters parodied in poetry using pigs. I never liked poetry much. One of my high school teachers shoved Rod McKuen down our throats. Awful stuff. I hated him. Never read poetry afterwards. It wasn’t until I began writing my own picture books that I discovered poetry was the perfect vehicle for a picture book text.

In a picture book text each sentence, word, each comma and period is important just as in poetry. The rhythm is paramount in both as well. But even then I hesitated because it was so hard to do. Most of what I read was rubbish and maudlin in picture books. Cute and cheap. Even today most of what I read isn’t worth the paper it’s printed upon (or the digital space it takes up in an ebook).  I was after something that could work on a number of levels, funny, some clever rhymes and a surprise twist and, with luck and a lot of work, some intelligence.

It’s important to note that this is my first, full blown, no holds barred collection of poems, written and illustrated by myself. Even though Pigmares is a humorous poetry book poking fun at classic movie monsters this was one of the most heavily researched book I’ve ever done. I watched and re-watched every movie in the book and researched each one for the Poem Source pages at the end of the book making it a good introduction to the history of each movie. In one case, for instance, I timed the actual screen appearance of the monster. Even the hand lettering on each poster was researched to give a historical sense of the movie, in most cases using the original posters as the main source.

The book took about a year to do although many of the poems were written years before. But, as the book evolved and the format of movie parody and information came together, old poems were rejected and new poems were written.

Which is harder, writing or drawing? And why?

Writing by far. The first draft of anything is always the hardest. I’ve always said that there are no such creatures as “writers”; we are all “re-writers”.  I love playing with words, moving them around, creating an image with just words. But when I can’t, my pictures come to the rescue. In a picture book the words only do part of the job, the pictures only part of the job. But when they work together it’s brilliant. But the reader has to do some of the work too. That is what makes it a satisfying experience.

Can you share one aspect of your writing or illustrating process?

The most fun I have is making a dummy for a picture book. I literally cut and paste (yes, with REAL scissors and tape) and make a collage–book of picture and words, physically moving them around throughout the dummy. The studio is a mess (well, it’s mostly a mess anyway….). But it makes for a VERY active and living process.

Where do you find your story ideas?

Everywhere. My problem isn’t so much finding story ideas as trying to settle on one I want to work on at that moment and KEEP working on. You have to love your idea for at least 3 years or so (preferably longer) because, if that book is accepted, you’ll be living with it on an almost daily basis for at least 3 years.

What’s the best experience you’ve had in publishing? What’s the worst?

I’ve been through pretty much all the experiences, cancelled contracts, rejections, bad printing, etc. I choose not to focus too much on the negative ‘cause I love my job so much. Just knowing I can get up every morning and draw some pictures and write some stories is wonderful. Cliché and maudlin, I know, but it’s the truth.

With over 120 published books, do you have a favorite or a favorite character? And why?

That’s like asking a mother who her favorite child is. And I ain’t going there! ;-)

Whose books do you admire? And why?

E.B. White was a brilliant writer and not just Charlotte’s Web. His prose is simple and clear and seemingly effortless…and hard to achieve. James Thurber is a favorite as well as Dorthy Parker. I read a lot of S.J. Perelman, another humorist from the ‘30s and ‘40s. Then Wilkie Collins, a contemporary of Charles Dickens is a favorite.

Can you speak about your successes and challenges in this competitive children’s book market?

For myself, I’ve followed pretty much my own heart, or “gut” while trying to stay flexible in this always changing market. I don’t follow trends or the “genre du jour”.  I can only write and draw what feels right, trying to stay true to myself. It doesn’t always work but trying to work JUST for the marketing trends is a waste of one’s time and talent. I’ve gained a bunch of awards along the way but they really don’t mean much; you’re only as good as your last book especially in this market. The challenge is to move on and hone my craft. I still have to get up each day and try to do better. My biggest challenge is to find something new and interesting that will excite me, perhaps even reinvent myself.

The market in children’s literature is tough but not impossible. I’m not afraid of ebooks, apps and self-publishing, though I am a dedicated print guy. What concerns me the most is content. Any idiot with a computer and a rhyming dictionary can publish a book and tout him or herself as the new Dr. Seuss. But there has to be some “meat” to the story and poems, a good, strong plot line, strong characters, good, believable dialogue, etc. You know the litany. That’s why the classics are still classics, they have all of that. That and a spirit that can’t be taught but can be inspiring and can make a writer push him or herself further and higher.

Cimetière du Père-Lachaise

What are you working on now? And what do you do when you’re not working?

I go out and paint en plein air here in Paris. My favorite place is the grand cemetery Pere Lachaise. I set myself up behind a tomb and throw watercolors around. Sort of a busman’s holiday, I suppose.

If you weren’t an author/illustrator, what would you be?

Dead.

Tell us 3 things you can’t live without.

A blank sheet of paper, my paints and Delta blues music.

Tell us 3 things you wish were never invented.

Cell phones, screw caps on wine bottles and Abba.

Thanks, Doug!!!

Look for my review of Pigmares: Porcine Poems of the Silver Screen at ReaderKidZ on October 24, 2012.

Debut Author Interview: Natalie Dias Lorenzi

I’m thrilled to have Natalie Dias Lorenzi with us today to talk about her debut middle grade novel Flying the Dragon (Charlesbridge, 2012). She’s a teacher, mother, wife, traveler, freelance writer and author. She writes book reviews for Biblio links, contributes to Emu’s Debuts, her agency’s author blog at the Erin Murphy Literary Agency, and creates teacher guides.

Jacket Flap Copy from Flying the Dragon: 

Skye and Hiroshi have never met. How could they, when Skye’s father hasn’t spoken to his Japanese family since before she was born? But now their grandfather is sick, and the family is coming to the United States for his treatment. Skye and Hiroshi are stuck with each other.

Now Skye doesn’t know who she is anymore; at school, she’s suddenly too Japanese, but at home she isn’t Japanese enough. And as Hiroshi struggles to improve his English, he has to contend with Skye butting in on his rokkaku kite-flying time with Grandfather–time that seems to be running out.

Welcome, Natalie and congratulations!

Thank you, Carmen. I’m happy to be here!

Can you tell us about your path to publication? Any challenges along the way? Did your kite fly right away or did it take a few tries?

My kite definitely did not find its wind right away! It actually took a few years before this manuscript took flight. Originally, this story was only from Hiroshi’s point of view, and Skye was a mean girl named Susan in his class. After signing with my agent, I did another round of revisions, lightening up Susan’s character and added more interaction between her and Hiroshi. After a string of rejections, my agent and I pulled the manuscript and started talking revision ideas. I’d mentioned to her earlier that, if this book sold, I’d love to write another book from Susan’s point of view and tell her side of the story. My agent wondered if it wasn’t time for Susan’s story to come forward now, and so we settled on a dual point of view story with both Hiroshi and Susan as main characters. Susan the mean classmate became Skye, Hiroshi’s cousin, and I love the lightness she added to the story and to Hiroshi himself. Once the story went back out on submission, it wasn’t long before Charlesbridge showed interest, and eventually made an offer.

What is the inspiration behind the book? 

I was fascinated by the sport of kite fighting after reading Khaled Hosseini’s THE KITE FIGHTER. I had never heard of kite fighting before, and went on to research the sport for an article I wrote for a children’s magazine called Learning Through History. My original plan was to write a picture book about a kite-fighting boy. I took an online class on writing for children, and one of our assignments was to write a 500-word scene that showcased dialogue between the protagonist and the antagonist. I wrote a scene that took place on Hiroshi’s first day of school in America, when Hiroshi tries to make friends with a Japanese-American classmate who rebuffs him. Once I wrote the scene, I knew I wanted to explore the dynamics of this conflict, and I knew this story wasn’t a picture book; it was a novel in disguise.

There’s a powerful sense of hope, family, forgiveness and finding your place in the world woven into Flying the Dragon. When does theme emerge for you in the revision process? How do you strengthen it without beating it to a pulp?

As an ESL teacher and someone who has lived overseas both as a child and an adult, I knew from the start that the “finding your place in the world” theme would be a dominant one in the story. I also wanted to leave readers with a sense of hope, especially for a middle grade audience. But the family and forgiveness thread came much later. I’d originally had a family tie between Hiroshi and Skye, but once I made them cousins, the family connection deepened significantly.

When it comes to strengthening themes as I revise, I don’t consciously set out to do so. I think that once you know exactly what your character wants—that kernel of a heart’s true desire—and then you deny him or her that very thing, themes will emerge naturally as your character deals with the blow of not getting what he or she wants. What’s fun about themes is that they often emerge when you’re not looking and not planning for them. They emerge as your character finds his or her path on the page.

Are you a plotter or a pantser?

I’m a little of both, I guess. I need to have a general idea of where the story is going, but the magic of writing, for me, comes with getting to know my characters as I create them. I think all writers are like this, even the true-blue plotters—we love the unexpected twists and turns as characters come to life on the page.  I do own a copy of Blake Snyder’s Save the Cat, and I’ve used elements of it before, but I still leave lots of room for discovery as I write.

What author and/or book has inspired you the most in your life? 

What a difficult question! There are so many I could name, but the earliest one was Judy Blume’s Tales of a Fourth Grade Nothing. My fourth grade teacher read it aloud to our class, and it was the first novel I’d heard that was laugh-out-loud funny. I couldn’t get enough of Judy Blume books after that, and I credit her (and my teacher) for making me an avid reader for evermore.

Any advice for the pre-published author?

Don’t write in a vacuum. Writing is a solitary activity, but that doesn’t mean that the before and after parts need to be solitary. Brainstorming and getting feedback from others is a significant part of my writing routine.  I’ve been with my critique group now for almost seven years, and they’re such an amazing source of support and feedback. I found my group through SCBWI, but I know many writers have also connected via Verla’s Kay’s message board or local writers’ conferences. Although you may not always agree with the feedback you get, it helps to hear other writers’ opinions and listen to the questions they have about your stories.

What are you working on now?

Another middle grade novel and a picture book idea I’ve been toying with for awhile now.

What do you do when you’re not writing?

With three kids of my own, ages 6, 10 and 13, I’m usually wearing my mom hat—soccer games, taxiing kids from here to there, playing board games, and reading together. I’m also a full-time teacher—half-time ESL and half-time librarian until I finish my coursework this year to become a librarian full-time. Oh, and sometimes I sleep. ;-)

Tell us 3 things you can’t live without.

My family, books, and dark chocolate!

Tell us 3 things you wish were never invented.

Lima beans, corn and beets. (Can you sense a recurring theme??)

Thanks, Natalie!

Thank you for hosting me, Carmen!

Check out Natalie’s beautiful website built by friend and Austin SCBWI writer Samatha Clark by clicking here.

Check out Natalie’s guest post at CYNSATIONS on teacher guides and her author spotlight at Charlesbridge.

Author Interview: Darrin Lunde

Darrin Lunde is a museum mammalogist with the National Museum of Natural History which is part of the Smithsonian Institute. He divides his time between his full-time duties at the museum and creating books for young readers. I reviewed his latest book Monkey Colors, illustrated by Patricia J. Wynne (Charlesbridge, 2012) yesterday, (Click HERE to read the review) and I was fascinated to know more. So I’m thrilled that Darrin has taken time out of his busy life to speak with us today.

Welcome, Darrin!

Darrin Lunde and his son in NY State

What you were like as a child? Were you an avid reader? Writer? Adventurer?

I was a loner and an explorer.  I much preferred being away from people and exploring nature in solitude. I liked not having to worry about what other people might think if I wanted to do something strange like digging up worms or studying the invertebrates scurrying around under an upturned stone.   I did not grow up in the country, and so finding nature (and solitude) was always a challenge, but somehow I managed. I think the fact that nature was not something I could take for granted played a big part in my endless fascination with the subject.  Had I grown up in the country, nature might have lost its allure.

Strangely, I was not an avid reader, at least not the stereotypical kind sneaking a flashlight under the covers to read through the night. That was not me. I never really read books so much as I ‘mined’ them for information, flipping through at random, and switching between two or three books at a time until I had gleaned a satisfying mixture of information.  To this day I can’t really read anything straight through; I just get restless and start flipping around. I may eventually read all the words, but not in the order that they are presented.  

Then as now, I have always spent inordinate amounts of time organizing my books, and like some rogue librarian I am always regrouping them in different ways on my shelves. I remember there was a medical doctor in our neighborhood who had piled up his old medical books on the curb for the garbage truck, and although I can’t remember exactly who, someone in my family knew how much I loved books—any books—and scooped them all up for me.  What a windfall that was! There must have been twenty or thirty books altogether, and although I was never tempted to become a doctor, I had a great time reading about Giardia and intramuscular injections—what fun!

What do you like the most about being a mammalogist?

A mammalogist is anyone who studies mammals, but I like to distinguish myself as a museum mammalogist. Straight out of college, I started working for the American Museum of Natural History, and was there for twenty years before recently making a move to the National Museum of Natural History, which is part of the Smithsonian Institution. A lot of people still don’t realize it, but there is a lot of science that goes on behind the scenes in a natural history museum and most of that science is based on the enormous collections of specimens these institutions house. 

There are literally hundreds of thousands of mammal (bird, lizard, snake, and so on…) specimens all organized taxonomically and lined up neatly in drawers.  These specimens are a scientific resource in that they are very often at the base of the long stings of knowledge we have accumulated about animals. Like tracing all sources of energy back to the sun I like to say that we can trace all sources of knowledge about animals back to the specimens in a museum. 

If you don’t believe me, or if you don’t think the person out there studying animal behavior with a pair of binoculars has a museum collection to thank, think about the field guide the observer depends on to identify animals. Every living creature on Earth is named and described from museum specimens, and it has always been my enormous responsibility to take care of these very important collections. Really, it is my privilege and honor to have spent my entire adult life in two of the greatest natural history museums in the world, but then again as a child I was always obsessed with building up my own little boyhood natural history museums. 

I have never forgotten how horrible a feeling it is to be away from the wealth of information inherent in nature and somehow collections of animal specimens have always served me as a kind of strange insurance policy against my ever being bored. You can walk through the back rooms of my museum and open drawers containing the skulls of galagos from central Africa or pickled bats form Sri Lanka. I just love having all that kind of tangible matter from the real world of nature at my fingertips.

What led you to write for children?

At the time I was being asked to fact-check a lot of books about mammals that were written by other people (that's what happens when you are a mammal expert) and one day I just said to myself, "I can do this." And I did. The woman that illustrates many of my books was a resident scientific illustrator at the American Museum of Natural History (where I was working at the time) and she played a big role in introducing me to a few good editors. I owe Pat a great deal for helping me break into the field, and was thrilled when my editor chose Pat to illustrate my first few books.

What was the inspiration behind Monkey Colors?  

Monkey Colors is a book about the process of distinguishing different kinds of species. Since monkeys are diurnal, they use color to help distinguish themselves from other closely related species.  Nocturnal mammals like shrews are not so easy to tell apart.  They are mostly different shades of gray and not so easy for a primate like Homo sapiens to tell apart.   Shrews happen to distinguish themselves by smell, but scents are not easily stored in a museum drawer and so museum mammalogists like me have to use proxies like details in the morphology of molar teeth to tell apart different species of shrews.  Monkeys and color just seemed the most natural way to open up the subject of how we go about distinguishing species.

You’ve also written books for children on bumblebee bats and meerkats. How do you choose which subject to write about? Or does the subject find you?

Titles are very important to me, and all of my books come to me with a title that just seems to click with whatever theme I am thinking about.  In the case of Meet the Meerkat, I wanted to write a book about a small mammal that was very interesting but not necessarily well-known.  

There are more than five thousand different kinds of living mammals on planet Earth, and I felt as though the selection of books out there on mammals was way too limited. I wanted my readers to meet a very different kind of mammal, not just lions, elephants and pandas.  Meet the ??? ... Meet the ???... Meet the Meerkat!  Perfect!  This happened to be just before meerkats became popular on TV, but you get the idea, and I followed it up with similarly inspired books on bumblebee bats, baby belugas and mama wallaroos, and the list will go on for as long as someone will publish them.

Can you talk about your writing process? What comes first, the research or the writing?

The ideas are rooted in a bank of knowledge that is already in my head, and after jotting down a few lead-in sentences to set the tone, I usually move pretty quickly to a stage where I am trying to map out the overall “shape” of my book.  Picture books are great because they are typically only 32 pages, and so I can put a big piece of paper in front of me and literally map out how I want the book to unfold. At this stage I’m not so concerned with actual words and sentences so much as rhythm and overall structure.  After my first few sentences I sometimes try to hum out where the book is going before trying to match actual words to those sounds.  Sooner or later I’m humming less and writing more, and then I know it’s time to hit the library so that I can add a little more depth to my writing. There is always something to learn, even for a mammal expert. 

At this stage I’m not necessarily trying to load up my book with facts; rather I’m usually looking for bits of information that I might use to carry my story along. A good example from Hello, Bumblebee Bat would be where the text shifts to what the little bat fears, and that forest fire illustrated in the background came directly from my reading about how wild fires in Thailand are a major threat to this species.  

I don’t ever try to think about the specific subject of my next book, but there is always some hazy theme weighing on my mind.  There is just this nagging feeling I have about having something to say. I don’t try to force things; rather I just let it simmer for weeks or sometimes months at a time until something hits me. Sometimes nothing ever happens and the feeling just fades away over the years.  

My book After the Kill is a good example of something that simmered for a long time. I’m interested in the reality of nature, and I kept thinking about the anxious feeling you might get when people are afraid to tell you something.  It was a feeling like “knowing the dirty secret is far less painful than the angst of being aware but unknowing”. That anxious feeling kept coming to me in relation to the sometimes sanitized views of nature we present to our children (I hate when people do that).  I kept feeling like I wanted to tell some secret truth about the way nature really worked, and yet at the same time I didn’t want to seem ghoulishly honest.  

After the Kill does not dwell on death, rather it tells the story of the life-giving process that comes after the death of an animal. Children naturally sense this basic truth about nature, but in shielding them from it we make matters worse by creating angst.  After the Kill was meant to be that sigh of relief.   

Can you describe what an typical day looks like for Darrin Lunde, mammalogist/children’s author? Do you write early in the morning or late at night? Weekends only?

On a typical day I am behind the scenes at the Smithsonian Institution and VERY busy with the day-to-day business of running a mammal collection. I am working to keep hundreds of thousands of mammal specimens properly identified and organized so that visiting scientists can conduct their research. I also spend a great deal of time answering questions from various scientific agencies, students, and the general public. Over the course of my career I travelled to many remote parts of the world to study and collect mammal specimens, and I am often involved with helping young mammalogists get their start in the field.  

The only time I have to work on my books is after work, and usually very late at night. I usually try to devote at least one full weekend day to writing. It is very hard work but enjoyable when you look back.

Darrin and his daughter hiking in Maryland

What’s the best part about being a children’s author and writing for children?

I can write a lot of them. I have a lot of ideas and unlike with a longer-length book, I can juggle writing several children’s books at a time. I know I write better when I am working up several different book ideas all at once.  Ideas keep coming.  Most of them never end up published, but I no longer worry so much about what my next book is going to be. I just do what all writers everywhere do. I just keep writing.

What are you working on now?

The next book of mine that will come out is called Hello Mama Wallaroo. It’s the next in my “Hello somewhat unusually animal” series; however, what I really want to alert you to is the book that will come out just after that. The title is known to me and my editor but is otherwise still secret…but it’s a good one, perhaps my best and I just can’t wait to share it with you!

Thanks, Darrin!

You are most certainly welcome!