Happy August! I’d like to say a big thanks to those of you who have read my newsletter over the years and a big welcome to new subscribers. It’s fun to share news and updates with book lovers!
You may or may not have noticed that my newsletter has a different look. That’s because I’ve switched from MailChimp to Substack. MailChimp has changed its pricing and so Substack seems to be a better choice for me going forward. I think I’m really going to enjoy the simplicity of Substack. Putting together this newsletter took less time than past newsletters and I love saving time!
Ok, enough housekeeping.
In Book News
The art for Merry Christmas, Dear Mars is almost finished. Wow! Wow! Wow! Illustrator Estrela Lourenço has done an amazing job of creating Christmas on Mars in a whimsical out-of-this-world way. I’m totally in love with her art! And you, lucky subscribers, get a tiny sneak peek at art-in-progress.
So fun! Makes you want to see more, right? I’ll definitely share the cover when it’s ready! Merry Christmas, Dear Mars will hit shelves in the fall of 2024.
Many people have asked why the publication process takes so long. Well, once a publisher buys my manuscript, there are many things that have to happen — editing, revising, illustrating, copyediting, proofreading, cover and text design, printing, marketing, promotion and sales. That’s a lot! It has been absolutely wonderful to work with the expert team at Macmillan/Holt/Godwin Books as we go through this process to create a beautiful book.
If You’ve Got Questions, I’ve Got Answers
(Specifically, I’ve got answers to questions about my journey as an author.)
Whether I’m visiting students at a school or talking to a group of adults, they have a lot of questions. So I thought it would be fun to feature some of those questions in my newsletter. Here we go!
Q: Did you want to be an author when you were a child?
A: I loved to write as a child but the dream of being an author and having my writing published came as an adult. As a child, I dreamed of being a teacher and teaching was my first career. I taught for twenty-six years before seriously pursuing my dream of being an author. My pursuit started with a lot of research about how to get published. I quickly learned that it would be challenging and would take a BIG dose of perseverance. But I had a dream! So I decided I’d start the journey and see where it led. And after lots of hard work, my dream came true.
Q: Why do you write picture books?
A: I love that picture books encourage reading together — an adult and a child. That shared time is special and probably the biggest reason I was drawn to the picture book form. As picture books are shared they introduce children to reading. They model the importance of reading and build reading skills. Then there’s the magic that happens as text and art work together to tell the story. In short, I love the idea of my books being shared. A parent reading to their child. A teacher reading to their class. A grandparent reading to a grandchild. A librarian reading to the storytime group. And on and on and on.
By the way, if you have questions about publishing or writing or one of my books, ask away. Subscribers just reply to this newsletter with your question/s. I’ll include answers in future newsletters.
Take a Look at These Books!
The books that I choose to feature in my newsletter are books that invite me to read them again and again — books that I think others might enjoy, too.
The Tower of Life: How Yaffa Eliach Rebuilt Her Town in Stories and Photographs written by Chana Stiefel and illustrated by Susan Gal is an award-winning book that received four starred reviews.
From Kirkus Reviews: “A loving testament to light and hope and the vision of a remarkable woman.” Full review HERE.
Thunder and Cluck: Friends Do Not Eat Friends (Book 1 of 3) written by Jill Esbaum and illustrated by Miles Thompson is an award-winning book and a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection.
From Publisher’s Weekly: “…cheery, comedic romp, ideal for the youngest dinosaur lovers.” Full review HERE.
The Longest Letsgoboy, written by Derick Wilder and illustrated by Catia Chien is an award-winning book that received four starred reviews.
From School Library Journal: “One not to be missed, this moving, visceral tale is a testament to the bond between a child and pet. Any person, young or old, who has experienced loss will find this essential purchase a profound comfort.” Full review HERE.
And that’s my 2¢! As always, thanks for reading.
Penny
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