Book Review: The ROAD That TRUCKS BUILT – by Susanna Leonard Hill; fun activity, & announcements!

Book: The ROAD That TRUCKS BUILT
Author: Susanna Leonard Hill
Illustrator: Erica Sirotich
Publisher: Little Simon
Date: July 25, 2017
Genre: picture book; age 4 - 7, Preschool - 2
Pages: 40; hardcover
Price: $12.99
My rating: A fabulous book to delight the whole family

This is my seventh of twelve scheduled posts as my part in the back-to-back blog tours for Susanna Leonard Hill‘s three books coming out this month. How exciting is that! 🙂

Today I am reviewing the third of those three, a stand-alone book called The Road That Trucks Built, illustrated by Erica Sirotich. Even though it’s about trucks, this is a book that will appeal not only to little boys.

The first thing you’ll notice is the wonderful design (by Chani Yammer, as noted on the back cover) that allows the child to view each type of truck as it’s introduced in the story by turning a wheel that’s part of the front cover and tucked inside it. It’s not flimsy, either, but sturdy like the solid part of the covers. And it looks like a truck tire. Fun!

The Road That Trucks Built is a story written in easy, bouncy rhyme and rhythm. The reader is taken from being presented with a problem – that of traffic congestion and the need of a new road – to being taken through construction of the new road. Each step along the way is represented in lovely illustrations, showing the work done by each different type of truck in the road crew. The trucks – a bulldozer, a scraper, a grader, a paver, a roller, a paint marker – are brightly illustrated and happy-faced. Then the story backtracks, reminding the reader of how the road got built taking each step in reverse, from paint marker to bulldozer.

This can be a wonderful memory game, a matching game, a learning colours game as each truck is a different colour, and identifying the words that rhyme.

In the very back are two facing pages on which is A guide to the trucks: and each one is shown with some descriptive words. An example is GRADER – Cab, Edge Blade, Engine, Front Axle – with a line from the word to the identified part. This is another way to learn and strengthen memory of the name of the truck, or its parts, or the colour. Susanna Leonard Hill has included many fun things for this book.

Erica Sirotich did a fantastic job at creating all the different trucks for this story.

And look at this illustration of the backed-up traffic before the new road is built:


Text copyright © 2017 by Susanna Leonard Hill
Illustration copyright © 2017 by Erica Sirotich
Used by permission of Little Simon

A cute illustration feature of this book is that both the front and back end-pages are covered with construction pylons – which you might know by another name such as traffic cones, road cones, highway cones, or safety cones.

The Road That Trucks Built is available July 25, so you can pre-order now!

BONUS: To add to the fun, Susanna has provided us with a truck craft!

*** Popsicle Stick Pick-Up Truck

You will need:

4 jumbo popsicle sticks (per truck you want to make)

2 mini popsicle sticks (per truck you want to make)

Craft Paint and Paint Brushes OR Markers

Glue

Colored card stock

Scissors

Lay four jumbo popsicle sticks next to each other on a flat surface.

Glue two mini popsicle sticks across them (going the other way) one near each end.

This makes the body of the truck.

Set them aside until the glue has dried completely.

When the glue is dry, the kids can paint (or color) the popsicle sticks however they want while you cut wheels (circles), cabs (large trapezoids), windows (smaller trapezoids the same shape as the large ones), and grills (half circles) from card stock.

Glue the card stock wheels to the bottom of the popsicle stick truck body.

Glue the cab on top, and glue the window onto the cab.

Glue the grill on the front.

Feel free to embellish with rhinestones, glitter, paper flames, etc… whatever strikes your fancy!

Now you can play with the trucks or just display them proudly 😊 ***

Wait! Before you go I have two other important things to tell you.

Come back on Thursday, July 20, for my second illustrator interview! Erica Sirotich, illustrator of Susanna’s The Road That Trucks Built, shares some interesting insight into illustrating. And … we’re having a giveaway! (Be sure to follow the fun and easy rules to get into the draw.)

Exciting things are happening all month! Read about it HERE.

We look forward to your supportive comments.

You can find The ROAD That TRUCKS BUILT by Susanna Leonard Hill on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and on Chapters.Indigo if available there.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂 ♥

BONUS: Blog tour schedule for The Road That Trucks Built (with slight variation regarding my posts near end of July) This link takes you to Susanna’s blog.

We have a winner of When Your Lion Needs a Bath!

It’s been a busy time around here! Lions, and Elephants, and interviews … oh my! And it’s not over yet.

Now it is my pleasure to announce the winner of a copy of When Your Lion Needs a Bath, written by Susanna Leonard Hill and illustrated by Daniel Wiseman.

Using the random name picker tool, one name was chosen.

Congratulations, Teri! You’re IT! 🙂

This was her comment:

I figure that I like lavender bubbles in my bath to calm me, so I would place a shady acacia tree in the bath to help my lion feel at home and relaxed.

Teri, I’ve let Susanna know you won, and one of us will be in touch with you about how you want your copy of When Your Lion Needs a Bath to be personalized. Exciting! 🙂

Thank you so very much to everyone for participating. I really enjoyed your visits and comments. Please feel welcome to stop by after the blog tour is over.

Next Saturday, July 22, someone leaving a comment HERE will win a copy of Susanna’s When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles. So, let us know … how would you care for your elephant if he has the sniffles and gets bored?

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂 ♥

Last chance to win When Your Lion Needs a Bath by Susanna Leonard Hill!; & blog tour schedule

Hi, All!

I am sneaking an extra blog post into my busy all-about-Susanna-Leonard-Hill-&-her-books-and-illustrators-in-July schedule. This is to remind you that today – at 9 PM EST – your chance to win – here on my blog – a copy of When Your Lion Needs a Bath ends! Oh no!

If you haven’t been keeping up, it’s not too late. You can go HERE to read the news, HERE for my review of When Your Lion Needs a Bath, HERE for my interview with author Susanna Leonard Hill and your opportunity to enter the draw.

Look at another of the adorable illustrations Daniel Wiseman (illustrator) enjoyed creating in Lion:

Text copyright © 2017 by Susanna Leonard Hill
Illustration copyright © 2017 by Daniel Wiseman
Used by permission of Little Simon

Simply leave a comment on the July 6 interview post telling us how you would get your lion into the bath – and your name will go into the random name picker thingie I use to determine who is the winner. 🙂 Easy peasy!

In case you didn’t check out her blog to see it there, below you will find Susanna’s blog tour schedule where you can enter draws on other blogs, too. The only difference in the schedule (which would have been a hassle for Susanna to change and bothersome for everyone else participating) is the dates of the giveaways on my blog. Lion is on July 15, Elephant will be on July 22. Although I will still announce the winners of both books on July 25 … along with an Elephant extra from Susanna … you will find out first on July 16 (Lion) and July 23 (Elephant). Yay! (confused yet?) I’m trying to spread the Susanna joy throughout the whole month for you, so there’s still lots coming! 🙂

And so ends my active participation in the promotional blog tour for Lion. Thanks to Susanna (author), Little Simon (publisher), and Daniel Wiseman (illustrator), and – of course – to everyone who came to visit. We appreciate your interest and comments. It’s been fun. 🙂

Enough said. Next post is to announce the winner of When Your Lion Needs a Bath!

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂 ♥

Interview with illustrator Daniel Wiseman; & book giveaway!

I am excited today to welcome you all to my first ever interview with an illustrator! Daniel Wiseman, illustrator of When Your LION Needs a BATH, and When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles – both written by Susanna Leonard Hill – is participating in Susanna’s blog tours. I am thrilled that he graciously consented to an interview for Polilla Writes.

Welcome to my interview corner, Daniel! I’m happy to have you as the very first illustrator I’ve interviewed. By way of introduction, could you tell us a little about yourself?

Thanks! I’m flattered that you decided on me as your very first illustrator interview! My name is Daniel Wiseman, and I’m an illustrator from St. Louis, MO. I live here with my wife Elizabeth, my son Henry, and another soon-to-be son who has yet to be named! I love the outdoors, specifically the mountains. I miss them almost daily. I grew up in East Tennessee, where I suppose I took the plethora of beautiful locations for granted, because now I’m surrounded by miles and miles of flat, corn-covered farmland. I like to bike, hike, cook, watch new movies, re-watch old tv series, and listen to music while I have a beer on my patio. I also work A LOT. In addition to illustrating picture books, I co-founded a company called Pixel Press. We created a product called Bloxels. You can find it at your local Target or Toys ‘R’ Us.

Triple Congratulations on your expected new little boy, your co-founding of a company, and for the game you helped create! (Bloxels looks interesting – I checked.) 🙂

When did you first know you wanted to be an illustrator? Who or what inspired you, and what keeps you motivated? What do you remember about the very first time you received an assignment?

I’ve always known that I wanted to be some type of creative. During my adolescent years I was in love with Calvin and Hobbes and The Far Side. I was convinced that I would someday be a cartoonist. When I got a bit older I began playing music and joining bands. I ended up playing drums in a locally successful band for basically my entire 20s. We all had stars in our eyes, and wanted to be rock stars. During that time is when I picked up Photoshop and began making album art for my band as well as all of my friends’ bands. That’s when I realized I could make money by making art. It opened up a whole new world for me. Since then I’ve learned to do many design related tasks, but I’ve always been drawn to illustration (pun intended). It’s the only thing I’ve picked up that’s felt completely natural. I’m inspired by a mix of the world around me, and other illustrators. Music and pop culture find their way into my work pretty regularly. Nature as well.

As far as other artists go, there are quite a few who I really admire. Christian Robinson, Zachariah Ohora, Greg Pizzoli, Quentin Blake, Nicholas John Frith, Roger Duvoisin, Charles Dutertre, Alice and Martin Provensen, Henri Matisse, Piet Mondrian…just to name a few. Taking breaks outside keeps me motivated. I tend to get bored easily. I’m not one of those people that can just sit and grind away on drawings for 8-10 hours at a time. I need to get up and move around. Give my brain some time to wander. Having multiple projects going at once sometimes helps with this, but it can also make things very difficult. I find that if I’m having a hard time coming up with ideas, or even just finding it impossible to actually sit and work, I will go on a bike ride and all of the sudden new ideas will just start flowing.

My very first assignment was album artwork for a band that was really popular in my hometown of Knoxville, TN. I got the job through a local producer, and at the time it all felt extremely professional. I remember that I had to teach myself a lot about print design in a very short time, as I knew nothing about how to set up album artwork. I worked so hard on that album. It took just a ton of hours. I had no idea what I was doing, but trying really hard to come off like I did. All in all I probably averaged about $1.50 an hour. Not bad, huh?!

Better than for nothing, and you can’t put a price on the learning experience of it, right? 🙂 You have a very interesting background and lead-in to what you do now. What process do you go through when preparing a project?

My process varies a bit based on the project. Normally there’s a good amount of brainstorming and research up front. I like to focus on character building first, if that applies. One of the things I love about illustration and story telling is that you can create whatever universe you have in your head. There are no rules. A book can be just as powerful whether its main characters are a group of kids, or a group of highly intelligent woodland creatures with the ability to talk. Once I have a good idea of the characters and setting, I usually get down to sketching. I like to sketch and take notes on the same page (or file if I’m doing it digitally). While I’m sketching, I’m also doing a lot of Googling. I like to build a stock pile of inspiration and create secret Pinterest boards for every project. Once I’ve done enough sketching and inspiration gathering, I’m usually ready to dig in. With all of that said, the process can change at the drop of a hat. Sometimes I have to knock something out in an absurdly short amount of time. When that’s the case, all bets are off and I just start making final art and hope it looks good!

Challenging and exciting! Can you tell us a little about your technique and choice of medium?

As unexciting as it is, almost everything I do is digital. I use a Wacom tablet, Photoshop, and custom brushes that I sometimes tweak to fit my mood. This is done purely for efficiency’s sake. I can work much faster and more confidently this way. However, I love real ink and I love watercolor, and colored pencils, and tons of other traditional mediums. I worked on so many books this past year that I didn’t allow myself to divert from my typical medium, but my goal this year is to slow down and experiment with others. I’m even taking a watercolor class this weekend! (first weekend of July)

I hope that course was inspiring for you. How do you decide on how the characters you’ll create will look?

Most of the time I have an immediate picture in my head right after reading a manuscript. I think this is probably the case for most illustrators. Growing up I’d do this with any book I read. I’d imagine what the characters sounded and looked like. It’s just part of being a visual thinker, I suppose. For LION and ELEPHANT I wanted to make sure that the characters first and foremost were human, and represented a diverse cross-section of society, because it’s important for children to relate to these books. This will become even more apparent as subsequent books in the series are released.

Your imagination must be a wondrous place. 🙂 How much is your own idea when illustrating a book, and how much direction is decided for you? In other words, how much freedom are you given? Do you brainstorm with the author at all?

So far my experience has been that it varies from publisher to publisher. For the most part I have creative freedom, but for some books I’m put in more of a box than others. The brainstorming usually happens with either the art director or the editor. For LION and ELEPHANT Susanna and I have been in contact about a lot of marketing materials such as activity kits, bookmarks, etc… With that being said, I’m very new to the world of picture books, so I could see in the future doing more collaborative type work with authors as I progress and make friends with them.

Your illustrations for Susanna’s books, When Your Lion Needs a Bath and When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles, are wonderful. Approximately how long did it take you to complete each book?

Thank you! The process took between 4-5 months per book. A lot of that time is spent waiting for different sketches and illustrations to pass around the powers-that-be at Little Simon. Because my process is mostly digital, I can usually knock out a spread or 2 (or more) a day. Although, all of that may change since we’re about to go from a family of 3 to a family of 4 in November. I foresee some of my drawing time being taken up by baby time! 😃

Oh, yes! And your wife will thank you. 🙂 What is it about illustrating children’s books that appeals to you?

Pretty much everything! It’s been a dream of mine for quite some time, so finally getting to really do it is a wonderful feeling. I love taking a manuscript and pushing the story even further with pictures. That’s really what picture books are about. You need the images to fully tell the story. That really appeals to me. The idea that I’m not just drawing pictures, but I’m visually story-telling. That’s just fun! Also, there’s something about creating a tangible product that is super special to me. I’ve spent a lot of time working on digital products. Things like apps, websites, etc… As an artist, I work just as hard on that artwork and after a few months it just disappears, and it’s replaced by something else. Picture books are the exact opposite of that, and I love it. I love the fact that I can create things that my sons will be able to pick up and read to their kids someday and say “Grandpa Daniel made this book!”. I mean, what’s more special than that?

Indeed! Is being an illustrator all you had hoped or thought it would be?

It definitely is! I’ve been lucky to have an agent (Teresa Kietlinski at Bookmark Literary) that has really encouraged me to work on projects that are fulfilling and fun. I’ve heard much different experiences from other illustrators. In some ways this first year has been even more than I thought it would be. Immediately after signing with her I began work on LION and ELEPHANT, and soon after that I began work on 3 other books for 2 other publishers. It was shocking how quickly things took off. It’s been a whirlwind year, and it’s super exciting to have the first books I’ve worked on just days away from being out in the wild. I can’t wait to see what else is in store for the years to come.

A year that got you off to a flying start! I’m sure we’ll be seeing much more of your work. Writers have critique groups, editors, agents, how does that work for illustrators? How did you get your agent?

While I’m sure there are formal critique groups for illustrators…outside of art school of course…I don’t know of any in my immediate area. My version of that is sharing a lot of the things I do on Instagram and Tumblr. I get pretty decent feedback on there. I also have a few illustrator friends that I occasionally share my work with. Lastly, I show my agent pretty much all the book related things I do. She has a lot of experience in the agency world as well as past experience as an art director and writer. My agency is Bookmark Literary, which is run by Teresa Kietlinski. She is one of my favorite people on the planet. I owe every ounce of success I’ve had in the picture book world to her. She’s believed in me from the very first email exchange. You know how you can meet certain people and you feel like you’ve known them for years?…I definitely feel like I’ve known her my whole life. I’m truly grateful for finding her, which was just by a simple Google search for “children’s illustration agencies”. I just sent her my portfolio and she got back to me almost immediately. Everything has been smooth sailing from there!

Wow, that’s amazing! You must credit the fact, too, that she has good work to promote, Daniel. 🙂 Do you have any advice for hopefuls?

Sure! If you want to make picture books, then just start building a portfolio of work that looks like it should be in picture books. Research what other illustrators are doing. Read a lot of picture books. Study them. What do you like about some, but don’t like about others. Spend as much time as possible writing stories and illustrating them. As you do it, share it with the world. Get feedback. Reach out to illustrators and authors that you admire. I guarantee most of them will respond. People that make books for kids are really nice…that’s why we chose this medium. Basically spend as much time as you can thinking about picture books. This should come pretty easy if you really love them. I firmly believe that if you just set your mind to something, and really take action towards that goal, then you will eventually achieve it. How could you not? If you spend all your hours pouring your soul into something then you will become a master of it. Just make sure that goal is something reasonable like making picture books, and not something unreasonable like turning yourself into a robot in order to move to another galaxy…

Also, listen to Alan Watts. He will help you through anything.

Thank you so much, Daniel, for this very interesting peek into the world of an illustrator. 🙂 It’s been an enjoyable interview. I wish you much success.

Where you can find Daniel:

WEBSITE
http://yesdanimal.tumblr.com/
Instagram: @d_wiseman
Twitter: @danimal_1980

And now …

Susanna Leonard Hill, and her publisher, Little Simon, are offering to one of you a copy of When Your ELEPHANT Has the SNIFFLES! Yay!!!

The rules are simple. Leave a comment on this post telling how you would take care of your elephant or amuse him when he has the sniffles, and your name will be entered into the draw. 🙂 You have until Saturday, July 22, at 9:00 PM EST to enter. Using the “random name picker” I will select one name, and the next morning – Sunday, July 23 – I will announce the winner. Be sure to check your email Saturday night because I will be contacting the winner for a mailing address.

Don’t delay, comment today! And please pass the news on to your friends; post on Twitter, FaceBook, or what ever way you communicate with the world. We thank you. ♥

To keep up with the exciting things happening here all month read about it.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Book Review: When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles – by Susanna Leonard Hill; fun activity, & announcements!

Book: When Your ELEPHANT Has the SNIFFLES
Author: Susanna Leonard Hill
Illustrator: Daniel Wiseman
Publisher: Little Simon
Date: July 11, 2017
Genre: children’s – age 2-4; Preschool & up
Pages: 26; board book
Price: $7.99 US; $10.99 CDN
My rating: An enjoyable story for picture book lovers of all ages

This is my fourth post (I’ll have 12) as my part in the back-to-back blog tours for Susanna Leonard Hill‘s three books coming out this month.

When Your ELEPHANT Has the SNIFFLES, written by Susanna Leonard Hill and illustrated by Daniel Wiseman is the second delightful story just right for little ‘uns in the new series of When Your … books.

The very exciting thing is that – as of TODAY – both books are available for purchase!

As with When Your LION Needs a Bath, the first thing you’ll notice about this board book is the adorable illustrations. On the front cover is a miserable-looking elephant with flushed cheeks and lots of tissues. He obviously is not well. Oh dear.

From the beginning of the story you know this little elephant needs some loving care. He is sniffling and has a fever, and the reader is informed that “you don’t want your elephant to start sneezing!”

The little girl in the story sets out to care for her elephant. She removes anything that will make him sneeze. The illustrator, Daniel Wiseman, came up with a funny idea for this visual included below; see it? She tucks her elephant into bed and makes sure he has all he needs. The clever touch you will notice as you read this book is his favourite stuffed toy is … the lion from the first book!

Text copyright © 2017 by Susanna Leonard Hill
Illustration copyright © 2017 by Daniel Wiseman
Used by permission of Little Simon

The real challenge begins when Elephant becomes bored as a patient but who is not yet well enough to get out of bed. The little girl is reminded to not make him sneeze as she tries to entertain him with props she chooses. But what if it happens anyway? You find out on the very last page. It’s a cute ending – an awwww moment – that will make you smile with Elephant.

This story, as with the first one, is not written in little words, or only three or four per page. It is written to be read to little ones. The uncomplicated, muted – with occasional splashes of bold colour – illustrations are well-suited to calm the child who is sick with the sniffles. When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles has definite child appeal so the child can fully appreciate what is being told. It will be fun for beginning readers to figure out the bigger words through remembering the story while feeling accomplished with the easier words. This story is for everyone’s reading pleasure.

When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles is the second book in the When Your … series, and there are already two more being released later with more planned.

BONUS: To add to the fun, Susanna has provided us with an elephant game!

*** Elephants On A Tightrope Game

This is a fun activity for a group of preschoolers – at home, at the playground, or at school. (Plus they’ll think it’s a game, but they’ll actually be practicing their balance and coordination 😊 ) It can be played indoors or outdoors.

Make a “tightrope” line with chalk or tape.

Start with one child balancing on the line while everyone sings: (to the tune of 5 Little Ducks)

“One elephant went out to play

On a tightrope string one day.

He had such enormous fun

He called for another elephant to come!”

The child calls out the name of another child who comes and joins him/her on the “tightrope”

Then the song starts again with:

“Two elephants went out to play

on a tightrope string one day…” etc.

The cycle repeats until all the children are balancing together on the “tightrope” and the last singing verse ends with:

They had such enormous fun

The tightrope broke and they all fell down!”

And all the children can collapse on the floor 😊

If you want to make the game a little harder, or appropriate for kindergartners or slightly older kids, use the raised edge of a sidewalk or patio or wooden border at the park or around landscaping or a floor-level preschool balance beam if you have one as the “tightrope”. ***

Wait! Before you go I have two other important things to tell you.

Come back on Thursday, July 13, for my first interview with an illustrator! Daniel Wiseman, illustrator of Susanna’s Lion and Elephant books, shares some fascinating info. And … we’re having a giveaway! (Be sure to follow the fun and easy rules to get into the draw.)

Exciting things are happening all month! Read about it HERE.

We look forward to your supportive comments.

You can find When Your ELEPHANT Has the SNIFFLES by Susanna Leonard Hill on my BUY THE BOOK page. I also post my reviews on Amazon.com, Amazon.ca, Goodreads, and on Chapters.Indigo if available there.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Lion Snacks from Susanna Leonard Hill for when you and your lion have the munchies

Today I have a special tasty treat for you from Susanna Leonard Hill in honour of her new book – When Your Lion Needs a Bath – being released on July 11. Read my review HERE.

Here is a fun snack you and your kiddies (and lion cubs) can enjoy putting together … together, and it`s simple enough for them to make for themselves.

Graham Cracker Lion

Spread a graham cracker square with peanut butter (or any other nut butter if you prefer or have peanut allergy!)

Place stick pretzels fanned out around the cracker for the mane.

Cover with another graham cracker square spread with peanut butter (peanut butter side down to hold pretzels in place.)

Place two raisin eyes and a raisin nose on top using a tiny dab of peanut butter.

Center a mini-pretzel mouth upside down over the nose with a little peanut butter to hold it in place. 😊

Thanks, Susanna! These look so fun to make, and tasty, too!

If your little one does have peanut allergy (like one of my nieces has) there are peanut butter alternatives that would work just as well for these lion snacks. Below I listed four I found that you might want to try if you know from your doctor or allergist they`d be safe for your family.

Peanut Butter Alternatives

Sunflower Butter – is a great alternative for those who might have tree-nut allergies.

Other Nut Butters – If you don’t suffer from a severe peanut allergy and also don’t suffer from tree-nut allergies, many other widely available nut butters (such as almond, cashew, macadamia) might serve as an acceptable alternative. I read that Barney Butter is an almond butter that is processed in a dedicated Almond Only facility, which means that with this particular brand, there is no risk of cross-contamination with peanuts. Maybe you know of other brands that offer this.

Nutella – is not processed with peanuts, so it`s safe for even severe peanut allergy. Although it`s a different taste, you can substitute Nutella in recipes calling for peanut butter as it has a similar consistency.

Enjoy!

If you have other tasty substitutes for peanut butter, please share with us! 🙂 And if you try this lion snack, please let us know your experience with it.

Remember to enter the draw for your chance to win a copy of When Your Lion Needs a Bath.

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂

Interview with author Susanna Leonard Hill; & book giveaway!

I am excited today to welcome you to my interview with author Susanna Leonard Hill! This interview is part of the blog tour that Susanna is doing for her picture books being released this month. Please read my review of When Your Lion Needs a Bath, and later my upcoming reviews of When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles (review on July 11), and The Road That Trucks Built (review on July 18.) Now, allow me to introduce our guest author …

Welcome to my interview corner, Susanna! I’m happy to be participating in two back-to-back blog tours for your … not one, not two, but THREE new books coming out this month! Thank you for doing this interview at such an exciting time.

First, please tell our readers a little about yourself.

Hmm… a little about myself…

I was born in New York City.
I have two brothers and one sister.
I once poked my kindergarten teacher with an umbrella.
Wasps and ticks give me the heebie-jeebies.
The year I turned 9 my birthday was on Easter Sunday – which never happened before or since.
Red is my favorite color of jelly bean.
At summer camp I drank Orange Crush out of the can with a Twizzler.
I love to play with words – writing, of course, but also word games of all kinds.
I went to school for a really long time for advanced degrees I don’t use much when writing about bath-averse lions, little girls who won’t sleep, and opinionated groundhogs 🙂
I know all the words to the Gilligan’s Island and Partridge Family Theme Songs. (Though I am uncertain about the PIN# of my ATM card. 🙂
I have five amazing kids.
If it’s made of chocolate, I love it. 🙂
On my last school visit the popular guess on how old I am was 100. Seriously.

And you have a wonderful sense of humour, I’d say. 🙂 When did you first know you wanted to be a writer? Who or what inspired you?

It probably sounds trite, but I’ve always wanted to be a writer. (Well, after the phase where I wanted to drive a steam roller… 🙂 ) I grew up in a house full of books and I was always read to, so I had a very early love of picture books and there was something about them that just called to me. I wanted to write one. I wanted my name to be on a book because I had written it. And something about writing helps me think. I am far more comfortable writing than speaking!

I’m sure we’re all very glad you chose writing instead of operating a steam roller! 🙂 As a writer, do you do much reading? Who were/are your favourite authors or books or genres?

I have always read a lot. When I was little I read Pippi Longstocking, Mrs. Piggle-Wiggle, the Little House books, the Anne of Green Gables series, every single Nancy Drew mystery, and every horse book I could get my hands on… just to name a few…! Nowadays I read a wide variety – I like mysteries, action, adventure, fantasy – Jack Reacher, Game of Thrones, etc. – but I also read and like a lot of YA.

Have you ever felt like giving up? When did you finally believe in
yourself so you can say “I am a writer”?

I have never felt like giving up writing. I love to write. I need to write. But I have felt like giving up submitting. It can be very discouraging. I am not a person with a lot of self-confidence, so I’m not sure even now that I believe in myself. But I did start identifying myself as a writer after my fourth book was published. At that point I felt like, somehow, I was at least a little bit legitimate.

I understand about the submitting. Do you have a favourite motto or quote or Bible verse that you try to live by and that helps to keep you going?

I don’t know if I do exactly… that’s an interesting question. The quote at the top of my Face Book page is one I like a lot – “Live well. Laugh often. Love much.”

That’s a very good one to live by as it affects one’s attitude positively. How do you consistently write? Do you have writing goals .. daily? weekly? monthly? long-range?

I write because I love to write. I can’t really say that I have specific goals or a specific schedule. Creativity takes a lot of energy, so there are times when life is busy and a day or a week will go by when I don’t write anything new. And sometimes life is hard, and that can rob me of creativity as well. But in general, writing is one of the things I look forward to – not that it’s easy! – but, as I’m sure is the case for many writers (and other creatives – artists, musicians, etc.), it fills a need in me and is something I can’t stay away from for long.

Yes, I agree, it does take a lot of energy. What other interests do you have for a change from writing?

I love to be outdoors. I like to walk, run, and hike. I love animals – dogs and horses in particular – and I love to ride, although I don’t have time for it as often as I’d like. I play the piano (when it isn’t so covered in books that I can’t get to the keys 🙂 ) and I love to read.

All great ways to restore that creative energy. What have you had published thus far, and what do you remember about the very first time you were published?

THE HOUSE THAT MACK BUILT (Little Simon, 2002)
TAXI! (Little Simon 2005)
PUNXSUTAWNEY PHYLLIS (Holiday House 2005)
NO SWORD FIGHTING IN THE HOUSE (Holiday House 2007)
NOT YET, ROSE (Eerdmans Books For Young Readers 2009)
AIRPLANE FLIGHT (Little Simon 2009)
FREIGHT TRAIN TRIP (little Simon 2009)
CAN’T SLEEP WITHOUT SHEEP (Walker/Bloomsbury 2010)
APRIL FOOL, PHYLLIS! (Holiday House 2011)
BEER IS ZO MOE! (Veltman Uitgevers 2011) – available in Dutch only
WHEN YOUR LION NEEDS A BATH (Little Simon 2017)
WHEN YOUR ELEPHANT HAS THE SNIFFLES (Little Simon 2017)
THE ROAD THAT TRUCKS BUILT (Little Simon 2017)

Every time I get a call from my agent saying she has an offer, it’s like a dream come true. I can’t believe how lucky I am that an editor liked something I wrote enough to get behind it and share it with the world. And I feel grateful that there will be another book (because I never EVER take that for granted!)

But there’s something extra-special about the very first time. 🙂

I had gone from remedial language tutoring with dyslexic kids to being a full-time stay-at-home mom after my youngest was born. I had been writing for kids for a couple years in my “spare time” (2 AM by the bathroom nightlight, you know, that kind of spare time 🙂 ), and found my agent by serendipity (but that’s a story for another day!) and she had sent a couple of my manuscripts out on submission a few months earlier.

One cold, gray January day in the early afternoon, when one child was at first grade and two were napping, the phone rang. It was Liza (my amazing and wonderful friend and agent.)

“So,” she said, with a smile in her voice, “I have an offer for you!”

My heart stopped.

I couldn’t breathe.

Her words wouldn’t sink in!

“What?” I stammered intelligently.

“Erin Molta at Little Simon wants to buy The House That Mack Built!” she said.

In a haze of unreality, I scribbled notes about the details of the deal, then hung up the phone in disbelief. My heart was so full I couldn’t hold it in, but the babies were sleeping and every parent on earth knows you never want to wake a sleeping child!

So I hugged this wonderful, amazing, unbelievable news to myself, fist-pumped the air, squealed a silent “SQUEEEE!!!” in my head, and on light bare feet raced a lap or two of the downstairs of my house, overflowing with excited energy!

I was going to be published!

There was going to be a book with my name on it!

It was, quite literally, a dream come true and one of the best moments of my life!

I feel the excitement in your relating of it for us, Susanna! What process do you go through when writing and perfecting your work?

I write every first draft with pen and paper. I think better with the physical act of forming letters 🙂 Once I have a draft, I type it into the computer, revising as I go.

Then I revise again.

You get the idea. 🙂

Until I feel like the manuscript is as strong as I can make it.

At that point, I usually give it to a trusted critique partner or two to read and comment on. Occasionally I send it to an editor friend to critique for me.

When I feel like the manuscript is as ready as I can get it, I send it to my agent.

Sometimes she says, “This is great! I’ll send it to so-and-so!” Other times she tells me she thinks it could work if I change the ending or strengthen the conflict or something, in which case I take a crack at it. But sometimes she just doesn’t see potential and doesn’t think she can sell it, and I have to chalk it up to an idea I couldn’t make work. For now… 🙂

I, too, hand-write most of my drafts. The process of actual writing is healthier for the brain, a serious consideration. I admire your work ethic and determination. What method do you use to keep track of your writing ideas?

I’m afraid there isn’t much in the way of “method” or “keeping track”! 🙂 I scribble things on random scraps of paper which litter my desk in piles! If the occasion arises when I’m scrambling for ideas, I rummage through the piles! 🙂 I would include a photo of my desk, but I don’t want you to have nightmares. 🙂

Haha! You wouldn’t want to see my desk! I’ve found buried notes and thought … oh, wow, did I write this? It could be a good idea! 🙂 What inspired you to write your three newest books? When Your Lion Needs a Bath; When Your Elephant Has the Sniffles; The Road That Trucks Built.

I think I mentioned that I have 5 kids. 🙂 That pretty much sums it up. 🙂

A large percentage of my ideas come from life with my children who, I’m sure you will be shocked to know 🙂 , frequently objected to baths and haircuts and bedtime and were sometimes miserable with sniffles. So the WHEN YOUR… books came from a lot of those moments. THE ROAD THAT TRUCKS BUILT was inspired by two things: my son, who as a toddler was so enamored of construction vehicles that one of his first words was “mass excavator”, and a good friend who actually builds roads.

There’s inspiration all around us, if we’ll only see it. 🙂 Approximately how long did it take you to write each of the three books? Did you have to do much research for any of them? Is there something specific you’d like to share about each of them?

You know, this will sound terrible, but I’m not really sure how long it took me to write each book! I know I got the basic idea down and then went through several rounds of revision, much of it focused on tightening the text. As for research, well, in the case of LION and ELEPHANT I’d pretty much done that over the course of 20 years as a parent. 🙂 And in the case of TRUCKS, my son picked out the books he wanted me to read to him and I read them…research as a bonus of reading with my child. 🙂

It all works! 🙂 The illustrations for each are wonderful. Did you get to share your vision with the illustrators of your books?

I never get to speak with my illustrators during the creation of the book. But in the case of LION and ELEPHANT, I did include a fair number of art notes because the text was fairly brief and much of the humor depended on what was shown in the art in relation to what was said in the text, so I had to make sure my vision was clear. Daniel did an absolutely fantastic job. I couldn’t be happier! His illustrations are exactly right for these stories! 🙂 I did not include such notes for Erica for TRUCKS, but even without my helpful instructions 🙂 she did a fantastic job!

I agree! Both illustrators did fabulous work. How ever did you manage to get three books published so close together? And along with that how did you go about finding a publisher? an editor? or did you have an agent to handle that for you? (You mentioned her earlier.)

The fact that these books are coming out so close together is just luck of the draw! Since WHEN YOUR LION NEEDS A BATH and WHEN YOUR ELEPHANT HAS THE SNIFFLES are the start of a series, the editor wanted to release them together. The third series title will release on January 2, 2018, and the fourth in Fall 2018. THE ROAD THAT TRUCKS BUILT was edited by a different editor in the same house! I don’t know how often that happens – it has never happened to me before – but somehow the books were all just ready at the same time. I do have an agent – the wonderful and talented Liza Voges of Eden Street Lit without whom I wouldn’t be where I am today!– and she was in charge of submissions.

That’s amazing! What is it about writing children’s books that appeals to you?

Everything is new to children. They are still full of curiosity and wonder. I love writing for people who are so eager to absorb and for whom you can make a difference. Because along with the positive side of newness, children have a lot to learn about the world and their place in it, and that can sometimes feel a little frightening, confusing, overwhelming, or lonely. Books can help children understand both how things work and that they’re not alone in their experiences and feelings. If I can help one child feel more comfortable with the arrival of a new sibling, or laugh over having the sniffles instead of feeling plain miserable, I feel like I did a good thing. And just the opportunity to make reading an enjoyable experience for kids – something they can carry with them – is very appealing.

I like your heart. What do you do to help and encourage others in their writing goals?

I teach an online picture book writing class called Making Picture Book Magic, which I try to make accessible and affordable and doable time-wise, and which I hope is helpful to those who take it. I also write a blog with features that allow writers to practice pitching (Would You Read It Wednesday), do a fun writing exercise together (Short & Sweets), or ask questions about the picture book writing life and craft (Oh Susanna!). I also run several writing contests a year on my blog for which I try to include prizes such as critiques by editors, agents, and authors. I also offer critiques of picture book manuscripts.

I plan to take your writing class at some point and have been urged by other writers because they’ve found it to be so good. I’ve only added my comment once in your pitching help, and I’ve participated in two of your writing contests. I’ll be back to try more! 🙂 Do you have other projects in the works? If so, can you give our readers any hints?

I have a couple more books coming out over the next 2 years …

WHEN YOUR LLAMA NEEDS A HAIRCUT (Little Simon January 2, 2018)
WHEN YOUR MONKEYS WON’T GO TO BED (Little Simon Fall 2018)
ALPHABEDTIME! (Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin Random House Spring 2019)
MOON DREAMS (Sourcebooks Spring 2019)

– those are all to some degree works-in-progress because there may well still be a call for edits on one or more of them. Aside from those, I have a few other manuscripts I’m kicking around that are not ready for humans yet, although my dogs have had to listen to them innumerable times. 🙂

That’s actually FOUR more books, Susanna! How fortunate you are. As for dogs, they make a considerate audience; my little one tips her head attentively when I read anything out loud. 🙂 Is being a writer/author all you had hoped or thought it would be?

You know, Lynn, it really is – for me. I love to write. I am grateful that my circumstances allow me to do what I love, even though what I earn is more supplemental income than making a living. I have been incredibly fortunate to be published, and that has allowed me to teach writing, which I love to do, and to do school visits which I also love, and to write a blog where I get to be part of a lovely community of like-minded folks. So yes. If anything it’s more than I thought it would be 🙂

I’m so glad for you. Do you have any advice for hopefuls?

My advice is probably much the same as what you’ve heard from other writers. Read as much as you can in the genre you hope to be published in. Practice your writing. Read good books on writing craft. Take some writing courses if you can – online or in person. Join SCBWI and go to some writing conferences. Join a critique group. Write. Write. And write some more! And if you really want to be published, never give up. Keep improving your writing. Keep trying. Keep submitting. Because the best idea ever won’t sell if you never bring yourself to write it and send it out into the world. 🙂

Thank you, Susanna, for an insightful interview. It’s been fun. 🙂

Thank you so much for having me on your blog today, Lynn, and for doing so much this month to give my new books a good start!

It’s truly my pleasure. 🙂 And now …

Susanna Leonard Hill and her publisher, Little Simon, are offering to one of you a copy of When Your LION Needs a BATH! Yay!!!

The rules are simple. Leave a comment on this post telling how you would coax your lion into the bath, and your name will be entered into the draw. 🙂 You have until Saturday, July 15, at 9:00 PM EST to enter. Using the “random name picker” I will select one name, and the next morning – Sunday, July 16 – I will announce the winner. Be sure to check your email Saturday night because I will be contacting the winner for a mailing address.

Check out Susanna’s blog for fun things including the schedule for the other participating blogs in her tour. More from Susanna:

Website
Blog - watch a fun trailer for When Your Lion Needs a Bath
Making Picture Book Magic (online writing class)

Don’t delay, comment today! And please pass the news on to your friends; post on Twitter, FaceBook, or what ever way you communicate with the world. We thank you. ♥

Thanks for reading, and … Creative Musings! 🙂