Lindsay H. Metcalf

September 10, 2020

Interview, Writing Craft, Illustration Craft

Illustrator Interview: Junyi Wu on creating BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST

Lindsay H. Metcalf

September 10, 2020

Interview, Writing Craft, Illustration Craft

By Lindsay H. Metcalf

Many people outside the children’s publishing industry don’t realize what goes into making a picture book. Notably, authors often have no contact with the illustrator while the book is being made. That’s why I was so excited when Junyi Wu, the illustrator of my debut, BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST, agreed to answer a few questions for the Soaring ‘20s blog. I’m thrilled to be learn how she rendered the gorgeous illustrations for our book, new this month from Albert Whitman & Co.

Lindsay: Welcome, Junyi! Tell us about the illustrations for BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST and how you landed on this style.

Junyi: We really wanted the art in this book to reflect Beatrix’s fascination with science, nature and drawing. I worked really closely with Aphee Messer, the book’s designer, to come up with ways to reflect Beatrix’s journey and the complexity of her scientific studies. We tried to keep a nice balance between detailed depictions of Beatrix’s drawings and more vivid and dreamy depictions of the English and Scottish countryside that inspired her.

Did you run into any particular challenges along the way?

There was quite a lot I had to learn about Beatrix Potter and this side of her work that is lesser known! I did get a lot of helpful notes during the sketch rounds for the interior art — both from Lindsay and Aphee on ways to help the art better fit the timeline of Beatrix’s life and work.

The book features scenes from late-1800s England and Scotland. How did you go about researching all the historical details?

Lindsay and the team at Albert Whitman put together a huge image library of photos of Beatrix and the many drawings she did. That helped me tremendously when it came to picturing Beatrix at various stages in her youth, as well as in recreating the sketches she made through her studies. Other than that, I did look up Kew Gardens, Beatrix’s writing desk, and various scientific and artistic instruments to try keep the settings in the story true to how things were.

Can you walk us through your favorite illustration?

I really enjoyed illustrating the scene of young Beatrix following the postman through the mud and landscape along his route. I imagined she’d be fully immersed in the sights, sound and smells of the Scottish Highlands, so it was fun to draw a lush scene with little details hinting at things she’d see while chasing her curiosity!

You also illustrated SCARY STORIES FOR YOUNG FOXES by Christian McKay Heidicker, which won a Newbery Honor this spring! I only recently realized that this book features a creepy taxidermist rendering of Beatrix Potter. Our book features a scene in which the real Beatrix examines her dead pets’ skeletons. “But when the animals die—after she cries—she removes their flesh to admire their bones. There’s care in every measurement, from head to fingers to tail.” Can you talk about this connection?

Yes, that was definitely an interesting parallel! I think both books introduce us to a version of Beatrix that we might not have pictured from reading her children’s books full of idyllic scenes and charmingly realistic characters. She was someone who observed the world meticulously, documenting every detail of the composition and structure of the flora and fauna she encountered. The delicate accuracy of her storybook illustrations reflect the extent of her study. I would agree that the same qualities that make Beatrix a brilliant naturalist and artist can certainly make her quite scary through the eyes of a fox kit.

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

A special fx makeup artist. It would be so amazing to be able to bring things to life in that way!

What’s next for you?

I'm currently working on a couple of other book projects, including my debut author-illustrator book CORGI CAN, with Scholastic! I'm also working on some fun animation projects with Chromosphere Studio.

Congratulations on your upcoming projects, Junyi, and thanks for sharing about your process!

Virtual Event: All About Beatrix Potter!

Join Junyi Wu and Lindsay H. Metcalf, along with Linda Elovitz Marshall, author of SAVING THE COUNTRYSIDE: The Story of Beatrix Potter and Peter Rabbit (Little Bee Books, 2020).

When: 7 p.m. CST September 23

Hosted by: Mainstreet Books in St. Charles, Mo., and the St. Charles City-County Library

Where: Facebook Live at facebook.com/VisitMyLibrary

Signed bookplates: Order BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST from Mainstreet Books and receive a bookplate signed by both Junyi and Lindsay.

Book Details

BEATRIX POTTER, SCIENTIST

by Lindsay H. Metcalf,

Illustrated by Junyi Wu

Pub Date: September 1
ISBN: 978-0807551752
Publisher: Albert Whitman & Co.

Junyi Wu is an illustrator currently working in children's publishing and animation. She is the illustrator of Beatrix Potter, Scientist, Bicycles in Beijing (written by Teresa Robeson, Albert Whitman, 2020), and Scary Stories for Young Foxes, the Newbery Honor-winning book written by Christian McKay Heidicker (Henry Holt and Co., 2019). Junyi lives in California with her handy husband, clever cat and boisterous bunny. She grew up admiring Beatrix Potter’s stories and illustrations and is now very happy to be creating picture books of her own. Like Beatrix, she enjoys exploring the beauty and nuance of nature in her work. Recently, she’s been very into making stews, baking and playing board games.

Website: junyiwu.com
Instagram: @junyiwu

Lindsay H. Metcalf (CREDIT ANNA JACKSON).JPG

Lindsay H. Metcalf is a journalist and author of nonfiction picture books: Beatrix Potter, Scientist; Farmers Unite! Planting a Protest for Fair Prices (Calkins Creek, November 2020); and No Voice Too Small: Fourteen Young Americans Making History, a poetry anthology about contemporary young activists co-edited by Lindsay H. Metcalf, Keila V. Dawson, and Jeanette Bradley, illustrated by Bradley (Charlesbridge, September 2020). Lindsay lives in north-central Kansas, not far from the farm where she grew up, with her husband, two sons, and a variety of pets.

Website: lindsayhmetcalf.com
Twitter: @lindsayhmetcalf
Instagram: @lindsayhmetcalf

Elisa Boxer

June 30, 2020

News, Books in the Classroom, Interview

HOW TO WEAR A SARI: Interview and Cover Reveal!

Elisa Boxer

June 30, 2020

News, Books in the Classroom, Interview

By NONIEQA RAMOS

The Soaring ‘20s are thrilled to host the cover reveal of Darshana Khiani’s debut picture book, HOW TO WEAR A SARI!

Darshana Khiani, a mom to two darling girls, is a computer engineer by day and writer by night. She makes every hour of the day count! Her literary career began with her children’s book review site and blog Flowering Minds, where she interviewed authors, kept a book report diary, and compiled reading roundups of South Asian picture books, middle grade books, and young adult literature. She has spent more than a decade working on the We Need Diverse Books Campaign, reviewing and promoting inclusive children’s literature that reflects our world. I am so hyped to interview my Versify sibling about her debut picture book HOW TO WEAR A SARI, which is set to release June 22, 2021!

Darshana, your debut picture book, HOW TO WEAR A SARI, sparkles with playfulness, humor, and joy. Kids will love this delightful story about a little girl who plays dress-up to prove how grown-up she is. Parents will chuckle over the hilarious results. What inspired you to tell this story?

In the fall of 2016, I was planning out my outfits for the upcoming Diwali holiday season. I love the elegance of saris, but I was bemoaning how I never got the hang of wearing one. Then I wondered what it would be like if a young Indian girl wanted to play dress-up with her mom’s sari. *lightbulb* I knew I had a story. While many books depict playing dress-up with Western formal wear, there were none with a sari. And while there are a handful of sari books, I wanted this to be fun, light-hearted, and cheery like Fancy Nancy or the Birdie books. I wanted to show the universal themes of wanting to be older and dressing up but with South Asian flair.

Please tell us about your pre-publication journey. How did you feel when you signed with Kwame Alexander’s imprint Versify?

When I was a kid, I dreaded English class. It was my hardest subject. However, I always enjoyed creative writing assignments. They were my favorite. But seeing as I didn’t like writing essays and term papers, I pursued engineering in college. Fast forward 20 years, and I’m reading stacks and stacks of picture books to my kids and loving it. I began studying the craft of writing, joined SCBWI, took classes, attended conferences, and immersed myself into everything kidlit. After seven years, in the spring of 2018, I received the wonderful news from my agent that Versify wanted to buy HOW TO WEAR A SARI. I spoke to Kwame and my editor, Erika. I loved hearing their enthusiasm and that our visions for the story matched.

Can you describe your revision process as you strove to bring HOW TO WEAR A SARI to the beautiful work of art it is today?

Thank you for those kind words. 😊 I started this story in the fall of 2016 and only went through 11 revisions and was in polished state by the summer of 2017. That’s quite fast for me. Most of my stories take at least two years or longer. This came well-formed from the beginning in terms of the voice and plot line. I usually do a few revisions on my own to make sure all the major pieces and vision of the story are there before sending it to my critique group. The aspect that took the longest to nail was the heart for the story. “Why did she want to wear a sari?” Once the big picture items are in place, I’ll put the story into a storyboard format so I can see all the spreads on one sheet of paper. This helps me with pacing, word repetition, and seeing the number of words on each spread.

The illustrations are fresh, whimsical, and charming. What was it like collaborating with illustrator Joanne Lew-Vriethoff? How did you feel when you saw the final product?

As is the case in many picture book projects, I didn’t have any contact with Joanne. All communications went through my editor, Erika Turner, and book designer Natalie Fondriest. This book is bursting with energy and color thanks to Joanne and Natalie. When I saw the first full sketch dummy. I was BLOWN away. Joanne made my spunky, fun-loving girl into a fully formed person with a personality. I loved the girl’s expressions and movement. I also really appreciated how Joanne used a variety of brown skin tones for the characters and included a mixed-race family.

What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

I want kids to know that desire to show grownups you can do older things is a universal feeling. There will be fun moments and mistakes, but that’s all part of the experience. With the ending, I wanted kids to see that everyone young and old has flop moments, too. So keep on striving!

On what other projects are you working?

Truthfully, the writing has been a bit slow with everything that’s going on in the world. I’ve been leaning into family time, learning more about anti-Blackness in the South Asian community and engaging in the ongoing conversations with family and friends.

I am polishing up a picture book on compassion, which I’m excited about as it is near and dear to my heart. I have another picture book under contract, but it hasn’t been announced yet. Stay tuned. 😉

And now… the Grand Reveal!

As we get closer to Darshana’s publication date, please stay tuned for details on her launch. Check out her website for details on forthcoming interviews, panels, and workshops. Be sure and add HOW TO WEAR A SARI on Goodreads!

Darshana Khiani is a computer engineer by day and a children’s writer by night. She is a second-generation Indian American and enjoys writing funny, light-hearted stories with a South Asian backdrop. When she isn’t working or writing she can be found hiking, skiing, or volunteering. Darshana lives in the San Francisco Bay Area with her husband and two daughters. You can find her online at:

Website: www.darshanakhiani.com
Twitter: @darshanakhiani
Instagram: @darshanakhiani

NoNieqa Ramos is an educator who wrote THE DISTURBED GIRL’S DICTIONARY, a 2018 New York Public Library Best Book for Teens, a 2019 YALSA Best Fiction for Young Adults selection, and a 2019 In the Margins Award Top Ten pick. Hip Latina named THE TRUTH IS in its “10 of the Best Latinx Young Adult Books of 2019.” Remezcla included TTI in the “15 Best Books by Latino and Latin American Authors of 2019.” Versify will release her debut picture books BEAUTY WOKE on January 1, 2021, and YOUR MAMA on April 6, 2021. NoNieqa is a proud member of The Soaring 20s and Las Musas. You can find her online at:

Website: https://nonieqaramos.com/
Twitter: @NoNieqaRamos
Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/50986523-your-mama
Instagram: @nonieqa.ramos/
Las Musas: https://www.lasmusasbooks.com/nonieqa-ramos.html

Lindsay H. Metcalf

June 1, 2020

Writing Craft, Interview, Books in the Classroom, Book Recommendation

Happy Book Birthday, Invent-a-Pet!

Lindsay H. Metcalf

June 1, 2020

Writing Craft, Interview, Books in the Classroom, Book Recommendation

By Vicky Fang

My debut picture book, INVENT-A-PET, illustrated by Tidawan Thaipinnarong, launches on June 2 from Sterling Children’s Books!

INVENT-A-PET tells the story of Katie, an ordinary girl who longs for an extraordinary pet—something more spectacular than a simple goldfish. One day, Katie comes home to find a gift from her mother: a mysterious machine designed to help her create that one-of-a-kind creature. Each time she feeds different items into the machine, out comes a marvelously colorful new animal—like a purple monkey, rainbow-spotted horse, and green bunny! But none of them is just right. Through trial and error, Katie figures out the formula for her absolutely perfect SURPRISE pet.

Why I Wrote It

I started writing children’s books to inspire and empower kids in STEAM (science, tech, engineering, art, and math), particularly girls and minorities. I’m a former product designer, and I’ve had so much fun creating things like DIY robots, buildings that play music, and interactive storybooks. For me, technology is magical, and I want kids to be able to see that too!

Vicky Fang and team at Google have a dance party with their DIY cardboard robots.

The Idea

If you asked me where the idea for INVENT-A-PET came from, I would have a hard time telling you.

The most direct answer is this: I keep a long list of random story ideas on my phone. At some point, I jotted down “mixed up animals” and at another point, I jotted down “Louisa’s Magnificent Mixing Machine.” One day, on an airplane flight (my favorite place to write), I thought to combine these two disconnected ideas, and the first draft of INVENT-A-PET was born!

INVENT-A-PET spread, ©2020 Sterling Children’s Books

But the thing is … if I look back through my life, some idea of pet mixing machines has been there for a long, long time. As a designer of kids’ experiences, often combining technology and education, mixed-up pets have dipped in and out of my consciousness many times before.

The first time that I have a record of it is in 2002, when I was in graduate school studying for my MFA in Design and Technology at Parsons School of Design in NYC. I was working with fellow students on a children’s educational software project. We created a game called PetSet that allowed you to create mixed-up pets by dragging and dropping different icons into a simple animated machine.

The next memory that I have is from 2003 or 2004, when I was working as a game designer at a small independent game design studio called Large Animal Games. We built an online game that created funny, mixed up dogs through a wacky machine.

And most recently, in 2017, I was working as a designer on kids’ experiences at Google, many of which were geared toward inspiring and empowering kids in STEAM. When I told a co-worker about my story, she said, “Oh, like Sound Pet.” I hadn’t made the connection, but at that very moment, I was the creative lead on a kids’ game that let you take care of a virtual mixed-up pet.

I’m sure there are probably more examples. Somehow, this idea was always close to me. That may sound like a strange thing to say about a wacky pet-mixing machine that teaches you STEAM concepts … and yet, it’s true. When they say, “Write what you know,” you may be surprised at what that might be!

The Takeaway

As I get deeper into my writing career, I’m finding that the ingredients that went into INVENT-A-PET hold true for my other books as well. Let’s take a look at those ingredients—or, rather “inputs,” as Katie would have us say!

Usually, I find that a single idea isn’t rich enough to make a strong story. I often need to combine two or more ideas to add depth.
I also need to be able to pull from a bench of rich experiences—which for me, so far, has been related to STEAM inspiration for kids.
And then, after all that, it’s about writing a great story. Impossibly simple, right? (Or is that simply impossible?)

That, my friends, is my perfect formula for an extraordinary story. I hope this is somehow helpful to you on your quest for yours!

I am so excited to share INVENT-A-PET with the world, and looking forward to many more books to come.

Book Details

INVENT-A-PET

by Vicky Fang, Illustrated by Tidawan Thaipinnarong

Pub Date: June 2
ISBN: 978-1-4549-3381-6
Publisher: Sterling Children's Books

Vicky Fang is a product designer who spent five years designing kids’ technology experiences for both Google and Intel, often to inspire and empower kids in coding and technology. Through that work, she came to recognize the gap in education and inspiration, particularly for girls and minorities. She began writing books to provide kids with accessible STEAM-inspired stories that they can read again and again, learning from characters they love. Her goal for her books is to inspire computer literacy for a wide range of kids—while letting their imaginations run wild with the possibilities of technology! Her debut books, LAYLA & THE BOTS (Scholastic early chapter book series) and INVENT-A-PET (Sterling picture book), are launching in Spring/Summer 2020 and feature courageous and innovative girls in STEAM. You can find Vicky on Twitter @fangmous or at her website www.vickyfang.com.