Author Interview: Valerie Bolling

Today, I have Valerie Bolling on my blog. Her super fun debut picture book, Let's Dance! released in March. She is another fellow 12x12 picture book author. (Super secret* author hint: if you want to meet other writers and learn more about writing, joining writing groups is a great way to do it!)

*It's not actually secret at all.

I'm excited to learn more about Valerie and her book, and hope you are, too. So let's get to it! As always, I'm in green. 

Hi Valerie, welcome to my blog!

Thank you for inviting me, Janet! I’m happy to be here.

Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you came to write children's books?

Sure, Janet. In addition to being an author, I’m an educator. I’m also an aunt. I have always loved children. Even as a child, I connected with younger children – my cousins and those in the neighborhood – reading to them, helping with homework, and planning the games that we’d play together. Writing, too, has always been something I’ve enjoyed. As a child, teen, and adult, I’ve always written poems, stories, and articles. I even kept a diary during my teen years.

I decided to write picture books because I want children to see themselves in books and to see others who may be different from them. I want them to celebrate and appreciate our diverse world and to experience connection and empathy. I know that’s a tall order, Janet, but it’s what keeps me writing. 

Beautifully said! It IS a tall order, but a tall order worth working for. 😊 And speaking of your writing, I loved your book! Please tell us about it.

Let’s Dance! is a book that celebrates dances from around the world and the diverse children who enjoy them. It’s a book that’s sure to get young readers and dancers moving, and it provides the perfect distance learning movement break.

I definitely wanted to try out all the dances when I read it! What inspired you to write it?

I wanted to write a book that showcases the joy connected to dancing. I was not only motivated to celebrate the universality of dance but also its diversity and inclusiveness. Anyone – no matter who you are – can dance. It is an activity we can enjoy together … even virtually these days.

Dancing is such a fun way to connect. And I love that you use dances from all over the world. The brief descriptions of each of the dances at the end was especially fun. Was that always part of your manuscript? Or at what point was that added?

That’s a great question, Janet. The original manuscript didn’t include the two-sentence descriptions for each dance. My editor, Jes Negrón, at Boyds Mills & Kane, requested that I add the back matter. Shortly after acquiring the manuscript, she told me that she’d probably ask me to write the descriptions, so I wasn’t surprised when she did.

So fascinating to see the behind-the-scenes process. No two books are the same! But I have to ask . . . since you did the research, have you danced all of these dances? And which one is your favorite?

I haven’t danced all of the dances but would be willing to try most of them, except for breakdancing. No way can I spin on my head or do a one-armed handstand!

Haha! Yeah, I think I would struggle with that one, too!

I don’t necessarily have a favorite dance, but I have a personal connection with kuku because I learned that dance in college.

That must have been such a fun class. I confess, while so many sound fun, I've always wanted to learn Irish Stepdancing.

Okay, let's talk art. The art is so fun! The illustrator, Maine Diaz, really makes the dancing come alive. Did you have input, or what was your reaction to seeing it for the first time?

Jes was kind enough to allow my input into the selection of an illustrator, and it’s obvious that Maine was the right choice! I saw early sketches for the book and was able to offer input, which I appreciated. I was not prepared, however, for the finished project. I was THRILLED! Maine’s illustrations are captivating and energetic; they certainly make my words DANCE!

They really do. Such a perfect pairing between words and pictures. 

Okay, one last question. Here on my blog, I have a fascination for personalized license plates. What do you think the dancers in your story might choose for a personalized license plate? You have 8 characters. Go!

DANC4EVR

What a fun, creative question, Janet! I wrote the first thing that came to mind.

Love it! The perfect license plate. Thanks so much again for stopping by here on the blog.

Thank you for taking the time to interview me about Let’s Dance!, Janet. I appreciate the opportunity to share my book with your readers.

You're welcome! And for the rest of you, see below to find out where to get your own copy of Let's Dance! and where you can connect with Valerie on social media.

~~~

LET'S DANCE! (Boyds Mills & Kane) is Valerie Bolling’s debut picture book. In addition to being an author, Valerie has been an educator for over 25 years. She is passionate about creating stories in which all children can see themselves and feel valued and heard. Besides writing picture books, Valerie has been published in The National Writing Project’s Quarterly (“The Family Writing Project Builds a Learning Community in Connecticut”) and NESCBWI News (“Microaggressions Don’t Feel ‘Micro’”). Recently, she had a poem accepted for publication by Cricket Media. Valerie and her husband live in Connecticut and enjoy traveling, hiking, reading, going to the theater, and dancing. 

You can find her website HERE, and follow her on Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram. 

Signed copies of LET'S DANCE! can be purchased from RJ Julia Booksellers, and unsigned copies are available at Bookshop.org, Amazon, B&N, and wherever books are sold.

Author Interview: Gabi Snyder

Please Welcome Gabi Snyder to my blog! I love Gabi. We met through a picture book group called 12x12, and are now both part of the Debut Crew. I confess, I may be fangirling to have her on my site. I actually read her book announcement before we met and thought it sounded brilliant! I'm excited for you all to learn more about her.

Now on to the interview! As always, I'm in green.

Hi Gabi, welcome to my blog!

Hi Janet! I’m excited to be here!

Can you tell us a little about yourself and how you came to write children's books?

Back in the day (early aughts), I studied English-Creative Writing at The University of Texas, with a focus on writing fiction for adults. After earning my MA, I took a succession of jobs that used writing (like grant writing and instructional design), but I wasn’t finding much time to do my own writing.

Fast forward to 2013: when my kids were little (3 and 5), we moved from Austin to Corvallis, Oregon. With a break from work following the move, I found time to get back to my own writing. Only, by then, reading daily with my two littles, I’d become immersed in the world of picture books and fallen in love with this form of storytelling.

Isn't it an amazing form? I'm totally in love, too. Your book is so fun! Please tell us what it's about.

TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE starts with a gate left open and a dog escaping her yard to join a poodle on a trike. Soon it’s three dogs on a scooter and then four dogs on a bike. With each new mode of transportation, a new dog is added to the fun. But what the pups don’t notice is that the original dog’s family cat is in hot pursuit.

It's such a fun premise! I can just imagine kids giggling over that cat. What inspired you to write Two Dogs on a Trike?

If I had to guess which picture book I reread the most as a child, I’d name GO, DOG. GO! by P.D. Eastman. The silly dogs and sense of movement and fun in TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE are, in part, an homage to the P.D. Eastman classic. In TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE, we count up to 10 and back down again while moving through different and escalating modes of transportation.

And the dog versus cat dynamic that plays out in the story was inspired, in part, by my childhood pets. I grew up with a cat we called Kinko (named for his kinked tail) and an assortment of dogs. Kinko was the undisputed boss. Now my family includes one daredevil dog and one cat who keeps us all in line.

Haha! I had cats growing up, too, and they definitely keep us all in line. 

I love that your book leaves so much room for the reader to create a story. Sparse text books can be really tricky, and yours makes it look easy! I would love to hear about your revision process. Was the initial draft pretty similar to this, or what kind of edits did you have to make?

Great question! Unlike most of my stories, drafting TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE was fairly quick and painless. It came out mostly whole. Of course, my brilliant critique partners still had suggestions for taking it to the next level. For instance, looking back at my first draft I see that the first line of the story initially read “One dog on the sidewalk.” With help from my critique partners, that line changed to “One dog, all alone…”. And then, when working with my editor, Meredith Mundy at Abrams, she pointed out that Sandra Boynton’s book HIPPOS GO BERSERK opens with this line: “One hippo, all alone . . ..” I wanted my opening line to vary more from the first line of that Boynton classic, so we changed that line to “One dog stands alone.”

So fun to see the evolution! Thank you for sharing. I feel like I just got a peek into your secret lab. 😊 

Okay, so hearing about the story, and knowing you have a dog and cat, any chance we can see a picture? Everyone loves pet pictures. 

Camille (the dog) and Henry (the cat) love to help me write! Camille likes to drape herself across my lap as I type, and Henry keeps my manuscripts warm and furry.

Adorable! What a cozy way to write. 😸🐶 

Finally, the art. I love the bold colors and the simple, yet intricate images (which is quite the feat!). The illustrator, Robin Rosenthal, conveys so much emotion and humor and makes it look effortless! What is your favorite image from the book, and why?

I am absolutely smitten with Robin’s illustrations. And I love the 80's retro vibe of the fashion choices.

Aren't those the best??! The 80's rocked.

For the first half of the story, the dogs are oblivious to the fact that they’re being followed. When we reach “10 dogs,” there’s a realization. That last animal? Not a dog! The revelation spread and the one that follows are my favorite images in the story. And while my illustration notes made clear who that not a dog is, I didn’t specify where we are. Robin Rosenthal’s illustration for that spread is hilarious and unexpected! I gasped in surprise when I saw it, and yet it feels like the inevitable “of course!” choice. Truly perfection.

It totally felt inevitable! It's a neat thing to watch an illustrator's work not only bring a story to life, but add that extra to make it that much MORE. 

Okay, one last question. Here on my blog, I have a fascination for personalized license plates. What do you think the dogs (and the cat!) in your story might choose for a personalized license plate? You have 8 characters. Go!

Dogs: OffLeash

Cat: Purrsuit

Those are purrfect! (I couldn't resist! Haha!) Thanks so much for stopping in!

Thanks so much for hosting me, Janet! 😊

TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE will be released on May 19th. To learn more about Gabi, her book, and where to find her on social media, see below!

~~~

Reader. Writer. Lover of chocolate. Watch for Gabi Snyder’s debut picture book, TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE, coming from Abrams/Appleseed in spring 2020, and her second picture book, LISTEN (working title) from Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books in spring 2021. Gabi lives in Oregon with her family, including one daredevil dog and the cat who keeps everyone in line.

You can find her website HERE, and follow her on Twitter, Goodreads, and Instagram.

If possible, consider buying TWO DOGS ON A TRIKE from your local bookstore. You can use Indiebound to find a local store.

If you don’t have a local indie or if they’re not able to take online orders, consider supporting local bookstores by ordering from Bookshop.