A Purr-fect PB Coming Soon. Marietta Apollonio and Jack The Library Cat by Kathy Halsey

It’s a treat to introduce you to JACK THE LIBRARY CAT (new release date: May 11. 2023) written and illustrated by Marietta Apollonio. Long-time readers know I personally only review books I recommend, but this review is a bit different. Since Marietta and I are friends. Our back story began at our first Whispering Pines Writing Retreat hosted by the NE SCBWI. (highly recommended by us both.) Neither of us knew the other, but we sat and critiqued for a wonderful fall weekend back in 2018. We’ve been attending writing events ever since and meet for critique every week.

Camaraderie and Inspiration = Great Retreat

I'm so excited to be kicking off your debut for JACK, Marietta!!!! GROG readers, it’s so much fun to have a friend and critique partner launch a book, especially their debut. Most of our critique group, The Saucy Supremes, are authors only. It’s a good move if you can add an illustrator to your group. We’ve learned so much by seeing how and what can be shown in images and what can be cut word-wise. Mar always asks us if we’ve made a dummy and followed the 3-act framework which makes the process easier and produces better work.

A meow-velous entry into the book! A cat-sized POV!

Review of Jack The Library Cat

I love picture books that get right into the action on the first spread, and author Marietta Apolloni’s doesn’t disappoint. Jack sneaks into the library every morning. Without saying it, the reader already knows Jack is not supposed to be there; he’s a crafty cat who loves the library. As I follow words and pictures, I’m impressed by how the art makes one want to turn the page or stop and see the entire library as an impressive place through Jack’s POV as he sits atop shelves surveying all that happens at engaging libraries. 

As a former school librarian, I applaud how much care is taken to show Ms. Fisher (notice the pun) as a modern library maven with a sense of style. Similar attention to character detail and personality shine through in Pascal, Jack’s library reading buddy, and the range of diverse characters who populate the pages and the library. When I see Jack, I want to scoop him up immediately and pet that somewhat scruffy fur.

The plot has me purring for more. This book is an homage to friendly libraries, storytime, the art of reading, and learning to read aloud. The theme of problem-solving acknowledges there are many ways to honor what all the stakeholders in the story want, with Pascal suggesting the winning compromise. Jack, The Library Cat is a book that warrants multiple readings as one discovers the Easter eggs hidden in the art, such as seeing that Jack and Pascal are reading about another fictional Jack that we all remember. Find a cat and kid to cuddle in your lap and get reading with Jack, Pascal, and author-illustrator Marietta Apollonio! (4 paws up!)

Craft Chat with Marietta

Where did the idea of Jack The Library Cat come from?  Did you have cats growing up?

Hi Kathy! Thank you so much for having me on the GROG. 

The idea for Jack the Library Cat actually came from a poster emailed to me by a friend that made a cat named Max pretty famous among library lovers in 2017. Even though Max had a home, he loved to go into a college campus library in Minnesota. But Max’s owners and the library did not want Max in there. When I was thinking about an idea for a new pb manuscript in 2020, I went back to this poster and imagined a stray cat who loved to sneak into the library for storytime. Would he be allowed to stay? What would happen if not? What if he made a friend?

I did have cats growing up! My first cat was all black with yellow eyes. She was mostly an outdoor cat during the day, off exploring the woods, and would come in at night for dinner and to sleep. When she had kittens, we kept a gray striped one, who was also an outdoor cat. Currently my 6 yr old and I are working hard to persuade my husband that our dog Indy needs a cat friend. 

I know you're an author illustrator. Many writers don't know that illustrators go through revision with their work too. Did the design and character development of Jack and other major characters change over time via the art?

Oh definitely. From how both Jack and Pascal were depicted in my final book dummy (there were 20), to how they look in final book art, took a lot of revising. Also, in the time it took to begin submitting my final book dummy, getting an agent, going out on submission, acquiring and getting started, which was almost two years, I was refining what I do. So stylistically it really just wasn’t the same. 

Originally in the book dummy Jack is a whitish gray. The team at Albert Whitman wanted him to stand out on the page, so I developed him as a yellowy-orange, with purple eyes that weren’t just dots, and other additions. He even went through additional rounds of changes during the cover revisions, to settle on the cutie he is now. 

Once Jack was finalized, I worked off of his color to create a palette that complemented it. So Pascal’s clothing was one of the things that changed, since he and Jack spend a lot of time with each other in the book. And because Pascal was in a different style and the publisher requested he look younger, I moved him into the same style as Jack, going through a few rounds on my own, figuring out his eyes and working out his hair to translate into the new style. And a last minute addition of a pair of round bright red glasses. 

What are your tips for writers only when they approach a story? What can they leave out for the illustrator? and what are your thoughts regarding art notes?

THREE ACT FRAMEWORK

Something that really helped my writing immensely is using the Invisible Ink three act framework. Kathy, you know how much I talk about this in our weekly critique group, the Saucy Supremes (shout out to Pam, Janie, Melissa, Charlotte and Monique!). I use it all the time. (Oh, yes, you do remind us! And It works!)

BOOK LAYOUT

Try book mapping while working on drafts and revisions. It’s really helpful to input your text, so you can figure out your pagination. Oftentimes you might start to notice things you don’t need, or realize you need to cut. IF you’re stuck in your ms, this might also help you move forward. Check out my blog for a how-to make a handheld baby version of your book so you can SEE how your story falls within a book format, including a downloadable 32 page self-ended book layout. 

Notice how this two-page spread illustration speaks to readers?

LEAVE ROOM/ART NOTES

When you are a few drafts into your story, I’d recommend going through and figuring out areas you can leave to the illustrator to use their imagination and skills. Figure out whether things you are describing in your story are really integral to the story, or if they are things that the illustrator can come up with. Do you really need to describe what the wallpaper looks like? The color of the flowers, the colors of a character's clothing, the type of clothing? What does the character(s) look like? Oftentimes we can get caught up in beautiful descriptions of things (I do it too), that are eating up space, and that can be handled by the artist. 

Art notes are important. If there are overarching themes to your story that benefit from the symbolism of an object. That would be a great art note at the beginning. Think about art notes as really important things you want the illustrator to know that support the story. Where a story takes place. Is it near a pond or a swamp? Those are big differences. 

What are some of your most enjoyable experiences with this debut?

Gosh. There have been so many. I’d say that tops is meeting new people via social media, the support of a fantastic debut group the PB23Bunch, learning and being able to share my new knowledge with others. I’ve really enjoyed the process of designing graphics for social media, stickers and prints for my preorder campaign, bookplates, and ads. Also having friends and family promoting the book as well. 

Did you experience any unexpected events that new authors should know about that you've experienced so far?

One thing that I hadn’t expected, and as I talk to other debut folks, is the out of pocket cost (preorder swag, school visit swag, advertising, etc) and the time it takes, once the cover is released and the publication date, to create and push marketing on social media. It’s a lot of extra time that I wasn’t prepared for. The costs are things that authors can decide ahead of time what they are willing/able to put in for marketing their book. It’s good to find out ahead of time what marketing your publisher is planning to do, so that you can make a separate plan for yourself. 

Still time to pre-order and get some cool swag!

What are you working on now? How will you be celebrating your debut? What author events will you be doing locally and otherwise?

Right now I am working with a new publisher, Tommy Nelson/HarperCollins, on my next picture book, Wombat and the Family Tree. Which I am so excited about. It combines my love of wombats, vintage family portraits and genealogy.  

The new release date for Jack The Library Cat is May 11 (due to supply chain issues still happening), and I’m super excited for it. There will be a pajama party storytime book launch event at my local indie, The Silver Unicorn (who is handling the preorder campaign), on launch day. So that’s how I’ll be celebrating. Also super excited to be doing a live virtual storytime on Storytime with Mr. Limata. Beyond that I’m working on scheduling school and library visits, and will be doing a storytime at my local library as part of their summer reading program.

I’ll be participating in two blogs so far (this one) and First Draft Friday with Hollie Wolverton on March 3. Also, I’ll be on the ShelvedBooks Podcast on Friday Feb 24, and Legit Kid Lit on Saturday April 29th with my friend Jen de Oliveira. Oh! I will also be live with Rachel Wilson (@rachelmwonders) on instagram for her new insta live chat, At The Kid Table on March 7. 

More About Marietta

Marietta Apollonio is the author-illustrator of JACK THE LIBRARY CAT (Albert Whitman, 2023) and WOMBAT AND THE FAMILY TREE (Tommy Nelson/HarperCollins, 2024). She grew up making mud pies, reading comic books, and playing in the woods of the Hudson Valley region of New York. Marietta received her BFA in illustration from The Art Institute of Boston (now Lesley University College of Art and Design), where she spent a considerable amount of time sketching at the Museum of Fine Arts, writing in her notebook, and searching for the best cannoli. Her illustrations include multiple mediums such as watercolor, color pencil, graphite, ink, and digital. She  spends her time illustrating and writing for picture books, working with a weekly writers’ group, making mud pies with her son, horseback riding, taking karate lessons, and exploring the woods of Central Massachusetts with her family. Marietta is a 2019 SCBWI Ann Barrow Illustration Scholarship recipient, a 2021 PBParty Finalist, 2022 PB Rising Stars mentor, a faculty member of the ABLA Big Sur Children’s Writers Workshop in 2022 and 2023, and a PBParty Judge in 2023. 

She is a member of SCBWI, the Boston Authors Club, and the PB23BUNCH. 

Represented by super star Jemiscoe Chambers-Black of

Andrea Brown Literary Agency