Brianne Farley Answers Questions About Worms, Sandwiches, and Art for STEM

 by Sue Heavenrich

The first time I read Worm Makes a Sandwich, I laughed out loud – because, seriously, how can a worm even make a sandwich? Author/illustrator, Brianne Farley points this out:

Worms don’t have hands!

They cannot make sandwiches!

And yet. Worm is SO earnest. He so much wants to make a sandwich. He just needs one thing…

And then he’s all ready… nope. He needs one more thing… or three.

Some of the things he needs (garbage, dirt) are not for your sandwich. But that tomato is. All worm needs is for you to slice that tomato. And maybe do just a couple more things.

Other than that, he’s got this covered. He is definitely making you a sandwich!

The second time I read Worm Makes a Sandwich, I slowed down. I didn’t want to get indigestion! 

Spending more time on the page allowed me to savor the words and enjoy the mouthfeel of reading them aloud. Spending more time on the page gave me the chance to dive into the illustrations. And that’s when I knew I just had to talk to Brianne! I caught up to her last month just before lunchtime. She and Hank (her dog) were hanging out in her creative space in her home. I am so grateful that Brianne was open to answering a few questions about sandwiches and making art.

Me: I love that Worm Makes a Sandwich is all about the process of composting! Do you have a science background?

Brianne (pronounced BREE-in): I thought about going into medical illustration and have a strong interest in biology. I even took ecology classes in college. I ended up with a degree in English and art, and then went on to get my MFA in illustration. But my science brain is curious. I like knowing how things work, and I like doing research. That’s a good thing, because every book takes me in a new research direction. And that’s because illustrations tell half the story, so I need to know all that stuff!

Me: I love that you are telling the story of composting through the point-of-view of an expert composter: a worm. What made you decide to write from the POV of the worm? And how did you land on their voice? 

photo by Michael Poehlman

Brianne: At one point in my life I lived in a small house with a small yard and a small garden. I had gotten a tumbler composter, but the winters were cold and the tumbler froze solid. I wondered how I could compost through frigid weather. I decided to try my hand at vermicomposting, so I ordered a worm bin and a thousand wiggly worms. It was fun and super-engaging. I found that I loved talking about my worms and also about composting.

When I decided to write about compost, I took videos of my compost so I could get a closer look at the critters helping to decompose my kitchen scraps. I also took photos of tomatoes growing in my garden, so I could capture the various stages over the season.

The process of composting provides the structure for my story, but I didn’t want it to be straight nonfiction. I got thinking about how I could make it narrative and landed on the concept of making a sandwich. Worms journey (from making compost to growing the tomato for the sandwich) is like any creative journey we have. We start with a Great Idea! And then we realize all the work that has to happen for that idea to take shape. And we face that moment when, like Worm, we ask: How can I even do this? 

Me: Yes, there is a great spread where Worm faces his “dark night of the soul.” He sees himself as a failure and says, “Maybe I can’t make a sandwich. Maybe I should try again when I’m bigger.”

Brianne: When I visit schools, I hear and see how early on in the process kids get frustrated in making art. They can see what the final product should look like, but it’s not coming out the way they envisioned it. Or it’s not happening fast enough. I try to let them know that frustration is a part of what we (artists) all go through – it’s part of the creative process.

Me:  One of the things I remember teaching my students in science class was how to glean information from various sources in their book: text, illustrations, captions, charts and graphs. So I love how you integrate science information in your illustrations. My favorite was the page with the list of foods that worm prefers: apple cores, mushy grapes… a great list on its own. But YOU add to that list by labeling additional items in the illustration: grass clippings, dry leaves, etc. You do this on a couple other spreads, too. 

Brianne: The gorgeous thing about picture books is that the text and illustrations combine to work as a whole. With this story, I started with way too much information and spent a lot of time cutting text. I wanted it to be easy and fun to read aloud. But I also love picture books with detailed illustrations you can come back to again and again, so I snuck a lot of that information back into the art for kids to discover on second and third readings. I had to keep telling myself that I didn’t have to write everything there is to know about compost – just enough to get readers interested. I also want kids to see where their food comes from.

Me: I love back matter in picture books! In yours, you explain what compost is, how to do it, and why people should compost.

Brianne: Yes, I really wanted to address some misconceptions about compost. The biggest misconception is that compost smells. It doesn’t! Another thing I wanted to make sure kids come away with is the understanding that we don’t have to send all that wonderful organic matter to the landfill. The bacteria in landfills create gases that contribute to global warming – we shouldn’t feed them. Also, if you make compost, you could grow a delicious tomato. Or you could give your compost to a neighbor who will share their yummy tomatoes with you.

Me: Thank you Brianne. This has been absolutely delightful, and all this talking about sandwiches has made me hungry! 

Brianne: Me, too. I’m having a bagel with cream cheese and cucumbers and shredded carrots on top.

Me: How funny! Mine is hummus with sliced cucumbers!

Note: No worms were harmed in the making of our sandwiches. You can find out more about Brianne and her wonderful books and art at her website, www.briannefarley.com

Serious Science Presented Not So Seriously

by Sue Heavenrich

Greenwillow Books, June 4, 2024

 I love it when an author can present serious science in a fun – and even humorous – way. So I couldn’t wait to get my hands on a copy of Abi Cushman’s newest picture book, Flamingos Are Pretty Funky. It’s the second (Not So) Serious Guide book and just as fun to read as her earlier guide, Wombats Are Pretty Weird, which  I reviewed last year.

Flamingos are tall wading birds that wear bright pink feathers. And they have pink legs and even pink feet. You may have seen some at a zoo or in an aviary, and recently they’ve been in the news. Since last summer, flamingos have taken up residence in Florida in places where they haven’t been seen for decades. Flamingos, it turns out, were once common in Florida. But their lovely pink plumage was prized for decorating ladies hats. So flamingos were hunted out of existence in the 1800s. And now they’re back – perhaps blown in by hurricane, say some scientists.

So now is the perfect time to learn more about these flamboyant birds. In her book, Abi Cushman invites readers to get up close and personal with flamingos. But not that close!

“Back up a little,” she writes. “A little more …There! Behold the flamingo…”  And with that she’s off and telling us all about where flamingos live and their names (er, species), and why their feathers are pink. It has to do with what they eat – shrimp – and … 

“Have you tried eating more peas? I hear green is a pretty stylish color, too.” 

Sorry for the interruption. That was Joey the snake. He hangs out in sidebars and page margins adding comedic commentary. Back to flamingos … I enjoyed Abi’s new book so much that I invited her over to the GROG for a cuppa and a chat.

Sue: I love the beginning "too close... back up..." How did you decide where to begin with this book?

Abi Cushman

Abi: With both Wombats Are Pretty Weird and Flamingos Are Pretty Funky, I like to think of the narrator as someone who is trying to do a serious nature documentary, but things go a bit sideways. I thought it would be funny to play with the idea of “Can you spot the flamingo?” Well, of course you can because it’s bright pink. So I thought I’d take it a step further (or rather, a step too close) and zoom in all the way to its feathers to start.

Sue:  You've got a map to show where different flamingos are found around the world. And I think this is where we first meet their personalities. How and when did you decide the Lesser Flamingo would be cranky?

Abi: I mean, wouldn’t you be cranky if your name was Lesser? No doubt the name came about because this flamingo is small, but surely we could come up with a better name. It’s a bit insulting. To be fair, none of the flamingos have very creative common names, which was great for me because it provided fodder for jokes.

Sue: What inspired you to write this book?

Abi: I always wanted to make more “[Not So] Serious Guide” books in a similar vein to Wombats Are Pretty Weird. But I added flamingos as a potential animal to pitch to my editor after reading a National Geographic Kids article about how flamingos can live in very extreme environments. I had already known about them getting their pink coloring from their food, but I learned about their tough scaly legs and their ability to drink salt water from the article. That made me want to dig even deeper, and I discovered even more cool traits. I think flamingos make a great subject for a book because most people are familiar with them but may not know how weird and special they are.

Sue:  Do you have flamingos living anywhere near you? (Not that flamingos are native to Connecticut) 

Abi: I am lucky in that I often see wading birds where I live in Connecticut, including snowy egrets and great blue herons. However, the closest flamingos probably live at the Roger Williams Zoo in Rhode Island.

Sue: We first met Joey-the-Snake in your Wombat book. When did you decide he'd be in Flamingos are Pretty Funky? And will we see him in any future books?

Abi: When I was thinking about how to continue the series, I actually wasn’t sure if I should have Joey the snake again or a different animal to provide commentary. But then once I thought of the joke comparing the bright pink color of the flamingos to Joey’s “drab pea-greeny” color, I felt like I could make it work. I like having him in this second book because it adds continuity to the series. I have ideas for more animals Joey can meet, and it is my sincere hope that you will see him in future books!

Sue: Thanks for hanging out at the GROG, and I can’t wait to see more “not so serious” guides! 

Abi Cushman is the author-illustrator of Soaked! (Viking, 2020), Animals Go Vroom! (Viking, 2021 Wombats Are Pretty Weird (Greenwillow Books, 2023) and illustrated The Quiet Forest (written by Charlotte Offsay) published earlier this year. When she’s not writing about weird animals, Abi enjoys running, playing tennis, and eating nachos. She lives on the Connecticut shoreline with her husband and two kids. Find out more about Abi and her books at her website at her website.

Q and A with Author/Illustrator Denise Fleming by Sherri Rivers

         I had the pleasure of meeting Denise Fleming last summer at the WOW writing conference in Helen, GA. I found her to be fun, creative, and full of talent. I was thrilled to get to interview her. I don't know too many children's authors who write the text and provide the art. She's a double threat!

                                               

    When did you start your writing/illustrating journey for children?

     Before I started writing my own books and discovered paper-making, I illustrated mass market books for Random House, which was a great experience. It also made me realize that I wanted to write and illustrate picture books. I took no work for two years and worked on my own book ideas, and discovered pulp painting. I had been experimenting with different techniques, but none of them clicked. Then I took a paper-making class at the local high school and fell in love with pulp painting, which became my signature style. We lived quite frugally those two years so I could take time to explore. My husband is also an artist and very supportive.

     What's your art background?

     I attended Kendal College of Art and Design in Grand Rapids, Michigan. I started as an advertising student, then transferred to illustration. I wanted to illustrate for magazines. That was the heydey of great magazine illustrators. A friend introduced me to picture books. She gave me a copy of Rain Makes Applesauce,

which is still a favorite. I worked a great deal in pen and colored inks at that time.
     After art school I constantly took classes. Etching, litho, wire work, drawing with the sewing machine, art dolls,wire work, clay, recycled tin and the list goes on. My husband and I took on freelance work, working in wood and creating restaurant interiors. Craft and hand work was much in vogue at that time.

     How did your first book come about?

     I went to New York with my pulp paintings and manuscripts. Laura Godwin at Henry Holt was the first person I saw. She was very interested and bought the two book ideas I had with me. In The Tall, Tall Grass came out in 1991.


                                                  

     Do you doodle first and then come up with a plot/story, or do you start with story/text?

     It can work either way. Often I will have an idea, such as what goes on underground, sketch a few things, jot down some text, then go back and forth between words and art. The book I am working on now, I wrote the text first over ten years ago, put it way, then recently took it out again, rewrote, and now I am designing the book.

     Which of your books took the longest or was hardest to complete?
                                 

     Where Once There Was A Wood was a book that gave me the most worry. I wanted to get my point across, but did not want to appear judgmental. Took me forever, but I am very happy with it.


     What do you do when the art or the text doesn't seem to be working?

                             


     Put it way for a bit, sometimes years. When it is not working and you begin to obsess, you no longer can clearly see what is off. I have drawers full of manuscripts and sketches that aren't right. Sometime you can pull those book ideas out and they shout at you what is not working. Other times---nothing comes to you.

     Do you do school visits, and if so, how do you structure them? Do you ever hear from children?

     I do a few school visits here and there. I used to do a great many, but dang it, those kids are too sharing, especially with germs. Strep throat three times in one year was when I stopped doing visits. Though I love seeing the children. I do more library visits where the kids visit the library. I loved field trips as a kid and going to the library makes it more special and for some children, it is their first visit to the public library. And yes, I get wonderful drawings and letters. I like the drawings best!

     Is there an average time it takes you to complete a project, or does it depend?

                                               
     Oh, goodness. I am so slow. It varies from book to book. It takes the time it takes. Whoops. There goes another deadline. I am sure my publishers find me quite aggravating.


     Tell us a little bit about your paper-making technique.


     It is a very labor-intensive process that involves hauling buckets of water, mixing and dying cotton fiber pulp. Then you pour the pulp through hand-cut stencils to form the bold, textured illustrations that are featured in my books. I have used this technique for the last 25 years.

     What are the pros and cons of being an author/illustrator? Do you feel you're stronger in one area than another?

     I think there are only pros. I do not have to wait for a manuscript from someone else. The subjects of my books are things that truly interest me. I have actually turned down some manuscripts from well known authors.

     What is one thing we might not know about you?

     When I was a young girl, I used to spend hours in my father's workshop cutting, gluing, carving and building things. And today, I spend many hours in my own workshop studio cutting, gluing, and creating my own picture books.



     What do we have to look forward to from you in the future?

     Books, books, and more books. Maggie and Michael Get Dressed (Holt) was just released. On November 5th, Little Ducks (Beach Lane) will be available.

______________________________________________________
     Denise is an award-winning author/illustrator of many well known children's books, including In The Tall, Tall Grass, Barnyard Banter, Mama Cat Has Three Kittens, and In The Small, Small Pond, which received a Caldecott Honor. Denise lives in the Midwest and the settings of her books reflect the nature of the area. For more info, visit her online at denisefleming.com.