The Sixth Annual GROG Arthropod Roundtable

hosted by Sue Heavenrich

Welcome to the Sixth Annual Arthropod Roundtable! Grab your cuppa, pull up a chair, and please help me welcome our guests. 

Laura Gehl is a former science teacher and scientist who is now a full-time children’s book author. So it almost makes sense that most of her books center around science and nature themes. Her newest board book is Odd Bugs , the third in a series that includes Odd Beasts and Odd Birds. 

“When I was doing research for Odd Beasts, I came across a lot of fascinating bugs and couldn’t wait to give them their own book,” says Laura.

Melissa Stewart is a science writer, children’s book author, and avid nature lover. Her new picture book is Monarch and Mourning Cloak: A Butterfly Journal. While visiting schools to take about her earlier butterfly book, A Place for Butterflies (published in 2006) she noticed that many students raise monarchs. She also noticed that they thought all butterfly species have similar lives and habitats. 

“Butterflies are an incredibly diverse group of insects,” Melissa points out. “So, in 2008 I began writing a book called Two Butterflies, Two Lives to help kids understand the variety of foods butterflies eat, the different habitats they call home, and the many ways they survive winter weather.” Over the years, that book evolved into Monarch and Mourning Cloak!

Karen Jameson is a retired elementary school teacher and author of lyrical, rhyming picture books. Insects have found their way into several of her books (including the beetles and dragonflies in It's Time to Shine). There’s even more bugs in her newest book, Who Nests Here?

“Insects have such unique ways of nesting,” says Karen. “I spotlight gall wasps, mole crabs, scorpions, and devil crayfish in my new book. And who wouldn’t thrill to see a termitarium – a giant termite nest?!

Katherine Hocker is a science illustrator, naturalist, and educator with an inordinate fondness for aquatic insects. Her new book, When You See Us, takes us on a field trip into the mysterious and fascinating world of aquatic insects. 

"They are some of the most watchable wildlife I know,” says Katherine. “They live pretty much everywhere on Earth, and are easy to find and observe. When you consider that they live double lives as some of our most familiar winged insects, such as dragonflies and mosquitoes, everyone should know about them!”

Jenni Walsh writes novels for kids and adults. She confesses that she didn’t know how cool bugs were until she was researching their defense mechanisms for her middle-grade tale of mystery and thievery, The Bug Bandits. 

“My book is inspired by a real heist that occurred at the Philadelphia Insectarium," says Jenni. "Over $40,000 worth of rare insects were stolen – and I found this utterly fascinating. In the book, we call it a buglery.”

I’m joining in this year because 13 Ways to Eat a Fly is celebrating its fifth birthday! Before writing books for kids, I taught science and also worked as a newspaper reporter. One afternoon I was covering the opening of a nature preserve. People were standing because there were “small bees” perching on the sun-warmed metal chairs. Those “bees” were actually flower flies – awesome little pollinators! That’s when I realized that too many folks have no idea about the diversity of flies buzzing around them. 

Initially I wrote 13 Ways to Eat a Fly as a backyard field guide. Bo-oring! It took a few years (and many revisions) before I came to the idea of making it a backwards counting book. You know: starting with a bunch of flies that disappear one by one as each hungry critter (or plant) grabs a snack. I added a brain-eating fungus, because who can resist zombies! I got to wondering... 

... why did other folks chose the format they did?

Melissa Stewart

Melissa: Because butterflies are so beautiful and graceful, I thought free-verse poetry would be the best way to share information. Initially, I wrote a series of poems in two voices, but the first-person point of view wasn’t working. Over the years, I continued to revise, writing draft after draft and receiving rejection after rejection. The book’s design pays homage to this process by showing each poem atop a stack of papers. Finally, in 2023, I decided that perhaps the book needed an additional conceptual layer that tied into the art and design. So I sent the manuscript to my friend, illustrator, and past collaborator Sarah S. Brannen. I let her know what I was thinking and invited her to go on a hike to brainstorm. A few hours later, we had a vision for what the book could be—a nature journal bursting with art, poems, and informational notes.

Jenni: I wrote The Bug Bandits for my 10-year-old so middle grade was the perfect age group for him. He’s a reluctant reader but I’m pleased to say he couldn’t resist a heist book that is Night at the Museum meets Home Alone.

Laura Gehl

Laura: I love writing board books because they can serve as a child’s first introduction to a topic—in this case, really weird and amazing bugs!

Karen: Lyrical, rhyming picture books are my jam. It feels natural to write this way in the main text - a style which is brief and accessible to younger readers. Science concepts in the back matter are written in prose for those who wish to explore the topic in more depth.

Katherine: I wanted the story to be told in the voices of the insects themselves—a kind of song they sing to reveal their secrets. That called for a more lyrical approach.

Me: As a kid, I was fascinated by ants. They lived in sidewalk cracks and in our garden, often working together to carry bits of dead beetles to their homes. Plus they have queens! Being a fairy tale-reading second-grader, how could I resist? I wondered ...

... what was the gateway arthropod for other authors?

Katherine Hocker

Katherine: Caddisflies! I remember discovering them as a child—these tiny crawling underwater beasties that built themselves homes out of grains of sand or tiny twigs. We used to call them “stick bugs.” It was many years before I learned that they have a winged adult form.

Laura: I read about a poop-shooting caterpillar when I was in grad school, and one of my first-ever published pieces of writing was about that caterpillar. I’ve been hooked on bugs ever since!

Karen: I am obsessed with dragonflies! Not only are they beautiful, but they’re symbolic of joy, good omens, and transformation.

Melissa: I’ve been a lover of all creatures big and small since childhood. I was fortunate that my parents owned 10 acres of woods, and we had a national forest across the street from our house. My brother and I spent most of our time outdoors—immersed in the natural world. Some of my long-time favorite insects include walking sticks, lightning bugs, and of course, butterflies.

Jenni Walsh

Jenni: I’ve always loved butterflies. When we visited the insectarium the book is based on, my family and I loved walking through the butterfly pavilion. We also hatched them at home and had a release party. It inspired my main character, Liberty, to have a butterfly releasing business in The Bug Bandits!

Me: Today is Earth Day. What can we – and the kids we write for – do to help make our backyards and neighborhoods better places for bugs?

Jenni: There are certain native plants that encourage bug-life, such as butterflies. I encourage everyone to find out what plants/flowers are bug friendly for your area!

Karen Jameson

Karen: I include a Nesting Site Conservation section in the back matter of Who Nests Here? Here’s a few tips: 1) Pick up trash and keep waterways clean. 2) Leave rocks, shells, pine cones and other natural elements where they are, as they may be someone’s home. 3) Don’t poke sticks into nests or move them to another site.

Laura: This is pretty easy for me, because my husband and I don’t have the time or energy to keep our back yard neat or tidy! Having a messy yard with leaf litter, brush/wood piles, clover and dandelions, and sections of longer grass is great for bugs!

Katherine: Aquatic insects need water to survive. Many, such as caddisflies, stoneflies, and mayflies, need water that’s very clean and cold. We can help them thrive by protecting our ponds, lakes, streams, and rivers.

Melissa: Grow native plants is the most obvious answer. But Earth, our precious planet, is one big interconnected system. Anything we can do to lessen pollution and climate change, and to preserve natural areas is going to help every living thing—including us.

your host, Sue Heavenrich
looking for spiders

Me: To these great suggestions I’ll add that using natural mulches, such as dried leaves, grass, and straw creates the perfect habitat for spiders. Also, my lazy gardening provides other benefits. All those dried, hollow flower stems that I never remove turn out to be great homes for native bees. 

We could talk bugs all day long… but I’m out of coffee. Check out our author websites, drop by our blogs, and remember to head outside and watch some bugs!

Laura Gehl at https://lauragehl.com/

Sue Heavenrich at https://www.sueheavenrich.com/

Katherine Hocker at  https://katherinehocker.art/

Karen Jameson at https://karenljameson.com/

Melissa Stewart at   https://melissa-stewart.com/

Jenni Walsh at https://www.jennilwalsh.com/

Christy Mihaly writes about the power of Music and Silence

by Sue Heavenrich

Today I’m talking with GROG’s own Christy Mihaly about her book, Music and Silence: The Passion and Protest of Pablo Casals, illustrated by Mariona Cabassa. It will be released next month by‎ Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Christy and I have been critique partners for nearly as long as she’s been working on this book, and it’s been a wonderful journey to watch it grow up and, now, hit the shelves. 

When Christy began working on her story that would become Music and Silence, she was at the beginning of her writing journey. She had just returned from a year of living in Spain (her husband was on sabbatical). 

Christy: When our family moved to Seville, I left my job as a lawyer in Vermont and resolved to spend the year evaluating whether I could start a new career as a writer for children. 

in Cordoba

During that year, I encountered fresh inspiration on every corner. Everything I did and saw felt new and unfamiliar. Everywhere I went I thought, “This would make a fun story for kids.” So, I wrote and sold an article to AppleSeeds magazine about the Pinzon brothers, Spanish sailors and navigators that all Spanish schoolchildren know about and without whom Columbus wouldn’t have succeeded. 

I also continued with my cello lessons, and I decided to learn more about Pablo Casals. So we visited Barcelona and went to his birthplace and museum. The more I learned about him and his life, the more I admired and appreciated him, his ideals, his activism, his pacificism, his principles, and his passion. I started thinking I’d like to write a book for kids about Casals. I realized lots of people in the U.S. didn’t know his story, but I thought maybe they should!

 dressed for la feria

Sue: With all that inspiration, you wanted to write something for children. Can you share your navigation from story idea to writing a book?

Christy: When I returned from Spain, I attended a workshop at the Highlights Foundation about writing nonfiction for kids. I learned a huge amount and started seriously on the path to becoming a nonfiction children’s author. 

Sue: We met at that workshop!

Christy: And that was the beginning of our years-long collaborative friendship. In 2014 I took an online writing class and wrote an initial draft of the Casals book. I was still researching the life of Pablo Casals, viewing videotapes and movies about him, listening to recordings, and studying the co-written memoirs he left as well as biographies and press articles. I studied mentor texts. I explored possible themes and put together musical word lists. I shared drafts with critique partners and revised. I also started, prematurely, sending the manuscript out to editors. Editors under a certain age didn’t know who Casals was, so they didn’t understand why people would want to know read about him. Clearly, I had more work to do.

Sue: One of the things we’re told as writers is to come to our story from different angles. 

Christy: Yes. I changed the focus and tried different approaches. Some of my drafts included direct quotations from Casals, in boxes. I loved this; the editors, not so much. I laid out the page turns and tried to squeeze Casals’s whole life into 12 spreads - thankfully, the final book is much longer than the typical 32 pages! I cut down the words about his childhood and then put them back in. I cut pages from his later years. One time, I received a thoughtful critique from an editor and, at her invitation, edited and re-submitted. But that revision was rejected.

I must have revised my story more than twenty times that year, and I continued working on it into the next year, 2015 when I sold my first picture book, Hey, Hey, Hay! – a rhyming picture book about making hay. That was a thrill, and an educational process. 

signing the contract with Erzsi

And then, in 2016, I submitted the Pablo Casals story to literary agent Erzsi Deak, who loved it enough to offer to represent me. Yay! At last! Erzsi had a couple suggestions, so I tweaked the manuscript and then she started submitting the story. But nobody bit. 

Meanwhile, the political winds in the U.S. were shifting, and Erzsi and I discussed bringing more emphasis to the anti-fascism theme in Casals’s story. I made more revisions while also trying new approaches to the story. In one draft Pablo’s cello narrates, and another draft is told in verse. I didn’t end up with any of those versions, but each one informed how I eventually wrote the story of Casals’s life. 

In 2018 we started a new round of submissions. The story felt more timely than ever. After about a half dozen rejections, we received an offer from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. Over the next seven years the story wended its way through the publishing process, getting delayed for a bit by Covid. In 2022, when the search for an illustrator started, I knew I wanted an illustrator from Catalonia, Casals’s homeland. I pushed for Mariona Cabassa, whose work I knew because she had beautifully illustrated my 2021 book, Barefoot Books WATER: A Deep Dive of Discovery. It took a while, but it was worth the wait. I am so glad she brought her gorgeous art – and love of Casals – to this project.

Sue: Fourteen years is a long time to keep believing in a book. What words of wisdom might you offer to kidlit writers who are having a hard time getting an editor to love their stories? 

Christy: Write the story that is in your heart. Because that’s what writing is about. Don’t get distracted when people tell you what the market wants, or how to sell to a certain editor – unless those are stories your heart also wants to tell. Editors and agents love to read work in which they can sense the author’s passion and commitment, stories that are animated by the author’s love of the topic, the characters. If you don’t love what you’re writing, write about something you do love writing about.

Sue: You started playing the cello as an adult. What advice might you offer to folks who want to learn how to play a cello – or any instrument – later in life?

Christy on the cello

Christy: First, accept that you’ll never be a brilliant player. Or, you won’t develop the level of competence you would have if you’d started young. So let go of that expectation. Do it for the joy of making music, for the pleasure of learning a new skill – that’s what keeps us young.

Second, you must practice. A lot. But don’t overdo it, because you do not want to injure yourself. (I speak from experience.) Take breaks. 

And third, find others to play with. My cello teacher organized a group of students to play together. I love making music in a group, together with other (older) musicians. I also loved playing duets with my daughter, who was taking violin lessons and who is  a better player than I’ll ever be. What a joy! You might look for a local community orchestra or band to play with. Or draft your family members and friends.

Sue: I should probably have asked you this first. What is it about Pablo Casals’s music that absolutely gobsmacks you?

Christy: I love the emotion that permeates his playing. I love that he isn’t afraid to show us his passion through his musicianship. His technique, obviously, is lovely, and he produces a gorgeous, mellow tone. But what I love most is that when he makes his cello sing, you can hear the music of his heart.

Thank you, Christy, for sharing your book love and your lessons on how to courageously dive into new things! 

Christy Mihaly has written books on topics from civics to sunlight, and math to moose, including a picture book about making hay when the sun shines! You can find out more about Christy’s books and writing life at her website, www.christymihaly.com. 

And if you'd like to preorder Music and Silence here, (OR Christy's book coming out in May, America's Founding Myths ... And What Really Happened here), her local indie, Bear Pond Books, is taking orders online. Christy will sign your book before it goes out. You can specify how you want it personalized .... or call the bookstore and let them know. Thank you!

Nancy Castaldo stretches Beyond Books for Kids

by Sue Heavenrich

Nancy Castaldo is an award-winning author who writes about the connections between science, people, and our planet. Her latest picture book, Whales in the City is a Junior Library Guild Gold Selection. She’s written about moose, wolves, and sniffer dogs for middle grade readers, and her books for young adults address environmental topics with global implications.

Her latest book is Squirrel: How a Backyard Forager Shapes Our World, a detailed dive into a common critter most of us see every day. And… it’s not written for kids. 

Like most folks, we’ve got squirrels a-plenty in our backyard: gray squirrels, red squirrels, chipmunks. This time of year they’re busy raiding the bird feeder! I wanted to learn more about them (squirrels) and Nancy’s book, so I reached out to her a few weeks ago.

Sue: Hi Nancy. I’ve got to know… why squirrels?

Nancy: Why not squirrels? That’s really what drew me to them. They’re everywhere, yet most of us only notice them when they’re entertaining us—or frustrating us. I wanted to take a closer look at these familiar creatures and invite readers to see them differently. After all, we already have two endangered squirrel species in the United States. Time is essential. My hope is that after reading Squirrel, people will pause and really consider them as vital members of our ecosystems. 

Sue: Why a book for adults rather than a picture book or middle grade book?

Nancy: Each book I write tells me what it wants to be. To explore squirrels as fully as I hoped to—with all their ecological, cultural, and historical significance—a book for adult readers felt like the right fit.

Nancy presenting one of her library programs

Sue: I love the structure of the book—the table of contents has a very "13 Ways of Looking at a Blackbird" feel. Can you talk about how you came to this structure?

Nancy: Organizing Squirrel around the many roles squirrels play in our world felt natural. Each chapter highlights one of those identities—cultural icon, keystone species, dinner entree, endangered species, and so on. In a way, it’s similar to how I structured my middle grade book, Beastly Brains. Ask anyone about squirrels, and they’ll likely jump right into one of these roles—so I followed that instinctive pattern.

Sue: How is writing for adults different than writing for kids? Are there ways in which it’s similar?

Nancy: In both cases, it starts with research—lots of it. But the kinds of questions I ask scientists and the way I frame the answers differ. Writing for adults allows for more complexity and context, while writing for kids means choosing words and examples that meet them where they are. Still, my goals remain the same: to inform, inspire, and empower readers, no matter their age.

Sue: Do you have any advice for kidlit authors who want to try writing a book for adults?

Nancy: Read widely in the genre you want to write. It’s the same advice I give to writers working in kidlit: know what’s already out there, and be able to articulate how your book adds something new. Understanding where your work fits on the shelf is key, whether that shelf is for children’s books or adult nonfiction.

Sue: Will we be seeing a children’s book about squirrels in the future?

Nancy: There are already quite a few wonderful picture books about squirrels—so we’ll see! I’m currently working on something that takes a slightly different approach from what’s already on the shelves.

Sue:  Today is National Squirrel Appreciation Day. What’s the coolest thing you learned about squirrels while working on this project? And what can we do to appreciate them?

Nancy: One of the coolest things I discovered is that some squirrel mothers actually gift parts of their territory to their daughters. That kind of generosity in the animal world really caught my attention—it’s a fascinating glimpse into how squirrels maintain social and ecological balance within their populations.

As for appreciating squirrels, start by getting to know the squirrel species that live near you—you might be surprised by how many there are. Each species has its own story and challenges, from habitat loss to climate shifts. The more we learn about them, the more we can appreciate how deeply intertwined they are with our world.

Thank you, Nancy, for joining us today! Folks can find out more about Nancy and her books at her website, nancycastaldo.com. Follow her on BlueSky, X, Facebook, Instagram, and Pinterest.

Writing Board Books part I ~ an author's roundtable

by Sue Heavenrich

Welcome to the GROG’s roundtable discussion about Board Books. I’ve got four board book authors with me today, so grab your coffee (or cocoa or tea), pull up a chair, and let’s meet the authors. 

Darrin Lunde typically writes on topics related to animals and nature. Seven of his picture books have been reissued in board book format, most recently Whose Egg is That? Darrin’s day job is mammals collection manager at the Smithsonian’s Museum of Natural History, so he’s often in the field doing research. 

Laura Purdie Salas is a Minnesota author who has written more than 140 picture books and board books. She loves connecting kids to nature and hopes to inspire them to look at a familiar topic in a new way. Her most recent board book is A Home Like This. 

Nancy Churnin, a longtime journalist and former theater critic living in North Texas, is probably best known for picture book biographies. Her rhyming board book, Counting on Shabbat, encourages readers to think about ways we can make the world a kinder and more inclusive place.

Laura Gehl has written board books, lift-the-flap books, picture books and early readers. Her newest board book, Odd Bugs: Meet Nature's Weirdest Insects joins her “Curious Critters” series in March, 2026.  

I have no board books. What I do have is a new grandbaby … which is why I invited these wonderful authors to the table this morning - I want to pick their brains!

Me: Let’s begin with topics - What made you know that you HAD to write your book?

Nancy & her mom

Nancy: It was actually my mother, Flora Churnin, who inspired Counting on Shabbat – she loves numbers. My mother is 99 years old, and for the past decade it has been hard for her to go out and visit with people she loves. That's why Counting on Shabbat starts with an elderly person on his own and how delighted he is to hear five knocks on the door and have a family arrive with food and cheer. Is it his family? Is it a family caring for someone in the community? That does not matter. In the book we are counting objects on Shabbat, so we are counting, but we are also counting on kindness. My mother has been dealing with dementia for the last five years, and as she has struggled to read and speak, this has become one of her preferred books.

I think there is a lot of value in sharing board books with seniors as well as toddlers, and would love to see an organized effort to bring board books and picture books to senior living facilities. One of my most precious moments came after I read this book to her. After I closed the book, she looked me right in the eye and said, "Eleven!" Then she grinned as if she was telling me something I didn't know (after all I had only gone up to 10). I loved that!

Laura Salas: For A Home Like This, the publisher actually asked me to write a board book about animal homes. While the topic was chosen, I got the fun of figuring out how to approach it. I love refrains, and I wanted the book to be lovely and lyrical, like Joyce Sidman’s Swirl by Swirl. I also wanted a bit of a different approach from the board books already published on this topic. I wrote a few different drafts exploring materials, how homes are different, some in rhyme, some not. I wrote close to 20 drafts spread among eight or so different approaches. Because board books are so short, a lot of my writing time was spent trying different structures. It's enormous fun, and I love the trial and error of it all. I have to be open to diving in and seeing what appears on the screen. It ended up gently rhyming, but without any refrain at all!

Darrin: Sometimes I get my ideas for books by settling on a topic and then waiting until a catchy title for it pops into my head, for example, Meet the Meerkat. Other times, the topic presents itself during the course of a normal day, such as when I was standing in the driveway of my neighbor talking. We both looked down at the same time and saw what turned out to be a fox scat in his driveway, but when we both looked up at each other and asked Whose Poop is THAT? I knew I had my next book. I try not to force things. Rather, I try to stay open and alert to new possibilities. Of course, I always have the fear that I might never come up with a new book idea, but so far, the ideas have kept coming.

Laura Gehl: My new board book is the third in a series. The first two were Odd Beasts and Odd Birds. I knew I wanted to do Odd Bugs if possible—because there are so many weird and wonderful bugs out there—but we had to wait to see how well the first two did. I was so excited when I heard from my editor that Odd Bugs was a go!

Me: Did you initially write this to be a board book? And if not, why do you think it works well as a board book?

Laura Gehl

Laura Gehl: Yes, this was always intended to be a board book. It has very simple, rhyming text, just one line per spread. However, what’s unusual about this board book (and the other two in the series) is that it has back matter. At the end of the book, there are photographs of each critter, plus a few interesting facts about each one. I think the back matter allows these board books to appeal to older kids and adults as well as to babies and toddlers. 

Laura Salas: Definitely. I think its gentle rhyme and adventurous language make it work well. Of course, Miriam Nerlove’s brilliant art and the wonderful design helps! Each spread has an animal close-up on the left side and a pulled-back view of the home on the right side. Perfect to help kids understand what animal we’re talking about and what its home looks like. I also think the ending, which comes around to humans and to love, makes it a satisfying toddler read. They know love, and they’ve likely heard opposites, such as big and little and below and above. I feel like the main text language may stretch them some, with a few less familiar words and creatures. But the cuddly ending brings it all back to the heart. This is a book I would love to read to a baby on my lap.

Nancy:  I had always envisioned it as a board book anchored by the 1-10 counting element. From the start it was a book that began with 1, which in the book is "1 table draped in white," but that you can also see that visually as the 1 elderly person who is alone. I always wanted it to lead up to "10 smiles. Shabbat is here!" because that reminds us that what is joyful about this weekly celebration is when we are all together as a family and as a community -- including the four cats, whose smiles are included in the 10-smile count. I believe it works well as a board book, because the story is told visually, with Petronela Dostalova's exquisite illustrations. The simple rhymes and the numbers on each page anchor the story while toddlers can "read" the narrative to themselves by following the pictures.

Darrin: No, I've always written 32-page picture books and then my editors pick and choose which ones they want to adapt as board books. I think my first few picture books I had originally written as board books, but my editor asked me to expand them as 32-page picture books. Funnily enough, some of these same books were later reissued as board books.

Me: What’s the biggest challenge in creating a book for an adult to read to a very young (0-2 years) child?

Darrin Lunde / Charlesbride photo

Darrin: I'm a very economical writer, meaning that I like to write in the simplest possible form. I'm always trying to reduce my word count, but without sacrificing content. For me, writing board books is like solving a puzzle--How do you say what you want to say with crystal clarity in 100 words or less? It's fun, and I'm always looking for ways to further simplify or reduce my text.

Laura Gehl: For me, the biggest challenge is targeting the book at the very young child but somehow making it interesting enough for the adult reader too.

Nancy: You have to approach a board book with a different mindset than you would a picture book. With a board book, you have to let the illustrator take the lead – with the written words as anchor and jumping-off points. Picture book writers are discouraged from writing too many art notes. But with Counting on Shabbat, art notes were essential because without them how would you know that there would be one senior alone on the page that simply says "1 table draped in white." Without the art notes, how would you know that "5 knocking on the door" would reveal a family of five bringing bags of food? All those details didn't need to be written out for the reader because Petronela was creating the images. But I did need those essential words (and art descriptions of what I was envisioning for my editor and illustrator) for the images to make sense.

Laura Salas: Two things come to mind immediately. First off is the incredibly short word count. A Home Like This has fewer than 60 words to both introduce a big topic and also connect with the reader. The other challenge for me is finding the right tone—one where I’m talking to a very young child, but not in a babyish or condescending way. It’s an exciting struggle to balance between having fun with my own creativity and giving the adult and child readers a wonderful experience. 

Me: Any advice for picture book authors who might want to try their hand at writing a board book?

Laura Salas

Laura Salas: Think about word choice, word count, language, imagery, rhyme, complexity… then simplify, simplify, simplify. That doesn’t mean dumb down. It means find a single, elegant line to follow through your text. Even if it’s a laugh out loud funny text. There’s only room for one narrative, one concept, one conflict. It has to be simple and sparkling. So it's about finding the best, most exciting way to relate that one idea using language that evokes a reaction from the reader. It's okay to use some words that a toddler doesn't know. But the idea has to be one a toddle can really connect to somehow.

Also, go to several libraries and bookstores and read dozens of dozens of board books. Especially try to read the ones that aren't licensed characters or aren't just adaptations of picture books. Find the publishers creating the ones you love the most and study their catalogs. Then choose a topic and start playing with it. Have fun!

Nancy: Think short. Counting on Shabbat is only 48 words! Think spare. I didn't have to say who was cooking the matzo balls or bringing the kugel to the table or that the kids were drawing pictures and our senior would put them up on his refrigerator (even though that is what I envisioned). Leave the illustrator room to weave the visual magic. But make sure your editor and illustrator are on the same page with your vision for the story. 

Laura Gehl: What Laura said - and then go read lots and lots of board books and see what works. Unlike picture books, board books don’t always have a standard number of pages, but aiming for about ten spreads is a good idea. As far as word count, I’d say aim for 100 words max. Another important aspect of writing board books is to think of a series concept rather than just a single book. Single board books do sell on occasion, but most board books are sold in series.  

Darrin: (nodding in agreement with the Lauras) and then it all comes down to having a love for clear and concise language. I actually don't write board books for children, rather, I write board books because I love writing as simply as possible. Even when my editor thinks a manuscript is done, I'm always looking for a way to say something more simply – to cut down on words without sacrificing clarity.

Me: We could talk about books all day long, but my coffee cup is empty. Please drop by our roundtable guest's websites, and check out their amazing books! And make sure to come back next week when I chat with two board book editors.

Nancy Churnin shares books and more at her website, www.nancychurnin.com. You can find an activity guide here.

Laura P. Salas parks her website at laurasalas.com

Laura Gehl shares her books and more at her website lauragehl.com

Darrin Lunde has a page on the Smithsonian’s site at naturalhistory.si.edu/staff/darrin-lunde

Lynne Marie Has Thoughts about Unlovable Main Characters

 by Sue Heavenrich

Being a bug-loving person, I often read books with characters who, if we met them in real life, we might swat with a broom.  One day I got into a conversation with Lynne Marie about picture books featuring “vermin.” In addition to being an author, Lynne Marie is the director of Rate Your Story and the Seasonal and Special Acquisitions Editor at The Little Press Publishing. Not only does she know a thing or two about picture books, she's written one with a main character who is a real rat! Before we get chatting about unlovable critters, let's check out Lynne Marie's book, The Palace Rat, illustrated by Eva Santana (‎Yeehoo Press, 2023).

Henri lives a pampered life in Versailles, the palace of King Louis the XIV! Cook serves Henri the tastiest tidbits. Tailor stitches up attire fit for … well, the King’s pet. The palace servants wait on Henri paw and food, but not everyone is happy to serve a … Rat! So they set out to rid the palace of vermin. 

Fortunately, he escapes an untimely demise and ends up in the company of country rodents. They take Henri in, and teach him basic survival skills while he plans his return to the palace. But can Henri adapt to a simple life? I don’t want to spoil the ending for you; you’ll have to read it and find out for yourself.

Me: Hi Lynne Marie and welcome to the GROG! You already know that I love slugs and bugs as characters in a book. But do you feel there are readers who are reluctant to buy books with unlovable animals as main characters?

Lynne Marie

Lynne: These characters do appeal to certain folks. There are people who gravitate towards creepy crawlies, and some who love monster stories. Others prefer bears and bunnies. But for some reason some people have a thing against rats. (my note: Despite that, the movie, Ratatouille  received a 96% approval rating from Rotten Tomatoes.)  

And it’s not just rats. People also don’t like bugs, specifically spiders. They have preconceived notions about these creatures. This reluctance tends to disappear when you look at people who read STEM books featuring them. It could be that with nonfiction books, you’re  already appealing to a subset of people, most of whom will like bugs, for example.

Me: I realize you wrote The Palace Rat a long time ago. What made you choose the rat as the main character? 

Lynne: I went back to college a couple decades ago, and got to spend the summer in France. I was waiting on line at Versailles, gathering story ideas, and happened to see a rat running across the courtyard. That got me wondering: what if that rat was a relative of a rat from the French Revolution? Or a pet of the Sun King, Louis XIV? And what if it was dressed in finery, and dined on gourmet food at the palace?

And then I wondered: what would happen to a pampered rat if he escaped a plot to exterminate him and ended up in Avignon? In the countryside? I was thinking a bit “city rat/country rat,” only in this case the palace rat would be quite the snob.      

I wrote this story in 1998, as I was studying and spending time in France, but it was published just a couple of years ago. It may sound like a simple story, but there are a lot of layers, a lot of things a reader can take away from the tale:

• It introduces us to new places and a historical era;
• It examines the question of what true riches are; and
• It asks what brings people happiness. 

In Henri’s case, he discovers that what’s most important is paving your own path in life, having friends who appreciate you and finding your talent and audience.      

Me: There is no shortage of rodents in kid-lit. I remember reading about Ralph in The Mouse on the Motorcycle. 

Lynne: There are a few other literary rats, too, but often they are presented in a negative light. Templeton, the rat in Charlotte’s Web, helped save Wilbur the pig. But he had a number of undesirable traits that may not have endeared him to readers. Then there’s Scabbers, Ron Weasley’s pet rat in the Harry Potter books. Scabbers was old and scraggly, and eventually revealed to be the evil Peter Pettigrew. 

Here’s a thing about rats: most people don’t understand how fascinating they are. Scientists taught rats how to drive small cars, and discovered that the rats preferred driving over walking! (There's a video of them driving around on YouTube)

Me: Thanks for sharing that video with me. I found out that the rats liked their cars so much that they would take a longer route to the rewards if it meant they could drive! Like some people I know... 

Thank you so much, Lynne, for joining us here on the GROG today. Folks can learn more about Lynne Marie's books and other ventures at her website, literallylynnemarie.com

Rats aren’t the only unlovable critters in books. There are picture books featuring cockroaches, slugs, snails, naked mole rats, dung beetles, skunks, and ugly fish. Sometimes all these characters need is for a reader to take them home from the library for a few weeks and read their stories. Who knows – you might be amazed to find yourself falling for an unlikely, and possibly slimy – or smelly – hero.

After reading The Palace Rat, you might want to read some of these books (and there are tons more - check your local library and bookstore):

Interview & Give-away! Carol Baldwin tells the Whole Truth

by Sue Heavenrich

Welcome Back from your Summer Explorations!

This week GROG has invited Carol Baldwin to share her experiences writing a historical novel. Plus we have a book give-away. So read on...

Carol has published articles for children and nonfiction books for adults. This spring her debut YA novel hit bookstore shelves. Half-Truths (Monarch Educational Services,  April 2025) is a historical novel that takes readers back to 1950. The main character is 15-year old Kate Dinsmore, who lives (and works) on her family’s tobacco farm in rural North Carolina. But Kate has dreams of a future far beyond the tobacco fields. She wants to become a journalist, and the editor for the local paper encourages her to follow her dream.

Kate decides that to get to college where she can study journalism, she’ll need the financial support of her wealthy grandparents. So, she crafts a plan to live with them in Charlotte, only to discover that there’s more to high society than going to school and getting good grades. She’s expected to attend lessons in the social graces so she can become a debutante. Meanwhile, and despite their racial differences, she forms a tentative friendship with Lillian, her grandmother’s teenage maid. When Kate discovers an old family photo while exploring her grandmother's attic, she unearths a secret that will not only threaten her friendship with Lillian and her status with her new society friends, but will cause her to question whether she has what it takes to be a true journalist.

This is a perfect book for kids who love stories but say they don’t love history. It’s a story that will get kids thinking (and perhaps talking) about racial discrimination, segregation, the Ku Klux Klan (KKK), racial violence, injustice, and societal norms. And, even though Carol started working on this story 18 years ago, it’s a great springboard for discussion about what’s happening in our country at this time. So, I was happy that Carol accepted my invitation to chat on the GROG about her writing…

Me: What inspired this story?

Carol: I give a lot of credit to Joyce Moyer Hostetter for encouraging me to discover a story in my own backyard. [Joyce writes middle grade historical fiction] I live in Charlotte, but I didn’t grow up in the South and I wondered what life was like back before the Civil Rights movement. I started digging for stories, asking questions like: Where were the old plantations and graveyards? Who were the debutante girls of 1950? I wanted to know about the history that is under our streets. Meanwhile, I had this idea in the back of my head that I wanted to write about a girl who moves from a farm to Charlotte and into a higher social class. 

Me: I imagine you did a lot of research to lay the groundwork for this story. 

Carol: One of the reasons it took me 18 years to write this book is that I enjoy meeting people and talking to them. When I started, there was so much I didn’t know so I took myself on a self-guided African American Heritage tour.* I interviewed as many folks as I could, including former debutantes, Korean War veterans, and people who picked tobacco as kids, and many more—about 100 altogether!

*go to http://landmarkscommission.org/local-history/driving-and-walking-tours/ 

then click on "African-American Heritage Tour."

I remember visiting a community center that had been a former Rosenwald school, and looking at photos on the wall. Seeing the people in the photos triggered an idea that the girls could have been related. In my conversation with Vermelle Diamond Ely, we talked about how she knew light-skinned Black girls who had passed. I considered including that as part of Lillian’s story, but ultimately decided against it. 

I was excited to discover that the Blue Willow china that is featured in my book, was a popular pattern at the time. There’s a story painted on the china, and I was able to incorporate that story into my own story. I happen to love stories within stories, and there are several in Half-Truths.

Me: How did you manage to keep focused on your story over all those years?

Carol: I definitely went off track a couple times. At one point I had Lillian’s brother dying from a racially motivated incident. Then I realized that had nothing to do with the heart of my story. I spent two years writing the book from both girls’ points of view per an editor’s suggestion. Although it definitely helped me see my story through Lillian’s eyes, I went back to the original idea of writing it from Kate’s POV. 

As for the research, I wanted to make my story authentic. But that tendency to over-research became part of the problem, and in the end, there were stories that didn’t make it into my book. One thing I did to keep me focused on the kernel of my story was to remind myself that Half-Truths is about the relationship between the two girls, Kate and Lillian. If I were to give writerly advice, it would be this: Research wide, but keep in mind the focus of your story so that readers can say, ‘this book is about ___.’ In my case, the book is about a White girl and a Black girl who discover they are second cousins while coming to grips with who they are as young women in the 1950s.

Me: What’s next for you?

Carol: I’m working on another historical novel set in the late 1800s. It’s the story of Kate’s paternal grandfather who is a glassblower’s apprentice. I’ve already done some research on glassblowing – including a hands-on experience in a workshop in Charlotte. As much as I relish diving into the research, I’ll try to be mindful to stay focused on the story!

You can catch a glimpse of Carol’s new project at her blogpost here (which is where I grabbed this photo!)

Thank you so much, Carol. And now, for everyone who’s managed to stick with us this far, go find a story in your backyard. It might be history … or it might be (like so many of mine) about something in your garden! 

You can find out more about Carol, her books, and workshops on her website, carolbalwinbooks.com

enter the GIVE-AWAY! 

Carol is giving away an autographed copy of Half-Truths to one lucky person. You need to live in the US to be eligible. Simply leave a comment before August 26th to be entered! Make sure you include your name somewhere in the comment if you want to be entered in the drawing. We’re doing the drawing old-school, in a manner that Kate and Lillian would be familiar with: putting names in a hat and drawing a winner. Winner will be announced in the first September post, with instructions on how to claim your book! 

The Fifth Annual GROG Arthropod Roundtable

hosted by Sue Heavenrich

Welcome to the Fifth Annual Arthropod Roundtable! Grab your cup of coffee, pull up a chair, and please help me welcome our guests. Christine Van Zandt’s book Milkweed for Monarchs fluttered off the shelves last year. Sara Levine’s Watching and Waiting: What Hatches from Nature’s Nurseries hatched out just a couple weeks ago. Penny Parker Klostermann’s newest book, The Spider Lady: Nan Songer and Her Arachnid World War II Army will be weaving it’s magic when it releases in a couple weeks. And Susan Edwards Richmond’s third book in the Community Science Counts series, The Great Pollinator Count, just released yesterday.

Some of you may know that insects are my passion. But they weren’t always. In fact, when I was a kid I was terrified of cockroaches. This could be because I could hear them skitter about in the air ducts, and occasionally a couple would drop out and land on me. The ultimate irony: my graduate research was on the behavior of … you guessed it – cockroaches!

That got me wondering whether arthropods were ever “scary” or “creepy-crawly” to other folks? So I asked a few:

Christine with monarch wings

Christine: I was that kid who picked up bugs. I didn’t really understand why kids (or adults!) would scream when, for example, they saw a spider. My parents deserve credit for that since they let me play outside in our large yards. In the back, we had an area that was an ivy “tunnel”—and who knows what lived in there—but it was my favorite place to read books.

Sara: Mostly not.  When I was growing up, I was the one in my family who came to the rescue for bugs found inside the house. When my sister would find a spider, she would yell, “Come and get it! I’m going to kill it!” and that was my cue to come running. I would carefully cover the bug with a glass, slide a piece of paper underneath and escort the arthropod safely outside

Susan:  The only arthropod  I’ve ever really had an ambivalent relationship with is the spider. (Well, and ticks, after we got a dog!) I’ve appreciated spiders’ skills and their niche in nature, but, in the past, preferred to view them with a little distance. I’ve definitely gotten  more drawn to insects and arthropods as a group, however, since I’ve been teaching nature preschool.  In addition to having fascinating life cycles, these animals are easy for young children to discover and observe up close in their environment.

Penny: Interestingly enough, spiders were the only arthropods that were scary to me. And they were very scary to me.  My arachnophobia slowly changed to respect as I did hours and hours of research on spiders to better understand Nan Songer's work. I learned that they avoid humans, whereas before I had the unfounded fear that they might come after me. I was fascinated by the many ways they use their silk and the different ways they hunt or capture prey.  Now, when a spider is nearby, I don't feel the need to flee or stomp. (Yes. Sorry! In my pre-respect past, stomping out of fear definitely happened.)

Me: I totally understand the stomping-out-of-fear response, and am happy that you and your local spiders are now in a relationship of respect. So what made you realize that you HAD to write this book?

Penny

Penny: When I first learned about Nan Songer, I immediately scoured the web (Ha! Couldn't resist.) to see if there was a children’s book about her. I was shocked to find there wasn't a book for children or adults. Besides being shocked, I'll admit that I was also thrilled that I could be the one to share her story. I felt like I'd struck gold in terms of an unsung hero. Her story is unusual and riveting! In order to harvest enough silk needed for crosshairs in scopes during World War II, she kept up to ten thousand spiders in a room in her home! That deserves ten thousand exclamation points instead of just one, right?  Even though my work on this book started in 2017, I've never lost enthusiasm about Nan's contribution to the war effort. I HAD to write this book to share Nan's story and due to my certainty that others would find her work as a home front hero as compelling as I do.

Susan: My passion for children participating in community science has continued to grow since the 2019 release of my first picture book, BIRD COUNT.  Young children are eager to explore their environment and are natural scientists, with their keen focus and propensity for questions.  But many children—and adults as well—are instilled with a fear of bees and other stinging insects, while often celebrating butterflies.  Respect and caution are healthy, but I wanted my readers to gain the same appreciation for all of our insect pollinators

When I learned that Georgia conducted an annual insect pollinator census, which includes schoolchildren, I knew this would be my gateway!  In founder and coordinator University of Georgia Extension’s Becky Griffin, I found the perfect mentor.  She was super knowledgeable and enthusiastic about a book that would engage young participants in the census. Becky and I are pairing up for two weeks of launch events following the book’s April 15 release. The Great Southeast Pollinator Census has now expanded to include four more states—North and South Carolina, Florida, and, most recently, Alabama.  May this notion of promoting a healthy pollinator population continue to grow!      

Sara: A number of things came together. Invertebrate eggs, egg cases, and galls are fascinating, but there is so little on this topic in picture books. I especially wanted to share information about galls, which are bumps formed from the tissue of a plant in which young insects or mites develop. These unique nurseries grow when a mother insect or mite puts down chemicals on the plant while she is laying her eggs. How cool is that?!  Galls come in interesting and unique shapes, and they are easy to find and identify once you know where to look.  The book includes beautiful photographs to introduce children to galls, as well as eggs and egg cases, and to what animals are growing inside of them.

I also wanted to write a lyrical book that emphasized an empathetic approach to learning about animals. Scientific learning is often taught with a focus on taking things apart to see what is inside and how things work. But what if we wait instead and see what happens?

Christine: When I found out that the western monarch was nearly extinct, I knew I had to do something about it. I grew up going to the California coast with my parents in the winter to see millions of monarchs overwintering in the trees. It was amazing. In 2020, there were fewer than 2000 butterflies; in 2024, only about 9000. That may not be enough individuals to sustain the population.

We’ve lost so many animals already and losing the monarch seems preventable if people plant milkweed. Like pandas or koalas, monarch caterpillars can only eat one kind of food: milkweed. There’s not much of found in nature anymore because we’ve cleared land for homes or farms. Home gardeners are reluctant to grow plants that aren’t perfect even though munched leaves mean caterpillars may make it into forming a chrysalis. Also, pesticide use harms a wide range of insects.

Me: What do you hope readers take away from reading your book?

Sara

Sara: I hope readers will come away with an excitement about insect eggs, egg cases, and galls, and that they head outside to search for them. And when they find them, I hope they will be patient and kind enough to observe them over time to see what hatches out.

Christine: I hope they want to help save this amazing animal and encourage their parents, schools, and neighborhoods to plant milkweed. If that’s not possible, then I hope kids share this information so that others, who can plant milkweed, may help out.

Penny: Nan's interest in insects and spiders began when she was a child and continued into her adult years. As an adult, she continued to call her research a "hobby" but, ultimately, her skills and knowledge led to a career that she enjoyed and that also contributed to the war effort. I hope young readers will realize that childhood hobbies and interests are not only enjoyable, but important. They impact their future by nurturing creativity, helping to develop critical thinking and problem-solving skills and learning about time management. Who knows, a hobby or interest might even lead to a career, just as it did for Nan Songer.

Susan:   I hope that young children and their families will develop a fascination with the tremendous diversity of these insects—and that THE GREAT POLLINATOR COUNT will inspire them to go outside and observe their own local pollinators.  Another of my hopes is that this book will help people draw connections among all living things, and realize how important each one is to the health of our planet, and, consequently, ourselves.  Maybe readers will want to plant their own pollinator gardens at school or at home, contribute data to local and regional counts, or nurture a desire to learn more on the path to becoming stewards of their environment.  

Me:  As someone who’s been counting pollinators for the past 16 years with the Great Sunflower Project, I agree! I know that counting bees has made me more aware of the need to plant more pollinator flowers.

So … what can we do this Earth Day and every day to help make our world a better place for bugs?

Susan

Susan: Earth Day is the perfect time to launch an initiative with your children, whether you are a teacher, librarian, parent, or other educator or caregiver.  It’s never too early to start developing habits of observation and care that can continue all year and  throughout a lifetime.  Growing and observing the life cycle of a garden or a garden insect, conducting counts, developing research projects or presentations, or writing letters to advocate for local conservation efforts are all wonderful ways to honor our friends the arthropods and improve all of our lives.  

Christine: Hearing bad news isn’t fun, but if we take a moment to realize our impact on the planet then, maybe, we will do one thing to help out the animals and plants we share our world with. Delving into this kind of information can be overwhelming and saddening. I tell myself that I can’t change everything but I can change something.

Penny: Learning what arthropods contribute to our environment is a good first step. In the case of spiders, eating insects is their main contribution. Did you know that spiders eat four hundred million to eight hundred million tons of insects each year and that a single spider eats around two thousand insects a year! By controlling the insect population, spiders reduce the need for chemical pesticides. Spiders also minimize the spread of disease since many of the insects they eat carry diseases that are harmful to humans and animals. 

This Earth Day, make your yard spider-friendly by planting tall sturdy plants to give them a place to spin. Provide a water source such as a bird bath. A thin layer of mulch, leaves or grass clippings will help protect them from the elements. These tips will also attract other insects that contribute to the environment and  will provide plenty of meals for the spiders.

Sara:  Please don’t use pesticides on your yard. Encourage native plants to grow, which provide food and shelter for native bugs. And when you see a bug inside you can’t live with, don’t kill it. Instead, go get a glass and a piece of paper to help safely bring it outside. 

Me: I know I could talk bugs all day long, but my coffee cup is empty. Please drop by our websites and blogs, and remember to go outside and get to know some awesome arthropods.

Flutter over to Christine Van Zandt website at christinevanzandt.com 

Penny Parker Klostermann has spun her website at  pennyklostermann.com  

Sara Levine nurtures stories and more at www.saralevinebooks.com

Susan E. Richmond counts bees at www.susanedwardsrichmond.com

I hang my bug net over at www.sueheavenrich.com