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):

"Back to Cool (School)" Picture Books & Ideas to Create a Positive Classroom Climate - by Kathy Halsey

  

Back to school? How about back to cool? Let’s make the re-entry to school fun and memorable with new books and interactive activities. These ideas promote thoughtful ways to create a positive, inclusive, and engaging environment for all. I hope you find some intersectionality between your books and their usefulness in back to school units, or you get ideas for new projects that fit the back to school theme!

 Books for Everybody to Pair & Share

As a former teacher and librarian, I remember scrolling over student lists, making diacritical marks in order to pronounce everyone's name correctly and noting who had nicknames or wanted to be called something different. Students of all ages  know the feeling  of people stumbling over their names.

Book:  The Power of Your Name

Author, Jyoti Gopal knows this feeling herself, and has a wonderful lyrical picture book hot off the presses August 26, that helps start a great conversation about names and how aspirational they can be. (Illustrator Olivia Sua's cut paper illustrations create vibrant worlds.)

 Classroom Activities/Ideas

Share Jyoti’s words from her interview with John Schu  Have you ever wondered where your name came from? Maybe you asked your grown-ups or maybe you took your name for granted and didn’t even think about it. In The Power of Your Name, we learn that names have stories, that each name is a feast of sounds, a gift, filled with promise, that it holds your family's heritage, hopes and dreams. Through the ABCs, this book celebrates the beauty of names and the fact that every name—including yours—is special. Whether your name is long, short, easy to pronounce, or often misheard like mine frequently is, this book will make you think about the story your name tells.

• Students can create a poster with markers or in Canva sharing what their name means along with the correct pronunciation. Students can then swap their posters with someone else . 

• Together each pair introduces the other to the rest of the class. Finally, add the posters to the classroom bulletin board where all can see them and practice pronunciation.

Book: A Season for Fishin’: A Fish Fry Tradition

Author Pamela Courtney has cooked up a book that centers family, learning a new skill, and contributing to the family tradition - cane fishing - as she catches her first bream. The prize? Her feeling of pride being part of her community and her own red fish fry apron. I’ve shared her debut book on the GROG before, but in this context the back matter with pronunciations from varied parishes in Louisiana fits the topic of identity and the importance of pronunciation. As Pam’s tante Lula says, “Folks been crisscrossin’, speakin’, and livin’ like the otherin’ for forever”. The spice of the vernacular of Louisiana is fascinating and fun to say aloud. (Illustrator Toni D. Chambers serves up delicious views of Ol Cane River country.)

Classroom Activities/Ideas

 After reading this engaging, lyrical book about the culture of Natchitoches, Louisiana, give students the option to choose one of the following options:

• Share a family tradition orally, in writing or as a “how-to” demonstration (if it’s a recipe or game).    

• Create a short slide show that shares unique family background and traditions,  or share a travelogue of family members who live in or outside the US including pronunciation for terms specific to the region. 

PreK -Second Grade

Books pairs are fun to share and these two winners have great activities built into them. For K-2 students, matching and grouping are core skills for classification, a key scientific process. These action-packed picture books highlight skills in observation and comparing and contrasting characteristics, core skills for both math and science. Both books include themes of classroom climate, SEL, and diversity. 

Book: We Match

Author: Chris Barton knows intuitively that kids notice when things match. Think about school spirit days when kids delight in matching outfits. Take that idea to the dog park where Button, a gray terrier, announces the commentary as dogs play ball and chase squirrels. Button observes that some like wet food, others prefer kibble; some wear sweaters; others destroy them. Button discovers more subtle ways the dogs match that also encourages readers to find for connections with their classmates. (Illustrator Sharon Glick creates the most "fetching" dogs.)

Book: Batter Up for the First Day of School

Author Bethany Hegudus, a bonafide baseball fan, creates a tried-and-true back to school picture book that hooks readers with baseball lingo, punny fun, and shares the schedule of a typical school day for young students The Twins, Hank and Erin, begin the day with some nerves, but excitement builds, and at the end of the day, the twins announce that, “Today was a home run!”(Illustrator Nomar Perez creates ballpark joy with his images.)

Classroom Activities/Ideas

Lucky for us, Bethany and Chris have hit a home run with their ready-made activities  students will enjoy.

Look at these adorable “We Match” playing cards from illustrator Nomar Perez! Students can create their own cards and compare their connections with other students.

Here’s an example of Chris and Sharon’s match session.

Bethany has a baseball card activity as a way the new classroom team can announce and share this year’s roster. Celebrate your MVPs here. 

Check out Bethany's MVP and his vital stats as an example to model! 

Readers, what books, book matches and activities do you recommend for a great back-to-cool? Let us know in the comments!

The Cat's Out of the Bag: Isabella Kung and NO SNOWBALL by Kathy Halsey

Book Review

Cat lovers rejoice, author-illustrator Isabella Kung’s regal NoFuzzball is back with a sidekick, NO SNOWBALL. This meow-velous picture book comes in on little cat feet November 1, 2022, for readers 4 - 8 years. But I paw-sitively believe any reader will enjoy these two personalities as they vie to charm their “subjects,” AKA  “family.”

Snowball is a cuddly ball of fur who embodies all the characteristics of very young children–their enthusiasm, their endless questions, and their boundless energy. Cat and kitten tussle for attention, but that energetic “cat-titude” captures NoFuzzball as she trains Snowball to be a proper princess.

Kung’s illustrations set up compelling interactive scenes between the main characters, while her use of perspective encourages readers to really emerge themselves in this magical queendom. Attention educators and librarians, NO SNOWBALL begs for more than one reading, is a great choice for read alouds, and is ripe for Readers Theater for older kids.

Craft Chat with Isabella Kung

KH: Fuzzball and Snowball are such diametrically different personalities. (That’s part of the fun of this picture book.) Tell us how you create characters.

 

Isabella: Fuzzball was inspired by my cats Bubo and Bella, her personality is basically a combination of both of them in the body of a fuzzy black cat (I just love how ambiguous their body looks under all that fur). She was initially designed as a set of emojis with Ree Stickers. Designing emojis is very similar to doing a character sheet, I drew her in all kinds of expressions and poses and I got to know her personality very well through this process. Her story eventually came a few months later. I’m glad I got to pay homage to her origins and use most of the emojis on the endpapers in the first book.

 

For Snowball, I had the concept a long time ago while I was on submission for NO FUZZBALL!  I love the idea of Queen NoFuzzball encountering her complete opposite – an itty-bitty, clueless, overly enthusiastic, and affectionate white kitten! Being a visual thinker, I was pretty clear about what I wanted her to look like. So I began by writing about their very first interaction with each other instead – immediately knowing Fuzzball

will want nothing to do with Snowball (an interaction inspired by Bubo and Bella’s first encounter with a foster kitten), and Snowball will fall in love with Fuzzball at first sight. After that, the nature of their relationship – the classic sibling rivalry and love, just fell into place.

KH: I know you worked on NO FUZZBALL off and on for four years. Was NO SNOWBALL easier and quicker? Did the process differ?

 

Isabella: Yes, definitely quicker and maybe a little easier because I know what works from the first book and there is a foundation to build on, but it’s hard to compare because it’s just different. NO SNOWBALL! has always been a seedling of an idea while I was submitting NO FUZZBALL! Unfortunately, due to deadlines and the passing of my late cats at the beginning of a global pandemic (2020), I was lost in grief and didn’t work on her story until after NO FUZZBALL!’s big debut, when my editor finally asked me about the second book. I zealously promised her a draft by the end of the month and gave myself a deadline for writing! (I’ve never done that before!) I thought since I already have the concept, the setting, and the characters, it should be fine! I ended up anxiously staring at my screen for more than a week before solving the puzzle of how to reach the end of my story. Boy was that stressful! After my ah-ha moment, it was a mad dash to finish my submission by the date promised. I was proud of myself for accomplishing a draft so quickly but I don't think I should attempt it ever again. Luckily, my editor liked it!

 

I found when writing a sequel, the process and challenges are completely different, mainly figuring out a good balance between introducing a new character to the book and adding new elements (eg. dialogue) to the story, while still staying true to the previously established voice, jokes, rules, and structures set up in the first book. I wanted the sequel to still be a No Fuzzball book but with a new co-star! Initially, I was worried about Snowball taking too much spotlight away from Fuzzball. Fortunately, I found that the two characters complemented each other and their personalities only shone brighter together. All in all, while the concept has been living in my head for a couple of years, it only took 6-7 months to solidify the story (from the first draft to the sketches being approved ), then another 4-5 months to complete the final  illustrations. SO MUCH faster than NO FUZZBALL!

 

KH: In this duology, you use first person point of view. Did you draft any versions in third person? How did you ultimately decide on first person or third? 

 

Isabella: As far as I remember, NO FUZZBALL has been written in first person, but I had to double-check, and I found it was actually written in third person for my very first draft! I realized very quickly that to fully express Fuzzball’s sass and attitude, as well as convey just how much she is misunderstanding her name and almost all her family’s intentions, I must tell it from her point of view, thus switching to fist person on my second draft. This way, I can really play up the humor and play with the unreliable narrator's angle against what is depicted in the illustrations. This engages the readers; it makes them feel like they are in on the joke and lets them figure out what is really happening on their own. It also engages me as the author-illustrator to figure out the perfect balance between the text and illustration for this book! It’s my favorite kind of puzzle to solve!

Fuzzball and Ori as kittens. They were a big source of inspiration for Snowball! 

KH: I first connected with you via your illustration and watercolor classes at Storyteller Academy. Please share advice for beginning illustrators, seasoned illustrators, and writers who want to understand the illustration process better.

 

Isabella: For beginning illustrators - it's all about practice, practice, practice. These days, there are so many great online illustration workshops and classes to take and learn from, but knowledge taught in those courses will only truly be yours when you practice using it. I know it's intimidating and sometimes even discouraging to see your artwork not align with the way you’ve envisioned it. That's okay, it's even expected to produce work (a lot of work) that you are not proud of at first! You’ll learn from every piece. You’ll be training your brain and gaining muscle memory from doing the work, and before you know it, you are improving.

 

For seasoned illustrators - Take care of your body and your mind! Take breaks! Go for walks, exercise, meditate and stretch. Our job puts a lot of repetitive stress on our bodies and it can take a toll on our mental health as well. I notice more aches and pains lately, and I have also experienced my fair share of burnout. Trying to recover from injuries or a mental rut is so much more difficult than taking better care of yourself regularly. I know it's easier said than done, it's advice I need to remind myself from time to time too.

 

For writers who want to understand the illustration process more - Thank you for taking the time to learn more about it! We, illustrators, appreciate authors who know when to make suggestions and when to give us the creative space to do our jobs. But most importantly, it will help you become a better picture book author too! Learning how to make a dummy, (even if all you draw are basic shapes and stick figures) will help you properly envision your story as a book. You will get to test out the page turns, get a good feel about the pacing and rhythm and see if the emotional arc is progressing the way you want it.

 

KH: Writers are curious about how to leave room for an illustrator’s magic. What’s your advice?

 

Isabella: I love art notes when used appropriately! For example, if I’m reading a manuscript where the author intends the text to tell one part of the story and the illustration to show another, I would want to know what the author has in mind. Especially if the text is deliberately spare, poetic, or lyrical, or if the text is from the point of view of an unreliable narrator… etc. In other words, only use art notes if the text doesn’t convey the whole story. Small details like wanting the character to have pink hair because it is their daughter’s favorite color is more a personal preference rather than helping with the storytelling. It might interfere with what the illustrator is planning.

 

KH: What are you working on now?

Isabella: I have one story on submission about two twin Koalas that I hope can find the right publishing home soon! I am also working on my very first near-wordless picture book. This story is very different from what I’ve created before. It is a very emotional and personal story for me too. I was trepidatious at first, doubting why I even want to work on something so out of my comfort zone. But this idea and vision have been revisiting me again and again for the last 4 years, so how can I not feel compelled to create it? I hope to share it with the world one day.

Bella (top) and Bubo (bottom), Isabella’s late cats who inspired Fuzzball.

About Isabella Kung

Isabella Kung is the author and illustrator of NO FUZZBALL! (Scholastic, 2020) & NO SNOWBALL! (Scholastic, 2022), about a fuzzy feline Queen that was described as an “expressive, endearing little chunk of well-meaning evil” by Kirkus Reviews. Continuing her feline obsession, she also illustrated over 120 cats for the board books 123 CATS and ABC CATS (Candlewick, 2021). Her illustrations have received accolades from institutions such as the Society of Illustrators, Spectrum Fantasy Art, 3x3, Creative Quarterly, and SCBWI. Outside the world of publishing, Isabella teaches illustration and watercolor classes at Storyteller Academy and Etchr Lab. Isabella resides in San Francisco with her husband and two adorable – you guessed it – cats! She is represented by Jennifer Laughran at Andrea Brown Literary.

 

Instagram: @isabellakungill Twitter: @isaberryk

Website: www.isabellakung.com

What's New at the Library?

By Leslie Colin Tribble

We order new books every month at our public library and since I'm in the cataloging department, I get to see all the new titles as they come in. Here are a few picture books that have hit the shelves recently. This is a mixed bag of stories - hopefully there's something in here for everyone.

Rhino in the House - Daniel Kirk (author of the Library Mouse series)
Because I can't pass up a great animal story, this was the first book I picked up in our children's library. It's a true story with a great ending so it's a win-win for me. In his author notes, Daniel Kirk explains he wrote the story because he found a photo of a woman, Anna Merz, sitting next to a black rhinoceros, Samia. In his research, he discovered that Anna founded a rhino sanctuary in Nairobi, Kenya to protect the animals from poachers. Samia was a calf born on the sanctuary, but wasn't being cared for by her mother.  Anna took the baby to her house and successfully raised her.

First off, what a great story! As a child, I asked my parents for all sorts of animals (we did have dogs, so I wasn't totally pet-deprived) including a giraffe, penguins (thanks to Mr. Popper's Penguins) and a baby musk ox. A baby rhino would have been right up my alley. I loved that Anna Merz brought tiny (a relative term when speaking of rhino's) Samia to her home and even snuggled with her in bed - this is my kind of woman.

Daniel Kirk did a wonderful job with the illustrations - Anna looks like a nice, loving grandmotherly-type and Samia is adorable. He brings in other African wildlife and gives readers an understanding of what Samia's native habitat looks like. I also love that he included pictures that illustrate Samia's communication with Anna - "Hoo hoo hoo" means "I'm coming!" followed by a picture of a charging baby rhino.

This is a wonderful book for children who love animals. It beautifully illustrates a true conservation idea along with the work of a woman who was determined to see it happen. Rhino in the House is a great starting place to introduce the idea of "passion" to children and how we can all find something we're passionate about.

The Giant of Jum - Elli Woollard; Illustrated by Benji Davis
This fun book is a take off on Jack and the Beanstalk. If you have a child that knows the refrain, "Fee, fi, fo, fum ..." this will be a rollicking read. The Giant of Jum is a rhyming picture book about a grumpy old grouch of a giant who pines to eat a child on a dish. He stomps off in search of a child, especially the boy Jack which his brother told him about. The children out-smart the giant by convincing him he really is quite nice and he couldn't possibly eat Jack or any other child. Instead, what giants prefer is . . . cake.

The illustrations are perfectly child-friendly and give an adorable sense of size and proportion. Everyone is excited when the giant cake appears, because seriously, who isn't excited by cake? The rhyme is fun to read and the rhythm accentuates the story. This is a great read-aloud because you can use lots of different voices, especially your grouchy giant voice.

Someone Like Me - Patricia McLachlan; Illustrated by Chris Sheban
The soft edges and subtle colors of the illustrations in this picture book enhance the dreamy quality of the story of a young girl who is a gatherer of stories. When she's not reading, she's listening to people telling stories and trying to teach her dog and chicken to talk. She climbs into trees to watch the sky and like her great-grandmother loves the dark prairie earth. When she grows up she might be someone like the author - a writer.

I really enjoyed this book. The illustrator gave the girl's face a pensive expression - she's thinking deep thoughts about everything, something writers are known to do. There's an ethereal feel to the book, giving weight and importance to words and books and stories without coming out and telling us they're important. Children wonder deeply about their worlds and here's a book that says it's ok to do so.

Blue Sky, White Stars - Sarvinder Naberhaus; Illustrated by Kadir Nelson
I saved the best for last. This book will find a home in the hearts of everyone. Using only 68 words (most of them the same on each spread), this book defines America and what it means to be an American. The author takes the symbols on the United States' flag - its red rows, blue sky and white stars - and uses those same words to describe America.

This is a stunningly beautiful book in both words and illustrations. It's a tear-inducing read and kids will wonder why you're all choked up by the end of the story. It's guaranteed to stoke patriotism even in the heart of complete cynics. This is the perfect book to read on holidays like Independence Day, Veteran's Day, Memorial Day, Martin Luther King Day, and President's Day.

Blue Sky, White Stars showcases history, the beauty of the land, immigration, and civil rights, as well as the concepts of achievement and freedom. If you're looking for a picture book to give children a crash course in Civics, this is it. It would also be a helpful reminder for most adults. This book deservedly received four, starred reviews and I hope it continues to win favor and acclaim.

What's New at the Library?

By Leslie Colin Tribble

I thought it might be interesting to investigate the new picture books at my library. This is a public library and our children's librarian keeps books labeled as new and on the "new" shelf for about six months. These books circulate a lot - I know because I used to shelve them!

Here's a roundup of a few fiction picture books that caught my eye:

First Snow, Peter McCarty (new at the library in January 2015)

I gravitate to any book with animals on the front and Peter McCarty's illustrations are so cute I just want to take all of the critters on the cover home with me. I love all his books - endearing illustrations and sparse but engaging text. In First Snow, cousin Pedro (from some far off southland) comes to visit. When it starts to snow Pedro isn't very happy because he doesn't think he likes cold. Pedro changes his mind though with the help of the neighborhood children.

Peter McCarty's lively text is magic. The 433 words are mostly dialogue and much of that word count is actually a listing of the some of the animal children's names. Out of that 433 words over 60 words are either a name or "said". Now the action is spelled out in less than 400 words making it quick and to the point.

The Skunk, written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Patrick McDonnell (new April 2015)

Again, another animal on the front - this one a very determined but stealthy-looking skunk. I had to read this one to see what the skunk and the man would do. I loved the illustrations - the skunk's bright red nose is wonderful. This book has a much higher word count - 596 so take heart those of you who can't get their story under the magic 500. This is a great book to spark some discussion between parent and child about what the skunk's intentions might be, and why the man made the decision he did at the ending. Lots of fun with simple but very effective illustrations and use of color. The pictures reminds me of the old Danny and the Dinosaur books. Too fun!

Sidewalk Flowers, written by Jon Arno Lawson and illustrated by Sydney Smith (new March 2015)

This wordless book was a great read. A little girl gathers flowers as she walks along with her distracted father and she gives the flowers as gifts to various recipients. This book could also create dialog between adult and child about friendship, giving, the meaning of gifts and the discovery of unexpected beauty around us. The illustrations are full of detail with only splashes of color. A beautiful and quiet book to be appreciated on a slow and thoughtful type of day.

Small Bunny's Blue Blanket - Tatyana Feeney (new March 2015)

This is the classic story of a child and their, ultimately necessary for life, blanket. I read this to my young adult daughter who totally appreciated the relationship between Small Bunny and Blue Blanket. Tatyana Feeney's illustrations are very simple - bordering on exagerated line drawings - but the expressions she gives Small Bunny are priceless. I loved this book. It was a simple and fresh look at a age-old relationship.

This is Sadie, written by Sara O'Leary and illustrated by Julie Morstead (new May 2015)

Sadie has a big imagination and she spends her days living out whatever she thinks about. This book will appeal to children who also are small but have big imaginations like Sadie. In her they will find a kindred spirit. The illustrations are a perfect pairing with the text, which is only 354 words. My favorite page was second to the last, "Sadie likes to make boats of boxes and castles out of cushions. But more than anything she likes stories, because you can make them from nothing at all."

Isn't that what we as authors do?

What books are new at your library?