Meet GROGer Todd Burleson! ~ by Patricia Toht

Todd Burleson is the GROG's fearless leader, tech trouble-shooter, and all-around great guy. Just look at that smiling face!

To know Todd is to love him, so I'm delighted to introduce him to you. 


What drew you to writing for children, Todd?

Five years ago when I started working as a library media specialist, my relationship with words changed forever. Now, I read hundreds of picture books aloud to students each year. I feel and hear the rhythm of words and see the interplay that they have with illustrations. In short, I started ‘seeing’ the world through books.  Pretty quickly I realized, as Orson Scott Card said: “Everybody walks past a thousand story ideas every day. The good writers are the ones who see five or six of them. Most people don’t see any.” I’m doing pretty well if I get one new idea a day, but that doesn’t stop me from looking! 

Todd hosts Jon Muth at Hubbard Woods Elementary School

Another visitor, Arun Ghandi

How do you come up with ideas to write about?

Curiosity inspires me to write; I’m never bored. I am always exploring new media, books and ideas. I have a long commute, but I look at that commuting time as idea gathering time. I find that NPR and Podcasts spark tiny ideas that frequently lead to some of my best writing projects. I keep a pad of paper in my car at all times and post it notes are omnipresent! I also love to experience new things and travel. There are amazing stories everywhere.

Todd is quite the adventurous man!

How long have you been writing?

I was an early reader, but writing didn’t come easily for me as a kid. In fact, I don’t remember a single writing project I did in school. What I do remember, felt formulaic and forced. ‘Writing’ then for me, took the form of lists and outlines. Eventually, those lists evolved and spilled into journal entries, which gave me a way to ‘think.’ Soon, poetry and song lyrics crept into my journals.  Next came sketches, photographs and ticket stubs. Mix in lots of new experiences and places and you have pretty fertile ground for ideas!

What authors have mentored you?

Whether they realize it or not, I’ve learned from the best!  I make studying my favorite authors a big part of my writing ‘workout.’  I’m constantly typing out the text of my favorite authors to feel and see their rhythm and phrasing.  I’m one of 16 authors here on the

Ann Bausum's latest book,
Stubby the War Dog

GROG and have learned so, so much from reading and working alongside them.  I am thrilled to have been selected by SCBWI WI to be mentored by award winning author Ann Bausum.  I’ll be working with her this year on a non-fiction picture book project and soaking up every ounce of knowledge I can!

(Not only are you working with mentor Ann Bausum this year, Todd, you've also recently been awarded a Highlights scholarship for nonfiction and you're working with agent, Jodell Sadler. I think 2015 is going to be a very good year for you!)

What is your current WIP?

Right now, I’ve got two that have bubbled to the top. One is a story about the first magician in America, and the other is about the last ice merchant on Mount Chimborazo in Ecuador.  Both of these topics intrigued me enough to research them and when I did I found that there were stories there that I thought needed to be told.

Todd busy at research.

If you could invite any author or illustrator to dinner, who would it be?

This was a tough question. Lately I’ve been enamored with Snowflake Bentley written by Jacqueline Briggs Martin and illustrated by Mary Azarian. It won the Caldeott in 1999. I like that Jacqueline is such a diverse writer; I have to imagine she’s a fascinating person. I would love to have both of them over for dinner. 

Do you have a favorite picture book?

That should be hard, but I actually really do have one:  Owl Moon by Jane Yolen. Of course this Caldecott winner’s images are phenomenal, but it’s the way the words and images work together that make it my favorite. Just the first line shouts to me that it is going to be amazing: “It was late one winter night, long past my bedtime, when Pa and I went owling.” I have never been owling, but I sure feel like I would know what to do after reading this book. 

What are your hobbies?

Making stuff. I like to explore with different media: photography, painting, sketching, wood, etc. Someday I hope to have a barn that is my ‘creation space.’ I want to be able to sling paint on giant canvases, weld huge chunks of steel and turn all sorts of things on a lathe! Basically I want to have a place where I can make a HUGE mess! I recently restored a 1947 Tourette Teardrop Trailer and took it on an epic road trip with my son. I love fly-fishing and visiting national parks around the country.

Todd and his daughter Grace after completing a high ropes course!

What’s one thing about yourself that very few people know?

I’m color blind in one eye; but I can’t remember which eye it is!

Where can readers find about more about you?

Visit my personal blog, ToddBurlesonWrites.
Read about my work as children's librarian, A Zen Librarian, here.
Follow my restoration and travels in my 1947 Teardrop Trailer.
And, of course, follow along on the GROG!

Thanks for giving a peek into your life, Todd, and best wishes for your writing this year!

One Plastic Bag: More Than a Picture Book! by Kathy Halsey

ONE PLASTIC BAG: ISATOU CEESAY AND THE RECYCLING WOMEN OF THE GAMBIA by Miranda Paul, illustrated by Elizabeth Zunon, is more than an informational picture book. It's collaboration and celebration; a lesson in sustainability; a lesson for picture book writers to immerse themselves in craft and best practices, too. 

Collaboration & Sustainability

The women who brought this book to fruition have many talents that are woven together by the shared passion of making difference for our environment and for our children. Isatou, a Gambian woman, began to view the utilitarian plastic bag at a threat to the beauty of Njau, her home. Along with five other women, she washed, crocheted, and transformed these bags into purses. Isatou's call for solutions led to an economic engine that continues to make a difference. Earnings from the plastic purses funded a community center focused on literacy and empowerment, a true cause for celebration.

Isatou and Miranda

Elizabeth at work in the studio

Miranda's path to Gambia and her debut picture book One Plastic Bag began when she traveled there in 2003 to volunteer and teach. On Miranda's third visit, she finally met Isatou and the women who inspired her to write her debut book. Miranda has been involved in environmental issues since she was young, and her picture book and web site engage readers to consider the consequences of one person, one plastic bag and what one more voice/ call to action can produce.
 Now add the third creative woman, illustrator Elizabeth Zunon, who grew up in West Africa and graduated from RISD, and there is powerful magic. Elizabeth incorporates real plastic bags & cut-up magazines in her mixed media collages and children's book illustrations. The efforts of all these creative women make ONE PLASTIC BAG a book that can be used by scouting troops, teachers, and parents alike.

•  ONE PLASTIC BAG is great study for picture book writers, too.  The first page of text introduces us immediately to the main character Isatou and the setting We know our MC is cold and uncomfortable, and the scene uses sensory details other than sight to  transport the reader to Njau.  
•  The simple refrain of "one, two, then ten" begins on page 7 and does not change until the solution to the conflict begins. "One friend helps, then two, then five."

•  The  problems the Gambian people face with plastic is laid out in threes: the ugliness, goats dying; mosquitoes. 
•  Authentic vocabulary from Wolof is used sparingly and simply. Miranda imparts information in sprinkles for a young audience.
•  The pages turns at the end are so powerful, and the final solution and picture of happy goats and a clean environment grace the last page.  
•  Interesting, educational back matter begins w/the author's note which personalizes the story. Then the Wolof Glossary and pronunciation guide, timeline, and further reading are provided.  

It is no wonder ONE PLATIC BAG: ISATOU CESSAY AND THE RECYCLING WOMEN OF THE GAMBIA has debuted to acclaim and star reviews! Bravo Miranda, Isatou, and Elizabeth! First one, then two, now YOU can add your comments about this true story!