I’m excited to share an interview with picture book author Lisa
Kahn Schnell, and to announce a great give-away.
Lisa’s debut book, High Tide for Horseshoe Crabs, is a lyrical look at a fascinating subject
not often considered: horseshoe crabs. And she’s giving away a signed copy to a
lucky GROG reader—just comment below for your chance to win!
In this nonfiction picture book, Lisa takes a close look at
horseshoe crabs and their life cycle. She makes her topic appealing to kids and
adults alike, in a beautifully written and beautifully illustrated 40-page
book, published this spring by Charlesbridge. Don't just take my word for it: Kirkus and SLJ both gave it starred reviews. After reading this book, you’ll be
looking out for horseshoe crabs on your next walk on the beach! (And be sure to check out the illustrations in this post -- you'll love them.)
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| Lisa Kahn Schnell |
Lisa and I have known one another “virtually”—as members of
an online critique group—for almost two years. That made it especially fun for
me to meet lovely Lisa in real life, last fall at Falling Leaves – the fabulous
SCBWI master class retreat in upstate New York.
Lisa was kind enough to answer a few questions for GROG.
Q: First, Lisa--CONGRATULATIONS on the publication of High Tide for
Horseshoe Crabs. Please tell us about this poetic picture book.
A: Thank you for your kind words!
High Tide for
Horseshoe Crabs introduces readers to the amazing horseshoe crab. Each
spring, horseshoe crabs spawn up and down the east coast of the United States.
They come together in especially large numbers on the beaches of Delaware Bay. During this spawning season, many species of migrating shorebirds—and a myriad of other animals—feed on
the crabs’ tiny nutritious eggs. Scientists, volunteers, and other curious people
arrive to observe the birds and horseshoe crabs, too.
Horseshoe crabs were on the planet millions of years before
the dinosaurs. They’re critical ecologically and for human health, too. I am
fascinated by the importance of an animal I’ve taken for granted for most of my
life, and I hope my book conveys that enthusiasm, along with lots of
information.
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| Double-page spread from High Tide for Horseshoe Crabs |
Q: Your book
demonstrates your love of nature. How can parents and teachers use books like
yours to get kids outdoors, and to get involved with nature?
A: I love spending time outside, and I find nature
endlessly fascinating and inspiring. I have had some great teachers over the
years who have shared knowledge, encouraged my questions, and helped me feel
comfortable outdoors.
I love the way certain books can be as inviting as a good teacher. For example, the books in the Scientists in the Field series feel like
personal guides to places and subjects I might never get to know about
otherwise. I wanted my book to do the same sort of thing, but for younger
children--to introduce the child and their adult reader to the subject in a way
that makes it feel approachable and welcoming.
Part of what amazed me about horseshoe crabs is that I’d
been going to the beach all my life and had never realized this incredible
natural phenomenon was happening right there where I was standing. I know not everyone will visit the horseshoe crabs in person, but I will be very happy if my
book encourages people to look around—wherever they are—and ask simple
questions. “What is happening in the natural world near me?” “What can I
observe and learn about directly, right here where I am?” That sort of
investigation doesn’t require any special equipment—it can happen in a city schoolyard
or while mucking around in a stream.
Q: What made you
choose this subject for your first book?
A. A well-timed walk on the beach! I saw a horseshoe crab
and wanted to know more about it. When I started looking for information, I
couldn’t find much, and was surprised how little was available, especially for young readers. Once I started researching more thoroughly, I found lots of
intriguing material. The project developed from there.
Q: I love the way
you’ve layered the text. The basic story, from “It’s starting,” to “They’re
arriving,” then “They’re laying,” etc., is outlined in big, bold, brief headlines. On each page of text, a fuller explanation follows of what’s
happening on the beach and in the crab’s cycle of life. How did you arrive at this
approach?
A. The structure of the book is the result of a lot
of writing and re-writing and winnowing of information. There was so much I
wanted to include!
I got to see the crab spawning action first-hand, and that affected me enormously. In the end, I decided that I most wanted to capture the
energy and excitement of everything coming together—the horseshoe crabs, of
course, but also the arrival of the migrating birds, and the humans, too. I
particularly loved the fact that that humans were easy to include in this
natural history story. This
draft started as just the two-word phrases—the minimum required to capture the
major moments. I thought that was a bit too spare, so I added the longer text
on each page. The back matter developed during the editing process.
Q: Alan Marks created
the gorgeous (and scientifically accurate) illustrations for the book. I particularly love the detailed horseshoe crab diagrams on the ends. How
involved were you in the design and illustration?
A: I was quite involved with the illustration process, and
I feel very lucky that I had that opportunity. It was fun for me to learn how
the illustration process works—how images develop and change, and the extent to
which they are fact checked…and checked again. And again! (Especially those
endpapers. Oh my!) It was also fascinating to me to see how a professional
illustrator works. Alan was so FAST! And he responded to suggestions and
necessary changes graciously.
Because my book is nonfiction, I had quite a bit of input. Also, my editor at Charlesbridge was
wonderful about including me in the process and allowing my input right from
the start. I really appreciated that!
Q: I understand you
have recently taken art classes and are honing your artistic talents – painting
and drawing. How has that affected your writing?
A: I earned a Fine Arts minor in college, but I never
thought I could draw. A few years ago, at a time when I was down and needed to do
something just for me, I decided to take art classes again. I’m learning to
draw, paint, and make art with all sorts of media, and I love it!
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| Lisa Kahn Schnell, acrylic |
Sometimes art feels like a complete sidetrack to writing.
Like I’m…not wasting my time, exactly, but ridiculously unfocused. Then there
are those moments when I realize that art is art. Practicing careful
observation, learning how to capture a mood or emotion, portraying whatever it
is that transfixes me about a subject—these all apply to both visual art and
writing. It all works together. Whatever the medium, I see my job as conveying
both knowledge and emotion in a way that someone else can feel it, too, even if
they can’t interact with the subject directly.
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| Lisa Kahn Schnell, Ink |
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| Lisa Kahn Schnell, Pencil |
Before my horseshoe crab manuscript was accepted, I used it
as the basis for my first attempt at illustration. I worked with a friend who
is an illustration professor at the local university. The results were not
publishable—I didn’t even send them to the publisher for consideration.
However, I had fun and learned a lot by trying! And even though I couldn’t
execute the art to my liking, I passed some of the ideas on to my editor, who
shared them with the illustrator. He did a great job with them, and I was happy
to have had some small part in the illustration process.
Q: As a dancer as
well as a painter, you’re pretty busy . . . . How do these other activities
interact with your writing?
A: Dancing and visual arts are more immediately tactile and
sensual than writing usually is for me (though I’ve been known to cut a
manuscript into bits to play with different configurations!), so with those
activities, it’s easier for me to escape my noisy brain and reset. Art and
dancing keep me sane—and dancing keeps me in reasonably good physical shape—which is a good
thing for my writing, and everything else, too!
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Lisa Kahn Schnell, water color
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Q: What’s your
writing process? Do you outline?
A: I’m still figuring out my writing process. So far, it seems
to be managed chaos, just like the rest of my life. I do not outline, though I
wouldn’t rule anything out. For me the most difficult part of writing is
finding a structure for the mess of information and ideas I’ve collected on a
given topic. That part of the process always feels sooo slow.
Q: Do you write
exclusively nonfiction? What do you like about nonfiction? How do you select a
topic?
A: I definitely gravitate toward nonfiction, though I have
a couple of fiction pieces that I’m working on, too. I’m not willing to limit
myself at this point—I’m still figuring out what I like and am able to do.
Part of what I like about writing nonfiction is that it
gives me the excuse to get out in the field and learn from scientists who are
passionate about whatever it is they study.
So far I have selected topics (in the broader sense) that
appeal to me in some way I can’t always define—a gut reaction to something, a
subject that I keep hearing about for some reason, simple curiosity. I have a
Master’s degree in botany (plant ecology, really). I am especially interested
in topics that let me learn more about biology of any sort, since
that often means I get to go outside to do some of the research!
Q: Books and curiosity seem to go together . . . Do you have thoughts about how can we
encourage kids to range freely through the library, and the world, with books?
A: I wish children could spend less time doing things like standardized testing, and more time following their own curiosity and asking questions—in the library, outside, wherever they are. One big thing I learned when I was studying for my Master’s degree is that there are still so many questions that haven’t been
answered. Part of what I love is learning how much we don't know, and
the creative ways people are trying to answer basic questions. I hope that by
helping children see science as something alive—not just lists of facts—they’ll
understand that there is a place for them to actively participate in the
process.
Q: For readers
inspired to pick up a copy of High Tide for Horseshoe Crabs, where is it
available?
A: Wherever books are sold! I always encourage people to
shop at their local indie bookstore though, if they’re lucky enough to have
one.
Lisa, thanks so much
for these thoughtful answers . . . and
for offering a signed copy of your book to a lucky GROG reader.
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| Cheddar awaits your comments! |
Readers: Please leave a comment below. If you’d like to be
included in the drawing for a signed copy of Lisa’s book, mention that in your
comment.
You have until June 26 to enter. My mascot, Cheddar, will assist in selecting the random winning entry. We’ll contact the lucky
winner on July 1.
