Children's Writer

DECEMBER 2011 Newsletter of Writing and Publishing Trends CONTENTS Enough Cute Bunnies! VOLUME 21 NUMBER 5 Creative Creature Characters By Mark Haverstock ones with more pluck, sass, and edginess Feature 4 he Velveteen Rabbit, Pat the —and their editors love them. Girls & Boys Together: Bunny, The Runaway Bunny, and Sexuality in YA Fiction TKnuffle Bunny. Bunny tales have Color Me Pink multiplied over the years like, well, rab- The title character of Sylvie was born bits. Along with their buddies, the bears after author/illustrator Jennifer Sattler’s and the mice, they seem to have a firm daughter asked why flamingos were pink. hold on popularity in children’s books. “We looked into it, and found that they Creative twists on creature characters, were pink because of the pink shrimp and a tale that breaks the bunny mold, they eat. That instantly brought some may be a better bet today. “Every writer funny images to mind,” says Sattler. and illustrator has a unique voice and set Sylvie decides to try out different colors of experiences to draw upon, and I by eating different things, with humorous Feature 6 encourage creative folks to tap into that,” results. The element of surprise and the Someone to Look says Heidi Kilgras, Editorial Director of game of predicting what is next is part of Random House Children’s Books. the appeal. “You know she just ate an up to: Heroes & Role As competitive as the picture book orange- and white-striped towel, but can't Models market is, says Zonderkidz Acquisitions picture what that will look like!” Editor Barbara Herndon, “[U]nique and Sattler’s artwork initially grabbed Kil- lovable characters with a strong voice gras’s attention. “It was as though Sylvie tend to stand out. In the general market, were performing for me on the page. The Splat the Cat, Olivia, and Llama Llama do mixed-media artwork is a warm blend of well, and also the Elephant and Piggie hand-painted and digital art in a gorgeous books by Mo Willems. In the Christian candy-colored palette. Soon after, the Craft 8 market, our line of Berenstain Bears story hooked me,” says Kilgras. “It, too, is Give Readers Sensory books have been incredibly successful. a mix: It begins with a factoid about what flamingoes eat to make their feathers Experiences Strong, relatable characters are the key.” Today’s authors are developing more pink, and then it spins off with the magi- of these strong, relatable characters— cal realism of Sylvie changing colors and Publishers 9 patterns based on eating other food—and Penguin Tweaks its non-foods! It’s a very simple story line Children’s Imprints Children’s Writer Goes Digital that encourages creativity and imagina- Children’s Writer is now available in tion, and being yourself.” Kilgras had not digital form.To subscribe electronically, contact seen many flamingoes featured in chil- Marketplace 10 us at [email protected] dren's book. “We editors surely get our fill of bears and mice and pigs, or call 1-800-443-6078. (To page 2) over and over, so when a $2.50 PER ISSUE unny well-drawn, well-wrought, rels would find a way to eat most of of language. “Both adults and chil- B and unique new character his seed and steal it from the birds,” dren definitely respond to the quirky comes along, it’s refreshing. But says Rubin. “So one time, my dad humor, and many have shared their Sylvie is also a perfect stand-in for decided to hang the feeder from the own stories about squirrels behaving any child; she’s relatable.” middle of the dog run. I remember badly,” she explains. “So Adam has Sattler sees being both illustra- seeing squir- tapped into a universal experience, tor and author as an advantage. rels shimmy but he’s given it his own twist.” “When I'm working on a book, I across the Rubin offers some advice to those see the story play out in my rope, Mission who want to incorporate humor. head,” she says. “It comes to me Impossible “When I write, if it makes me laugh, I first visually; then I'll draw a char- style, shaking have to put faith in the fact that my acter many, many times until he the feeder up sense of humor is relatable enough or she comes alive for me. I can and down so that it will be funny to kids and par- hear what kind of voice they their friends ents,” he says. “I don’t try to think would have, how they move, etc. on the ‘what does a kid find funny?’ or ‘is it A lot of times I’ll get my very ground could universal enough that a kid would get expressive daughter to pose for eat as much it?’ Some people feel you need to me, and I make a lot of faces in seed as they dumb down the humor for them to the mirror. Once I know the char- wanted.” understand. Instead, aim high. Kids acter and the basic story line, I can Rubin’s squirrels are smart and are a lot smarter than people give draw and write simultaneously.” resourceful—almost geniuses. They them credit for.” Sattler theorizes that everyone has can build a box kite out of leaves and an age with which they identify. “I get squirrel spit, do math on an abacus, Creepy Cool elementary school-age kids, especially and they finish Old Man Fookwire’s When you read the title Bats at the kindergarten to grade three or so, crossword puzzles. “There’s an Ballgame, your thoughts might turn and I’m comfortable with that age. I underlying intelligence and though to home run kings or the Louisville speak to them directly in a way many they don’t speak or express them- Slugger. Author Brian Lies instead adults can’t. I guess what I'm saying selves verbally, they’re probably the thought of flying mammals. is that I'm basically a kid disguised as smartest characters in the book.” When Lies first started his series a 43-year-old woman. ” Marcia Leonard, Editor of Clarion of Bats books, he worried that there Books, says, “The squirrels’ appeal is would be a big “ick factor” about bats, Nutty Characters that they manage to be naughty with- and nobody would want to read Squirrels inspire frustration and fas- out being evil, intelligent without them. “But I've found there’s an cination. They are the backyard pests being infallible, and good-hearted amazing number of people who that everyone finds humorous yet without being sentimental. That’s a either find bats charming, or kind of annoying at times. Author Adam very fine line to walk! What’s also creepy-cool. I think there’s also Rubin taps into this love/hate rela- interesting is that they act and work something kids find appealing in the tionship in his books, Those Darn as a team; they’re not individually idea that animals have great adven- Squirrels and Those Darn Squirrels named or characterized. That’s tures while people are sleeping.” and the Cat Next Door. unusual in children’s books.” The bats’ nocturnal nature singles The squirrel characters came from What also attracted her to this them out from the menagerie of other a childhood experience. “My dad book was a distinct narrative voice, a animal characters in children’s books. always had an issue with squirrels sly sense of humor, a plot she had not “Illustrations are going to be darker and despite his best efforts, the squir- encountered before, and an economy than you see in many children's books,” Lies says. “But bats also have the benefit of being an odd mix of Publishers animal shapes, since they're mam- ~ Flashlight Press: 527 Empire Blvd., St.,Boston, MA 02116. mals with wings. Also, there’s always Brooklyn, NY 11225. www.flashlightpress. www.hmhbooks.com/kids. Reads unsolicited the dark side to bats in that many com.Two to four original picture books for manuscripts sent by conventional mail only. people are afraid of them, and that ages 4-8 each year. Carefully follow the sub- Responds only if interested. creates a unique push/pull.” mission guidelines, on the website. ~ Random House: 1745 Broadway, New York, Lies notes that bears, pigs, mice, ~ Clarion Books: 215 Park Ave. South, NY 10019. www.randomhouse.com/kids. New York, NY 10003. Looks at submissions from agents and pre- and rabbits are popular because in www.hmhbooks.com/clarion. Reads unso- vious Random House authors. Editors who reality they can be appealing. “But licited manuscripts sent by conventional mail speak or lead workshops at writers’ con- just as the world we live in contains a only. Responds only if interested. ferences will often open a submission win- very diverse mix of people, I think it’s ~ HarperCollins: 10 East 53rd St.. New York, dow for a short time before and after the good to see a diverse mix of animal NY 10022. www.harpercollinschildrens.com. conference for attendees. characters in stories. For one thing, it Agented submissions only. ~ Zonderkidz: Zondervan. 5300 Patterson becomes more visually interesting to ~ Houghton Mifflin Books for Children: Ave. SE, Grand Rapids, MI 49530. www.zon- Houghton Mifflin Harcourt. 222 Berkeley dervan.com.Agented submissions only. see different creatures in books. But using a different animal in a book 2 Children’s Writer • December 2011 • www.ChildrensWriter.com pense leads to a mistaken identity; a It’s a Dog’s Life sibling, a dog, or something else turns out to be the unknown monster.

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