A Mime in Times Square

PB PROJECT X - The Balance of Text and Art

2011-11-01T11:14:00.002-06:00

So PB PROJECT X keeps getting more and more interesting.
After receiving the pdf dummy, I followed in my agent's footsteps and printed up the book on my home printer. I cut out the pages, folded them and pasted them into a tiny booklet. "COOL!" my kids said.

And then something happened.

I opened the book as if I were reading it to a child, and began flipping through the pages. I discovered, to my horror, that my text was not working. In my effort to create this different-sort-of-book I had pared away too much text. Now, it's true that a picture book can have practically no text. I mean, hey, Paul Fleischman, the creator of SIDEWALK CIRCUS (Kevin Hawkes illustrated it) invented a story concept with almost no words. Interesting that you can be the author of a book without using words, and without being the illustrator. He had done it well.

But as I flipped through the pages I realized that my book had worked in manuscript form because my illustration notes were on the sidelines to explain the action. They were supposedly invisible notes to the artist, but we were all inadvertently reading them as part of the story. I figured when the illustrations were there they would take the place of the notes and work in the same way. But illustrations don't work exactly like that. Yes, they depict the action, but there are things words do to describe and clarify a scene that art leaves open to interpretation. My illustrator had done a marvelous job--everybody through so. But after cutting away my illustration notes, the book as a total piece was falling flat. It needed more text.

I waited for my agent to call, because she said she would, and when she did she described the problem exactly. Her comments underscored my thoughts. "I hate to send you back to the drawing board," she said. But I already knew everything she was saying. I was glad that, at least I have come far enough with picture book writing that I'm no longer oblivious to the problems and can figure them out myself. It just takes me a while.

So I spent several days adding text back into the story. I went back to some of my earlier drafts of the manuscript before I had cut away so much text and used those versions as a guide. It was a tightrope walk...not wanting to add too much but also making sure we were now hearing the bones of a story to accompany the pictures.

I submitted the revised manuscript to the illustrator, who was gracious enough to agree to redo the dummy. There were other projects going on so I agreed to wait until November 11th for the revised art. I'm eager to see if now, on VERSION 30, I've got it right.

Version 30 after ten months of work, and I've been obsessed. Students, do you see that writing a picture book is not for sissies?

CRASH TEST DUMMY

2011-10-25T10:50:00.000-06:00

So, my illustrator partner-in-crime delivered the pdf book "dummy" for PB PROJECT X. I must say, it's awesome. I can't believe the visual puzzle that was constructed. Such amazing talent!

Studying the text with the illustrations has got me wondering, though, if I still need to make a few tweaks to improve the story.

My agent called and said she loved the art. However, she wants to print the dummy and cut it out, paste it together and turn the pages to really get the feel of the book and how it functions. She says after she does this she'll call me to discuss it.

Wow. I can't believe what an undertaking this has been. I've been working on this manuscript feverishly since January - nine months, and yet it still isn't "born." In fact, I wrote the original manuscript a year or so prior to that, smiled at the strangeness of the idea and put it away. Then I found it again while cleaning up some files and started to work on it anew. It went from about 750 words to 211 over the next several months, and finally left the traditional manuscript form and became a table with illustration notes and sparse text.

Part of the reason for continuing to work so long on this is that my agent simply has not deemed it ready to be shopped around. She loved the very first version but has never quite felt it was ready. 28 versions after the first she was shown, I enlisted an illustrator.

If this machine ever takes flight it will have hopefully earned its wings.

PB PROJECT X - The Concept Art Arrived (No peeking yet)

2011-10-11T23:00:00.004-06:00

So, my secret and gifted illustrator forwarded me some concept art for PB PROJECT X. Amaaaaaazing! It's so refreshing to have the ability to work together with the artist in the early stages.

Tomorrow I'll get to see a pdf dummy of the book in sketches, a finished spread, and a page of thumbnails. Yippeee! Then I'll forward all the art to my agent for her input. From what I've seen so far, I think she'll be very pleased...and hopefully as excited as I am. Of course, she tends to be guarded. She's suspicious of this market and what editors will acquire. But she actually agreed that getting this laid out visually would help demonstrate how the book would work.

Will editors shun the project because I've taken away their choice of an illustrator (definitely a fun privilege, as I'm learning)? I have no idea.

I'm also not sure how we'll decide who to pitch this to. The illustrator's prior editors? Mine? Several at once and see who bites? This is where my agent and the illustrator's rep will have to guide us.

Maybe I'll give you a glimpse of art in my next post.

Shhhhh...... PB PROJECT X

2011-10-07T09:51:00.003-06:00

In this crazy world where picture books are often unappreciated, floating around in a dismal market of suspicious, pessimistic buyers, an author must get a little creative in shopping new manuscripts to editors.

And so…I have been working on an underground scheme to construct a picture book that is hopefully different, innovative, and, well, fun.

I am breaking the rules with this book. At least you could say I’m breaking away from my own tendencies and testing new waters. For the purposes of this blog, I will call this undertaking….drumroll please… PB PROJECT X.

PB PROJECT X will not rhyme, as my other books do. Nothing wrong with rhyme, but I’m throwing away my comfortable and worn old slippers. The text is sparse. The illustration notes are complex. Sigh. It’s cold, standing on the tile barefoot. But it’s a little exhilarating, too.

PB PROJECT X has a strange layout. I’ve written the manuscript in table format like a flattened-out rubix cube. And this time I’ve approached an illustrator first. Yes, did you read that right? I PICKED AN ILLUSTRATOR MYSELF—which is about as rebellious as a picture book author can be, considering my last name isn’t Berenstein or Beuhner. I’m not married to my illustrator, and I’ve never been allowed much say in the choice of an illustrator before. I know, I know, I’m a rebel. I’ve told all my students never to do this. Let the publisher pick the illustrator, I’ve said. But I decided to collaborate so that I can properly demonstrate how this unusual creature-of-a-book will function. My secret and highly-skilled illustrator, no stranger to the picture book world, is already on board and PB PROJECT X is secretly underway.

Stay tuned. On Tuesday I will see the first thumbnails of the book and a dummy to show the page turns. Plus a finished spread. This is as exciting as cutting class in high school with a bunch of friends. Perhaps my rule-breaking will not result in success, but in the moment I don’t care. I’m willing to ride this and see where it goes. My hope is that PB PROJECT X will eventually find an editor who sees some potential in it.

I'll let you know what happens...the good, the bad, the exciting, or even the horribly disappointing.

Taking risks. Breaking rules. Cold toes.

More to follow.

Picture Book Manuscript Critiques

2011-09-27T10:22:00.007-06:00

Praise for my Picture Book Critiques:

"Kristyn Crow is the expert on picture books. Whenever a friend asks for help with a PB manuscript, I always refer to Kristyn. She knows the ins and outs of the form like no one else." Mette Ivie Harrison, Author of The Princess and the Hound (and more)

"Kristyn Crow has special x-ray glasses that make her see right to the bones of my stories. Her writing critiques hit the nail on the head. She's so good she wouldn't even let me use that sentence - because it's a cliché. (I should have asked her to critique this blurb.) She's been workshopping my writing for ten years, and I wouldn't do it without her. Thanks, Kristyn!" Carolyn Fisher, Author/Illustrator of Goodnight, World! (and more)

"Kristyn Crow has reviewed my manuscripts for years. I can always count on her for thorough and honest critiques." Danna Smith, Author of Pirate Nap (and more)

"Kristyn Crow has great insight and experience in what makes a picture book work. Her critiquing and feedback skills help authors to see what their stories are missing as well as what they need to become great." Ken Baker, Author of Brave Little Monster (and more)

"Kristyn Crow's ability to hone in on what is needed to create a successful story is incredible! She has a gift for being able to see what is working and what is not.
Her on-target advice and suggestions never fail to stretch me as a writer and have enabled me to polish and mold my stories into satisfying and publishable tales." Lezlie Evans, Author of Who Loves the Little Lamb (and more)

-----------------------------

I'd like to have my picture book manuscript critiqued. What will it cost?

My current cost is $50.00 for 800 words or less. I may raise or lower this price depending on demand.

My manuscript is longer than 800 words. How much will that cost?

Picture book manuscripts in today's market are targeted for a very young audience, and the trend is less text. So if your manuscript is more than 800 words, I suggest you trim it down. Remember that the illustrations will tell a great deal of the story, so your more descriptive phrases can be cut.

What will the critique include?

I will give a summary as to what I believe is working (and what isn't) in the story, and will also insert comments directly into your manuscript as I read along. I may make specific suggestions for improving phrasing, rhyme, or use of illustration notes. I'll offer ideas for what I think will make the story stronger. I may include paragraphs or even whole worksheets with instruction in particular writing techniques if I believe it will help you.

However, I will not rewrite your story, nor will I edit line by line looking for tiny punctuation and grammar errors. If I notice them, I’ll point them out. But I do not consider myself a copy editor. I would like to think of myself as a deep thinker with insight into what makes a good story. If I feel there are significant problems with mechanics I will suggest you consult an editing service to further perfect your work.

I'm afraid to send my story by email, and I don't know you personally. How can I trust you won't steal my work?

I have more ideas than I know what to do with and have no reason to steal from anyone else. But to reassure you further, when you email your manuscript you have created a virtual paper trail. In theory you could prove that I received your work on a particular date and that I used/stole it. Trust me, such a thing would ruin my reputation as a professional, and I would never do it. However, you may have a story about a tap-dancing elephant and I may be currently working on something similar, just by coincidence. When you make your inquiry to me, give me a brief description of the type of story you want me to look at before sending it. If I've got something similar in the works, I may pass on critiquing your story to protect us both.

What's your turn around time?

I will try to have your critique sent via email within one week. If I'm currently overwhelmed with work, I'll let you know and will give you an estimate for when I can have it finished.

How do I make payment?

You can pay me via PayPal, or mail me a check. On the right hand bar of this blog, under the icon that says "Get a Picture Book Manuscript critique from Kristyn Crow" is a "BUY NOW" icon that will take you to my PayPal account.

If you mail a check, I will not cash it until I have critiqued your work. When the check clears, I will send you my critique.

Either way, make an inquiry first to get the process going. Be sure to include a one-sentence description of your story. My email is below, or on the sidebar of this blog.

Any more questions? Contact me at kristyncrowbooks@gmail.com.

Let the School Visit Rumpus Start!

2011-08-30T12:11:00.005-06:00

I'm excited that the new school year has begun, and that I'm back to visiting elementary schools. There is something so joyous about getting children excited about reading. I'm grateful I get to generate enthusiasm for literacy. It's one of my favorite things about being an author.

Here's a fun school visit story. I had finished my assembly at one particular school and as children were filing out of the gym, a child approached me. "Those kids don't believe that we're related," he said. A couple of other children stood back, watching us curiously.

"They don't believe we're related?" I asked, to be sure I heard him correctly.

"Yeah. I told them I was related to you, but they don't believe me."

This was a predicament. I had no idea who this child was, and he was asking me to verify that we were relatives in front of his friends. He appeared sincere, almost tearful. What would I do? I looked at the children behind him, and looked at him again. I studied his face more closely. I certainly didn't have any idea who he was, and if I asked him his name it would be obvious to the other children. I didn't want to dismiss him in front of his peers. Then again, I didn't want to be dishonest. For several moments I was speechless.

"How are your parents doing?" I finally asked, hoping this would give me a clue.

"Fine," he said.

No clue.

"Errrr...what's your mother doing these days?"

"I dunno. Just taking care of me and stuff."

Still no clue. Then suddenly he spelled it out. "I've been trying to tell those guys that I'm the son of my mom who's the sister of your husband's brother named Mel. My aunt said so."

Mel--a name! My brother in law. And this child must be his new wife's nephew.

"Yes," I said. "Of course we're related!" And anyway, I thought privately, aren't we all related somehow in the family of humanity? Heh. The little boy bounded away, satisfied. "See?" he said, and the children scurried away.

Another story--a child sat beside me prior to an assembly and said, "Did you know Kristyn Crow was coming to our school?"

I said, "No kidding?"

"Uh-huh. She's a real author."

"That's very cool. Have you seen her around yet?"

"Nope. She's gonna be in this assembly right now."

"Oh okay."

His teacher waved him over and he took a seat with his class. It was cute to see his face--mouth open--when the principal introduced me at the start of the assembly.

Precious. I love visiting schools!

Message on a Back Bumper

2011-08-02T10:21:00.001-06:00

A month ago I had a doctor’s appointment that made me a bit nervous. A routine ultra sound had shown a small irregular spot in my uterus. It was only a tiny spot, and this appointment was a follow-up to see whether it had grown or changed. My husband, always supportive, came along. But he just happened to slip away for a moment when the nurse called me in. Not knowing how long he would be, I went into the office alone. Meanwhile, when my husband returned and realized I was already having the second ultrasound—too late for him to enter--he found a way to keep himself busy. He went to the parking lot and found a roll of orange duct tape in the back of my car. With a permanent marker he wrote “I love you Kris” backwards on a strip of the tape. Then he affixed it to the back bumper of my car. This way, he thought, when I put my car in reverse, my back-up camera would reveal the surprise message.

The ultrasound results were good. The spot was entirely gone. Perhaps it had only been a flaw or shadow. Relieved, I met my husband and shared the information. We exhaled our relief. Then we got into the car to leave, and that’s when I first saw his note appear on the screen.

The tape stayed stuck on the bumper for several weeks. It survived a road trip to California and several rain storms. It held through dozens of trips to the grocery store, and a few jaunts to the movies. It was there every time I backed up--a daily love note from my husband--something to smile about. Something to give me pause and to marvel, once again, that I am deserving of love. This has been a difficult thing to accept after having love withdrawn so cruelly in my past.

After some time, the tape began to curl, and soon it would be gone. Ahhh well. It had been a novelty while it lasted.

And then came my birthday. Along with a new bike and an ice cream cake was an odd strip of metal in an envelope. My husband had gone to an engraver and had the words “I LOVE YOU KRIS” inscribed backwards on a metal plate. We laughed together as he tore away the old tape and affixed the message permanently to my back bumper. What had been a temporary love note—an afterthought—would now be a constant reminder of his love and affection.

I’m so glad for the little things--the messages on back bumpers that remind us what matters most. But mostly I’m grateful to love and be loved. It is such a gift. Thank heaven for second chances that take us to a better place.

HOW TO VACUUM

2011-06-25T12:05:00.007-06:00

Last night I went to the back door and called for my dog. (He’s a white cocker spaniel with buff ears and freckles. We named him “Joe” for the legendary Joe Cocker. But my youngest daughter nicknamed him “JoJo” and it stuck.)

“JoJo!” I called. Nothing. I whistled and clicked my tongue. He didn’t come, and upon further inspection, he was nowhere to be found. Our family dog had vanished.

My eight-year old daughter, the baby of the family, was heartbroken. She ran into the yard crying, yelling his name. “What if someone stole him?” she wailed. “Or if he got hit by a car? Oh what can we do? What can we do?”

“Let’s make some signs,” I said. I went to the place I keep blank poster board and pulled out a sheet. And that’s when I saw it. The sign. “HOW TO VACUUM.”

Now jump to flashback. (Flashbacks should only be used sparingly and never in a picture book. But this is a blog, so here goes. Back to the dog story in a bit.)

My son Kyle, who has autism, was attending high school a few years ago and needed to create a “how-to” demonstration. I can’t remember the class this was for, but I’m assuming home economics. He brought me the instruction sheet for the assignment, and in the blank for the name of the presentation it said, “HOW TO VACUUM” in Kyle’s handwriting. I have no idea if he chose this topic or if it was given to him. I hoped somebody hadn’t dumbed-down the assignment for him, thinking him incapable of a more difficult demonstration.

How does someone demonstrate vacuuming to an audience? I mean, you turn the thing on and push it around the carpet. Gee. But apparently this was the assignment. So we found an old broken vacuum cleaner in the cold storage room for a prop, and came up with some written steps for the poster. Kyle wrote each one in his perfect handwriting, and since he can memorize just about anything with stunning recall, he could soon recite each point and demonstrate it . After rehearsing his “act” a few times I sat down and let him give me the presentation completely on his own while I watched quietly.

“How to vacuum,” Kyle said, clearing his throat. “First, we plug in the vacuum cleaner. Next, we turn on the power button, like this. Then we…” Kyle continued with great concentration, performing the steps with a look of total seriousness on his face. It was so important for him to get this exactly right. Kyle is devoted to exactness and perfection.

I couldn’t help but find it humorous—my son’s intensity in completing such an asinine assignment. And then a terrifying thought crossed my mind. If I was finding this humorous, certainly his class would, too. This was one of Kyle’s mainstream classes where he was surrounded by typical students. Kyle was special. Would the class laugh at him? And if they did, how would Kyle respond?

I drove him to school that morning after wrestling with this concern most of the night. Should I contact the teacher and ask about the assignment? Should I have it switched, or request that it be waived? When I asked Kyle about making a change, he insisted he wanted the topic he was given. It’s part of his do-as-you’re-told-and-do-it-right mentality. I dropped him off at the curb and watched him clunk out the door of the van, carrying the vacuum cleaner a few inches above the ground in one hand with the poster under his opposite arm. I wondered if he was headed for the lion’s den--the vacuum his sword and the poster his shield.

But when Kyle came home, he was all smiles. I asked how his presentation went.

“Good,” he said.

“Did the other students laugh?”

“YESSSSS!” He said, clapping his hands together and then rubbing them back and forth. “I was funny.”

Ohhh boy. Well, it was alright. Kyle had completed his assignment, and had amused his classmates, too. I decided that was okay. They weren’t mean-spirited students, just human beings seeing the humor in the situation. After all, I had seen it, too. I couldn’t protect Kyle from the reactions of others to his intensity and innocence. And really, should I?

Flash forward. I put the poster back and chose a blank one. I couldn’t bear to cut “How to Vacuum” apart just to use the back for "Lost Dog" posters. Kyle was away for the summer with his father, and I missed him and his brother terribly.

My daughter and I drove through the neighborhood, posting signs. “LOST. COCKER SPANIEL. WHITE WITH TAN EARS. IF FOUND, PLEASE CALL….” My daughter slept all night on the couch, so she could let JoJo inside if he clawed at the door. There was no getting her to sleep in her own bed that night. But he never came.

The next morning the phone rang. Someone had found JoJo in their yard and called the vet on his rabies tag. The vet, in turn, looked up the tag number and phoned us. We met the man with our dog in an empty supermarket parking lot. He had JoJo on a lead. My daughter sprang from the parked van and ran to our dog in her nightgown—a scene straight from those “Foundation for a Better Life” commercials.

“JOJO!” I scolded, patting his head. “You’re in big trouble!” He happily grinned, panting at us as if to say his adventure had worn him out. It had all ended well and relatively quickly. I thanked the man, and as my daughter and I went around the neighborhood removing our signs, I thought again of “HOW TO VACUUM.” I amused myself with the notion of posting that sign somewhere in a public place. I'm sure it would incite a few curious smiles. I was grateful for this funny memory of Kyle that sprang from our lost dog incident.

It is a wonderful gift that memories are tied to objects so that we can rediscover and experience them again.

For Meghan Ruby

2011-05-15T10:19:00.006-06:00

For Meghan Ruby (Last Name Withheld)

Meghan,

I never knew you.

I first learned of you sixteen years ago when I was visiting my mother’s grave. I looked up from the bench where I was sitting in the cemetery and noticed a woman walking toward a gravesite in the distance. She knelt down, and her hands immediately went to work. Carefully and with great concentration she removed items from a bag and arranged them around your headstone. Exactly what items I couldn’t see from my vantage point. She was alone, and the wind blew through the trees in long steady breaths, tossing her hair. There was no one else in the cemetery. Just me and the woman. It was peaceful.

She continued for quite a while. It had to be done exactly right. Something must go here, something must go there. After some time she stood up, took several steps back, and admired what she had done. Although she was a young mother, perhaps in her late twenties, her face was that of a much older person--weathered from heartache. My loss had been terrible, but hers must have been unfathomable. As she stood in quiet contemplation, she brought her hands to her eyes and then quietly slipped away through the trees.

Minutes later, I wandered curiously over to your resting place. I was astonished. There were hundreds of polished stones in every color and variety surrounding your headstone. Glass butterflies were perched on sticks and dragonflies with spinning wings were placed carefully about. Little kites danced in the breeze, and tiny chimes tinkled. There were pictures, miniature china dolls, and pinwheels. Glass flowers. Bows. Fairies with glitter wings that turned slightly back and forth. A hand-painted sign read, “Butterflies rest here.” It was a breathtaking display. I wondered whether these precious things would be safe from thieves.

And then I read your name. Megan Ruby (---). You were seven years old at the time of your death, only months earlier. At the bottom of your stone was an inscription which read, “And with a brand new body, I will spread my wings and fly.”

A brand new body.

Over the years when I have visited my mother’s grave I have wandered back to your stone at least a dozen times. I’ve been mesmerized by the sparkling ornaments there. Sometimes rearranged, sometimes new, and sometimes old, but always meticulously placed. I have thought about your mother, the woman whose hands put these things here. Her hands were longing to braid your hair and correct your homework. Her hands wanted to cook you meals, pick up your tossed shoes, and zip up your prom dress. Her hands ached to clap at your graduation, adjust your bridal veil, and rock your first baby--her grandchild. Instead, her hands were teeming with unused energy.

So your mother arranged the stones and trinkets. It was work. Work in your behalf. The only work she could do.

Today, sixteen years later, I was at the cemetery again. I sat at my mother’s bench and chatted with my siblings who had come with me. And then I went searching for your stone. I couldn’t find it. Back and forth I walked through the area, reading the names inscribed. It had always been so easy to find before. It took some time, but finally...there. Your stone. It was entirely barren. The grass had grown over the edges. It was dusty and some of the letters had worn. There were no flowers and no trinkets.

And immediately, my thoughts went to your mother. And you know what? I felt glad.

Despite the pain of losing you, time had brought healing. She had either died and was now in your company, or she had found other ways to put her hands to good use. This is what you would have wanted for her, I’m sure.

As a mother myself, I can promise you this, Meghan Ruby. You are not forgotten. You were deeply loved. You had a mother who carried you through a terrible battle. A mother who wished she could have done so much more. A mother with love like this holds you in her heart forever and never lets go.

My daughter turned eight two weeks ago--a birthday you didn’t get to have. I am so sorry for this. I’m sorry for all the things you missed in your short time here. But perhaps it is the rest of us who are missing out. We struggle each day, while you are already free.

I am grateful for you, even though we never met. I will teach my little girl to embrace the time she has. And meanwhile, I’ll be thankful for busy hands.

Kristyn

Mortification Monday

2011-04-25T15:05:00.004-06:00

As suggested by author Shannon Hale, I’m sharing a frustrating author experience as part of her “Mortification Monday” topic. So here goes.

One morning I drove through a raging blizzard to find a school that had booked me for an assembly. I couldn’t even see the street signs, and was SO grateful for my faithful GPS. I got out of my car and trudged through the snowy parking lot. I was dragging 70 instruments, my projector, and my laptop in a giant rolling suitcase, dressed in my presenter attire. It was comical. I was slipping, pulling snow, and my toes were numb.

Entering the school, I brushed myself off, found the front office and went inside. “May I help you?” asked the secretary.

“Hello. I’m here for the assembly,” I said.

“What assembly?”

“The author assembly. I’m Kristyn Crow.”

“Kristine…I’m sorry, what was your last name?”

“Crow.”

“Are you a parent coming to watch, then?”

“No, I’m the presenter.”

“Ohhhhh. Okay. Well, the principal wants to talk to you about it,” she said. “Have a seat.” Her tone was a little terse. I sat in the lobby, feeling like a kid with a referral. “The principal will see you now,” she finally announced.

I went inside and sat down. “We need to discuss a few things,” he said. “There are some parents upset about your presentation.” I felt like I had just entered the Twilight Zone. Parents? Upset? Presentation? I hadn’t even given a presentation yet. I blinked a few times, frozen. “There have been calls to the school with concerns about authors peddling books to children."

I swallowed. “They are specifically concerned with my visit?”

“No, just presentations by authors in general. I guess there was discussion in a recent PTA meeting about it.”

I had no idea what to say. “Alright. So are you canceling the assembly, then?”

“Well I’m wondering if you can reassure me that you’re not peddling your books.”

Suddenly I was ten years old again, explaining why I threw my chicken patty sandwich across the cafeteria at lunch. I gave him the general outline of my presentation: I introduce myself, talk about what authors do, use fun animations to show how books are made, give three storytellings, and invite students to play along with my books in a rhythm symphony. I explained I had worked very hard putting it together and the results at prior assemblies were very positive. “In fact, I’ve been asked back by some schools who were really pleased,” I said, hoping to pass the audition.

“That sounds perfectly acceptable. But just so you know, there may be some hecklers in the audience.”

“Hecklers?”

“A few parents might watch, and they may have comments for you along the way.”

HOOOOO boy.

The assembly went very well. No hecklers. Kids sitting with rapt attention, punctuated by a rowdy rhythmic finale with everyone cheering. Success. In the end, it’s all about the children being inspired to read, and having a good time with books. It’s about making a connection.

Interestingly enough, no administrators attended the assembly, after all that supposed concern. It was just me and the kids. As I left I stopped by the office. “Thanks, Kristine,” the secretary said. “Sounds like they had a lot of fun in there. Oh, we’ll have to mail you your check. Our district takes several weeks to process them through the system.”

“No problem.” I made my way back into the parking lot, dragging my enormous suitcase in the snow.

And a year later, no check.

I could tell you so many other similar stories…a school who dismissed half the children in the middle of my presentation because they “had something else to attend,” technical problems where my PowerPoint shut off because the custodian did not plug in my equipment properly, or a school whose microphone made me sound like Rod Stewart, etc. But all in all, I L-O-V-E to do school visits and in almost every case the schools have been absolutely wonderful.

For every story of mortification, there are dozens of positive ones. Click here to read one of my favorite school visit stories.

Read more “Mortification Monday” stories at Shannon Hale’s blog by clicking here.

Tulips, Stories, and Hope

2011-03-24T00:43:00.003-06:00

Last fall, I planted tulip bulbs. 100 of them. Purple, pink, and white, randomly along the borders of my front porch. And as the cold days of winter have moved across the calendar—slowly, like clouds in the wind, I’ve waited for spring.

And I’ve decided that planting the bulbs was an exercise in hope.

There is hope in planting tulip bulbs, just as there is hope in writing a story. You put in the effort knowing there will be no recompense for a long time.

The hope in a story is that someone will understand it, connect with it, embrace it. Maybe a soul will be enlightened by it, have an emotional response, an epiphany, or even just a few good laughs while reading it. The hope is that someone will admire it and find it beautiful—and share it with the world. The hope is that the hard work will eventually be rewarded.

But manuscripts must first survive a cold winter. A winter of silence, doubt, and discouragement. A period of rejection and waiting.

As long as the bulbs are in the ground, there is still hope.

And tulips are tough. They’ll push right up through the unexpected snowfall in early spring, with frost on their petals. They’ll burst right through the hard clay dirt. They are determined. They only must survive the winter. But winters are short for some, and nearly a lifetime for others. When will the tulips bloom? When will spring be here?

This morning there were one hundred green stem tips peeking out from the earth in my yard. I wonder what colors they will be when they bloom.

So You Want to Get a Picture Book Manuscript Published?

2011-03-19T22:46:00.002-06:00

What you’ll get if you sign up for my picture book class this June in Sandy, Utah:

1. A whole bunch of handouts with helpful writing and marketing information.

2. A list of more than 50 literary agents acquiring picture book manuscripts, and their contact information.

3. A cool souvenir binder to keep your materials together.

4. Hands-on analysis of picture books (I’ll provide them) – including the classics, best-sellers, books with gimmicks, etc., and why they work. (Or don’t.)

5. Critique sessions for your manuscripts, including a “critique sheet” filled out by class members, to help you find trends in the feedback.

6. The opportunity to analyze your manuscript from the perspective of an editor who must “pitch” your story in an acquisitions meeting.

7. A friendly classroom atmosphere in a beautiful setting with mountain views. Plus, a break from the routine of your life, and the opportunity to devote a solid week to your craft!

8. Breakout sessions with bestselling authors such as Ally Condie, author of Matched.

9. Direct exposure to New York editors and agents.

10. Writing exercises to get the creative juices flowing.

11. My continued contact well after the conference. I want to hear your ups and downs and be a friend as you go through this writing journey. I’ll spoil you rotten.

“But…I can’t afford it!” you say. Think of it as an investment in your future. I had the same misgivings when I first attended the conference ten years ago. If I knew then what I know now, there’d be no hesitation. If I had not gone, I’m honestly doubtful I’d be published today. Remember you’re paying for a week of intensive study, learning, networking, and connections. Trust me, it’s well worth the price.

Hope to hang out with you for a week!

Kristyn

Visit the conference website by clicking here.

Serious Questions Kids Ask Kristyn Crow

2011-03-13T20:04:00.015-06:00

That’s an excellent question. You see, Ace’s mama sews the necks of his shirts with ultra-stretch fabric around the collar. He refuses to wear button-up shirts because they’re so itchy. Picky kid, that Ace. But oh, what undiscovered talent!

They decided to go green. Three-wheeled cars use less energy than four-wheeled cars. What? Your family still drives a four -wheeled car?

Heavens, no. Hare has a mild stutter whenever he gets nervous. So the narrator is just imitating his speech patterns, for dramatic effect.

The monster was created using the DNA of a frog, an alligator, a t-rex, and a pinch of Barney the dinosaur. Somebody also threw in the DNA of a monkey, which enables him to scale trees.

How does he play them? Ultra smoothly with a cooooooool jazzy beat.

Stand up to a mirror and squish your nose against it. Look yourself in the eye while you’re doing it. That’s exactly how somebody who’s “a little snuffled” feels.

He already came out, when lightning struck his grave. It was a very stormy night, and something wicked and very spooky happened. The rest is history. Oh, you mean the book. It comes out just before Halloween in 2012.

The mom? What are you talking about? Mom’s aren’t scary! Whooops. I gotta run. My mom is calling.

Got a question for Kristyn? Enter it in a comment here.

"Mother, Am I Normal?"

2011-02-12T23:18:00.005-07:00

Yesterday my eighteen-year-old son with autism was wiping off the kitchen counter. He stopped, blinked a few times and said, “Mother, am I normal?”

I looked up from my laptop, surprised. He’d never asked me such a thing before. We made eye contact. I scanned my brain files for the correct response.

“I mean, what does normal mean?” he asked. “Does it mean medium? Or good? Regular? Or average? Or ordinary?”

One of his favorite things to do is to search for the meaning of words . He’ll frequently ask me for definitions, and is especially interested in classifying words with similar connotations.

But this was a profound question he was asking. What DOES normal mean, anyway?

“I suppose normal means regular or ordinary. Average," I said.

I thought about my son in his early childhood. He would scream in frustration at his inability to communicate his wants and feelings. In those days, I was an overwhelmed young mother with small children, trying to deal with what felt like his crushing diagnosis of autism. I thought I wanted him to be “normal.” I couldn’t take him to a store without him having a terrible tantrum. People would stare in disgust, because his disability was not obvious from his appearance. To strangers, he was a disobedient child and I was his inefficient mother. I had to be trained by autism experts in how to manage the tantrums and to promote his language development. It was painful in those days to think of how his disability would impact his life.

Then I thought about how far he has come. Today, standing just under six feet tall, he is happy, kind, and immaculately groomed, friendly to everyone he meets. He grins to himself at his own little amusements, sometimes clapping and bounding across the room. Compared to my other children that the world might call “normal,” he is the most responsible, dependable, and tender-hearted. He’s an example to his younger siblings. I love each of my children immensely, beyond words. But there is something so special and profound about the child who struggled the most and--against the odds--came into his own respectable place in the world.

I continued, “But if normal means ordinary and average, then no, you are not normal. You are extraordinary. You are special. You are a miracle. You are SO much better than normal.”

And as I said it, I wondered if any of us should strive to be normal. Don’t we all aspire to somehow stand apart?

My son tilted his head and looked upward, rubbing his hands together happily. There was satisfaction in my answer. “Extraordinary,” he said.

How (And WHY) to Book Kristyn Crow for a School Visit

2011-02-07T22:12:00.005-07:00

1. Email me at kristyncrowbooks@gmail.com.

2. Introduce yourself and let me know what you have in mind…a large group assembly, individual classroom visits, a literacy night, etc.

3. Request my detail sheet if you’d like references, price ranges, etc. I am willing to work within your school’s budget.

4. I’ll get back to you ASAP. A conversation has begun! We’ll set a date and time and go from there.

5. Why? Your students will be entertained with an animated PowerPoint and a lively discussion about what writers do, how picture books are made, and how rhythm works in language. I know how to work a crowd of kids--I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve to make them laugh. An author visit is a HUGE boost of energy to your literacy program. I’ll read three of my books, and your students will play instruments along with the book refrain in a huge rhythm symphony. It’s learning and having fun at the same time. The students don’t just listen, they participate interactively.

6. Contact my references if you’re not certain. I can adapt my presentation to your time requirements, or to your particular topic or theme.

"Kristyn has one of the best presentations I've ever seen for elementary schools. Interactive, informative, funny - you can just see the kids having fun and learning at the same time. I highly recommend her for any school on the planet." James Dashner, NY Times Bestselling Author of THE MAZE RUNNER

See photos from my school visits by clicking here.

The Really GROOVY Story of the Tortoise and the Hare

2011-02-02T23:15:00.010-07:00

Available March 1, 2011~ The Really GROOVY STORY of the Tortoise and the Hare ( Albert Whitman, Inc. , illustrated by Christina Forshay ) is the traditional tortoise and hare fable, snapped up with a groovy beat. It is new rhythm breathed into the old tale. As a writer, I can tell you it was grueling work—one of the pieces I worked longest on. It has sets of three rhymes per line, a hoppin’ beat with an anapest meter. I worked on it for over a year.

Don’t misunderstand the intent of the book. The word “groovy” in the title is not a nod to the 1970s. (Although if it makes you smile, groovy.) This book is about movin’ and groovin’, hippin’ and hoppin. It’s about shaking your tortoise shell or your fuzzy cottontail as you hear the words of the story. It’s about little hands clappin’ and little feet stompin’. It’s about movement and rhythm and language with a beat. It’s about involving the reluctant or early reader interactively in the story. Word-play and humor.

When I visit schools, I bring more than 75 rhythm instruments. I involve the children by letting them echo some of the words in my stories. They also perform a rhythm symphony along with the text. I even sing some of the stanzas. My purpose is to teach children that rhythm is the joy of life. Rhythm exists in the rain that falls, in the music that plays, in the heart that beats. And rhythm is in LANGUAGE. You can find it if you let it move you. Close your eyes and hear it. Feel it.

A study was done in London which found that children who can find the rhythm in verse will vastly improve their reading skills. This is because children who can find the “beat” in picture book verse have learned to recognize, phonetically, stressed and unstressed syllables. They have learned to hear to the rhythm of a particular meter, and become aware of how the words are carefully ordered to align the stressed syllables just so. They hear word patterns. They are using both their left and right brains. They just don’t know they're doing it—they’re having too much fun.

Children are wired for rhythm. It’s in their blood. Put any 8-month old healthy baby in a room with music playing--music with a nice beat. That child will wiggle his bottom, bounce, and twist. As humans, we know rhythm before we speak. Rhythm infused into picture book text can motivate reluctant readers because it cries out to their basic instinct to hear, feel, and move to a steady beat.

My book COOL DADDY RAT has scat lines in it. Now, when I read that story to kids, I usually start by reminding them what scat is in music. Not that they don’t already know. They do. They hear scat in Disney movies (like the monkey song in the Jungle Book) and on the radio (Jason Mraz). They hopefully are also taught in school about the one form of music that is truly American—Jazz, where scat was born. I take a moment to remind kids what they already know, and then off we go. They hear the scat. They get it. They get it even though some have suggested “kids won’t understand.” I say, nay. Let us give our children credit.

Getting kids enthused about books—that’s my passion. It’s what this hard work of writing is all about.

Plan for a FABULOUS AUTHOR VISIT at Your School

2011-01-18T15:05:00.005-07:00

1. Consider possible authors your students might enjoy having for a visit. Think about the books the students at your school love, current best sellers or reading trends, your literacy theme, etc. Has a school in your district had a successful author visit recently, and would they recommend that author? Do a little research. Most authors have websites you can find by doing an internet search for the name of the author or the title of their book series or character. Find the section on their website about “author visits” or “school visits.” Locate the contact information. To book Kristyn Crow, click here.

2. Make an inquiry. Email the author and request information on fees and what the presentation will entail, length of time, etc. Ask for references – unless the author is such a big celebrity it would be silly. In some cases you’ll need to arrange a school visit through the author’s agent or editor. This information should also be available on the author’s website.

3. Check your school budget. What are the author’s fees and what can your school afford? You can often save money by a) selecting an author that isn’t in terribly high demand…J.K. Rowling is gonna be expensive…gulp… b) selecting an author that happens to be local or at least within your state c) doing a fundraiser—which also gets students excited about the event, d) joining with a local business to fund the event. Businesses are often more than willing to make a donation to help children in the community, and there are tax incentives for them to do it. e) Let the author know if your school is Title 1 or in a low-income area. Authors are sometimes willing to negotiate fees or donate vists to schools in need. Don’t be afraid to ask.

4. Schedule the Visit. Contact the author and come up with a date that works for both of you. Be sure you’ve clearly communicated the details--how long the presentation needs to be, whether he/she will be visiting individual classes, the age range of the audience, etc. In most cases the author will follow your lead. But some authors have a particular way they like to present at every school.

5. Determine whether you will have a book sale. Do you plan to distribute order forms prior to the event so students can order the author’s books? A signed book is a souvenir that can make a lifelong impression on a child. Or, would you rather have a book sale after the assembly, or in the evening along with a Literacy Night? You’ll need to advertise a book sale to parents, since children don’t carry spare money for books. Work out these details now. Ask the author if he/she will be bringing his/her own books or if you should order them. The easiest way to have a book sale is to contact a local book store, such as the closest Barnes and Noble. Ask to speak to the “Community Relations Manager.” Tell him/her about your event and ask if they can send a rep to handle book sales at the school. Sometimes the book store can even donate a portion of sales earnings to the school. Typically the book seller will handle the books and money entirely—the book ordering, cash transactions, and the returns of any books not purchased. It’s a mutually-beneficial arrangement, because the book store gets the sales and the school avoids the work involved with selling the books.

6. Generate payment for the author. Often the process of generating the author’s payment takes several weeks. Get the paperwork started, and email or fax the author any tax documents to sign. You should plan to pay the author’s fee at the conclusion of the visit. If you cannot pay on the day of the visit, give the author ample notice. It’s impolite to send the author away that day without payment because “it usually takes our district two or three weeks to cut a check.” If this is indeed the case for your district, you need to get things started in advance.

7. Arrange travel for the author. If your author is traveling out of state, you’ll need to book airfare and a hotel. You’ll also need to arrange transportation to and from the hotel and school. Either designate an administrator as a driver, or provide a rental car. Forward the author the travel itinerary and all arrangements you’ve made. Again, selecting a local author will save you this hassle and expense.

8. Get students familiar with the author’s books. In the weeks leading up to the visit, encourage teachers to read at least one of the books aloud in their individual classes. Make a bulletin board with the author’s books displayed. The difference this will make in your author visit is enormous. Students will ask more educated, appropriate questions if they are familiar with the author’s books. They’ll be more interested in the connection between writer and story when they know the story. Having an author travel to your school only to be met by students who don’t have a clue who he/she is--and don’t really care--is a waste of everyone’s time.

9. Generate enthusiasm for the event. Make some excited announcements over the intercom, create a sign or banner, purchase some of the author’s books in advance which can be raffle prizes for students, send flyers home, etc. This is NOT to boost the ego of the author. It’s to generate enthusiasm about reading for your students. If the school is excited about an author visit, students will follow that lead. Also, authors can act as role models because they represent ordinary people who worked hard to achieve a literary goal. It’s good for children to learn that stories are written by real people. Meeting an author can motivate kids to write their own stories. It can encourage reluctant readers to read. An author visit can be the fuel for a school’s “literacy engine.”

10. Confirm your event with the author at least three or four days prior. Make sure to find out whether the author needs equipment set-up, such as a microphone or LCD projector. Email directions to the author and a map. Provide the school’s phone number and a personal cell phone number to contact you if he/she is lost or has a question or emergency.

11. Consider whether the author will need lunch. If your author is staying the entire school day, he or she will need to have some kind of plan for lunch. Arranging a lunch in the staff room is often a nice way for teachers to meet the author individually. Or, some schools will choose a handful of students randomly or based on behavior/merit to have a special lunch with the author. If lunch isn’t feasible at the school, join the author for lunch at a local lunch spot, or offer the author the option of venturing to a nearby lunch spot alone. Say, “We thought you might appreciate a break—some time on your own.”

12. Complete as much technical set-up as possible prior to the author’s arrival. If you’re scrambling at the last minute to find an extension cord for the microphone, or if the sound system is buzzing and you don’t know why, you’ll create a stressful situation at the start of the assembly.

13. Have a wonderful author visit!

14. Take a photograph of your students with the author. This can be displayed on a bulletin board later on, to keep the enthusiasm for reading going.

15. Have a follow up activity with your students, where they explore what the event taught them about authors and books. Let them try their hand at writing a story or book. Or have students choose their own favorite books and complete a book report on it. Perhaps students could write to the authors of their favorite books.

An AMAZING Opportunity for Readers and Writers in Utah!

2010-07-07T21:58:00.004-06:00

Readers and Writers….SAVE THE DATE!

August 21, 2010
The Waterford School
1700 East 9550 South
Sandy, UT 84093

The Children’s Literature Association of Utah (CLAU)

and

The ROCK CANYON CHILDRENS AUTHORS AND ILLUSTRATORS of UTAH PRESENT:

A BOOK FOR EVERY CHILD

CHARITY EVENT

Help us put books in the hands of underprivileged kids in Utah!

DAYTIME WRITING WORKSHOP: (Pre-register by August 15 $60/Walk-in $70)
Love writing? Spend a fabulous day with award-winning Utah authors! Get hands-on writing advice and move your manuscript closer to publication! Author panel, critiques, and book signings. Lunch provided.
(For adults and children 12 and older.)

EVENING EXTRAVAGANZA: (Pre-register by Aug. 15- $10/Walk-in $15, Family price $25) Book-Lover but not a writer? Or, just looking for a fabulous night out? Come to an evening extravaganza with entertainment by singer Nancy Hanson, The Divine Comedy troupe, a celebrity author panel, and a raffle with prizes that will astound you! (Adults and children over 12.)

COMBINED PACKAGE:($65 Pre-registration by August 15 price)
Love BOTH reading and writing? Attend the workshop , followed by the evening event! Have an experience you won’t forget, and all in the name of literacy! Remember, your purchase benefits Utah kids!

ALL PROCEEDS GO TOWARD PUTTING BOOKS IN THE HANDS OF UNDERPRIVILEDGED UTAH KIDS.

TO REGISTER visit: http://www.writingforcharity.com/.

Or mail a check to:

CLAU - Writing for Charity [Make checks out to CLAU]
P.O. Box 614
Layton, Utah 84041

Please include the following information: Names of all participants and whether they will attend the workshop or evening event, or both, and contact information including your address and a telephone number.

Can't wait to see you there!

Adventures in Authordom

2010-05-18T18:01:00.008-06:00

Being an author can sometimes bring about strange adventures. For example, a week ago I found myself in Beryl, Utah.

Yep. Beryl.

I hadn’t heard of it either. But a school librarian contacted me several weeks prior and asked if I’d do a school visit there. Beryl? I looked it up. That’s FIVE hours away. Whoa.

There were a million reasons to say no. Reasons like: I’ve got seven kids and mounting laundry, gas is expensive, and ten hours on the road would be horrendous. I told the school I’d need my travel expenses covered. Fine, they said. And, I’d have to charge them additional fees for the assemblies. Fine, they said. And…I’d need a screen, microphone, and a projector wired with sound….fine, fine, fine. I clicked on a map on my laptop and showed my husband. “Should I go to Beryl?” I asked.

“Where?”

“Beryl, Utah.”

“Barrel like a barrel of monkeys?”

“I’m not sure. But it’s five hours away, in the middle of nowhere.”

He leaned over and squinted at the map. “Yeah, you should do it.”

“I should?”

“Those kids probably don’t get too many author visits way out there.”

The kids. He had a point.

I replied to the school and said yes, I’d be there. I marked it on my calendar, figuring I’d deal with all the details later. There was a sense of both adventure and dread in committing to it.

Ten days later, I got an email from a little girl in Beryl. She had found my email on my website. To protect her privacy, I’ll call her Melissa. “You’re coming to my school,” she wrote. “I can’t wait to meet you! I’m a writer, too. I write stories and poetry. I’m ten years old.” She attached some writing samples and went on to tell me all the difficulties she’d been having with crafting her work. She wanted advice. She sounded like someone at least twenty years old. I read Melissa’s writing samples, and was astonished. This was either an adult playing a trick or a truly gifted child.

Intrigued, I wrote back. I complimented her writing and talked about the realities of revision. I applauded her for seeking feedback at such an early age. She responded that I had given her so much hope and…could I stay at her house when I came to Beryl?

This made me smile. But no, certainly not. That would be….errr… inappropriate. Right?

Melissa emailed pictures of her home, their guest room, and random snapshots of her mother and brothers. She pleaded with me. “My mother says there isn’t a hotel anywhere near here except one motel that’s really scummy.” So I did a map quest on hotels in the area. She was right.

“Should I stay with this little girl in Beryl?” I asked my husband, giving him the details.

“That seems a little unusual.”

“I know.”

“Have you asked her parents?”

“Not yet.”

“Better do that.”

I wrote to her mother, and she replied that they would love to have me stay in their home. Cooking was her passion, she wrote, and they enjoyed hosting guests. I looked again at the picture of the guest room—it was roomy and immaculate, with a huge bed and down comforter. I thought it maybe it would be nice to have people familiar with the area take me in, rather than stay in a motel.

I accepted their invitation.

And so I found myself in the strange predicament of driving alone one afternoon on a long stretch of highway to Beryl, Utah, intending to lodge with strangers. After four hours on the I-15, I was traveling east, eating raspberries from a bag and listening to The Lovely Bones on audiobook. I passed through a tiny town, a few sparse houses, then farmland, then nothing. There were only hills, trees, and a stunning sky that hung so low you could almost reach up and grab a fistful. I started to wonder, with this surreal sky, if Beryl was a fictional city in a fable. There was no sign of life for miles in any direction. People lived out here?

Feeling like an explorer, I stopped to take pictures, then continued down the road, finally discovering a few signs of humanity. A couple of houses became visible, some abandoned. Then, a little school appeared on the corner. It was quiet--closed for the day. I stopped to read the name. Yes, it was the school that requested me. Who attended this school, and where did these children live? There were several busses parked alongside it. Ahhhh. I decided these kids were bussed from the hidden crevices of Beryl. I passed the school, driving along a tree-lined road with little white igloos. Upon closer inspection, each one contained a baby calf.

As I approached a white house surrounded by trees, three young children ran toward me, waving. They could have been my own nephews and niece. I rolled down my window. “Are you Kristyn Crow?” They cried.

“That’s me.”

“We live right here!”

I parked and got out. I marveled at what it must be like to live with so much open air and freedom. A fourteen-year-old boy approached with a smirk. “We don’t get famous people around here too often. Can I help you with your bags?”

Famous people? Me? What a laugh.

I gave Melissa a big hug on the front lawn, recognizing her immediately even though we’d never met. It was like finding a lost family member. She wore a wide smile, two thick ponytails , and clothes that looked like they’d visited many trees, streams, and patches of tall green grass.

Inside her house was the noise of a lively family, where several kids in diapers ran happily. There was the laughter and chatter of Melissa’s parents, uncle, and a good friend, who were all staying in the house. They welcomed me. We shook hands. We talked. It all seemed easy. Then Melissa got out some of her poetry. I read it aloud, to the amusement of everyone in the house. Poems about rain, families, jail, vegetables--all very humorous. I was fed a lemon tart with cream and berries. And there was the strange sensation of having traveled back in time, even though this house was well-equipped with big screen televisions and computers.

We all became better acquainted. “Did you tell anyone at school I was staying at your house?” I asked Melissa.

“Yes,” she said, “But they wouldn’t believe me.”

I stayed overnight in their family guest room, thoroughly spoiled by the specialness of it. There were chocolates placed here and there, my own adjoining bathroom, and windows that overlooked the land on two sides. As I dozed off to sleep, I thought, whatever this experience is…it was supposed to happen. There was just something oddly familiar about it, like I'd already seen this movie before, and now I was playing it out in the flesh.

The next morning I slept in, knowing the children in the house would already be at school. I left a gift in Melissa’s room – a copy of the art from my book COOL DADDY RAT, pre-bound. Her mother fed me a breakfast that would top any five-star hotel. I thanked her, and headed to the school for my assemblies. As usual, I met with the administrators first and then set-up my PowerPoint. Soon the children filed into the gym. In my presentations I tell the kids a little about me and what I do as an author. Then I read my books, talk about how picture books are made, and have the kids play rhythm instruments along with BEDTIME AT THE SWAMP. At this assembly I was sure to tell the whole crowd I had stayed at Melissa's house, and how wonderful it was. It made her smile.

Afterwards, I signed copies of my books for kids who bought them. I noticed Melissa wasn’t one of them. Another girl asked her, as they filed out of the gym, “Did you get some of her books?” Melissa shook her head no, a disappointed look on her face.

Oh no, this would never do.

After I had packed up my equipment and loaded my car, I signed three copies of my books with a special inscription, and drove back to Melissa’s house. I knocked on her door, and she answered, surprised. “I wanted to give you a copy of my books,” I said. I put them in her hands, and I’ll never forget the look of glee on her face. “And Melissa, I want you to know you are VERY talented. You can write to me ANY time and share your work with me. I mean it. I want us to keep in touch for a long time.“ She nodded her head, and we hugged. Then she ran off into the back yard with the books, her little siblings following.

That night, after my five-hour drive home, I got this email in my box:

Kristyn Crow

Sometimes the world makes me crazy,
I feel like my body wants to be lazy.
I can never seem to hold back this fear.
Then one at a time I shed a tear.
I feel sad and so alone.
But at the same time, 20 people are at my home.
A person once told me,
It's not what you say it's what you see.
You can be sad,
but something you may see makes you glad.
I've had that feeling before.
I've had it once more.
But when I met Kristyn Crow,
I didn't feel so low.
She brought me up like clouds in the sky.
She made me feel as though I could fly.
The world is changing all the time.
And sometimes, it's not just mine.
Everyone has their ups and downs.
Everyone has smiles and frowns.
I had the frown for a long long while.
Then Kristyn turned it to a smile.
I believed in myself more than ever.
A switch had been pushed, or even a lever.
All I knew is that I was someone new.
Someone I could grow into.
Now I give my complete thanks all to her.

Melissa [Not her real name.]

I cried. I sat there staring at my laptop and cried, making my husband and kids curious.

I cried because I'm just so grateful. I had the opportunity to maybe, just maybe touch the life of a little girl in Beryl. A little girl with hope, a little girl with talent. No matter what profession we may have in this life, I believe each of us is responsible for mentoring others. Perhaps I was blessed to have mentored one of the greatest authors of the next generation.

I mean, really, you never know.

Get Serious about your Picture Book Writing Career!

2010-05-02T22:14:00.003-06:00

I am so happy to be part of the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Workshop in June! If you sign up for my picture book class, here’s what you’ll get:

Picture Book Extravaganza – We’ll spend some time each day reading and analyzing some of the most fabulous picture books out there.

Instruction in topics ranging from writing a great read-aloud, to creating more action in your text, to finding an agent, to working with an editor, to making your manuscript irresistible.

A souvenir binder with art from one of my picture books.

Hand-outs that cover the most important aspects of picture book writing which you can refer to again and again.

A few surprise guests from the picture book world.

A thorough list of websites, agents, publishers that accept non-agented work, and other resources to help you in your publishing quest.

An honest, careful critique of your picture book manuscript and suggestions to make it the best it can possibly be.

Break-out sessions on all kinds of writing topics, by award-winning authors and illustrators.

Access to a reputable agent and editor.

Inspiration, conversation, motivation, and FUN! A HUGE boost to your writing career.

I hope to see you there!

Here’s the website: http://www.foryoungreaders.com/facultybios.html

Kristyn

Bedtime at the Swamp Video Montage

2010-04-19T23:18:00.005-06:00

When I go to visit elementary schools, the students really love to play rhythm instruments along with the refrain in this book. Because there's a refrain, even reluctant readers, active learners, or very small children can join in by being the "echo." Kids can stomp, clap, and snap to the beat. They become active participants in the story, which can boost reading skills.

The (formerly at BYU) Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Workshop

2010-04-03T23:08:00.002-06:00

Hello picture book writers! I wanted to invite you to register for my picture book class in the June 2010 Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Conference. This is an exciting opportunity for me, because nine years ago I came to this very conference as an unpublished writer--a housewife with a writing hobby. I had a dream of getting published but didn't know what to do about it. Because of the things I learned there and the connections I made, I have since sold manuscrips to Putnam, HarperCollins, Scholastic, and Albert Whitman. Now returning this year as a faculty member, I'm eager to pass along what I know. And let me assure you -- the conference is fabulous. You'll be blown away. It's not an exaggeration to say it changed my life. It was worth every penny I spent. So I invite you... register for my class and I'll do everything I possibly can to help you get closer to publication. If you're serious about your writing goals, or even if you just crave a week of stimulating conversation with people in the writing world, register!

Here is the link: http://foryoungreaders.com/facultybios.html
Hope to see you there!

The Middle-Child Blues Trailer

2010-03-05T00:18:00.003-07:00

Plan A FABULOUS Literacy Night!

2010-02-27T10:06:00.022-07:00

Creating enthusiasm for reading is one of the greatest things a school can do for its students. Well-planned Literacy Nights, where parents attend with their children, can boost that enthusiasm enormously. As a picture book author, I’ve had the opportunity to attend numerous literacy events at elementary schools. Some were a raging success, and others fizzled. I’ve paid close attention to what I feel worked and what didn’t. Without naming any particular schools, I thought I’d share my observations.

Ideas that Worked :

1. Cheap Dinner: Serve a free dinner at the school to start off the night – such as hotdogs and chips. The most recent literacy night I attended offered this cheap hotdog dinner on a first come, first-served basis. The response was overwhelming, and the school was packed. Food, especially food based on a literacy theme (see themes below) will draw more people to the event.

2. Attendance Prizes: Prior to the evening, announce that there will be prizes awarded for the classes with the most students who show up. Awards could include a brand-new book for their class library—or an ice cream sandwich party on a later date. That night, have the students sign in under their teacher’s name at the entrance.

3. Bring in an Author (or several): What better way to get kids enthused about reading than to invite an author to your school? An author can have a tremendous impact on students by demonstrating that books are written by real people. Even reluctant readers can connect with a book in a personal way when they meet the author. Authors can serve as mentors to students. A book signed by an author can be a powerful souvenir to encourage reading. To learn more about arranging an author visit, click here.

To book KRISTYN CROW for a school visit, click here.

4. Entertainment: Is there a local magician or band that could perform at your event? Perhaps they would donate the performance or reduce their fee for the cause of literacy. Make sure the entertainers somehow tie-in their act with books and reading.

5. Good Advertising: Send the students home with fliers well in advance, and make plenty of announcements. Set-up an automated call-out to the parents. Make a school-wide announcement timed just before the final bell on the day of the event…”Don’t forget…tonight is Literacy Night and it’s going to be SO FUN, tell your parents!”

6. Students Performing: A sure way to get parents to a literacy event is to have their children scheduled to perform that night. Could you create a mini-play based on a book the children have been reading? What about arranging a children’s choir to sing some songs that could start off the night?

7. Theme with Costumes: I’ve seen this done several ways and every time it drew an enormous crowd. One was “Spooky Literacy Night.” The school did a Halloween-themed event with trick-or-treating in the classrooms. Teachers who answered the doors were wearing costumes which went along with a particular book, and they took a moment to talk about it. Students wore costumes as well, and spooky music was playing. What a fun night! Another themed Literacy Night I attended was “Knight at the Museum.” The principal and teachers dressed as knights and fairytale characters, and held their event at a local children’s museum. You had to have a special ticket to attend, and the museum closed to the general public. It was a madhouse! Anytime a principal is willing to dress in costume for Literacy Night, kids will want to be there.

8. Writing Competition: Have students submit entries for a writing competition, to be judged by a visiting author or other volunteers. The prizes will be awarded at the literacy event. Entries could be stories or essays based on a theme.

9. Junior Author's Fair: Have students create their own "books" at their reading level. Teachers could spend time talking about the elements of a good story in the days or weeks leading up to the fair, by reading examples of good books to the class. Then have the children make their own books with or without illustrations. The finished pages could be put into binders with sheet protectors, or laminated, or put into folders. These books would only be worked on at school, and not taken home for homework. Then parents would be invited to the "Junior Author's Fair" where their child's book would be proudly displayed in an open-house setting, with goodies served. The children would be asked to read their story aloud to their parents.

10. Face-Painting, “Book Walks” and Games: Set-up a mini-carnival with activities at “stations.” Children could choose their own stations or rotate at certain times. Activities could include a coloring contest, book-mark making station, "write a letter to an author" station, puppet shows, storytelling, a reading station with headphones and books available, book-swap where kids bring books from home and swap with other kids, "fishing" for books, book-character charades, and a “book walk” where music is played and students win a book is always a hit.

11. Two-School Competition: I saw this work well for two principals who partnered up and created a competition between their schools. The school that met their reading goals first would be the winner, and the losing principal had to kiss a live pig. (Substitute your own consequence.) The students cheered with delight at this idea. Both principals had an assembly and “dared” each other at the beginning of the year, bringing the pig to the assembly. Then, the principals would occasionally visit each other’s schools to tease each other about their progress. The students were thrilled to watch the losing principal kiss a pig on Literacy Night. The loser wore big red plastic lips to kiss the pig. The students screamed with laughter, and both schools met their reading goals.

What Didn’t Work:

1. Unfortunate Timing: Scheduling the literacy night on a Friday before a long weekend, when many people were planning to leave town, left one school with a disappointing turn-out despite having news media coverage for their event. A weeknight may work better than a Friday night, because many adults make weekend plans. Make sure there isn’t a conflicting event in town, like a local high school championship football game.

2. Poor Advertising: Young children need frequent reminders, and a fun or unusual gimmick (like the ones above) to make the upcoming occasion stick in their minds. Create an attention-grabber from the theme ideas below. Make “Countdown to Literacy Night” posters, and prominently display them. Be enthusiastic about your event, and the students will be too.

3. Atmosphere too Serious and Instructional: Remember the goal is to get kids excited about reading. Plan something lively. If parents and students are suspicious that Literacy Night won’t be much more than a lecture and a glass of punch, you won’t get a good showing. Create a super-fun association with books. Reading is a BLAST!

4. Event is Parent-Focused rather than Child-Focused: I've known a few schools that planned the event primarily around the adults, with lectures, classes, break-out sessions, etc. Meanwhile, the students roamed around in separate activity rooms, or tagged along, bored, with their parents. While I certainly understand the desire to get moms and dads more involved in their children's literacy, it's my personal opinion that making the event parent-focused misses the point. Rather than separate parents and children, create opportunities for them to interact together, with reading stations, literacy-building games, child-performances parents can watch, etc. Give a few short, useful pointers to the parents at these activities, not hour-long lectures where parents and children are separated.

Literacy Night Theme Ideas:

1. Get Jazzed About Reading
2. The Magic of Books
3. Reading ROCKS! (Rock and Roll, or Pet Rocks as Book Characters)
4. Once Upon a Page
5. Wild About Books (Jungle, Where the Wild Things Are)
6. Bookworm Bash (Gummy Worms)
7. We (heart) Books – Valentines Day
8. Spring into Reading!
9. Chill Out with a Good Book (Winter or Ice Cream)
10. Fall into a Good Book!
11. Reading is an Adventure
12. Leap into Literacy!
13. Love-A-Book
14. Book Bonanza (Western)
15. Reading is a BLAST!
16. Book-Mania
17. Blast into Reading
18. Books Ahoy!
19. Explore New Worlds – Read!
20. Books Spark Imagination
21. Imagine Yourself in a Book
22. Books EnLIGHTen Us [Lighthouse, Sparkling lights]
23. Be a STAR--Read!
24. Meet a Hero--Read!
25. Travel through Time—Read!
26. Dig into a Good Book!
27. We SCARE about Books! (Halloween)
28. Get Absorbed—Read! (SpongeBob)
29. Books Build Brains
30. Escape into a Good Book
31. Got Books?
32. Go Bananas Over Books!
33. Dive into Reading! (Water Sports, Under Water Creatures)
34. A Book will Lift Your Spirits! (Balloons)
35. The Sky’s the Limit with Books! (Balloons or Kites)
36. (We’re) Bubbly about Books
37. Find Hidden Treasures – Read a Book!
38. Thanks to Books! (Thanksgiving)
39. A Book is a Door to A New World
40. A Book is a Journey
41. Going BATTY over Books! (Halloween)
42. Reading ROCKETS our Imagination
43. Reading is COOL at our SCHOOL
44. Read and Succeed
45. Book Extravaganza
46. Books-Around-The Clock Sock-Hop
47. Book-a-Thon
48. Pop into Literacy Night! (Soda POP, Popcorn, Balloon Popping Games)
49. School Days Book Craze
50. Book and Pajama-Rama (Wear PJs to school,etc.)
51. Books Give us Wings
52. Read –Around-the-World (Books/Foods About Different Countries)
53. I Feel the Need to Read
54. Books and Cooks (Kids bake their own goodies and bring to the event - name the treat after a book title "Harry Potter's Disappearing Brownies)
55. Children's Reader Theater (Classes do skits, plays, or operas based on books.)
56. Ye OLDE BOOK TRADING POST (Western Theme - Kids bring a book from home to trade with other kids.)
57. Literacy Luau (Hawaiian or Beach Theme)
58. Books-n-Breakfast Bash (Kids come on a Saturday Morning for doughnuts and storytelling.)
59. Reading is an Ocean of Discovery/Fun [Hanging fish, streamers, underwater scenes]

60. Books take the Cake! [Cake walk, book walk, cake auction, cake decorating contest, etc.]

61. Book Bingo Bash

62. Books are EGG-cellent! [Egg hunt w/prize tickets for books, "Book Bunny" egg decorating]

63. Get down and "BOOKY" [Disco ball w/lights, DJ, Dancing, Books line the hallways]

64. Authorpalooza [Invite several local authors to come and visit with students.]

65. BOOK-TOBER Fest

Share YOUR IDEAS AND GET A FREE SIGNED COPY OF MY BOOKS FOR YOUR LIBRARY! Help expand this Literacy Night idea list! Send more Literacy Night-theme ideas which aren't listed above (at least ten), or tell me about a literacy event that was a huge success. If I use your ideas in this blog, I'll send you one copy of COOL DADDY RAT, BEDTIME AT THE SWAMP, or THE MIDDLE-CHILD BLUES (your choice).

2010-02-13T23:34:00.002-07:00

Last Thursday night I had the opportunity to be the guest author for Jordan Ridge Elementary's Literacy Night. Jordan Ridge was one of 32 schools in the nation to be selected to receive a literacy grant from the National Council of PTA. So after my presentation, I was signing some books when a group of distinguished, wonderful women came my way. I was able to meet representatives from the National PTA!! They were absolutely delightful, energetic, funny, and fun. We posed for some pictures together at the signing table! I was so honored. I was also lucky to speak with members of the Utah Board of Education, who came to attend the event. There was an article about this in the Salt Lake Tribune.

Thanks to Jordan Ridge Elementary for inviting me to be part of this fabulous night! And a BIG congratulations to you all!

A GROOVY SALE!

2010-01-25T00:08:00.006-07:00

My agent just informed me that Albert Whitman & Company has made an offer on my manuscript, THE REALLY GROOVY STORY OF THE TORTOISE AND THE HARE. We accepted it. This was a manuscript I had mentally "shelved" and had almost entirely wiped from my mind. How exciting that I'll get to see it in print! I've heard that Albert Whitman is a fabulous publishing house to work with and that they tend to keep their books in print for a long time. GROOOOOOVY!

I'm going to have a busy year. I've got a number of school visits set-up each month. I'll also be presenting at the UVU Forum on Children's Literature in March, and am on the faculty of the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Workshop which will be held at the Waterford School this year in Sandy, Utah. This is very exciting for me, considering the fact that I came to that workshop in 2001 as an unpublished writer. Because of the advice I received and the connections I made, I was able to get an agent. Now five books later, I'm absolutely delighted to return as a faculty member. I hope to offer all the tips, techniques, advice, encouragement, and connections possible to move the students in my class closer to publication. And we're gonna have a LOT OF FUN! Trust me. Oh yeah, that's right. Uh-huh.

If you'd like to sign up for my class, I'd be thrilled to have you! The website is:

http://foryoungreaders.com/facultybios.html

Check out the faculty bios and then go to "register." You'll find me in the "Picture Book Workshops" box, but you'll need to press the arrow on the drop down menu in the box to highlight my name.

The cost is expensive, I know. That's what I thought when I first signed up. But the Writing and Illustrating for Young Readers Workshop is the vehicle I needed to get my work in front of the right people. And I know a number of other authors who are published today due to their attendance. This is a workshop that will put you amidst editors and agents, published authors, and many other writers. It's a jump start to your writing career. Of course there are no guarantees, but if you're serious about getting published, it will be worth EVERY PENNY you spend. It certainly was for me!

I hope to see you there.

Middle Children ROCK!

2009-11-21T23:18:00.005-07:00

Lee's a middle-kid who finally expresses his frustration (for him, it's with a guitar and blues riff) in a big way. Now it's your turn. Middle kids near and far, come stand on your soap box. What's the worst thing about being a middle child, and how did you survive? Or...what do you notice about your middle child/ren that is interesting?

Watch The Middle-Child Blues trailer! Click here.

Meeting my Secret...errrr....Literary Agent

2009-11-15T20:40:00.016-07:00

It happened on Friday night. (Mission Impossible music starts now.) My Ford Flex slowly hummed as it approached the airport pick-up curb, and there she was... my agent, standing in her black trenchcoat and dark sunglasses. (Okay, she wasn't really wearing dark sunglasses, but I thought they might add to the general effect.) "Have you got them?" she asked after I rolled down my window.

"Got them," I said. Then she scanned the area with her mini-binoculars and climbed into her seat. She slammed the door. We were off -- off to the Patrick Moore Gallery in Salt Lake City. But first, we took a detour to discuss the plans. We stopped at a Rumbi Island Grill, and over two chicken and shrimps over rice, we plotted out a strategy. A strategy for me to disassemble and reassemble my novel. It was going to be a very tricky, complicated process.

After going over the plans, we put on disguises and crept into the art gallery, where dozens of chic authors dined on cupcakes and martinellis. Finally I was recognized. "Is your agent here?" several of the authors asked me, but I didn't want to blow her cover. The only problem was, she was standing right beside me.

Alright, so the true story is that this weekend I met my agent, Kendra Marcus, for the first time. This is after working with her for eight years, and after she had already sold four picture book manuscripts for me. Whoa. For me, it was a bit like being one of Charlie's Angels and finally meeting Charlie. The voice I knew so well from phone calls finally had a face, mannerisms, and a personality. What a thrill. What an honor. What a weekend! Kendra was going to be presenting at the SCBWI Winter Conference in Salt Lake City, and I was asked to be her personal escort to and from the airport.

I'm often asked if I like having an agent, and if I think agents are important if you want to be published. My answers are emphatically yes and yes! I LOVE having an agent because, other than marketing my books, I really don't want to be bothered with some of the business-aspects of being an author. I just want to write. And I like having an advocate who will be brutally honest about my work and tell me what I need to do to improve it. It's great that she'll go to bat for me and find the right publisher, and negotiate the contract details. She can say the hard things to my editors that I'd rather not say. As the middle-person, she keeps relationships between me and editors friendly and uncomplicated.

Bottom line: I don't believe I'd be published today without an agent. I salute those authors who have done it alone, because it's hard for me to imagine. I certainly would recommend that writers who are serious about getting published try to find one to represent them. A good one. A reputable one. One who "gets" their work and will help guide them in career decisions.

Yeah, but the 15% the agent receives? What about that?

Best investment I've ever made.

It was so wonderful meeting Kendra after all these years. We had a great weekend and she left me with a whole lot of revision suggestions and wisdom that I'm chewing and swallowing very slowly. Not "slowly" because I don't like the suggestions, but because I need to savor and appreciate them.

In my school presentations to kids I have always called Kendra my "secret agent." Time to fix that.

As I dropped Kendra back off at the airport Saturday Night I marveled at how much of an impact she'd had on my life and career, and how odd it was that we had only just met. Just another strange aspect of this oddball writing world.

The 2009 Utah Book Awards, Children's Division

2009-11-02T17:06:00.005-07:00

Near the end of October, I attended the Utah Book Award Ceremony, where my picture book COOL DADDY RAT was a nominee in the children's division. The other two nominees in this category were Alison Randall, author of THE WHEAT DOLL, and Shannon, Dean, and Nathan Hale, Authors and Illustrator of RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE. Shannon and her husband were running a tad late (no doubt due to her UBER busy schedule) , and Nathan had a last minute work deadline. but I was able to stand beside Alison as our books were recognized.

The winner turned out to be the Hale trio for RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE. Alison and I were bummed we didn't get to stand beside them on the stage and bask in their glory. But we still received cash awards and a nice plaque for being nominated. Afterwards there was a catered reception with live music, and overall, it was a very nice evening.

All Hail, Hail, Hail (Hale, Hale, Hale) RAPUNZEL'S REVENGE!

The Middle-Child Blues - School Library Journal Review

2009-10-20T23:04:00.006-06:00

My editor just forwarded me the School Library Journal review for Middle Child, and I thought I'd share:

CROW, Kristyn. The Middle-Child Blues. illus. by David Catrow. unpaged. CIP. Putnam. 2009. RTE $16.99. ISBN 978-0-399-24735-4. LC 2008030591.
K-Gr 2–What middle children haven’t sung the blues about their place in the family hierarchy? Lee is stuck between his older brother and cute little sister. There’s just not much to do in between, even when the family goes to the fair. He’s too young to hang out with his brother, too old for the things his sister wants to do. He’s definitely in a sulk. But then he picks up his guitar and begins to sing: “I’ve got the low-down,/big-frown/sulkin’-all-around-town/bummed-out/mid-kid blues.” Soon a crowd gathers, and Lee is the center of attention. His parents and passersby join in, saying that they are middle children themselves, and admit that they have forgotten how rough that can be. Catrow’s trademark pencil and watercolor illustrations are perfect for this story. Heads are oversized, and facial expressions exaggerated. The colorful illustrations dance all over the pages. This book is a winner.–Ieva Bates, Ann Arbor District Library, MI

Having a blast with School Author Visits

2009-10-18T12:46:00.008-06:00

Last Friday I had a wonderful time visiting Rowland Hall - St. Mark's School in Salt Lake City. The children were so well behaved and attentive! The prior Friday I visited West Haven Elementary in Roy, Utah. It is SO fun meeting with kids and sharing my stories and talking about reading and writing! These pictures were taken by a fabulous photographer from Rowland Hall. As soon as I get her name to credit her, I'll post it here.
The kids have a lot of fun playing rhythm instruments along with BEDTIME AT THE SWAMP. This is my drum section, the "BOOMs."

As you can see, I get a bit animated during my presentations. Right now the younger kids are echoing back my refrain, "SPLISH SPLASH RUMBA-RUMBA BIM BAM BOOM!" And we're all scared of the swamp monster.

I bring a whole lot of instruments and also do a PowerPoint presentation with pictures of my books in various stages of production. I tell the kids some funny things about myself and my family, and how I have the most boring fish tank in the world. Of course, every time I turn my back something silly happens in the tank. They also get to see the "Skeleton Cat" race across the screen.

I LOVE visiting schools! For more information about my school visits, go to my website at http://www.kristyncrow.com . Click on the blue arrows on the left side of the main box on my home page, and keep your cursor there until you see the "schedule visits" button rotate around.

Ten Fun Activities to Go Along with COOL DADDY RAT by Kristyn Crow

2009-09-12T21:50:00.008-06:00

Teachers or Parents: Choose any of these fun activities to experience the snappy book COOL DADDY RAT with your children in a big way!

Purpose: To help children learn to appreciate jazz music as an American art form, to help them recognize and use improvisation in language and music, and to encourage individual creativity and a love for reading.

1. Visit my blog online with your class, http://www.kristyncrow.blogspot.com/, go to my September 11th 2009 post, and watch a few clips of Ella Fitzgerald, Jason Mraz, and other musicians scatting.

2. Read Charlie Parker Played Be-Bop, by Chris Raschka. Students can invent their own musical interpretation of the book. Other fun jazz books to read: Before John was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane, by Carole Boston Weatherford; Jazz by Walter Dean Meyers, Jazz Fly, by Matthew Gollub. Talk about the history of jazz and its American roots.

3. Play jazz music in the background while you read COOL DADDY RAT aloud. Have the children “echo” back the scat lines. (You say it, then they repeat it back.) In jazz, this is called “call and response.” Talk about the word “improvisation,” a key element in jazz.

4. If Ace got his own bass for his birthday, what might it look like? Have students make a homemade “bass” using a shoebox, three to five large rubber bands, and a cardboard paper towel roll. Cover the shoebox with construction paper, and decorate it. String the rubber bands the long way around the opening and back of the box. Attach the paper towel roll with tape or glue. Experiment. What happens when the rubber bands are pulled tighter? Does the tone get higher or lower? Can you play a jazz tune?

5. Have students cover empty cereal boxes with construction paper to represent a closed “book.” Have them create their own book cover in the style of COOL DADDY RAT. Decorate the spine, too. What kind of jazz character could be the star of each book? What about a Groovy Mama Toad? Or a Snappy Cat? What jazzy sounds could they make?

6. Students can write a rhyming story, making every other line a “scat” line. What nonsense words can they come up with? Have them read and perform their work.

7. Imagine a strange new place for Cool Daddy Rat and Ace to perform. Use Mike Lester’s sketchy, jazzy drawing style to make it come to life!

8. Have a scat competition, with students being the “American Jazz Idol” judges. These judges must be positive!

9. Make a class mobile with cut-out drawings the students have created of Cool Daddy, Ace, the Fat Cat, the bass, Mama Rat, crowds, with syncopation words like ZOW! POW! And WOW!

10. Create a “READING IS COOL” bulletin board, with WOW! ZOW! YOW! And POW! Arrange pictures of each child wearing cool sunglasses (or striking a "cool" pose) with his or her favorite book and/or instrument. You could also do a "Get JAZZED about READING!" bulletin board.

CLICK HERE TO CHECK OUT THIS TERRIFIC ACTIVITY...FABULOUS PAPER BAG COOL DADDY RAT PUPPETS!

COOL DADDY RAT - Fun with SCAT

2009-09-11T09:00:00.009-06:00

So...you're reading COOL DADDY RAT, and your kids seem puzzled. What are those funny lines of nonsense text, anyway? SCAT? What is that? Well, children know scat--they've heard it even as babies. They just need to be reminded. Here is the famous Louis Prima scat from the Jungle Book. Have your kids raise their hands when they hear the scat. (NOTE: You must actually be at my blogsite to hear/view these clips. www.kristyncrow.blogspot.com. ) Or join in:

Now, Ella Fitzgerald was a great jazz singer from the 1960s. She was the queen of scat, and here's why. (You won't need to watch the whole clip to get the idea):

So now that we're getting familiar with scat, have your kids watch this fun clip:

Yep, scat is cool. Scat is fun. Scat is for everyone!

Now just in case you thought scat was ancient, old, and dried-up, oh no, no, no. Scat is alive and well. It lives and breathes in some of our best current musicians:

So now you know why Ace just had to make his scattin' debut. He couldn't contain himself:

Now, how 'bout you? Can you feel it, too?

Zabba Zabba Zot Zot a Dibbity Dooby DOWWWWWWWWWW.

CLICK HERE TO FIND TEN FUN ACTIVITIES TO GO ALONG WITH COOL DADDY RAT.

2009-09-01T17:02:00.004-06:00

My editor at Putnam just sent me my first official review of "The Middle-Child Blues." It's from Kirkus:

___________________________________

Being stuck in between a big brother and a younger sister has put Lee in touch with the spirit of the blues. A family trip to the amusement park provides a vivid reminder of why being the middle child can be so bad. Their day begins with Lee, guitar in backpack and sporting a perfectly coiffed pompadour, being left in the driveway. Even getting lunch is no fun: “Ray can order a ‘Big Bun,’ / and Kate’s meal has a toy. / I get a plain cheeseburger / since I’m just the middle boy.” Catrow’s vibrant palette and frenetic style aptly depict this active family and their environs. His keen sense of proportion and angle keeps a scowling Lee at the center of the double-page spreads of bustling crowds and park rides. A series of humiliations ensues until the blues cannot be restrained. Lee breaks into his song of woe that attracts a crowd of birth-order misfits, finally singing his way to a realization that “I’m a kid like no other.” This ode to all the “mid-kids” demands to be read aloud accompanied by plenty of foot tapping and grooving. (Picture book. 5-8)

___________________________________

Here are my favorite phrases from the review:

"the spirit of the blues"
"perfectly coiffed pompadour"
"Catrow's vibrant palette"
"series of humiliations"
"the blues cannot be restrained"
"birth-order misfits"
"demands to be read aloud"
"foot tapping and grooving"

Oh, YEAHHHHH. (That's the spirit of the blues.)

Also, I learned that Cool Daddy Rat has been nominated for the UTAH BOOK AWARD. There are two other fabulous books which have been nominated as well, and I'm just thrilled to be considered at all. The winner will be announced in mid-October.

Also, Bedtime at the Swamp is still in the running for the Ladybug Award, as well as the Washington Children's Choice Picture Book Award. I'm having so much fun writing for children, and to get positive feedback is truly a wonderful, unexpected gift.

I'm currently working on a couple other manuscripts, mostly fine-tuning. I had lunch with Rick Walton, Sharlee Glenn and Lezlie Evans today. It's always great to meet with other writers and get their support and advice.

The WRITING FOR CHARITY event at the Treehouse Museum last Saturday was fabulous. I really enjoyed meeting with hopeful writers, and especially a handful who write in verse, like I do. We critiqued manuscripts and learned a lot! It was a blast hanging out with the likes of Anne Bowen, Shannon Hale, Brandon Mull, James Dashner, Sara Zarr, Sydney Salter, Sharlee, Rick, and so many other Utah Writers for children. We were able to raise thousands of dollars to help the museum, and to put books in the hands of kids!

Aspiring Writer in Utah? Come to the TREEHOUSE MUSEUM!

2009-07-19T21:57:00.005-06:00

WRITING FOR CHARITY: Sponsored by Utah Children's Book Authors and Deseret Book

Get writing tips from published authors, buy autographed copies of books, and shmooze with the Utah writing community!

Saturday, August 29, 2009 • 10 a.m. until 2 p.m. at Treehouse Children’s Museum
347 22nd Street • Ogden, UT • 801-394-9663

$50 per person ($45 before August 21)
Includes morning snack and lunch
Please make checks payable to: Treehouse Museum

Announcing the 2nd Annual Writing for Charity Event, sponsored by Utah Children’s Book Authors and Deseret Book. This special workshop event features more than 20 published children’s book authors of both picture books and young adult fiction.

The Writing for Charity Event, a workshop for aspiring children’s book writers (age 13 and up only, please), will provide participants with professional advice and the opportunity to have their work evaluated by one of the event’s participating authors. The event includes the opportunity to purchase books and have books signed. Participants can also purchase drawing tickets for reat prizes, including signed books and a book bag signed by all of the participating authors. All proceeds from the event will benefit the non-profit Treehouse Children’s Museum in Ogden and its award-winning Family Literacy Programs. For more information about Treehouse visit www.treehousemuseum.org or call 801-394-9663.

Writers of children’s picture books should bring a full manuscript (fewer than 1,000 words), and chapter book authors should bring the book’s first page for the critique. Participants are not required to bring work sample for the critique session. Please note that because of the length of the workshop and the set-up required, Treehouse will be closed to the public that day (Saturday, August 29.)

TO REGISTER: CLICK HERE

What Came Out of the Swamp?

2009-06-02T16:33:00.013-06:00

I had a terrific visit yesterday with Crescent Elementary School. I gave four presentations to the students, and we had some fun playing rhythm instruments to BEDTIME AT THE SWAMP. The kids asked some great questions and were a wonderful audience. Here are two bulletin boards displaying art the students created for BEDTIME AT THE SWAMP. Without hearing the end of the story, the students were asked to predict what came out of the swamp.

Each child was asked to draw a picture of his or her prediction. Only one student guessed it was "the mom," (see the picture just beneath the "P"). They all had some fun guesses, and one student even said it was his teacher coming out of the swamp. (See upper right picture.)

Bravo! What a great idea. I really enjoyed myself yesterday and have probably officially wrapped-up my school visits until next fall. I love going to elementary schools and hope to visit many more.

Congratulations, MIKE!

2009-05-24T09:02:00.008-06:00

I just learned that MIKE LESTER won the National Cartoonists Society Award for Book Illustration for COOL DADDY RAT! BRAVO! BRAVO!

Read about it here:

http://romenews-tribune.com/pages/full_story?article-Lester%20wins%20National%20Cartoonists%20Society%20award%20=&page_label=home&id=2616228-Lester+wins+National+Cartoonists+Society+award&widget=push&instance=home_news&open

Congratulations, Mike! I am honored to have had access to your amazing talent. Thank you so much for all of your hard work and dedication on this book!

NAME THE MYSTERIOUS MAN IN THE PICTURE

2009-05-16T23:46:00.006-06:00

Today I had a terrific time gathering with fellow authors at the Provo Children's Book Festival. Pictured above are: (From left) Anne Bowen, myself, Carol Lynch Williams, Emily Wing Smith, and Ann Dee Ellis. If you can name the mysterious man hiding in this picture, I will send you an autographed copy of one of my books (your choice). That is, if you're the first one to respond correctly. (Rock canyon writers excluded.)

The read-aloud was fun--especially reading to my neices and nephews. I feel very blessed to have family members who are so supportive. I thought, man, these kids have heard my stories so many times, do they really want to hear them again? But they listened and played along with me. It was great! The festival had face painting, puppet shows, classes, readings, free books, food, and more. There was a bit of frustration for everyone when the fire alarm was pulled by a child and the whole building flashed and screamed like it was WW IV. The alarm kept going for quite some time and I thought I might have to try to read in sync with the loud bursts of angry noise.

I feel very privileged to have met Laura Vaccaro Seeger in person. I had seen her before when she received the Caldecott Honor award at the Caldecott banquet in Anaheim, California. It was nice to talk to her today, even just for a few minutes.

At the festival there were banners with the author names hanging high on the walls. Each one had our book covers and a fun fact. My fun fact said: Her husband was on President Obama's Inauguration Security Team. So when Steve came to pick me up and saw that tidbit written about him on my banner, I noticed there was an extra bounce in his step.

Broken Glass and Potential

2009-05-03T20:50:00.006-06:00

This picture was taken at the Provo Marriott Hotel on Saturday, April 25th. It's hard to tell, but that's me speaking to a group of writers about picture books. Sharlee Glenn and I prepared a presentation to help picture book writers self-critique their manuscripts. Speaking and making appearances is something I never really thought about when I dreamed of getting published. I am so grateful for the advice I received from some seasoned writers who told me that, while I was waiting for my first book to be released, I should begin working on some presentations. PowerPoint is a wonderful thing. I really enjoyed the conference and got to see a few old friends that I haven't been in contact with for many years. I also sold enough copies of Bedtime at the Swamp and Cool Daddy Rat that I depleted my personal supply. Sometimes an author doesn't sell too many books from these events, so I was pleased.

I have my first return school visit this Wednesday, which should be fun. And I am now officially part of the SKYPE AN AUTHOR network. That means schools can project me into their classrooms via the internet. An author visit without the travel! To learn more about this, click here.

I will be at the Provo Children's Book Festival on Saturday, May 16th. It takes place in the grand Provo Library, with authors, illustrators, activities, read-alouds, food, puppet shows, and more. It's an absolute MUST if you live anywhere in the area and have kids who like to read. They have free books to give away, too.

It's fun to think that I once lived across the street from that massive library, when it was an old decrepit "academy" building, with busted windows and satanic symbols spray painted on the walls. My front door faced the old eyesore. I was across the street in a tiny apartment with old green carpet and a homely kitchen. I used to marvel at how frightening the monstrosity looked; it was a haunted mansion. A spooky place to be at night. Yet if you looked carefully enough, there was potential for it to be something more.

All it took was a little bit of vision and lot of hard work, and that building is now a fantastic, shining library with gorgeous rooms and staircases, where people can delight in good books. And there I will be, walking around inside it, with an identity makeover of my own. Different last name and family dynamic, new strengths and weaknesses, and so much to believe in.

Gettin' JAZZED about READING!

2009-04-16T19:32:00.005-06:00

Every once in a while I open up my email and get a wonderful surprise. Last Monday I heard from Ritt Henn, a professional jazz bassist from New York City. He often performs at elementary schools to help promote music and literacy in the community. This year, his group, the JAZZMEN, chose COOL DADDY RAT as their featured storybook. They read the book, played their instruments, and even turned the scat lines into call-and-response bits for the children. Oh, how I wish I could have been there! What a way to get kids "jazzed" about reading!

Pictured left to right: Frank Wagner, Jerry Sokolov, and Ritt Henn. (Photo by Isabella Caputo.)

The Jazzmen received letters from the children, and they shared a few with me:

A big thanks to the Jazzmen for sharing my book with children in such a cool way.

If you'd like to read more about Ritt Henn, here is his website: http://www.ritthenn.com/

And here's a website for Frank Wagner: http://www.modalmoods.com/

Words and Bricks

2009-04-09T00:57:00.006-06:00

Writing can be a tedious, frustrating task. I think it's a little like laying bricks. You start to build up a few words, which build upon more words and more words. Days, weeks, or months later, you've got structure. You've got something to look at, something to design and plan. You keep going, not knowing exactly how the thing will turn out, but you have hope. So you dig in. You try staying focused. You take breaks because you start to go a little bonkers. And finally, voila! After a lot of hard labor, you've got a creation to be admired, and also scrutinized.

But oh, you are not finished. This is where feedback comes in. You get some people to inspect your work--people who know all about brick laying, design, and layout. And they examine what you've done very carefully. Now imagine if EVERY time they do this, they tell you that something needs reworking. This is what happens in writing. You've done well, and bravo for your efforts, but you've got to fix some things. Maybe many things. And sometimes the bricks that need fixing are at the bottom, near the foundation. You've got to rip apart that whole section and rebuild it, brick by brick.

Which is why many people want to write a novel, or a picture book, or a chapter book, but don't ever accomplish it. It's just well, darn it, FRUSTRATING to tear down and rebuild. Again. And again.

It's why authors are a little eccentric, a little bizarre, but somehow, driven. We don't have the good sense to stop. We can't; we won't. Thank heaven for that.

And curse it.

Smiling Ladybugs

2009-04-02T23:27:00.005-06:00

I’m very happy to learn that Bedtime at the Swamp is a 2009 Ladybug nominee. It’s in the company of some very delightful books, and I’m thrilled to have it be considered. To read about it, click here.

My kids are all packing up to leave tomorrow for spring break. All, that is, except my youngest. (She’s the only one who escaped the awful “musical houses” fate.) Things are going to be very quiet around here, so you’d think I could get some writing done. But sometimes it’s even harder to work when my youngest is all alone without her siblings. She needs LOTS of attention.

I’m working on a novel, but I have such a bad habit of second-guessing myself! I get going , and then I’m really on fire, when suddenly I decide that the whole premise is stupid. I start thinking of new novel ideas, and talk myself out of the current one. Bad news. Having a great idea is half the battle sometimes. I wish I were Stephenie Meyer, and that I could dream something fabulous to write about.

I submitted a new picture book manuscript to my agent(s) – this one is quite a departure for me. I am really curious to get the response. I’m predicting they won’t like it, since it’s a little wacky, but I’ve been wrong before. It’ll be interesting to find out.

My SKELETON CAT editor is requesting more revisions. Yipes. It’s back to kitty bone-picking, my friends.

TIDBITS

2009-03-25T22:55:00.003-06:00

A few things…

Last week, I got short mentions in the Salt Lake Tribune and the Standard Examiner. I had a very busy week. I did seven presentations at Majestic Elementary, then a signing at Ogden’s Treehouse Museum. On Saturday I spoke to 450 people at Springville’s Young Writer’s Conference, and taught three workshop sessions. On Monday I presented at Weber State. Phew! I’m ready for a break!

I also learned that Mike Lester was nominated for an award from the National Cartoonists Society for his work on COOL DADDY RAT. Here is the blog that mentions his nomination, under BOOK ILLUSTRATION.

GO, MIKE! You deserve it! WOOOO-HOOOO! ZOW! I’m crossing all my fingers that you win!! (And it’s getting difficult to type…)

Kristyn

Letter from a Little Girl at The Nebo Young Writer's Conference

2009-03-22T17:33:00.006-06:00

Dear Abby,

A tap dancing puppy? What a fun idea! You could create all kinds of great rhythms with a character who tap dances. I love puppies too! This is definitely something for me to consider, however, by the time the book came out I think you'd be reading Harry Potter or James Dashner's 13th Reality series. I promise you this, if I ever write a book about a tap dancing puppy, I will dedicate it to you.

Sincerely,

Kristyn Crow

The Gift in a Moment

2009-03-15T20:50:00.005-06:00

Last Thursday I had one of the greatest moments of my life. Not that it compares with the births of my children, my marriage, or speaking at my mother’s funeral. But it was one of those rare moments where I felt utterly fulfilled and joyous as a human being. And this is what happened:

I was standing inside an elementary school where I had just given a full day of presentations, and had a wonderful meal with eight students who had been selected for the privilege of having “lunch with an author.” It’s almost surreal being honored in this way; I actually felt like somebody besides a frantic, scatterbrained wife and mom--like I might even be somebody special to some kids besides my own. I had packed up my rhythm instruments and was saying goodbye to the school administrators who had been so very kind to me. Suddenly I looked across to the end of the hallway from where I was standing, and saw a father who had bought one of my books, sitting in a chair against the wall. He had BEDTIME AT THE SWAMP resting open on his lap, and he was reading aloud to his young son, who was probably five or six. As the father got to the book’s refrain, he said, “Splish splash rumba rumba bim bam…” and then the little boy hopped up in the air on all fours, like he was playing leapfrog, and shouted, “BOOM!” with a loud giggle. Then the father repeated the game, to get another “BOOM!” from his son, and another giggle. The father kept reading.

I stood there, frozen, and felt rapture. I got to watch a father and son enjoying my book together, from the position of a fly on the wall. They didn’t know I could see them. Whatever I had dreamed of as a little girl who wanted to make picture books couldn’t have topped this. After all my struggles in life, this moment was a gift. It was a blessing for which I will forever be grateful.

Back to the Revision Board Blues

2009-03-01T22:42:00.008-07:00

At the end of last week, I received revision requests from my new Skeleton Cat editor. I also heard back from my agent, who is requesting revisions on another manuscript that a different editor likes. Now, pretend you can actually hear me across the internet waves and listen closely to this sound…. SIIIGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH. Did you hear me exhaling for five minutes? Huff. I’ve got a lot of work to do. I think Skeleton Cat has been rewritten so many times it’s like an old friend who keeps reappearing over and over again on my doorstep, and although I love the guy I'm getting a little annoyed.

Putnam sent me the completed cover jacket (with flaps) for The MIDDLE CHILD BLUES, and it’s really terrific. (I can say that since I'm referring to the illustrations.) The picture above is Lee, the middle kid, crankin' up the volume. Check out David Catrow’s VERY slick website (click here). This will be a fun book to read aloud!

Zhivagoland

2009-02-17T10:49:00.024-07:00

Here are some scenes from outside my window right now. This is bundle-up-in-a-blanket-and-drink-hot-chocolate weather.

I know exactly what it's like to live inside a snow globe. And the pictures don't do it justice.

It's Zhivagoland. I remember my mother loved the movie "Dr. Zhivago," especially the score and the winter scenes. There's something about that abandoned house with the big porch, frozen-over inside and out, that is very romantic.

And Dr. Zhivago is a writer. Here's a scene from the movie, when spring has finally come (I can relate to his obvious joy):

Presenting...The MIDDLE CHILD BLUES!

2009-02-06T10:37:00.003-07:00

Ta-DAH! Here is the cover for my next book, coming this fall. I am very excited, and hope middle kids everywhere will be, too. A big thanks to Dave Catrow and his serious SKILLS.

Being in the middle is RUFF RUFF RUFF.

2009-01-29T21:02:00.005-07:00

Yesterday I received the “proofs” for Middle Child Blues, which means the illustrations are set, glossy on the page, with text in place. No folds or binding. Just flat sheets in a stack. It’s always a bit like Christmas when I get to see the illustrations for the first time. They arrived in a big white Fed-Ex envelope, and I wasn’t expecting them. A nice Wednesday surprise. Here is the illustration for the back cover. It will have the caption, “Being in the middle is rough.” From what I understand, Dave Catrow loves to draw dogs. And he does it so well. The dog in the middle here is a bit of a “star” in the book. He dances the watoosi on more than one occasion.

Tomorrow I get to see the cover image, and I'll be posting it for you to see.

Congratulations to the 2009 ALA Newbery, Caldecott, Printz, King, Geisel, etc. Award Recipients

2009-01-26T09:11:00.008-07:00

ALA Awards 2009

John Newbery Medal:

The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman

John Newbery Honor Books:

The Underneath by Kathi Appelt
The Surrender Tree by Margarita Engle
Savvy by Ingrid Law
After Tupac & D Foster by Jacqueline Woodson

Randolph Caldecott Medal:

The House in the Night illustrated by Beth Krommes

Randolph Caldecott Honor Books:

A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever by Marla Frazee
How I Learned Geography by Uri Shulevitz
A River of Words: The Story of William Carlos Williams by Jen Bryant, illustrated by Melissa Sweet

Coretta Scott King Author Award:

Kadir Nelson, “We Are the Ship”

King Author Honor Books:

Hope Anita Smith, “Keeping the Night Watch
Joyce Carol Thomas, “The Blacker the Berry”
Carole Boston Weatherford, “Becoming Billie Holiday”

Coretta Scott King Illustrator Award:

Floyd Cooper, “The Blacker the Berry”

King Illustrator Honor Books:

Kadir Nelson, “We Are the Ship”
Sean Qualls, “Before John Was a Jazz Giant”
Jerry Pinkney, “The Moon Over Star”

Coretta Scott King/John Steptoe New Talent Author Award:

Shadra Strickland, illustrator of “Bird”

Michael L. Printz Award:

Jellicoe Road by Melina Marchetta

Printz Honor Books:

The Astonishing Life of Octavian Nothing, Volume II by M.T. Anderson
The Disreputable History of Frankie Landau-Banks by E. Lockhart
Nation by Terry Pratchett
Tender Morsels by Margo Lanagan

Robert F. Sibert Informational Book Award:

We Are the Ship by Kadir Nelson

Sibert Honor:

Bodies from the Ice: Melting Glaciers and the Recovery of the Past by James M. Deem
What to do about Alice? By Barbara Kerley

Schneider Family Book Awards:

Young Children: Piano Starts Here: The Young Art Tatum by Robert Andrew Parker
Middle School: Waiting For Normal by Leslie Conner
Teens: Jerk, California by Jonathan Friesen

Mildred L. Batchelder Award:

Moribito: Guardian of the Spirit by Nahoko Uehashi

Batchelder Honor Books:

Garmann’s Summer by Stian Hole
Tiger Moon by Antonia Michaelis

Pura Belpré Author Award:

Margarita Engle for “The Surrender Tree: Poems of Cuba’s Struggle for Freedom”

Pura Belpré Author Honors:

Francisco Jimenez for “Reaching Out”
Yuvi Morales for “Just in Case”
Lucia Gonzalez for “The Storyteller’s Candle”

Pura Belpré Illustrator Award:

Yuvi Morales for “Just in Case”

Pura Belpré Illustrator Honors:

Rudy Gutierrez for “Papá and Me”
Lulu Delacre for “The Storyteller’s Candle”
Amy Córdova for “What can you do with a Rebozo?”

Alex Awards:

1. City of Thieves by David Henioff
2. The Dragons of Babel by Michael Swanwick
3. Finding Nouf by Zoe Ferraris
4. The Good Thief by Hannah Tinti
5. Just After Sunset by Stephen King
6. Mudbound by Hillary Jordan
7. Over and Under by Todd Tucker
8. The Oxford Project by Stephen G. Bloom
9. Sharp Teeth by Toby Barlow
10. Three Girls and Their Brother by Theresa Rebeck

Odyssey Award (audio books):

The Absolutely True Diary of a Part-Time Indian

Odyssey Honor (audio books):

Curse of the Blue Tattoo

Elijah of Buxton

I’m Dirty!

Martina the Beautiful Cockroach: A Cuban Folktale

Nation

Margaret A. Edwards Award:

Laurie Halse Anderson: “Catalyst,” “Fever 1793,” “Speak”

William C. Morris Award Finalists:

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce
Graceling by Kristin Cashore
Absolute Brightness by James Lecesne
Madapple by Christina Meldrum
Me, The Missing, and the Dead by Jenny Valentine

Morris Award:

A Curse Dark as Gold by Elizabeth C. Bunce

May Hill Arbuthnot Honor Lecture Award:

Kathleen T. Horning

Laura Ingalls Wilder Award:

Ashley Bryan, “Beautiful Blackbird,” “Dancing Granny,” “Sing to the Sun,” and “Words to My Life’s Song”

Andrew Carnegie Medal:

MARCH ON! The Day My Brother Martin Changed the World

Theodor Seuss Geisel Award:

“Are You Ready to Play Outside?” by Mo Willems

Geisel Honor:

“Chicken Said, ‘Cluck!’” by Judyann Ackerman Grant

“One Boy” by Laura Vacarro Seeger

“Stinky” by Eleanor Davis

“Wolfsnail: A Backyard Predator” by Sarah C. Campbell

A Fabulous Visit to Syracuse Arts Academy!

2009-01-24T19:11:00.006-07:00

Last Tuesday I got to visit Syracuse Arts Academy! Illustrator Will Terry and I were scheduled to do a joint assembly in the morning, then break into workshops throughout the rest of the day. As soon as we arrived there were huge banners with our names, welcoming us to the school. Then in the entry the children had made “books” out of cereal boxes and had created them based on the themes of our books. I was just sick that with all my equipment I had forgotten to bring my camera. Before students filed into the gym, we quickly hooked up my laptop to the school’s projector and got the screen image centered, etc. Then Will and I were introduced, to thunderous applause. Wow, what a treat.

Weeks earlier, Will and I had emailed photos back and forth and created a PowerPoint “How-well-do-you-know-Will-and-Kristyn quiz show.” In the assembly we had the students raise their hands and guess which one of us played piano as a child and which played cello, which one had seven kids, which one was addicted to chocolate (answer: both) and other trivial facts that we hoped would make us a little more personable. Then we talked about how a picture book is made, from both the writer and the illustrator’s perspective.

The rest of the day Will and I were in separate rooms, giving workshop presentations to students and teachers. I focused on the rhythm of my books and had the students use rhythm sticks to find the beat in various types of picture book verse. Then I had them create a “Swamp Symphony” of rhythms to my book, BEDTIME AT THE SWAMP. Some kids were splish-splashers, some were rumba-rumbas, bim-bammers, and BOOMERS, all with instruments that mimicked the chorus sounds. The kids loved the instruments and we had so much fun!

At lunch, we were able to sit at two “special” tables, and kids with all their homework finished entered a drawing to sit with us. I got to sit with about twelve students, and some of my favorite questions or comments were:

“You know how your books are kinda jazzy? Well my cousin’s name is Jasmine.”

“ Will you autograph my backpack?”

“What is your favorite animal?”

“How many years did it take you to write your books?”

“I’m writing my own book, about a walrus.”

I can’t tell you have terrific it was to have a school visit go so wonderfully. It’s due, in most part, to the staff who prepped their students for the event and got them excited. An author (and/or illustrator) visit to a school gets kids enthused about reading. And I’m so lucky to get to be a part of that kind of enthusiasm.

Play the video below to see Will at work. He is SO talented. (Go, Will, GO!)

Stuff Crows Do

2009-01-17T22:10:00.007-07:00

I drove home one afternoon and there were some crows in the street in front of our house. We don't see crows around here all that often and it was a little peculiar. They just seemed to be taking a stroll.

This Crow (meaning me) is preparing for an assembly at an arts academy in Syracuse. There's a lot that goes into planning an assembly, like organizing pictures and animations in a PowerPoint presentation, arranging and packing up my rhythm instruments (I have nearly 100), getting my technical gadets ready, etc. Today I was able to puchase a remote control which will advance my PowerPoint slides in the presentation. This has been a problem in the past, when the schools had PowerPoint projectors and I had the laptop, but there was not a remote which would function with it. So I had to position myself next to my laptop and click, which isn't a terrible thing but not the ideal situation. Hopefully everything will run smoothly. I'm very excited to be presenting with illustrator Will Terry, who is extremely talented.

I was also asked to participate in a Young Writers Conference for Elementary School Aged kids in the Nebo school district in March. I've got some little nephews in that district so hopefully I'll get to see them. I've got two all-day assemblies in Ogden in March as well.

I had a lot of communication with my editor from Putnam last week. I was able to see the mechanicals for "Middle Child Blues." Mechanicals is a term for the illustrations layed out with the text in place, which once upon a blue moon was done in a mechanical, taped-up fashion. Now everything is computerized and digital, but the term "mechanical" stuck around. Or so I'm told.

Anyway, it was an absolute joy seeing the text with the pictures. I am thrilled to the core. But there were some little wording changes I needed to make. This has happened so far in all of my books. Even when the text is supposedly finished, there has always been an illustration that didn't exactly jibe with the text. Obviously it's much more involved for the illustrator to repaint an entire picture than it is for me to adjust the text. Still, it takes some time with word tinkering. Once I'm able to figure out a way to adjust the text while still keeping the flow of the rhythm, the book starts to really click.

I also worked with my editor on the "flap" wording, and we discussed a picture and text for the back of the book.

I'm waiting for word on another manuscript I've written, and am doing the "fingers crossed" thing that maybe there's a chance for another sale. We'll see...

My husband is packing his bags. He leaves early this morning to fly to Washington D.C., where he'll be doing security for the Presidential Inaguration. He was given the special assignment to fly out and be on the POTUS protection team. POTUS... The President of the United States.

Middle Kid Stuff

2008-12-27T11:17:00.005-07:00

I found this video clip where Dave Catrow talks about being an editorial cartoonist. It's kind of fun to see him live on video. I'm obviously thrilled to have him illustrating THE MIDDLE CHILD BLUES.

To view the clip, click here.

Yesterday my sister was giving me a hard time about writing a "middle child" book when I'm an oldest child. Well, let's just say that being the oldest child put me in the position of hearing all the middle-kid complaints, so I know them well. And, being a mother of seven means I've got five middle kids of my own. But hey, I HAVE written an "oldest kid" manuscript which is currently being evaluated by an editor, and I would love to write a "youngest child" story as well. We'll see if I get lucky enough to see them in print.

News

2008-12-24T00:34:00.004-07:00

I was excited to learn that COOL DADDY RAT has been chosen as a 2008 “Blue Ribbon” Book by the Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books. It was one of twelve picture books chosen for the year. Click HERE to see the web page with the announcement.

My editor at Putnam emailed me four pages of full-color illustrations by David Catrow for MIDDLE CHILD BLUES. They are fantastic. He’s very talented, and I’m so lucky to be connected to his great talent.

I also received my official contract from Scholastic for SKELETON CAT. However, last week I learned that my editor (the one who acquired the manuscript and was so enthusiastic about it) is leaving to work for Hyperion. She’s not taking the manuscript with her; she’s leaving it with a different editor at Scholastic. So I’m waiting to hear from the new editor, and these transitions are always a bit scary. As an author you hope that a new editor will love it as much as the previous one did, and will have a similar vision. I’m confident Scholastic will take good care of the bony ol’ cat.

Unwrapped Gifts

2008-12-20T22:13:00.008-07:00

I’ve had a weird “blog writers block” going on. There’s so much to write about, I don’t know where to begin. It’s kind of like the state of the laundry in my house. Where do I start? I guess the answer is, somewhere, anywhere.

Snow is back. Once again we’re slipping and sliding on the roads, scraping windshields, and finding that our van has slid down the driveway and is blocking the street. Winter. Yet, it’s also breathtakingly beautiful. There’s a quiet stillness at night that is so nice. I took some photos of my kids, all dressed up to play in the snow. My sons built an ice slide and used a cardboard box to surf down it. There are icicles on my back window.

The children are MORE than ready for Christmas, but I am not. This is a wonderful holiday but a huge undertaking for a mom of seven. So many gifts to wrap. So many cards to send. So many cookies to bake. I ordered quite a few gifts on Ebay several weeks ago that still haven’t arrived. A little scary, but I’m hanging on to hope.

One of my favorite occasions is the wee hours of Christmas morning. I like it before the chaos, when it’s still and quiet, the tree is blinking in the semi-darkness, and presents circle the tree and pile up into the living room. There’s the excitement of knowing the children will be waking soon. Anticipation. Glee. The opening of presents is so fun, but in my life I’ve learned that some gifts are not wrapped in holiday paper and tied up with a ribbon. Here are a few of my favorite unwrapped gifts I’ve received recently:

1. The gift of a dance. A teenager girl I hardly know gave me a wondrous gift. She took my son Kyle, who is autistic, to a dance. She wore a fancy flowing dress and did her hair beautifully. She held his hand and danced with him. I took a few pictures, and I cried. I remember when he was a toddler, lining up cars on the carpet. He had just been diagnosed with autism, and I grieved for all the things I thought he’d miss. “He’ll never go to a dance,” was one of my fears. So I’m sure she doesn’t know this, but that cute little blonde girl—cute enough to have the football jocks drooling over her—gave me and Kyle a present we’ll both never forget.

2. The gift of support. My oldest son was given a sniff of amyl-nitrate as a practical joke while at work. It made him feel a rush, then diziness. For ten minutes afterwards he had the strange sensation he was floating. When he told the truth about what happened, the entire work crew turned on him, calling him a tattletale and a “retard.” Only one friend offered support, and after they talked I could see the burden lift from my boy’s shoulders.

3. The gift of compassion. When my two stepdaughters lost their mother, baby sister, and unborn brother in a dreadful car crash, people came offering hugs, teddy bears, meals, and tears. The girls felt that there were people in the world who really cared about them, and that somehow, despite their pain, everything would be alright.

Notice how these gifts were for my children, and yet I consider them mine, too. It’s like that passage from the Bible, “Inasmuch as ye have done it unto the least of these… ye have done it unto me.” I know what that means.

Ralph Waldo Emerson wrote: "Rings and jewels are not gifts, but apologies for gifts. The only [true] gift is a portion of thyself."

I had my children draw each other’s names from a hat and instructed them to secretly do a nice thing each day for the person they chose. It’s been fun watching the paper snowflakes magically appear on someone’s ceiling, or the beds being made when nobody's looking.

Unwrapped gifts. They’re the best ones of all.

HAPPY HOLIDAYS TO YOU AND YOURS!

Life is Good; I Want My Junior Mints

2008-11-29T19:51:00.009-07:00

Last Wednesday night I went to a hockey game with my husband. I’m not exactly a sports fanatic, but it was pretty fun. I really enjoyed watching the goalies do their thing. They come out onto the ice and do this weird chopping action with their legs to rough-up the ice around them. Then they keep their eye on the puck at all times—moving a bit like transformer robots. They’re very focused. The other players seem to shimmy on and off the ice in a dance, some leaving the rink and others replacing them in a constant ebb and flow. Our team was the Grizzlies, and they were playing—get this—the Salmon Kings. So every time we scored, there was a live action shot of an enormous grizzly shaking a wiggling salmon in his teeth. That, and the loud blast of a train horn. Cool.

Now let me back up just a bit. In order to park at the stadium we needed to pay a five dollar parking fee, and I almost never carry cash on me. So we turned around and lost our place in line, driving through town to find an ATM. After going quite a distance from the stadium, we found a seven-eleven. I withdrew a twenty dollar bill, then bought a king-size box of Junior Mints in order to get change. I put them in my purse.

We parked at the stadium, entered the area, went up the stairs, and were met by a twenty-something lady who said, “Can I check your bags?” Now silly me, I thought we might get delayed because of my husband’s gun. He’s a police officer, and ever since the shooting at Trolley Square he has vowed to never go anywhere unarmed. But were they concerned about his gun? Not a bit. “The Junior Mints can’t go into the stadium,” she said.

“Bu…but…I only bought these Junior Mints so I could have change to park,” I said pleadingly.

“Sorry. The Junior Mints can’t go.”

“So…I’m supposed to just throw this huge box of Junior Mints in the trash?”

“They can’t come into the arena.”

Well, you’ve gotta be sheep-dipping me. I can carry a loaded weapon into a hockey arena, but not a box of Junior Mints?

“Here,” she said, “Just put them right by the turnstile, and hopefully they’ll be there when the game is over.”

Yeah, right.

Now, this is one of those moments in life I wish I could re-live. If I could go back in time I would have opened the box, dumped as many junior mints as would fit in my mouth, and poured all the rest into my husband’s mouth, then drooled chocolate down my chin as I went through the turnstile, smiling. Instead I left the box there and climbed the stairs without my precious box of 79-cent mints. Ahhhh, the sting of regret.

Later I learned why the JMs weren’t allowed. A menu in our booth showed Junior Mints for sale…for TWELVE dollars a box. Twelve bucks! That means the moment I left, that twenty-something chick was doing a hoola dance and auctioned off my Junior Mints to the highest bidder. Either that, or she casually ate them up as she inspected other people’s bags. That lady has a great job. Go to the stadium, search people’s bags, stockpile candy, auction them off for cold hard cash, and disappear into the catacombs.

BTW--I had a lovely Thanksgiving with nearly 30 people in my home. The turkey was delicious, the décor and company were fab. Life is good.

And I want my Junior Mints.

A Fun Surprise...

2008-11-19T22:16:00.002-07:00

My editor just forwarded me four color sketches by David Catrow for our upcoming book, THE MIDDLE CHILD BLUES. I am ecstatic. I laughed out loud at almost every picture; the humor he creates is terrific. Middle-kid Lee's got the blues and it really shows. Wish I could show you here, but I'm not sure if I'm supposed to. When (if) I get a thumbs-up, I'll give you a sneak peek.

SCBWI Inside Children's Publishing Conference

2008-11-15T15:55:00.005-07:00

Today I had the opportunity to speak on a panel at the Society of Children's Book Writers and Illustrators "Inside Children's Publishing" Conference. I and three other new authors talked about our paths to getting published and the marketing strategies we are currently using.

Last night I attended a dessert reception at the Patrick Moore Gallery in Salt Lake City. A bunch of us SCBWI members shmoozed, talked, and generally got aquainted with each other. The atmosphere reminded me a bit of my former life in New York City...being surrounded by art and creative-thinkers on a dark night, with jazz playing soulfully in the background, accompanied by the ambient sounds of city traffic. I met some hopeful writers and illustrators, and it was a pleasure to talk to them.

I will be doing a story-time and book signing at the Layton Barnes and Noble next Saturday, November 22nd. I would love to see you there!

How to Get Rid of Fruit Flies

2008-11-14T13:05:00.003-07:00

Okay, for my 99th post, I decided to impart some wisdom. This is vital, urgent, life-and-death information. Well, not really, but it's still good stuff. Anyway, it seems like every year we have a fruit fly invasion, and finally, this year, I figured out an effective way to get rid of them. I'd heard all about fruit traps in a mason jar, leaving the windows open, vinegar and soap in a bowl, and yadda yadda. Nothing did the trick before. But I've got a better way.

What you need:

1. Something fruity to attact the flies to the same area.

2. A shop vac.

Heh heh. Yes, just use one of those high-powered super-suction shop vacs. Once the flies are concentrated around the fruit, stir them up so they start to swarm, and begin sucking away. The suction power is just too strong and they all disappear right out of the air. It took me about two minutes to eliminate them all--and I haven't seen once since.

Don't you just love the randomness of my blog?

I Vote for Heat Miser

2008-11-09T21:25:00.005-07:00

Well, now that winter is nearly upon us, I thought I'd share a classic song from my childhood. It was so catchy and fun that it stuck with me. I think songs like this one influenced my picture book writing a whole bunch.

All the best to you,

Kristyn Crow, President
Snow Haters Club of America

Ten Reasons to Have an Author Visit Your Child's School

2008-11-06T21:45:00.008-07:00

Having an author come to visit your child’s school is a wonderful thing. Here are ten reasons why:

1. When the school shows enthusiasm for an upcoming author visit, the students take the cue that books must be important. A buzz of excitement is created. Kids are then motivated to read that author's books in preparation for the visit.

2. When they meet an author, children discover that he/she is a real person, not just a name on a book cover. They then feel a more personal, human connection with books.

3. With advance notice, most authors in their presentations can address particular topics that highlight a school's individual literacy curriculum or program. For example, the "The Six Traits of Writing," or a literacy theme. This unites the teachers with the author in a common message.

4. The author visit is a break from the routine, a "surprise," a "celebration," a "special guest," and FUN associated with reading, rather than work.

5. The author's books can be sold, in many cases, at greatly reduced prices if a school purchases them in bulk for a visit. (Not required.) Or parents can order books in advance at deeply discounted rates. Then the students can go home with a lasting souvenir of the event, and even have it signed by the author they met. A further reading incentive!

6. Authors can provide teachers with additional activities or lesson plans that the children can use in class to build on the experience in the weeks after the visit is over.

7. Reluctant or at-risk readers can be motivated to read a book when they’ve met the author.

8. An author visit is an excellent way to kick off a literacy event, such as a book fair, a junior author's fair, a literacy night/week, or to reward students who have achieved reading goals.

9. Authors who spend time at schools can teach children many things, like how to brainstorm ideas, get a creative stream flowing, and improve their reading/writing skills.

10. Authors can act as mentors to children by modeling goal-setting, hard work, and determination.

Read about one of my special school visits by clicking here.

My reason for this post--I went to an elementary school yesterday to do an author presentation. When I arrived at the school, the literacy facilitator warned me that there was a mother who was upset about my visit. She didn't know me at all, but just heard an author was coming to the school. She called the office and asked what the reason was for author visits. She felt that authors don't give a hoot about the students but only want to make a buck selling their books. She didn't think it was right for us to "peddle our wares" to the kids. I was told this angry mom planned to attend my assembly and might even "heckle" me.

Sheesh.

Well, I felt very sad about this. I'm sad there are people out there that misunderstand the purpose of an author visit. I spent more than a year on my presentation and had purchased some cool rhythm instruments to teach the children rhythm in language, which studies have shown can improve reading skills. My assemblies are a lot of fun for the kids, and other than read my books to them I do nothing to "peddle" my books. School visits rarely make an author lots of money in books sales. The experience is all about getting children excited about reading.

Fortunately, the assembly was a success and the kids had a lot of fun!! I don't know what happened to the disgruntled mom, but I think I may know why she's unhappy. There are some authors who are traveling around blitzing schools in a particular areas (free visits) where the emphasis is solely on advertising the books. I fear that these "free" visits might do some damage to other authors who aren't merely pushing book sales and could really use some compensation for their time and effort to prepare an educational presentation. I'll write more about the problem with "free" author visits later.

The Trouble with Writing a Picture Book Manuscript in Verse

2008-10-26T20:55:00.006-06:00

Yesterday I presented at a writer’s conference with Rick Walton in Salt Lake City. Rick and I discussed topics such as what makes a good picture book, picture book structure, how to market your manuscript, etc. Participants got to pass out a manuscript to the group and get a thorough critique.

I remember one particular manuscript vividly, because the writing style was somewhat similar to my own. There was rhythm, rhyme, and word play. Every line of text was filled with internal rhymes that made the reader do a vocal fox trot. Fun. The trouble was that the story itself had some problems. It was a bit too complex for a picture book and needed editing. Maybe a whole lot of editing. But if she whittled away the complex stuff and stuck with her silly, core story, she might just have a fabulous chance with it.

Yet I heaved a sigh for this writer.

A heavy sigh.

That’s because verse can be so terribly tricky to write in the first place. In order to make the sweeping changes we were suggesting, I knew she was not only going to have to edit and refocus her story, but she would have to start all over again picking apart the rhyming words and finding new ones to fit the revised plot. It was like we’d just taken her finished jigsaw puzzle and dumped it all over the floor. I know how that feels.

If you write in rhyme and enjoy playing with words like I do, you know what I mean. I’ve often spent hours on a single word in a rhyming manuscript. Each one has to fit into the meter you’ve set up, which means the word must have the right cadence and the right stressed syllable. It really is like working on a jigsaw puzzle of letters and sounds.

Writing in verse creates layers of additional work when you revise the manuscript. And using internal rhyme creates more layers. For example, COOL DADDY RAT was particularly challenging because when an editor suggested the rat “needed a girlfriend,” (and there wasn’t one already in the text), adding her upset all my word dominoes. Now I’d have to say different things in the story, which would call for new rhyming words, which would call for new internal rhymes to match them. Later, when I was told the girlfriend didn’t work and I decided to add Ace, the dominoes were upset again: new things to say, new rhyming words, new internal rhymes to match.

So if you’ve decided to write a children’s book manuscript in verse, think first about the reasons why. Rhyme should feel integral to the story so that it somehow compliments or facilitates the action. For example, in COOL DADDY RAT, I used scat verse to liven up the text and put the reader into the jazzy music scene. When you read the manuscript, you are right there, performing with the characters. In BEDTIME AT THE SWAMP, the repeated refrain is a scary sound heard by the characters in the story. If you’re writing in rhyme for no particular reason, I’d suggest you rethink. It’s just too tedious to revise. Besides, you’ll have to make sure of the following:

1. You haven’t become a slave to the verse, choosing words you wouldn’t otherwise consider, just because you’ve gotta rhyme the thing.

2. You haven’t made it so predictable and cheesy it sounds like a television jingle.

3. It’s not monotonous like a music box that repeats the same goofy tune.

4. That the words flow easily, even for your most rhythmically-challenged readers. Nobody should “trip” their tongue on the text.

5. That it wouldn’t just--darn it—be better in prose.

6. That the editor wants to see rhyme. Many say they don't.

If you do decide to take on the challenge of writing in verse, create a good skeletal outline of your story BEFORE working through the tricky mechanics of the rhyme. If your basic story premise doesn’t work, you’ll eventually end up with your puzzle pieces on the floor.

Ten Things...

2008-10-22T21:07:00.002-06:00

Ten things that make me happy:

1. Reading a good book.
2. Hugging my kids, or watching them perform.
3. Admiring the colorful autumn trees.
4. Writing a story that somebody else likes.
5. Being loved unconditionally by someone I can trust.
6. Chocolate.
7. Talking to extended family on the phone.
8. The first snowfall.
9. The last snowfall.
10. Disneyland - The Indiana Jones Ride.

That's Why I'm Easy (Like Sunday Mornin')

2008-10-19T15:40:00.008-06:00

What can I say? I'm a proud mom. Here are two of my sons, rehearsing for a talent show. There's a lot of music in our house. Sunday mornings are never easy, and this one was particularly hard. So the song is a bit ironic.

The Orem Barnes and Noble signing last Friday night was fun. It's always great seeing fellow authors/illustrators like Sharlee Glenn (who I got to share a "zone" with) and Nathan Hale, Julie Olsen, Guy Francis, and Rick Walton, who didn't stay for the signing but met us for dinner.

I've got a good number of school visits lined up for the next eight months. Should be fun.

To be a Flourisher...

2008-10-16T22:17:00.004-06:00

Alright, so I read this article on msn.com about longevity, and it gave ten signs that you will live longer than you might think. Most of the signs had to do with health…the foods you eat, how much exercise you get, etc. But then there was one sign of longevity which said, “You’re a flourisher.” Hmmm. A flourisher? I hadn’t heard that word used quite like that before. The article quoted Corey Keyes, Ph.D., who said, "We should strive to flourish, to find meaning in our lives." A flourisher is someone who lives life to the fullest, but with a purpose. A flourisher becomes passionate about using his/her own gifts and talents to make the world a better place.

I know in my first marriage I wasn’t a flourisher. My life was all about hitching a ride on someone else’s back…someone whose life dreams I assumed were more important than my own. With that mindset, I believed I was put on this earth to service him and to take care of the kids and to support him in his career. My own goals and dreams had little importance. And rather than flourish, I languished.

I believe the challenge is for each of us to determine what our individual purpose is for being alive. And if we just aren’t sure, well, then we have to take up a cause—something “virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy,” and while we’re doing that, we’ll be lead in the direction we’re supposed to go. (And hey, in the mean time our days are well spent.) It’s got to be a very personal, individual thing—something that would still be a passion, goal or dream even if our spouses died or abandoned us, if our kids grew up and left the house, if our friends turned their backs.

I’ve heard about people who reach that moment of epiphany where they say to themselves, “This is it; this is why I was put on this planet. I’m doing the thing I came here to do.”

Here’s hoping every one of us gets to have one of those moments. At least one, before time runs out.

introspection

2008-10-11T10:11:00.009-06:00

I have to admit, I'm haunted by the car accident that killed my stepdaughters' mother and little sister. I keep hearing the horrific sound of crushing glass and metal in my head, even though I wasn’t there that awful night.

I imagine myself in the driver’s seat and wonder what she saw and felt in those final moments. The sheer unfairness of the whole thing bothers me. By what forces in the universe is one person allowed to live when another must die? Is every second I’m still here, alive and breathing, a moment stolen from her? Surely she would have wanted to live, to watch her two little ones and her older daughters marry and have children of their own. She would have wanted to be at their weddings, graduations, and the births of their children. Why were those opportunities taken from her, for no apparent reason? I don’t feel worthy of such grand entitlements, especially when they were rightfully hers.

It’s a sobering thought that a person can be driving home one evening with her child strapped in her car seat, and in a flash, everything ends. Such a harsh reality makes me consider how I'm spending my time. Am I doing enough that makes a difference? Am I using my time wisely? If my life ended today, what things have I left unsaid or undone? Did I owe someone a heartfelt apology? Did every one of my kids know that I loved them completely? Would people look back on my life and proclaim that I was “good?”

Two young mothers in my very extended family (both in their early thirties), are having double mastectomies in the next few days. One has lymph node involvement and one doesn’t. They are both now facing cancer, the wretched beast that claimed my mother’s life. So I ponder. Why? Why them? Of course, they are both surrounded with love and family support and each one is now acutely aware of the beautiful blessings in her life. Is this what death—or its looming presence—is supposed to teach us? To draw closer to each other? To be appreciative? Why is it that the more delicate, fragile, and temporary something seems, the more precious it becomes?

Today I am resolved to have more gratitude.

I Need a Job, So I Wanna Be a Paperback Writer

2008-10-07T22:47:00.007-06:00

The Beatles knew all about writers. (Shut off my music player on the right margin before playing this clip.)

I used to be soooo jealous of my younger sister, Michele, because there was a Beatles song with her name in the title. And there was FRENCH in the song. And it was a LOVE song. Life isn't fair.

OCTOBER EVENTS:

17th - I'll be signing books at the Orem Barnes and Noble from 7:00 p.m. until closing. Come say hello.

24th - I'll be at the Layton Barnes and Noble with twelve other authors, from 5:00 p.m. until late. Would love to see you there.

25th - I'll be putting on a picture book workshop with Rick Walton, to help fund our book for kids with juvenile diabetes.

30th - E.G. King Elementary's "Spooky Literacy Night." (Layton, Utah.) I'll be there to present and sign books from 6:00 to 7:30 p.m., with authors/illustrators Mike Knudson, Will Terry, and Nathan Hale. Come check out what goofy costume I end up wearing.

Thursday Tidbits and the LAYTON AUTHORPALOOZA

2008-09-25T07:04:00.001-06:00

It’s interesting to be working with three different publishers. It seems like there’s always something different going on with each one. Right now I’m sending some receipts to Putnam for the postcards I ordered, and I’m waiting for a disk with digital images from Harper, so I can read Bedtime at the Swamp on the big screen when I visit schools. Scholastic just contacted me, welcoming me aboard, which was great fun. I cannot WAIT to see who they select as illustrator for that book. (No, I don’t get to choose. They did ask for my suggestions, which is a huge compliment. But they have final say.) I did make a couple of recommendations, and we’ll see what happens.

I am helping to set up an “Authorpalooza” at the Layton, Utah Barnes and Noble. It should be fun…I always worry that there will be a snag and somebody’s books won’t arrive on time or something. Hopefully all will go well. But there will be (so far) THIRTEEN authors there, signing their books. YA GOTTA COME! The date is Friday evening, October 24th, 2008. Here are the list of authors planning to attend:

Ann Cannon
Randall Wright
Sharlee Glenn
Rick Walton
Will Terry (Illustrator)
Becky Hickox
Anne Bowen
Wendy Toliver
Ken Baker
Kristyn Crow
Carla Morris
Mette Harrison
Greg Newbold (Illustrator)

Come spend a Friday evening with some cool authors (I know, I know, I’m only a tiny bit cool, and that’s only when I buy my kids something) and get some signed books!

I’m also setting up some school visits. I’m going to have kids clunking and clanking out a beat to my book, Bedtime at the Swamp. Splish splash rumba-rumba bim bam BOOM!

A Mother's Letter

2008-09-10T08:31:00.007-06:00

When my mother died I used to wish that a letter would arrive mysteriously one day in the mailbox. It would have no return address, and would say all the things I needed to hear for reassurance. Now that my stepdaughters have lost their mother so tragically, I want to fulfill that wish for them.

My Dear Babies,

Your stepmother Kris is writing this letter for me only because I cannot. There is so much that I need you to know and understand, and mothers have a deeply spiritual connection. So I hope you will understand if my words must come through her. Otherwise, I am silenced.

I did not mean for this to happen. This was not my choice. I did not ever choose to leave you while you're still so young. Sometimes in this life we are forever changed by the poor choices of others. You are my babies, and will always be. My death doesn't change this. I have loved you from the first moment I knew you were growing within me and will always love you, forever, without end. I have enjoyed every moment we've shared together, every laugh, every song, every recipe, every errand, every snuggle. I loved watching you grow from tiny babies into toddlers, and from toddlers into little girls, from little girls into beautiful young ladies. I am so very proud of who you both have become. It was especially wonderful to see you be such caring big sisters.

I hope you know that I will continue to watch you grow and learn and experience life from my new perspective. I am here with Bo and Sam and they are happy and at peace. We miss you so very much, but we are with you in spirit at all times. In the quiet moments, close your eyes and you will feel us close beside you. Our love has not been extinguished. Love is a force far more powerful than death. You have three guardian angels that will be watching over you for the rest of your lives, loving you.

It is important for me to tell you that I will see you again. This life is not the end. It's just a short moment in the scheme of eternity. There will be a joyous day when I will get to hold you again and see your faces and tell you about the many wondrous things I am experiencing. I will tell you all about the milestones I saw you reach in life and how I helped you from afar. I will tell you funny stories of Bo and Sam and they will be so very glad to see you. What a wonderful day that will be!

Until then, remember I am with you. Remember that I love you. Have a good life where you make good choices. Help other people and give service. Do the things that bring you true happiness and peace. Follow your dreams. Use your talents. Think carefully before you act. You are my legacy, which means that your good lives will honor me, Bo, and Sam. Be sure to show respect and gratitude to all the people who care for you and provide for you. Always be grateful. There is so much to appreciate in life. You have so many people who love you.

More than anything else, I want you to be happy.

And remember me.

With all my heart,

Mom

A Tragic Event

2008-09-05T12:43:00.005-06:00

A phone call can change your life. Yesterday I got two.

The first one came in the afternoon, a cause for celebration because I had sold a manuscript I'd worked on for a very long time.

The second phone call came at 1:00 in the morning. It was the grandmother of my two step-daughters, letting me know that their pregnant mother and two-year-old baby sister had just been killed in a head-on collision. Their mother was killed instantly, but the toddler survived for one hour. My husband got out of bed and came hurrying down the hall when he heard the sound of my voice. He knew something terrible had happened. When I told him his former wife and her daughter had been killed, he fell to his knees and sobbed. The two of us spent the rest of the night awake, surviving bouts of crying and holding each other. My husband knew that when morning came, he'd have to tell his daughters their mother, baby sister, and unborn brother had all died. How does a father do this? How does he break their hearts? How do parents guide their children safely down a path of horror and anguish?

And then I was struck with the notion that I had now become the only mother these girls would have on this earth. The reality of that hit me hard. Surely I would fall short of their expectations and needs. Would they see me every day and be reminded that their real mother wasn't here? How could I come through for them in this devastating time?

Here is the news link to this terrible event.

There is sorrow in our home today. But there is love, and there is hope.

From Beneath the Graveyard Mist...Comes....

2008-09-04T17:21:00.005-06:00

My agent called today to let me know that Scholastic had made an offer to purchase my picture book manuscript, THE SKELETON CAT! I am incredibly happy!

They've even got an illustrator in mind. He's someone who has done a lot of work for them. However, my agent is suggesting another one. (I didn't know agents could suggest illustrators. Interesting.) I'll let you know when that has been decided. Now, THIS is strange, but they actually were asking my opinion about an illustrator. Wow. That's new. Usually I'm informed after the fact. Most people are surprised to learn how little say we authors have in the art portion of the book.

From what I hear, my agent is currently negotiating audio rights and other stuff. I don't know about all that. I'm just glad she handles this contractual things so I don't have to.

So who is the Skeleton Cat?

THE SKELETON CAT has already lived out his nine lives, and gets ONE more chance (now as a skeleton) to finally live his dream! But will he make it in the living world? Stay tuned...

Bedtime at the Swamp Review: School Library Journal

2008-09-03T23:16:00.003-06:00

I just received the review for Bedtime at the Swamp from School Library Journal. Very cool! Thought I'd share:

CROW, Kristyn. Bedtime at the Swamp. illus. by Macky Pamintuan. unpaged. HarperCollins. Aug. 2008. Tr $16.99. ISBN 978-0-06-083951-2; PLB $17.89. ISBN 978-0-06-083952-9. LC number unavailable.

PreS-Gr 1–In this swampy tale set “’neath the fat gold moon,” a boy describes what he repeatedly hears: “Splish splash, rumba-rumba, bim bam BOOM!” With shaking hands and a pounding heart, he races through the “sludgy slime” with the mysterious creature at his heels before taking refuge in the branches of a willow tree. The boy’s siblings come to retrieve him, followed by two cousins, but all end up high in the tree out of reach of the monster. Then just within arm’s grasp of their dreaded adversary, the boy’s mother calls for everyone to return; she understands all too well a kid’s playful imagination and orders everyone, including “the monster,” to get home and take a bath before bed. Lively, colorful cartoon characters set in inky black or deep blue moonlit scenes and offset by crisp, white pages add energy and suspense to the story. The repetitive chorus, a simple rhyming story line that will draw readers in, and the perennial appeal of books that are just “scary” enough make this title an appropriate addition.–Marian Creamer, Children’s Literature Alive, Portland, OR

BREAKING DAWN - What's the Deal?

2008-09-01T22:14:00.002-06:00

So, I’ve heard that BREAKING DAWN is a huge disappointment. Hate groups. Death threats. "Return 'em, don't burn 'em." Why? Is it the quality of the writing, or what happens to the characters, or both, that have people's nostrils smoking?

If you hated the book, I’d like to know why. I haven’t read it yet, so I’m assuming with the negativity there must be a SERIOUSLY un-happily ever after for Edward and Bella. Give it to me straight.

Or if you L-O-V-E-D it, what do you think all the fuss is about?

Summer's OOOoooo-VER

2008-08-21T14:00:00.009-06:00

We had a great summer, and our Disneyland trip was a definite highlight. We had two days and an overnight at the Staybridge suites. It was fabulous. We went on every ride, and many rides we went on multiple times. The Indiana Jones ride, for example...we probably went on that ride nine or ten times, no joke. We loved checking out California Adventure and really enjoyed the Soarin' over California ride. Here are some fun pictures--notice how I'm strategically absent. School starts Monday. Too bad, so sad.

The SKETCHES arrived! Hooray!

2008-08-20T20:57:00.006-06:00

Last week I was thrilled to receive David Catrow's sketches for our upcoming book, THE MIDDLE CHILD BLUES. He is incredibly talented, and I'm very excited for this book. The sketch above (remember these are rough, to get the layout correct, etc.) made me laugh out loud. Our hero, Lee, is mad that his older brother can order from the adult menu and his sister gets a meal with a kiddie toy. (As you can see, she's shot him in the forehead with it.) Mom and Dad are still ordering at Jack in the Bun. What fun!

I also found out that one of my manuscripts has now been moved to an acquisitions meeting, which means it may be close to a sale. I'm crossing my fingers so hard, they're blue.

My kids are all home from their summer visits with their other parents. We're back to a full house. Noise. It's a great thing.

David Catrow Sketches

2008-08-14T10:17:00.002-06:00

Today I’m just like a little kid on Christmas eve...or a little kid standing in line at Disneyland. That’s because I’m about to get my first glimpse of David Catrow’s sketches for my upcoming book, THE MIDDLE CHILD BLUES. My editor says the sample sketches should arrive Fed Ex today. Holy cow. Talk about exciting. Keep watching my blog, and maybe, just maybe I’ll give you a sneak peek.

Baby Mine, Don't You Cry

2008-08-11T22:28:00.003-06:00

Today my five-year-old daughter started to cry, and said, “Mom, I don’t ever want to have babies, ever.”

And I said, “Why do you say that?”

“Because it hurts you. They have to cut your tummy with a knife. And that hurts a whole lot. I just don’t want to.”

I was speechless for a moment. Where had she heard about tummies being “cut?” I decided she’d probably seen one of these birthing television shows on A & E or something. It seems like childbirth is everywhere on T.V. these days.

“Well, honey, not all mommies have their tummies cut. And there’s medicine that makes it so it doesn’t hurt. Anyway, you don’t have to worry about that for a very long time.”

“Yeah,” she whined, “and then if I did have babies, you’d be old like a grandma and then you’d probably die. Just like your mom died when she was a grandma. And I don’t want you to die. So I don’t ever want to have babies. Never EVER!”

She tossed herself onto my bed in a heap, crying dramatically. I stroked her hair. I thought about my mother and her untimely death. I remember feeling like a five-year-old little girl when she died, even though I was a young adult.

There’s a scene in the movie “Dumbo” where the little elephant wants his mother, but she’s been banished and caged. His trunk reaches up to her desperately, and for a brief moment she's able to cradle him through the bars, rocking him to the song, “Baby Mine, Don’t You Cry.” But then she must slip away into the darkness, leaving him all alone. My mother’s death made me feel just that vulnerable and scared.

“I think someday you’ll change your mind,” I told my daughter. “Being a mommy is a wonderful thing. My mom loved being my mommy. And I love being your mommy.” I told her a little about the day she was born. And I said, “I’ve had lots of babies. And look, I’m fine. I survived. I’m here with you, and I’m happy.”

I didn’t mention the fact that she was indeed “cut” from my tummy, and that days after her birth I was rushed back to the hospital when the incision completely re-opened. Her birth and the recovery were very difficult. I also didn’t mention stuff like stretch marks, the pain of breastfeeding, the heartbreak of loss, the devastation of divorce and sick children and the many other things a mother might experience which make a “cut tummy” seem like a jog down the sidewalk. She’d have to find these things out on her own, after life toughens her up a bit. I hope she’ll be spared some of them, but certainly not the intermittent joy.

Moms are warriors, but we start out--and part of us will always remain--as scared little girls. Tonight I understood my daughter.

Torture Chamber

2008-08-07T17:59:00.004-06:00

In case anybody was wondering, the business of writing picture books can be sheer torture. Torture I tell you, torture! It’s mostly the waiting that drives me insane. Since early February I’ve had a manuscript with two publishers—and each had given me good hope—but I’ve yet to hear anything from either one. Not a yes, not a no. Six months of waiting. It’s agonizing. I wait a few weeks, until I’m practically biting off my fingertips and then I finally cave in and write my agent. She’ll give me reassurances but no final word (if she doesn’t have one she can’t give it).

So we wait. Sometimes my agent makes a very polite inquiry with the editor who took the manuscript, and we might hear a tidbit or two about who’s currently looking at it and what the picture book sales “climate” is. But nothing about the final decision. I end-up waiting several more weeks, until we’re brave enough to make another inquiry. Sheeeesh. Meanwhile I write new stuff, filter it through my critique group, and send the best stuff to my agent. She rejects the majority of it. So I go from excitement over a new piece, to the awful belief that surely my last book will be my last book forever, and I could never write another worthwhile thing again if I tried every day of my life.

I’ve learned that a big part of a writer’s angst is the yearning for more. Because getting published doesn’t make it go away. There is no cure. Sure, there are episodes of exhilaration—but no end to the yearning. Another story, another book, another character, another idea. Searching, searching my brain files. Dry spells are unacceptable.

I wonder if J.K. Rowling is finally satisfied. I hope so. Please say there’s a hypothetical end to this madness.

From the Secret Files of a Nutty Mother, Episode 1

2008-08-02T22:21:00.006-06:00

Tonight I walked through a pitch-black park by a stream, and put a tablecloth on a picnic table. Then I set out a vase with flowers, lit two candles, put out four Ben and Jerry’s ice creams with spoons, and waited. I waited for the signal. It didn’t come.

I started to hear noises. You know, scary noises like rustling in the bushes, whistling, and footsteps. Where was the blasted signal? Darkness makes me nervous. And with the candles lit, my eyes could see absolutely nothing beyond ten feet of me. More sounds. Noises. Somebody breathing? I paced around a little, tempted to just leave. This was beyond the call of duty as a mother. I mean, please. Covert operations in the woods on a dark night? I’m too old for this.

Finally, the signal. A text jingle. I read the code letter. “D.” That’s all the text said. It meant “we’re standing by the duck pond.”

I texted my response. “A.” That meant, “I’m at the first location we chose. Plan A.” You see, we had to pick two locations in case one had been foiled. But in the original plan, he would arrive at the location at dusk. The candlelight was supposed to be enchanting, not eerie. They were supposed to see the rushing stream, not hear it and imagine it. He'd waited too long.

I hit “send,” and I ran. I left the candles burning in their glass containers, and I ran through the black night, my stomach in knots. That was really scary, and I’m not even sure why.

I jogged around the corner where I had hidden my van. There was my teenage son’s car, parked by the curb. His car and nobody else’s. Hmmmm. He was supposed to be bringing his date and another couple. This little romantic candlelight thing was a surprise for the end of the double date. But the other couple would be in a separate car. Where was it? Had my son hoodwinked me?

For a moment, I didn’t care. I just didn’t like being at the park at night, clear back from the road, deep in the trees, by a rushing stream. I’ve seen too many slasher films, I suppose. So I got in my van and drove off. Mission accomplished.

As I pulled into my driveway, I thought, that might just have been the nuttiest thing I’ve ever done as a mom. No, no, wait—I’m sure there are nuttier things. Give me a moment and I’ll think of something else.

At home, I waited fifteen minutes and sent another text. No code letter this time. Real words. “You were supposed to be with another couple. Five more minutes, then come home.”

Covert operations or not, I’m not a shmutz.

"Sorry. The other couple couldn't stay," he responded.

"Five minutes. Then home."

Releases, Reprints, and Realities

2008-08-01T23:19:00.002-06:00

I walked into Deseret Book the other day, and there was BEDTIME AT THE SWAMP, staring me in the face. Hey, that was unexpected but very cool! So if you’re looking for a copy, try Deseret. It’s curious to me because they never carried COOL DADDY RAT. Not sure how these decisions are made.

Yesterday my editor at HarperCollins emailed me, saying she was “very happy” to report that only one week after its release, BEDTIME is already into its first reprint! I guess that’s good news, as far as sales go.

Now everybody around these parts is getting ready for the release of BREAKING DAWN, by Stephenie Meyer. I can’t help but wonder what it must be like to be her. She’s got fame, fortune, and a movie in the works. This was a girl who graduated from BYU, a young LDS mom who loved to write. Did she ever imagine this? How has it affected her family? I’d love to talk to her, mom to mom, someday.

Baby Book Big Laughs

2008-07-29T11:08:00.008-06:00

This Brian Regan clip made me laugh. His delivery is so great. Note 1: With this kind of supremely-basic baby book he's referring to, in real life the author is probably also the illustrator, so s/he created not only the text but the whole book concept. Either that, or a staff writer or editor chose very simple text for a specific type of baby book the publisher wanted to make. Note 2: To my (somewhat limited) knowledge, there is no millionaire out there whose claim to fortune was writing the text for board books at two words per page. Unless he owns the whole publishing house, too. Note 3: Owls absolutely do say "hoot." You just have to listen really, really, really hard, at night, in a forest surrounding a dark medieval castle.

BURSTIN' THROUGH THE CATTAILS

2008-07-27T17:56:00.006-06:00

"Then OUT of the darkness stomped my dear old MA! She burst through the cattails and she cried, 'AHA! I've been tryin' to get you children home to bed, and I find you a-hidin' in this tree instead!"

(If you haven't read "Bedtime at the Swamp" you won't get that.) Anyway, we went camping this week and slept in a tent by a number of enormous ponds, where dragonflies darted around and frogs croaked, catfish slurped, and cattails grew. Kinda swampy.

It was a fun getaway from everything...and kinda strange to only have one child in my charge instead of seven. Although, my youngest daughter can be quite the drama queen at times. Five kids in one.

GOOD TIMES.

Hangin' Out Wid Da Peeps

2008-07-22T23:48:00.014-06:00

This is the cool crowd of authors (and one editor) I got to hang out with at the "Writing for Charity" conference at the Salt Lake City Library. (Thanks, Shannon, for letting me copy this photo from your site.)

Front row from left: Kimberly Heuston, Shannon Hale, Chris Schoebinger, Brandon Mull.

Middle row from left: Ann Cannon, Me, Sydney Salter, Becky Hickox, Anne Bowen, Laura Hickman, Mette Harrison, Ann Dee Ellis and baby-to-be.

Top row from left: Scott Francine, Wendy Toliver, Mike Knudson, Tracy Hickman.

So I went to Barnes and Noble today, to look for Bedtime at the Swamp. Wasn't there. On their computers, it still says "Not Available, Pre-Order," which means they don't even have it at their warehouse yet. Hmmm. So much for these release dates. I've learned they don't mean a whole heckuva lot. That's okay, though, because when B&N realized I was the author of the book they made arrangements for a story time/book signing. Fun!

The Provo Library gave Cool Daddy Rat a very nice review. To read it, click here. I'm also planning to do a reading there at some point. Spoke with the director at the ALA conference.

This Widget will Self-Destruct in One Hour

2008-07-21T22:49:00.004-06:00

I remember it was about three weeks before Christmas, 2005, and I was sitting in my living room decorating the tree, when the telephone rang. It was a long distance number--looked like California--but I wasn’t sure.

“Hello?”

It was my agent, with her distinctive voice that I knew about as well as Charlie’s Angels know the voice of their boss. (Like the angels, I still have no face to put with the voice.) “Merry Christmas,” she said, and I thanked her…thinking she was just making a friendly call. But then again, she’s far too busy for friendly calls. “I just sold Bedtime at the Swamp to HarperCollins,” she said, and told me the amount of the advance. I was absolutely stunned. “That’s wonderful!” I said, my voice cracking with emotion. “Oh my gosh…that’s just wonderful! Thank you! Thank you so much!” I heard her voice respond with a bit of emotion, too. Afterwards I came into the kitchen, crying, and hung up the phone. My husband hadn’t heard my conversation and immediately felt fear—that I must have received some awful news. I told him what happened, and he breathed a heavy sigh of relief. Soon we were dancing around the house. What a wonderful Christmas gift.

I hope this book will be a fun read-aloud where children can echo the refrain back to the reader. I’ve just purchased some cool rhythm instruments and hope kids can bang and clank out a fun beat to the story. I cannot believe we are down to the end of this ticker widget, just hours from release time. I’m curious what the widget does at the zero hour. Explode with confetti? Turn black? Just say, “In stores now?” We’ll see.

If you do get a copy, thank you, and…enjoy.

Writing For Charity a Wheelin' Success!

2008-07-19T21:21:00.003-06:00

Today was the writing for charity conference at the Salt Lake City Library. It was great! There were about 100 people in attendance. We started out sitting together as authors for a panel discussion where Shannon Hale guided us in some questions about writing, getting published, and dealing with writer’s block. Then we broke into workshop sessions based on our particular writing genre. It was fun hearing the conference attendees read their manuscripts and giving each other feedback. I had a touching moment where I read a manuscript written by a young girl—I’m guessing she was twelve or thirteen. Her manuscript was quite good, especially considering her age. She had these beautiful eager eyes and I could feel her dreams of being an author beaming through. It reminded me of the dreams I had as a young girl. Oh how I hoped I would be published! Her mother was right beside her, supporting her in every way. I will be very surprised if she doesn’t have all her wishes come true.

Today’s conference earned approximately $5400 for the Wheelchair Project. Shannon Hale is planning another conference next year, perhaps for another charity. I’d be thrilled to be a part of it.

Afterwards I had a great time having lunch with many of the authors who came. The only bad thing was walking down the sidewalks of Salt Lake City in 98-degree heat, wearing high heels, and carrying a 25-pound bag of picture books. SOMEBODY (initials RW) lead us to a defunct address and we were hopelessly lost in the city. Earlier I had considered bringing my luggage bag on wheels, but thought, no--I'll just be parking right at the library. Never could have imagined a ten-block sauna trek. The lovely Wendy Toliver helped me carry my massive bag, spelling me by switching off with me every other block. She is a true sweetheart! Thanks, Wendy!

Writing for Charity - THIS Saturday!

2008-07-16T09:57:00.005-06:00

THIS Saturday, come hang out with a whole bunch of children's book authors!

If you haven't registered yet, just show up and pay at the door. This is a fabulous opportunity for anyone interested in writing for children, and it's all for a good cause--The Wheelchair Project.

When: Saturday, July 19, 9 am to 1 pm
Where: Salt Lake Main Library, 200 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah
Cost: $45 (should be tax deductible!)
Event breakdown:
9:00 am -- Registration
9:15 - 10:15 am -- Panel discussion in the auditorium
10:30 - 11:15 -- Break out discussions in topic groups
11:30 - 1:00 -- Small group workshops

Authors:

Realistic fiction: Mike Knudson, Sydney Salter, Anne Cannon
Picture Books: Kristyn Crow, Rebecca Hickox, Anne Bowen, Rick Walton
Fantasy: Brandon Mull, Shannon Hale, Tracy & Laura Hickman, Mette Harrison

First Bedtime at the Swamp Review

2008-07-07T21:40:00.005-06:00

I was excited to find the Kirkus review today, and wanted to share:

"Sitting in the moonlit swamp with his West Highland white terrier, a boy hears, "Splish splash / rumba-rumba / bim bam BOOM!" and knows it's a swamp monster. He high-tails it up a willow, but his sister comes to tell him Ma wants him home for bedtime. When they hear the monster again, she joins him up the tree. Each time a relative arrives to fetch him home, they end up in the tree. Even the monster is frightened into joining them by the strange sound-and then Ma herself appears to march her brood off to bed. They all go "splish splash" in the bath, "rumba-rumba" with their toothbrushes, "bim bam" up the stairs and "BOOM!" into bed. Crow's rhythmic chant and rhymed text are nicely brought to life by Pamintuan's bright, swampy, expressive art, the clean lines and colors making the most of the absurd situation. Bedtime and monsters haven't gone together so well in years. Worth a second copy to have on hand for storytimes on either topic." (Picture book. 3-6)

Pamintuan's "bright, swampy, expressive art (with) clean lines and colors...worth a second copy..." Congratulations, Macky!

Two Weeks 'till Bedtime at the Swamp!

2008-07-07T09:03:00.005-06:00

I just looked at my countdown widget and I can't believe we're two weeks from the release of Bedtime at the Swamp. I remember when that widget showed hundreds of days. Time really flies! As far as I know, we still don't have an official review of the book. Reviewers must be incredibly busy. COOL DADDY was reviewed months before its release. It'll be hard to compete with the two stars that book received, but hopefully all will be very positive. I think Macky is incredibly talented.

At the ALA conference I made some contacts and am planning to do some local readings and signings this fall. I'd love to arrange some school visits, too. I'll post a schedule when I have one.

If you're interested in writing for children and want to meet with local authors to get tips, manuscript feedback, and all kinds of publishing advice, please sign up for the "Writing for Charity with Shannon Hale" event on the nineteenth of this month. It's not very expensive--and every penny goes to charity. These are the kind of events that get you closer to publication. Sometimes a professional can give you that one suggestion that will turn everything around and send you off in the right direction. It happened to me. Here's the link to my post that explains things in detail:

Writing for Charity with Shannon Hale

The Caldecott and Newbery Awards Banquet, 2008

2008-06-30T15:24:00.005-06:00

Last night I had the opportunity to attend the Caldecott and Newbery Awards banquet in Anaheim, California. It was an experience I’ll never forget. As you certainly know, this is the “Oscars” for children’s book writers. The participants were first wined and dined in a great ballroom and then the awards were officially presented.

Brian Selznik received the Caldecott Medal for his book, The Invention of Hugo Cabret. He explained that his intent was to use cinematic elements in a chapter book where pictures helped tell the story. He said that one of his inspirations was author Remy Charlip, whose book Fortunately, Unfortunately uses the power of page-turns as a tool to build suspense. Brian initially wanted to create one picture per chapter, but ended up with 300 pictures in a 500-page book. It's a unique work, and I can remember months ago that some people were questioning whether it really could be classified as a picture book at all. In the end, his ingenuity won over the Caldecott Committee who reported, in so many words, that they had never seen anything quite like it before, and doubted they would ever again. If you haven’t picked up a copy, you should. This is a book full of suspense, hope, adventure, with wonderful pencil illustrations that depict cityscapes, expressive characters, and fun surprises. It'll be great to read this with my children.

As part of his acceptance speech, we watched a funny PowerPoint presentation using Mr. Selzniks' illustrations set to dramatic music. Young Hugo wakes and seems to be startled to learn that Brian is at the awards banquet instead of him. We see Hugo running through the Paris streets and riding a train. It was very funny, and ended to thunderous applause.

We also were entertained by the truly marvelous Laura Amy Schlitz, recipient of the 2008 Newbery Medal for her book, Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! Her talent for storytelling was more than apparent in her delightful speech. She stood to the far right of the podium to address the audience in monologue-fashion, and related an experience of catching a child on the playground who had climbed too high and was afraid to get down. Laura had underestimated the force of that 55-pound falling child, who knocked her on her behind, then got up, dusted herself off and told her simply, “Thank you.” Laura related the story as being similar to the wallop she felt after first learning she had received the Newbery award. First the wind was knocked out of her, but then she appreciated the warmth that came from the acknowledgement.

She shared a funny account of how she would often answer students who questioned her about a scar on her forehead from having moles removed. "Do you want the true story, or the interesting story?" she'd ask. She'd then tell a marvelous, magical story about an encounter with a bear, leaving the children mesmerized. But despite reassuring them afterwards that the story wasn't true, the students seemed to WANT to believe it, anyway. Facts are important, she said, but stories are what really move us. Her acceptance speech was so entertaining that we listened with rapt attention, laughed, and were touched. Later there were whisperings that these were the "best" Caldecott and Newbery speeches ever given.

Good Masters! Sweet Ladies! is another must-have, and will certainly be used for years and years to come by classrooms and schools all over the country. It’s a collection of short one-person acts, highlighting various characters from medieval times, from noblemen to peasants to thieves. She wanted to provide a way for students who were studying medieval times to each be a star. It’s a truly remarkable piece of work.

The awards banquet left me inspired, overwhelmed, and wanting to reach within myself to become a better writer. Every author dreams of winning such an award, but for me what was most inspiring was learning about two authors who had a particular vision and didn’t set out to do what everyone else has already done. Their unique books break the mold and certainly earned these distinctions.

“Write the book you want to write,” Brian Selznik reminded us.

Lovin' California

2008-06-29T16:48:00.002-06:00

Today I’m writing from inside the Desert Palms hotel in Anaheim, California. I’m sitting right now in the lobby, looking out from a sunny window at Katella Avenue by Disneyland. My family was with me earlier in the week, where we spent two days at the big “D” and California Adventure, and stayed overnight in the Staybridge Suites. We had an incredible time. Disneyland is immaculate, beautiful, and continues to upgrade its rides and entertainment while still holding on to the classics we all love. I’m a nutty Disney fan. Have you ever seen those commercials where the parents are there with their kids and suddenly they turn into kids, too? Yep, that’s me.

Anyway, we went on a ga-zillion rides, especially our favorites like Indiana Jones, Pirates of the Caribbean, and Space and Splash Mountains. We loved trying out the “Hollywood Tower of Terror” and “Soaring over California” from California Adventure. But the highlight of our trip was the fulfillment of one of my childhood dreams. We ate dinner at the Blue Bayou restaurant. It’s the one that you see with the colorful lanterns at the beginning of the Pirates of the Caribbean ride. It wasn’t cheap. But the memory was worth every penny.

So at the end of our trip the kids all went back to stay with their other parents (you know, the musical houses game that children of divorce have to play) and my husband returned home while I stayed in Anaheim for the ALA Convention. (ALA stands for American Library Association). Imagine an enormous convention center filled with exhibits from every publisher you’ve ever heard of in your life, and three times that number of publishers you haven’t. They are all proudly displaying their books, new and current releases, and designating their award winners with big stars. They also have their most celebrated authors signing books, many of which they give out to participants for free or very reduced prices.

Today I had the opportunity to meet Mo Willems, and was very excited when he remembered COOL DADDY RAT and described the artwork by Mike Lester and said he liked it. That ROCKS! I also got to meet Nancy Paulsen of Penguin Young Readers and many editors, authors, and marketing people from HarperCollins and Putnam. It was fun to see my books on display. I didn’t do any signings…I’m still a newbie. That’s one eye-opener for new authors who go to these things. You think with two or three books you might be considered a “real” author, but you realize you’re still quite a ways from being real. You’ve got to have more than a handful of books to be given signing time.

Shannon Hale was there with Nathan Hale, and I got a copy of their new graphic novel. (I’ve always thought that term was weird because it sounds like a book full of indecent stuff. But it’s really novel in illustrated form, a bit like a sophisticated comic book.) I’ll be driving back home Tuesday with Rick Walton, Mette Harrison, Will Terry, and Nathan Hale. Great authors and illustrators. Great company.

Oh, and I’ve got enough autographed books to cart home that I’m sure to make one big long scrape along the freeway, paving a trail from Cally back to the Utah mountains.

My First Bound Copy of Bedtime at the Swamp!

2008-06-21T21:10:00.006-06:00

Yesterday I got my first bound copy of BEDTIME AT THE SWAMP in the mail! My publisher sent it--what a nice surprise. I think Macky did an amazing job on the illustrations. Last night, I got to read the story to a group of my nieces and nephews. My littlest red-headed niece kept saying, "Monster Bim Bam Boo! Monster Bim Bam Boo!" It was so cute. She also had memorized parts of COOL DADDY RAT, and she could predict when it was time to say, "ZOW" and "POW" and even tried a little scatting. There's nothing more fun than seeing a two-year-old scat. It was such a great time. That's the beauty of picture books--when they are read together, you can share an intense moment of bonding. You're in close proximity, sometimes as close as a snuggle or hug, pointing at observations, and sharing an experience together.

By the way, if you've purchased a copy of one of my books and would like it signed, contact me via email at contact@kristyncrow.com.

Skip to My Lou, My Editor

2008-06-18T22:54:00.006-06:00

Lost my editor, what do I do?
Lost my editor, what do I do?
Lost my editor, what do I do?
Skip to my lou my darling!

I'll get another one, prettier too.
I'll get another one, prettier too.
I'll get another one, prettier too.
Skip to my lou my darling!

(Wait...shouldn't that song be "Skip to the loo, my darling?" As in, skip to the bathroom? I mean, who is "Lou" anyway?)

I’m teasing. But editors have lives just like everybody else—and sometimes they jump to a new publishing house, become the unfortunate victims of downsizing or mergers, decide to stay at home and parent kids, take up copper mining, or whatever. So occasionally authors who have worked with a particular editor for months or years get the news that he/she is no longer the contact on the book anymore. This can be very disheartening, and even a little scary. Sometimes editors take a book along with them to their new house so it suddenly has a new publisher, which has happened to some authors I know. And sadly, other times the book may be orphaned and possibly even be pulled from production. Most of the time, a new editor picks up the baton.

I’ve had three editors for Bedtime at the Swamp, and just learned my third editor is now leaving to work for a different house. This particular editor I actually got to meet in person, which is a rare thing indeed. She had traveled down to my area for a writer’s conference and I re-arranged a family vacation just to attend and meet her. Only a few months prior I had lost the second editor for mysterious reasons. That was hard, because we had worked together for several years, and really hit it off. She was very excited about the book and was responsive, complimentary, and eager to help in any way she could. It was almost like chatting with an old friend. Suddenly she was gone, and I wasn’t even able to say goodbye.

Now editor number three, the one I met in person, has also moved on. Fortunately I got a reassuring email from the original editor who acquired my manuscript (editor number one), and so I’ve come full circle. Are you confused yet?

My Putnam editor for COOL DADDY RAT and THE MIDDLE CHILD BLUES had been with me all along, and that does make things less bumpy. She’s been a delight to work with.

Still crossing my fingers on a manuscript which is being seriously considered by a publisher I haven’t worked with yet. It’s a long, agonizing wait…(sigh) just part of the process.

Happy Fathers Day to Cool Dads Everywhere!

2008-06-13T21:13:00.005-06:00

Happy Fathers Day to all you jazzy, fun-loving, scattin', tappin', snappin' Dads who'll dance in the city with your kids. Be sure to take them out to the places you work and play--and let them see you doing what you do best. Remember, you only stay "cool" for so long.

The Wheelchair Project -- Writing for Charity with Shannon Hale

2008-06-11T14:43:00.014-06:00

I'm very excited to be involved in a terrific event this July, initiated by the one and only Shannon Hale, and involving some other amazing children's book authors. The following text is quoted from her blog:

This summer have unfettered access to professional children’s authors, all in the name of charity! Saturday, July 19, several local authors will host a Writing for Charity event in Salt Lake City, with all profits going to The Wheelchair Project. Come hear writers talk about their process, how to write for a young audience, storytelling tips, and the ins and outs of the publishing business. In addition, have your picture book text or first page of your novel (the most important page!) workshopped by professionals.

When: Saturday, July 19, 9 am to 1 pm
Where: Salt Lake Main Library, 200 East 400 South, Salt Lake City, Utah
Cost: $45 (should be tax deductible!)

Event breakdown: 9:00 am -- Registration
9:15 - 10:15 am -- Panel discussion in the auditorium
10:30 - 11:15 -- Break out discussions in topic groups
11:30 - 1:00 -- Small group workshops

Authors include Brandon Mull, Shannon Hale, Mette Ivie Harrison, Ann Cannon, Kristyn Crow, Becky Hickox, Kimberley Heuston, Anne Bowen, Aprilynne Pike, Ann Dee Ellis, Mike Knudson, and Wendy Toliver.
Space is limited, first come first serve. To reserve your spot, mail in the $45 registration fee.

Mailing address: 1176 E 2620th N, Provo, UT 84604-4132
Make checks to: "LDS Philanthropies" (the organization that runs The Wheelchair Project) and write "Wheelchair" in the memo line.
Also include: Your name, age, phone number, and area of interest-- picture book writing, fantasy novel, or realistic fiction novel.

On the day of the event, bring 15 copies of the first page of your novel or picture book text (maximum word count: 300 words) for some hands on workshopping.

100% of the proceeds (after the nominal location fee) go to The Wheelchair Project, a wonderful charity that donates new wheelchairs to people in third world countries, many of whom have never had one. A wheelchair can completely change the life of a disabled person, offering mobility, increased independence, and a chance to go to school or find employment. Because this charity is administered by volunteers with LDS Philanthropy, there is no overhead and every penny donated goes directly to purchasing wheelchairs. This is not a religious charity--the wheelchairs go to the needy regardless of their faith. Thank you for supporting this extraordinary cause!

Lights, Camera, Action: Why Picture Book Writers Should Think Like Screenwriters

2008-06-10T00:08:00.014-06:00

I have this theory that picture book writers would probably make good screenwriters, and vice-versa. That’s because both the picture book writer and the screenwriter have to think in visual scenes. A screenwriter must always consider what the audience will see: who appears in the scene, what they're doing, what the setting is like, and how the camera is angled. On a smaller scale, the picture book writer must do the same, because the picture book is also a visual experience.

I received a manuscript to critique several years ago that comes to mind now. The writer had created an entire story with a grandfather lecturing his grandson as they sat in a living room. Hmmm. So… let’s think like a screenwriter for a moment and imagine that an audience is going to pay for a ticket and watch this manuscript portrayed as a film on the big screen. Would it be entertaining? An entire movie filmed with two people sitting on a couch?

To be fair, I suppose some fantastic director could possibly pull this off. I'm sitting here trying to think about movies where the setting hardly matters and is very confined. How about The Breakfast Club..would that qualify? It has a group of students in detention, and much of the movie takes place in the school library. Yet, still, the characters move around, sneak out, change locations, etc. Let me try to think of another one. Panic Room? In that movie we do get to see the villains, who are outside of the room, trying to get in, which creates a lot of tension. (If you can think of a better example, let me know. I’m sure there must be a movie out there which takes place in one room.) How about The Big Chill? That’s one house, not one room. But notice how in movies where the setting is fairly irrelevant and doesn’t change much, the characters must be extremely intriguing. For example, the Breakfast Club is certainly character-driven. We get to eavesdrop on these teenagers of differing social status confess their personal struggles to their peers.

Mo Willems’ pigeon books, like Don’t Let the Pigeon Ride the Bus, have almost no setting. There are no fantastic scene changes, and certainly the pigeon could be sitting on a couch for most of the book and it wouldn’t matter much. Yet the books work. They work BIG time. How? Well, it’s the pigeon. He stands right in front of the readers and talks to them. He engages them in a conversation. He’s drawn simply, like a child’s sketch come-to-life, which is fun for kids. And he’s funny. He’s child-like--even a little bit naughty. (You see...he has some important SpongeBob elements.) A character this engaging can bypass the need for an interesting setting.

So the grandfather-talks-to-grandson manuscript might work if the characters were somehow remarkable. What if grandpa is trying to tell grandson a story and grandson is simultaneously morphing into the characters of the story? Or what if he’s growing bigger with every page turn, until he topples the couch? What if grandpa becomes more and more villainous as the story goes along? Maybe grandson asks hilarious questions during the discussion? (Not really fulfilling as a story, but interesting at least.) In most cases, something visually interesting must be happening to the characters in a picture book. And typically, this requires movement. Action.

“Yes,” you say, “but can’t we just illustrate the discussion they are having?” Not a great idea. A good topic for another post.

In my view, the grandpa-and-grandson-on-the-couch manuscript would not work well as a picture book. Just as it would be quite challenging to create a movie filmed in one small space, a picture book with no action or scene changes would be a tough sell. Could it be done? Maybe, with some kind of brilliant twist. But if the characters are actively experiencing things in the present, the reader is more likely to turn the page. (Or watch the movie.)

As you write a picture book manuscript, take a moment and put on the screenwriter’s hat. What is your audience going to see and experience? Will it work, visually?

Of course, I’ll sit on the pigeon’s couch and chat with him anytime.

WHERE IS EVERYBODY?

2008-06-07T13:01:00.007-06:00

There’s an old Twilight Zone episode where this guy runs around and realizes to his horror that he’s all alone in a town. He runs into the movie theater, stores, and although there are signs of life, he can’t find a real human being anywhere. Frantically, he keeps searching. Yet all along, he’s actually hallucinating. He’s really strapped to probes in a pseudo-spaceship, being tested to see how long he can stand having no contact with people before he loses his mind.

This has been a weird weekend, and I can relate to this guy. I'm in a strange zone where nobody is returning my calls or emails, and I've even got two manuscripts being looked at seriously, but not a word yet from anyone. It's silent. So silent. Too silent. Tick, tick, tick. WHERE IS EVERYBODY?

Good for Chuckles

2008-06-04T22:26:00.004-06:00

So I got an email alert for COOL DADDY RAT... from a certain book website... and it had all the particulars right (publisher, price, author, illustrator, ISBN #) and then gave this description of the book:

"Completely revised and updated, the Second Edition of this comprehensive text details the basic, in-office diagnostic and therapeutic procedures commonly performed in treating dogs, cats, and rabbits. Step-by-step instructions on restraint, anesthesia, surgical technique, and medical management are provided and include the whether to in addition to the why to and how to. The book discusses purposes of the procedures, indications, precautions, possible complications, equipment needed, and preparations. Superb line drawings of procedures explicitly demonstrate operational motions as well as pertinent anatomic relationships."

Hey! I didn't know I'd written a surgical manual for pets! I'd hate to see the surgical technique performed on some poor animal whose vet is using COOL DADDY RAT as a guide. ZOOBY ZOOBY ZAT ZAT A DIDDY WAAAAAAAAAAAA!

Listening to Chimes

2008-06-01T19:25:00.005-06:00

I’ve actually got a moment right now where the house is still and quiet. I can't hear children--only the noise of the aquarium humming (I didn’t realize it made that sound) and chimes playing outside in the blowing wind. This is a rare occasion—one that must be taken in with a deep, nourishing breath. There are times when the noise level is so great in my house, and the word “Mom” is repeated so many times in a five minute period that I’d like to run screaming down the street. For example, this morning we were getting ready for church and I could hardly think straight. One kid needed me to find him a belt, another couldn’t find his shoes, one daughter needed her hair fixed and two daughters needed a referee for their squabble because one said the other was—gasp--“staring” at her. One son needed insulin and another needed me to magically dry his just-washed undershirt in thirty seconds. Meanwhile, my husband was frustrated because he needed to create a typed sign-up list and the printer wasn’t working. Somehow, I was supposed to resolve this problem, too. Then, when he opted to use the printer in his police car, he managed to lock himself out with the keys still inside. I ended up driving our half-dressed motley crew myself as he stood in the driveway attempting to break into his own patrol car with a hanger.

Life is joyous. I can hear chimes.

A (Seven Question) MEME in Times Square

2008-05-28T10:17:00.011-06:00

Well, well, well. It appears I’ve been tagged. And since Bill at Literate Lives gave COOL DADDY RAT such a rockin’ review, I can’t resist joining the game. So here’s how it goes:

1. The rules of the game get posted at the beginning.

2. Each player answers the questions about themselves.

3. At the end of the post, the player then tags people and posts their names, then goes to their blogs and leaves them a comment, letting them know they’ve been tagged and asking them to read the player’s blog.

4. Let the person who tagged you know when you’ve posted your answer.

So, let’s begin:

What were you doing ten years ago?

Ten years ago my oldest son had just been diagnosed with juvenile diabetes at age seven. It was a life-changing event for our family. It’s strange looking back on those days, since today my two sons with the disease are almost entirely independent in their care. But back then I was watching the clock and testing my boy’s blood sugar, filling syringes with insulin, and injecting him four times a day, while also caring for a preschooler with autism, and a toddler. My then-husband and I had planned a fabulous second-honeymoon to Spain, and almost canceled it after the diagnosis, but my in-laws insisted upon learning the regimen so they could care for our kids and rescue the trip. Europe was an experience I’ll never forget, filled with castles, fountains, and sidewalk cafes. Little did I know it would be the swansong of the marriage. It was like standing on the deck of the Titanic, watching the beautiful sunset dance on the water and thinking everything couldn’t be more perfect.

What are five things on your to-do list for today (not in any particular order):

Ride my new Mother’s Day bike, fill out insurance paperwork to switch health programs, call the local elementary school about my daughter’s birth certificate, take my fifteen-year-old to the orthodontist, clean the house. Fun stuff like that.

What are some snacks you enjoy?

I am a chocoholic. Although lately I’ve developed a thing for Lays spicy jalapeno potato chips. Bad, bad news.

What would you do if you were a billionaire?

Buy a house with a whole lot of land and a wrap-around porch--a little bit like the one in Forrest Gump-- and make a really great writing office with a gorgeous view. Right now I write at my dining room table, since the kids have overtaken whatever semblance of an office I once had. I’d also hire 24-hour housekeeping, laundry, and landscaping service. I’d get myself a zippy car and then I’d donate a whole bunch of money to breast cancer research, autism research, and juvenile diabetes research. I’d buy everybody in my extended family a new hybrid car.

What are your bad habits?

I’m a diet Pepsi addict, a LOST fanatic, and I let the laundry get away from me.

What are five places where you have lived?

Inglewood, California; Rolling Meadows, Illinois; New York, New York; San Diego, California; Layton, Utah

What are five jobs you have had?

Sandwich maker, waitress, Assistant to the CFO of Columbia University, BYU Secretary, Picture book author.

What people do you want to tag?

Macky Pamintuan
Mette Harrison

In Memory of Abraham Lincoln

2008-05-26T19:17:00.012-06:00

For some reason, our family has really been into Abraham Lincoln lately. I happened to watch this fantastic documentary on the History Channel about our sixteenth president and was so moved, I determined that my kids needed to watch it-- that every American needed to watch it. I mean, you can't really be an American and not know this tragic, powerful story from history. Right? Just call it one of my bizarre motherly crusades. So I bribed my kids with Hagen Daas and said if they watched the whole thing, we'd go out to ice cream. They moaned and groaned a bit, but the ice cream was a good lure. In no time they were absorbed. We've since had many spontaneous discussions about the great Abraham Lincoln, his assassination, and the hangings that resulted. So many interesting facts. For example, we often discuss the awful plight of Mary Surratt, hung for conspiracy to commit the President's murder based on evidence that was questionable at best. Just prior to her execution, she is pictured with the police shielding her from the sun with an umbrella, to prevent her from getting heatstroke.

Here's my third-grader, posing as Abraham Lincoln in his recent biography fair.

I also want to mention my mother today, a wonderful example of love, service, and devotion to family, who died on February 15, 1994 in Los Angeles, California, from breast cancer. She was softspoken, she loved lilacs, and I remember she liked to eat chocolate orange sticks. I loved her laugh, and she was an amazing typist. She always corrected my grammar. In her final days, she lay in her bed and said, "I am not afraid; I know what lies in store." Oh that I could have such courage! I miss you, Mom.

Happy Memorial Day!