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February is African American History Month. Sharing these books with young readers comes with the responsibility to discuss ... progress towards equality.

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Before we talk cumulative tales with guest author Brenda Reeves Sturgis, it’s time for a little blog business. The winner of EXTRAORDINARY WARREN is: 

SUSAN CABAEL!

Congratulations…and be on the lookout for an email from me.

Now let’s get to a LOON-y interview with Brenda…

Your newest book, THE LAKE WHERE LOON LIVES, is a cumulative tale (like The Old Woman Who Swallowed a Fly), where each new scene builds upon the previous ones, all repeated in the text. What inspired you to write a cumulative picture book…and what special considerations does a writer have when writing such a story?

I didn’t set out to write a cumulative tale, but just set out to write what I heard in my head and in my heart.

I live on a lovely little lake in Maine and I am always elated when the loons come back to the lake in the spring. Their haunting hoots and wicked wails always leave me breathless wanting to hear more, and so when the story came to me as a gift in the middle of the night (which is my usual writing time). I just began writing, and writing and writing and what appeared was THE LAKE WHERE LOON LIVES.

In a cumulative story, each line builds and stacks on the previous sentence, and loon is written in rhyme so that made it even more challenging because every time I changed a word, the story would start to crumble and I would have to rewrite not only the sentence that I was revising but also all of the sentences before it, so that I would keep the right rhythm and meter.

I wanted to depict what a day in the life of a loon might be like, so I put in chicks, a fly, a fish that would snap at the fly, a boy on a dock that would give fishing a try, a cast, a struggle, and a splash and a swish, and then after a HUGE RUCKUS, the story starts to unwind where Mama Loon finds the SPOT on the lake that she loves best. She tucks her chicks in tight, and just like all loving Mama’s do, she reads her babies a goodnight story before she settles in with a nice cup of tea by her campfire.

Little did I know when I wrote it that the illustrator would illustrate LOON so totally different than I had pictured, and I am so very glad that she did. Because in this loon story mama loon LOVES to waterski, she is daubed white and black because her chicks used her as a canvas with Loon White waterproof paint. I think the illustrator, Brooke Carton did a fabulous job with her loose illustrations which compliment the tight text very nicely.

I hope your readers will enjoy reading THE LAKE WHERE LOON LIVES as much as I enjoyed writing it. Islandport Press has been wonderful to work with, and they had a book launch for LOON at The Maine Audubon Society in May, and I’ve been busy with signings and events almost every weekend since.

Why are cumulative tales beneficial for young children?

Cumulative stories teach word repetition and children therefore know what to expect in the story, which then helps them learn languague and pick out familiar words. This enhances their reading abilities, making for a stronger student and a more confident learner. A cumulative story is a perfect tool to teach a reluctant reader.

Tell us about Islandport Press. How did you find them and why was this story such a good fit for their list?

I’d heard about Islandport for years, and when I started researching their books I saw that they were Maine-and-New-England-themed, so on a whim, I submitted to them on my own, then sent an e-mail to my agent Karen Grencik saying, “By the way, I submitted to Islandport!” She answered back, “GREAT, fingers crossed!”

I got the acceptance e-mail while sitting in the Biddeford Library. I went outside, sat on the curb and cried, because up until that point, I didn’t know if I got published on a fluke, or if I had any kind of talent or chance at another book at all. It was a wonderful process, and I am so grateful to Dean Lunt the publisher, and Melissa Kim my editor. They have an amazing marketing staff, they are kind and thoughtful and amazing to their authors!

Also, on the back of LOON, something I am most proud of is a nice blurb by author Chris VanDusen.

What’s next for you, Brenda?

TOUCHDOWN, after 7 years, after winning Smart Writers, after being rejected 50 times (not once because of the writing but because of the marketing “hook”) has become a finalist for the MeeGenius Author Challenge, and whoever wins will be awarded $1500.00.

Good luck, Brenda! And thanks for giving away a copy of LOON to our blog readers. 

Comment below by August 29th or a chance to win! And feel free to ask Brenda questions about cumulative stories or her work.

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What a way to finish up a week that was already pretty good... this, from the National Book Festival's website:

Every year, a list of books representing the literary heritage of the 50 states, the District of Columbia and the U.S. Virgin Islands is distributed by the Library of Congress's Center for the Book during the National Book Festival.

And this year's selection for the state of New Hampshire is...


The Iciest, Diciest, Scariest Sled Ride Ever!





















Click here to see the entire 52 Great Reads list.

(Hooray, Rebecca Rule!)

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I'm very happy that Sled Ride has been included in this list of new winter books for children! Read about all of them here.

Thank you, International Reading Association, for the nice review!

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We had a blast this past weekend in Maine, with 3 venues visited, 587 miles driven, a whole bunch of books signed, and more laughs than I can count. I was especially glad to have my daughter along for the ride. She was a huge help, acting as Chief Navigator, Crackerjack Photographer, and My Spare Brain.

Here's author Rebecca Rule and me reading at Pineland Farms....








... and the Portland Children's Museum. (I wish we'd had more time to explore Portland... I was too busy trying not to crash into city buses while attempting to find our way there.)
















And here we are at L.L. Bean, or what Becky has dubbed "The Mothership." I look like I'm about to bust a gut. (Becky must have said something funny again. She's good that way.)




















This is my favorite shot...
















Fun times! (Plus, we made it home in time for Downton Abbey on Sunday night. Sweet.)

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The wonderful folks at Islandport Press made a book trailer for Sled Ride! I'm so impressed with the amount of care and attention they give all of their books. Take a look:




Also, if you're around on November 10th, I hope you'll join me and author Becky Rule for the book launch party at the New Hampshire Farm Museum in Milton, NH. There will be treats! And the world's longest sled! (Can't wait to see that.) It will be a ton of fun. More details here...

And finally, here's another lovely review over at Waking Brain Cells. Yay!

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THE ICIEST, DICIEST, SCARIEST SLED RIDE EVER! (reviewed on October 1, 2012)

A young girl’s first-person narration brings a New England sled ride to life.
But this isn’t just any sled ride. Inspired by ice-crusted snow, Grampa Bud’s yarns of his childhood and a giant homemade double-runner sled, seven friends set out to conquer the “highest, mightiest, iciest sledding hill.” Rule lengthens out one sled run into an entire book, but its pace is not slow and clunky, nor does it drag. Instead, she marvels in the details along the way, building up the suspense. Comically, the children attempt to get themselves and the sled to the top of the hill, taking each other out like dominoes as they relentlessly and repeatedly slide down to form a pig pile at the bottom. When they finally manage it, Thermes beautifully conveys the awesomeness of the hill they have chosen to tackle; none of the kids will speak their fears aloud, though their faces say volumes. The trip down is accomplished in just a few spreads, a ride so fast that tears, fears, screams and laughter all get whipped, “like a beautiful scarf trailing wildly behind.” The watercolors give a wonderful array of viewpoints, showing the path of the sled run as well as close-ups of the children: fresh-faced and having the time of their lives.
Parents beware: Children are likely to scout out the highest hill to try to replicate this amazing run. (Picture book. 4-8)

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A HUGE thank you, Kirkus! This calls for happy dancing and chocolate! (And lots of exclamation points!!!)

Read the review on site...

... and I hope you'll enter the Goodreads giveaway!

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This week I spread all the Moose book art out on my dining room table to check for consistency and final touch-ups. Sometimes it's really hard to know if a piece is finished. At this point I usually go through a round of neurotic panic... What if it's awful? Should I have done it differently? Should I chuck it all and go work at some big box store?...

Then my husband laughs at me and says I do this after every project. He's right. And in talking to my artist friends it seems we all go through this to some extent. Phew! I must be normal.

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Look what the UPS guy brought!

It's a book! Whohoo!

Coming November 9th!

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More building up of line and color here. (Tint courtesy of Instagram. Dang, those filters are fun to play with!)

Sometimes on a long project your brain switches into cruise mode. I was painting along, thinking in the back of my mind that a red lobster would pop beautifully. Only problem– these are sea creatures in their environment. A red lobster would be... a cooked lobster.

Close one, Jen...

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Here's a rough sketch from the Moose book. I'm deep into final art right now and having a blast drawing the huge variety of critters in this book– birds, bugs, marine life, mammals– and, of course, Moose!

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Here's a snippet of a sketch from the book I'm working on now. I'm loving this Moose who likes to hide in plain sight!

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Nope, this isn't a post about hitting the wall. It's about filling the wall. With sketches. The wall gets more inspiring the more it's filled. Guess that's a good metaphor for many creative endeavors!

On another note, what's up with the pollen this year? Does anyone else feel like napping all day long? Sniffle.

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Above is a detail from a spread I'm working on for the Sled Ride book. I'm heading to the finish line with the final art...



















... and here are the different stages of each page crossed off from my thumbnail list. (Very satisfying to see all those "x's" accumulate!) Next it will be time to look everything over for final tweaks and then...












... it's back to the beginning again, with sketches of this fine fellow!

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This, in the Fall 2012 Sneak Preview, from Publishers Weekly!

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Islandport Press is teaming with the Maine Credit Union League for their first ever Online Literary Auction, starting November 28th, to raise money to fight hunger. Authors, illustrators, and artists from around the New England area have contributed works, and 100 percent of the proceeds will be donated to this worthy cause. Please take a look...

And, Happy Thanksgiving, everyone! This year, I'm thankful to have enough. (Family, friends, work, food... and so on. Enough is good.)

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(And, we finally got our power back! After eight days without. 7 days of no electricity because of Irene + 8 days due to Alfred = way too many days without electricity! I'll spare you my rant.)

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... from the Sled Ride book.

(We'll be sledding soon enough around here, I'm sure!)

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I'm working on final art for the Sled book. This may be my favorite spread. (I reserve the right to change my mind!)

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If anyone knows where to buy a time turner, please let me know, because could have done with one this week.

In my spare time I have been working on a dummy to take to the LA SCBWI conference (yee gads, that's next week!!!). It's about a clumsy kitty ... here's a couple of spreads to wet your appetite ...