One of my favorite things about being a mom is getting to live in two worlds at once - my adult life, full of the people and experiences of my past and present, and all of childhood, through the inventive eyes of my three daughters.
My youngest, Miss L, has an especially wild imagination. She names and renames her sisters and our pet, on the regular. Such recent monikers include Magenta, Gus Gus, Onion and Swea-dwea. She often talks about a fictional world of her own creation, called Osimonio Beo, which has it’s own language, naturally. And why walk to your destination, when you can cartwheel or chassé?
Miss L isn’t alone in her adventures. She has a partner in crime, her best friend Nate. Together they recently invented a holiday (“Minias Month”) that exists for exactly 11 days, which happens to be the days between their birthdays. And for Halloween, this is who they chose to be: Edna and Philister Greenbean.
There is the what-meets-the-eye world. And then, there is the world in which Miss L lives, which seems like the best possible place to be, honestly. There, rules are few. But when there are rules, they are a glorious twist-and-take on the rules of the adult world, which she’s growing to understand each day. Miss L’s imagination entertains her, surprises us all, and has a way of revealing what her brain is up to, as it grows and grows and grows.
As children’s book authors, we get to tap into that world every time we write. It’s a bit like visiting Neverland, each time we jot down an idea or dive into a new story. Two brand new picture books live and play in this landscape of imagination with great success, and I am blessed to call the authors of these titles dear friends and critique partners. In fact, all of our debuts have released in the past four months! (Woohoo, WestPBCG!)
January 25, 2022, brought the release of SEEKING BEST FRIEND, by Alison Marcotte (pictured), illustrated by Diane Ewen (Beaming Books). Meet Alison and her book!
… and March 8, 2022, delivered STELLA KEEPS THE SUN UP, by Clothilde Ewing (pictured), illustrated by Lynn Gaines (Denene Millner Books / Simon & Schuster Books for Young Readers). Say hi to Clo and STELLA!
In writing critique groups, some stories arrive in raw iterations, as concepts explored. But both of these manuscripts entered our story swap quite fully conceived. As authors, we often talk about the importance of voice in writing. Alison and Clothilde both have a unique talent for telling stories rooted in the rhythm and sound of childhood joy and wonder, and you’ll find exactly that in these stellar debuts.
If you have a young reader with a wild imagination, who plays their way through an ever-new and evolving world, SEEKING BEST FRIEND and STELLA KEEPS THE SUN UP pair just perfectly. Here’s more about these creative books, both of which would be great additions to your bookshelf or next library haul:
SEEKING BEST FRIEND
SEEKING BEST FRIEND is a story about a girl on the hunt for a best buddy. To spread the word about the position, she posts a sign in her neighborhood. At first, the criteria seem simple: Must be kind. A passion for bugs would be neat. Who should apply, but an ant eater - not exactly who the girl had in mind. So a revision to the sign is required.
Each time the girl adjusts the posting, however, a new candidate appears, bringing a wild cast of characters onto the page - from a robot and pirate, to a giant soaring dragon. Children will delight in the chaos that ensues as the girl’s peaceful hideout is overrun by eager creatures. After fending off an increasingly unruly cadre of applicants, the girl revises her job description and at last attracts the perfect friend: Position filled.
SEEKING BEST FRIEND is a colorful and silly read aloud with a strong heart. In exploring the qualities and characteristics of favorite dress up and playtime roles, the story reveals what all children, young and old, seek: A friend who sees, accepts and loves who we are and wants to share our interests and time.
(An Edna to your Phillister!)
STELLA KEEPS THE SUN UP
STELLA KEEPS THE SUN UP is story about a girl who absolutely does not want to go to bed. Sleep? Boring! So she and her partner Roger, a stuffed hippo, decide to keep the sun up. That way, nighttime never arrives. The clever notion serves as a hypothesis that Stella and Roger test through a series of playtime experiments.
They make all sorts of noise, to keep the sun awake. They eat cereal in the afternoon, to trick the sun into thinking its morning. They even try to deliver coffee to the sun, via trampoline - an idea that proves hot, splashy and futile: This is a disaster. Stella says. The sun is tougher than I thought. But then Stella remembers her friend, who just moved to a country on the other side of the world. Kamrynn is waiting for us to go to sleep! If we keep the sun up here, she will be stuck in bed for a hundred years!
STELLA KEEPS THE SUN UP delivers the very best kid logic, exploring the enormous role that routine plays in children’s lives with insightful nuance and surprising humor. In the end, Stella realizes the importance of the sun in terms that do not bend to adult rationale, but instead align perfectly with what is central to her - allowing the sun to bring daytime fun to a beloved and distant friend.
Huge congrats to Alison and Clo, for creating such fun and imaginative stories, which embrace and reflect childhood in all its playful glory. These whimsical tales mark the beginning of two exciting careers for two extraordinarily talented women. Here’s more about these fabulous creators and humans!
The Creators
Alison Marcotte is a Chicago-based writer. She is a member of SCBWI, the Chicago Writers Association, the 12 x 12 Picture Book Writing Challenge, and the Off Campus Writers Workshop, and a freelance writer for American Library Association's American Libraries magazine. When she’s not writing, she’s often exploring Chicago, running (and trying to brainstorm new ideas), or spending time with family. Seeking Best Friend is her debut picture book.
Clothilde Ewing is a children’s book author with years of storytelling experience - for CBS News, The Oprah Winfrey Show, President Obama's re-election campaign, Chicago City Hall and The Chicago Community Trust. She was inspired to write a picture book after reading editor Denene Millner's New York Times opinion piece "Black Kids Don't Want to Read About Harriet Tubman All the Time." Today, Millner is the editor of Ewing’s debut.
One lucky reader will win BOTH books!
1. "Like" this post (click the heart below)
2. Follow me (@anitraschulte) on Twitter
3. Retweet my pinned contest tweet by 3/25/22
GOOD LUCK!
