Interview with Karen Jameson, and a GIVEAWAY!

My good friend, the multi-published lullaby—and non-fiction—picture book expert Karen Jameson has a new book coming out this month, and it’s a real beauty! I’m proud to present this interview with her as she prepares for the release of FARM LULLABY this month.

Karen, huge congratulations on your wonderful new picture book, FARM LULLABY, illustrated by the talented Wednesday Kirwan. Can you tell us a little bit about the book?

Thanks, Lynn! FARM LULLABY is a lyrical bedtime book just right for little ones. Listen in as the horse sings a neigh-a-bye, the sheep sings a baa-a-bye and the rest of the animals follow suit. Here’s what the jacket copy says:

"From the largest horse to the smallest mouse, every animal on the farm has a sweet, sleepy bedtime ritual. Curl up like a soft lamb, snuggle like a warm chick, and settle in like a cozy calf, letting this soothing farm lullaby lull even restless little dreamers into a deep and peaceful sleep."

FARM LULLABY is the second of three bedtime “lullaby” books you’re doing with Chronicle. Can you talk a little about how you met your editor, and knew she was the right fit for your work?

I met my editor, Naomi Kirsten of Chronicle Books, at the 2017 SCBWI Golden Gate Conference at Asilomar. Such a lovely wooded setting along the beach in Pacific Grove, California! I knew it was the perfect place to share WOODLAND DREAMS, my bedtime book featuring adorable woodland creatures. After hearing the story during an editor’s panel, Naomi’s excitement bubbled over. She loved the lyrical style and had a beautiful vision for the book. Such serendipity! It was acquired shortly afterward!

Did she agree to publish all three books at once, or was her acquisition of your work more gradual?

The process was more gradual. My agent, Kathleen Rushall, suggested waiting until WOODLAND DREAMS was underway before sharing my other two bedtime books. This proved wise, as FARM LULLABY was acquired the next year, in 2018, followed by WHERE THE WEE ONES GO, in 2019.

You also write non-fiction, and have a number of non-fiction picture books in the pipeline with other publishers. Can you tell us how the process of writing non-fiction is different from writing your bedtime books?

For both kinds of books, my prewriting process is much the same – brainstorming and more brainstorming! While I’m generating ideas, I consider potential hooks and play around with different angles or structures. Though I do a good amount of research for my nature themed bedtime stories, my non-fiction research is more rigorous and includes looking at how my subject fits into the Next Generation Science Standards (NGSS) curriculum for my intended age group. Adding in layers with informational sidebars and back matter is another piece of the non-fiction puzzle. Look for TIME TO SHINE: Celebrating the World’s Iridescent Animals (Groundwood Books) on April 5, 2022 and DOUBLE TAKES (Running Press Kids, Winter 2023).

I also want to mention that you have a fourth book coming out with Chronicle in Spring 2024, a companion to WOODLAND DREAMS, illustrated by Marc Boutavant.

Yes, I’m super excited about this one! Marc Boutavant is such a treasure and I’m thrilled at the opportunity to create a new picture book together. WAKE UP, WOODLANDS brings us back to the forest for a springtime celebration of animals waking to a glorious new season. I can’t wait!

I am so impressed with how beautifully and uniquely each of these books is illustrated, and how well they stand out on the shelves of bookstores and libraries everywhere! Congratulations on finding the right fit for your vision at Chronicle!

Thank you, Lynn! Naomi Kirsten did an amazing job of matching the perfect artist to each lyrical text. Wednesday Kirwan brings a beautiful vintage style to FARM LULLABY! The jewel toned colors in the art are so evocative of the farm setting. Marc’s painterly art in WOODLAND DREAMS is simply gorgeous. Next up, be sure to look for Zosienka’s dreamy style in WHERE THE WEE ONES GO (April 26, 2022).

Karen Jameson is the author of the lyrical picture books MOON BABIES, WOODLAND DREAMS and FARM LULLABY. More stories are in the works, including TIME TO SHINE (Groundwood 2022) and WHERE THE WEE ONES GO (Chronicle 2022). A retired teacher and active member of SCBWI, she holds a master’s degree in education. Lover of books, wildflowers, farmers’ markets and everything chocolate, Karen writes from sunny Southern California.

Wednesday Kirwan is an award- winning artist who has been illustrating and writing books for children for more than a decade. She lives in the Santa Cruz Mountains, in California, with her husband and daughter.

Karen has generously offered to give away a copy of FARM LULLABY to one person who leaves a comment below or on Twitter! Deadline is October 5.

And please join Karen and fellow author Dianne White in a virtual book launch through The Writing Barn in November. Details can be found here.

To order a copy:
Barnes and Noble
Indie Bound
Amazon
Website

September Recommendations

Novels:

In MIRROR’S EDGE, by Scott Westerfeld, Frey returns to Shreve to rescue her closest ally, Boss X, and to “shore up the alliance between the rebels and the free cities.” But, she’s also there to oust her father, who “rules with force and lies.” Book 3 of 4, with a great cliffhanger to set up the finale, is set in the same world as the fabulous Uglies series. (MG/YA)

Graphic Novels:

THE OKAY WITCH AND THE HUNGRY SHADOW, by Emma Steinkellner, is an excellent followup to the first Okay Witch book. Moth is still having trouble fitting in at school, so when she comes across a charm that “may transform its wearer into a bolder, more self-assured version of themself with increased powers of persuasion and magnetism,” she can't resist! It’s an engaging story illustrated with engaging art. (MG)

Picture Books:

In BRIGHT STAR, Yuyi Morales uses “the most beautiful things she can find,” including drawings, painted paper, hand-dyed wool yarn, and words—both English and Spanish—to depict her story of a desert borderland, tough yet teeming with life, and a migration stopped by a barbed wire fence. It is a story of love for a child who is learning to find their voice. It is exquisite.

MIMIC MAKERS: BIOMIMICRY INVENTORS INSPIRED BY NATURE, written by Kristin Bott Nordstrom and illustrated by Paul Boston, delivers a fascinating look at how human ingenuity can be inspired by the natural world. Among others, we see how Nakatsu Eiji redesigned Japan’s bullet train after watching kingfishers “plunge like an arrow into the water.” And Yueh-Lin Loo studied the wrinkles and folds of a maple leaf to create a better solar cell. Clear and colorful digital illustrations will help young readers make the connections.

In NORMAN DIDN’T DO IT! (YES, HE DID.), by Ryan T. Higgins, porcupine Norman and his best friend Mildred (a tree) do everything together. From baseball to birdwatching to checkers, it was always “just the two of them.” Until the day another tree shows up. Life isn’t the same, and something just has to be done… Bold, cartoony, digital art shows Norman humorously hitting rock bottom before he figures things out. Kids will love it.

ORIGINAL CAT, COPY CAT, by Sarah Kurpiel, is the appealing story of Pineapple, an only cat whose “sweet routine” is hijacked when Kiwi joins the family. Everywhere Pineapple goes, everything Pineapple does, and every spot Pineapple loves now include Kiwi, in “fast,” “loud,” and “exhausting” ways. But when Pineapple sets this little kitty straight, the quiet of his old routine now has him worried… An uncluttered text and fun, stylized digital illustrations help keep the topic fresh with their Cree translations. The delicate, pastel and pencil illustrations, composited digitally, are brimming with whimsy. It’s a lovely book.

--Lynn

Shelf Awareness--Take Me with You When You Go

YA Review: Take Me with You When You Go

Take Me with You When You Go by David Levithan and Jennifer Niven (Knopf Books for Young Readers, 336p., ages 12-up, 9780525580997)

The captivating Take Me with You When You Go deftly relates the difficult but ultimately uplifting story of a brother and sister who, although they don't have parents they can count on, do have each other--even when one of them unexpectedly runs off.

One morning, 15-year-old Ezra Ahern wakes up to find his sister, Beatrix, gone. She's made her bed ("an exquisite f*** you" to her mom and stepdad) and taken off with money Ezra hid in his room. She's left behind everything else, including Ezra, who must now singlehandedly deal with the rage and abuse from their mom and stepdad. But 18-year-old Bea felt she had to leave; even with high school graduation only two months away, the constant worrying about whether she's "smart enough, brave enough, nice enough, pretty enough, funny enough, enough-enough" became too much. Except now she's alone on the streets, messaging a Mystery Guy and pinning all her hopes on him for the new life she wants so badly.

Levithan (Every Day; The Mysterious Disappearance of Aidan S.) and Niven (All the Bright Places; Holding Up the Universe) have written a compelling, contemporary portrait of a brother and sister who rely on their love for each other to survive. The novel, told entirely through e-mails between Ezra and Bea, suspensefully and urgently delves into the nuances of parental abuse and the toll it takes on its victims. This novel about a supremely troubled family still somehow manages to remain almost unfailingly optimistic, as the two siblings never stop fighting for each other and for the life they truly deserve. --Lynn Becker, reviewer, blogger, and children's book author

Discover: Younger brother Ezra is left behind to deal with his abusive parents after his 18-year-old sister Bea runs away from home in this compelling, captivating YA novel.

September's Book of the Month--Raybearer

September’s Book of the Month is RAYBEARER, by Jordan Ifueko.

Tarisai has been raised in isolation at Bhekina House. It’s the home of her mostly-absent mother (The Lady) in the realm of Swana, the second largest region of the vast Arit empire.

Tarisai learns early on that fairies exist and magic is “capricious.” Sneaking off to the savannah one night, she finds that her father is an “alagbato”—a fairy—ensnared so The Lady may have three wishes. First, The Lady demands a stronghold and, second, a child with the alagbato. This child will carry out her third and final wish: this child (Tarisai) will fall in love with the prince of Arit—and kill him.

But Tarisai is strong-willed like her mother, and determined to choose her own path. She has much to learn about her place in the world outside Bhekina House and the politics of a disharmonious empire, but she enjoys the love of good friends and a magical gift from her father. Intrigue, corruption, secrets—and magic—abound.

RAYBEARER is an exceptional fantasy and a pure pleasure to read. It features a strong voice, compelling characters, and intricate world-building. The best thing yet? The second book in the duology, REDEMPTOR, is already out, so no waiting!

--Lynn