It’s a global blog tour that started Down Under and has
tagged numerous, FABULOUS illustrators and author/illustrators along the way.
And now The Next Big Thing is here! Rules: answer the same ten questions about
your work, then tag up to five wonderful artists whose work you want to
champion. I’ve been tagged by Nancy Doniger, illustrator of the new book by Bob
Raczka, Lemonade: and Other Poems Squeezed from a Single Word. You
can see more of her work at her blog http://www.donigerillustration.com/blog
.
Here we go…
1. What is the working title of your next book?
I’m always working on book ideas. I
keep a journal with key phrases, titles, an opening paragraph to a few pages of
a story. The ideas are for picture books through YA. I’m almost finished with a
YA novel, and I’m currently revisiting my story Cricket (working title) with some illustration revisions before I send it out.
2. Where did the idea come from for the book?
I was enjoying an afternoon at the NY Botanical Gardens and the sunlight
hit an acorn cap on the path I was walking on. The story came to me literally
in that moment. And I chose
chipmunks as my characters because they’re so darn cute the way they scamper around. I imagine what they could be doing in
their world and the story of an artist chipmunk who
makes things with the plants and flowers popped into my head. Alter ego
perhaps? Let’s see, cute (√), artistic (√). Hmm, her room is much neater than mine ever was.
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| Donna Miskend |
3. What
genre does your book fall under? It’s a book
about dealing with being a bit of an outsider, feeling insecure about being
different but coming out stronger in the end. I think 4-8 is a good age range
because kids can feel pressure to fit in starting very young.
4. What
actors would you choose to play the part of your characters in a movie
rendition?
These would be
animated characters, but I’d love to see Bette Midler play the mother. She’s
always been her own person creatively and she supports the Central Park
Conservancy, so the Botanical Gardens is a similar venture.
5. What
is the one-sentence synopsis of your book?
Cricket is about celebrating
individuality through art.
6. Who is publishing your book?
I don't have a publisher yet.
7. How long did it take you to write
the first draft of the manuscript?
This one flowed pretty
quickly and I had a first draft in a day. I wrote it at the garden. I think
visually when I write so I made rough doodles for the artwork as I wrote the
text idea. The next steps moved right along. I made a thumbnail draft to map
out the story. After that I worked separately on the manuscript to get the text
in order. Now I’m tweaking the illustrations and doing a couple more color
pieces to give a better feel of the overall style of the book.
8. What other books would you compare
this story to within your genre?
Chrysanthemum by Kevin
Henkes. The other chipmunks in my story make fun of Cricket's name too.
9. Who or what inspired you to write
this book?
The heart of the story is
about individuality. My parents encouraged me to be true to who I am and not be
swayed by peer pressure. In my story the other animals make fun of Cricket and
her creations. Her mother tells her to be herself. Cricket’s creations are
unique and although it’s hard for her not to conform, in the end she is
rewarded for that. Nature inspired me as well. I love to paint flowers and I knew I
wanted to use the things I saw in the Botanical Gardens in my book.
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| Donna Miskend |
10. What else about the book might
pique the reader's interest?
Cricket's creations are assemblages of different parts of flowers, leaves, pinecones, etc. I hope it inspires kids to make things themselves.
Thank you for joining me on this tour. I also interview
people in the arts about their work at my Conversations blog. Click here to
visit.
And for the next stop on the tour of The Next Big Thing I’ve tagged:
Vicky Rubin
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| Vicky Rubin |
Click on the name to link to her site. I know you will enjoy seeing her work.
Here are photos from my workshop this past winter teaching art to seniors. It's so important for them to stay engaged, socialize and learn new skills. Art is a wonderful avenue to accomplish this. We did projects in paper arts, clay, some crafts and my favorite, upcycling. I'm so proud of the projects they created and I loved working with everyone there. This program was made possible by a generous grant from the Sills Family Foundation and administered by Arts Westchester. 
