TOO EARLY... But Never Too Late for Daddy

 I did not write a post in celebration of FATHERS' DAY last Sunday, as I had done in the past, HERE and HERE. Looking back, though, I have also written about the importance of fathers' work on other days of the year, HERE, HERE, and HERE. That was reassuring, reminding me of my innate resistance to celebrating and remembering important people and contributions at designated times, dictated by the calendar. So, without the apology I had planned to offer for not posting this last Sunday, on Fathers' Day, I am excited to share one of the most tender, glowing, and huggable picture books I've read lately.

ABRAMS
BOOKS FOR YOUNG READERS
2022

TOO EARLY sounds as if it, too, is about bad timing. Written by Nora Ericson and illustrated by Elly MacKay, the first line, "I wake up too early", clarifies the topic. This youngster is emerging from bed in starlight-spangled jammies, toting bed-bunny in one hand, waking up too early for her exhausted parents. Even so, her sleepy daddy rises (reluctantly) and together they spend a precious few early morning minutes together: watching the doggies stretch, sipping on mugs of warm milk and hot coffee, experiencing the big sky, cool air, and brilliant moon on the back porch.

The scenes portrayed on each double spread are mounted on blue backgrounds with masterful use of glowing light, shadows, and perspectives to allow both daddy and child to notice the night star, the coo of doves, and the warmth of a porch hug. 

With each page turn, the background lightens slightly, blended tones of pink and yellow emerging. Eventually the baby cries upstairs and "rush" takes its turn while the doggies slip back to sleep. From the nearly indigo front papers to the pale blue end papers, readers have shared these precious father-child minutes. Just as the family pair are likely to do this again and again (since that "too early" waking is clearly a pattern), readers may return to the book again and again to experience this.

The text is simple and subtle, with hints toward rhyme and other lyrical lifts, but relying on purity of phrase and childlike observations. The combination of wry remarks and background visual details allow for light humor and recognition of real life, too.

People often say they are "Larks" or "Owls", some waking (and functioning best) in the early hours with others shining in the very late hours of each day. Whatever determines that in each of us, it does appear to be innate. I didn't learn those labels until much later, but knew from early on that I was a lark. Dad was the household "first up" in my childhood. He used an alarm but usually I was lying awake to hear it go off. At an early age, unlike this child, I'd reluctantly stay in bed, waiting until it was time for me to get up. By the time I was in school, though, I'd wait for Dad to click the  bathroom door closed, preparing for another day at work. Then I'd slip downstairs, open the front door to retrieve the morning paper, and settle into a chair to read, refolding each section  when I finished. The house was still and dark except for my single light. By the time I heard the bathroom door open, I'd settle the paper at Dad's place at the table and head up to get ready for school. On a few mornings when the paper held some longer attraction, I'd feel Dad's hand on my head when he came down, sometimes saying, "Good morning, early bird!". 

I read many books that resonate with my memories, many books I wish I'd written. TOO EARLY feels to me like a book that came from a personal memory but will feel to many readers as if it was written just for them.

INTERVIEW: Laurie Wallmark's DINO PAJAMA PARTY, A Bedtime Book

Running Press Kids: October, 2021

It's pretty obvious from the cover of this featured picture book that it falls far afield from my NONFICTION focus for November. That's because these lively dino dancers were delayed in availability due to... wait for it... that shipping and supply chain bottleneck!

But they are here now, available for immediate order just in time for holiday giving. They'll be a much happier boogie bunch in the hands of little readers than simply being stacked in boxes in a warehouse, especially after their long delay. 

This book is also indirectly linked to nonfiction month because the author, Laurie Wallmark, has been best known for her acclaimed and awarded picture book titles featuring "(Dead) Women of STEM".

I'm genuinely excited that author Laurie Wallmark found the time to respond to my questions for this interview about her recent release, DINO PAJAMA PARTY, A Bedtime Book. 

I wrote a detailed review before this latest picture book release, HERE, and you can read other opinions from KIRKUS review, HERE, and Publishers' Weekly, HERE. There's a unanimous verdict that the fun and appeal of these paleolithic party animals have a long life ahead in the realm of bedtime (and DANCE) books!

(Check out the interactive, downloadable options about this book on Wallmark's website, HERE.)  

This is Wallmark's first published FICTION picture book, her first for this target ages (3-8), and her first with text written in RHYME. A trifecta of reasons to celebrate and dance along with the dinos.

In fact, Wallmark has long drawn praise, attention, and awards for her writing about WOMEN IN STEM, as I noted in reviews and interviews in the past, HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE. (I know, right?) I'm clearly a fan, of Wallmark's choice of biographic subjects, her evidence of deep and productive research, the variation and structures of her narratives, and the incredible appeal of the back matter she provides. 

I also appreciate her subtle and wry humor, as in her blog title (ALL NEWS, NO SCHMOOZE), and her tendency to add to her "brand" during introductions with the tag, DEAD Women in Stem. When I learned that she would have a new offering that is so distinctly different in audience, writing, and intent, I was both intrigued and pleased to have a look. More than that, I wanted to know more about how this came to be. Here's our conversation!

Laurie Wallmark

SB: Welcome, Laurie, and thanks for joining my readers to learn more of the back story about DINO PAJAMA PARTY: A Bedtime Story. It is such a departure from the prior books you’ve published, and yet… 

Were you a dinosaur fan/fanatic as a kid? 

LW: Not really. My passion was science fiction, but except for a few time travel stories, there were no dinosaurs showing up in outer space or in the future.

 

SB:  After teaching for many years, to kids of many ages, I rarely met kids who couldn't recite a litany of dinosaur names as readily as they could handle the  Pledge of Allegiance. Dinosaurs never enthralled me, either. The good news is, that early childhood fascination feels evergreen, so you have generations of readers in this book's future!

Back to a writing question: Would you give us a bit of a timeline about where and how this clever and creative idea and eventual story first came to you, in relation to your other deeply researched writing projects?

SB: The idea for Dino Pajama Party came to me while I was on a plane. Originally the characters were babies not dinos, but except for that, the first lines haven’t changed. “Dinos rock, and dinos roll. Dinos stomp, and dinos stroll.” I wrote out the entire first draft before we landed. This is quite different than my other books. In all my other picture books, even fiction, I outline before I write. 

SB: Here's a follow-up question, for my own interest as a writer, and for all those who have a clever inspiration and decide on the spur of the moment to "write a picture book". DINO PAJAMA PARTY; A Bedtime Story is in crisp, precise, but lively metric rhymed couplets, using very few words in contrast to the narrative styles in your other books. It suits this target age and story perfectly but is not easy to pull off with such success. Was this your first/only stab at writing in verse? (??? Impossible!) 

LW: As a child, the only creative writing I did was a bit of poetry and a few songs.

Since my idea for this book started in rhyme, I continued in that vein. I have written other rhyming picture books, but none have sold so far. I love writing in rhyme. I’m also working on a novel in verse. 

 

SB: Now, about your delightful story and characters:

 

Your Dino story was filled with surprises. Pajama parties generally begin late in the day, but your Dino buddies seem to have stumbled out of bed early, so eager to take on the day that they head outside in their jammies and bedcaps. As they gather and boogie to rock-n-roll rhythms, eventually exhausting themselves in joyful dance, the sunset and nightfall send them home, exhausted. Tucked into rows of beds in a dormitory-styled space felt extra cozy to me. “Pajama parties” have many parents cringing about potential late-night mayhem, but this ends with a very distinctly sleepy vibe. 

Did you incorporate notes to suggest that these would be communal Dinos rather than neighborhood friends? That a home-wrecking, floor-sprawling sleepover at one of their homes was not your intent? Or did the illustrator add that interpretation? In other words, how did this story-resolve develop?

I didn’t have any illustrator notes for this book. Michael Robertson did such a wonderful job of making the dinosaurs come together as a community. The ending text is “Snug in bed, they dance no more. Fast asleep, the dinos snore.” You can just hear the loud snoring coming from the sleeping dinosaurs in Michael’s last picture.

 

SB: Speaking of the illustrations, Michael Robinson’s characters evoke so much individuality, with expressions and body postures revealing that each has a story of their own. I found myself wanting to name each one, and I suspect kids will feel the same way! Had you envisioned any of this while writing?

LW: Even though I write picture books, I’m not a visual thinker. It’s always a pleasant surprise to me when I see the illustrations. Michael’s bold colors truly make this book special. I especially love the dinosaur on the front cover who is wearing bunny slippers.

 

SB: Can we look forward to more picture books intended for these younger audiences? 

What can you tell us about your other projects in the works, at early stages, or in the pipeline for publication?

LW: I already have several more books scheduled through 2024. Three of them are #WomenInSTEM books. I also have another fiction picture book. Rivka’s Presents, coming out in 2023. This is an historical fiction book about a girl in 1918 who wants to go to school but can’t because she has to mind her baby sister, so she trades chores for lessons with her neighbors.

SB: I hope you'll keep me on speed-dial or auto-alert as these become available to read and review. I'm aware that the pipeline is lengthy and that these will require your time and attention at various points in the process, but it's fun to imagine what else might be tickling your curiosity and imagination as new stories emerge and move, eventually, to the rest of us. The upcoming titles and potential future ones should have readers here joining me in your fan club and also subscribing to follow you on your blog and on social media. 

Since I'm arriving a tad late to this pajama party-interview series, I'm excited to share this link to Maria Marshall's earlier interview with Laurie on her blog, THE PICTURE BOOK BUZZ, HERE. Their conversation is not one you'll want to miss. While you're there, you might want to subscribe to Maria's blog- it's a consistent winner!

Readers, here are the details you'll want to know about how to keep up with Laurie's releases:

Laurie Wallmark   www.lauriewallmark.com 

SOCIAL MEDIA

Website:              https://www.lauriewallmark.com/  

Facebook:           https://www.facebook.com/lauriewallmarkauthor/  

Twitter:                @lauriewallmark  

Instagram            https://www.instagram.com/lauriewallmark/  

Linked In              https://www.linkedin.com/in/laurie-wallmark-4a815711/  

BIO

Award-winning author Laurie Wallmark writes picture book biographies of women in STEM (science, technology, engineering, and math) as well as fiction. Her books have earned multiple starred trade reviews, been chosen as Junior Library Guild Selections, and received awards such as Outstanding Science Trade Book, Best STEM Book, Cook Prize Honor Book, Crystal Kite Award, Mathical Honor Book, and Parents’ Choice Gold Medal. Her titles include ADA BYRON LOVELACE AND THE THINKING MACHINE, GRACE HOPPER: QUEEN OF COMPUTER CODE, HEDY LAMARR’S DOUBLE LIFE, NUMBERS IN MOTION, CODE BREAKER, SPY HUNTER, and her debut fiction picture book, DINO PAJAMA PARTY. Laurie has an MFA in Writing from VCFA and is a former software engineer and computer science professor.

Dino Pajama Party (Running Press Kids, October 2021)

Code Breaker, Spy Hunter (Abrams Kids, 2021)

Numbers in Motion (Creston Books, 2020)

Hedy Lamarr's Double Life (Sterling Kids, 2019)

Grace Hopper: Queen of Computer Code (Sterling Kids, 2017)

Ada Byron Lovelace and the Thinking Machine (Creston Books, 2015)

DINO PAJAMA PARTY; A Bedtime Book

If you are visiting this blog for the first time, (WELCOME!) my blog title says it all: Picture Books Are Powerful! I love all kinds of picture books, for too many reasons to list here. (Curious? Check past posts HERE , HERE, and HERE for some examples of ways picture books speak to me, and to readers of any age!)

I particularly appreciate and celebrate picture books that reveal untold/forgotten/hidden stories, especially ones that are deeply researched, artfully told, and appealingly documented/extended in back mattter. Books like these by author Laurie Wallmark. I recommend that you bookmark Wallmark's site and follow her writing progress closely. She has several more WOMEN IN STEM titles coming, she teaches writing workshops, and ... wait for it... she has a brand new picture book coming out for little ones: DINO PAJAMA PARTY: A BEDTIME BOOK!

Running Press Kids, 2021

Yes, you read that correctly. The target audience for this new book is a younger demographic, and it stars paleolithic party animals who are childlike to the bone. Decked out in sleep caps, bunny slippers, jammies, and footed sleepers, teddy bears in hand, these lighthearted and limber lizards are irresistible. 

If you've ever known a kiddo who wants to stay in jammies all day long, you'll recognize this crew as they gather in bright sunlight for a full day of music, dance, and partying, until, as sunset approaches, their tails and wings are dragging!

 

Page by page, Wallmark's crisply rhymed couplets  invite audiences to chime in, since read-it-again requests are guaranteed. Word choice is both familiar and expansive as the dinos "rock" and "roll", "stomp" and "stroll". The social gathering and musical components are especially appealing, with huge potential for little ones to imitate and participate in the dancing, plinking, strumming, and drumming of the "PJ's" band. The fact that this pajama party is an all day affair is a delightful twist and clever wordplay on the assumed "slumber party" you can be forgiven for imagining. It may be particularly helpful for bedtime kids who insist that they aren't yet sleepy. Once they are washed, flossed, and jammied-up, let them join the fun for several reading/performances until they, too, are dragging their tails under their covers! 

Running Press Kids, Interior, Michael Robertson/Laurie Wallmark, 2021

Illustrator Michael Robertson fully embraced the spirited dino community, setting them in a cartoonish contemporary community, developing each with distinctive clothing and characteristics that will have little ones finding favorites, savoring details, and even naming specific dinos. I was particularly delighted by the bedtime twist that revealed they all returned to sleep in a dino-dorm instead of sprawling across a family room floor somewhere. Singly and in pairs, they are all tucked into a matched set of beds, snugly sleeping under their own comfy covers. Soon, not surprisingly, they are all snoring.

With Wallmark's track record and ongoing successes in extended-text, nonfiction picture book writing, I was intrigued about how and when and why this delightful story and style entered her writing life. She graciously agreed to answer some interview questions, which will be shared here in a post later in October. For now, you can preorder the book (release  date 10/19/2021), HERE, HERE, or HERE.  i suggest you do that. The global supply chain glitches seem to have had an impact on paper supplies and  bulk shipping, so a preorder is the best way to assure that your intended readers will not be disappointed. 

Once it reaches your hands and their eyes/ears, there will be no disappointment!