My first book came out ten years ago
Reflecting on ten years as a published children's book author
I became a published picture book author just over ten years ago, on June 9, 2015, and somehow this significant anniversary slipped past me unnoticed. I guess periods of busyness and overwhelm make me miss things!
But wow. Ten years! I thought I would mark this milestone by sharing a little bit about each of my published books.
What About Moose? was published on June 9, 2015. My very first book! I wrote this book—and my next three published books—with my friend and writing partner Corey Rosen Schwartz. It was illustrated by Keika Yamaguchi. This book was the result of countless hours of brainstorming, drafting, writing, and rewriting sessions. It is the second story we wrote with the same cast of characters, and I think the first draft was written in 2006. We sold the book in 2013, and in the years between wrote many other stories.
What about Moose? is a story about a group of friends who get together to build a tree house, when Moose comes along and tries to get the group to do everything his way, which leads to him getting into a difficult (and funny) situation. The book has been praised for its flowing rhyme and great vocabulary, but my favorite thing about it is that every time I read it aloud to a group of kindergarteners it elicits laughter.
Our next book, Hensel and Gretel: Ninja Chicks, was published in May 2016. This book came about because Corey, who had previously written The Three Ninja Pigs and Ninja Red Riding Hood, had been asked by her publisher to write another ninja story. She didn’t know which classic fairy tale to choose, so she asked me if I’d want to write it with her. I had always wanted to retell Hansel and Gretel. Corey had wanted to write a story about chickens and a fox. And that’s how Hensel and Gretel: Ninja Chicks was born! This book, illustrated by Dan Santat, is full of action and word play. It’s a great crowd pleaser, and adult crowds (yes, I’ve read it to groups of adults) especially appreciate all the puns.
Next comes Two Tough Trucks, followed by Two Tough Trucks Get Lost!, written by Corey and me, illustrated by Hilary Leung. Many people are surprised to learn that the second book was actually written first. We wanted to tell a story about two friends who get separated while exploring, and we both knew that trucks were popular with little boys, so we gave it a shot. After writing the story, submitting it to publishers via Corey’s agent, and getting editorial feedback, we decided that our little truck friends needed an origin story. So we wrote it! And we ended up selling both in a two book deal. Two Tough Trucks was published in September 2019, and Two Tough Trucks Get Lost! was published in September 2020.
Between the two trucks books came Federico and the Wolf, my debut solo picture book, on May 19, 2020. It is a Mexican-American, gender-swapped retelling of Little Red Riding Hood, with Spanish vocabulary worked into the text, and a salsa recipe in the back! Of all my published books, this one took the least “work.” It began with a very sloppy first draft which I completely rewrote, then revised once or twice before polishing it up and sending to my agent. I wrote the first draft in January 2017, and by November I had two offers!
Federico and the Wolf was published right as the pandemic was surging, which was unfortunate timing because it made in-person promotion a challenge. But the timing also happened to be just right because people were hungry for more diverse picture books. I didn’t plan it that way when writing the story. It just worked out! Federico and the Wolf has been nominated for a lot of awards. It’s a Junior Library Guild selection, a Texas 2 x 2 book, and a Minnesota Star of the North Picture Book Award Honor Title. It’s also in the Kohl’s Cares collection! I hope to publish a follow-up book, this one a retelling of Snow White, some day. My editor has it, so we’ll see!
In May 2024 came my debut novel, Mari in the Margins, which is also my debut as an illustrator. As you may already know, Mari in the Margins is a middle grade novel in verse (and doodles) about the middle child in a large family who feels lost and overshadowed by all her siblings. She longs to be seen, but also doesn’t see anything about herself which is particularly worth notice. So, when she hears of a school wide poetry contest, she enters in hopes that it will give her a chance to shine.
When I do school visits, students often ask me which book is my favorite of the ones that I published. I usually tell them that it’s hard to choose because they are all special, so I pick What About Moose? because it was my first and because it always makes kids laugh. But really is hard to choose. Maybe it’s Hensel and Gretel: Ninja Chicks because it’s popular and such a fun read-aloud that even adults love. Or Two Tough Trucks because it was my grandson’s favorite. Or Two Tough Trucks Get Lost! because it’s spooky, but also empowering. Maybe Federico and the Wolf because its won the most awards. Or Mari in the Margins because it’s got the most of my heart poured into it.
I can’t pick a favorite. Each of these books has made an impact in someone’s life. Each of these books has led to a parent or grandparent or teacher reaching out to me to tell me how much their child loves it, how they’ve read it so often their child has it memorized, how they repeat phrases from the book to make each other laugh, or how their child brings it everywhere they go.
So, maybe the question shouldn’t be which book is my favorite, but which is your child’s favorite. I’d love to know, even if it isn’t one of my books!
What will be my next published book? I don’t know, but hopefully I’ll know something soon about that Snow White manuscript that my editor has. I’m working on my snowman picture book dummy, and wouldn’t it be something if that led to my first picture book as an author-illustrator? There’s also that historical novel in verse that’s still in the revision stage. Maybe that will be my next novel!
Anything is possible.
We love Federico! And it’s cool seeing a snapshot of your journey!
It's really nice to read through your publishing journey. I have a question, if you have the time. You seem to be someone who really values God and family! How have you made time to write and pursue being published while taking care of your family? I am struggling with this at present. I really enjoy your posts!