I'm so excited for today's post! Starting this month, Critter Lit will be posting a new monthly feature, interviewing veteran picture book authors and illustrators! How exciting is that?! I can't wait to share with you the awesome line-up of authors, illustrators and author/illustrators to come! My hope is that their advice and insight will inspire you to go out there and create!
If you tuned in to Critter Lit last Thursday, you already know that we are big fans of TRUCK, TRUCK GOOSE! in my household, so naturally I was thrilled to hear there was going to be a sequel: GO FISH! by the fabulously talented Tammi Sauer and illustrated by Zoe Waring (whose illustrations are oh so cute!) Critter Lit shout out to Zoe and her adorable illustrations!
Go Fish! Written by Tammi Sauer, Illustrated by Zoe Waring
I've been a fan of Tammi Sauer's work well before I was a mom reading her books with my kiddos. My first encounter with her work was as a bookseller, before I was published. Mostly Monsterly, illustrated by Scott Magoon, is one of my favorite picture books, because I believe baking and sprinkles do make everything better. Personally, I think we all need WWBD (What Would Bernadette Do) bracelets for a little guidance every now and then.
Needless to say, I'm honored to be interviewing Tammi Sauer this week! Make sure to comment at the end of this post for a chance to win one of Tammi Sauer's new picture books: GO FISH! and KNOCK KNOCK, which are both equally hilarious and charming.
So without further ado, please welcome Tammi Sauer!
Where do you live?
My family and I live in Edmond, Oklahoma, with one dog, two geckos, and a tank full of random fish.
How many years have you been in publishing?
Cowboy Camp, my first book, debuted in 2005. It's still in print. Yeehaw!
How many books have you published?
I have 23 published picture books. I have another 10 that are under contract.
Do you write full-time?
I am a full-time writer, but I spend a lot of my time presenting at schools and writing conferences across the nation.
What inspires you to create picture books?
I never set out to be a writer. My plan was to be a third grade teacher. During my senior year at Kansas State University, however, I had the best teacher of my life. Dr. Marjorie Hancock began every class in a beautiful way--she shared a picture book. This class involved a lot of reading, but it involved a lot of writing as well. One day, Dr. Hancock pulled me aside and said, "Tammi, you have a gift with words. You should pursue publication." Knowing Dr. Hancock believed in me helped me to believe in myself.
What is your favorite thing about being an author?
I love when something I have written really connects with a kid. I recently received a video from a mom that featured her reading GO FISH! to her toddler. The kid was belly-laughing the whole time. I'm honored that something I created played a part in such a great mom and kiddo moment. I also receive the best mail from kids. One of my favorite letters ended with the line, "Do not tell her this, but I like you more than Kelly Clarkson." Another favorite letter ended with a line that might be the loveliest compliment I have ever received: "You make me light up like Christmas lights." Awwwww!
What do you find difficult working as an author?
For me, the absolute hardest part about the picture book creating process is coming up with a good idea. A wow idea. An irresistible-to-editors idea.
What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?
When I visit schools, I always tell kids to celebrate the weird stuff in life. The weird stuff is good material for stories.
KNOCK KNOCK, for example, got its start from a weird thing that happened to me. One day, I had a ton of work to do, but I kept getting interrupted. My doorbell rang. My phone rang. My dog barked. Everyone in the entire world texted me 362 different times. The more interruptions that came my way, the more frustrated I got.
Later, I got to thinking that maybe I should write a story about a character who grows increasingly frustrated because he gets interrupted again and again and again. But, in the story, I wanted all of those interruptions to end up being a Very Good Thing. I also wanted those interruptions to be funny.
So, yes, apparently, I now have this brand new book all because I was really annoyed one afternoon. Hooray!
Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?
I like it to be quiet when I write. That helps me to get in the zone. I also like a 32oz. cup of unsweetened mango ice tea. I have a cup of it next to me right this very minute.
What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started writing?
I wish I had known all of the stuff that needs to go into a picture book! This is my all-time favorite quote about writing picture books: "My main considerations for any picture book are humor, emotion, just the right details, read-aloud-ability, pacing, page turns, and of course, plot. Something has to happen to your characters that young readers will care about and relate to. Oh, and you have to accomplish all that in as few words as possible, while creating plenty of illustration possibilities. No easy task."--Lynn Hazen
I would have loved to have had this advice from day one!
Tell us about your newest books?
GO FISH! (HarperCollins), illustrated by Zoe Waring, features Goose and his friends. The group sets out for a fine day of fishing, but things don't exactly go as planned.
For this book as well as for the book Truck Truck, Goose! which features the same cast, I had a specific audience in mind. I wanted to give kids who are just starting to read the opportunity to feel like accomplished readers. To do this, I kept the text in each manuscript to a minimum and included a lot of art notes. Zoe's charming and hilarious art tells the bulk of these stories.
Knock Knock Written by Tammi Sauer, Illustrated by Guy Francis
KNOCK KNOCK (Scholastic Press), illustrated by Guy Francis, stars a bear named Harry who is all set to hunker down for hibernation, but his woodland friends have other ideas.
While this book is written almost entirely in knock knock jokes, it contains a real deal story with characters, conflict, and commotion. What is more, it's full of humor, but it has lots of heart, too.
When writing this book, I not only wanted to tell a story in an entirely new way, but I wanted the text to encourage lots of audience participation. I've test-driven this book at school visits, and it's been a huge hit with the crowds.
What’s up next for you?
In September, a quiet kid gets paired with a noisy kid in Quiet Wyatt (Clarion), illustrated by Arthur Howard. And in November? A beaver and a raccoon make a big discovery in Making a Friend (HarperCollins), illustrated by Alison Friend.
In 2019, my pals Wordy Birdy and Nugget and Fang will be back in Wordy Birdy Meets Mr. Cougarpants (Doubleday), illustrated by Dave Mottram, and Nugget & Fang Go to School (Clarion), illustrated by Michael Slack. A new character will be joining the mix, too, in A Little Chicken (Sterling), illustrated by Dan Taylor. This book stars Dot. She's a little chicken who, let's face it, is a little chicken.
Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors?
Yes! Find a good critique group. Not only will you receive valuable feedback on your manuscripts and/or art, but it's so nice to have people to celebrate and commiserate with! Make sure, however, that the other members of your group are at least as good as you are--preferably better. You want these people to push you to make good things great.
And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?
While I am a huge fan of The Breakfast Club, Girls Just Wanna Have Fun, and The Goonies, top billing goes to Ferris Bueller's Day Off. I love you, Ferris!
Thank you for chatting with us today Tammi!
Tammi Sauer is a full time author who presents at schools and conferences across the nation. She has 23 published picture books with major publishing houses including HarperCollins, Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, Penguin Random House, Scholastic Press, Simon & Schuster, and Sterling. In addition to winning awards, Tammi's books have gone on to do great things. Nugget & Fang was made into a musical and is currently on a national tour, Wordy Birdy was named a Spring 2018 Kids' Indie Next pick, an Amazon Best Book of the Month, and a Barnes & Noble Best Book of the Month, and Your Alien, an NPR Best Book of the Year, was recently released in Italian, Spanish, Korean, and French which makes her feel extra fancy.
For more information about Tammi Sauer or her books, visit her online at www.tammisauer.com or follow her on Twitter @SauerTammi
BOOK GIVEAWAY!
Want a chance to win a copy of GO FISH! or KNOCK KNOCK by Tammi Sauer?! Comment on this post below. Two winners will be selected Thursday, August 2nd!
What's up on deck? Tune in next week for Critter Lit's August Picture Book Picks!
