Northern Lights Book Awards, a program that honors children’s books of exceptional merit, is excited to have Lynne Marie and Wendy here with us today. They are the creators of The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project and the winners of the 2022 NLBA Educational Category.
NLBA: Thank you both for taking time out of your busy lives to be with us today. First, could you please introduce yourselves, and then we’ll dive right in?
Lynne Marie: Hi, my name is Lynne Marie and I am the author of The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project. I’m also the director of “Rate Your Story” and have a passion for writing and helping other writers.
Wendy: I’m Wendy Fedan, a full-time freelance illustrator. I write and illustrate my own books, but love supporting my fellow authors with their projects.
NLBA: Lynne Marie, what was the catalyst for becoming a children’s writer? And for Wendy, an illustrator?
LM: When I was in the first grade, I looked through the Scholastic Book Club flyer and knew I wanted to be an author and have my book featured there. Like many writers, I started writing when I was young. My first story was Wumple’s Little Shiny Box. It was the origin story of a toaster. It had little creatures in the toaster who painted the toast with heat and color.
But my actual road to publication was long and winding. I was a paralegal secretary for over twenty years when I went back to school for children’s literature.
W: I also started writing and illustrating my own stories in the first grade. Because I got a lot of encouragement for my art, I chose it as a career path. Working as a freelance illustrator was not my goal. I wanted more of a nice cushy, paycheck every two weeks kind of job. But I guess the universe wanted the freelance path for me. And I love it!
I love the freedom that it gives me.
So, when Lynne Marie approached me with this project, it was an obvious yes, because I could tell she liked my style and what an agreeable person she was.
Sometimes it’s hard as an illustrator to match yourself with an author. Especially since I’m an author myself and want to work on my own projects. But I’ve learned collaborating with other artists is a wonderful thing because when you work solo, that project is all on you.
NLBA: How did you two find each other, decide to collaborate, and what was it like working with each other?
LM: I mentored a client of Wendy’s and when she mentioned she was going to self-publish her book; I told her I personally wouldn’t want to do that because it’s so hard to find a reputable illustrator to match your style. Then she showed me Wendy’s work, and I was like, “Oh my gosh! I love this style. It’s perfect! Can you give me her information?”
Overall, The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project is one of my favorite books because I had some control over the style and Wendy matched what I saw in my head.
NLBA: Finding that synergy is awesome. Otherwise, it’s like kissing a lot of frogs to find the prince.
LM: Well, writers don’t have a lot of control in traditional publishing. So, your vision has to go bye-bye. Sometimes, you grow to love the art, even if it wasn’t what you originally envisioned. But for this journey, I was in love the whole time.
W: That’s wonderful to hear. I’ve been in situations where I tried to appease the author by creating in a style that wasn’t my forte. So, if you’re an author looking for an illustrator, find someone who already has a style that you love. Lynne saw how my style would translate into her book. Everything just clicked. It was a wonderful experience and I encourage authors and illustrators to work that way as much as possible.
I know that if you’re traditionally published; you don’t have much or any control over what the art looks like.
NLBA: They can draw stick figures and you’re stuck with it.
W: It’s whatever the publisher wants.
NLBA: Lynne, what was the inspiration for this story? Where did the idea come from?
LM: I’m the author of Moldilocks and the Three Scares and I love mashing fairytales up. I was like, what can I mash next?
My father loved pigs and called his kids the Three Little Pigs. I read all the Three Little Pigs’ books out there and wanted to make it fresh and new. So, I expanded on the original story and added a STEAM component.
But I’m all about the story. The story comes first with me.
My daughter did a rocket project and could use whatever materials she wanted. I got to thinking what if the pigs used brick, straw, and branches for their rockets? And I flipped the story around because there are so many books about winning and being the best, but what about failing? This book shows you can fail in one thing but use the same skills and materials to be the best in another area.
NLBA: There are a lot of products that came about because someone was trying to create something and failed but realized they could use it for another purpose, so I think you have a great message there.
Wendy, besides Lynne’s story, where did you draw inspiration from?
W: I went to the drawing board and thought, okay, first things first. I know I want the characters to be in a cute cartoony style but have their own distinct personalities. The biggest thing at the very beginning was, how am I going to differentiate between the three pigs so that you know who is who? That was my starting point.
NLBA: Lynne Marie, how did the project develop from your idea to when it was in your hands?
LM: Overall, the project just flowed. There weren’t really any tweaks to the art. I love the way Wendy drew the fairytale elementary school. It looks like a gingerbread house. I also loved the way she drew the princesses, Pinocchio and Mother Goose, and the little details she put in were so funny. It was what I had hoped for, and more.
NLBA: Wendy, how did you make sure the pictures were telling what Lynne Marie was sharing in her text?
W: To start, we had Zoom sessions. Having that personal connection, understanding who Lynne is as a person, as an author, really meant a lot, and knowing that she trusted me with my creative input.
When the author gives you enough direction, so you know what they are intending, but doesn’t give so much direction that you don’t feel you have any wiggle room to bring in your own ideas. It was just the perfect balance. I think there was an underlying understanding between the two of us that that would happen.
NLBA: Why do you think fairytales never grow old?
LM: Well, they do date. Fairytales are a notoriously popular form of kid-lit, though some of them shouldn’t be.
W: I’ve read some originals and they’re nasty.
LM: Yeah, they’re not really for kids and some of them are creepy.
NLBA: Like the Grimm Brothers?
LM: Yes, but also James Barry’s Peter Pan. It’s a creepy story and Pinocchio’s violent. Those books wouldn’t be published today, they just wouldn’t be acceptable.
If you read the original fairytale texts, they’re definitely not the Disneyfied versions we’re used to today. But there is something that speaks to the human existence and struggle.
Fracture fairytales draw on the knowledge kids and parents have about fairytales while making them palatable for today’s market.
NLBA: Wendy, how do you feel fairytales have changed from the illustrations side of things?
W: When you look at old-time illustrations, they’re very realistic and detailed, highly decorative. It takes a long time to achieve that look. And so, it’s not necessarily the most practical way of illustrating. And if you’re going to illustrate a book that way, it could take a whole year at least, to illustrate something that detailed.
My style with this book was completely different.
LM: I think Wendy’s downplaying that her illustrations are fun, engaging, and accessible. I love old kinds of art too, but they’re dated.
Those were not accessible to children. They were a little scary. We have a Big Bad Wolf.
My worry, if I had a secret worry, was how Wendy would pull off Bibi Wolf. She needed to be a wolf, but not scary.
W: Bibi Wolf was the one character that I really worked on a lot. I wanted to capture her attitude. I had trouble getting the action right. The hardest scene was when she was stomping. I wanted to make sure she was cute but not a scary character at all. And even just having one little tooth coming out, I was not sure if that was too much.
Bibi Wolf is not a bad guy. She’s not the evil villain, just a jealous classmate. And we want to like her. We want to feel she’s still lovable and that we can relate to her.
NLBA: Do you have any firsthand accounts of how the Three Little Pigs and The Rocket Project have inspired children?
LM: As you know, there is a toss rocket project in the back of the book. I’ve gotten pictures of kids who built their own toss rockets. So that’s been exciting.
The Three Little Pigs use different materials, most of which don’t work. But children could take it a step further and experiment with different sizes and designs to see which rocket sails faster. They can compare, measure distance, and gain gamesmanship.
I’ve received comments it wasn’t STEAM enough, but my intention was to write a good story with a STEAM component.
The other takeaway from The Three Little Pigs and the Rocket Project is learning how to be a graceful loser.
Bibi is a kind of bully. I wouldn’t say a villain, but she’s someone who wants to win. I wanted to show that we can deal with those kinds of people with a bit of understanding. For example, the girl pig tells Bibi that if she really wanted to win, she should have built a better rocket instead of blowing everyone else’s down.
So, there’s an anti-bullying message. And if you really want something, think about the best way to get it. Don’t push people down or step on people to get it.
Bibi really wanted something and took the wrong path to get there.
But it all comes together in the end.
NLBA: Wendy, what is your routine as a freelance illustrator? Same question for Lynne being a writer?
W: Well, I have what I call my meat and potatoes clients because they pay the bills. So, I work on those projects on a day-to-day basis.
I love working on other people’s projects like The Three Little Pigs book.
Whenever I can, I try to fit my personal projects in, but I keep putting my books behind other people’s projects.
I’m kind of scattered with my schedule because I have children. Sometimes I’m up past midnight. So, yeah, not much of a routine.
NLBA: When there are children involved, it’s their routine. Not yours. And how about you, Lynne? Do you have a routine?
LM: Like Wendy, I feel like a thief when I’m working on my own projects.
As the director of “Rate Your Story” and a writing mentor, I am pretty busy.
I’m going to work on really preserving my time. I have a talent and I need to get my books out there apart from helping people get their books ready for publication and fostering them on their journey. I need to carve out time and achieve my dreams. Thankfully, I’ve been consistent with a book a year for a couple of years, but you know that there’ll be a time that maybe that won’t happen if I don’t start paying attention to myself.
NLBA: Yes. Something that I do with my writing is I put it on my calendar as an appointment and treat it as any other meeting or something like a dentist appointment.
You mentioned “Rate Your Story” and that you have a huge involvement in the Kid Lit community. What advice would you have for emerging children’s book writers and illustrators?
LM: Well, this advice may not be very popular, but here it goes.
People go to critique groups, and they revise and revise and revise. They revise things to death. And they think that’s the journey, but the journey is reading. The journey is learning the craft. It could be classes, books, or conferences. As the director of “Rate Your Story,” I see people with fantastic ideas, but they keep making the same mistakes even after they get feedback. They don’t read comp books or craft books. They’re not investing in a class or mentoring. I want people to succeed. So, with love in my heart, I say these are the essential elements to getting published.
I went back to school before I started submitting. I continue to invest in myself and learn my craft. Plus, I read every day. So, read, read, read, and invest in yourself.
NLBA: Absolutely. And how about you, Wendy? What about illustrators who are trying to connect with children’s writers?
W: The Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators or SCBWI is an excellent resource that you can tap into. Go to a regional local conference and network with writers. You can have your art/portfolio shown there.
There are some Facebook groups you can join. One resource I recommend is a website called makeartthatsells.com. It has some wonderful courses online for illustrators. Specifically, a children’s book illustration course. They are taught by Lilla Rogers who lives in the UK.
LM: There are many opportunities to improve your craft at “Rate Your Story.” Members may submit up to 18 manuscripts or query letters and receive a rating and feedback. Non-members may purchase a speed pass to receive a rating and feedback. “Rate Your Story” judges host 11 Crafty Web Seminars, with a Q & A Session, Weekly Mentor Text Talks, plus much, much more. Check us out at Rate Your Story.
NLBA: It was such a pleasure spending time with both of you. We are looking forward to your future collaborations.
LM: Thank you! We loved your questions and this opportunity. We’re so happy to win this award.