As a few of you already know, I’ve been posting “You by no means know what comes out of a damaged crayon” discovered object doodles for some time now. You may see my full Damaged Crayon Gallery thus far right here and extra data about my Damaged Crayon artwork usually (and my Damaged Crayon E-book!) right here. Should you’re on Fb, I encourage you to comply with my new “You by no means know what’s going to come out of a damaged crayon” FB Web page.
I’ve been approached by a variety of folks within the trade about collaborating on a damaged crayon youngsters’s e-book, however my intention had all the time been to put in writing and illustrate my very own story….and I didn’t need to rush the method. I got here up with loads of concepts and made a number of makes an attempt, however I couldn’t provide you with a narrative that I’d be enthusiastic about illustrating.
Quick ahead to SCBWI Northern Ohio convention, the place each Linda Sue and I have been on college:
On the college dinner, I discovered myself sitting between Linda Sue and her husband, Ben. Though Linda Sue and I had exchanged temporary greetings previously (normally throughout SCBWI conferences within the hallways once we have been each every hurrying someplace), we had by no means had an opportunity to have an actual dialog. An apart: A giant THANK YOU to Mike DeSantis for inviting me to be a speaker on the SCBWI Northern Ohio convention and giving us the chance to truly discuss.
Linda Sue instructed me she liked my damaged crayon artwork. Months earlier than, she had requested me if she may purchase a print of my gray robotic Damaged Crayon:
I had been so excited that LINDA SUE PARK had been noticing my artwork! I’ve been a fan ever since studying her Newbery Medal successful e-book, A Single Shard.
Throughout our dialog at that SCBWI Northern Ohio convention, Linda Sue mentioned she assumed I used to be already engaged on a damaged crayon story, and I confessed that I used to be having issues developing with one which I wished as an example. We talked about this some extra, and did a type of dance across the thought of working collectively. I exploit the time period “dance” as a result of neither of us wished to be pushy or make assumptions. It’s truly one of many features that basically appealed to me about working with LSP — she has SUCH nice respect for illustrators usually, and that was clear in the way in which she approached our potential collab.
Shortly after the convention, Linda Sue emailed me and mentioned that after they’d pushed dwelling, she awakened in the midst of the evening with a possible story thought for the e-book. It was in tough define type, and he or she inspired me to Brutally Sincere, to not really feel pressured into saying sure if it didn’t enchantment to me.
I HER STORY IDEA. Lovedlovedloved.
It was a narrative concept that I may by no means have provide you with myself, and one that may be enjoyable as an example with damaged crayons.
Linda Sue and I looped in our Curtis Brown Ltd agent, Ginger Knowlton (we each adore Ginger), and we labored on a proposal and despatched it to Justin Chanda, my editor at Simon & Schuster Kids’s. HE SAID YES!!!
I’m SOOOOO EXCITED about this e-book for therefore many causes! Due to everybody who has Preferred or shared my Damaged Crayon artwork, particularly these educators and librarians who’ve been utilizing damaged crayon artwork with their college students after seeing mine (you’ll be able to see some examples on this web page). I’ll be beginning work on illustrating Linda Sue’s story later this 12 months, and am delighted to be working with Laurent Linn and Justin Chanda once more for Simon & Schuster. Our damaged crayon e-book is scheduled for publication in Fall 2019.
CAN’T WAIT!!!!
And once more, in case you’re on Fb and am a fan of my Damaged Crayon artwork, I encourage you to comply with my new Damaged Crayon Fb Web page for damaged crayon artwork, damaged crayon concepts for the classroom, and updates about our upcoming e-book. Thanks!