How did I come to write books for children? I think that I always wanted to be a book creator. When I was in elementary school there was a book contest where you write and illustrate your own book, and if you win first place then they would publish your book. I entered a book into this contest. I didn’t win first place but I did win fourth place, and I was so excited and I was so happy that I won fourth place that I decided I wanted to make books forever. And I stuck to that so that’s really what happened.
To actually get published that’s a much different story. I went to the Rhode Island School of Design for children’s illustration. Because as I said, in elementary school I knew I wanted to be a children’s book creator. And so I graduated from high school I decided I wanted to become a children’s book illustrator. I went to the Rhode Island School of Design, I studied illustration and um, for a long.
After I graduated I sent out hundreds of thousands of postcards and samples of work, that’s what all illustrators do and I didn’t hear anything back. Except for one little card from I think he was a junior editor. He was an assistant editor at Orchard Books and he said I really like your stuff please send more. And I thought that was really nice but it still did not pay the bills.
I took a job at a giftware company where I made t-shirts that said “World’s Best Dad” and like mugs that said “Did anyone tell you that today you’re terrific?” And I was really, really miserable. And I was really unhappy, until a great thing happened. And I got laid off, and when I got laid off, I got a severance package. And with this severance package I said okay well I was always miserable in that job anyway. I really need to take this opportunity to really to try and make it as a children’s book author, and illustrator my dream.
So I did. I went to New York and I hit the pavement, and I showed my portfolio to everyone. I sent out even thousands more mailers and I still got no response. And just when I was running out of money from my severance package, I got a call. And it was the assistant editor that sent me that postcard so many years ago. And he said “Oh I just got your new sample.” He said “I’m not longer the assistant editor at this other company. I’m now the senior editor at Charlesbridge Publishing.
I always loved your artwork, but I’ve never been able to find a story that goes with it. And I saw this new sample, do you have a story that goes with this sample?” And I said “Yes I do!” Even though I didn’t. He said “Great, I’m at Charlesbridge which is right close to where you live I see. So why don’t we setup an appointment and you’ll come in next week, and we’ll talk? And bring your story.
And I said, “Okay! I will.” So I quickly sat down and stared at my sample and started writing and writing and I got the story in. And that became my very first book actually, The Ugly Vegetables. So that’s kind of a long story done shortly because there were many revisions and lots of working with the editor before that actually happened. But that’s how I broke in.
