The Story of a Story

In the fall of 2012, my picture book The Halloween Forest, published by Holiday House and wondrously illustrated by John Shelley, came out to nice reviews.  Even a star from Kirkus Reviews.By the time it came out, of course, I had moved on to other work, as we all do. Then John Briggs, owner and president of Holiday House, called me. He asked if I would write another picture book, this one about spring, also to be illustrated by John Shelley.I was pleased, of course. Having a book sold—or at least the concept sold—before I have even conceived it is one of the few whiffs of security a writer ever gets in this insecure world. So naturally I said, “yes,” and set to work. I enjoy writing about seasons, and while every season has elements I love, spring, after our long Minnesota winters, always moves me most deeply. I began stirring ideas.It didn’t take too long for me to come up with one: the last icy, muddy remains of winter and a child awakened in the night by a sound. He steps out the door and finds a bear waiting there, and the two of them set off—soon accompanied by other forest animals—in search of the sound’s source. (I won’t give away the secret in case this teaser might prompt some of you to locate the book.)I titled the story Crack! and showed it to my partner, who, while not a writer, has a wonderful feel for stories for young children. She read the manuscript and handed it back saying, “That’s not the way I experience spring.” Hmmmm. I carried the manuscript back to my study and sat with it until I decided that wasn’t the way I experienced spring, either. So I tucked Crack! away into a file in my computer and started again.I wrote a different winter into spring story, very lyrical, and this one I sent to my editor at Holiday House, Mary Cash, before I had too much time to think about it. She said, “It’s lovely, but too literary. I don’t think we would be successful with this.”I tried again. She wanted something more commercial, so I went for funny. To say I’m not known for funny is a major understatement. But I came up with a conversation with a very put-upon Easter bunny that I, at least, thought was marvelously funny. I sent it off, and got another quick response. This one was too commercial for a house that sells primarily to the school and library market. (Later my agent, Rubin Pfeffer, sent it out and found no takers, so maybe my funny bone really doesn’t work.)At this point I put the whole project aside. I was out of ideas. Until Mary contacted me. Where was that picture book about spring? “It’s not going to happen,” I wanted to respond, but you don’t say that to an editor who actively wants something from you. So I went back to work again.I tried this. I tried that. I tried several other things. Nothing I came up with was worth showing anyone. Then one day I came across Crack! in my files, looked it over, decided it was better than I’d remembered and that it was an improvement over any of my more recent attempts. I sent it to Mary.The next day she e-mailed me an offer. It was exactly what she wanted. (The only problem was the title, which, for reasons that I was too naïve to have thought of, needed to be changed. Crack! became Crinkle, Crackle, Crack … It’s Spring!)Mary turned the manuscript over to the wondrous John Shelley to illustrate, and I had a sale. Easy, peasy!April 1st is the official publication date for Crinkle, Crackle, Crack … It’s Spring. And, as always happens, the too-long process that led up to the sale has fallen away. What is left is the new book, a beautiful thing to hold in my hands. (Thank you, John Shelley, for that!)And the reviews.And, of course, the next book waiting to be written … and the next … and the next.