Odd E-Mails
Infographic-in-progress. Note HUGENESS of the Black Death.
Sometimes when you take a step or two back from a project, you can’t quite believe you are writing serious, professional e-mails to a colleague that go like this:
The page looks empty and the pandemics themselves seems kind of inconsequential in all that space. I mean, the Black Death should be HUGE…. We do need to do something about the circle for COVID…. Right now it’s about the same size as the 1918 Influenza, when it should really be between the Third Bubonic Plague and Ebola, closer to Ebola.
This is what it looks like when you’re finishing up a picture book on pandemics and you need to get the final infographic just right.
Read MoreRejections
Low-cost rejection therapy
A part of every writer’s life, for sure. And there’s a half-myth, half-truth that they get easier with time and experience.
Well, in some ways they do. One thing that working as both an editor and a writer has taught me is that one editor’s “no” is not a verdict on the quality of the manuscript. One editor’s “no” doesn’t preclude another editor’s “yes.” And some manuscripts just don’t hit the market at the right time, even though they are reasonably good in themselves. It’s a combination of skill and timing and luck each time, and if the luck isn’t there–well, it just isn’t.
But every now and then there comes a rejection that really stings–of a book I particularly love, at a moment when I particularly need an injection of hope. A writer’s career is built on hope, after all–you write a book (or at least work up a proposal), putting time and energy and skill and love into it, and then you hope it will spark the right kind of response from someone and they’ll want to pay you some money for it. (Truly a terrible business model.) Sometimes it just doesn’t work out.
Then it’s time for long walks, hugging the pets, sweet tea, and patience. The sting wears off eventually, and it’s back to work on the next book, sending hope out into the universe, crossing your fingers that you’ll get some back.
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Two Friends
No thoughts on writing, research, or poop today. Instead enjoy this photo of my pup, Karma, and cat, Tessie, who do not actually like each other but are both fiends for warmth and will tolerate anything for a cozy spot to sleep.
Afraid of Mice? Not Quite…
Photo credit: keithlawson
More animal research tidbits. You know that old story that elephants are afraid of mice? In the first century A.D., Pliny the Elder claimed that elephants hate mice “above all other creatures.” Later scientists speculated that mice might run up elephant’s trunk.
This does not happen. And elephants are not particularly afraid of mice, although they have poor eyesight (and also eyes a long way around from the ground) and can sometimes get started by anything that scuttles unexpectedly around their feet.
But there is a tiny animal that elephants are actually afraid of.
Bees.
Despite elephant’s thick skin, bee stings can still hurt. If bees are flying around, an elephant herd may form up into a protective circle with the calves inside to keep them safe from the fuzzy little flying menaces.
Read MorePoop Research Continues
Photo Credit: Wikimedia Commons, Nhobgood, Nick Hobgood
Guess what the pristine what beaches of Hawaii and the Caribbean are made out of?
Parrotfish poop.
Parrotfish use their tough beaks to scrape algae off coral and eat it. They also eat the little animals that build the coral. Doing this, they end up crunching up the coral itself, which their bodies process and defecate as lovely white sand.
A big parrotfish can poop out 1000 pounds of sand a year.
You are welcome for this tidbit of horrifying yet delightful knowledge. Take it with you on your next beach vacation.
Read MoreEric Carle
This is the week that we lost Eric Carle, a giant of the world of children’s literature. He wasn’t just an amazing illustrator and author, he was a champion of picture books for the preschool set–the very youngest readers.
Books like The Very Hungry Caterpillar (listen to Carle read his own words and get a glimpse of his studio here) and Brown Bear, Brown Bear are perfectly suited to children just learning about language, art, and story. Carle was one of the first to write and illustrate books for kids this young with superb dedication and artistry. These are books that are narratively elegant and visually stunning–those colors! Those pristine white backgrounds! Those simple and powerful shapes!
He brought not only his skill, but also his respect, to that audience. He is (present tense, always) a writer who understands the courage it takes to be two, or three, or four, or five, in a world that’s overwhelming both in its joys and its challenges.
Not everyone knows this, but when writing for kids, the younger the audience, the tougher the task. Carle took on the toughest audience of all and captivated them. He’ll be much missed.
Read MorePoop Research
Dogs do it. They’re not sorry. And they would do it again if they could. (Thanks to Claudia Peters from Pixabay for the image!
It’s remarkable how often my research for nonfiction leads me into the realm of poop. A while back, there was the question of how the Apollo astronauts managed with no toilet. And of course, the fascinating shape of wombat poop. This week I’ve been delving into the age-old question of why dogs eat poop.
a) Because their ancestors did.
b) Because it’s there.
c) Because dogs are just, by nature, gross.
d) And other reasons that may be revealed if I find a publisher for this new project one day.
Read MoreSarah L. Thomson
A children’s book author publishing award-winning nonfiction, poetry, picture books and novels including…
“Thomson focuses on newfound connection, magic, and suspense to conjure a fast-paced, heartwarming mystery. Thomson’s world is populated by resourceful protagonists, fanciful creatures, and quirky supporting characters.”
—Publishers Weekly