Can you tell us a little bit about your background and path to becoming a children’s book author?
My route to writing children's books is as winding as the mountain roads surrounding my home near Hazard, KY. I began my career as a social worker; then changed paths and taught social studies. From there I ventured into the world of books when I became a librarian. I have a Master's degree in Education from Morehead State University and another Master's degree in Library and Information Science from the University of Kentucky. I have written more than 30 picture books and two middle grade books. Shhhhhh! Here's a secret to my writing. I have two canine writing muses named Jazi and Roxi that dream up stories and pass them along to me.
What made you decide to tackle a
folktale for your latest picture book project?
I’m a retired librarian who has
spent an entire career in the elementary school library, so naturally I’ve read
my share of folktales…and loved them. My great-grandmother was a Cherokee.
Simmering in the back of my mind for over a decade, I’ve considered retelling a
Cherokee folktale if I found the right story. I’m always busy working on the
next book, so I never actually took the time to track down a Cherokee folktale
to retell. Then one day about a couple of years ago, I saw a book about the
Cherokee Nation. I checked out all the books I could find on Cherokee stories
in our local library. I read many, many stories, but none of them resonated
with me the way FIRST FIRE did. It was love at first read.
Did you have a particular publisher
in mind when approaching the subject matter?
I did not. I wrote
the story and then began researching publishers. I sent the manuscript to two
publishers and waited to hear back from them. When I heard, I received
acceptance notices within the same week from both. I contacted the second
publisher and turned down their offer.
What was your inspiration for writing this particular folktale?
What was your inspiration for writing this particular folktale?
This book is my
tribute to my great-grandmother and our Cherokee heritage. As I began reading Cherokee and Native
American folktales, I found FIRST FIRE and knew immediately that I wanted to
retell it as a picture book. The story had all the elements I was looking for:
a variety of animals, a conflict, a crisis, and an unlikely hero, all tied up
with a happy ending.
What type of research was involved in writing the story? How did you approach the retelling of the story?
What type of research was involved in writing the story? How did you approach the retelling of the story?
The research
was not that difficult. I found the story in different books and versions. The
difficult part came with keeping the story authentic and true to the culture.
The storyteller in me wanted to tell the story with the most creative flair,
but the folklorist in me warned: don’t stray too far from the original story.
After all, it was not my story, but a retelling of a Cherokee story. I also
spent time reading about the Cherokee culture and talking with members of the
Cherokee nation in an effort to give credence to the retelling and to get the
details correct.
How might teachers use this folktale in the classroom and for what age group(s)?
Creation stories unravel the mysteries of the
origins of the world and/or that of animals and people. Many cultures have
their own stories that are similar to the stories of other cultures half-way
around the world where the tales developed independently of the other. The
stories are sacred and reflect how the people and animals of the culture cope
with everyday life. This book can be used in social studies class when studying
cultures. It can also be used in science class when studying fire and animals,
especially spiders. There is a section in the back of the book designed for
educational purposes that is appropriate for primary grades and up through
grade five.
What types of writing do you prefer, and why?
I enjoy writing fiction for children. I love
the freedom fiction allows. I can be in charge of the fictional world and
completely control the plot and characters. I’m Top Dog. The characters say
what I tell them to say and do what I want them to do. In the real world, I’m
not Top Dog, and I don’t control anyone around me.
I also enjoy writing creative nonfiction. I’ve
never outgrown the inquisitive child living inside me. I say “creative”
nonfiction because presenting facts and only the facts can be dull and boring.
I like to wrap the facts in a narrative that uses literary styles and
techniques to make the reader want to keep on turning the pages.
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