Hello, picture book people! When I ran into my Missouri friend Jody Jensen Shaffer at the Marvelous Midwest conference this past spring, we had a lot of catching up to do. (See this 2023 interview with Jody about CREEP, LEAP, CRUNCH!, which went on to WIN an SCBWI Crystal Kite in her division.)
This year, Jody has outdone herself with THREE releases: The Last Day Julian Was My Best Friend (Two Lions, illus by Joanne Lew-Vriethoff), Sometimes I Am Hot Lava (Beaming Books, illus by Amelie Videlo), and Porcupine Had a Fuzzy Sweater (Magination Press, illus by Angela Edmonds). Jody had copies of all three books, so I got sneak peeks, and, although ALL were terrific, her little Porcupine character grabbed me from page one. He has a favorite sweater, see, and when he loses it, his world is turned upside down. Why? Because it’s the sweater his beloved Grandma knitted for him. How can he tell her he’s been so careless and lost something so precious?! The sweetness, the humor, the VOICE hit me right in the heart. (I do love me an emotional roller coaster.) And c’mon, look at this guy:
Who wouldn’t be immediately drawn to such extreme cuteness? Teachers are going to LOVE this book for an absorbing and entertaining group read, but it will work equally well as a lap book. And it teaches a lesson in a VERY SUBTLE way that doesn’t hit you over the head.
TODAY is release day for PORCUPINE, so what better time to have a chat?
Jill: Welcome back, Jody! I’m guessing you’re VERY busy with promotion these days, what with three picture books out in 2024 alone (not to mention bunches prior to that). What kinds of things are you doing right now to get the word out?
Jody: It’s been a busy and fun year with Sometimes I Am Hot Lava releasing in April, The Last Day Julian Was My Best Friend coming out in June, and now Porcupine Had a Fuzzy Sweater. I feel really lucky to be able to write books for children and to find publishers who want to publish them. To promote my books, I’ve visited lots of schools and libraries, done bookstore events, spoken at conferences and festivals, and been interviewed on blogs like Picture Book Builders! I launched Porcupine at an independent bookstore in my area, KD’s Books.
Jill: I’m always curious about story origins. Do you recall what initially sparked PORCUPINE?
Jody: PORCUPINE’s voice popped into my head September 25, 2017 (my computer files tell me) with these lines:
“I, Porcupine, am sad.
Do you see how sad I am?
Look at my sad eyes.
Look at my sad ears.
Can you see that even my nose is sad?
You can’t? Let me show you a happy porcupine nose.
Now mine.
The difference is dramatic, don’t you think?”
And I knew this was the voice of a character with a story. I just had to figure out what that was.
Jill: For sure. Sometimes a character just appears, right? (And don’t we all wish that happened more often?!) Porcupine occasionally speaks directly to the audience. What a great technique for engaging little listeners.
Jody: It seemed to me a part of Porcupine’s personality. He’s very earnest. Porcupine is going to tell you that he is sad, and then he would very much like for you to acknowledge his feelings by noticing how his body is also sad. He’s definitely a porcupine in touch with his feelings! I hoped using direct address to the reader and asking the reader to actively participate in the story would be fun for kids and their grown-ups. And can I just say that Angela Edmonds’ illustrations are absolutely perfect? I hope everyone gets a chance to see Porcupine’s very earnest ears.
Jill: Who knew ears could show so much emotion? And YES, I didn’t even talk about the illustrations yet! Oh, readers. I’ll just say that they’re bright and heartwarming and measure up to the promise of that adorable cover, and then some!
Jill: Tell us about PORCUPINE’s journey to publication, Jody. Smooth, or rocky?
Jody: I began subbing PORCUPINE after it went through my critique partners and many rounds of revision and was delighted to sign a contract with a small UK publisher in late 2020. Side note: they don’t have porcupines in the UK, so we changed it to I, HEDGEHOG, and they don’t have sweaters, so we changed that to jumpers. Then, the acquiring editor was let go and the publisher closed. COVID, anyone? I changed Hedgehog back to Porcupine and jumper back to sweater and began submitting it again in the US. I was delighted when Magination Press made an offer in 2022.
Jill: Ouch. How awful to lose the publisher entirely! That had to be a blow. Glad you didn’t let this little guy languish in a drawer, but got him right back out there again. So … what’s in your queue for 2025 and beyond?
Jody: I’ve written a board book, yet to be announced, that comes out in 2025, and several other projects are winding their way through the pipeline as we speak! And I look forward to visiting more schools, libraries, and conferences.
Jill: And I’M looking forward to seeing those next projects, Jody! THANKS for visiting with me today.
DEAR READERS: I can hardly believe it, but this post marks TEN YEARS of Picture Book Builders!!! New to us? I hope you’ll go back through and look at some of those posts, as we’ve featured hundreds of remarkable books! Go ahead, do that now. I’ll wait……………
…………No, I won’t. We have a GIVEAWAY to talk about! Jody Jensen Shaffer is going to send one lucky winner their very own copy of Porcupine Had a Fuzzy Sweater! To enter, simply leave a comment below. U.S. residents only, please. Winner will be selected in a drawing on Friday, October 4th, 2024, and notified ASAP. BEST of luck!
This looks so cute. I know a bunch of kindergartens who will love it.
Porcupine’s sad quills! Brilliant!
Congratulations, Jody! Your book looks and sounds adorable!
Congratulations to Jill and Picture Book Builders on 10 years!
Thank you both for this fun interview.
Thanks, Kim! Sure doesn’t seem like 10 years. 🙂
Thanks, Loreli, Robin, and Kim! And CONGRATULATIONS, Picture Book Builders! 10 more years! 10 more years!
Fingers crossed, Jody! Thanks!
Omg this looks so adorbs! And such a great publication story. So glad you didn’t give up! Congrats Jody!
This looks adorable!
Great storyline. I can picture children putting themselves in Porcupines shoes and acting out his emotions.
Happy Book Birthday to Jody and Angela. PORCUPINE is just the sweetest!
[my copy is on the way so please do not enter me in the giveaway]
And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY to Picture Book Builders! A whole decade of delightful and entertaining interviews and posts – wow! So grateful for the conversations, insights and information that you have shared with your readers.
THANK YOU, Cathy! And thanks for being a long-time commenter. We REALLY appreciate you!
Oh I already love Porcupine! Congratulations Jody and Picture Book Builders!
Thanks, Rose!
Thanks, Rebecca, Becky, Cathy (yay for preorders!), and Rose! I appreciate the love!
Adorable book. Wish I had it when I was working with my preschoolers. And happy birthday, Picture Book Builders! I look forward to your posts!
Aw, thank you, Sandra. Sure helps that there are 8 of us! 🙂
Porcupine will be such a joy for young readers! My grandson will love this story.
What an adorable book! Congratulations! And happy 10th anniversary to Picture Book Builders!
Thank you, Stefanie! 🙂
I love, love, love how every part of Porcupine’s body is sad! Can’t wait to find out if he gets his beloved sweater back.
Happy tenth, PBB!
Thanks, Kathy!
How sweet! I’m excited for your other projects, too. Congrats Jody:)
Picture Book Builders has been around for TEN YEARS, and I only learned about it a few months ago!?! I’ve got lots of catching up to do!
This picture book looks ADORABLE! I love the voice as well and the illustrations. I can already see this being a book my kids will love. Thanks for the generous giveaway and for sharing your journey!
You DO, Bri! Glad you’ve found us, and WELCOME!
Porcupine is such a cute character. 🦔 I love how the story is told from his POV.
All the best, Jody.
Sweet and awesome book! Bravo! I can’t wait to read it.
Porcupine is so adorable! I can’t wait to read this! Congratulations on 10 years of awesome interviews!
THANKS, Linda!
How fun! Thank you for sharing!
Adorable! Who doesn’t love a porcupine?
Such a cute book!…And great voice!
This book looks so sweet, and great for learning emotions! Thanks for sharing your journey – looking forward to reading this with my kiddos. And happy birthday to Picture Book Builders!
Thank you, Lindsay!
I love when characters address the reader–I find these books so engaging and place me within the story. I can’t wait to get to know porcupine. Thank you for sharing this book’s journey to publication.
What a sweet story! It looks like a perfect book to read aloud. Thank you for sharing the story behind the story.
Wow! I went shopping for some black pants and came back to this wonderful reception! Thank you all so much!!
This looks absolutely adorable! I enjoyed reading this interview and learning about the story behind the book.
Thanks, Lynn!
This book looks adorable! Sorry to hear about the UK publisher closing, but I’m glad you found a new publisher. Congratulations!
I’d love to win a copy of this book! Porcupine couldn’t be more endearing and his direct address to readers is super appealing. Well done, Jody and Angela! And thanks, Jill, for the terrific interview.
I love Porcupine already! And thank you for sharing your publication journey – it’s a good reminder that this is not a linear path – curves and detours are so much a part of it, yet persistence pays off.
My comment disappeared. Strange. But I still wanted to add my Congratulations!!! Porcupine is adorable.
Thanks so much, everyone! I’m overwhelmed by your lovely comments! All my best back to each of you!
I love how Porcupine tells us how he feels and addresses us directly. How engaging for little listeners and adult readers! I look forward to reading the full story!
Another winner, Jody! So happy for you!
LOVE! We just had two porcupines cause quite a stir on our campus as they closed the playground to recess for hours while they chose to hang out in a tree near the playscape. I know my students would love this story.
Jody,
I absolutely love Porcupine and his earnest little ears! I hope he solves his “prickly problem”, although I’m certain his beloved grandma will forgive him. Who can resist such cuteness?! I can’t wait to get my hands on it.
Congrats on 10 years, Picture Book Builders!
Terrific, I enjoyed this post, and thanks for introducing us to Porcupine!
I have loved seeing that sweet little Porcupine’s belly on X for quite some time and am so glad he is out in the world now! Looking forward to reading his story in its entirety!