Sleepy Snuggles + Interview with Diana Murray + a GIVEAWAY!

Hello Picture Book Builders peeps! 

Today we are taking a closer look at SLEEPY SNUGGLES, the gorgeous, cozy, sweet picture book by my good friend and critique partner, Diana Murray! It is illustrated by the fantastic Charles Santoso (whom I’ve also been a fan of for years, ever since my streams of tears nearly ruined my copy of Ida, Always, written by Caron Levis. If you haven’t read that book, I don’t recommend it unless you have a big box of tissues nearby. But I digress…). 

In SLEEPY SNUGGLES, animal parents of all kinds kiss and tuck-in their little ones throughout this beautiful bedtime book that’s chock full of the warmest warm fuzzies. Absolutely destined to be a classic!

Let’s here more about the making of this book from Diana herself. Welcome Diana! 

RGL: This book is so sweet and beautiful and is clearly destined to be a classic. But as we all know, there are a LOT of cozy bedtime books out there, so I’m super curious about the submission journey for this book. Obviously, your rhyming text is stellar, so that may have been all that was needed, but did you/your agent position this book in any specific way to help set this book apart? Were you met with any hurdles, for instance editors telling you the genre was “too saturated”?

DM: Actually, this was an unusual situation. I didn’t sub this manuscript around to different publishers. My wonderful editor specifically requested a bedtime book about animals (that would appeal to a similar audience as “Goodnight, Veggies”) and this is what I came up with. So it was an exclusive submission. I felt fortunate that she asked me, because I love writing with prompts in mind, I adore working with this editor (Kate O’Sullivan), and our last book (“Goodnight, Veggies”) has been very successful. But if I had sent it out more broadly, I would have pointed out the unique non-fiction aspect (learning body parts and learning about animal habitats) as well as the interactive element of giving kisses (i.e., a kiss on the eyes, a kiss on the ears, etc.)

RGL: The start of each stanza felt subtly reminiscent of Brown Bear Brown Bear, What Do You See? By Bill Martin Jr. and Eric Carle, with the repeated first line: “Snuggle-bunny, snuggle-bunny…” or “Snuggle-bee, snuggle-bee…”Was that book in your mind at all as you were writing this text? What other mentor texts (if any) did you use for this one?

DM: If it’s in any way reminiscent of a classic like that, I’m glad to hear it. I think I did look it up at one point to make sure they weren’t too similar. I’ve read that book so much, it’s probably in my DNA by now! But technically speaking, my book is written in a different meter. Mine is written in common meter 4/3 (with a specific pattern of alternating trochaic and iambic lines) while “Brown Bear, Brown Bear, What Do You See?” is primarily written in dactylic dimeter 2/2. At least, that’s how it sounds to my ear. In any case, the two books that consciously inspired me for this text are “Time For Bed” by Mem Fox and “Counting Kisses” by Karen Katz. Those are both books that I read to my kids a million times when they were little. (Well, so is Brown Bear!) And I included those comparisons in my pitch, even though I only pitched it to one publisher.

RGL: I love how you included some animals like bees, fish, pigs and frogs who are rarely (if ever?) featured in cozy bedtime books like this. Was this a conscious choice? How did you decide which animals to feature? 

DM: The choice was based on having animals that match the environment and naturally lead into one another on the landscape (for example, frogs, ducks, and fish are all in the pond, so those stanzas are grouped together). I wouldn’t make one of the animals a zebra, for example, because that wouldn’t be found in the area. And I wouldn’t end with a bear in the stanza that directly precedes the stanza with the human child at the end, because the bear would be far away. I was picturing the landscape that would be outside the child’s window. I also had to be mindful of not having overly similar animals back to back so that there could be some visual variety. And finally, I had to think about featuring different body parts for each animal. So I had to pick animals that made sense for that.

RGL: Charles Santoso’s illustrations are so perfect – sweet and soft with a very classic feel. What were you most pleased with and/or surprised by when it came to the illustrations for this book? 

DM: I agree! I absolutely love the illustrations! They’re Caldecott-worthy, in my opinion. I think he perfectly captured the warm, fuzzy coziness of the story. Such a classic feel. And I was surprised that each animal had an illustration that showed it awake before going to sleep. I was amazed that he was able to squeeze that in.

RGL: And now, my favorite question to ask my guests: What is one question no one has yet to ask you about the making of this book that you would love to answer? (And what’s the answer?!)

DM: “What is something unique about the illustrations?”

If you look closely, you’ll notice that each animal illustration is silhouetted in an animal-specific way. Charles first tried that in the initial sketches and the editor suggested he continue that treatment throughout. So for example, the chick illustration is silhouetted in the shape of an egg, while the fish silhouette has ripples around it and the frog silhouette is in the shape of a lily pad, and so on. I think it’s incredibly brilliant and I can’t believe nobody has mentioned it yet! Thanks for giving me an opportunity to point that out.

RGL: It was SO amazing having you here, Diana! Thanks for stopping by!

YES, dear readers, Diana has agreed to giveaway a signed copy of Sleepy Snuggles to one lucky reader (US-only). To enter, just make a comment on this post!

And the WINNER of last month’s giveaway, a manuscript critique or a 30-minute Ask Me Anything call with Kelly Conroy, author of YOU ARE MY EVERYTHING is…

****SUZY LEOPOLD!!!!!****

Congrats, Suzy! Please email me at [email protected] to claim your prize!

Diana’s Bio:

Diana Murray is the author of over twenty-five children’s books, including the bestselling Unicorn Day series and Pizza Pig, as well as Junior Library Guild Selections like Goodnight, Veggies and City Shapes. Her poems have appeared in magazines such as Highlights, The School Magazine of Australia, and various anthologies. Diana grew up in New York City and still lives nearby with her husband, two daughters, and a snuggly dog named Teddy.  http://www.dianamurray.com