I’m excited to share, JUST SO WILLOW by Sara Shacter (illustrated by Stephanie Laberis), which released last week from Sterling. This gorgeous book is humorous, beautiful, and SO perfect for today’s young readers as it shares the story of a polar bear who discovers that friendships and having fun is better than trying to keep everything “just so.” (A message we all need to be reminded of!)
So let’s get the inside scoop on JUST SO WILLOW with author Sara Shacter…
How did you get the idea for Just So Willow?
One morning, after a snowstorm, I opened the front door and my breath caught. My block was too beautiful to believe. As a Chicagoan, I knew the magic would be short-lived. Within hours, cars and pedestrians would disturb the impossibly smooth, clean surfaces and the world would turn from pristine to muddled.
As I gawked at the sparkling landscape, I remembered back to when I was a kid. On similar days, I’d try to walk lightly across the snow, hoping to leave no marks. I smiled at the memory. Then my imagination started going. Wouldn’t it be funny if some huge animal – like a hippo (or, in later revisions, a polar bear) – thought it could tiptoe across the snow without ruining it?
And a picture book idea was born.
What was your process for turning that idea into a salable story?
Ah. The word “salable” is a tricky one! This is such a subjective business – who really knows what’s “salable?” What I do know is that I wanted to write something funny, but emotionally true, for my readers. A huge, lumbering animal trying to tiptoe in the snow is silly. But the animal’s desire for beauty is not. Its fear of making a mistake, of “ruining” something, is not.
So I started my manuscript by conveying the main character’s desire for her surroundings to be orderly. When she sees the gorgeous snow, she’s compelled to go outside. Of course she makes a mess and her attempts to fix it make everything worse. Finally, in a moment of clarity, she finds beauty in the mess.
I revised and sent that manuscript out for years. I came close to getting a contract a few times, but it never flew. Finally, I received a critique at SCBWI-IL’s Prairie Writer’s and Illustrator’s Day from Brett Duquette, then an editor at Sterling. He noticed that the tone of the book was inconsistent. The first half was funnier than the second half. In particular, he loved the manuscript’s first three lines. He suggested I revise with those three lines in mind.
His comment made sense. Many previous critiques had mentioned that the ending didn’t quite work. Maybe it was because it didn’t match the beginning in terms of tone. So I sat down, deleted everything but the first three lines and began anew. The revision led to a very different story, and to a Sterling book contract. I will always be grateful to Brett for that critique.
Were there any surprises or unusual challenges you encountered on this book?
The biggest challenge was to keep at it. I went back recently to look at my rejection letters for this project. Let’s just say they span the millennia!
A surprise was that Sterling wanted to change my main character from a hippo into a polar bear, so the book would feel more like a “winter” title. At first I was a tad resistant. My main character had been a hippo forever. And hippos are funny! And the title of the book was The Just So Hippo! But then I realized I was being handed an opportunity. A polar bear not wanting to be in the snow is pretty funny. In addition, seasonal books sell well. Finally, if we went full-on polar bear, we could also go full-on Arctic! So all of the characters in the book became Arctic animals, which makes for some fun curricular tie-ins for teachers.
What do you hope readers take away from the story?
I hope readers see that they don’t have to be perfect. They don’t have to worry about mistakes, or “ruining” things. I also hope they see it’s okay to be reflective. For example, there’s nothing wrong with being neat and tidy. But for Willow, her focus on that behavior gets in her way and prevents her from being truly happy. We all need to retool our actions from time to time, and that’s okay. That’s how we grow and learn.
Twitter: @SaraShacter
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/sara.shacter
Website: www.sarafshacter.com
* * * * * * * * BOOK GIVEAWAY * * * * * * * * *
Enter to win your own copy of JUST SO WILLOW by leaving a comment on this post. One winner will be selected at random.
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Winner of Miep and the Most Famous Diary from the July 16 post was Maria Gianferrari!
I’m inspired by the fact that she worked on this project for years. Yay for perseverance!
I think it’s sort of a prerequisite for publishing!
This sounds like such a fun and relatable tale! Thanks for sharing the process and journey with us!
Thanks for reading!
This sounds like a great book–love this character! Unscrambling spaghetti is hilarious!
Thanks! Willow does not fall far from her author’s tree. 🙂
Here to cheer for my Sterling sister Sara! And I have a copy of JUST SO WILLOW en route, so please don’t enter me in the draw. Congrats!
Thanks for the support!!
I love seeing this!!!
Hi there!! I was going to forward this link to you, as you made it all happen. Thanks!!
Another Sterling Sister — congratulations! Wishing you ALL the best!
Go Sterling Sisters!!
Oh, yes..yes..yes….I NEED this book for a ‘too determined to be organized’ granddaughter…Thank you….
Hope it hits the right note with her!
Love the message that you don’t have to be perfect -so many kids need to hear it! Thanks for sharing your journey and glad you didn’t give up!
Thanks so much! I hope kids take that message with them.
Congrats! Sounds like an awesome book!
Thanks!!
Thanks so much!
My three-year-old granddaughter’s name is Willow. She’d love this book and I would love to read it to her.
How fun! Hope she enjoys it!
I can relate to Willow 🙂 Thanks for sharing!
Willow is pretty much me. 🙂
This book is so, so, SO darling!
Thanks, friend! Hope you’re doing well.
I love a book that tells me (and young readers) that complete tidyness is not realistic –or fun!
Seriously! I try to remind myself of that when I move one pile of papers on top of another pile of papers in my office.
Your willingness to persevere and revise is an encouragement to me this morning. I’mm looking forward to meeting Willow on the pages of your new book. Congratulations!
I’m so glad! Publishing is definitely a marathon and not a sprint.
I am also happy you chose to consider the critique suggestions–the idea of a polar bear not wanting to play in the snow is hilarious. Thank you for the interview and insight into this adorable and entertaining book that kids will ask for over and over and parents like me will always agree.
Thanks so much for your kind words.
This looks like such a cute book! Thanks for sharing the interview. I found it very insightful.
Thanks for letting me know!
Great insights on process and rethinking a project! Thanks so much.
Actually, rereading my own post today made me rethink another manuscript in my files. The cycle never ends!
This book looks adorable. I admire your tenacity on your road to publication.
Thanks so much. It can be hard to hang in there, but nothing is lost by continuing to try.
Sounds like a fun read with a great message. Congratulations, Sara!
Thanks so much, Kim!
What a fun book and a wonderful message! Thanks for sharing your story.
I appreciate the support. Thanks!
Congratulations Sara! Willow sounds like a great character. And just in time for winter!
It IS a great winter book! Glad Sterling made the change.
I love the illustration of her ironing her underwear. lol! Congrats on your book!
I love Stephanie’s illustrations. They’re wonderful! And she added the gnomes — they were not mentioned in my manuscript. She’s brilliant.
Wonderful. I really look forward to seeing this!
Thanks so much!
And to think it all stated with a snow storm! How fun!
I know! You never know where a story’s going to go.
Congratulations to the author for keeping at it! And you have to admire any character who is so neat and careful that she unscrambles her spaghetti!
True, right?!
Congrats to Sara! It’s hard to hit delete – but look at what happened when you got that conference critique and went back and revised!
Yep! In fact, I think I’ll be using the delete key heavily on my next draft of another book!
Congratulations, Sara! Your book offers a great message. Your perseverance is inspiring!
Thanks so much!
This book looks great! My little girl would enjoy it!
Love the idea that a big animal wants to walk on snow without leaving a trace! What a nugget of a fun story. And straightening spaghetti! Thanks for sharing the evolution of Willow.
Thanks for reading!
Thanks, Sara. I love the way you dove into a revision which left only three lines. I have to remember that. I’m glad that you published this story, and I’m looking forward to reading it.
Thanks so much for your support!
Who can resist an underwear-ironing polar bear? Not me! So fabulous 🙂
Congrats!!
Underwear is always funny!!
I can’t wait to read this, Sara! Congratulations! 🙂
Thanks so much for the support!
This is such a needed story in today’s schools. Even in Kindergarten, I see children feeling the need to be perfect. Thank you for writing such a wonderful story about social and emotional learning.
Glad to hear you feel it will be helpful. Kids should explore, not worry!
So adorable! You love the page you’ve shared! Perfect!
Thanks! Isn’t Stephanie’s art fabulous?
Congratulations, Sara! The book sounds wonderful. I love that she unscrambles her spaghetti!!
That’s always been my favorite line. 🙂
So cute, Sara! And it is so hard to change things up, but worth the challenge! And I can relate with Willow: I have a pic of me at about 4 years old, bawling b/c my neighbor walked through OUR snow in our front yard.
I wouldn’t have blamed you! I bet you put a lot of time into that fort. Thanks for the suport. 🙂
Congratulations! It sounds so seeet and funny! I admire your persistence! Inspirational!
Thanks so much!
Your courage to cast aside “just so” and forge ahead with a revision using just 3 lines from the original is inspiring. I’m glad it landed you a contract and we readers a new picture book delight. : )
Thanks for your kind words.
What a terrific interview!! Sara, I love the journey of this story, and how you pared it back to the first three lines to begin again (and still had more revising to do when the hippo became a polar bear!). Congratulations, and thanks for the interview, Suzanne!
Yes, many thanks to Suzanne!!
I love that your perseverance — and flexibility — paid off. That’s so encouraging. And hurrah for insightful critiques!
I just pulled your name for a free book! Can you email me your address?
I’m thrilled! Thank you! I’ll get you my address. Your book will be so fun to read.
Lovely interview, Suzanne. This looks adorable and I’m so happy to hear Sara’s story of perseverance! Congratulations!!!
Thanks so much! The adorable quality is definitely thanks to Stephanie!
I admire your tenacity! Great Job!
Thanks!
I’m so glad your persistence with this story paid off, Sara. Adding it to my library requests and looking forward to reading it.
I love the idea of this book. I have a daughter who is a perfectionist and this book is perfect for her!