Today’s picture book is a fun look at chaos, cause and effect.

Nicole Castrovinci was born and raised in the suburbs of New Jersey just outside of New York City. A child of the 1970s, when she wasn’t roaming freely about the neighborhood with friends, Nicole loved to write. She filled up a dozen diaries, wrote to pen pals from around the world, and submitted poems for publication in local newspapers. Many years later, with a masters degree in Counseling Psychology, Nicole is still happiest when she is writing – especially with a cat curled up on her lap. ‘The Butterfly Effect’ (2023) is Nicole’s first children’s book.  You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Twitter or on Instagram.

THE BUTTERFLY EFFECT is a rhyming picture book that starts when a bumbling butterfly bumps into a bee.  From there, one chaotic event leads to another and the entire barn yard is in an uproar.  How the resolution comes about and peace returns, I will leave a surprise for readers.  However, this isn’t just a story full of laughs, it can also start a dialogue about the choice of our actions and the impact they can have on another.  The story itself isn’t didactic or preachy in any way.  This book is going to be a great addition to my classroom SEL collection as it also encourages kindness.

Welcome Nicole!

Me: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey?  How has that brought you to writing this picture book?

Nicole: I definitely took the scenic route to getting published (LOL), but what a fun trip! I started submitting manuscripts to publishers in 2012. I look back at some of those stories and cringe, I had so much to learn! Joining SCBWI was a game changer for me. I took advantage of all the resources they had to offer and it propelled me forward. And, most importantly, I never gave up.

Me: I love the title (a well-known phrase) and how you’ve interpreted it in this story.  What gave you the idea to write a book about the effects of our actions?

Nicole: Jeff Goldblum! I give full credit to Dr. Ian Malcolm in the OG Jurrasic Park movie – he introduced me to the chaos theory and the butterfly effect – remember that scene? The idea that our actions can have a ripple effect just stuck with me and I knew I had to write about it.

Me: How in the world did your debut picture book also end up translated (and published first) in Dutch?

Nicole: Right? That was a unique experience. Clavis Publishing is based in Belgium, although they have an office in New York as well. Most of their books are first published in Dutch and released in Europe for a year before being released in the United States in English. So the story is first edited in English, translated into Dutch, then edited in Dutch. Then a year later, the whole process is reversed. Lots of Google translate! 

Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing this story?

Nicole: The Butterfly Effect is written in rhyme and I have always heard that publishers that publish books in multiple languages will not consider stories written in rhyme because they don’t translate well and, to be honest, I was curious how it was going to work out. The Dutch translation of The Butterfly Effect does not rhyme but I was pleasantly surprised that the heart of the story remained unchanged.

Me: There are so many turning points in this story, that it seems deceptively simple.  For instance, I love that you have the same character who causes the chaos, being the one who starts the solution to the problems as well.  Was this always included or did it come about during revisions?  Were there a lot of revisions for this story?

Nicole: Yes, I always wanted Butterfly to be the impetus for change in the story, both causing the chaos and bringing it to an end. I revise constantly as I write so I don’t keep track of the number of revisions but there are always a lot. One thing I never know when I start a story is how it’s going to end, I don’t think about it until I get there. 

Me: The illustrations by Madelon Koelinga are perfect.  I love the color palette and how she rendered her illustrations.  Were there any illustration surprises for you?

Nicole: Yes, Madelon did a fantastic job of bringing the story to life. I think all writers picture the characters in their head while they are writing so it’s always a surprise to see how the artist sees them. The last page spread covered in butterflies is really impactful and took me by surprise the first time I saw it. 

Me: Any advice for other picture book writers?

Be patient and keep writing!

Thank you for stopping by my blog today Nicole.

But wait, dear readers, there’s more.  Nicole has agreed to giveaway one copy of her debut picture book to a lucky winner (US contestants only).  You can enter the rafflecopter here.