Today’s story is for everyone who has ever had a sibling and explained just what makes you a family.

Jennifer Bradbury is the author of the middle grade novel River Runs Deep and of several critically acclaimed young adult novels, including, Take, A Moment Comes, Wrapped, and her debut, Shift—which Kirkus Reviews called “fresh, absorbing, compelling” in a starred review. Shift was picked as an ALA and a School Library Journal Best Book for Young Adults and is also on numerous state reading lists. She is also a rock climber and teacher in Burlington, Washington, where she lives with her family. You can learn more about her at her website.

NEARLY EXACTLY ALMOST LIKE ME is her debut picture book. It’s the story of two brothers racing to the ice cream truck on a hot day.  One makes it there firsts and let’s the other one cut in line.  This inevitably leads to someone complaining that’s not allowed, especially as they don’t look alike. I’m sure anyone who has been adopted recognizes this scene and might even cringe at that moment.  Yet Jennifer turns this moment into a glorious rumination on brother-hood.  They are brothers because of SO many things in common (and similar dislikes too).  And the illustrations by Pearl AuYeung add another layer of delicious storytelling that makes this book a feast for both the eyes and the heart.

Please note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher to review, but the opinions, as always, are my own.

Welcome Jennifer!

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

Jennifer: This book had a really long journey.  I wrote it when my daughter—now a college freshman—was in kindergarten and her younger brother in preschool.  My family was blessed twice over by adoption, and this story grew out of trying to help my kids navigate curiosity from other students in her kindergarten class about why she and her brother looked nothing alike.  I also wanted to write a story that featured adoption without every using the word adoption because I like to set weird challenges for myself.  And it grew out of helping our kids celebrate what makes them siblings—their shared experiences and similarities and fierce love for each other.  I’d only published YA fiction at the time, but my agent liked the story and editor Caitlyn Dlouhy did too, luckily.  We waited a long time for just the right illustrator and Pearl was definitely worth the wait. 

Me:  Yes she was!  I love the concept of this story: siblings that don’t look the same but have many other similarities.  It really highlights what makes a family.  What gave you the idea?

Jennifer: Again, it grew out of my own family the desire to help our kids develop positive, healthy feelings about their own stories and the bonds that they shared.  And in revisions and the artwork, we were able to shift the story to one that might reflect not just my own family’s experiences to one that gets at the heart of MANY kinds of familial bonds and structures. 

Me: You typically write YA novels, which are radically different from picture books.  What made you want to write a picture book?  Was there a huge learning curve for you to learn how to write this genre?

Jennifer: First, I feel like I’ve got a huge learning curve every time I write anything.  I wish I was one of those writers who feels like I can build on the lessons I learned with the last book, but the truth is, every project and every book has new challenges and new things for me to learn.  So trying picture books didn’t feel any more daunting than the other stuff I’d tried to that point. 

And I’ve always adored picture books.  Most of us who write anything can go back to the time in our lives when we fell in love with stories and storytelling and know that that foundation is what set us on the path.  So in that sense, I think picture books are always part of our DNA as storytellers, and for me, I really wanted to see if I could tell play in that sandbox as well.  And of course, picture books are shorter, but they’re in some ways a LOT harder to pull off.  In a novel I get lots of text and words and time to communicate my story.  Here, my audience and my purpose may be different, but the craft moves are similar and delightfully tricky. 

Me: The illustrations by Pearl Auyeung are perfect.  I love how the color palette she used and the way she used pink to fade things into the background.  Were there any illustration surprises for you?  Any favorites?

Jennifer: They are fantastic!  I love so many of them.  The spread with the journeys home is one of my favorites.  But overall, she populated the playground with such a wonderful array of background characters that I love looking at them and imagining their stories and little interactions on the playground.  I’m so thankful for all the life, detail and care she poured into the artwork and the story. 

Me: I’m always fascinated when I see an author who is also a teacher (like myself).  How did you find time for writing around the job of teaching?  What routines do you have in place that allow you to create regularly and successfully?

Jennifer: I started writing when I was teaching full time before I had kids.  Then I had kids and took a long teaching gap.  Now my kids are older and I’m back to teaching part time.  In each of those phases, I’ve kept at it.  I think giving myself clear, attainable goals and just chipping away have always been what kept me connected and productive.  These days, I set a writing goal for the year—usually something flexible.  And then it’s a choice day by day.  Usually I make myself work on something for an hour a day.  If I’m loving it and cruising, I keep at it.  If I need to bail after an hour, I let myself do so.  Given how much I love teaching and how much I love being at my kids’ events and the rhythms and responsibilities of a home and being part of a community, I try not to fall into the “should-ness” of writing.  An hour a day is enough sometimes.  And it keeps me connected when I’m struggling, and gives me space when life is a lot.  

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

Jennifer: It surprised me a bit how I set out to write something very specific to my own family and my own children, but with a little bit of tweaking, the story spread its arms and folded in a lot of other families as well.  I have my astute editor Caitlyn Dlouhy to thank for that one. 

Me: Any advice for new picture book writers?

Jennifer: Read a lot of picture books.  Think about the little moments and dwell on the stuff that fascinates you.  Write what you love and what you want to read about.  And I’ll pass on some wisdom I heard Karen Cushman share at a local SCBWI event I attended over a decade ago.    She gave us her three rules for writing:  1.  Show up.  2.  Pay attention.  3.  Let go of the results.  Those have served me well in my writing and in a lot of other areas of life and work as well. 

That is good advice Jennifer.  Thank you for stopping by my blog today.

Dear readers, this book is published next Tuesday.  Trust me when I say that you won’t want to miss this one.  It’s a sweet celebration of siblings, affirmation of family ties, and a heart-warming story all in one. It’s well worth the read.