Today’s interview comes with a giveaway that will have to run a tiny bit longer than usual (as I will be traveling next week).

Terry Pierce has visited my blog several times before. She is the author of twenty-five children’s books, including Eat Up, Bear!, Hello, Meadow!, Mama Loves You So, Mother Earth’s Lullaby, and My Busy Green Garden. She holds an MFA in Writing for Children and Young Adults from Vermont College of Fine Arts and teaches for UCLA Extension Writers’ Program. Terry is an outdoor enthusiast, enjoying backpacking, hiking, rock climbing, and, of course, bear sightings near her home in Mammoth Lakes, California. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram, BlueSky, or Facebook.

Nadja Sarell has also visited my blog several times before. She has a degree in illustration from the North Wales School of Art and Design as well as an MA in dance from Theatre Academy Helsinki. She is the illustrator behind Eat Up, Bear!, Hello, Meadow!, and The One and Only Wolfgang, written by Instagram sensation Steve Greig aka @wolfgang2242 and author Mary Rand Hess, and the Frankie Sparks, Third Grade Inventor series. She lives in Helsinki, Finland. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram or Facebook.

WE LEAVE NO TRACE! is a board book and the third in the series from Yosemite Conservancy. This one lets young readers know that they too can show kindness by helping to care for the nature around them. The positive refrain of “this is something we can do” repeats over and over again to reassure toddlers that these are achievable goals as they play outside. This incredible series really helps to bring home caring for wildlife in such concise ways with beautifully warm illustrations that young readers are sure to enjoy them for many reads.

Welcome back Terry and Nadja!

Me: This is the third board book for Yosemite Conservancy that you both have been able to work on together.  Where did the idea come from?  Did you two talk about the idea before starting to work on it separately?

Terry: Our publisher asked us to write and illustrate the third book (yes, we’re very fortunate!). Because the two previous books, Eat Up, Bear! and Hello, Meadow! were on more specific topics (wildlife preservation, specifically bears, and meadow conservation), we wanted We Leave No Trace!  to have a more general theme of good stewardship toward the environment, no matter where you find yourself–in the wild or a city.

Nadja: The possibility for our third book together was something I jumped on straight away. I was very happy with the theme that was already discussed by the time I agreed to illustrate the book. This theme I was familiar with, as it was less specific, as Terry mentioned.

Me: Have you guys become friends through the process of working on these books together?  Were you thrilled to be working together again a third time?

Terry: I was thrilled when my editor told me Nadja was available to illustrate the book. I think I even squealed! I love her artwork and feel it’s perfect for our books. Her bold colors, scientifically accurate details, and ability to quickly revise the art are impressive. And she’s fun to work with! If we lived in the same region, I’m sure we’d become steadfast friends, but I’m in the US, and Nadja lives in Finland.

Nadja: I’d love to meet Terry one day! I hope she visits Finland, because our nature is very different, but gorgeous in a unique way.

Me: What was it like working as a team on this picture book?  This time, was this a true team effort where you worked on pieces side-by-side (or email by email)?

Terry: It was wonderful to work together on our third book! We already had a working relationship and a sense of rhythm from the previous books, so the process flowed smoothly. We collaborated closely with our amazing editor, Nicole Geiger, and the Yosemite Conservancy team. Nicole was the conductor of the project. First, I wrote the text (with publisher input). Once the manuscript was completed, Nadja began to work her magic. Because we’re so far apart- Nadja is on the other side of the world, and I’m on the other side of California from the Yosemite Conservancy team- it was all done by email.

Nadja: I received the manuscript and general thoughts about the illustrations via our editor, Nicole. She has been amazing throughout all three books. She provided me with some ideas and requests from the publisher. But this book was a bit different for me as an illustrator compared to the first two. They were so specific on the first two that I had lots of instructions of what to show in the illustrations to make it both educational and interesting. For ”We Leave No Trace” I was given more freedom regarding the variety of scenes. I did receive a list of animals and plants that are typical to different environments, whether it was a forest, lakeside, park or mountains. 

Me: I love the concept of teaching littles all about taking care of our environment.  What drew each of you to this project (besides the fact that you’re both book creators)?  Is this an important topic for both of you?

Terry: The topic of conservation and teaching very young children how to be good stewards of the environment is close to my heart. When I was a Montessori pre-K/K teacher, we did a unit on environmentalism every year. I was always impressed with how young children understood the importance of caring for the natural world. I saw from experience that they wanted to know how to care for nature. Maybe it’s because young children are so open to learning and take in everything from their environment, but this always impressed me. I knew that young children would absorb our message after reading our books when a student’s parent asked me why they had to start using reusable utensils in their child’s lunchbox instead of disposable utensils.

Nadja: This is a very important topic for me. I love teaching children and adults through my illustrations. I added lots of details in the book for the reader to find. I think the illustrations will inspire readers of all ages to research a bit more, look around them and have conversations at home or in the school, trips or even on the road to Yosemite!

Me:  I love the variety of animals, plants, and settings you both included for this board book.  I always feel like I actually recognize places from Yosemite in these books.  Yet I didn’t see a reoccurring character (animal or person) in every spread as in the previous two books.  How did you choose what to include?  Was there a joint conversation as to what should be included in this book?

Terry: Good eye, Jena! You’re correct that we didn’t have a recurring character on every spread, as we did in Eat Up, Bear!, and Hello, Meadow! With Bear, the subject was bears, so we included bears on every spread. With Meadow, we thought the little mouse would be fun for kids to find on each spread (mice are tiny and easily hidden). The new cover features a fawn (oh my gosh, those eyes!), and we did have a fawn appear on five of the seven spreads. But with the fawn, we didn’t want it to feel forced, so Nadja included a fawn on the pages where it naturally made sense. For example, it would’ve felt forced if a fawn was on the final spread in a city park.

Nadja: Yes, well spotted! This was something we discussed a lot. Since there is so much more variety in the scenery and even season, we felt that a main character or animal on every spread would have been forced and unnecessary. The fawn on cover though, I must say I struggled with the eyes! But I’m please with how it turned out.

Me: The text is succinct and rhyming.  The illustrations are glorious with color and textures.  Each component is beautiful and strong on its own.  What is one thing that surprised each of you in writing and/or illustrating this story together?

Terry: Thank you! I’m always surprised by how long it takes to get the text right in any board book! I often think board books shouldn’t take as long to write because they’re so short (typically under 150 words). However, it’s precisely that reason–the low word count–that makes us analyze the text and ensure every word counts. Therefore, we need to explore every option for word choices to make sure older babies and toddlers can understand the text. Adding to this is the fact that the words must fit the rhyme and rhythm, which can lead to a surprisingly lengthy process.

Nadja: I think with these books, Terry’s text and my illustrations work both as a pair and as strong individual components. I love Terry’s rhyming text, and I can imagine it’s very difficult to get it to flow with ease and still have the precision and message. My work is more about research (plenty of it!), exploration of different compositions and colors, and so on.

Me: What advice for other aspiring picture book writers and/or illustrators would you each give?  Would you recommend working as a team for a book series like this?

Terry: I recommend new writers join the SCBWI (Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators). It’s a fantastic organization to help learn the basics of children’s writing and a wonderful way to network with other writers. I also suggest taking a writing class for the type of book you’re interested in writing (picture books, chapter books, middle-grade novels, etc.). The UCLA Extension Writers’ Program offers a variety of online and on-campus courses, but other options are available.

I wouldn’t recommend approaching a publisher as a team, especially if you haven’t been published yet (publishers frown upon this practice). I’ve always trusted my publishers to pair my work with an illustrator they believe will be a good match for the text, as Yosemite Conservancy did with Nadja and me. Publishers typically have a roster of illustrators on file, and they put great effort into selecting an illustrator for each project. As a writer, I’ve learned to trust the system and know that my publisher will find the best illustrator for my work. And sometimes, well, it’s just magic, as has been my experience working with Nadja and the Yosemite Conservancy publishing team.

Nadja: I agree with Terry. Publishers tend to want to choose the most suitable illustrator for the manuscript they have acquired. The style I created for these three board books were something that was only for these books. My other work looks quite different! So I don’t know exactly how I got chosen. I did do a sample piece at first, which is something publishers often ask for. I was over the moon to be chosen!

I have worked mainly with traditional publishers, but I have also done two books that were self-published with great success. Finding an illustration agent can be helpful, especially when you’re starting out. They will help you to develop your portfolio and negotiate contracts, deal with invoices and give you support.

Great advice ladies! Thank you for stopping by my blog again today.

But wait, dear readers! There’s more! There is a giveaway for one copy of WE LEAVE NO TRACE! (US contestants only). You can enter the rafflecopter here. AND, as I will be traveling next week, this giveaway will be running for slightly longer than usual (two weeks!). Good luck!