It’s a board book for babies about being a baby and it’s hilarious!

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.

I’M A BABY! is a board book told from a baby’s perspective. The framework is a “day in the life” (i.e., from morning till night time) but sandwiched in between those two times is a mountain of activity and hilarious perspective.

Welcome back Terry!

Me: This board book is about a very boisterous baby going through its day.  What gave you the idea?

Terry: I had been writing many sweet board books and wanted to create something more active to reflect a baby’s life. I thought back to when my son learned to crawl. Crawling is an important developmental milestone for babies, as you know. His newfound mobility seemed to launch his physical and mental development to a whole new level. To develop his crawling skills, I would crawl after him down our hallway as if “chasing” him, saying, “I’m gonna get you!” while he giggled the whole way. The other activities in the book reflect additional milestones in a baby’s development, many of which stem from my treasured memories of life with my son at that age.

Me: Volha Kaliaha’s illustrations are perfect! They’re soft and alluring but also funny. The inclusion of the cat adds a whole other layer to the story. Was that her idea or yours? As your text is so simple, did you have any art notes for her or did you leave all the illustration side of things up to her?

Terry: I agree! Volha’s artwork is perfect for the book! I was so pleased when I saw the rough sketches, as the cat adds a humorous visual storyline for readers to enjoy.

Great question about art notes! I included some sparse notes on the manuscript, as one sometimes needs to with a board book. As you mentioned, the text is so simple, as with board books in general, that sometimes a note is necessary for the editorial staff to understand what the author envisions for the art. For the cat, I included the following: (Ill. Note: Baby sees kitty across the room.).

Generally, I avoid art notes because they can come across as bossy. However, sometimes they are unavoidable. For example, with the spread, “Dinner time. Uh-oh! Splat! Carrots and a silly hat,” I felt it was necessary to explain what I meant by “silly hat,” so I added: (Ill. Note: Baby puts dish on his/her head.)

Me: Were there any illustration surprises for you? Any favorites?

Terry: Well, let’s circle back to the cat! I was delighted that Volha had incorporated the cat on most of the pages. The cat’s facial expressions and body language are perfect and reflect how an older sibling might feel: from holding its nose during the diaper change to hiding in a basket while Baby plays peek-a-boo to fleeing from a rambunctious bath time.

Me: Your text also embraces your sense of humor. I can’t believe you started your story with a stinky diaper! LOL! That’s 100% accurate, but I can’t think of another board book or picture book that addresses diapers like this. What made you decide to include that as the start of the baby’s day?

Terry: Thank you! Yes, it is indeed true that a diaper change is the first thing that happens in a baby’s day, whether we enjoy it or not. When I initially storyboarded the book, I aimed to highlight a baby’s routine from wake-up time to bedtime. Again, I drew from my experience with my son to emphasize the activities. He was always a cheerful little guy in the morning, which inspired the opening lines: “Wake up, world! Hello, day! I’m a baby all the way!” Regardless of what the day held, the diaper change was always the first task at hand.

Me: Can you talk about marketing the book? Is this your first time working with Familius? How did this book end up being published with them?

Terry: Yes, this is the first time I’ve had the pleasure of working with Familius. I came to know them because a dear writer friend, Carole Gerber, had some picture books published with them. Carole and I were critique partners, and she suggested I send them my work. When I researched the company, I appreciated its mission statement: “We believe that happy families are key to a better society and the foundation of a happy life,” and its quest to help families live their “10 Habits of Happy Families.”

It took a couple of different manuscripts before they accepted I’m a Baby! (A lesson in perseverance!) Even with the “passes” I received on the other manuscripts, I could tell that I would enjoy working with the company, as their feedback was positive and encouraging. 

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

Terry: Nothing really surprised me while I was writing this story, perhaps because it was so enjoyable. Light, playful rhyme is my comfort zone in writing, so it was a pleasure to work on the manuscript, especially during the pandemic when we all needed uplifting experiences. 

Me: You have written many board books by this point in your career. What advice might you have for writers who are interested in getting started in board books? What’s one thing that you wish you had known when you first started writing them?

Terry: My journey into writing board books came about unexpectedly. My first one, MAMA LOVES YOU SO, was submitted by my agent as a picture book, but Little Simon wanted to publish it as a board book. My second one, LOVE CAN COME IN MANY WAYS, was submitted as a picture book, and Chronicle published it as a novelty book with a lift-a-flap feature. By then, I began writing with board books in mind, so I read many of them. I would sit in the board book section of my library or bookstore, and devour them. This is important because there’s a huge variety of board books in today’s market.

I have a few things I consider before I begin writing a book (post-story idea). First, I think about who I’m writing the book for–parents, babies, toddlers, or an older sibling? For example, MAMA LOVES YOU SO is intended for mothers to read to their babies. Of course, the bonding experience when reading a heartfelt book to an infant has many benefits, but honestly, the book is for moms to share their immense love for their child. The audience for WE LEAVE NO TRACE! (Yosemite Conservancy) are toddlers. The story is meant to stimulate conversation about conservation between family members. I wrote I’M A BABY! for older babies developing language and early reading skills.

Next, I storyboard the concept (loosely, because I’m not an illustrator!) to provide a roadmap for the writing. The tricky part about board books is that their lengths vary, depending on the publisher. The number of double-page spreads can range from 7 to 12 or more. If I know which publisher to whom I’ll submit the story, I can research their books and go from there. But it becomes guesswork if I don’t know which publisher I’m submitting to. So, I aim for 10 spreads, and let the publisher know I’m willing to edit.

Once I start writing, I keep the concepts simple and the text sparse, as most board books are under 150 words. I typically write in rhyme because that’s how my brain works, using a consistent rhythm to ensure the story is enjoyable for the reader and pleasant for the listener. Lastly, I’ve learned to trust the process and understand that the illustrations will enhance my text. I’m always happy to see the finished artwork and how it complements my words, sometimes bringing me delightful surprises, as Volha did with the cat in I’M A BABY!

I can’t really say there’s one thing I wish I had known about writing board books before I started writing them, because I evolved into creating these wonderful little gems. I intended to write picture books, but I landed in the board book format (technically, board books are picture books, I know!). And what a happy accident it was because I’ve always strived to write books that will develop lifelong readers, and early reading skills begin in babyhood.

I love that! Thank you for stopping by my blog again today Terry.

But wait, dear readers. Terry has also agreed to giveaway a copy of the book to one lucky winner (US contestants only). You can enter the rafflecopter here.