I love walking in the woods and remembering playing amongst the trees as a child with fondness. If you too love doing the same, you’ll love today’s picture book!

Wendi Silvano is a former educator and the award-winning author of the Turkey Trouble series, which has sold more than 300,000 copies. She is also the author of the Love Is All Around… series, as well as a variety of other picture books, early readers, and educational materials. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Facebook.

HOW THE FOREST FEELS: SENSORY PLAY NATURE’S WAY is a lyrical picture book that follows a boy and his grandpa going for a walk in the woods. All of the senses are engaged through a visceral (& sometimes funny) approach that will have young readers eager to explore the woods on their own. The watercolor pictures by Mirka Hokkanen add to the delight in numerous ways (the yellow of the tree leaves, the cuteness of the animals in their natural habitat, etc.). This is a beautiful picture book I can’t wait to add to my classroom bookshelf.

Welcome Wendi!

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

Wendi: I didn’t always know I wanted to write books for children, but I have always known how much I love children’s books. I had many favorites as a child, and as a mother and teacher I have seen how powerful and fun they can be. There’s a magic in reading with kids from their youngest years to adulthood. And even now I love to read kid’s books for my own enjoyment! I was a teacher for 11 years (preschool, 2^nd and 3^rd grades mostly). When my 3^rd child was born I quit teaching to be home with my children.

That’s when I realized I didn’t really adore most of the “domestic” things many stay-at-home moms do like sewing, cooking, crafting, gardening, etc.  One thing I did love was reading picture books to my children. I decided I would like to try writing books that were like the ones I loved so much as a child and as a mother. I went to the library (back before the internet) and got books on how to get published and how to write good children’s books and went from there. Over many, many years I learned to write better, how to submit to agents and publishers and a whole lot more about the business of writing for publication. It took 7 years before I sold my first picture book, but I learned a lot along the way. I have now been writing for children for 31 years and absolutely love it! I write lots of different types of stories because there are so many wonderful ideas all around!

Me: I love this story of a grandpa and child walking through the forest, observing the world around them. What gave you the idea?

Wendi: I have 5 children, and now 5 grandchildren. There have been many times I have been outside with them exploring nature and I always find it delightful how much joy young kids get from simple things they see and find around them. Just recently I was with my 2 ½ year old grandson on a rocky beach in Washington state and he was turning over rocks to find the tiny little crabs that hide there. He was squealing in delight every time he found one and was entranced as he watched it scurry away. That kind of joy is so much better than any thrill they get from a movie or video game or toy.

Me: Your text is so lyrical and succinct. It just flows mellifluously from page to page. Was it always this tight? Or did you have many revisions to reach this stage?

Wendi: This manuscript has been many years in the making. I think I wrote the first version of it maybe 8-10 years ago. It has sat in my files off and on for a lot of that time. Occasionally I would pull it out and work on it a bit, but there were always parts that didn’t seem quite right. My amazing critique group has been a tremendous help in inspiring me to make it better and better. Each line has been meticulously revised over and over. I would guess I have done more than 30 revisions of this manuscript before it sold to Holiday House. That’s the way it is sometimes with stories. It can take a LONG time to get them just right!

Me: Wow! That’s incredible. You also have wonderful back matter included with your story. There are facts as well as activities for young readers to enjoy. Were those your idea? Or someone else’s?

Wendi: All of the back matter was my idea except the final page about always exploring with a grownup and being careful what you touch. That was something the publisher asked me to write (and I think they were wise to include that in the book).

Me:  Very wise! The illustrations by Mirka Hokkanen are incredible! They are soft and vibrant at the same time! Any illustration surprises for you? Any favorites?

Wendi: My manuscript did not indicate that the child should be bummed about having to put down his device to go out on the walk. That was Mirka’s brilliant idea. It is so timely in today’s world, where I think many children don’t get enough outdoor exploring time.  I love all the illustrations, but probably my favorites are the ones where they are looking at the molehill and the one with the spider in a web. The colors are just so perfect!

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

Wendi: I would say the most surprising thing was how difficult it was to find texture words that fit the text pattern. I needed a 2 syllable and then a 1 syllable word for each pair (except for a few exceptions). And both words had to match the actual texture of an item in nature and fit the rhyming pattern as well. That was quite a challenge! I almost gave up several times!

Me: Any advice for new or aspiring picture book writers?

Wendi: Patience and persistence!! To be successful as a children’s writer you have to be willing to keep learning how to make your writing better, how the industry works, how to create something that will be both marketable and delight children (as well as please the parents, teachers, agents and publishers). It is a tough business, but if you love the writing it’s worth the effort to keep going for however long it takes!

That is great advice Wendi. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog today.

But wait, dear readers, there’s more! Wendi has also agreed to giveaway one copy of the book to one winner (US contestants only). You can enter the rafflecopter here. Good luck!