Spring arrives and scents abound. This dog’s nose knows how to find the best smells.
Karen Finch is a debut picture book author of Spring Scenthound and a contributing poet in Pomelo Books anthologies, Things We Feel, Things We Wear, and What is a Friend? Karen lives with her husband in southwest Michigan, in a little house with a big, glacial moraine for a backyard. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram or BlueSky.
SPRING SCENTHOUND is a lyrical picture book all about exploring spring through the senses. A dog and loyal child companion go exploring outside. The dog and child both are distracted by their explorations and separated. The lyrical text reminds me every-so-slightly of THE LONGEST LETSGOBOY, while the illustrations perfectly capture the joys of nature and bright colors flash in the most enchanting ways.
Welcome Karen!
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?
Karen: Thank you, Jena, for this special opportunity to share my work! As a child, I remember being read A. A. Milne’s When We Were Very Young poems so often that I memorized the words and rhythms to many of them. And I still have my childhood copy of Leo Lionni’s Swimmy, a story I found reassuring in its underdog-to-hero, problem-solving way. Words and images intrigued me, and as I got older, I came to enjoy reading and writing, and I did well in English and art classes.
In college, I earned a bachelor’s degree in graphic design and certification in art education. I worked in both areas (first in advertising, then in a vocational commercial design program for high schoolers) before having my children. I enjoyed sharing “real-world” advertising work with my students, and through our classroom Mac computers and graphics programs, I hoped to spark interest in art, writing, and technology.
By the time I had my first two children, I was home with them and deep in picture books. That was when I began studying the genre in earnest. I read many writers’ writers — Anne Lamott, Stephen King, Brenda Ueland, Natalie Goldberg, found my way to Harold Underdown’s Purple Crayon site, and, of course, joined SCBWI. I attended conferences and soon understood that writing and illustrating for children was no small endeavor. Surprise!
But as my family grew, I felt pulled in many directions, and my dream of writing and/or illustrating picture books slowly receded into the background. Thankfully, however, nothing went to waste. I worked with my kids’ elementary school principal to start a yearly Battle of Books program and took part-time jobs at my local library and a non-profit reading center for dyslexic students, all of which kept me connected to kidlit and literacy education.
By 2020, with my kids nearly grown, I recommitted myself to writing. I took a UCSD Extension course called Thinking in Pictures and, in 2021, got a spot in Renée LaTulippe’s Lyrical Language Lab. It was in Renée’s class that I wrote a poem titled “Spring’s Release,” prompted by spring fever and the many walks I’ve taken with my dogs in our woods.
Me: I love the way your text really highlights the scents a dog can pick up. What gave you the idea to use it like this in a story?
Karen: I’m a visual person, so picturing the text, in a sensorial way, from both a human’s perspective and a dog’s perspective, was simply my mind taking a walk right out my back door, up a trail, and into the woods. Then, recalling all that my dogs and I have noticed when plants and animals first reemerge after a long winter, I focused on mutual “spring fever” energy.
Me: Your text is deceptively simple as it dances from page to page. Did it undergo a ton of revisions to get to its finished state? Or was this story a gift from the muse that was good from the first draft?
Karen: Since my poem was a class assignment on free verse, it received critiques from classmates (some of whom have since become my critique partners) and from Renée. It needed more revisions to flesh it out, since I tend to write very sparingly initially, but nothing changed drastically overall. Then, in the fall of 2023, I entered the piece in our SCBWI-MI Critique Carousel and got a surprisingly positive review from editor Sarah Rockett. She loved it and offered to take it to acquisitions as is, but was concerned the piece felt a bit like an adult reflection on being in nature with a dog. She nailed it, of course.
So, with that in mind, I revised again to bring in more of a kid focus. And, as luck would have it, at that same time, I’d also won a picture book mentorship with Leslie Helakoski. She encouraged me to let go of some obscure (to kids) references, like “your windsock nose knows” or, worse, “your sundial nose knows,” and urged me to formally submit it. By March 2024, I had an offer from Sarah to publish with Tilbury House. From there, we worked through a few more revisions to remove specific plant identifications and to increase the sense of separation anxiety when the dog is missing. All of that to say, simple text has a very long backstory!
Me: You also have some wonderful back matter full of facts. Did you have to do a lot of research for them? What was one of your favorite fact discoveries (included in the book or not)?
Karen: I began with my own list of plants and animals that my dogs and I have observed, and got specific about early-spring changes that take place in the Midwest where I live. I know, for instance, that I can notice and identify specific plants by foliage one week, and by the following week, blossoms will appear. Changes happen quickly and in various terrains. I used standard field guides and indexes (Kaufman Field Guide was one of the best), the iNaturalist app and site, and read articles from various Michigan universities to give me more than enough information. Almost too much!
For scenthound specifics, I turned to the American Kennel Club and books by Alexandra Horowitz and Stephanie Gibeault, both incredible dog experts. I was surprised to find that, for a scenthound, sniffing is as taxing as taking a long, brisk walk due to an explosion of information that’s being processed mentally. So, I like to think I’m taking advantage of that tidbit by hiding “find it” treats for my dog when it’s too rainy to get outside.
Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing this story?
Karen: Well, I suppose you hear this all the time, but of course, I was surprised at the amount of time and attention that goes into publishing a picture book. As writers, we know how much work goes into creating, but to allow our writing to become better, and ultimately visually and tangibly appealing in the form of a book, requires many partners and lots of trust. My writing SPRING SCENTHOUND truly felt like I was contributing a single ingredient to a recipe that, once skillfully prepared (and thankfully, not by this cook), could be enjoyed by all.
Me: The illustrations by Ángeles Ruiz are pitch perfect! They are a wonderful mishmash of colors and textures. Were there any illustration surprises for you? Any favorites?
Karen: Ángeles did a fabulous job! I had originally envisioned a soft, muted palette of realistic imagery featuring an older child with a beagle much like my own. That turned out to be a pretty narrow-minded vision! I am beyond pleased by the colorful energy that Ángeles brought to the work. The cover alone shouts spring, in a happy, excited way!
Having an art background myself, I knew I didn’t want to get in the way of an illustrator’s artistic expression. I only had to comment on a preliminary sketch of a snow angel because I knew any patches of remnant snow here in March aren’t useful for making snow angels. As for a favorite illustration, that’s a hard one. I especially love the face-to-face, nose-to-nose interactions that Ángeles captured of the child and her dog. I also love the energy of the “Let’s go!” spread when they’re first outside.
Me: Do you have any advice for aspiring picture book writers?
Karen: This might sound harsh, but if you’re not interested in learning or experimenting beyond where you are at this moment, you’ll be spinning your wheels. It is far from typical for a very first manuscript ever submitted to be offered publication so quickly. But decades of learning had led up to that point. I think there’s wisdom in accepting who you are and where you are in the big picture, which means understanding the skills you’re lacking (there will always continue to be something) and the small steps it takes to reach the next point. It sounds redundant to say, but studying books in the genre you aspire to write in, taking classes, and attending webinars and conferences will all help you grow beyond where you are today. If you do that, one step will lead to another. Serendipity will root for you and take over. I promise!
That is great advice. Thank you for stopping by my blog today Karen.
Dear readers, this book published in March. If you haven’t had a chance yet to read it, I highly recommend it. It’s a unique lyrical text with a dog’s nose leading the way! Trust me when I say, you won’t want to miss it!