Fall is full of so many changes, including migrations. But I admit I haven’t seen many fall stories with butterflies!
Kelsey E. Gross has visited my blog before. She grew up in Wisconsin and lived in New Mexico and California before returning to the Midwest. She now lives in Michigan’s Upper Peninsula with her partner, son, and silly, snow-loving pup. When she’s not writing, she looks for owls and other forest friends while hiking and skiing in the woods. Kelsey aims to write books that inspire readers of all ages to take care of one another and the natural world. She’s the author of the Solstice series picture books Winter and Summer. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on BlueSky or on Instagram.
FALL: A SEASONS STORY is a picture book all about Fall! This story continues the seasonal exploration series written by Kelsey E. Gross and illustrated by Renata Liwska. This time the forest friends meet a migrating monarch butterfly in need of a place to rest. Is there any question that they will all help? They each provide their own unique solace, just as this book provides a seasonal twist I’ve never seen before: migrating butterflies!
Welcome back Kelsey!
Me: I love that you brought in a monarch butterfly to a fall story. I’ve never seen that before! It matches the fall color palette so well! What gave you the idea for this story?
Kelsey:Thank you! It is a gorgeous color palette.
Although the books in this series are fiction, I strive to be accurate in terms of what the animals naturally do at each point in the year. In Winter, I featured animals that winter over in the north woods. In Summer, young animals venture out on their own. For Fall, the monarchs’ migration seemed like the perfect fit. Monarchs are beautiful, kids love them, and their incredible journey makes for a good story.
As I brainstormed ideas, I remembered a day on Lake Superior with a special friend who was around eight years old at the time (shoutout to Lauren!). She found an injured butterfly, and together we built a comfy “home” for it using materials we found on the beach. I borrowed this idea for Fall, having the woodland creatures care for Monarch while she makes a stop on her migration journey.
Me: Monarch butterflies are at great risk during migration. This has become a bigger conversation in places like California during recent years where they’re actually building a wildlife bridge to help monarch butterflies on their migration. Your poor butterfly is tired and needs to rest before moving on. Did you include this because you were thinking of issues like this? Or just because the butterflies migrate in the fall?
Kelsey: It’s wonderful to hear that people are building a wildlife bridge!
The monarch is an iconic insect, but not everyone understands the dangers they face. I met with a professor who studies moths and butterflies and learned that some of the most urgent threats are pesticides/insecticides, and a lack of food (milkweed and other flowers) along the way.
I originally included back matter about monarch migration and what people can do to help. Although that information didn’t make it into the book, I plan to share it at book events and have posted it on my website.
Me: I love how the animals in your seasonal community come together to help the butterfly in a variety of ways that are SO appropriate to fall. How did you come up with all of the different elements (i.e., cattail fluff, dry corn husks, etc.)? Did you brainstorm a list of fall elements in nature for a specific setting before you started writing the story?
Kelsey: You’re exactly right – I brainstormed and spent time walking in the woods in the fall to identify items the animals might be able to access. Then I matched them to Monarch’s different needs. It was a fun puzzle!
Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing this story?
Kelsey: I knew the story would be about monarchs’ migration, friendship, and fall as a season of change. But I was surprised how it also turned into a reassuring reminder about cherishing fond memories and staying connected with friends across distance. I’ve moved a lot, so this message is especially poignant for me.
Me: With two seasonal books already published about Winter and Summer Solstice, it makes sense to have a Fall book follow up. Can you talk about the marketing of this story? How did you pitch it? How did it end up with the publisher?
Kelsey: I wanted to spend more time with the characters from Winter: A Solstice Story and Summer: A Solstice Story and imagined the gorgeous fall scenes Renata could create. Luckily, our editor agreed to a third installment (and later, a fourth!). I wrote a few different versions and shared them with critique partners and my agent. The monarch version was the clear winner.
Because these books weren’t originally contracted as a series, we had to adjust along the way. The first two books were called the “Solstice Series” and shared the subtitle: “A Solstice Story,” but obviously that wouldn’t fit for Fall or Spring. My editor and the publisher’s marketing team suggested the subtitle, “A Seasons Story” and rebranded the series as “The Solstice/Seasons Series” to include all four books.
Me: How wonderful! The illustrations by Renata Liwska are, as always, absolutely adorable. I’m so glad she was able to illustrate this book too with the same set of characters. Were there any illustration surprises for you? Are there still surprises after three books together?
Kelsey: Renata is an incredibly talented artist. In every book we’ve created so far, the animals are soft and touchable, and the scenes are filled with whimsy. I’m especially impressed with how she uses light, and the autumn scenes in this book are particularly stunning. I was delighted to see her depiction of Monarch – she’s even cuter than I imagined!
Me: With several published picture books out in the world, what habits or routines have you found helpful to maintain your creativity? What do you do to set yourself up for success with your writing?
Kelsey: I usually start a daily writing session by reading two new picture books. They inspire me, spark ideas, and turn my brain “on” for writing (and logging the titles provides a ready list of comps when it’s time to pitch!).
I’ve also been a member of the 12×12 Picture Book Challenge for several years and still aim to draft one picture book per month. I try not to get too precious about it, viewing it primarily as practice rather than writing every story for publication. Sometimes, I make challenges for myself and see where that takes me. Even if I don’t develop the story any further, it always gets my creativity flowing.
Finally, I work on a variety of projects – board books, picture books, middle grade, poetry, and songwriting. If something isn’t working in one project, I’ll move to something else. I usually find I return to the original project with a new perspective.
I love that! Thank you for stopping by my blog again today Kelsey!
Dear readers, this book published at the end of August. It’s a gorgeous look at the fall season told through some very caring (and cute!) critters’ point of view. Trust me when I say, you won’t want to miss it.