Now here’s a twist: a bug flies up a dog’s nose, and you get to read the book from different points of view in THREE different ways!
David McMullin has visited my blog several times before. He is a full time traveler and picture book author of Free to Be Fabulous. His poems have been featured in Cricket Media, and in many anthologies alongside such authors as Jane Yolen. He received the honorable mention for the SCBWI Ann Paul Whitford Award, is a recent Madness Poetry champion, and won a Writing with the Stars mentorship with Marcie Colleen. David has previously been a youth librarian, Broadway actor, and educator. David is a proud representative of LGBTQ+ creators as a member of the Nevada SCBWI Equity and Inclusion team. You can learn more about him at his website or follow him on Instagram or BlueSky.
THE NOSE is an early reader where, yes, a bug flies up a dog’s nose. Not only can you read the book just from the dog’s point of view, or just from the bug’s point of view, but you can also read it with both of their perspectives together. That’s creative genius right there. And yes, also plenty gross to delight young readers who adore such things.
Welcome back David!
Me: I laughed at the concept for this book. I mean, a bug up the nose isn’t your average early reader subject. What gave you the idea for this story?
David: I am an avid bird watcher, so I spend lots of time tromping around in buggy places. One day after a dozen bugs ended up in my eyes and mouth, I began to realize that as unpleasant as it was for me, it was much worse for the bugs. I tried to imagine it all from the bug’s point of view.
Me: You went from publishing a picture book to a board book to an early reader. WOW! Did you find it more of a challenge to write for the early reader format? Did you have to worry more about word choice (as I know early readers sometimes have strict vocabulary requirements)?
David: All three books actually started off as picture books in their first drafts. The Nose was originally written back in 2018, but I was having trouble finding the story I wanted to tell. Six years later I decided to give it a second chance. As I started revising, I found myself simplifying the language and utilizing repetitive text. This is when it began to resemble an early reader. I immediately ran to the library and checked out a million early readers. That’s when it all came together. The biggest challenge was conveying everything I wanted to say in very simple sentences and simple words. I did not know what level this book would be, so I made sure that my agent stated in the query that I was willing to adjust the text for any approved vocabulary lists. To my surprise, very little changed in the editorial process.
Me: I have to ask about the format! I’ve never seen an early reader from multiple points of view like this. Can you talk about the three different ways to read this book? How in the world did you come up with that?
David: This was the concept from the very beginning. I wanted to create a moment in time when two characters experience the same event in very different ways. I wanted the reader to be able to experience only Percy’s story, or only Speck’s Story. To accomplish this, the left side of the book is all Percy, and the right side of the book is all Speck. The book can also be read left to right like a regular book if the reader wants to see how the actions of one character affect the other.
Me: Can you talk about how you came to write a Ready-to-Read book for the Simon Spotlight series? That’s a dream come true! How did your story end up being published in this series?
David: There was a lot of luck here. Because of the unusual format, I knew it would be a hard sell. I partly think the reason I’m with such a great imprint is that they were big enough to take a chance on something different.
Me: As this is included with the Ready-to-Read books, dare we hope that it’s the start of a whole series with these characters? (Please say yes!) Are there more stories with Percy and Speck already planned?
David: Knowing that early readers are normally published in a series, I made sure I had three complete manuscript ready before submitting. My agent presented all three at the same time. Luckily, the publisher liked them and made an offer for all three. Books two and three are The Castle, and The Frog. Their formats are exactly the same as the first book.
Me: Lauren Stohler’s illustrations are perfect! She has so many details that are absolutely hilarious. Like Speck’s drink! She really ups the level of humor! Were there any illustration surprises for you? Any favorites?
David: Yes, the personalities Lauren was able to bring out in these characters is fantastic. I couldn’t be happier. For surprises, I loved the world inside of the nose—so gross yet funny. My favorite picture is the one of Percy after Speck leaves his nose, Percy’s joy is hilarious!
Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing this story?
David: How on board everyone was! Because of its unusual format, I knew this book could ended up as nothing more than an unrealized dream, but from the beginning, my agent, the acquiring editor, my editor, the art director and the illustrator were all in sync. This book is exactly as I had pictured it, and I couldn’t be prouder.
Congratulations David. I’m so excited to see another one of your projects out in the world.
Dear readers, this book publishes next week. It’s a hilarious early reader that is sure to capture young readers attention with humor and hilariously gross details. Trust me when I say, you won’t want to miss it!