We were lucky to catch up with Stephanie Calmenson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Stephanie, thank you so much for joining us and offering your lessons and wisdom for our readers. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you manage to keep your creativity alive.
The thing that helps me harness my creativity as a writer is the feedback I get from my readers, which I’m so grateful for. It’s enormously gratifying when children, parents, and teachers let me know that a book I’ve written is a favorite, or is being passed along to a new generation, or is keeping students’ attention.
DINNER AT THE PANDA PALACE is a book I hear about a lot. It’s a rollicking, rhyming counting book set at a restaurant. When every seat is filled, there’s a knock at the door, and a tiny mouse asks, “Is there room for one more?” Mr. Panda creates a special seat for the mouse and assures all who come his way that “No matter how many, no matter how few, there will always be room at the Palace for you.” In addition to the animals, restaurant scenes, and math concepts, I’m told it’s the sense of inclusion, and feeling of self-esteem that resonates most with readers.
I hope that HOW TO CHEER UP A FRIEND, one of two new books coming this fall, will resonate as well. There’s a down-in-the-dumps elephant who has many woes to share, and a child who wants to make his friend feel better. It takes several lighthearted attempts before the child realizes that a caring, listening ear is the best way to help. This is the first in a series of books about feelings and friendships.
Appreciate the insights and wisdom. Before we dig deeper and ask you about the skills that matter and more, maybe you can tell our readers about yourself?
I write children’s books: board books, picture books, easy-to-read chapter books. My goal is to entertain, most often with humor, in order to foster a love of reading. I also teach through my books, doing my best to make the learning fun. As a bonus, I get to write about dogs. I love dogs!
Coming Fall 2024:
— OODLES OF POODLES AND DOODLES illustrated by Hollie Hibbert. This is my second “Woofing, Wagging Concept Book” following DOZENS OF DACHSHUNDS, illustrated by Zoe Persico.
— HOW TO CHEER UP A FRIEND illustrated by Shannon McNeill. This is the first “How To…” book about ways we feel and ways we get along with one another.
Coming Fall 2025:
— FRENCHIES HIGH AND LOW illustrated by Hollie Hibbert, is the third “Woofing Wagging Concept Book” .
— HOW TO SAY YOU’RE SORRY illustrated by Shannon McNeill, is the second in the “How To…” series.
If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
— PATIENCE:
Some books get written quickly. Others are written, rewritten…and rewritten! Patience is required
— RESILIENCE:
There are many kinds of rejections and it takes resilience to weather them, regardless of the reason. In the publishing world, rejections that come with constructive criticism are a gift because they offer the chance to make a project better. Some rejections have nothing to do with the quality of a project, but come because the person reviewing just isn’t a good match. Here’s a recounting of one of my own rounds of rejection:
I sent a counting book out and the very first editor loved it, but had to turn it down because his list had too many counting books. The next editor wasn’t publishing books in rhyme. I was excited when Random House sent my manuscript to Ted Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss, for his Bright and Early line. In the end, it turned out it didn’t fit the format. (Note: Dr. Seuss’s first book was rejected 27 times!) Finally, I got the call I’d been waiting for: Elizabeth Gordon, then Editorial Director at Harper, wanted my book on her list.
The book is DINNER AT THE PANDA PALACE, which recently celebrated 33 years in print. It’s been a PBS Storytime Book and offered in several book clubs. It’s a Scholastic Big Book and can be seen on KidLitTV. It’s been used in math games for children. This book continues to bring me the most fan mail of any of the 100+ books I’ve written. Resilience rewarded.
— COLLABORATION:
Collaboration leads me to write books I wouldn’t have written on my own. Early in my career, I wrote books for Ann M. Martin’s Baby-Sitters Little Sister series. Later, Joanna Cole (best known for her Magic School Bus series) and I wrote many books together, basing several on our friendship, our teaching histories, and our love of dogs. At the moment, writer/illustrator Paulette Bogan (https://boldjourney.com/meet-paulette-bogan/) and I are working on a series starring a bossy, know-it-all chicken, who’s determined to teach everyone good manners. Stay tuned for the outcome and, please, try to behave!
By example, my parents instilled in me a love of reading and learning. Our home was filled with books, and was a place where questions were asked and there was joy in the search for answers.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://stephaniecalmenson.com
- Instagram: @calmensonkidsbooks
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/stephanie.calmenson
- Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stephanie-calmenson-84343917/
- Twitter: @CalmensonKidBks
Image Credits
Justin Sutcliffe
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