The Picture Book Buzz - Interview w/Jenny Lynn Pease and Review of I Love Harriet Kippley
Jenny Lynn Pease has loved writing since a young age. In elementary school, she wrote a book about a witch who learns the value of friendship. Now, she’s been writing ever since. Jenny hopes her books make children feel happy, curious, and inspired. She lives in Pennsylvania with her husband, son, and dog.
If she’s not writing, she’s probably singing and dancing to her favorite tunes, playing games with her family, or relaxing outside by a lake. She is a former early childhood educator and a current mental health advocate.
Her debut picture book, I Love Harriet Kippley, was released on April 2nd.
Welcome Jenny, thank you for coming to talk about your debut book!
Hello and thank you so much for having me!
Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write and/or illustrate? How long have you been writing and illustrating? What is your favorite type of book to write and/or illustrate?)
I love writing all kinds of picture books for young children to read. I write everything from social emotional to lyrical to funny. The only types I don’t write are nonfiction and rhyming.
As far as where I write, there are many. I write at home, in coffee shops, etc. My favorite place to write though, is outside by a lake.
It's nice to meet you. Who was your favorite author, illustrator, and/or your favorite book as a child?
I think a lot of people might say this, but it has to be The Monster At The End Of This Book. As a child, I loved how fun and interactive this book was. As an adult, I still love how fun and interactive it is.
That's such an amazing book! What was your inspiration or spark of interest for I Love Harriet Kippley?
One of my favorite songs is "Answer: Love Myself." It’s a song that talks about how important loving ourselves is. I wanted to translate this message into a fun and relatable book that children would enjoy.
Interesting. I was not familiar with that song. How long did it take from the first draft to publication for I Love Harriet Kippley?
I don’t have an exact number, but I would say about three years. First, there’s the time I spent on my own drafts and revisions. Then, there’s the process of working on the revisions my publisher requested. Of course, there’s also the process of having my book illustrated, and the time it takes to go to print as well.
Sounds pretty consistent for publishing these days. What was the toughest aspect of writing I Love Harriet Kippley? And what was the most fun part of creating this book?
I think the hardest part in the writing process for me is not the actual writing, but the querying. It’s hard to put your stories out there, knowing there’s a chance it will be rejected. Still, it's definitely worth it in the end, when that one story is published, and you get to see the smiles on the children’s faces who are reading.
And honestly, I find the process of writing the first draft the most fun. It may change completely during revisions, but still, getting those ideas out of my brain and into the word document, is really fun for me.
When you first saw Alessia Girasole’s illustrations, did anything amaze or surprise you? Which is your favorite spread?
Text © Jenny Lynn Pease, 2024. Image © Alessia Girasole. 2024.
Alessia Girasole was the perfect choice to illustrate I Love Harriet Kippley. Her illustrations really brought Harriet’s fun and quirky personality to life. I especially loved how she drew the polka-dotted singing unicorn named Pattie.
This is a really fun spread! What is one of the most fun or unusual places where you’ve written and/or illustrated a manuscript?
I mentioned earlier that I love writing outdoors by a lake. There’s a really nice state park near my house, and I love going there to unwind and relax by the lake.
Sounds like a great place to write. Is there anything special you want your readers to know about I Love Harriet Kippley?
Readers can expect to find a lot of fun things in the book that will make them smile and giggle. There are fuzzy socks, a platypus, a motorcycle riding grandma, and more.
What is your favorite National Park or Forest, regional park, or city park (anywhere in the world)? Or the one you’re longing to visit. Why?
© 2024 Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
There’s a really nice park near my house called Pinchot. It’s really lovely lots of trees for shade and a beautiful lake. It’s the perfect place for writing outdoors.
Thank you, Jenny, for sharing about yourself and your debut picture book with us.
For more information about Jenny Lynn Pease, or to contact her:
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jennylynnpease/
Review of I Love Harriet Kippley
This humorous and inspiring debut picture book encourages readers to think out what is important to themselves and realize that everyone is a special and unique treasure.
I Love Harriet Kippley
Author: Jenny Lynn Pease
Illustrator: Alessia Girasole
Publisher: Free Spirit Publishing (2024)
Ages: 5-7
Fiction
Themes:
Self-affirmation, kindness, art, and self-celebration.
Synopsis:
Inspire kids to love and celebrate themselves with Harriet's quest to find the perfect drawing subject.
Harriet and her classmates each have to draw a picture of something they love. Harriet loves unicorns, barbecue chip sundaes, and tubas . . . but those are already taken. With a little support and encouragement from her family, Harriet finally decides on the perfect thing to draw. Herself!
I Love Harriet Kippley is a sweet, humorous, lively, and charming read-aloud with a simple message of self-affirmation. Harriet's search to find something special and unique to draw can help start conversations with kids about developing self-confidence and recognizing personal strengths.
A section at the back of the book offers discussion questions to help kids develop self-awareness and kindness to themselves and others, learn to manage frustration, ask for help, and celebrate their own unique qualities.
Opening Lines:
Hariett and her classmates were almost ready for their art
party. Drawings decorated the walls and windows. Colorful
chains and silly paper-plate animals dangled from the ceiling.
"Don't forget to have your drawings ready for the party on
Monday," Miss Kirkpatrick said.
What I LOVED about this book:
Wonderfully colorful, realistic, and diverse illustrations follow Harriet and her class as they prepare for an "art party." Although the class has a 'simple' assignment - "draw a picture of something you love," Harriet is stymied.
Text © Jenny Lynn Pease, 2024. Image © Alessia Girasole. 2024.
Determined to make her drawing special and unique, Harriet's frustration grows as her classmates show off their pictures. Turns out, someone else has already thought of a unicorn and ice cream. So, Harriet dismisses her wonderfully creative ideas of "a polka-dotted singing unicorn," and her "triple-decker hot-fudge-and-barbeque-chips sundae." I love the humor in both the text and the illustrations with these creative ideas. Harriet even passes on her hysterical idea of a fuzzy sock-wearing, xylophone-playing platypus. Illustrator Alessia Girasole has such an awesome sense of humor!
Text © Jenny Lynn Pease, 2024. Image © Alessia Girasole. 2024.
Stuck with a piece of paper titled "I LOVE," Harriet seeks inspiration from her family asking her dad, mom, and grandma what they love. I enjoyed that Dad is baking and Grandma's mowing the lawn and riding a motorcycle! I also love that Alessia Girasole seamlessly, and without fanfare, added a brace to one of Harriet's legs and a sweet gray cat to the illustrations. With the focus on Harriet's art struggle, imagination, and loving family environment, a reader might not even catch it until they look back or upon a second reading. Initially dismissive of the identical first answer from each of her family members, Harriet continues to struggle all weekend. Dismissing each subsequent idea from her family as one already chosen by a classmate. Until circumstances align and she is struck by "a great idea."
Delaying the reveal, the ending explores the art party's activities and other drawings by her classmates, until finally Harriet presents her drawing of . . . Wrapping up in a fun, non-preachy, child accessible way, Harriet offers the reader a special gift - the encouragement to practice self-appreciation. A "Questions and Ideas" letter asks young readers about the book and offers them numerous activities to think about how they view themselves. It's a touching SEL book, which uses humor and heart to inspire readers to celebrate their own special uniqueness.
Resources:
make a "Me flower" and celebrate all the special things about yourself.
draw a picture, or write a description, of something YOU love.
check out the "Questions and Ideas" at the back of the book.
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