Brianna Caplan Sayres's Blog

Ahoy, Mateys! So sorry it has been so long since I posted, but today is a very good news day and I wanted to make sure to share.

My picture book, WHERE DO SPEEDBOATS SLEEP AT NIGHT?, illustrated by the absolutely amazing Christian Slade sails into the world today. So very excited for you all to get a chance to see Christian's illustrations in this book!

(When my 12-year-old saw the f&g's he had to look at every picture. And it is a bedtime book about boats. And he is 12! Suffice to say, I think that Christian's illustrations keep on getting more and more amazing with every book in our vehicle bedtime series.)

So I hope those of you with little ones who like boats have a fun time reading SPEEDBOATS, and looking at the beautiful summer weather outside today, I hope we all soon get a chance to enjoy some super-fun summer boating!

Thanks for letting me share my "book birthday" good news!!

Last week's launch party for WHERE DO STEAM TRAINS SLEEP AT NIGHT? was so very, very fun! Thanks so very much to Mockingbird Books for hosting this wonderful event! And thank you so very much to who attended and to all who sent their virtual good wishes!

Here are a few fun pics from the party:






And we had a green screen at the party! So everyone got to take their picture with their favorite train:




And I had the wonderful privilege of being interviewed by the Little Engineer from the amazing Play Trains website. (If you have little ones who like trains, you should definitely check this website out. It is sooooo cool!) And I am so looking forward to hearing my interview when it is all ready! Here is a picture of me being interviewed by the amazing Little Engineer (who asked me 6 great questions!):

Thanks so much for letting me toot my own good news! Do you have good news to share? Please toot-toot it with a comment below! :) 

Sorry it has been so long since I have posted on here! Excited to get back to blogging!

And so excited that today's "Good News Day Tuesday" is a very special one for me! Today is the book birthday for my third picture book, WHERE DO STEAM TRAINS SLEEP AT NIGHT?

Picture books take along time to come into the world (much longer than babies :) )! So I am so very excited that you can all finally see Christian Slade's amazing illustrations of train moms and train dads getting their little boy and girl trains ready for bed!

In honor of my launch day, I would love to invite you all to two special launch parties:

If you are in the Seattle area (or will be this Thursday night): You are cordially invited to my in-person launch party at the fantabulous, Mockingbird Books! I hope to see you there!!

And if you are not in the Seattle area (or even if you are but you just want to check this out too): You are cordially invited to my online Train Station Book Launch party on  my website. Just chug on over to
the party for a freight-load of train and picture book fun!

All aboard!

If you had visited my website (www.briannacaplansayres.com) yesterday (or any day before then), you would have seen a beautiful blue sky with two lovely trees and one yellow digger busily digging away.

But if you visit my website now, you will see a beautiful blue sky with two lovely trees and one yellow digger busily digging away PLUS one fierce T-Rex putting her tiara on and off and one sweet steam train puff-puff puffing away. (Huge thanks to Jeffrey Duckworth  for these awesome new animations!)

The addition of these two new animated gifs means a lot to me. It all goes back to my initial vision for my website...

And so I started with a graphic for my first book, WHERE DO DIGGERS SLEEP AT NIGHT?-- a busy yellow digger. In one way, it looked perfect, but... in another way it looked sort of lonely.

Would my yellow digger ever be joined by other graphics? Would I someday have more books to make graphics for? I wondered and I hoped and I wrote...

So today I am super happy that that wonderful digger has two "friends" joining him on my website. The T-Rex with the tiara is for my upcoming picture book, TIARA SAURUS REX (coming out in February! Yay!) and the happy, puffing steam train is for my upcoming companion book to DIGGERS, WHERE DO STEAM TRAINS SLEEP AT NIGHT?.

The site is getting pretty busy! Yay!

But, like most writers, I can't wait to make it even busier! Definitely a fun way to track my writing progress!

What writing milestones should you be celebrating? Starting a new manuscript? Finishing a manuscript? Making a commitment to sit down to write? Please comment below and let's celebrate together! :)

Happy Monday, or, as I like to call it, "Keep Reading Fun Day"! Today I want to talk about the power of reading games.

So often learning to read can feel like very serious business, and this "serious business" can lead to loads of stress for both parent and child. Of course, feeling stressed does not help good learning... or good teaching. In fact, it pretty much makes both impossible. :(

So, how can we get past this sometimes miserable situation?

But when you are a stressed out parent whose child is not liking reading, this can feel hard to do.

That is where reading games can come in. My son needed to work on recognizing more sight words. He also needed to become more strategic about his decoding by using word chunks instead of going letter by letter.

I could easily see that those were his two weaknesses. But, who wants to focus on their weaknesses?

I wanted to make this fun! For him and for me. So I went looking for some games to address these two needs.

And, yay! I found a great popcorn sight words game (pictured above) and Chunks: The Incredible Word Building Game. (Homemade games are awesome too! I was just too stressed to make some right then. :) )

Hard work didn't feel so hard when it was done in the context of a game. Quickly, he started to get these skills that had felt so frustrating. Soon (very soon), we didn't need the games anymore.

He was just reading. Everything in sight. :)

Could it have happened without the games? Maybe. But the games sure took a lot of stress off of both of us, and made reading a whole lot of fun.

Have you used reading games with your kids? What games did you try? How did they go?

I used to write very, very slowly. At the time, I thought that was the only way to write. Each word had to be perfect before I moved on.

There is nothing wrong with writing this way, if it works for you. I am a huge believer that each writer has her own writing process. But for me, it wasn't working. I was worried too much about perfection and not creating anywhere near enough writing.

Recently I was working on a first draft of a new manuscript, and I kept reminding myself...

"Just get something down," I would tell myself. "And then you can make it better."

And it worked! For me the blank page is incredibly intimidating. Whatever will I write?

But, once there is something (anything!) on that page, revision is so much fun! I love polishing (and polishing and polishing and polishing), my words until they shine!

Once I had something down for each stanza, that sense of blank page intimidation went away. Then I just got to play to make each stanza better.

And play I did! It was so much fun!

To be clear, I am sure this manuscript is not yet done. But, I am equally sure that it is much further along than it would be if I had worried about perfection from the very beginning.

So I wonder: Do you allow yourself to write badly? Do you encourage (or even celebrate) it? Why or why not?

This week I am excited to be participating in the Children's Author Blog Hop! For the hop, participating authors answer four identical questions and then invite three more authors to join in the hop. I was thrilled to be invited to participate in the hop by children's book author, Laura Sassi.

Laura’s poems, stories, articles and crafts have appeared in many publications including Highlights for Children, Cricket, Ladybug, Spider, Focus on the Family’s Clubhouse and Clubhouse Jr., FamilyFun, and Pack-O-Fun. She has a passion for playing with words and rhyming. Her first (awesome!) picture book, GOODNIGHT, ARK,  is now published by Zonderkidz, a HarperCollins Company. And Laura has a second book, GOODNIGHT, MANGER, slated for publication soon. Laura is represented by Lara Perkins of the Andrea Brown Literary Agency. Laura writes from her century-old home in New Jersey where she lives with her awesome husband, two adorable kids, and a black cockapoo named Sophie.

Thanks so very much, Laura, for inviting me to join in the hop!  And now for my answers to those four questions:


WHAT ARE YOU WORKING ON RIGHT NOW?

Right now, I am busy drafting and revising several picture book manuscripts. I tend to hop between manuscripts as I work until my excitement for one really catches fire. Then I work on it in every spare moment I can possibly find, trying to make every word and idea as perfect as I possibly can. Most recently I experienced this intense passion with a manuscript I was drafting about outer space.

HOW DOES IT DIFFER FROM OTHER WORKS IN THE GENRE?

I love it when I can give a new twist to a familiar topic. An editor referred to it as a thematic mash up, and I love that description. But I don't want to reveal what the mash up is just yet... :o)

WHY DO YOU WRITE WHAT YOU DO?

I have wanted to write children's books since I was a child. But initially I imagined that I would write chapter books. I think I was one of the few beginning children's writers who thought that picture books would be too hard. In the beginning I wrote many, many manuscripts (short stories, magazine articles, poems and chapter books). And my first picture book efforts were pretty rough, I think. But somehow more and more picture books kept coming out of me and somehow I've turned into a (mainly) picture book writer. (which I love!)

WHAT IS THE HARDEST PART ABOUT WRITING?

Sometimes I think the hardest part about writing is staring at a blank page. Or getting to the end. It is so much fun to start revising once I get a rough draft down. But each round of revisions presents its own challenges. Especially when I have a revision request from my agent or my editor and I am trying to get it just right.

And now for the three amazing children's book authors I get to share with you on this hop:

MIKE BOLDT: Mike is one amazing author/illustrator! If you haven't checked out his picture books, 123 VERSUS ABC and COLORS VERSUS SHAPES, then do! They are awesome! Mike has also illustrated several books for children's book author, Helaine Becker. Be sure to check out their latest, ODE TO UNDERWEAR. Yes, Mike is funny, which is why I am so very, very excited that he is illustrating... TIARA SAURUS REX, our upcoming picture book with Bloomsbury. Can't wait till you all get a chance to see Mike's amazing dino beauties! You can visit Mike on the web at http://mikeboldt.ca/ or follow him on Twitter @MikeBoldt.

ROBIN CONSTANTINE: Robin writes YA novels and her debut novel, THE PROMISE OF AMAZING from Balzer + Bray is now available. And her next book, THE SECRETS OF ATTRACTION, is coming soon! Let me tell you, Robin's writing really truly is amazing! I was lucky enough to be in a critique group with Robin when we both lived in New Jersey. At the first meeting I attended, some of Robin's chapters were up for critique. From the moment I started reading, I knew that I was going to be reading Robin's work in print one day. And now that day is here and you can all read her wonderful stories too. Hooray! You can visit Robin on the web at www.robinconstantine.com and you can follow her on Twitter @RConstantine14.




DORINE WHITE: Dorine is a children's author and book reviewer. The first book in her Cleopatra's Legacy series, THE EMERALD RING, was published by Cedar Fort Books. It is an exciting middle fantasy novel that involves ancient Egypt, Cleopatra, and a magic emerald ring. I had the pleasure of meeting Dorine at an SCBWI conference and my son and I had so much fun attending her wonderful book launch for THE EMERALD RING. THE EMERALD RING was a great read-aloud for my then 6-year-old and I to share together and we enjoyed Dorine's sequel, THE RUBY PENDANT equally as much. Both books had so much excitement and suspense (which he and I both love)! My son and I are both looking forward to the next book in the series! You can visit Dorine on the web at www.dorinewhite.com or follow her on Twitter @DorineWhite.


Hope you enjoy checking out all these wonderful authors! Happy Hopping!

Thank you so much to Maureen Roble of Eating Kids' Media for nominating Brianna's Book Stop for a Liebster Award! The Liebster Award is for blogs that have less than 200 followers and need more love. Pass it on!
Here are the questions Maureen asked me and their answers:



1. If you could be any ice cream flavor, what would it be, and why?

I think I would be Rocky Road... because life always seems to be challenging (but wonderful and delicious too :o) )!

2. What is your favorite time of day to blog?

Any time I can find the time!

3. If you were not a writer (or other current occupation) what would you be and why?

If I were not busy being a writer and a mom, I would be a teacher (an occupation I loved for many years!).

4. Your go-to (place, blog, person, book) when you are dry on inspiration?

What an interesting question! I have a lot of great places that inspire me! I love attending the Western Washington SCBWI conference each spring and have left each year completely inspired. I also love when I get together with my former critique group members (when I visiting NJ). I also love working with my wonderful agent and editors! I get a lot of wonderful inspiration from their wonderful revision suggestions!

5. What is your favorite book of all time?

I think it's a tie between Anne of Green Gables and Little Women.

6. The best advice you've ever received?

Unfortunately I don't remember where I received this advice but someone suggested to make it a goal to get 100 rejections. Non-writers look at me like I'm crazy for making this a goal but it really works. Once I made getting rejections into something positive, I stopped being afraid of sending things out. And once I sent things out, many things got rejected... but some got accepted too! Hurray!

7. If you could have a super-power, what would it be and why?

I think I would have the ability to slow time... so I could get everything on my to-do list done and still have time to write!

8. What is something you are optimistic about?

Life's challenges. Sometimes it gets hard but I try to view the challenges life throws at me in a positive, optimistic way. :o)

9.  I wish I could see... because...

I wish I could see my grandparents because they were all so wonderful and I miss them so much!

10. What is your most indispensable possession and why?

I love my books! When I move from place to place it is wonderful to unpack these treasured possessions and help move them into their new home.

Thank you again, Maureen! Here are my nominations for the Liebster Award and the rules for those who choose to accept:

Christine Marie Alemshah

The Paper Wait

Mirka Muse

Laura Sassi Tales

Dani Duck: Artist Obscure

If you choose to accept here are the directions: Link back to the blogger who tagged you. Nominate 5-10 others and answer the questions of the one who tagged you. Then ask 10 questions for the bloggers you nominate as well as letting your nominees know of their award.And now, my ten questions for those of you who choose to accept the award:If you could be an animal, what would it be, and why?What is your favorite part about blogging?What is your biggest writing challenge?What writing book / conference / website would you tell other children's writers to read / attend / visit?What advice do you wish someone would have given you when you started writing?What book (or books) do you wish you would have written?What are you most proud of?If you could travel anywhere in the world, where would you go?Book you most love to re-read?What question do you wish I would have asked you? Please answer it!Happy blooging everyone! Please don't forget to check out the blogs mentioned above! They are awesome!

Building our own "Magic School Bus"
was one recent fun project around here!Happy Monday or, as I like to call it around here, Keep Reading Fun Day! I love reading to kids and I love reading with kids. But today I want to talk about how wonderful it can be in those special times when our shared reading experiences become so powerful that we actually go beyond the book.

A simple example of this could be seeing a movie or a play of the book we just watched. This is always fun! We loved seeing the movie of CHARLIE AND THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY (Gene Wilder Version) and I am looking forward to taking my son to JAMES AND THE GIANT PEACH at Seattle Children's Theater later on this year.

But today I wanted to share some fun examples that go even further. Ways in which we have lived the books we love:

1. BUILDING PART OF A FAVORITE BOOK:

In our case, my son was inspired to build the magic school bus. This became a team project with Daddy. They took several huge cardboard boxes and built one awesome magic school bus. This facilitated wonderful dramatic play opportunities. It was such fun for him to actually be in the bus!

2. ACTING OUT A FAVORITE BOOK:

We had the fun of doing this recently for my son's birthday. He wanted a Boxcar Children party. After my initial wondering-- "How in the world are we going to do that?!?!"-- we ended up having a great party. My son helped me create the beginning of a mystery and named several possible suspects. Then he left it up to me to plant clues (including several false herrings). Our house became Greenfield, Connecticut-- home of the Boxcar Children. Our Dining Room became Cook's Diner. And our living room got a (cardboard) statue of Josiah Wade (a revolutionary war hero from one of the Boxcar Children books we had read).

My husband worried that the other kids wouldn't get it-- but luckily almost all the guests were fans too. All but one child who arrived at the party knew exactly which of the Boxcar Children he or she was. (It was an extremely small party and we had 3 Bennys. :o) )

The little stuffed white dog we pretended was Watch was extremely popular with all the kids. And my son was so excited to cook the recipe for Benny's Birthday Cake from THE BOXCAR CHILDREN COOK BOOK (which is actually quite delicious!).

In the end, the kids solved the mystery and my son and his friends had a ball living one of their favorite books!

3. WRITING A BOOK OF THEIR OWN:

One more way in which we have gone beyond the book is when my son has written a story very inspired by one he is reading. When he was little he wrote a very detailed story called "How Matzah is Made" I am sure was very inspired by one of Richard Scarry's wonderful Busy Town stories "How Bread is Made".

And recently he has completed the first chapter of Nancy Drew #65. (The story list in our book stopped at #64 so he is trying to write the next one.) It is fun to see how he is taking the characters and suspenseful writing style of a Nancy Drew novel and imitating it in his own writing.

Going beyond the book can definitely be fun! Especially with a well-loved favorite!

Do you and your kids (or students) ever go beyond the book? How? 

Today I am excited to welcome everyone to the newest feature on my blog: The Picture Book Diner. This feature was inspired by Jeffrey Duckworth's awesome illustration at the top of my blog. Originally, on my website, this image was a wonderful truck stop (also drawn by Jeff) for the launch of my picture book, Where Do Diggers Sleep at Night?.

When I launched this blog, I wanted to use the same wonderful image, but I asked Jeff to help me change it up a bit. Now it was transitioning from a truck stop into "Brianna's Book Stop" and all the building titles changed accordingly. The mini-mart became a library (Jeff even changed the original shelves of food behind the frosted glass to shelves of books!) and "Digger's Diner" became the Picture Book Diner.

At first this was just a wonderfully fun image for my new blog. But the idea of a picture book diner kept tugging at me. What a fun place to "taste" an incredible variety of picture books! And so I have decided to make The Picture Book Diner a regular feature on my blog.

Starting next week I'll try to share a book I've been tasting lately. Or several books. (With picture books it is hard to stop with just one!)

For today, I'd like to invite you to share:


What picture books have you been enjoying lately? Which picture books should my boys and I be sure not to miss?