Chitchat with Author Erin Dealey and Illustrator Kate Cosgrove, plus a Giveaway!

Happy National Plant a Flower Day, everyone!

Celebrating that, oh, do I have a treat for you today! I can't think of a better day to talk about a brand-new picture book titled JUST FLOWERS, and what a joy to get to chat with both the author and the illustrator! 

Here's the insight they share with my followers and a special giveaway...

My questions for Erin Dealey, the author:

R.J.P.: How did the idea for this book come? What inspired the story?

E.D.: First of all, thank you for having us on your blog, Rosie, and for helping to spread the word about JUST FLOWERS.

As for your question, I get ideas from everywhere, but this one came from an Instagram thread about #ayearinflowers. Not only were the flowers that people posted gorgeous, but many included their Latin names and I found myself very entertained by those. I mean, I can’t say Ranunculus out loud without smiling. Can you? Or Galunthus? All I could think about was how fun these words would be in a read-aloud. Like I said ideas are everywhere. 

R.J.P.: That's fascinating, I'm glad you took that opportunity to create a wonderful story with such fun-to-pronounce Latin flower names, indeed! 

Please share the journey from writing your first draft to the polished manuscript going out on submission to getting the offer... Did you do many revisions? Were there any challenges along the way? How long did it take to find a publishing home for this book and how did you get the news? 

E.D.: This manuscript had at least five revisions, some of which I took to my critique group, The PBJs. Shout out to my CPs Patirica Newman, Bitsy Kemper, and Lori Mortensen. Before they saw it, however, the first challenge was figuring out how to incorporate the Latin names (and which ones to choose) without seeming didactic. Then there’s the fact that I am NOT a Botanist— or close to it. Do not ask me to name all the wildflowers on a hike. But the topic intrigued me, and it was fun to dig in. (Pardon the pun.)

R.J.P.: Love the pun! And reading the story, you could've fooled me for sure... I definitely thought you at least had a green thumb if not a full-blown botany passion. 

So, after the book was acquired, did you go through additional rounds of revisions with your editor? If so, how did the story change?

E.D.: Yes, there were definitely revisions once Sleeping Bear acquired it. We narrowed the seasonal focus to almost Spring/early summer, so that meant changing a few plants & flowers to fit the growing season. And the main character had several different names in early drafts before we settled on IZZY. Also, in early drafts a local TV news team showed up. Switching to the Green Thumb Award (no spoilers) was my editor, Sarah Rockett’s suggestion.  

R.J.P.: What was your reaction when you found that that you’ve been paired with #1 NYT bestselling illustrator Kate Cosgrove?

E.D.: Oh, my goodness, I saw Kate’s early illustrations and was blown away by Kate’s style and palette before her book A DAY WITH NO WORDS (written by Tiffany Hammond / Wheat Penny Press) hit the NYT Bestseller list—and deservedly so. Seriously, my jaw dropped when I saw the spread of Izzy and Mom. 

R.J.P.: It's beautiful! 

I learned from your interview with Kate on your blog what her favorite spread to illustrate in the book was and her personal inspiration behind it. I’d love to know what your favorite spread of art is and why?

E.D.: I’m serious when I say that each spread is absolutely magical, from the palette to the details she chose. But the one with Izzy’s mom took my breath away. And knowing that her memories of her grandma were the inspiration for that scene really explains why you feel so much love on that page.  It’s truly palpable. 

R.J.P.: Yes, I can see that, too!
What do you hope kids get away from your story after reading JUST FLOWERS?

E.D.: It would be super cool if Izzy inspires others to share random acts of kindness. I’d also love to hear that Izzy’s love of all things botanical has inspired others, and perhaps there are a few more Monarch migration stations in the world. Last but not least, I hope it’s a fun read-aloud, and receives endless “read-it-again” requests.
 
R.J.P.: And my final question is, what’s next for you? Are you working on any new projects you can share with us? Any upcoming books in the pipeline? What are you looking forward to?

I recently signed a new contract that’s one of those can’t-talk-about-it-yet things right now. You know what I mean. This one began during the pandemic and went through so many revisions, it’s barely recognizable from the first drafts. (Never give up, friends!) I’ve worked with the wonderful illustrator on several other books (That’s a clue!) so I’m very thrilled to be moving forward with this.   

Ooh, how intriguing! I can't wait to find out more. And yes, I totally get both the "can't-talk-about-it-yet" and the "so many revisions" scenario to the point where the manuscript is barely recognizable. 

Thank you, Erin, for being a returning guest and for giving my readers a behind-the-scenes look at JUST FLOWERS. I wish you all the best with the book, your upcoming project, and all future ones, too! 

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My questions for Kate Cosgrove, the illustrator:

R.J.P.: Kate, what made you jump on board to illustrate this story? What did you think when you first read the manuscript? What grabbed you?

K.C.: They totally had me hooked at “Sleeping Bear Press wants you to illustrate a book.” I’m from Michigan and have loved Sleeping Bear books since I was a kid. 

Then I received the manuscript…I had a HUGE immediate crush on the story. Izzy is such a sweet character, and the way they spread love and inclusion through discarded wildflowers is so beautiful. And just so we don’t get too sappy, the big ol’ grump of a neighbor balances everything out in very funny way. 

R.J.P.: Did you have any communication with Erin during the process of creating the art?

K.C.: Erin connected with me a little on social media, but we didn’t discuss our book until after the editors and art directors approved everything. 

R.J.P.: What is your favorite sentence from the book and why? 

K.C.: I love the very first sentence and the way it hooks you right in the brain…That very specific sensation of being chilled by winter, bored in a way only a kid can be, and the excitement of suddenly having the monotony broken by a new neighbor to spy on… not that I would EVER be that nosy…    

“One blustery brr day,
in a dreary dull town,
a new neighbor moved in next door.” 

R.J.P.: Would you share your research process, if any, in preparation to illustrate all the flowers? What was your favorite flower to illustrate in the book? 

K.C.: This story has specific flower breeds by scientific name, so I researched all of them carefully. I did a ton of drawing just flowers (ha!) before I even got to the sketching stage. The roses were so fun to draw… And smash the different colors on top of each other to show their folds and petals. I still find myself doodling roses for fun, even after the completion of the art. 

R.J.P.: I love that! What do you hope the takeaway from the book is when kids read it?
 
K.C." It would be amazing if it helped nature compete a little with screentime… encouraging kids to go outside, poke around in the dirt, smell the flowers, and notice butterflies in our world. 

R.J.P.: I totally agree! Please share two things that are on your bucket list, either personally or professionally. 

K.C.: I dream of being invited to participate in the Bath Children's Literature Festival, but even just to attend would be so cool! 

I love scary movies… and would love to illustrate a creepy kidlit story.

R.J.P.: I hope you get to do that in the near future, Kate! 
Okay, so what’s next for you? Any projects in the pipeline that you can share about? What are you excited about and looking forward to? 

I’m working on a couple more nonfiction science books for kids through Holliday House. A Tree Is A Community by David L. Harrison releases this fall. 

Thank you both, Erin and Kate! It was wonderful to chat about your book and get the scoop on the journey of this story. Wishing you the best of success and looking forward to what's next. 

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Erin Dealey is a screenwriter, playwright, blogger, and award-winning children’s author of 20+ picture books & board books (so far), including the newest, JUST FLOWERS (Illus. Kate Cosgrove /Sleeping Bear), the award-winning DEAR EARTH…From Your Friends in Room 5 (Harper Collins/ Illus. Luisa Uribe), SNOW GLOBE WISHES (Illus. Claire Shorrock / Sleeping Bear—an Anna Dewdney Read Together honor book; and silly PETER EASTER FROG (Simon & Schuster, Caitlyn Dlouhy Books/ Illus. G. Brian Karas). Dealey's original career goal was Olympic Gold Medal tetherball player. When that didn't pan out, she became a teacher, theater director, actor, mom, and author--and welcomes any opportunity to visit schools around the world. She lives in northern California with her husband. You can find her online at erindealey.com and on TwitterX @ErinDealey & Instagram @ErinDealey. ​

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Connect with Erin:
Web site: http://erindealey.com/
Blog: Book Birthdays, Kidlit Interviews, Classroom Blog Takeovers http://erindealey.com/blog/
Insta: @erindealey https://www.instagram.com/erindealey/
TwitterX: @ErinDealey https://twitter.com/ErinDealey
Pinterest: @erindealey https://www.pinterest.com/erindealey/
FB: Erin Dealey https://www.facebook.com/erin.dealey​

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Kate Cosgrove is the #1 New York Times bestselling illustrator of A Day With No Words by Tiffany Hammond. This book juried into The Original Art 43rd Annual Exhibition in NYC.

Cosgrove’s other notable picture books include And the Bullfrogs Sing: A Life Cycle, a Bank Street Best Book of the Year, and a Maryland Blue Crab Young Reader Award Honors book. The Dirt Book, Poems About Animals that Live Beneath Our Feet, which juried into The Original Art 41st Annual Exhibition in NYC, and is a 2024 Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee.
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She’s usually hiding in her probably-haunted studio, with pencil- smudged fingers and a smelly dog named Stanley.

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Connect with Kate: 
www.katecosgrove.com
Instagram @k8cosgrove
Twitter @k8_cosgrove
Bluesky @k8cosgrove.bsky.social 

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Order your copy of JUST FLOWERS here.

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G I V E A W A Y! ! !

Comment for a chance to win your choice of either a signed copy of the book (U.S. only) or a picture book critique by Erin Dealey.

And the winner is . . .

Lori Tecler! Congratulations!!!