Today we have picture book author Gayle Krause here to tell us about her new book, Daddy Can You See the Moon. Gayle has also been kind enough to offer a picture book critique to one lucky reader.
Thank you, Gayle, for joining me on Reading, Writing, and Reaching for Chocolate!
Thank
you for hosting me, June.
Every
reader loves to know, what inspired this story?
As former Early Childhood
Educator, I taught Children’s Literature to prospective teachers as part of
their training program for over thirty years. I also directed a Laboratory
Pre-K, affiliated with my teaching course, in Goshen, NY. It was there, as I
sat on the floor of the nursery school, reading countless picture books to the
preschoolers, or acting out fairy tales as creative dramatic presentations that
I became uniquely attuned to the young child’s mind.
These precious little guys
struggle to make sense of the world around them, especially the adult world of
their parents. Emotional situations like divorce and deployment affect these
children in a way that most adults cannot see.
It was one particular little boy
that was having a very difficult time accepting the time frame of his dad’s
separation from the family. That came back to me years later and the end result
is DADDY, CAN YOU SEE THE MOON?
What
is your process like?
As I mentioned above, I taught high school students and college
freshman and also ran a Laboratory Pre-K. Consequently, after spending 30 years
with these kids, I tend to write at both ends of the spectrum. Picture Books or
Young Adult.
So my process might be a bit unconventional. After I spend two years
or so working on a novel, I switch gears and create rhyming picture books. Why
rhyming? Because essentially, I have a YA voice, and the rhymes help keep my
word count low. Also, I enjoy the challenge of meter, beats, alliteration, and
story in a rhyming format.
What
do you hope readers take away from this story?
In this book, children from
military families can see that they are not alone in this incredible,
perplexing moment when Mom or Dad has to leave the family. And non-military
children can also share the family bond and love that strengthens this little
boy. The moon may wax and wane, but the special bond between a young boy
and his father never wavers. Since April is recognized
as The Month of the Military Child, I have teamed up with OUR MILITARY KIDS to help support children and
families of deployed soldiers. 10% of all royalties will be donated to OUR
MILITARY KIDS. www.ourmilitarykids.org
That is amazing! What
else are you working on?
I am currently working on a MG Fantasy trilogy with a boy
protagonist that goes on fantastic adventures in a parallel world.
What
is your favorite chocolate or dessert?
My
favorite dessert is a combination of both….a chocolate éclair
Thanks
again for having me on your blog, June. If your readers would like to know more
about my books they can find me at http://www.gayleckrause.com
I’d like
to offer a rhyming picture book critique of no more than 500 words to one of
your followers. If they would kindly comment below and share this post on
social media (including where they posted).
GIVE AWAY HAS ENDED (5-1-19) THANK YOU
Thank you Gail for expressing concern and thought for military families...as our family has been through three deployments already, this book should brighten up our day.
ReplyDeleteAs a child, my dad served oversees for a year while we stayed stateside. It's tough. Great topic for a PB. I shared on Twitter.
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to get your thoughts on a MS. Thanks for the wisdom. I will share on twitter. :)
ReplyDelete