Spying on Spies, How Elizebeth Smith Friedman Broke the Nazis’ Secret Codes
Written and illustrated by Marissa Moss
Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2024
I usually feature picture books on my blog, but after receiving and reading a copy of this book from Darlene Beck Jacobson, I thought there might be others who would be fascinated by the tenacity and brilliance of code breakers!
Secret codes are a thing! Decoder rings, special clues, ciphers, and so on are intriguing. I love watching movies where puzzles and special codes are solved on the journey to success (whatever that goal might be). But being clever enough to solve intentionally secretive and difficult secret codes-eek!
Spying on Spies was an amazing chapter book to read. The strategies, machines, and secrecy kept me captivated. I loved that this book focused on a woman code breaker. Go girls! Each chapter begins with a short cartoon/graphic novel type illustration, and then jumps into the chapter. The back matter is glorious! There is not just a glossary, but also photos, additional information and explanations about ciphers and codes, notes, timeline, and bibliography, all of which provide more opportunities to dive deep into the world of code breaking.
You can read more about this book in Darlene’s post here.
Two thumbs up for this fascinating historical book! Perfect for the code breakers in your life!
Happy book birthday, Kim! Goat’s Boat Won’t Float is finally here! I’m so excited for you! Now Goat and Turkey are out in the world and ready for readers to have a blast!
Friends, Kim is one of my fabulous critique partners. I love reading her manuscripts, and she always has wonderful insights for me when she reads my work. Be sure to read to the end to learn about a special giveaway of Kim’s book by The Little Press.LEAVE a message on this blog post for a chance to win a copy of Goat’s Boat Won’t Float!!!
But enough about me. Kim, welcome to the blog! Thanks for celebrating your book birthday with us!
Tell us about your writing journey.
I wrote as a hobby for many years (but I wrote very poorly). Then in 2010, I was laid off after a 23-year career in mortgage lending. It had always been my dream to write full-time, and with our two sons almost grown, my husband gave me his blessing. I took three creative writing classes at the same college my son attended, then I started a critique group that met in my home for many years. I published twelve short stories and poems in regional anthologies and also wrote a few picture books. However, it wasn’t until I stumbled onto a local SCBWI writing group in 2018 that I switched to writing for children exclusively. Goat’s Boat Won’t Float (The Little Press) is my debut picture book. My second is Doll Trouble (Clavis Publishing) and it will be released in 2025.
I love learning about your journey of becoming a picture book author!
What was your inspiration for Goat’s Boat Won’t Float?
My grandchildren’s fainting goats inspired the main character.
Having grown up on a farm, I’m drawn to stories with anthropomorphic animals. The story itself was inspired after watching an SCBWI webinar by Ann Ingalls in 2020 on how to write early readers. I learned that most early readers use sight words, which are common words kids recognize without sounding them out. On the kindergarten list was the word “goat,” and I knew I had my main character.
That is awesome! Early readers are so important for young readers. What perfect characters! Our neighbor raises goats (but not the fainting variety). They are such unique funny animals. 😊
What special plans do you have to celebrate the October 1 release of Goat’s Boat Won’t Float?
The day will probably be like any other day, Lol. I have my first bookstore signing on October 5, so that will make it feel more real. I’ll be featured on several blogs throughout the month, so I’m sure I’ll be interacting with friends, family, and readers on social media who will help me celebrate the entire month.
A perfect plan!
What are you working on now?
I’m working on my presentation for the schools I will visit this fall. At the same time, I’m also trying to find time to draft a new picture book idea. I highly value receiving feedback on my stories, so I’m determined to share something with my critique group every other week.
Kim also visited the blog in August and shared some of her strategies for promoting Goat’s Boat Won’t Float. You can read more here.
Do you have any tips you would give to a new picture book author or illustrator?
Never stop learning. Never give up. Never lose your joy in writing. These tips are best accomplished by staying connected with other authors—and the KidLit community is the greatest. Everyone shares their knowledge and encourages and supports one another. It’s truly a community that makes a writer’s life more fun.
This is absolutely true!
Surprise us! What else would you like to share?
Here’s a fun fact: goats don’t really faint. Certain breeds of goats have a genetic disorder called myotonia congenita. This makes their muscles seize when startled, causing them to topple over.
Animal facts are amazing!
Congratulations, Kim! I have my own copy to read and reread! Such a fun read!
Kim A. Larson grew up surrounded by every imaginable farm animal—except fainting goats. Her grandchildren introduced her to these skittish creatures, and she knew she had to write about them. Goat’s Boat Won’t Float is her debut picture book, the first in the Goat & Turkey series. Her second book, Doll Trouble, will be released in 2025 (Clavis Publishing). In 2021, Kim won the Ann Whitford Paul Award for most promising picture book manuscript. She was a #PBParty finalist in 2022 and 2023. When she’s not reading or writing, you may find Kim gardening or playing her favorite game Sequence. She and her husband live in Moorhead, Minnesota.
You can reach Kim on her website at KimALarson.com and on Facebook,Twitter/X,Instagram, and Bluesky. If you sign up for her quarterly newsletter, you’ll receive a PDF copy of her first published book of short stories and poems: Love, Laughter, and few Happily Ever Afters.
*GIVEAWAY ALERT
The Little Press is offering a copy of Goat’s Boat Won’t Float (US only) to one winner. All you have to do is leave a copy on this blog post! Ta-da!
Written and illustrated by Jennifer Black Reinhardt
Clarion Books, July 2020
What joy! Playing Possum is such a delightful book! I fell in love with Alfred and Sophia and the way fear and anxiety dictated their actions. I enjoyed their many interactions and the way the forest creatures joined their adventures, many of them with their own responses to fear. The illustrations and story captivated my imagination and I couldn’t wait to turn the pages to see what happened next.
How does one make friends when burdened with such a built-in fear factor? Calmly and patiently! Jennifer Black Reinhardt has skillfully woven the story of kindness and friendship between unlikely friends in a magical woodland. I invited Jennifer to visit and tell us more about Playing Possum.
Here’s Jennifer!
Welcome, Jennifer! Tell us a little bit about yourself.
Hi, Angie, thank you so much for having me visit. I grew up with a mother who was an artist, and her mother (my MomMom) was an artist as well. So, I was always encouraged to create. When I was in second grade, I discovered that I could put words with pictures to tell even more of a story—- I was hooked.
I grew up in Pennsylvania and got my degree in Illustration from Carnegie Mellon University. After graduating, I worked as a freelance illustrator and had success illustrating pretty much everything except picture books. Finally, after many, many years of being persistent, I’m now getting to live my dream of writing and illustrating books for kids.
One is never too young (or I hope, too old) to write stories and draw pictures!
What was your inspiration for Playing Possum?
One night several years ago, my husband was taking out the trash and called to me to identify the animal in our trashcan. Sticking out of the top of the can was a snarling, frozen, possum! I remember feeling sorry for him. He looked so scared and I thought that it was probably even scarier not being able to run away.
Poor thing!
What was the writing and illustrating journey you took as you created this beautiful picture book?
I wrote the initial draft of the story (we all know there are many, many, drafts, and revisions) quite quickly. It is sparse text, but once I had my characters, this story seemed to fall into place (It’s not always like that). I shared it with my critique group and then sent it to my agent. We had interest from editors right away who wished to acquire it (again, not usually like that). Illustrating-wise it was important to me to find a believable balance between what is real and what is imagined. I wanted readers to feel Alfred and Sofia’s kindness toward each other and then having the desire to spread their empathy to help others.
Wow, you are right! Playing Possum fell together quite easily, but it’s not always like that.
How did you celebrate the July 2, 2020, release of Playing Possum?
Well, a bit differently than for past books, of course. I teamed up with a local bookstore, Sidekick Coffee and Books, and held a virtual Zoom launch party.
Good for you! It is an odd year for book releases and gatherings. Sounds like you had a perfect plan.
Surprise us. What else would you like to share?
One of my earliest and warmest memories is of my mother reading me The Night Before Christmas, by Clement C. Moore and illustrated by one of my very favorite illustrators, Gyo Fujikawa. There is a tiny mouse that she has hidden on some of the pages. I can remember so clearly how much I adored looking for that little detail with my mom. It made me extremely happy that I could put so many hidden ‘critters’ in Playing Possum for other young readers to find. I hope they enjoy all those secret surprises.
I love surprises! I can’t wait to go back and reread my book and see how many I can find. Fun!
Thank you, Jennifer, for visiting today! Thank you so much for sending me a copy of Playing Possum via Picture Book Builders. I am very grateful to meet such wonderful characters and read about their adventures.
We send all the best wishes to you and much success with Playing Possum. I hope we get to meet Alfred and Sophia in a new adventure!
Here’s how you can support and get in touch with Jennifer:
Happy book birthday, Laura and Jennie! What an adorable picture book! I know I can’t wait to get my hands on it and read about Porcupine and friends. And I hear there is a great pie recipe at the end, so let me at it!
Congratulations!
Note to writers: This interview is chock full of information about the Laura’s publishing journey. I loved learning more about the process.
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