Read the Book!: Interview with local author Ame Dyckman
As a youth services librarian, I get super excited when I find a great author whose books I love to share with my story-time patrons as well as my own children. It is even better when that author is someone as wonderful as Lawrenceville resident Ame Dyckman. I knew Ame as a patron at the Lawrence Branch before she became a published children’s author. It has been amazing and inspiring to watch the journey her career has taken. Her books are fantastic and the characters she creates are as warm and endearing and fun as her own personality. She keeps both children and adults engaged and wanting more. From the beginning of her career, Ame has made numerous appearances at the Lawrence Branch, promoting her latest books and participating in library children’s programs, including our Valentine’s Day program in 2015.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Hi, Lauren! THANKS SO MUCH for having me! Hi, MCLS readers!
How long have you been writing books and what inspired you to become a children’s author?
I wanted to write for kids ever since I WAS one! I grew up reading AMAZING characters (FROG & TOAD, GEORGE AND MARTHA, etc.) and wanted to create my own someday.
But Life happened (college and marriage and rent/mortgage and a kiddo), and I didn’t get serious about becoming a children’s author until 2008. That’s when the kiddo of the previous sentence (a wise-beyond-her-years Kindergartener at the time) gave me the best career advice ever: “GO FOR IT, MOMMY!”
So, I did! I joined SCBWI (the Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators) and started reading as many picture books each day as I could. I’d check out 50 picture books at a time, read ’em all that night, and be back in the Lawrence Branch the next day to turn them in for 50 more!
Thanks to SCBWI and MCLS’ generous lending policy, I started to learn HOW to craft a story. And in 2009, I signed with a literary agent (Super Agent Scott Treimel of Scott Treimel NY) and he sold my first book, BOY + BOT! He’s working on the contract for my 14th and 15th books now! (It usually takes 2-3 years for a picture book to publish once it’s sold.)
Tell us about your newest book, coming out in November.
Publishing November 7th, it’s my sixth book to hit shelves, READ THE BOOK, LEMMINGS!, also illustrated by my WOLFIE THE BUNNY and HORRIBLE BEAR! illustrator, Zachariah OHora. LEMMINGS is a learning-to-read adventure that pokes a bit of fun at the myth about lemmings jumping off cliffs—but it’s set on a boat!
Aboard the S.S. Cliff, First Mate Foxy reads an interesting fact: "Lemmings don't jump off cliffs." But Foxy can't get the lemmings on the Cliff to read his book, too. They're too busy jumping off. After a chilly third rescue, exasperated Foxy and grumbly polar bear Captain PB realize their naughty nautical crew isn't being stubborn: The lemmings (Jumper, Me Too, and Ditto) can't read. And until Foxy patiently teaches his lemmings to read the book, he can't return to reading it, either!
We hope kiddos will have as much fun reading LEMMINGS (complete with repeated “GERONIMO-O-O-O-O!”s) as we had making it!
Of all the characters you’ve created, who has been your favorite and why?
I CAN’T CHOOSE BETWEEN MY BABIES! But some of my characters are definitely more… autobiographical than others. I still laugh every time I read the STOMPing girl or RAWRing Bear from HORRIBLE BEAR! because that’s ME when I’m having a tantrum! I’m totally the kid at the fountain in YOU DON’T WANT A UNICORN! who doesn’t listen to “Trust me!” and has to experience things firsthand—even chaotic things like unicorns! And there’s definitely a big chunk of me in Shark* from my upcoming (4/24/18) MISUNDERSTOOD SHARK, illustrated by Scott Magoon. (I’m always telling folks “You misunderstood!” when I’M being naughty, too!)*Just realized I shouldn’t say there’s a big chunk of me in Shark. HA!
Do you get to choose your illustrator and how do you convey to them how you want your book to be illustrated?
Generally, authors don’t choose their illustrators—they’re chosen by an author’s publisher. But in LEMMINGS’ case, Zach and I had already worked together on WOLFIE and HORRIBLE BEAR!, so I was able to say to our publisher (Little, Brown), “I wrote this one for Zach, guys! Whatcha think?” And they thought, “YES!”
I’m very lucky that all my publishers let me give my 2¢ on the art for my books, but also very lucky that I’ve been paired with FANTASTIC illustrators! My illustrators always surprise me with genius ideas I hadn’t even considered, and collaborating and watching our characters come to life visually is THE BEST!
But prior to sketches stage, if there’s something critical to the plot of your book that’s not expressed in the text, as an author you use a short Art Note in your manuscript, set in parentheses and italics. Example:
This:
There was the monster! (Small, cute.)
Not this:
There was the monster! (Small, cute, with pink-and-purple polka-dotted fur and wearing a too-tiny t-shirt that says, “Trouble!” and they’ve got a piece of lint in their belly button.)
because the second art note steps on your illustrator’s illustrating toes. You don’t wanna do that. Illustrators like their illustrating toes.
Who are some of your favorite children’s authors?
I owe huge debts of schooled-me-in-writin’ gratitude to Maurice Sendak, Arnold Lobel, Russell and Lillian Hoban, James Marshall, and all the greats of my youth. But I think we’re living in a fantastic age of picture books now, too—SO MANY talented authors (and illustrators!) today! And I get to call a lot of them friends.
Tell us about your earliest library experiences. Were you an avid library user as a child?
I loved all my libraries! I was an Army Brat, so we moved around the country A LOT. Every reassignment meant we had to pare down our possessions first—especially books, because they’re so heavy and expensive to move. But I was lucky. Every new destination had an awesome library—even when we moved to Alaska! So even though I couldn’t OWN lots of books at a time, I still had ACCESS to lots of books! And that makes SUCH a difference, especially when you’re a kid.
How long have you been using the Lawrence Branch of the Mercer County Library and what are some of your favorite features of the library?
We moved to New Jersey in 2000, and I popped into the library before I was even finished unpacking!
As an author, the Lawrence Branch is one of the best research resources I have! I love the extensive children’s fiction and nonfiction collections. I need to keep up on all the new releases in picture books, and the Lawrence Branch does a wonderful job at acquiring the latest titles. And although I write fiction, I still need to fact-check my fiction, and the nonfiction collection helps tremendously with this.
As a Mama, my family and I have checked out MOUNTAINS (no exaggeration!) of books and DVDs and CDs, read magazines and newspapers, attended storytimes and events, participated in the Summer Reading program... ETC.! You name it, and it seems to be offered by the Lawrence Branch!
BONUS: that big green stuffed lizard on the top of the Juvenile Fiction bookshelf? If you’re ever feeling blue, give him a hug. It’ll cheer you up EVERY time. (I suspect he’s magic!)
Ame Dyckman’s books are staples for a fun storytime that will make both kids and their parents laugh out loud. We have an excellent collection of Ame’s work throughout the branches of the Mercer County Library System. They can be found in the picture book section of your local branch under the call number E DYC.
Our collection includes:
Boy + Bot
Ame’s first published book, this is a sweet story about the friendship between a boy and a robot and how much they have in common despite their differences. I have read this book several times in storytime - it is very fun to talk in Bot’s robot voice!
Tea Party Rules
Cub has stumbled upon a girl’s tea party but poor Cub doesn’t realize how many rules he has to follow to get a cookie (and what bear wants a bath?)! By the end, the girl and Cub find a new game to play that they both enjoy.
Wolfie the Bunny
Dot is very skeptical of her new brother, Wolfie (and who blames her - she’s a bunny and he’s a wolf!). But her protectiveness of her younger brother in a scary situation involving a bear shows their loyalty towards each other.
MCL also has Wolfie the Bunny available in VOX book format. These are hardback picture books that are equipped with an audio component that allows children to listen to a read-aloud of the story while following along on the pages. You can search for additional VOX format books in our collection by clicking here. Check the blog next week for more on our new VOX collection.
Horrible Bear!A girl’s broken kite is just the beginning of the mishaps in this picture book that shows the
importance of saying “I’m sorry.”
It’s a hard choice, but this is probably my favorite of Ame’s books. Doesn’t every kid wish for a unicorn? But there are dire consequences when this little boy does - DON’T EAT THE CUPCAKES!
Read the Book, Lemmings!
Ame’s latest book, just published in the beginning of November 2017! These lemmings are adorable and they need help learning what lemmings are supposed to do (which is NOT jumping off cliffs!)
—————————————————
Keep up with Ame Dyckman’s latest news and information about her new books by checking out her website or follow her on twitter. Also, watch for her at the Lawrence Branch - she will be the amazing, sweet person with a huge stack of books and a cool hair color! Her journey and success have been inspiring and we are so proud and excited for what is to come from this local resident and MCL patron!
- Miss Lauren, Lawrence Branch
Comments
Post a Comment