GENRE: SEL, Humor
WORDS: 579
Query:
Dear PBParty Judges, Agents, and Editors:
Thanks so much for making this submission opportunity possible through PBParty. I’m excited to share SLUG FINDS FANCY, a 579-word picture book for ages 4-8.
Most Garden residents don’t see the Slug who paints glistening landscapes and dances in the moonlight. They greet him with “Ew!” “Ick!” and “Get an exoskeleton!” When Jewel Beetle invites everyone in Garden to her ball, Slug would burst his buttons – if he had any. He knows his slow dancing will show there’s more to him than slime. But two little words at the bottom of the invitation make Slug’s belly turn to jelly: FORMAL ATTIRE. Gooey, go-as-you-are Slug needs to get fancy, fast, if he is to show the others the real him.
SLUG FINDS FANCY pairs the message of being yourself found in GRUMPY MONKEY PARTY TIME by Suzanne Lang and Max Lang with that of overcoming self-doubt found in GIRAFFES CAN’T DANCE by Giles Andreae and Guy Parker-Rees.
My debut picture book was published by Aladdin in 2018 and was a Texas 2 X 2 reading list pick for 2019-2020. While that title was represented by a literary agent, we have now amicably parted ways. I studied the craft of writing for children and teens through the Institute of Children’s Literature and completed a year-long mentorship with picture book author Jill Esbaum. I primarily write picture books, both fiction and science and nature-based nonfiction and would be delighted to send additional manuscripts. I am an active member of SCBWI and Courage to Create and love sharing reading and writing joy with kids and adults through interactive story times, presentations, and workshops.
Thank you for your time and consideration.
Excerpt:
Now that PBParty 2023 is over, the author asked me to remove the excerpt.
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
The initial idea for SLUG FINDS FANCY came to me when I thought about slugs as naked snails. They’re really not, but the idea made me laugh, and seemed like a fun idea for a picture book. But when it came time to write a story around a naked slug, I pulled from my childhood memories of being the quiet kid who wanted to be noticed and liked, but didn’t know how to fit in. Luckily, Slug figures out much more quickly than I did, that the best way is to be yourself.
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