GENRE: STEM/STEAM, Character Driven, Lyrical
WORDS: 440
Query:
Hello, Wonderful Agents and Editors!
Today I invite you to cozy up beside someone you love to read PEBBLE, a lyrical, 440-word author/illustrator picture book. When Pebble dreams of a more colorful future, Grammy surprises her with the adventure of a lifetime. Together, the desert mice travel to awe-inspiring destinations around the world that fill Pebble with hope and courage. But the final location and an unexpected storm remind her who she’s destined to be. Fortunately, the storm also reveals a hidden secret that changes how Pebble sees the world – and herself. PEBBLE not only guides young readers through a desert’s fascinating secrets, it also speaks to anyone feeling small and grey. In a world where loud personalities are celebrated, it is a reminder that beauty often blooms quietly – and that the discovery is worth every effort.
PEBBLE explores themes similar to those in BEAUTIFUL (McAnulty/Lew-Vriethoff/Running Press Kids 2016) with the lyricism and celebration of nature’s surprises found in BABY WREN AND THE GREAT GIFT (Lloyd-Jones/Corace/Zondervan 2016).
Select clients I’ve worked for include Heinemann, Gnome Road Publishing, the Brooklyn Public Library, and Babybug/Ladybug/Spider magazines. In addition to being a 2023 PBParty Finalist, my awards include the 2017 SCBWI Don Freeman Grant, 2021 SCBWI SW Texas Portfolio Contest, 2020 SCBWI Bulletin Art Spot, 2018 SCBWI BIG shortlist, 2017 RMC-SCBWI Portfolio Showcase, and the 2016 RMC-SCBWI Illustrator Contest Winner. I am also mentored by EB Lewis who, regardless of the client or project, always pushes me to give my very best.
Thank you for your time!
Excerpt:
In a small burrow in the very large world in a plain, grey desert lived a plain, grey mouse.
Pebble supposed this was meant to be.
Secretly, she wished it wasn’t.
Grammy told tales of colorful creatures from colorful lands.
Pebble adored them all. But she wondered how a desert mouse could be a little less grey, a little less plain, a little less small.
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
I was fifteen when a Disney documentary featuring the desert captivated me. Instantly noticing the connection between nature’s dormant beauty and our own, I’ve worked through various iterations to discover Pebble’s story. Simple and quiet myself, I occasionally feel overlooked and less-than. I sometimes overlook others too – but each time I acquaint myself with a “simple” personality, I discover someone uniquely stunning. Books often present loud, mischievous characters (who I adore), but I worry they unintentionally impress that quiet personalities are less-than. I hope Pebble can show each child that every person – small or great – is beautiful, valued, and important.
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