GENRE: *Character Driven, SEL, Humor
WORDS: 445
Query:
Dear amazing agents and editors,
No bones about it, I’m thrilled to present my funny and spooky picture book for ages 4-8: Bone Appétit at 445 words plus backmatter. Scaroline is a beloved cook for a monsterrific school. Luckily, she has tried and true family recipes…skeletons don’t have the guts to cook anything new! But when her recipe book mysteriously disappears with her chef skills, she uncovers the rotten truth, one of her little monsters stole it! But, a pinch of perseverance and equal parts forgiveness and understanding help Scaroline discover the guts to cook up a brand-new dish and a new friendship.
BONE APPÈTIT explores the social-emotional learning topics of finding the courage and self-reliance to step out of your comfort zone, with the complicated friendship and forgiveness of Who Wet My Pants, the whodunnit mystery of Hornswoggled, and the spooky humor and pun-filled language of Vampire Vacation.
I am the award-winning author of HOW TO HATCH A READER (2023) and five forthcoming picture books. I love writing funny and lyrical picture books, middle grade, and young adult novels in verse. I am the loving mommy of two hungry little monsters who enjoy experimenting with me in the kitchen. Some of my stories feature my experiences with chronic illness and tons of childhood joy. When I am not creating colorful characters for stories, you will find me reading voraciously. I am an active member of SCBWI and 12×12 Picture Book Writing Challenge, a 2019 SCBWI Carolinas Revision Quest mentee, a 2020 Creating Books For Change participant, a 2021 AWP Writer To Writer mentee, and a 2022 Rogue Mentorship mentee. I was previously represented until recently.
Thank you kindly for your time and consideration.
Excerpt:
[Scaroline is a skeleton chef.]
No bones about it, Scaroline loved being a chef for Little Monster Academy! All she needed was her family’s tried and true recipes. Which was perfect… skeletons didn’t have the guts to cook anything new.
“Bone appétit!”
Monster: Hamboogers and French flies? That’s my favorite, Ms. Scaroline!
Until one day, when it was time to make her famous spookghetti,
“Where’s my recipe book?”
What inspired you to write this story & what do you have in common with it:
As a bakery manager, I adored crafting exquisite creations in the kitchen. When I repeatedly started falling mysteriously ill with severe symptoms, my life took an unexpected and devastating turn. I was diagnosed with celiac, a chronic disease that triggers autoimmune responses when coming into contact with gluten (found in wheat, barley, and rye). I was devastated to change careers and had to learn how to bake and create gluten-free recipes from scratch. This book is a tribute to having the courage to learn something new, to persevere, and to be resilient in the face of adversity.
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