Nonfiction Monday: Author Interview, Susan Stockdale

Susan Stockdale, Children's Book Author & Illustrator
www.susanstockdale.com

TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT YOURSELF:
I have always been drawn to pattern, color and nature. My childhood years in Miami, Florida and Ireland, two beautiful but very different natural environments, really influenced my development as an artist. After majoring in art in college, I freelanced as a textile designer for several years, which was great fun. When I began creating picture books, biodiversity among animals emerged as a theme I really enjoyed and I've continued with it ever since.

WHERE DO YOUR IDEAS FOR NONFICTION COME FROM?
Most of my book ideas come from experiences I’ve had or books I’ve read. I was inspired to create Fabulous Fishes after snorkeling in Belize and being amazed at the beauty and diversity of all the fish that I encountered. Carry Me! Animal Babies on the Move emerged after I read that an African Jacana is the only bird in the world that picks up its babies and carries them under its wing. This piqued my interest in developing this book about how animals carry their young. My most recent work, Bring On the Birds, was inspired closer to home. A robin built a nest on the ledge above my front door and I was able to watch its eggs hatch and the baby birds fly from the nest - such a wonderful spectacle. It’s no coincidence that Bring On the Birds ends with baby robins in a nest.

WHAT DO YOU CONSIDER THE HARDEST PART ABOUT WRITING?
I tend to create very spare, tight rhyme schemes and sometimes I write myself into a corner, making the process more challenging. Ultimately, these self-imposed demands benefit the writing, but it makes the process harder. Also, one of the common pitfalls of
writing verse is compromising content to make the words rhyme. Because I am conveying factual information in my work, I have to be especially careful not to fall into that trap.

WHAT IS THE STRANGEST FACT YOU HAVE LEARNED?
This fact may be more amazing than strange: A Broad-tailed Hummingbird beats its wings 38 times per second.

TELL US ABOUT YOUR LATEST WORK
I’m currently developing a picture book about 19 striped animals around the world called Stripes of all Types. Included in the book are mammals, birds, fishes, reptiles, arthropods, crustaceans, and invertebrates. I’ve written it in rhyme and have included an afterword with information about the purpose of the animals’ stripes, when known. It will be
published in spring of 2013.

IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU'D LIKE TO ADD?
I love celebrating animal life in my books for young children. Thanks for the opportunity to answer these questions.

This post is part of the Nonfiction Monday Round-Up hosted this week by Lori Calabrese Writes blog.