Making a Book

Above: A portion of the original notes I took while on the phone discussing the upcoming lake and pond book with my editor.

Choosing a Topic

"The very first step whenever I start a new book is choosing a topic. Sometimes I get to pick what I write about. Other times, my editor calls me on the telephone and suggests a subject. Salamander Rain, for example, evolved from a combination of both.

One day my text editor, Glenn, called me to ask if I would write an alphabet book about freshwater plants and animals - similar to A Swim through the Sea. After much research, I discovered that I could fill three or four books with all the animals and plants found in freshwater habitats (also called wetlands). When I reported this to Glenn, he let me start with lakes and ponds first. I hope to cover other wetlands such as swamps and streams in separate books."

~Kristin Joy Pratt-Serafini, author/illustrator