Avi’s 2024 Summer Blog Series
Jolene Gutiérrez
From Avi: As I did in the summer of 2023 and the summer of 2022, I’ve invited 13 admired middle grade authors to write for my blog for the next three months. I hope you’ll tune in each Tuesday to see who has answered these two questions we’re frequently asked by readers. You should have a list of terrific books to read and share by the end of the summer … along with new authors to follow!
Where did you get your idea for a specific book of yours?
I’d love to tell you about my picture book, Too Much! An Overwhelming Day. One day while I was thinking about how I was overwhelmed by lots of things when I was a child, the words, “Too loud! Too bright! Too itchy! Too tight!” came into my mind. I’m still overwhelmed by loud noises, bright lights, and itchy, tight clothes, and I know lots of kids who are overwhelmed by different things like that, too. Because the “Too loud! Too bright! Too itchy! Too tight!” stanza was in an ABCB rhyme scheme, I knew I’d be writing in rhyme.
Even though rhyme and rhythm are a challenge for me, I knew I wanted to tell this story. I thought that by writing about a day that is stressful and overwhelming, I would help some readers see themselves in this book and I would help others understand what being overwhelmed feels like. I also wanted the main character to have the opportunity to advocate for herself and find a way to calm herself, which she does.
[Ed: Jolene shared that Too Much! An Overwhelming Day isn’t even a year old and it’s already being translated into seven languages. Congratulations!]
What’s your best writing advice for young writers?
If you want to become better at anything, you’ll need to:
- Research, or learn about the thing, and
- Practice and grow your skills.
- Bonus points for perseverance!
This is true for things like riding a bike, math skills, and cooking. It’s also true for writing. Some people are talented in different areas but most people who succeed at something do so because they’ve worked really, really hard. My interest in writing started when I was young and I was supported by people like my mom who read with me and my 2nd grade teacher who “published” my stories for me. As an adult, I kept reading books for young readers because I’m a school librarian (that’s the “Research” part) and in 2008, I decided I wanted to write with the goal of publication. I wrote and wrote and wrote (that’s the “Practice” part) and after 10 years of practicing, my first picture book was published (that’s the “Perseverance” part).
Particulars
Available August 6, 2024,
co-authored with Shaian Gutiérrez, Jolene’s daughter:
The Ofrenda That We Built
It is Día de los Muertos—the Day of the Dead—and the family ofrenda is at the center of the celebration! Inspired by the popular nursery rhyme “The House That Jack Built,” The Ofrenda That We Built invites readers to join in the building of a colorful ofrenda, a home altar full of symbols and meaning, one special element at a time.
This is truly an intergenerational holiday with deep familial love at its heart. Readers will recognize these moving and universal themes in the hands-on activity of building an ofrenda together, an accessible way of learning more about other cultures and celebrations. Told in warm and welcoming rhyme, with beautiful, immersive illustrations, this is a delight for readers of all backgrounds to enjoy when the holiday arrives each autumn or any time of year that calls for remembrance and connection with loved ones.