With me on the blog today is one of my wonderful classmates from Vermont College of Fine Arts—the awe-inspiring Nora Carpenter. Nora is here to talk about her picture book for young readers, Yoga Frog, which debuts today, people!
Nora is represented by Victoria Wells Arms. Yoga Frog was published by Running Press Kids and was illustrated by Mark Chambers. Nora also is the author of Yoga Frog: Reflections from the Lily Pond, which was written for adults and published in April (also illustrated by Mark Chambers). Check it out here. One of you will be given a copy of the Yoga Frog picture book for for young readers. Stay tuned after the interview to find out how. (Or skip ahead if you so choose. But you won’t be given any cake.)
Let’s talk to Nora!
El Space: Four quick facts about yourself?
Nora: 1. I grew up in rural West Virginia, where my closest neighbor was a mile away. I loved roaming the woods, but the distance from people was also challenging because I’m more extroverted than introverted.
2. I’m passionate about the environment and conservation, so I’m a super active board member and incoming president of the Friends of the Western North Carolina Nature Center in Asheville, where I now live. The Nature Center is an AZA-accredited zoological park that cares for animals that either couldn’t survive in the wild or are part of species survival and management programs.
3. I’m a Suzuki-trained violist, though I’ve been known to fiddle on occasion.
4. I have three kiddos, ages 4 months, 3-1/2 years, and 6 years. I am . . . busy. And need to practice lots of yoga and mindfulness. LOL.
El Space: How did Yoga Frog come to be?
Nora: I’ve been practicing yoga since the early 2000s and became a CYT—certified yoga teacher—back when I lived just outside DC. I taught both adult and children’s classes, but I really fell in love with teaching yoga to pre-K kids. At that time, there weren’t a lot of quality materials for teaching yoga to young children, so I decided to write the book I wish I’d had as a teacher. It turned into a collection of yoga poems for children, and my graduate reading at VCFA included some poems from that collection. Several years later, a fellow alum who loved the poems went on to work for Running Press Kids, the publishing house that approached me about writing the book. I had never let go of the dream of introducing the healing world of yoga to kids through literature, so of course I jumped at the opportunity!
El Space: How long did it take to write? What was the path to publication for Yoga Frog?
Nora: Once I found the right framework, it didn’t take me super long to write, because I’m a yoga teacher and have had a yoga book idea for years and years! But like everything I write, the book went through numerous drafts. The first draft was a story about a little frog who learns yoga from Yoga Frog, whereas the final draft ended up as nonfiction with Yoga Frog as the sole character. Maybe one day I’ll revisit and reshape that original story. But I think Yoga Frog is definitely a better teaching tool in its final form.
Illustration by Mark Chambers
El Space: The illustrations are great! What was it like working with the illustrator, Mark Chambers? How much input did you have in regard to the illustrations?
Nora: Aren’t they adorable?! I’ve only met Mark virtually, because he lives in the UK, but he’s incredibly talented and kind. He made a Yoga Frog activity sheet for me to use at presentations, which was just so nice. And I LOVE the way he brought Yoga Frog to life. I viewed numerous versions of the illustrations and poster, including preliminary pencil sketches. My input included minor changes to the character’s body position to make sure Yoga Frog was clearly and accurately modeling each pose. Oh, and once I noticed that on one page he didn’t have eyebrows. LOL. But really, Mark did such a great job that I didn’t need to make too many suggestions. Also, he taught himself animation, which you can see in the Yoga Frog book trailer.
Book poster. Lemony Limes especially loves the resting yoga pose.
El Space Note: I wanted to feature the book trailer. But this post went live before the book trailer went live. You can find it online.
El Space: In 1935, famed author Margaret Wise Brown said, “A book should try to accomplish something more than just to repeat a child’s own experiences. One would hope rather to make a child laugh or . . . lift him for a few minutes from his own problems.” Would you agree? Please explain. What do you hope children will take away when they read Yoga Frog?
Nora: I absolutely agree. I designed the opening lines of Yoga Frog to help kids identify with Yoga Frog, but also to set a fun tone that will, I hope, take them away from their own problems for a bit. I also hope that the book gives them a fun, accessible way to manage those problems and stresses, which is why the poses have kid-friendly names in addition to their Sanskrit names. If kids have fun practicing yoga, they’ll want to do it again. And again. And again. Before they know it, they’ll have developed a life-long healthy habit that they can practice anytime they feel anxious or need a little mental or physical boost. The book includes an Author’s Note for parents with more explanation of yoga’s benefits for kids.
Left photo is Nora teaching an interactive presentation of the book at the Greensboro Bound Literary festival. Photo on right shows Nora’s sons.
El Space: Based on what you’ve learned in writing Yoga Frog, what advice would you give to a newbie picture book author? Why?
Nora: That’s a big, important question. Definitely READ current picture books, of course. Lots of them. And write. Constantly and ferociously. The longer I write, the more I understand the necessity of looking fear in the face and tackling your project in spite of it. This applies to all kinds of writing. Heck, any creative endeavor really. If you’re like me, there’s always that inner critic nagging at you: What if I’m not writing this story the right way? What if no one likes my idea? What if—heaven forbid—I make a mistake? To the best of your ability, tell those What Ifs where they can go. You’re going to make mistakes. You must. If you don’t make mistakes, you’re not writing enough, and you’ll never uncover the rich ideas beneath them, the ideas that wouldn’t have emerged if it hadn’t been for those previous mistakes. Oh, and get yourself a writing group whose members will both give you honest, constructive feedback AND boost your confidence when you need it.
El Space: What will you work on next?
Nora: I’ve got a couple projects up in the air, but my primary writing focus right now is my next young adult novel.
El Space: Thanks for being my guest, Nora.
Nora: Thank you so much for having me, Linda! Always great to chat.
Looking for Nora? You can find her at her website, Instagram, and Twitter.
Looking for Yoga Frog? You can find it at your local bookstore or online at Amazon, Barnesandnoble.com., and Indiebound.
One of you will receive a copy of Yoga Frog just by commenting. That’s right. Comment below and you’ll be entered in the drawing. Winner to be announced on June 11. Why then? Because another classmate is coming on the blog soon. That’s right. I’m hosting two giveaways!
Now, free cake for everyone! It’s gluten free!
Author photo, book cover, Nature Center sign, book illustration, and yoga photos courtesy of Nora Carpenter. Author photo by Chip Bryan Photography. Yoga Frog illustration by Mark A. Chambers Book birthday image from romancingrakes4theluvofromance.blogspot.com. Goodnight Moon cover from barnesandnoble.com. Cake from goodtokmow.co.uk. Lemony Limes photo by L. Marie. Lemony Limes Shoppie doll is a registered trademark of Moose Toys.
El Space--The Blog of L. Marie 