Two boys camping out for the night. Roasting marshmallow s’mores over a campfire. Munching on crunchy baked bugs. Just being boys.
That’s what Padraig the dragon and his best friend Roger the turtle are doing. Just being boys. But their active imaginations place them at the base of Mount Sillymanborrow. Trees and bushes they see every day become a dense jungle full of unknown dangers. Common night noises become the sounds of various wild animals and mystical creatures.
When their grand adventure turns scary, Padraig and Roger find that it’s okay to be afraid, that they’re braver than they thought they were—and that friends can make fear smaller than it seems.
It’s warm and wonderful. It’s wise and witty. It’s an absolutely charming story of friendship and fun. This little book is a must-read for every child who has a good friend…or a bad fear.
That's MY take on The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari.
But here's a special treat. I was offered an opportunity to chat with the authors. They're a mother-daughter writing team, and they're both fun-NEE! Here's our conversation:
Me: Writing for children is fun. Writing as a mother-daughter team must be a barrel of laughs! I’m so impressed with the two of you. Is this your first attempt to write together? How do you decide who writes what?
Donita: These picture books are our first collaboration. But we have been attending the same critique group for years, so we know how each other work through problems in characterization and plot. It is not a matter of who writes what. Instead, one writes out the first draft and then the manuscript is passed back and forth until we can’t even remember who wrote what. Her sons are great sounding boards. Because their mom and grandma wrote the story, they don’t have any problem displaying boredom. We work to keep their attention.
Evangeline: Funny you should ask who writes what. The other day I was talking about The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari with a group of writers and someone asked if I was the turtle. I answered yes because Roger showed up in my brain first and Padraig is Mom’s creation. But like Mom said, that doesn’t mean we only write dialogue or action for “our” character. We’re both involved in every aspect of the manuscript.
Me: Writing for children has to be extremely rewarding. They’re so open and honest about what they like and dislike, and over-the-top enthusiastic when they love something. What do you like best about writing children’s books? What do you like least?
Donita: I like the feeling I get when I know we’ve captured some concept and the story will deliver it to the child’s mind without a lecture. When you can guide a child to make his own decision about what is right and wrong, then the child will carry that impression with him a lot longer than if you just preach the concept.
What I like least? The waiting. It takes so long to get to the book in your hands. An idea that is born in the summer of 2011 may not reach the stores until the winter of 2013. Publishing is a long process with many delays.
Evangeline: I love getting to see our readers take Roger and Padraig into their own hearts and imaginations. The characters become friends and go on to star in stories the child makes up. What could be more exciting for an author?
What do I like the least? That it isn’t possible for every good story idea to make it into print.
Me: Do you deliberately write to a particular age range? Or do you write the book, and then decide on an appropriate age for the story?
Donita: We write the story first, but bear in mind that we have two guinea pigs. Our whole life now is influenced by a six year old and a nine year old. We are already anchored to that age range.
Me: Guinea pigs can be a good thing… Donita, you obviously love to write about dragons. What inspired this fascination with these mythical creatures? Evangeline, do you also have a favorite topic to write about—or have you “caught” Donita’s dragon fever?
Donita: Mythical? They’re mythical? Oh, I am shattered.
Me: Oops! I’m ever so sorry. I feel like I just told some bright-eyed six-year-old that there’s no SANTA. Who would do a thing like that? Don’t cry, Donita…I didn’t mean it, I swear I didn’t. Evangeline…please—help me out, here!
Evangeline: I’m laughing at Mom’s answer. When my boys were little they didn’t know dragons were pretend. They put dragons in barnyards along with the cows and in zoo cages along with giraffes and gorillas. I think my six year old is still a little unsure what to believe when it comes to dragons.
Although I wouldn’t say I have dragon fever, I certainly do share Mom’s appreciation for fantasy. I particularly love stories about faeries and other supernatural creatures.
Me: Describe this book’s journey to publication. Anything fun you can share about that?
Donita: It was fun to read the book to the youngest grandson. He is really into imaginative play. His excitement over the rough draft with black and white pictures was gratifying. He is proud of the completed book. He grabbed one out of the box when we first opened it and wrapped to give to his teacher.
Evangeline: I remember testing this story out on my boys one night before they went to bed. Mom and I already knew we wanted to have everyday backyard animals morph into wild animals in the artwork. But I wasn’t sure I could convey that imaginary piece to my audience of two without any kind of visual aid. My boys laughed as I described Roger and Padraig in their tent, thinking a squirrel was a giraffe and a dog was a rhinoceros. Then we got Vincent’s initial sketches and he’d captured the humor of those mistaken animal identities. It was so cool to see the two sides of the book come together like that.
Me: What was each of your favorite books as children?
Donita: The Story of Ping by Marjorie Flack and Kurt Wiese
Evangeline: Little Fur Family by Margaret Wise Brown and Garth Williams.
Me: Tell us about your writing schedule.
Donita: Chaotic. I am not an organized person. I am so right-brained, the left side might as well go on vacation. It’s already AWOL. I completely stopped balancing my checkbook because I found I was inserting fantasy numbers. Seriously, I write whenever I can.
Evangeline: I, too, will squeeze writing in whenever I can, but I try to write while the boys are at school so I can be mentally tuned in to them when they’re home. It’s not good for a mom of two young boys to be distracted. That’s how you end up with an entire roll of toilet paper blocking your pipes or one child painted with peanut butter, or a dog wearing the laundry, or . . . you get the idea.
Me: Oh, I more than “get the idea.” I have four (adult) children, and as a one-track-minded writer, I remember fishing my share of soggy toilet paper out of the water, as well as a toy car or two (that one required a plumber’s assistance). And Donita, I’m right there with you on those fantasy numbers…
If you were a crayon, what color would you be, and why? I’d like each of you to answer this one.
Donita: Most days I would be yellow. I generally have a bright outlook on life. Some days I would be red for the sheer, outrageous, undeniable joy of being in the place God has put me.
Evangeline: Believe it or not, I’ve given this question thought before. The answer is Macaroni and Cheese Orange, but not by choice. I am simply in a macaroni and cheese phase of life, which is fine, really, because I won’t always be orange, and there’s comfort in that.
Me: Wow, you two even coordinate as imaginary objects! :D
OK, here it comes…the question no author gets to avoid at any interview. Where do you get your ideas?
Donita: Mine are hand-delivered by little mice in old uniforms sometimes postal, but I’ve seen them in band, military, and convenience store red shirts. They are rather tackily dressed, frayed and tattered, but they always show up on time. Evangeline?
Evangeline: I tend to get ideas while running errands in my chicken nugget mobile (minivan.) This leads to extra trips, zoning out at red lights, and taking the long way home. I’ve been wondering lately what I’d come up with on a road trip. Probably an epic fantasy cycle about a petrified nugget who travels around in a spaceship made out of a Coke Zero can.
Me: What’s next? Are you working on another book together? Are you each working on individual stories? Inquiring minds want to know!
Donita: The answer is yes to all of the above.
Me: I love the cover of The Dragon and the Turtle Go On Safari. How much interaction was there between the two of you and the artist?
Donita: We are so happy with the artist and his concept of Padraig and Roger. There really isn’t enough time for enough interaction. We seemed to have enough time for the first book, but the second one slammed into deadline way too quickly.
Evangeline: We got to have a phone conference with Vincent early in the process, which is unusual, I hear. I’m not sure why there isn’t more communication between authors and artists. But we were very impressed by Vincent’s previous work and happy to have him on our team.
Me: Last but certainly not least, where can each of you be found on the web? And where can readers find your books?
Donita: http://www.donitakpaul.com/
http://www.dragonandturtle.com/
Evangeline: Evangelinedenmark.com is coming soon. For now you can find me at www.breathenbreatheout.blogspot.com
Our books are in fine stores everywhere. Well, not really. I haven’t seen them at the gas station, but most places you find books, you can find our dragon and turtle.
Me: Thanks so much to both of you for hanging out at My Book Bag. I’ve enjoyed visiting with both of you—as well as Padraig and Roger.
An online friend of mine once shared a poem which vividly portrayed his extreme sorrow, even depression, because of the ugliness of certain elements of this world. Who can blame him for bemoaning the soldiers who may never come home…the waste and destruction of earth's resources that God intended to be plentiful…global warming…political perversion and dishonesty? Who isn't angered and disheartened by child molestation and elder abuse? News reports tend to pack themselves with the most negative, unwelcome news. The list of depressing topics goes on and on, and dwelling too much on these things can certainly sap our joy.
