Author Julie Gilbert Discusses the Writing of Her New Book ‘Giant Love’
Julie Gilbert Today, we delve into the enduring relevance of the themes explored by Pulitzer Prize -winning author Edna Ferber
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As a mother, I love reading fun whimsical stories that send my kids to sleep with warm, happy thoughts in mind. However, as an author and illustrator, I love seeing a variety of stories and like being able to sneak in little life lessons into our reading time. ( How to Tap Into Vulnerability and Show Strength in Picture Books .) So I’d like to share how I, as an author and illustrator, created a story that teaches a heartfelt, but sometimes hard life lesson, in a way that is still fun and light as a bedtime story. I’ll share how I did so with my debut picture book, Even Yetis Get Colds . But first, you’ll need a little synopsis to know what the story is about on the outside and the deeper lesson that flows underneath. Even Yetis Get Colds is a whimsical story about a little girl and her best friend, Yeti. Every year Yeti gets a cold. His sickness causes a snowstorm, and he hides out alone, grumpy, until the cold passes. This year, however, the little girl is determined to find a cure. Many fun shenanigans take place as she tries and fails to cure him. In the end, she realizes that what he really needs isn’t a cure, but just his friend by his side. The story ends with the two besties cuddled up for warmth as they brave the storm together. It’s a silly, fun story. Yeti’s cold is not contagious, or deadly, and is in fact a little fun, because it causes snowstorms and windstorms and other only slightly destructive whimsical problems. We also know this happens every year, so eventually he will feel better on his own. If I were to replace Yeti with the little girl’s mother who is sick and can’t be cured; the story would instantly be dark and possibly scary for children—and for me (I’m a softie). The underlying life lesson is that not everyone can be helped and that there isn’t a cure for everything. It’s one of the hardest lessons I’ve ever had to […]
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Julie Gilbert Today, we delve into the enduring relevance of the themes explored by Pulitzer Prize -winning author Edna Ferber
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