Karen Yin is the author of Whole Whale (Barefoot Books, 2021) and So Not Ghoul (Page Street Kids, 2022). Acclaim for her writing includes a Lambda Literary Fellowship, a Table 4 Writers Foundation grant, an SCBWI Nonfiction Grant, and selection of her flash fiction for the Los Angeles Public Library’s permanent collection. Winner of the 2017 ACES Robinson Prize, Karen founded several nationally acclaimed digital tools for writers and editors, including Conscious Style Guide and The Conscious Language Newsletter. Karen is a member of SCBWI, the Authors Guild, and the Dramatists Guild. She lives with her partner and their cat friends on a mountain near Los Angeles. Find her online at KarenYin.com and her book recommendations at DiversePictureBooks.com. Whole Whale (Barefoot Books, 2021) was written by Karen Yin and illustrated by Nelleke Verhoeff.
Congratulations on your debut book! What’s it like having your book published during the pandemic?
Whole Whale was scheduled for release on May 1, but U.S. publication was pushed to late May or early June because of pandemic-related delays. I’m surprisingly unconcerned, because it means I get more time to promote my book. Also, each false book birthday is another opportunity to have wine and pie.
As for being unable to tour bookstores and visit schools in person, I don’t know what I’m missing out on, because this is my first book. Reading Whole Whale to kids over Zoom was so much fun that I could easily get used to virtual visits only. Not traveling is also much safer for me, because I don’t want to deal with racist attacks, which is an unfortunate reality for me and other Asian Americans. I am, however, looking forward to signing books at Once Upon a Time, who’s handling my preorder campaign. It’ll be my first time seeing Whole Whale in a bookstore!
Can you give us a short introduction of WHOLE WHALE?
Whole Whale is a BIG idea about making space for all. One hundred creatures are invited to play inside the book, but can the blue whale fit? As the animals crowd the pages, the situation becomes more dire for the whale. The refrain makes it fun for kids to read aloud while trying to predict the conclusion.
What was your inspiration for this book?
I wrote Whole Whale partly in reaction to the forced separation of families at the U.S.-Mexico border. I wanted to explore inclusion and creative problem-solving. How can we keep families together and address immigration issues with compassion? How do you fit a whole blue whale inside a book already bursting with animals? At the end, the animals arrive at a solution, but can we?
What do you hope readers will learn or discover from reading WHOLE WHALE?
If you look beyond the bright colors, whimsical art, and rollicking story, you’ll find a solid STEM book. Whole Whale encourages young readers to find, identify, and count the unusual creatures who’ve gathered together to play in the book, and the back matter has a gorgeous chart of all one hundred animals. My hope is that Whole Whale will enhance children’s natural curiosity and encourage them to think creatively.
What is the most challenging thing you faced while writing or researching WHOLE WHALE?
When I began writing picture books in 2019, I heard from many sources that kidlit editors despise rhyme because it’s done badly too often and it’s difficult to translate. In fact, at an SCBWI conference, Mem Fox, who has several books in rhyme, spent part of her session dissuading us from rhyme. Despite my best intentions, Whole Whale came out in rhyme! I tried rewriting it in prose, but the story lost its heart and spirit. Everything ground to a halt till I got out of the way and let the words swim free. It was a welcome lesson in trusting the story with its own personality.
How was the editorial process? Did you do any revisions?
After the manuscript was acquired, there were zero changes to the text—until the art stage. It was important to the publishing team that the art be a certain way, which meant they needed text that aligned with the art. For me, revising rhyme is harder than revising prose, because the words have to make sense within the story yet not sound forced. I tried a handful of alternate endings, but none of them felt satisfying. Either the idea was too big for two lines or the rhyme didn’t shine. I was a lot like my whale, trying to squeeze something into a too-small space. But then I took a cue from the animals in the book and solved it like a puzzle: I wrote four lines instead of two! Why not? At first, Barefoot wasn’t sure about having two extra lines, because the art was already done. But the design god swooped in and made it work. The whole process was a team effort. I’m in love with the final version, because it ends on an interactive note, an invitation to the reader.
If you read this book to a room full of kids, what message do you want to share with them?
Be creative and think outside the book.
What are you working on, and what is the next project for you?
So Not Ghoul, my second picture book, will be published in fall 2022 by Page Street Kids, so they’ve been showing me previews of final art. The illustrator, Bonnie Lui, is so good, I want to scream. This is a Chinese American own-voices story that’s really close to my heart. It’s thrilling to see it come to life, layer by layer.
Meanwhile, I’m working on two projects that I hope will be officially announced soon—a picture book and a piece for a young-adult anthology. I was writing YA before I wrote picture books, so it’s like reuniting with a part of myself that had gone into hiding. I’m also working on a funny middle-grade graphic novel. My first long-form project many years ago was a graphic novel, so with this script, I’ll be coming full circle.
Thank you so much, Karen, for stopping by and sharing your publishing journey with us!
Whole Whale (Barefoot Books, 2021) was written by Karen Yin and illustrated by Nelleke Verhoeff. Visit Karen online at KarenYin.com and her book recommendations at DiversePictureBooks.com. Connect with Karen on Twitter and Instagram.
