to make danielle davis

the story of to make

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So excited to share this with you:

“The Story of To Make” video!

Edited by Skylar Zhang.

This ten-minute video is an origin story from both Mags DeRoma and me on how to To Make came to be. The notebook where I first wrote and doodled the story and why “Keep making” is its essential message; behind-the-scenes of Mags’s beautiful studio and materials she used to make the art; and a peek at our individual creative processes plus how our collaboration got its start.

May this be of use in your own creative endeavors and to show kids so they can dive into how one picture book has come to be!

It was also such a treat to have it up on School Library Journal courtesy of Travis M. Jonker at 100 Scope Notes right here!


 

 

“Teachers Make Readers (and Writers)” on Nerdy Book Club

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It’s such an honor to have a post up on Nerdy Book Club!

“Teachers Make Readers (and Writers)” shares how teachers make readers (and writers) and about the two teachers on the dedication page of TO MAKE from Singapore American School who made me both.

“Mr. P and Mrs. A aren’t the only ones. There are myriad teachers like them who do this every hour in classrooms and at desks and while sitting on beanbag chairs. Teachers make readers. Teachers make writers. They make worlds and possibility. And they made me.”

 

 

 

to make picture book cover!

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My heart is full sharing the cover of my and illustrator Mags DeRoma’s picture book, To Make, with her cover art!

Our picture book will be out in summer 2022 from HarperCollins/Katherine Tegen Books. 

Here is the cover of To Make, courtesy of Mags DeRoma!

I danced when I first saw it because this joyful stunner feels so right. It captures the spirit of this picture book. Its heart. Because TO MAKE is a manual to inspire kids to do just that, make something their own. To celebrate the process, the perseverance of any creative act. To encourage everyone who reads it to “keep making.” And look at those kids embarking in that direction! This cover feels like an invitation, full of possibility. Look at how they are dancing too! 

You can read an interview I did with Mags about the cover and her process of making all the art for To Make on This Picture Book Life here. 

We both are also full of thanks for:

Mabel Hsu, our incredible and truly dream editor at Katherine Tegen Books; Hannah Mann, who boldly and affectionately agented this book for us both; Amy Ryan, ace art director at Harper; Molly Fehr, gifted designer at Harper. This team has worked diligently on and cared deeply for this book from the jump. Thank you. 

 

All photos courtesy Mags DeRoma. 

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