Friends! Can you believe it’s the middle of December? How did a whole year fly by? I don’t know, but I can tell you that it was a fabulous one! My 2023 was a conglomerate of funny, exciting, and emotional picture books, tear-jerking middle grades, magical time spent with special people, snagging the most incredible agent out there (Joyce Sweeney!!), and the end of my 30s! Yup, hello 40s.

Okay, now that you’re all caught up, I’m going to give a shout out to one picture book that my girls begged me to read again and again (to my delight!). It’s beautiful, emotional, full of endearing moments, and has the most meaningful and expressive illustrations. Ready to hear what it is?? Drum roll please…it’s SNAKES BIG MISTAKE by Sarah Kurpiel. And below, you’ll find out how to win yourself a signed copy.

Sarah, thank you so much for being here today. Can you tell us where you live, and one of your favorite things about it? 

Hi there! Thanks so much for inviting me on your blog! I live in Downers Grove, IL, a suburb about 20 miles outside of Chicago. I’ve lived here nearly all my life, so I know it well. Downers Grove has a wonderful public library and indie bookstore—and, as luck would have it, they’re practically right next door to each other. One of my favorite things about living in the Midwest is the range of seasons we see. Growing up, I took this for granted, always wishing summer could stay longer. These days, while I still wish summer could stay longer, I find so much inspiration in the colorful fall leaves and blankets of snow that it’s hard to imagine life without them. 

You said that so perfectly, Sarah. I absolutely love and appreciate each season as well and am grateful to experience them all. Can you tell us what inspired SNAKE’S BIG MISTAKE? 

Snake’s Big Mistake (Greenwillow Books, 2023) is about a young snake determined to make a magnificent clay pot in art class. But when disaster befalls his clay creation, he makes a terrible decision that just might ruin his friendship with Turtle forever. The story was loosely inspired by true events—sort of. When I was in kindergarten, my class made little clay pots (nothing like the grand sculptures created by the kids in Snake’s class!). I distinctly remember this project—how excited I felt to sculpt and paint my clay pot, how impatient I felt waiting for it to be fired in the kiln so I could take it home and show my parents, and how disappointed and embarrassed I felt when I saw my finished clay pot sitting alongside all the much better ones. At the end of the day, we each went up to the table at the front of the classroom to find the clay pot marked with our initials on the bottom. I remember thinking: “Mine is so bad. Maybe I should take someone else’s instead.” Now, in the end, I did not. But what if I had? That’s how the story got its start. This small event in my life was the source of so many big emotions for me as a kid—both good and bad. The ups and downs of the experience felt like something plenty of kids could relate to, so I ran with the idea, and the result was Snake’s Big Mistake.

I love how this story was built out of something from your own life. I find writing from previous experiences creates the most impactful stories. Thank you for sharing this! And may I say your illustrations are simply perfect. My girls and I loved pointing out the matching patterns on Snake’s shirt, Turtle’s shell, and both of their clay creations. My girls even noticed the end papers. Actually, this is the perfect time to take a look at some of your GORGEOUS spreads.

I just love them all! Give us a peek into your creative process. Did the story come first or the pictures? How long did you work on it until you thought the story was perfect? 

Thank you so much! I love when kids notice the small details tucked into picture books. I enjoy drawing cute animal characters. A few years ago, I doodled a “portrait” of a very serious snake sitting in a chair with perfect posture. It made me laugh. I knew I wanted to draw more cute snakes in the future. So, I included an argyle sweater-sporting snake in my picture book Elephant’s Big Solo, which was published in 2022. When it came time to make a follow-up book, who better to take the lead this time around than Snake? I had two story ideas, so I thumbnailed them both, which is my favorite part of the picture book making process. I usually start thumbnailing before writing the words because the pictures lead me in new, unexpected directions. I draw digitally in Photoshop using a Wacom tablet, so it’s easy to make adjustments and move things around as I change my mind. From there, I worked with my critique group, agents, and editor to finalize the story. To create the final art, I mostly used digital dry media brushes, and I applied overlays I created to give the characters added texture. While I needed to stay stylistically consistent with Elephant’s Big Solo, I also knew this book called for a brighter, bolder color palette to match Snake’s bright, bold personality. I’m pleased with the way the colors pop on the page. All in all, the story took about a year from first draft in July 2021 to finished final art in June 2022. I have a hard time calling a book “finished.” There’s always more I could do. With every book there comes a point when I have to let go and say to myself, “Ok. This is the story. No more changes.”

I laughed a little as I read that. It is so hard to stop revising! But seriously, I love how Snake is a character in a previous book. That’s so special! Getting back to the text, my two favorite lines from this book come after Snake’s failed attempt to repair his friendship with Turtle. “Snake twisted inside and out. Some things could not be put back together with glue.” I love how this scene connects back to the artistic theme of your story. Can you share a little about the creation of this heartfelt moment, and maybe give us your favorite lines from the story? 

I love that line too. Comparing the breaking of the clay pot with the breaking of Snake and Turtle’s friendship was central to the story from the start, but that particular moment didn’t emerge until my second draft. In my first draft, Snake’s apology resolves the situation easily—too easily. It didn’t feel true. By the second draft, I had a better handle on what this story was really about, and that small, pivotal scene became part of the book.

My favorite lines in the book are, “Snake immediately wished he could undo it. Snake wished he could undo everything.” How many of us wish we could Edit + Undo a mistake in life as easily as we do on our laptop? I know I do. In elementary school, I had this art teacher (in fact, I dedicated this book to her) who used to repeat like a mantra, “If you make a mistake, work with it.” In the context of art class, she meant don’t give up on your art piece even if your line comes out all squiggly instead of straight or a glob of paint lands on your paper. Incorporate it into your piece and see where it leads. But I think her words also apply to life. Sometimes, we can’t simply undo or start over and pretend like our mistake never happened. We have to work within the situation we’ve put ourselves in and see where it leads. That’s what Snake has to do in the story–and he rides a rollercoaster of emotions in the process.

Sarah! You just pulled all my heartstrings. Your art teacher sounds like an amazing person. I love that you dedicated the book to her. What about your critique group? What was their reaction the first time they saw the story? What was their feedback throughout the revision process? Are there any comments you received that helped the story become stronger? 

My critique partners were supportive of the story from the start. I shared my first draft and thumbnails with them in July 2021 and a revised draft a few months later. They offered a lot of kind comments that kept me motivated. They also pointed out extraneous words and lines I could cut to tighten the story, suggested ways to visually amp up the emotions, and offered various little tips here and there. For example, one critique partner suggested adding multiple adjectives, such as “magnificent,” in the opening line. As soon as I tried her suggestion, the opening line felt more in tune with Snake’s dramatic way of looking at the world. I’m grateful to be part of such a supportive (and talented!) critique group.

They sound amazing! Kudos to ALL the incredible critique partners out there! Was it difficult finding a home for this story? 

Snake’s Big Mistake was the second book in a two-book deal. When my agents submitted the first book, Elephant’s Big Solo, to my editor at Greenwillow Books (with whom I had published two books previously), I included a few ideas for a follow-up story featuring one of Elephant’s friends. At the time, I thought the second story would feature Tiger. But when it came time to create the story months later, I felt stuck. I was having more fun doodling Snake and exploring playful ways a snake might express emotions through body language–such as tangling into knots when upset. I had a good grasp of Snake’s personality, and I felt I could draw him a hundred times and never feel bored. That’s how I knew I needed to find Snake a story of his own. I had two in mind. I tried both. Ultimately, the version about a disastrous clay pot won out and, fortunately, my editor accepted the story.

Oh, I’m so glad they did! This story is a winner all around. Tell us what it was like when you found out your story was going to be published.

I was delighted when my editor accepted Snake’s Big Mistake. Not only would I get to share a new book with kids, but I would also get to draw a main character who was a snake–which I was (perhaps oddly) eager to do. I was also relieved. This story was not the original plan. As I mentioned earlier, Snake’s Big Mistake was the second book in a two-book deal. While it was never fully decided, book two was supposed to be about Tiger. But I switched it up and chose to feature Snake instead. Fortunately, it all worked out!

Well again, I’m so very glad it did! This story is so important for children to read.

Congratulations on having several “big feeling” picture books out in the world. Is there anything new on the horizon?  

My next picture book, A Little Like Magic, will be published by Rocky Pond Books, a new imprint of Penguin Random House, in Fall 2024. It’s a gentle story about a young, anxious girl who visits an ice festival with her mother. I have a personal connection to all of my stories, but A Little Like Magic is by far my most personal story yet. Like me, the main character uses a power wheelchair. Her disability isn’t the focus of the story, though it certainly informs some of her anxieties. The story is very special to me. I can’t wait to see it out in the world.

It sounds beyond special. Again, as I said before, I feel like the most impactful stories stem from our own experiences. I look forward to reading it to my girls. Do you have any tips or words of wisdom for your fellow creators? 

Read lots of recent picture books. Read your favorites again and again. Figure out what makes you love them and then try to do it yourself in a way that only you can do. Some of the best advice I ever received was, “Write the story only you can write.”

I also recommend participating in Tara Lazar’s Storystorm every January. It’s free and easy. Simply read daily blog posts by picture book makers and try out their techniques to brainstorm ideas of your own. I look forward to it every year.

This is great advice! And I totally second Tara Lazar’s Storystorm.

Sarah Kurpiel is a self-taught picture book author/illustrator from the Midwest. Her stories are inspired by animals, nature, and moments of wonder in everyday life. Sarah’s debut picture book, Lone Wolf (Greenwillow Books, 2020) received a starred review from the School Library Journal and was a Summer Kids’ Indie Next Pick. Her books Original Cat, Copy Cat and Snake’s Big Mistake (Greenwillow Books) were both Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selections. Sarah’s forthcoming book, A Little Like Magic (Rocky Pond Books), will be published Fall 2024. A few of her favorite things include libraries, elephants, the ocean, flannel shirts, iced coffee, miniature books, summer, new pens, sci-fi stories, and the color green.

Follow Sarah on her Website here, Twitter (that’s right, Twitter not X) here, and Instagram here.

Giveaway time!

Sarah is happy to give away a signed copy of SNAKE’S BIG MISTAKE to one lucky winner in the United States only. Please comment or repost this interview and tag a friend for your chance to win. Winner will be announced December 29th!

That’s it. Thank you all for reading. I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did. 

Lindsey is the creator of two imaginative little girls, the wife of an extreme sport enthusiast, and a member of many picture book critique groups. In her spare time, she enjoys watching webinars, attending conferences, and borrowing outrageous amounts of picture books from her local library.