Researching Behind the Scenes with Author Maria Gianferrari and Editor Emily Feinberg

By Carrie Charley Brown
 
We were lucky to learn about crossing genres from author Maria Gianferrari during ReFoReMo 2016. With the release of her newest book, COYOTE MOON, she's back to give us the inside scoop on the research behind the book. And lucky us! She brought her editor, Emily Feinberg of Roaring Brook Press, along for the ride.

Carrie: You used such authentic, lyrical language, which really kept me in the story moment, Maria. What type of animal research did you need to be so accurate?  How about for setting?

Maria: Thanks, Carrie! I did a ton of research. I began with general books on coyotes and canines. I discovered a leading eastern coyote researcher, Dr. Jon Way, and I read his book, Suburban Howls as well as many of his scientific papers. Then I interviewed him and attended one of his lectures. I learned from him that eastern coyotes are coywolf hybrids, and are significantly larger than their western cousins. The eastern coyote is depicted in my story. He had also found orphaned coyote pups, who later went to live at a local zoo. Here’s a photo of one of them named Lupe.  Even though he’s lying down, it’s easy to see how large and wolf-like (and beautiful) he is! And then I read more books.

I also did field research scanning my neighborhood for signs of coyote presence since they’re so elusive: searching for scat, animal remains, and potential bedding sites. I once found a bunch of turkey feathers, so that inspired the climax scene in the story.  

The setting was modeled after my own suburban Massachusetts neighborhood where I had my first coyote encounter. I intentionally chose a suburban setting, since I wanted to show how coyotes are so intelligent and adaptable that they’re able to live side-by-side with humans.

Carrie: What was your main inspiration for writing this story?

Maria: A close encounter with a coyote in my old Massachusetts neighborhood. It was a cold winter’s night in January 2007. We had family visiting from Germany, and our one year old dog, Becca, still needed a late evening walk to get rid of extra energy. My husband, Niko, took her outside, but rather than heading upstairs to get ready for bed, something told me to look out the window. While Niko and Becca were strolling down the sidewalk, a coyote suddenly dashed through our yard and began to follow them! I yelled to Niko to come back, and he and Becca headed into our fenced backyard, and entered via our porch. I watched from inside as the coyote ran back and forth around our fence, and across the street to our neighbors’ yards sniffing and marking. Then, armed with a broom, I went outside. I walked down to the end of our sidewalk and stopped. The coyote stood diagonally across the street less than 20 feet away, under a utility pole so like the one Bagram featured on the cover. We stood there and just regarded each other. Then it gave a low growl, turned and trotted away from me. It sounds strange, but it felt like more of a spiritual encounter—I felt honored and blessed to have seen this majestic creature. Then my obsession with all-things coyote began.

Carrie: Did any mentor texts inspire you? 

Maria: I definitely had Nicola Davies’s lovely and lyrical Bat Loves the Night in mind when writing the many drafts of Coyote Moon. The language is lush and vivid; it’s also a night-time story with tension and drama and tenderness, so it inspired Coyote Moon in these ways. I absolutely love reading nature nonfiction and animal stories. Some of my other favorite nature nonfiction writers whose works have served as mentor texts are April Pulley Sayre, Melissa Stewart, Sandra Markle and Brenda Guiberson.

Carrie: What was your most memorable take-away from this project collaboration? 

Maria: How wonderful it is to be a part of a team, to have experienced the collaborative love and dedication it takes to make a picture book. Emily has been such a joy to work with! From our very first phone conversation, we connected over our love of canines. I’ll never forget how she used the word “atmospheric”—that was the kind of illustrator she wanted, and Bagram was the perfect match. When he joined the team, I was (and still am) so in awe of the atmosphere he was able to create! He rendered the coyote and other creatures with such dynamic precision—from the coyote’s and the rabbit’s fur, to the barbs of the turkey feathers, to the blades of grass and the bark on the tree—the intricate detail is just astounding! He really made the setting into a character too—I feel transported back to my old Massachusetts neighborhood, especially in this scene (coyote rabbit photo). It looks just like my old neighbor’s backyard!

I’m so happy and fortunate to have had the opportunity to work with Emily, Bagram and the rest of the team at Roaring Brook. And lucky me—we’ll be doing another nonfiction book together on bobcats!

Carrie: Hi Emily! As an editor, what drew you to this project?

Emily Feinberg: I loved the simplicity of the text. It's not overwritten but there is such a clear sense of atmosphere. Just looking at the text,  I could see the whole book. The biggest challenge was figuring out how to present what I call the "kill spread" in which our protagonist, Coyote, finally secures dinner for her family (spoiler: a strutting turkey). How could we show this without showing blood or other gruesome (but natural) details? I loved thinking about that challenge while we were looking for an illustrator, and then once Bagram Ibatoulline entered the scene, the pieces started fitting together. Maria's gorgeous words and Bagram's breathtaking art work together so well. They're both such smart people and compliment each other's talents.

Carrie: What was your most memorable take-away from this project collaboration?

Emily: Honestly, just how easy it was working with both Maria and Bagram. They're both so professional, excellent problem-solvers, and insanely talented. It felt like all our visions for the book aligned, so that, of course, made it easier. Another thing I've noticed since the book was finished is that people really relate to this subject. That's a huge takeaway for me as an editor. It's all nice and good to be involved in making a beautiful book but to have the subject mean something to people is a whole other wonderful thing. As I learned from Maria, there are coyotes in 49/50 states, and it seems everyone has a "coyote in my neighborhood" story. 

Thank you both for sharing your time and viewpoints today! Maria is offering a giveaway of COYOTE MOON!

a Rafflecopter giveaway

Goodreads review by Carrie Charley Brown:

Beautiful words and illustrations paint a very realistic scene that spans from the woods to the neighborhood. Every move that Mama Coyote makes is expressed with authentic, lyrical beauty; portraying her predatory instincts and quest to feed her hungry pups. The setting and the character unite in a feeling of mystery as Coyote's attempts fail and the tension builds. Bagram Ibatoulline's illustrations are so realistic that they are photoesque, further enhancing the genuine nature of the sneaky coyote and the food chain plight that is inevitable. The language chosen by author Maria Gianferrari proves that every word counts in a picture book, allowing readers to walk the night as a Coyote and truly internalize the experience. The Common Core ties run strong throughout the storyline and are further enhanced by back matter filled with Coyote Facts. 

After earning her master’s degrees in Children’s Literature and English Literature from Simmons College in Boston, Emily Feinberg joined the editorial team at Roaring Brook Press in 2011. She works mostly with picture book, middle grade and nonfiction titles. Coming up, she has Elisha Cooper’s Big Cat, Little Cat, a tender and beautifully illustrated picture book about life, loss, and cats, as well as Maria Gianferrari’s nonfiction picture books Coyote Moon (illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline) and Highway Hawks (illustrated by Brian Floca). In her free time, Emily enjoys hanging out with dogs.

Maria Gianferrari writes both fiction and nonfiction picture books from her sunny, book-lined study in northern Virginia, with dog, Becca as her muse. Maria’s debut picture book, Penny & Jelly: The School Show, illustrated by Thyra Heder, was released in July 2015 (HMH Books for Young Readers); a companion book, Penny & Jelly Slumber Under the Stars, was released in mid-June. Her debut nonfiction book, Coyote Moon, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline, will be published by Roaring Brook Press in July and is a Junior Library Guild Selection. In October, Aladdin Books for Young Readers will publish another fiction title, Officer Katz & Houndini: A Tale of Two Tails, illustrated by Danny Chatzikonstantinou. Maria has five more titles forthcoming from Roaring Brook Press, Boyds Mills Press and GP Putnam’s Sons. To learn more about Maria, visit her website: mariagianferrari.com and Facebook.  

Don't forget to join her on the Coyote Blog tour:

• FRI 7/15:                   Pragmatic Mom (+ 3 book giveaway)

• MON 7/18:                Nonfiction Detectives 

• TUES 7/19:               Debtastic Reads

• WED 7/20:                Kid Lit Frenzy

• THURS 7/21:            Librarian’s Quest

• FRI 7/22:                   Kidlit411

• MON 7/25:                The Reading Zone

• TUES 7/26:               Bartography

•  WED 7/27:               Unleashing Readers