Sometimes you meet authors who are not only talented, but thoughtful and introspective as well. We’re delighted to introduce you to Caren Cantrell, who fits the former description perfectly. She’s a talented author and educator and owns her own publishing company and publishes other authors, which isn’t an easy task. Her mention of the book The Saggy Baggy Elephant brought back delightful memories for some of us here at Books Children Read. We hope you will enjoy her interview!
1. How important is children’s literacy to you and why?
I feel children’s literacy is extremely important for so many reasons. I’ve always loved the phrase, “A child who reads becomes an adult who thinks.” The ability to read and comprehend affects every aspect of a child’s future. Reading stories, whether fiction or non-fiction, opens a child’s imagination and creativity, assists in language development, and gives rise to problem-solving skills. But even more important, particularly with the emphasis on diversity and social-emotional learning in children’s literature today, a child who reads may recognize themselves in the characters they read about. They can connect and know that being different doesn’t mean being strange, it means being unique and worthy. Literacy improves a child’s self-confidence.
2. Do you think there’s room for improvement in public school literacy programs?
I can’t speak for other states, but I know here in Arizona there is room for improvement. We consistently rank among the bottom five states in childhood literacy. It isn’t because we don’t have teachers who care—believe me, they do. Like with most things, getting adequate funding seems to be the issue. I’m a member of a group called Loving Literacy Authors. We offer school visits and free lesson plans to support the teachers in our community.
3. What were your favorite children’s books as you grew up?
It seems like ages ago that I was growing up. Little Golden Books were big back then, and I particularly liked The Pokey Little Puppy and The Saggy Baggy Elephant. During elementary school, I became hooked on the Nancy Drew mystery series because it showed girls could be brave and smart too. But in the sixth grade, I read To Kill A Mockingbird and to this day it remains one of my favorites of all time.
4. You own a publishing services company. Can you tell us what the most challenging aspect is when publishing for other authors?
That’s an interesting question because the challenges change from author to author. But overall, I’d say getting an author to stick to a schedule. Life gets in the way for most authors, as it does for all of us, and they look to me to make up the time. Sometimes I can, but when I’m working with multiple authors, it isn’t always possible.
5. What is your next book project and when can we expect to see that publication?
I have a picture book called Rocco to the Rescue coming out in December 2023. It’s about a team of robots who play soccer. Rocco is the robot repairer, but he really wants a chance to play in the big tournament. For those of your readers who may not know, there is an annual event called the RoboCup Soccer Tournament where robots of all shapes and abilities play. It’s intended as a way for scientists to advance our knowledge of artificial intelligence and to stimulate interest in AI and technology in kids.
6. Do you have any good advice for new authors who are just beginning?
My best advice would be to study the genre you want to write. For example, I frequently see picture book manuscripts that don’t follow the fundamentals of storytelling for children. There’s a misperception that writing for children should be easy. What most authors don’t realize is that a picture book should follow the same structure as an 80,000-word novel. It needs an inciting incident. It needs three attempts to solve the problem, and finally, when all seems lost, a solution and satisfying resolution. There should be character development. And all of this in 500 words or less! So, my advice is before you write, take a class. Read lots of books on writing for children or whatever genre you choose. Read other authors. What resonates with you in their writing and what doesn’t? The more you know before you put pen to paper, the better your manuscripts will be.