Super Star Children's Book Review: Jenny Mei Is Sad

Welcome to the monthly children’s book review feature here at Bird Meets Worm! My team of reviewers—Joan Charles, Laurie L. Young—and I are thrilled to pieces to be celebrating an exciting variety of gorgeous children’s books across all genres that delight, challenge and intrigue! Here at Bird Meets Worm we believe the world is a better, happier, more empathetic place for you and me and everyone when we connect through the magic of storytelling. Look for a new review on the second Wednesday of every month.

JENNY MEI IS SAD
Written & Illustrated by Tracy Subisak
Picture Book (ages 4-8) • 40 pages
Published by Little, Brown and Company • 2021
ISBN 978-0-316-53771-1

Jenny Mei is bright and full of smiles. She’s a good friend and a beloved class clown.

But she’s also sad. Sad in a big way that can’t be easily solved, and it stays with her thru fun times, not-so-fun times and all the rest in-between. In the expressive, primary color-toned artwork, Subisak deftly reveals the source of Jenny’s sadness: a family member’s illness.

And just as Jenny’s sadness stays with her, so does her best friend—thru laughter, anger and tears. Jenny Mei Is Sad celebrates how being present in a friendship can have the power to support and comfort. And like all the best celebrations, this one end with a shared treat: popsicles!

Perfect for exploring the complexities of the emotion sadness, while also learning how to be a good friend, Jenny Mei Is Sad is actually a joy.

Buy this book:

Barnes & Noble

Bird Meets Worm Bookshop

Independent Bookstores

Reviewed by: Jane Smith

Riding Into Spring Like A Rainbow Blast

Riding into Spring like a rainbow blast!!! • © Jane Smith

 

Super Star Interviews: Jessie Thiessen of Small Jane Kids

Welcome to my monthly interview feature! I’m so excited to be interviewing all the fabulous artists, illustrators and designers I’ve meet over the years (both personally and virtually!) and sharing their artwork and experiences here on Bird Meets Worm. Look for a new interview on the first Tuesday of every month.

This month I'm tickled strawberry lemonade pink to be catching up author-illustrator and children's book self-publishing super star, Jessie Thiessen! Jessie is the creative thinker behind Small Jane Kids and I'm completely charmed by her adorable line of books, artwork and activities. She lives in Winnipeg, Canada with her husband, daughter, twin baby boys and puggle. With her head in the clouds and her feet in the grass, she draws inspiration—literally and figuratively—from the natural beauty of the outdoors. From the prairies to the mountains to the garden in her backyard, she is her best self when searching for just a little more adventure. Visit more of Jessie's artwork and products here!

It's Jessie!!! AKA Small Jane!

Q: You’ve built your gorgeous self-published children’s books and coordinating products into the delightful company Small Jane! Dish with us about how Small Jane began and what inspired its beginnings!

A: Small Jane began in the fall of 2018 with the launch of my first book, A is for Alphabet. To rewind a little bit further, in 2016 I gave birth to our daughter. We read constantly to her as a baby, so I knew it was the right time to dive into my passion for illustration and try my hand at creating a book. I set to work on sketching out animals and ideas, and before I knew it I had an idea for a children’s book and a colourful brand!

How beautiful are these twin titles?!

Q: Your adorable artwork is full of sweet characters and sophisticated colors! Give us the scoop on your creative process—ideas to sketches to final color artwork!

A: My creative process is pretty organic. I have a sketchbook that I keep with me most of the time when I’m working, and I’ll jot down little ideas or make a quick thumbnail of something that pops into my head. A lot of times those ideas will sit for quite a bit until I come back to them and decide to flush them out. Most of the time these days I find myself working out my ideas from start to finish on my iPad. When I bought it in 2019, it was like a big lightbulb moment for me. I find my style lends itself really well to digital painting, and I can work out my thoughts much faster than using traditional media (prior to my iPad days I would use black gauche and a paint brush to trace out all the pieces of my illustrations, then scan them and play with them in Adobe Illustrator). I still enjoy the old process, but now that I have 3 kiddos, I don’t have the same amount of time!

Ooo! A peek at the process!

Q: Self-publishing children’s books is becoming increasingly popular! What advice would you give fellow author-illustrators about: 1) creative, 2) production, and 3) sales & marketing?

A: Self-publishing can be quite the journey; I chose it for myself as I wanted to really focus on developing my illustration style as I went along. I also have a background as a graphic designer, so I have worked with many large scale printers over the years. This won’t be true for everyone, but I knew the type of book and the quality of book I wanted to produce, so it just felt right to do it myself.

1. Creative
What advice can I give on the creative process? Always start with pencil and paper. Work out your ideas through sketches and thumbnails. Try to be honest with yourself about your illustration style abilities, and work within your style. This will help you create a more cohesive and wonderful finished product.

2. Production
What advice can I give on production? Find a printer that is the right fit for you! For me it was important that my first book be printed locally—I wanted it to be a completely Canadian book. To accomplish this I worked with Friesens Printing, based out of Altona, Manitoba (this is only an hour away from my home town in Winnipeg, Manitoba). Friesens produces some of the best books in the world, so their reputation speaks for itself. That being said, I had a wonderful print rep, who was able to help me budget out my book printing based on the type of book I was looking to produce. I was also able to be in on the process of sourcing the paper for my book (It’s from Montreal), and I was able to be there when the book was being printed, doing press checks on each signature to ensure that the quality and colour were exactly what I wanted. Finally, I even got to watch the staff at Friesens at work binding my books by hand. I felt like a kid in a candy shop! For me these were all things I wanted to be in control of in the making of my first book. Doing it yourself isn’t for the faint of heart though, and if you don’t understand all of the in’s and outs of printing this might feel like a much scarier route than looking for a publisher.

Dd is for darling!

3. Sales & Marketing
What advice can I give on Sales & Marketing? Make sure you have a plan! Don’t let your sales and marketing be an afterthought. Before you even start dreaming up your self-published book you should be asking yourself “can I sell this book on my own?”. With self-publishing comes the daunting task of being in charge of your own wholesale, finding the right social media channels where you want to be seen, hitting the pavement to approach each local book store to carry your books on consignment or wholesale, all the while knowing that most major retailers won’t pick up your book (for the most part they work exclusively with large publishing houses, and have seasonal book buys that happen every year).

One of the best forms of self-marketing would be to research what book fairs you may be able to get your books into. Also, see what craft shows, trade shows or farmers markets might be a good fit for you.

On top of this, plan a book launch! Approach your favourite local book store and ask them if you can host your book launch at your shop. Not only is in-person interactions super rewarding, it feels so good to support local businesses, and to sign your books for people that love your work and are there to support you as well.

Selling like a boss! Go Small Jane!

Q: What was your most treasured picture book as a child? What is your most favorite picture book now? Why?

A: Oh, this is such a good question. I have a hard time remembering what my favourite book was. But The Wonderful Pigs of Jillian Jiggs comes to mind. I so desperately wanted to make my own pigs, lol.

My most favourite picture book now would have to be Once Upon A Northern Night by Jean E. Pendziwol and illustrated by Isabelle Arsenault. I love it, because it feels like home. I live in a place that is covered by snow and very cold for a better part of the year and this book embodies the quiet beauty that can exist on those long winter nights.

Bb is for bold & beautiful!

Q: What is next for Small Jane? What new books or products can fans look forward to in the future?

A: I am coming back to work after a 2-year hiatus. In early 2020—when things were really starting to get going for Small Jane—I found out I was pregnant with twins, and my life took a slight detour (to say the least!). Until recently, my world has been dedicated to being a full-time twin baby mom. Now I find myself back at my desk looking to the future. I’m not 100% sure yet of everything I want to do, but I do know that I want to make colourful, bright, happy work. I’d love to explore the idea of making another book, but this time I think I’d like to approach publishers with ideas instead of doing it all myself. I’d also like to dive into creating more easily accessible at-home printables (I enjoy creating colouring sheets quite a bit, and hope to release more downloadable packs of those really soon). I also want to offer more art prints in my shop. Really, I just want to make happy art!

Q: Describe your most perfect Sunday.

A: My most perfect Sunday would be waking up on a beautiful, sunny, warm summer’s day. Jumping in the car with a day pack and finding a great hiking trail to spend the day exploring. There’s nothing better to me then being off in nature away from the day-to-day hustle, with a bit of quiet and bird sounds to fill my cup.

Thanks so much, Jessie, for chatting it up with us here at Bird Meets Worm! We love Small Jane Kids!