Author Spotlight: Lizzy Rizzi (Part Two!)
Happy Tuesday and welcome to Picture Book Spotlight!
Once upon a time, a certain author appeared on this here blog...it was back in 2019, and Lizzy and I were agent siblings. An agent sibling is someone who has the same agent as you (agent cousins are people who share your agency but a different agent). Agent second cousins are...alright, that's enough of that. Now I'm just making stuff up. The other ones are totally real. Totally real...
Over the years, Lizzy has been someone I'm proud to call a friend and critique partner. A fellow author in the trenches who was there in the very early days when I was trying to get my stuff out there and figure out what a picture book even was. Today, if I need feedback from a non-agent, she's one of the first people who pops to mind. She's read some weird stuff of mine but always knew exactly what to say to get me to think about it in a new way and move the story forward. I'm a better author from the feedback she's given, and I'm a less alone author, which is equally (if not more?) important. And now her book is debuting! BAH! I also feel extra special because I read this book a long time ago and thought it was super rad back then. Sometimes I'm late to the party on things but not The Wind Child. I just...had a feeling. Ha! I knew it! I love it when I'm right...(I was also not late to the party on Widow's Bay that just swept the Emmy Awards and omg that show is good.)
We all know this industry is sloths and snails, but sometimes things take even slower than that. Sometimes stories take years, multiple agents, or multiple houses and editors to find their true home. Sometimes a book has to fight its way through more than it should before it can even see the light of day. And there is no "normal" in trad publishing. Every book is different, the process and timing are different, and the moment you think you've got it figured out is the moment everything goes twisty sideways. However, over the years, I have noticed some things that don't change. One of them: the longer something takes, the more it means to you--the more it matters. The opposite is also true.
We all have those manuscripts. The ones we can't let go of, the ones the universe is telling us to keep in our back pocket for the right set of stars. You know the one. Don't give up on it! Keep it on the shelf and dust it off from time to time. Take it down and say hello, how are you? Are you comfortable up there? Do you need a glass of water or a snuggle? You've already heard it twice today, but it truly only takes one yes. The right person, the right time, the right stars. But kids need books like The Wind Child, and we need yours too.
So, all that being said...
CONGRATULATIONS, LIZZY!
Gah, I'm so jazzed for this book to be out in the world and for everyone to get to enjoy your creative imagination and heart. You guys are gonna love Antonella and The Wind--go buy it! Rogério's artwork on this is vivid and gushing with emotion. Can't wait for my copy!
Lizzy is doing a giveaway to help celebrate this post, so be sure to check out the end to see how you can enter. And you're gonna want to enter it because what she is offering is FIRE!
Alright...without further ado...happy pub day, The Wind Child!
Here's Lizzy Rizzi! (Part Two!)
Give us the story behind the story: what was the entry point for this book and how did the first draft evolve to its finished form?
This story blew into my mind on an extremely windy day while out for a walk with my daughter in the stroller. I have always loved the wind. When I was little, it would send me to the top of a picnic table, umbrella in hand to float away like Mary Poppins (which never worked). Even now at 41 years old, I can’t fight the urge to lift my arms, close my eyes, and imagine I’m flying away on especially blustery days.
Wind makes me feel like anything is possible.
But back to the question, THE WIND CHILD blew into my mind, and by the end of that walk, I already had the story planned in my head. I rushed inside, opened my laptop, and typed the first draft.
That initial draft has changed A LOT, but not very much at the same time. It’s gone through a million revisions, as I tried to tweak the meaning so it resonates in just the right way. Characters have changed, but names haven’t. The storyline has evolved, but the “magical” feeling of the story has remained.
What’s something you hope readers notice?
I hope readers notice how the book emphasizes the wonder in the everyday. In the book, Antonella, who travels the world having amazing adventures, finds the most joy in simple things: feeding chickens, playing tag, pulling weeds. In a world in which we’re pushed to do more, see more, get more it’s wonderful to find joy in simplicity.
What do you hope lingers with readers long after they close the book?
To me this story is about love and possibility. I hope a feeling of wonder remains--wonder at this amazing life we’re given and the preciousness of the gifts that are “friendship” and “love.” I hope that feeling lingers like a long, warm hug.
Focusing on the language, what sentence or part of the text is most meaningful to you and why?
As a mother, the last lines speak straight to my heart.
“Watching, waiting, wishing the world for
the one thing tying it to the earth . . .
the Wind Child.”
As a parent, it can be hard to step back, especially to step back just the right amount, at just the right moment, and I often feel just like this. In fact, I dedicated the book to my children (the two things tying me to the earth) with those words… “always wishing you the world.”
In Rogério's artwork, what illustration detail do you appreciate and why?
Rogerio’s artwork is masterful. I love everything about the illustrations-- his style! the colors! the details! But perhaps the details I love the most are the feeling of movement he created on each page and the personification of the Wind.
What whole spread stands out to you and why?
I love two spreads especially, because they show the ingenious way Rogerio contrasted colors from the beginning to the end of the book to show the change Antonella experiences. In these spreads the Wind and Antonella are so alive! Everything is so alive and filled with love. And I adore how in the second spread, as the Wind apologizes and embraces Antonella, the Wind’s wisps curve around to suggest a heart-shape. What a lovely detail that was ALL Rogerio’s doing!
What conversation do you hope this book starts?
I think this book can start a lot of really good conversations between parents and children. For one, the parental figure (the Wind) is shown to be loving, but also imperfect. I’m sure all of us parents have had moments when we mess up. But (thankfully!) kids don’t need a perfect parent. Instead they need one that is present, and trying their best, and (maybe most importantly) willing to admit when they’re wrong. Maybe this book could help start that conversation.
For children, I think it can start a really good conversation about self-advocating. Knowing who they are and what they want. Saying no when they mean it. And asking for what they need and want.
What surprised you about the process of bringing this story into the world?
I think the thing that surprised me most was how personal it would feel when someone reads THE WIND CHILD for the first time. It feels a lot like baring my soul. What if they don’t like it? It’d be like they don’t like me.
But there is no greater feeling than seeing someone read who truly loves the story, and watching the reader’s face change as the story progresses. Seeing that emotion arrive at just the right moment is moving and extremely special.
What message or advice do you have for one of the characters?
My advice for Antonella is more of a wish. I hope she never loses her sense of wonder, even as she grows. It’s something I hope for everyone.
The Final Word: What would you like to leave in our minds to consider or further reflect on today?
This is not about the book specifically, but about my writing journey. It took me 11 years to publish my first picture book. I had early “success” finding an agent almost immediately after starting writing for kids, and I thought, “Hey, this is easy!” But I didn’t sell anything… not until I was on to my THIRD agent. I don’t chalk up my success to talent or luck or even skill. I believe it’s all about perseverance. There were so many times I could have just stopped trying. There were several times when I almost did. But now, finally being able to hold this beautiful book I helped create, I’m so glad I kept going.
I'm so glad you kept going, too, Lizzy! I'm not crying, you're crying. Hecks yes to all the things perseverance. My heart needed to hear that. Thank you, my friend, for sharing about your journey and all things The Wind Child on this very special pub day.
And thank YOU, kidlit fam for stopping by this sometimes dusty corner of the internets. As a thank you for reading and helping champion Lizzy and Rogério's new book, Lizzy is doing a wonderful giveaway of a PB manuscript critique for one lucky winner. Trust me...you're gonna want to enter this one!
To Enter the Giveaway:
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***The deadline for this contest is Tuesday, September 29th at 9 AM CST
Winners will be contacted on Tuesday, September 29th & announced on social media***
About Lizzy
Hi! I'm Lizzy, and I write books I hope kids will love. Not shiny new books doomed to lie on shelves, but books with worn pages, and slobber stains, and cracked bindings. Books kids want to read over and over and OVER again.
Though I've always been a writer, my desire to write for kids really began while teaching high school English. Each year I witnessed the life-changing role a good book could play, and the importance of catching readers young. Now I write and teach preschool ESL and elementary, where I use picture books every day to inspire future bibliophiles. In fact, if you'd like to check out exactly HOW I use picture books in the ESL class, hop over to my blog, PICTURE BOOKS IN THE ESL CLASSROOM, for some books suggestions and example lessons.
When not typing away at my computer, I spend much of my time snuggling with my kids, or binge-watching TV shows with my husband. I love traveling, crafting, and (of course) reading. I live with my family in Northern Italy.
About Brian
Brian is a very tired husband, father, teacher, and author. He writes on fumes and funfetti cupcakes. He is probably working on your written critique right now or grading a teenager's journal. Brian thanks you for reading this blog post and supporting the very real humans who make picture books. We are not robots. We are not algorithms mimicking patterns of language based on pirated material. We are created beings with a soul telling original stories in only the way we can for actual little humans. Take that, AI Overlords and Robot Thought Police!