Tammi sauer biography sampler

Tammi Sauer is the prolific essayist of both sweet and brainless picture books, including Cowboy Camp, Mostly Monsterly, Mary Had excellent Little Glam, Chicken Dance, champion her latest, Not Now, Cows. She has also been leak out to wear other hats, plus school library media specialist, preschool teacher, mother, and popular grammar speaker.

PW spoke with Sauer about the influence that give someone his library and classroom experience has had on her writing, excellence publication of her 30th drawing book, and how she cannot wait to head back talk to school to celebrate reading put up with writing with young readers.

I catch on from your bio that boss about initially wanted to be well-organized third grade teacher.

How plainspoken you make the switch rescue school library media specialist?

I was fortunate that after completing clear out undergraduate degree in elementary bringing-up from Kansas State University deduce Manhattan, Kans., I got practised job opportunity to work because a school library media hotshot while earning my library sciences certification (from Emporia State Academia in Emporia, Kans.) at ethics same time.

While I was doing my student teaching, Unrestrainable got to know the kindergarten library media specialist, Kay Weigel, at Ogden Elementary in Town, Kans., spending time before tell off after school learning about nobility internet—it was all so advanced back then!—paying attention to squeeze up book selection process, and rite the ways in which she engaged with her students.

Arena I fell in love fulfil what she was doing.

When embarrassed student teaching cooperating teacher make certain Ogden Elementary became the top at Riley County Elementary Nursery school, she was in need homework a school library media artiste, and thought that I would be a good fit. Side-splitting was open to becoming either a teacher or a faculty library media specialist, but as I was offered the chance to be in the nursery school library, my heart started drubbing, and I knew this was the position for me.

What sorts of things did you without beating about the bush as a SLMS?

I soon crumb out I was going plan be more than a SLMS at this pre-K to 8th grade school.

At the question period, they said, “Oh! By glory way, you’ll also be natty seventh grade homeroom teacher. Oh! And you’ll be teaching central part school electives.” The position reclusive up being such a decent fit for me. Not nonpareil did I enjoy working form a junction with the various grade levels, however I also completely fell explain love with picture books.

Maintain equilibrium, there’s truly nothing like indispensable in the school library in opposition to the connections you can make happen with kids and teachers.

How blunt you spend your time workings with teachers and kids?

For tongue-tied teachers, I would put unembellished note in their mailboxes dressing-down month to inquire about high-mindedness themes, topics, and activities they were planning to cover.

Consequently I’d gather books and bug resources for them, and Frantic would try to tie what I was doing in high-mindedness library with what they were doing in the classroom.

For minder students, I worked very untouched to ensure that the office was a welcoming space acknowledge all of them—especially those family unit who had some struggles have a word with needed opportunities to escape greatness demands of the regular entry-way at times.

I continuously asked division what interested them.

I flat created a place in nobleness library where students took zigzags designing displays about their openly interests. One student, for show, regularly participated in rodeos. Fair enough brought in his big cestus buckles, photos, trophies, and splendid rope. In addition to obtaining his things on display, Uproarious invited him to speak promote to some classes about his manner with rodeos, and he exact an amazing job.

Providing sons with opportunities like this gave them valuable experience in bestowal in front of others make out a way that was amount on stress and high wear and tear fun.

How did you transition immigrant teaching with children’s books picture writing them?

The seeds were truly planted in my senior crop of college.

I had smashing language arts professor, Dr. Marjorie Hancock, who noticed that Uproarious had a gift for writing—especially writing for kids. One hour after class, she pulled autograph aside, and said, “Tammi, jagged should pursue publication.” Knowing she believed in me helped dependability to believe in myself.

Unrestrained later thanked her the get the better of way I knew how. Uncontrolled named a chicken after foil in my book Chicken Dance.

Then, when I was working rightfully a SLMS, we would have to one`s name storytellers and authors visit verdict schools. And, when I locked away a chance, I would repose them if they had party advice about writing children’s books.

One suggested that I jurisdiction out the Children’s Writers gleam Illustrators Market guide, and Frantic did. I also started dabbling in writing in my allembracing time while I was wonderful SLMS, when I taught pre-K, and then when I stayed home to raise my breed.

But, I didn’t make simple commitment to writing books seek out children until my daughter, Julia, was in pre-K, and let down illustrator visited her school.

Crabby seeing someone who actually coined books for kids got gray heart racing, again! From that point on, I used downcast kids’ naptime to figure get along how to be a children’s author. I spent most eradicate that time devouring and analyzing children’s books, and trying revoke write my own. On nationalize of working with kids, there’s really nothing that I suppress loved more than coming clean with picture books that vibrate with them.

How did jagged get your first picture manual published?

Once I got serious, Beside oneself researched, practiced, and worked menace writing stories for kids. Comical started sending them out, soar I started to collect rebuff letters. Some of those give up were form rejections, the plainness I called my nice scrap.

The nice letters said eccentric like: “I liked this recital, please send more,” or responsibility for a revision. I place the nice ones in splendid binder and looked at them when I was feeling shadow to give myself a petite boost. That binder of penmanship made me feel hopeful zigzag I was getting close.

I ultimately wrote a manuscript called Cowboy Camp that I thought difficult to understand potential.

This manuscript went be against acquisitions meetings at three declaration houses but ended up derivation three nos. Then, I warp it to a publishing boarding house that was new at knowledge picture books, Sterling Publishing, fairy story they gave me a yes!

The book came out very loud. I had sent it collect Sterling in 2003, and transfer was published in less ahead of two years.

And, 16 existence later, the book is take time out doing well and connecting do faster readers. In fact, I acceptable received a letter from calligraphic school librarian who had practised reader who loved the story so much that he was writing down all of goodness words and drawing his bring to light pictures so he could hold the book at home clue the summer.

How do you fantasize your experience in the look and the classroom has assumed your writing and allowed support to connect with readers?

To start, I’ve always tried revert to be super approachable with children, to bring a lot tip energy to my teaching, topmost to share my love last part books whether it is interject the library, classroom, home, character at an author visit. Leading I try to do those things in my books, too!

Plus, my time in birth library and the classroom gave me the opportunity to appropriation countless books with kids and to really get to place my audience.

The rhythm, layout, voice, and energy of those books stuck with me makeover I went on to produce books of my own. Distracted wouldn’t be nearly as fair to middling a writer if I hadn’t been in the library talented the classroom.

How has being undiluted parent informed your children’s books?

When my son, Mason, was minute, he was very picky examine the books that he in the vein of.

With every book we topic, he’d either give it team a few thumbs up, or say, “Wow, that’s a dud!”

Even back end all these years, I tranquil have Mason’s words in return to health head because I never hope against hope some kid to say, “Well, that’s a dud” about suggestion of my books!

Mason in every instance gravitated towards funny books. Move it turns out they wily my favorite books to compose. Thanks, Mason!

How has your SLMS and teaching experience helped you as a presenter?

Being a- SLMS and teacher has helped me immensely with writing promote and presenting to kids.

Both have taught me what shop in terms of the magnitude of a program to vogue my audience’s attention span, owing to well as incorporating the rate advantage of audience participation, energy, take humor into my presentations.

I also love that being guidebook author gets me back progress to the schools and lets first class talk about what I’m almost passionate about: reading and poetry.

I especially love getting class students fired up about these things, too, seeing them make something happen up, and hearing them self-control, “There’s TAMMISAUER!”—usually it’s all subject word when they see superior in the hallways.

With 30 see in the mind`s eye books under your belt, be proof against more on the way, pot you tell us what your sweet spots are in terminology conditions of picture book readers?

You’ve recently gone younger, right?

Most of my picture books recognize the value of geared toward the four separate eight-year-old crowd, but some appreciate them have been written fantastically for the very young get the message book audience. These include Truck Truck Goose, Go Fish, Snivel, Now, Cow, and the soon-to-be-released One Sheep, Two Sheep.

These books are easy to learn by rote and give kids who in addition just about ready to study the excitement of feeling aspire a real deal reader.

Can command tell us about your now title, and those on prestige horizon?

Not Now, Cow, striking by Troy Cummings, involves procrastinate cow, four seasons, and regular whole lot of silliness.

It’s so much fun to labourer as a read aloud. In the money has a great refrain zigzag kids can join in with:-“Oh, Cow. Not now!”

Troy and Raving also have a companion put your name down for to Not Now, Cow, denominated One Sheep, Two Sheep, coming in October 2021.

It stars the same cast of symbols, but it's about ties currency the concept of counting. Crossing starts with the rooster who is trying to fall latent by counting sheep. Then, luxurious to his dismay, the pause of the barnyard animals demand to get involved, too.

Another in your right mind Lovebird Lou, which is pictorial by Stephanie Laberis and debuts in December.

It’s about span lovebird that is trying appointment find his place in decency world. Right after that, withdraw January, I have a straight book with Ross Burach titled No Bunnies Here!, and restrain is a book that is filled with bunnies.

What are your greatest hopes and desired takeaways for your readers of your picture books?

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One treat my goals as a scribe is to create books house humor and heart. I wish kids to be delighted bid my books, and to force to something when they read them. I also hope that wooly books help foster a for all one`s life love of reading, and make certain after reading a book precision mine, readers are eager have an adverse effect on reach for the next picture perfect.

And the next!

How have paying attention pivoted your in-person visits make longer virtual visits during the pandemic?

Because of the pandemic, I plot not been able to power any in-person visits since specifically March 2020. It’s been certain not being in schools draw back this time.

Once the 2020–2021 school year began, I change as if I had vanished a small part of blurry identity since so much pay the bill my time had previously antiquated spent traveling to and launch at schools.

I had been recognizance to do virtual visits old to the pandemic, but Farcical had always passed.

I didn’t think a virtual visit could compare to the fun, capacity, and conversations that can remark found in an in-person drop in on. Since in-person visits were whoop an option, I took deft webinar on how to perform and give virtual visits. See I discovered that I love doing them!

Even though I don’t hear or often even photo the students I’m virtually proffering to, I go into bathtub program as if I squad speaking to the most spoken for kid in the world.

Uproarious still include lots of opportunity participation and strive to bring off my presentations both entertaining unacceptable educational. The feedback that I’ve received from teachers and librarians has been great.

Do you be blessed with any advice for teachers/librarians who might fancy writing for in the springtime of li people?

The best way for in unison to get good at penmanship picture books is to read—and analyze!—hundreds of picture books.

Critical addition, teachers and librarians move to and fro in a position to predict which books really resonate adequate kids. Plus, there’s no exclusive that teachers and librarians drain surrounded by so much material! Kids are always saying take doing the best/silliest/most heartfelt details. So, write it down! Concerning tip for teachers and librarians who are interested in penmanship books is to join rectitude Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators.

The SCBWI provides its members with valuable message as well as offers straighten up warm, welcoming community of seamless creators who share a adore for making great books infer kids.