From Idea to Book: Sharing the Process

As former elementary school teachers, we are passionate about teaching kids to write. Our first meeting centered on the teaching of writing when Lisa invited Lola to work with students at her school’s annual literacy night. A few years later, we got back together to present at NCTE with Stacey on, you guessed it, writing instruction. We became friends and began collaborating on lots of projects and presentations. Our latest collaboration is our new picture book, Merry Christmas, Zoo, which will be released by Chronicle Books this fall. 

In our sessions with teachers, we always ask them to write. We know when teachers do the work themselves, they can reflect on their own writing process and share this experience with their students. We do this as well. As we look back on how this book came to be, we think many lessons can be passed on to kids. Let’s look at a few that translate well to students. 

Ideas are everywhere!

The idea for this book came from the radio. Lola heard the Communications Director of Zoo Miami, Ron Magill, on an NPR podcast while she was driving. Ron discussed how the zoo mentally and physically stimulated the animals each Christmas season. He talked about how they decorated the zoo, created special edible treats, and packaged them interestingly for each animal. As soon as she heard the idea, she knew she wanted to write a book about it. Lucky for Lisa, she asked her to join her!

What can we teach students about this part of the process?

Every piece of writing begins with an idea. We teach students that ideas are everywhere; you just need to pay attention. Ideas can come at any time, like during a long car ride. Be ready to seize them when they do. To help with gathering seed ideas, most writers we know carry a small writer’s notebook. Encouraging students to carry their writer’s notebook from home to school or providing them with small notebooks to carry in their pockets facilitates this part of the process. 

Research your topic! 

Before we could write this story, we needed to do some research. After a quick internet search, we discovered that the Zoo Miami wasn’t unique in its approach to stimulating the animals, many big zoos do something similar at Christmas time. Once we discovered this was a common practice, we needed to dive more deeply into the concept, so we contacted Ron Magill to schedule an interview. We each jotted down three or four burning questions to prepare for our interview. We were careful not to come in with too many, as we wanted to leave room for Ron to teach us some things we hadn’t considered. As we spoke to Ron, we took detailed notes and let his revelations lead us to new questions. Throughout the writing process, we contacted Ron when we had new questions or needed clarification. His help was invaluable. We were so grateful for his assistance; we featured him in the book. If you look closely, you will find a mustached gentleman in several illustrations. 

What can we teach students about this part of the process? 

In addition to extensive reading on a topic, one of the best ways to understand something in depth is to interview an expert. With the onset and ease of video chatting, students have access to lots of experts and most are eager to share their ideas. It is helpful to come up with a few questions beforehand for your expert; however, be ready to let them teach you things you didn’t consider asking. Ask if the expert is willing to look over anything written or would be willing to email as new questions arise. The more you learn about a topic, the more you wonder. 

Embrace the mess!

As we set about trying to write this book, we began by experimenting and playing with the idea. We wrote out the facts, and then considered various ways to convey them. We knew our audience was young children, and we knew we wanted to teach them about how zoos stimulated their animals; however, we knew we had to structure this text in a way that would engage our young readers. Because this was a book about Christmas, we sought inspiration from the classic, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas. This poem is written in 28 rhyming couplets. After coming up with the opening stanza, we knew it would work. 

It’s the night before Christmas,

And all through the zoo,

We’re working nonstop—

There’s so much to do!

What can we teach students about this part of the process? 

Drafting is a messy process, and it is important to embrace the mess. Few writers have an idea and immediately draft something that will look anything like the final product. Many young writers are afraid to experiment with their writing. We can encourage this experimentation by writing and rewriting in front of our students, showing them first, second, and third attempts full of cross-outs and rewrites. 

Teaching students to consider their audience from the beginning is also important. Are your kids writing picture books to share with their younger book buddies? Are they writing book reviews to be posted in the class library? Are they creating a Ted Talk to share with parents? These various readers all require a different approach to writing. Don’t save audience consideration to the end of the process! 

We believe structure is one of the most important qualities of writing. Lisa has found that once she has a structure, she can plan the piece; and once she has a plan, the writing becomes much easier. It is important to share your plan and encourage writers to share their varied and distinctive methods. We like to share students’ planning via museum walks or using a document camera during our minilessons.  

Merry Christmas, Zoo will be released from Chronicle Books on September 29^th, 2024. We’re anxious to hear your thoughts and hope you will be inspired to share your writing process with your kids.

Lisa Eickholdt has worked as a classroom teacher, interventionist, literacy coach, and college literacy professor for over thirty years. Today, she is an educational consultant and author. She has written several books for Heinemann and Stenhouse Publishing
on the teaching of writing. Merry Christmas, Zoo is her first children’s book. When she’s not writing, you will find her with her nose buried in a good book. 

Lola M. Schaefer is the author of more than 275 books for children including picture books, easy readers, and school/library books. Awards include: The Children’s Choice Book Award; Outstanding Science Trade Book; The Charlotte Zolotow Honor Book; The Zena Sutherland Picture Book Award. When Lola is not at home researching her next book or writing, you might find her working with students as a writer-in-residence or offering a keynote or breakout session at a literary conference.

Giveaway Information:

You can win a copy of Merry Christmas, Zoo by Lisa Eickholdt and Lola M. Schaefer, donated by Chronicle Books. To enter the giveaway, leave a comment about this post by Saturday, April 27 at 6:00 p.m. EDT. The winner will be randomly selected by Stacey Shubitz and announced at the bottom of the post by Thursday, May 2. You must have a U.S. mailing address and provide a valid e-mail address when you post your comment. If you win, Stacey will email you for your mailing address. We will choose a new winner if you do not respond with your mailing address within five days.

4/27 @ 8:55 p.m.: The giveaway is now closed.

Many thanks to everyone who left a comment. Julie McKelly’s commenter number was drawn, so she’ll win a copy of Merry Christmas Zoo once it’s published later this year.