Welcome to BookEnds, Laura K. Zimmermann!
- By: admin | Date: Apr 19 2017
I’m so thrilled to welcome Laura K. Zimmermann to BookEnds Literary!
Laura writes picture books focused on the natural world, and has a fantastic set of picture books about ground-breaking women entomologists. I’ve been looking for more stories of unsung heroines and #STEM related books in my #MSWL, and I’m so excited to work with Laura and her books!
I hope you enjoy learning more about Laura K. Zimmermann and her work!
What do you love about writing picture books?
In picture books the words and pictures blend together to create something totally new. I love visualizing pictures as I write and wondering what the illustrator will see and add to my words.
What book do you wish you had written, and why?
I have a library full of them. Do I have to choose just one?
I love Drum Dream Girl: How One Girl’s Courage Changed Music. Margarita Engle’s text is melodic and fits the tone of the story perfectly, while Rafael López’s beautiful illustrations dance around the words adding to the beat.
Red: A Crayon’s Story by Michael Hall coveys diversity in a simple, straightforward way that young readers can easily relate to.
What Patricia MacLachlan and illustrator Hadley Hooper managed to accomplish in The Iridescence of Birds: A Book About Henri Matisse just blows me away. If you ever get the chance to meet Patricia, ask her how this story came about—seriously, mind blown.
And then there’s On a Beam of Light: A Story of Albert Einstein by Jennifer Berne, illustrated by Vladimir Radunsky, Imogene’s Last Stand by Candance Fleming, illustrated by Nancy Carpenter, and … How long was this blog post supposed to be?
If you’re not reading or writing, what would we catch you doing?
I’m a professor at Shenandoah University, so I’m often on campus with my college students. Off campus you’ll find me at one of the local battlefields or the State Arboretum with my labradoodle, Figment.
What’s your favorite quote about reading or writing?
My favorite quote is also my favorite piece of writing advice.
“Kill your darlings, kill your darlings, even when it breaks your egocentric little scribbler’s heart, kill your darlings.” –Stephen King
Where can readers find you on the web and social media?
Website: laurakzimmermann.com
Twitter: @lkzimmermannphd
Pinterest: lkzimmermann
Thank you, Laura – I’m so excited to have you on my team!
What an awesome theme for your book, Laura. I’m an enviro scientist and (aeons ago) worked with some of Australia’s leading entomologists on various research projects on pseudoscorpions, moths and spiders – so I have a soft spot for female entomologists. Although The Hub and my Barbarians aren’t quite so enamoured with my work history as I don’t kill spiders in our house unless they are venomous (so red-backs are fair game).
Thank you, AJ, what interesting research. I fully support all spiders who aren’t venomous and don’t bite me. 🙂
I can’t wait to hear when your books will be published, Laura, because they will be fabulous! 🙂
Thank you, Debra 🙂