Award-winning children's author Heidi E.Y. Stemple joins co-hosts Julie and Kelli to celebrate her latest picture book releases and to talk about why backmatter is so important for picture books (and when it's not).  

 

Listen in to discover:

• How Heidi got to 50 published books (and counting)
• The pressure and privilege of being Jane Yolen's daughter
• Why Heidi got a tattoo of her mother's signature on her right wrist
• The definition of picture book backmatter (and frontmatter, and marginalia) 
• Why backmatter should provide an entry back into the book or an exit out
• The do's and don'ts of crafting backmatter
• When additional information should go on your website or in a teacher's guide
• Examples of backmatter from several of Heidi and her mom's books
• How to decide if your book needs backmatter
• Why you want your backmatter to match the target age, tone, and style of your book
• Whether you should write the backmatter upfront or simply give possible ideas

Books mentioned in this episode:

• Lydia Loves Bugs: A Children's Book About Insects by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Yulia Pankratova
• The Poetry of Car Mechanics by Heidi E.Y. Stemple
• Zoey Zoombeck, Superhero by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Alexandra Colombo
• Janie Writes a Play: Jane Yolen's First Great Story by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Madelyn Goodnight
• She Sells Seashells: Mary Anning, an Unlikely Paleontologist by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Emily Paik
• You Nest Here With Me by Jane Yolen & Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Melissa Sweet
• Greyling by Jane Yolen and David Ray
• E. Norm Moose by Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Annie Gregoire
• A Kite for Moon by Jane Yolen & Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Matt Phelan
• How To Get Your Octopus to School by Becky Scharnhorst and Jaclyn Sinquette
• Over, Bear! Under, Where? by Julie Hedlund and Michael Slack
• Yuck, You Suck! Poems About Animals That Sip, Slurp, Suck by Jane Yolen & Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Eugenia Nobati
• Eek, You Reek! Poems About Animals That Stink, Stank, Stunk by Jane Yolen & Heidi E.Y. Stemple and Eugenia Nobati
• La Princesa and The Pea by Susan Middleton Elya and Juana Martinez Neal
• Butt or Face by Kari Lavelle

Grab these books and more from the 12 x 12 Bookshop.org Podcast list here.

Listeners who want more from Heidi on Backmatter can get 25% off her webinar, Backmatter Matters at 12x12challenge.com/heidi.