Special post ~ together with you

A Labor of Love and Persistence

The beautiful springtime cover of TOGETHER WITH YOU in the US.

Together With You, with words by me (Patricia Toht) and pictures by Jarvis, releases in the U.S. today! A fitting date, since creative work is a labor of love, as I think most authors and illustrators will agree. But Together With You is also a tale of persistence and determination with its long trek to publication (19 years!).

Much of this time was "growing time," since the idea for Together With You began as an eight-line poem. Encouraged by children's writing teacher and coach Esther Herschenhorn, I needed to look for the "something more" in the poem. But how do you know when you've found it?

As I recently shared with attendees of a Rhyme Doctors' webinar with Children's Book Insider, not every poem has enough to become a picture book. Here are some key elements to look for:

• Does the poem have an arc?
Readers need to be drawn through the pages of a picture book to a satisfying ending. I expanded the initial eight lines of Together With You (originally titled "The Best Way to Keep Warm") into 40 lines, and nearly 300 words. The storyline grew from a winter bedtime scene to a romp through four seasons. The arc follows a full year, but also examines the deep relationship between an adult and child. A two-stanza summary delivers a satisfying close.

• Is there enough illustration potential for a 32-page picture book?
The poem's original bedtime winter scene limited the illustrations. The expansion allowed for variety of weather, clothing, locations, and activities, all beautifully captured by illustrator Jarvis.

One of my favorite spreads in summertime!

• Have you found a unique take on a concept?
​When this text was first written, it entered a somewhat crowded field of parent/child relationship books. But as I grew into a grandparent, I re-envisioned the story as an intergenerational relationship. This was a more novel concept -- and one that is now currently having its day!

• As a rhyming picture book, does it employ strong picture book elements, as well as stellar rhythm and rhyme?
A rhyming picture book needs to do both story and rhyme well. I'm especially proud of this book's focus on capturing sensory details, as well as the variation on a refrain that culminates each season and the two sweet closing stanzas.

The rest of the long gestation period for Together With You was having the patience to find the right publisher at the right time. Walker Books in the U.K. and Candlewick Press in the U.S. believed in the collaborative efforts of Jarvis and me. Today, with my "book baby" in my hands, I can affirm that the 19 years were 100% worth the wait!

The summery UK cover of TOGETHER WITH YOU.

Together With You is now available at indie bookstores and online booksellers. For a personalized, signed copy in the US, please contact Coalesce Bookstore in Morro Bay, CA.

​~ Patricia Toht