Tom Lichtenheld
Tom Lichtenheld has had a real success with his first book for kids. Everything I Know about Pirates got its start when a nephew wrote a letter asking Tom to draw a pirate. That led to some sketches copied on brown paper and colored in pencil. After he bound the pages, Tom took them into his garage and burned the edges-not something he recommends to most writers. After he showed it to colleagues at work, he was encouraged to try to get the book published. The book sat for three years until he ran into a friend who is an agent. Within two months the book was sold to Simon & Schuster.
As Tom said, "that is when the real work began." He now had to take his twelve- page book and expand it into thirty-two pages. He prepared a dummy and wrote and rewrote the text. Since Tom has a day job as the Art Director for Fallon McElligott, this project was undertaken in his spare time. He finally realized that if he was going to finish the book in a reasonable timeframe, he would need to take a month off and work exclusively on the book. Tom ended up working from 5 a.m. to midnight-he was totally immersed in the project.
Tom believes that part of what makes the book successful is its crude and unpolished look and feel. That of course doesn't mean that it could be dashed off-it took effort to get that look. The original illustrations were small, about 4 x 3 inches, and they had a crusty look when they were blown up and copied on brown paper. Then Tom applied the paint and colored pencil with the text prepared on overlays. The jacket even features a photograph of him in the 4th grade with an eyepatch-the author as a young pirate. All in all, it took about two years from the signed contract to the published book.
What sets Tom apart is his experience in both marketing and promotion. He isn't shy about marketing, but he does shy away from the limelight. He now has fifty pirate related products in design-from toothbrushes to coat hangers-and an agent to help him promote this merchandise. Tom also has plenty of ideas for other "Everything I Know About..." books. They all have messages, positive ones, about behavior or diffusing fears.
It should be smooth sailing from here on for this talented author/illustrator.
Contributor: Marilyn Courtot
Find out more about Tom Lichtenheld and his books at www.tomlichtenheld.com.
Reviews
Everything I Know about PiratesTom Lichtenheld
Lichtenheld mixes his childhood fascination with pirates with an adult's cynical view of buccaneer legends to create this hilarious read, in the tradition of Jon Scieszka. It has clever writing and visual puns for adults, and plenty of gross-out humor and other silly stuff for kids. For instance, a handy chart helps kids make up official pirate names in time for the annual convention, since "they're not going to let you in with a name like Nathan or Ashley." When pirates get bored with fighting, they "get together over a root beer and tell lies about how mean they were in the battle." And we're told that the carrying of knives between teeth is standard, but "frowned upon by the American Dental Association." Parents won't mind reading this book over and over, because they'll likely see new humor each time in Lichtenheld's goofy illustrations which were, he assures us, rendered in "ink, colored pencil, gouache, pastels and ear wax." 2000, Simon & Schuster, Ages 4 to 8, $16.00. Reviewer: Donna Freedman
Added 2001
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If you're interested in reviewing children's and young adult books, then send a resume and writing sample to marilyn@childrenslit.com.