Today I welcome Helen Frost to Best Dog Books, a blog that features interviews with authors who’ve written a canine story for kids or young adults. Helen is here to talk about Blue Daisy which is a middle grade novel illustrated by Rob Shepperson and published by Holiday House/ Margaret Ferguson Books for kids aged 7-10. Congratulations on your book launch!
Since this interview first posted, Blue Daisy has won the 2020 Best Dog Book Medal. Congratulations, Helen and Rob!
Best Dog Books for Kids: Who is your key dog character?
A stray dog comes into town, and remains nameless for the first part of the book. Eventually she earns the name Blue Daisy.
Best Dog Books for Kids: Tell us about your story.
The story is in the classic tradition of “A stranger comes to town.” When the skinny homeless dog shows up, she becomes a catalyst for four children (a set of twins, and two friends) to re-think the way they interact with each other. Who are the mean kids? Who are the nice ones? Why doesn’t the dog trust the nice kids? It’s not at all heavy-handed, but it gives young readers a way of thinking through the ways they may pre-judge people, and, equally important, animals.
Best Dog Books for Kids: What inspired you to write this story?
The story has deep roots, and has been through so many revisions, that it is no longer possible for me to say what the original inspiration was. There is a childhood memory at its core, and friendships, some that have occasionally been difficult to maintain, in the body of the story.
Best Dog Books for Kids: What was the biggest challenge you had writing your story? How did you overcome it?
There is a scene in the book where Katie’s mother accuses her of being mean, which makes Katie cry. That scene arose from a difficult situation during the writing of the story where a friend accused me of not caring about dogs—because how could I write about something awful happening to a dog, and risk giving children such a terrible idea? I set the book aside for a while as I considered what my friend had said, worried because it seemed that I needed to choose between the friendship and the book. In the end, facing the accusation made the story stronger, and both the book and the friendship became stronger because of it. I was very lucky to have an editor, Margaret Ferguson, who stood by me through this self-questioning and offered thoughtful support as the story found its way.
Best Dog Books for Kids: What kind of story can we expect next from you?
I have a picture book coming out in 2022, titled enticingly, Wait—and See. I’m not sure what my next novel will be, but I’d like to mention an earlier novel about a dog. Diamond Willow is set in Alaska, and features a relationship between a 12-year-old dog musher named Willow and her sled dog, Roxy. It’s an adventure story, a dog-story, a novel-in-poems for readers just a little older than the readers who are enjoying Blue Daisy.
Best Dog Books for Kids: What else would you like us to know about you or your story?
I have never met Blue Daisy’s illustrator, Rob Shepperson, but I love what he brought to the book. His lively illustrations add depth to the story and bring the characters to life in a delightful way.
Photo credit: Tim Andersen, Bel Air Photography
Best Dog Books for Kids: Can you remember the first book that made an impact on you? Why?
I do remember an emotional impact of a book my older sister read to me when I was 4 and she was 11. The book was Sonny Elephant (by Madge Bigham, published by Little, Brown and Company, 1939) and there was a horrible character called “Man” who mistreated the elephant family. About halfway through the book I realized that “Man” meant people. We were Man. Writing this now, I am aware that something similar is going on in Blue Daisy, as Sam and Katie come to recognize that there’s not such a big difference between them and the mean kids.
Best Dog Books for Kids: What advice would you give to aspiring writers?
Go for it! Writing has a lot of value in itself, whether or not your writing is immediately published. As for publication, it is hard, but not impossible. And of course, throughout this journey, enjoy the richness of reading.
If you’d like to learn more about Helen Frost, you can check out the author’s website or follow the author on facebook or instagram. You can find book reviews and awards for Helen’s books by following links on her website.
Thank you Helen for joining us at Best Dog Books. We look forward to reading your book!
For other great books about dogs, check out 101 Best Dog Books for Kids.
For published authors with dog books, check out the rules for the Best Dog Book Medal.
Thank you, Rob Shepperson for the lovely illustration of Blue daisy accepting her award, the 2020 Best Dog Book Medal.
