The Backstory: IN THE PALM OF MY HANDS

Today #TheBackstory welcomes Jennifer Raudenbush to share all about her beautiful debut picture book, IN THE PALM OF MY HAND with illustrations by Isabella Conti. Keep reading to find out what inspired Jennifer and for your chance to win either a signed copy or an AMA.

AH: Welcome to The Backstory and thank you for joining us and sharing the inspiration

behind IN THE PALM OF MY HAND.

First off, please tell us a little bit about your story.

JR: In the Palm of My Hand is a lyrical fiction picture book about the hidden possibilities in tiny things, including in children themselves, so it speaks to potential and self-esteem. The official blurb is: "On an ambling walk, a child discovers they hold the promise of larger worlds—forests and meadows—in the palm of their hand. An acorn becomes a tree within a woodland wonderland. A grain of sand becomes a sandcastle in a kingdom of imagination. By exploring nature’s tiniest details, they learn even small things, including them, contain infinite potential." It’s beautifully illustrated by Isabella Conti, and is published by Running Press Kids.

AH: This sounds gorgeous! I love how you poetically mix the natural world and imagination to help kids dream of all that is possible. Based on the blurb alone, this is a book I would scoop up in an instant.

AH: What’s the story behind the story? What was your inspiration? Where did the idea

come from?

JR: I’m a poetry-lover and poet. The book was inspired by the opening lines of William Blake’s poem “Auguries of Innocence”:

To see a World in a Grain of Sand

And a Heaven in a Wild Flower

Hold Infinity in the palm of your hand

And Eternity in an hour.

I imagined how I might interpret this concept for a child. The story starts simply with an

acorn in the palm of a child’s hand, and builds into a forest and wider concepts of connectivity. Over time, a vast forest may spring from a single acorn.

I’d loved how a humorous picture book called Fear the Bunny, written by Richard T.

Morris and illustrated by Priscilla Burris (Atheneum, Simon & Schuster, 2019) incorporated poetry into their book, and I embraced the challenge of doing something similar.

AH: What a phenomenal starting place you had with Blake's poem as inspiration. Your interpretation is lovely and Isabella Conti's art complements it in the best way.

How did you approach going from this seed of an idea to what is now IN THE

PALM OF MY HAND? Was it something undeniable you had to write immediately or did

you need to sit with this idea and let it grow for a while before it found its way to the

page?

JR: I began by brainstorming. Ideas and lines, many of which found their way into the book, flowed onto the page. Unlike the struggle I have with many picture books, In the Palm of My Hand poured out fairly quickly—I wrote it over two days.

AH: Isn't it crazy how some books are such a puzzle and struggle while (once in a while) others feel as though they write themselves?

AH: Did IN THE PALM OF MY HAND undergo any major changes/revisions from the

original version? If so, what led you to make these changes?

JR: Yes. I wrote the first version in early June 2019. My critique group looked at it in person shortly afterward, and it seemed strong enough for a professional critique after the second version. I made two more revisions before both querying it and sending it for an editor critique through the Eastern PA SCBWI conference. She requested an R&R, suggesting I remove the back matter and epilogue, and take out its focus on the water cycle. I made six revisions to this new format.

AH: Critiques from our trusted groups as well as opportunities with industry professionals are invaluable. I am so glad that you were able to take the advice that resonated with you and stick with revising so we could all enjoy IN THE PALM OF MY HAND.

Are there any books/authors that you feel influenced your work on IN THE PALM

OF MY HAND?

JR: Beth Ferry, Joyce Sidman, and Dianne White are my favorite picture book authors. Their poetic language and wordplay were definite influences. I also read adult poetry every morning, such as Billy Collins and Mary Oliver. I feel poetry influences everything I

write.

AH: Where do you tend to find your inspiration or your sparks for ideas?

JR: I receive a lot of inspiration from nature. I also keep idea notebooks for both picture

books and middle grade, and refer to them whenever I’m looking for a new idea. Like

many authors, I interact with children and reflect on both my son’s childhood and my

own.

AH: These are all spectacular places to find ideas!

Do you have any upcoming projects or news you would like to share with us?

JR: I’m continuing to write and refine picture book and middle grade projects. In the

meantime, I share poetry and other news in my monthly newsletter, which people can

sign up for HERE.

AH: I wish you the best of luck moving forward and hope that we get to read more books from you soon.

Where can people connect more with you?

JR: The easiest way to connect is through my Linktree, HERE.

Thank you so much for having me on your blog!

AH: Readers be sure to connect with Jennifer on her socials and website which can all be found at her Linktree, to hear all about her latest publishing news.

Also, please consider supporting Jennifer and IN THE PALM OF MY HAND in any way you can.

This could include:

- ordering from your favorite indie

- marking as want to read on Goodreads  

-leaving a review

- making a library request

Jennifer, thank you so much for sharing all about IN THE PALM OF MY HAND. I loved

learning the inside scoop on how this book came to be!

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GIVEAWAY!

Jennifer is generously offering one winner a signed copy of In the Palm of My Hand or a 20-minute Zoom  Ask-Me-Anything.

Ways to enter:

1. Retweet my tweet about this blog post. Additional entry for tagging friends!

or

2. Leave a comment on this post.

or

3. Post about this interview on social media and tell me in the comments that you did.

Each method earns an extra entry!

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About Jennifer Raudenbush

Jennifer Raudenbush feels most alive when she’s creating stories, especially picture books and middle grade novels. Jen lives with her husband and teenage son in eastern Pennsylvania, where its natural beauty provides endless inspiration. She has been published in Cricket children’s magazine, Little Thoughts Press, and two anthologies. IN THE PALM OF MY HAND, illustrated by Isabella Conti, Running Press Kids, is Jen’s first picture book. Connect with her at www.jenraudenbush.com or on Twitter @jenraudenbush.

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About Andrew Hacket

Andrew Hacket  is a writer, second-grade teacher, and father of three. He is also the author of the upcoming Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea,  Curlilocks and the Three Hares, and Hope and the Sea. Andrew recognizes that being a kid is hard and he writes to create ways for kids to see themselves in stories and characters, to accept and overcome their insecurities, or to escape for just a little while through the power of their imaginations.