I’m participating in the Spring Fling Writing Contest. The rules are simple: write a children’s story of no more than 150 words using a spring-themed gif as inspiration. Post it between April 1st and 3rd and add your post to the entry form. Here is my entry!
Voice of the Wildflowers by Katie L. Carroll
As the mist of night lifted, a voice rose in the distance.
It danced through the meadow, over the hills, up into the puffy white clouds.
All the little blooms in the meadow lifted their sleepy heads.
Their petals opened wide, drinking in the sun and that voice…that beautiful voice!
The flowers had no ears to hear the song, but somehow it flowed into their stems and vibrated right down to their roots.
The voice drew closer and with it came a little girl in a pink polka-dot dress.
She skipped through the meadow, spreading wildflower seeds while she sang.
The flowers had no eyes to see the girl with her dress and her seeds, but somehow they knew her.
For she had been there before, spreading the seeds that would become those flowers.
The flowers had no hearts, but somehow they loved the girl and her voice.
Thank you so much to Katie for inviting me as a guest blogger, I am excited to share with you all about my newest picture book, Chameleon in Training.
Chameleons and Camouflage
The story features two chameleons, Commander Jackson and Edna, who have very different approaches to staying alive. Jackson, the camouflage master, is adamant on teaching Edna the proper blending techniques, but she prefers to do things her own way.
The core concept actually came to me when I was brainstorming for an entirely different book. During my stream of ideas, I drew a small sketch of what ended up becoming the spread “Feet Blue” and Chameleon in Trainingwas born. Like most of my book ideas, I didn’t understand the concept right away, I didn’t know what the final book would look like, whether it would be a character-driven narrative or more of a wordless art book. But from the very beginning, I felt so connected with the concept.
The Struggle with Blending In
A chameleon who doesn’t want to blend in? Story of my life. I remember from a young age not fitting in, at first it was due to gender, not conforming to stereotypical gender preferences as a kid, and then later having mental health issues and sensory sensitivities that made me stick out in school. I wore noise-blocking headphones and felt like a lot of people didn’t understand how uncomfortable I was without sensory accommodations.
I think with Edna’s story, I am in a way reclaiming a lot of hurt I experienced as a child, being ridiculed or reprimanded for not being able to do things in certain ways at school, or not conforming to gender norms.
I hope that, especially for neurodivergent readers out there, Chameleon in Training brings a sense of joy, and also reassurance, that your differences bring positivity into the world.
Diversity in Publishing
There is so much strength in diversity of thought, and I am excited to see so many new titles now featuring autistic characters, and characters with other forms of neurodivergence and/or gender nonconformity.
I’ve noticed as my career has progressed that people have given me feedback, saying they like how I “see the world” or think I have a “unique art style.” I think this distinct perspective people sense is at least in part due to my neurodivergence, and it feels validating to have my differences now celebrated.
Post Meridiem Press
Chameleon in Training and my other recent picture book I Live for the Sun were published by Post Meridiem Press, an independent publishing imprint I started to promote content less represented in the traditional publishing industry.
I tried, very briefly, to get a literary agent in 2021-2022, but didn’t receive much interest from the agencies I queried. I hear a lot from traditionally published authors that it takes a LONG time to get an agent, and it’s important to be persistent. This is true, and for those people who stick with it and land an agent and traditional publishing deal—kudos to you.
But, for me, I just felt like I kept writing new stories and querying new agents, and rejection after rejection, no one was getting to read my stories (save for my critique group and close friends/family—you guys are great!).
With my own independent publishing imprint, I have a professional platform to share my work. I don’t sacrifice the quality of work, I put forth my best effort, conducting thorough research for projects and leaning on my critique group for feedback. But I don’t need a “green light” from a team of traditional publishing professionals approving my ideas.
Confidence through Independent Publishing
I think creating the Post Meridiem Press brand has also given me newfound confidence in the direction of my work. I’ve always enjoyed concept development and experimenting with styles in the process. With independent publishing, I feel empowered to pursue any style I want. I don’t feel restricted to a certain topic, format, or design approach.
For my most recent picture book, Chameleon in Training, I worked in a looser, digital style, which I felt best reflected the protagonist’s free-spirited, nonconforming personality. For my picture book I Live for the Sun I went for a mixed media approach, using lots of materials including acrylic paint, gouache, ink, colored pencils, and digital brushes. And most recently, I’ve been experimenting with ink and nib pens. There are so many techniques I enjoy trying and incorporating into my books, a big part of my process is trying to find styles/formats I feel best convey the concept at hand.
I hope creators whose interests may sway from the mainstream feel reassured that independent publishing is a perfectly valid way to produce professional-level content while retaining your creative vision.
My book I Live for the Sun, for example, features a penguin protagonist who becomes depressed and eventually experiences suicidal ideation after his friend gets eaten by a leopard seal. Through independent publishing, I was able to attempt this difficult topic of suicidal ideation, scarcely found in traditionally published picture books, and share my story with a wider audience through stores and events.
More Indies, More Voices
I really do feel there is room in the publishing industry for these lesser-represented subjects and “indie” leaning styles or approaches, which may be more commonly exhibited by neurodivergent creators. I’ve found success thus far in my career by leaning into myself, and I hope other creators share their distinct perspectives as well, because I think everyone’s unique approach and life experiences are what make for compelling, powerful, books.
Chameleons must camouflage to survive…or must they? Why not have a disco party and snack on some tasty flies instead? Commander Jackson and student Edna duke it out in this fast-paced, witty attempt at Color 101: The Art of Camouflage. Class is in session!
“Chameleon in Training” is a picture book recommended for all ages. The story may especially delight neurodivergent readers through its celebration of nonconformity.
When an Adélie penguin loses his best friend to a leopard seal attack, he becomes distraught and grows increasingly depressed. In the midst of peril, a humpback whale comes to the Adélie penguin’s aid and shows what keeps her going through the toughest of times.
Collage and mixed media painted illustrations depict the beauties of arctic nature in this tale of friendship and perseverance.
Recommended for ages 8 and up. “I Live for the Sun” may be a helpful resource for people struggling with grief and/or depression.
Parker Milgram is an author, illustrator, and fine artist based in Worcester, Massachusetts.
Their debut picture book and art book No Ideas Allowed! and Book of Worlds: An Artistic Representation of Mental Illness were published in 2021; their third and fourth books, I Live for the Sun and Chameleon in Training, were published by Post Meridiem Press in 2023 and 2024.
Parker’s art has been featured in publications such as The Worcester Review, Worcester Magazine, and CM PRIDE and exhibited at venues including ArtsWorcester, Worcester Center for Crafts, and the Mary Cosgrove Dolphin Gallery. Their current creative projects span themes of mental health, friendship, and neurodivergence.
Guess what? I have another new book out. It technically came out yesterday, but we’ll just pretend that I’m organized and have been properly marketing my new book release. It’s called THE GREAT VOYAGERS: EARTH’S INTERGALACTIC AMBASSADORS. If you or your kids enjoyed SELFIES FROM MARS, you’re gonna like this one too.
This book takes readers on a journey through the solar system all the way to interstellar space. The Voyager space probes are the farthest reaching human-made objects are have been out in space for more than 45 years! And wait until you read about the Golden Records. They really are quite the incredible NASA mission.
I’m really excited to have another STEM nonfiction books for kids to get excited about space. I recently did a school visit where I talked all about Opportunity’s incredible journey on the Red Planet and my process of writing, revising, and publishing SEFLIES FROM MARS. I can’t wait to bring THE GREAT VOYAGERS to classrooms as well.
What space mission should I write about next? I have a couple in mind, but I’d love to know what your favorites are.
Book blurb:
Take a grand tour through the outer planets and beyond the solar system with the NASA Voyager space probes. Launched in 1977, Voyager 1 and Voyager 2 were the first spacecraft to explore all the outer planets and the first human-made objects to reach interstellar space. They each hold a golden record with the sights, sounds, music, and languages of Earth. These great Voyagers continue to reach for the stars as Earth’s intergalactic ambassadors.
Is it too late for a 2023 writing wrap-up? I hope not because I have one for you! But first…a quick peek at what’s ahead for my author career this year. I started off the New Year super inspired and have been brainstorming new ideas all month with my picture book critique partners as part of Storystorm.
I’m working on a bunch of other things as well. I’m currently pushing through the muddy middle of the first draft of a young adult WIP, which is a love story (not a romance!) with a sci-fi twist. It’s too early to say if I’ll get this one ready to be released this year, but it’s not out of the question. If you follow me on TikTok, you might have seen me offer up a little teaser on this project!
I’ve also started the design process on my next children’s nonfiction. I was really happy with the response to my first nonfiction SELFIES FROM MARS: THE TRUE STORY OF MARS ROVER OPPORTUNITY, so I’m making this new nonfiction a priority. The new nonfiction is about the NASA Voyagers, which were the first human-made objects to reach interstellar space. I’m working on a fun idea for the official cover reveal, so stay tuned for that.
In Family Holiday Tales news (first two books are MOMMY’S NIGHT BEFORE CHRISTMAS and DADDY’S 12 DAYS OF CHRISTMAS), I’ve begun working with illustrator Phoebe Cho on a third one. This one features a grandma and takes place on Halloween night! I’ve always wanted to do board book versions of these books, and this year might be the year I set up a kickstarter to accomplish that.
As for 2023, well I hit some author goals and missed on a few others. I released three books, which was a record for me! Most notably for misses, I didn’t finish the draft of the second part of a YA duology I’ve been working on for many years. There’s something about these books that isn’t quite working yet, but I’ll get back to them eventually. And if you’re interested to see what I read last year, you can check out my 2023 Year in Books.
How did your 2023 end up? What are you looking forward to in 2024?
As I try and get the house ready for the holiday, I’ve really been relating to the line, “The house was a mess, the laundry never-ending…” Also, a certain Elf is back, and if you’ve read the book, you know how I feel about him!
Readers’ Favorite gave Mommy’s Night Before Christmas this lovely 5-star review.
Mommy’s Night Before Christmas (Family Christmas Tales) by Katie L. Carroll is an endearing children’s picture book story that is also very appealing to adults. In fact, some children might recognize themselves a bit in the story, along with some parents who find that they can relate to the rhyming storyline. The illustrations created by Phoebe Cho have a lovely rustic quality, utilizing some colors that are a bit more subdued and relaxing, while others include a shock of red that reminds you it’s very much the Christmas time of year. It also appears that a mixture of mediums is used at some points, which draws your eyes in even more.
Katie L. Carroll’s Mommy’s Night Before Christmas (Family Christmas Tales) pulled at every heartstring in my chest…. It most definitely has an adult perspective to it, but children will still enjoy it and might even learn from the story itself by trying to improve their behavior for their parents. This would be an excellent Christmas gift for any child or parent that you know who may need a little bit of laughter and wish to read a great story.
On the first day of Christmas, My children gave to me A gift waiting under the tree…
In this heartfelt take on the classic Christmas carol “The Twelve Days of Christmas,” Daddy receives a special gift from his children. But that’s not all he gets! From sweet Christmas cookies to frozen fingers while sledding, the kids “gift” Daddy twelve days of Christmas he will never forget.
Sing along with this family of two dads and five kids as they create special Christmas memories. A celebration of love and families of all kinds, Daddy’s 12 Days of Christmas is the perfect holiday gift or stocking stuffer.
I’m currently working on the third book in the Holiday Family Tales series. It’s not a Christmas book, getting it ready to send of to illustrator Phoebe Cho. Any idea as to what holiday we’ll be celebrating in it (and what family member will be featured)? Let me know your guesses in the comments!
