I have been a fan of Deborah Lee Rose’s nonfiction books for children for several years, and had a chance to catch up with her about her most recent title, Penguins Ready to Go, Go, Go!, published April 9, 2024, by Persnickety Press – out just in time for World Penguin Day on April 25th.
Please tell me about your journey to become a children’s author.
Penguins Ready to Go, Go, Go! is my 19th book, and the journey of becoming and growing as a children’s author has often felt very magical. I have worked to recapture what books gave me when I was a child—the ability to imagine I am anywhere, from the International Space Station to Antarctica—because I want my readers to be able to travel anywhere through their own imaginations.
Many of the ideas for my books have seemed to come to me “suddenly,” though I realized later how those ideas were percolating in my mind from things I or my kids saw, read, and experienced. One major part of the writing journey has been letting myself tumble over many ideas until I find one I love so much, I want to spend many months working on it. I have also learned that asking for help and even making mistakes can lead to much better writing.
What is your research process, and when do you decide you have enough background knowledge to begin writing?
I adore research, especially about STEM topics, because there is always so much more to discover than I first realize. I give myself plenty of time for the research phase of each book. Sometimes it’s only after months of research that I learn a fact—or discover an amazing photo—which significantly affects the structure or tone or title of the book. That doesn’t mean I wait until all the research is in before I start writing. For me, research and writing happen simultaneously throughout the book’s creation. And I don’t worry about having enough research, in fact I usually have way too much! For Penguins Ready to Go, Go, Go! and Astronauts Zoom! I had huge binders filled with photos and factual articles. The challenge is selecting which are the absolute best photos, and what is the most amazing and kid-friendly information to include in the final book.
What are the most fascinating facts about Emperor penguins that you discovered while researching Penguins Ready to Go, Go, Go! ?
One reason I decided to write this book is because my research turned up so many surprises about Emperor penguins—like the fact that they slide on their bellies to travel faster over the ice and snow, or that they can find their chick among thousands of penguins just by its call. But the two most fascinating facts were how these birds have adapted to their Antarctic environment using bubbles and teamwork to survive. While the penguins are standing on the sea ice, they trap air between their feathers. Then, when they dive into the ocean under the ice to feed, the water pressure helps squeeze out the air into bubble streams around their bodies. These streams reduce the drag on their bodies, so the birds can swim very fast. By building up speed underwater, they can leap high enough out of the ocean to land back on the ice.
Regarding teamwork, penguins don’t just huddle together to stay warm during blizzards. They are all constantly in motion, shuffling through their huge huddles so each bird gets a turn closest to the warm center. I have a wonderful quote in the book from scientist Stephanie Jenouvrier of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution that reads, “Only together can penguins brave the harshest climate on Earth, and only together can we face a difficult climate future.”
What do you love most about writing for children?
Writing for children is like being a translator. One of the best parts of the job for me, especially in my STEM books, is translating complex concepts like animal adaptations for young learners. I get to play with words and images, while being both scientific and silly, like in the verse from Penguins Ready to Go, Go, Go! that reads:
“Swooshing so fast, and diving so deep,
penguins whoosh from the ocean in one bubbly leap.
Skimming the air in a high penguin hop,
they land on the ice with a wet, giant PLOP!
One of the wonders of writing books for children has been that I can “meet” millions of young readers, librarians, teachers and parents worldwide. An actual copy of my book Astronauts Zoom! was launched to the International Space Station with an astronaut crew on Read Across America day, traveled 57 million miles through space on the ISS, and was read aloud in orbit by an astronaut and videotaped for Story Time From Space. (The same astronaut is also IN THE BOOK, from a previous mission to space). That free read aloud can now be watched by children and adults anywhere in the world, at Storytime from Space.
Any time a parent or teacher asks me how they can encourage a child to read more, I say “Take them to the library A LOT.” – Deborah Lee Rose
What message do you have for librarians? For your readers?
I grew up in Philadelphia, where I spent countless hours reading and volunteering in the Free Library of Philadelphia. Libraries have been the greatest resource in my life, including for researching my own books and bringing my children from the time they could sit up in their strollers. Any time a parent or teacher asks me how they can encourage a child to read more, I say “Take them to the library A LOT.” (Librarians know this!) Books and libraries opened up the world to me, and I still believe this can be true for children today. I would also like librarians, teachers, parents and readers to know there are free educational guides to my books, with connections to standards plus activities and resources, on my website at www.deborahleerose.com. These guides can be shared with anyone.
Is there something special you want readers (and educators) to know about Penguins Ready to Go, Go, Go!?
This book includes many photos from leading scientists being published for the first time in a children’s book. QR codes in the book are also linked to amazing live action Emperor penguin videos. From an environmental education perspective, Emperor penguins are now a threatened species, because of climate change and human impacts. While these birds may live extremely far away from us, we can still take action to help conserve their species, which is loved by so many people around the globe.
She [Charlotte] uses the words in her web—just five words—to teach, inspire, and save the life of a friend. That tells me words are very powerful, and children of all ages, whom I meet at schools, understand that their words too can make a difference. – Deborah Lee Rose
What is your own favorite children’s book?
Since I was in 4th grade, my favorite book has been Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White. Our school librarian first read it aloud to our class, and I was mesmerized. The story transported me to a world far beyond my own, something I try to do for my readers even when I am writing nonfiction. To this day Charlotte’s Web still inspires me, since I discovered (as an adult) that the character of Charlotte the spider is a writer like I am, though she writes words in her web and I write them on paper or my computer. She uses the words in her web—just five words—to teach, inspire, and save the life of a friend. That tells me words are very powerful, and children of all ages, whom I meet at schools, understand that their words too can make a difference.
I encourage all to check out Deborah’s many nonfiction titles:
The Creative Librarian 