This is the 8th in our series which highlights new books by our members. Please give a round of applause for Katelyn Aronson and her debut picture book, Piglette. Tell us about your new book Piglette is a story I originally wrote for my sister as a birthday present, so it was truly a “heart piece” of mine (as all writing should be). It’s about a very particular little piglet, who isn’t sure of where she fits in the world, but she’s eager to follow her snout and sniff out new horizons. Her passion is flowers, and when she leaves her farm to work at a perfumery in Paris, she thinks she’s finally found her perfect place. Major themes are leaving home, trying new things, homesickness, the search for belonging, and the ties that ultimately bind us homeward. What inspired you when working on this project? Even though Piglette is set in France, the spark of the story came to me thanks to a chance encounter in Italy. I was wandering the streets of Bologna and came across a magical perfumery, which you can read about on my blog. I never forgot that place, and months later, when the character of Piglette appeared in my mind (as characters often do!), I knew that a similar perfumery would be part of my little piglet’s destiny. Tell us about the creative process for this book. Piglette is one of my earliest manuscripts (I wrote it about five years ago now). So while I don’t remember the exact process, it started as my stories often do. A character appeared in my imagination, and I could tell right away that she merited a story all her own. So I spent time with her, trying to get to know her, finding out what that story was. At the very beginning, Piglette’s name was actually Paquerette (which in French refers to the little wild daisies that spring up on lawns and gardens). There were also a few more French references sprinkled through the text, which were removed to make the story more accessible to a young American audience. Did you encounter anything unexpected while working on this project. The most unexpected thing about Piglette’s publication process was…it’s speed! (We don’t often get to say that in the book industry, eh?) From offer to publication, my manuscript became a book in just one year. What a ride! I had the most wonderful experience working with my editor, Tamar Brazis, and fashion illustrator Eva Byrne. So I couldn’t be happier to announce that I get to work with them all over again. Piglette 2 is already slated to release in summer 2021, only a year after the first installlment! Now for something completely different! Beach Resort or City Getaway, Why? City Getaway for sure. Even if I do miss California every day, in general, lying on a beach is not for me. I like wandering a city, getting lost in it, discovering hidden treasures in little side streets—like the Italian perfumery that inspired Piglette, which I found by accident. Serendipity is to blame for my some of my favorite memories. Thanks Katelyn for a lovely interview. It's very interesting to see how wandering the streets of Bologna, Italy and a character like Piglette come together to create a beautiful, heartwarming story. I'm sure kids everywhere will enjoy getting to know Piglette and we eagerly await the second book coming out next year. Sandra Yoong-Chia Bio: Katelyn Aronson I was born and raised in Orange County, California. I went on to work in independent children’s bookstores there until the age of 25, when I followed my “European dream" and moved to France. Today, I divide my time between France and Switzerland, teaching French and English as foreign languages and writing stories.
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