I Have a Balloon!

Q & A with debut author, Ariel Bernstein, plus a giveaway!
​By Donna Cangelosi

Happy Takeaway Tuesday! We're so excited to welcome Ariel Bernstein! Ariel's debut picture book, I HAVE A BALLOON, illustrated by Scott Magoon, (Simon & Schuster/Paula Wiseman Books) hit the shelves September 27th and has received starred reviews! Ariel shares her backstory here--plus a chance to win a signed copy of her book! Details below!

In I HAVE A BALLOON, Owl has a shiny, red balloon. Monkey does not. As the jacket copy warns, "This is NOT a book about sharing." But is IS one hilarious book about wanting what other's have.

What was your writing and revision process like?
I had a few notes about the story when I first thought of the idea. I sat down at the computer with them and started writing. I rewrote a number of times after reading the manuscript aloud and trying to figure out if it sounded okay.

Did your illustrator notes suggest Owl and Monkey?
Yes, I called the characters Owl and Monkey in the manuscript when noting who was speaking.

How quickly did it sell?
It took about four months after it went on submission.
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How did you find your agent?
I actually queried my agent, Mary Cummings, with this story! I followed the instructions on her agency's website and emailed the query.

Were you involved in the illustration process?
I wasn't. It was up to the illustrator, Scott Magoon, the art director and our editor, Sylvie Frank. But I would have been nervous to give any input since I don't usually have a visual image of how my books should look. I'm thrilled with how the illustrations turned out!

What is your favorite spread? Why?
After Monkey offered Owl a teddy bear in exchange for the balloon, there's a spread where Owl says "No" and Monkey falls off the tree. It's so funny! The pictures are obviously static, but Scott Magoon's illustrations convey so much energy and humor that you can practically feel the action jump off the page. It makes me smile every time I see it!

How did the sequel, WHERE IS MY BALLOON? (to be published September, 2019) come about?
It was around the time of our cover reveal on the All The Wonders site when I started to think about Owl and Monkey characters again. I imagined what might happen after the end of I HAVE A BALLOON, and had a suspicion that somehow, Monkey would end up accidentally popping the balloon. The idea of how Monkey would handle the situation led to the actual story.

What's you takeaway for other authors?
​I'm at my local library about once a week. I first head straight for the newly returned picture books section to see what books people have recently read. I often find a title I hadn't thought to check out and end up taking it home. It's a great way to find new books to read and see what other people are interested in!

Thank you so much, Ariel!
​Ariel is generously giving away a free signed copy of I HAVE A BALLOON to one lucky reader! Enter the Rafflecopter below!

Ariel Bernstein is a children's book author. Her debut picture book, I HAVE A BALLOON illustrated by Scott Magoon (Simon and Schuster/ Paula Wiseman Books) is available now. Her upcoming chapter book series, WARREN AND DRAGON, illustrated by Mike Malbrough (Viking Children's) will be released Summer 2018. You can find more about Ariel at http://www.arielbernsteinbooks.com, and on Twitter and Instagram at @ArielBBooks.

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