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Q: Hi, Jeanette! Thanks so much for joining us today. We really enjoyed reading Meatballs for Grandpa! How did you come up with the story idea? Which came first – the idea to write about meatballs or the idea to write about Alzheimer's disease?
A: Hello! Thank you for having me! I’m laughing a bit as I write this because the idea to write about meatballs definitely came first! I had just started a pot of sauce in my kitchen and let my family watch the stove while I took a little walk. I love to play with words when I’m outside and moving. I was thinking about how fun a children’s book about all the sounds, smells, and tastes of cooking tomato sauce and meatballs would be.
When I got back from the walk, I penned some sparse rhyme poetry. I brought that to my next critique group meeting. One of my CPs suggested making it more character driven and adding a layer of some kind of family difficulty that a main character could problem-solve. My Grandfather had Alzheimer’s disease, so I loved the suggestion and knew just where to take the story. …Of course, it took many, many drafts to get it there!
Q: It’s clear that you drew on your own real-life experiences to fuel this story. What parts did you change, and why?
A: I gave the story a happy ending. The real Grandpa passed away when I was 17, and he never quite had a moment like in the end of the book. BUT– I wanted the story to convey hope and to remind people that everyone has value and dignity. Children can be some of the most compassionate people. I wanted to show them that the small everyday things they do for the ones they love can have a big impact.
Q: You cleverly combined a family tradition with a family problem. How do you feel that combination made the project more unique and helped it sell?
A: Marilyn, my editor at Two Lions Press, was specifically looking for a picture book about dementia. I think adding the sensory details about meatball making made her gravitate towards mine! She said that the whole acquisitions team wanted to go out and eat after reading the manuscript, haha!
Q: Were there many revisions to the story submission? What was revised?
A: There were two main revisions: bringing the dementia/problem solving focus forward as much as possible without being heavy handed or depressing and making sure that the Italian words were accessible for all readers.
With the first, we added some internal dialogue and self-talk from Felicia, and made sure the show-don’t-tell aspects of Grandpa’s dementia were crystal clear.
For the Italian words, there is of course an Italian glossary in the front, but also we dropped little bread crumbs after we use them. For example, when it’s nearing super time, Felicia and Grandpa keep sneaking bits of meatballs and sips of sauce. Grandma yells “Aspetta!” and Felicia says, “She knows we can’t wait. I can tell by the twinkle in her eye.” Can you guess the meaning? Aspetta means “Wait!” … something many Italian kiddos have heard!
Also, in my original manuscript, I never named the character. When Marilyn asked me to name her, I picked the family name Felicia.
Q: Did you use any comp books in your query? If so, which ones and why?
A: Yes - I pitched it as the picture book version of the Notebook (minus the romance; Nicholas Sparks, 1996) combined with the generational warmth of FRY BREAD (Kevin Noble Maillard, 2019). When I query, I typically keep to the traditional format of picture books released within the past 3-ish years, however that worked! I still stand by it as a great description of the book!
Q: What resources or tips would you recommend for writers wanting to write from life?
A: My tips would be:
1 - Think of the experience, not necessarily the events. How did you feel emotionally? Why? What did you hear, smell, taste, and touch? How did all of these color your perspective of the events? How did you react and respond? Now, layer that into your story! Along with that–what can you leave out? So many things will feel important to you, so it’s important to decide if they truly deserve a place in your manuscript. Honestly, when I read my story aloud, every time I find parts that I think, “I could have left this sentence out…” haha!
2 -Everybody says it, but I’ll take it a step further. Read lots of picture books, and, if you can, find a way to read them to real children. You’ll get a great feel for what interests them, what captures their attention and imagination, and what makes them tune out (avoid those things, haha!). Things that might be important to adults aren’t always important to children. When writing from life, you have to put yourself in a child’s shoes.
As for resources - I belong to 12X12 and SCBWI. They have great webinars that I highly recommend taking advantage of! I also love the thesaurus on m-w.com and my book Dictionary Flip. In picture books, every word counts. Sometimes I know the word I have is just not quite right, and I need to scan through others until one pops out at me and captures the moment I’m trying to describe. Last–and I’ll admit this might be strange!--look up a list of onomatopoeia, and just read through them to see if anything sparks my creativity. It might be for a specific spread, or an entire concept. Just something about it immerses me in the atmosphere of a story.
Q: The art is so sweet! Did you have any say as to the illustrator and/or input in the art? Can you share some of your favorite spreads? Why are they your favorites?
A: I didn’t get to pick the illustrator, however Marilyn ran her portfolio by me before going forward, and I immediately loved it! Jaclyn is AMAZING! I wish I had half her talent. She truly brought every word to life. She had some personal connections to the story also, and that definitely shines through.
My one request was that she sketch the grandparents to resemble my own grandparents. Here’s a little graphic of my family I made for social media– as you can see, she captured them perfectly!
My two other favorite things were the stylized onomatopoeia words and the ss spread at the end. When I read this book to kids, those words are one of the places that can’t help but invite interaction. They love shouting “Pop! Crackle! Sizzle!” etc. along with me!
And that wordless spread, right before the final page–that was all Jaclyn! She had the idea to create a little tension while capturing the hope between Grandma and Felicia there. That is probably my favorite part in the book. I love looking at it, even after having read the story time after time.
Q: BONUS QUESTION: What’s one question you wish we would have asked you – about yourself, your path to publication, etc.?
A: What is your favorite part? And the answer would be all the collaboration! I am always in awe of the talent others bring to the table. And getting to incorporate that in my work and watch it grow stronger is amazing. A word of caution–it’s important to evaluate the critique. All critique is subjective, and some might be helpful, but not make the work stronger in the long run.
Q: Would you like to leave a tip or a treat for our readers?
A: A treat! I'd love to offer the reader's choice of a 30-minute virtual critique or a book giveaway!
Wow, thanks again for joining us and for such a tasty treat! It was a pleasure getting to know you more, hearing more about your book, Meatballs for Grandpa!
Giveaway Details: Readers, to enter to win Jeanette's amazing giveaway, 1) share this post on social media and 2) leave a comment below to thank her for stopping by! Meatball-themed GIFs are welcomed, too! (PS, be prepared to crave meatballs after entering this giveaway).
Giveaway winners will be drawn and announced on or about 3/22!
Books will be shipped in the US only.
About Jeanette Fazzari Jones:
Jeanette Fazzari Jones grew up on the Jersey shore, learning how to cook and craft alongside of her parents and grandparents. The inspiration for her stories comes from the amazing children in her life, past and present. These days, she lives in Kentucky, works as a teacher, and strives to be the neighborhood mom with the good snacks. Her inability to sit still often finds her baking, gardening, sewing, or playing boardgames with her husband and kids.
For more about Jeanette, check out the following links:
Bluesky - @thefelttippen.bsky.social
Twitter/X - @TheFeltTipPen
Blue Sky - @TheFeltTipPen
To purchase Jeanette's book on Amazon, or to leave a review for it, click here.
Thanks, Jeanette for sharing your story! I hope I win the 30 minute zoom chat!
kimsz11 is sharing on x!
Thank you for stopping by and sharing your story. Congratulations ❤️
I had no idea there was a Nat’l Meatball Day! Sounds like a good excuse for eating pasta. Your illustrator did a beautiful job and I, too, love the way she did those onamatopaeic words. Will look for your book at my public library so I can read the whole thing…unless I win a copy!
I was delighted knowing Felicia had such a very special relationship with her grandparents. As a Grandma I have experienced the joy which comes from having a special bond with my grandchildren. Thank you for sharing your beautiful story!