From the Publisher: “For kids encountering the pressure to fit in with peers, this picture-book story explores a concept that is key to happiness: how much is enough?”
More info About the Author: “Jessica Whipple has a background in marketing and communications. She has worked as a copywriter and in communications for a Pennsylvania nonprofit. She and her family recently moved from Pittsburgh to Lancaster, PA where she writes picture books and poetry for both adults and children. Enough Is… is Jessica’s first children’s book.”
Author Site Don’t Miss Out: Jessica will be launching her new book at Penguin Bookshop on Saturday, April 22nd from 12pm-2pm!
Event
Your debut picture book Enough Is… comes out April 18th. What do you hope adult and child readers take away from it?
I want readers to think about how lots of problems can come from “wanting.” But if we understand the concept of “enough,” we can better handle times when we don’t get exactly what we want, and better understand the things we truly need. At first, “enough” can be uncomfortable, but the more we encounter it, the more comfortable we become. There’s a metaphor in the book for all of this, but I don’t want to spoil it!
What do you like about writing picture books?
I love the interplay between words and pictures, and how a picture book is one of the smallest, tightest iterations of an idea. In the case of my first book, it’s the concept of “enough.” I also write poetry, and I like pulling elements of story and elements of poetry to create a hybrid of the two forms. Both of my picture books coming out this year are examples of this–they’re lyrical picture books rather than the kind that follow a typical narrative arc.
What do you want other writers to know about picture books as a medium?
Man… If your only experience with picture books is what you read as a child, it’s a whole different story now (pun intended!). Back then, picture books were called “story books,” and the whole purpose of illustration was simply to picture the action described in text. But now, there’s interplay between art and text, layered story, subtext, nuance… And picture books have figured out how to tackle really hard things–I’m thinking of The Fate of Fausto by Oliver Jeffers. Or they can be really poetic like Letting Swift River Go by Jane Yolen (Illust. Barbara Cooney), even though that one isn’t recent.
What’s the shorthand version of your writing journey?
I wrote poetry in high school and attended the PGSA for Creative Writing back when Pennsylvania was running the Governor’s Schools. I took a break from writing in college, thinking I didn’t have anything to say. But I majored in Communications at Robert Morris University with an Advertising concentration and reasoned that this would be how I’d apply creative writing experience to this stage of my life. After graduation I worked as a copywriter at a marketing agency and later did communications at Pittsburgh nonprofit Urban Impact. Years later, surrounded by picture books as a new-ish parent, I wondered what it would take to write one. As I pursued that question I grew more and more interested in that possibility and discovered a whole new aspect of my personality/my abilities as a person.
Are you enjoying the process of promoting a debut picture book?
It’s been really fun! I’m delighted and humbled by the reception that my books and I are getting–from reviewers, readers, bookstore owners, and schools who want to host me to speak to their students.
You moved to Lancaster from Pittsburgh in 2020, but are you “around?”
Yes! Family and friends are still here in Pittsburgh so I come back often. That’s why I’m having a Pittsburgh launch at Penguin Bookshop in addition to the one in Lancaster. I’d love to see you there! I’m also doing a school visit at Osborne Elementary where I attended many, many years ago. You can also find me via my website AuthorJessicaWhipple.com or on Twitter at @JessicaWhippl17.
Are you working on anything else?
I have another picture book coming out in August that’s inspired by my experience having OCD. It’s called I Think I Think a Lot, illustrated by Josée Bisaillon and published by Free Spirit Publishing. It’s available for preorder now. Otherwise, my agent Emily Keyes of Keyes Agency, LLC is always working on what’s coming next.
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