Interview with Maria Modugno, editor of There Was an Old Dragon by Penny Parker Klostermann

Calista: Do you remember what it was about this manuscript that made you go, “I want it,” when you read it on submission?

Maria: Not only did I think, “I want it,” I also thought, “I love it!” A huge percentage of the submissions I receive are written in rhyme. And a huge percentage of those manuscripts just don’t scan. I loved that this book would appeal to both boys and girls. After all, who doesn’t love a dragon? I also thought the burp moment was deftly handled with just enough “eewww” and humor to make me laugh out loud.

Calista: What comp titles* did you reference when you were acquiring this book? Why?

Maria: I’m personally drawn to cumulative tales. I think repetition and good rhyme are excellent traits for a picture book text, especially one that will be read aloud. And DRAGON is a text that begs to be read aloud. The other key ingredient is humor, one of the most difficult qualities to pull off in a universal way.

I actually comped this to the first book I ever signed up as an editor years ago, The Napping House by Audrey and Don Wood. When I mentioned this to Penny, it was pure serendipity that she was in touch with someone trying to locate Don in order to return a piece of original art from the book. We made the connection and the oil painting is back with Don in Hawaii. I know this piece meant a lot to him because Don always said that illustrating a picture book was like having your very own personal art gallery!

Calista: How – if at all – did the text change during the making of the book?

Maria: Penny and I discussed “It’s not polite!” versus “It isn’t right!” for the key line. Perhaps because it was such an important line, I wanted to make sure we settled on the right one. Penny actually presented me with the two options. At first, I chose “It isn’t right!” but when I re-read the manuscript six months later, I knew “It’s not polite” was the one.

Calista: What’s your favorite line from this book?

Maria: That’s too hard to answer. I would say: “clippity, clippity, lippity clop.” It’s brilliant and original and adds an unexpected dimension.

* Comp title = “comparison title”. Frequently an editor will be asked to provide comp titles for a book when presenting it to the acquisitions team at the publishing house, to give the sales and marketing and publishing teams a sense of where the book will “live” in the marketplace.

Comment on any post this week for a chance to win your very own SIGNED copy of There Was an Old Dragon.

Or buy a copy right away. You can find one at YOUR local indie bookstore here: Indiebound

Or, you can order online through Barnes and Noble, Amazon, Books-A-Million, or Powell’s.

For personalized signed copies of There Was an Old Dragon, you can order fromTexas Star Trading Co. and give your dedication details in the Gift Message box. You can also contact them by email at texasstartradingco@sbcglobal.net or call  (325) 672-9696.

---

Calista Brill is a writer and editor based in New York City. During the day she edits award-winning graphic novels, and at night she writes stories for children about pixies, pirates, princesses, and pterodactyls. Her first picture book will be published by HarperCollins in 2016.