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ccbc-net digest 31 Mar 1999
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From: PippinZ at aol.com <PippinZ>
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 05:20:56 EST
CCBC--I hope this is the correct way to reply!
I know that this audience is sometimes interested in the history of how a picture book came to be and since Pete's a Pizza is still being talked about about, I thought I'd share the story. I was at Bill Steig's home a few years ago to work on one of his picture-book ideas. After a day or two of tinkering with a particular story, we looked at each other and admitted that the story just wasn't working. We set it aside and then proceeded to relax with his wife, Jeanne: we watched television, went out to dinner, did all the fun kind of stuff we usually don't have time for. As the time for my departure approached, I said to Bill, "I hate to return to New York empty-handed. Didn't you play any games with your kids when they were little?" Without missing a beat, Bill replied, "Well, I used to turn Maggie into a pizza!" I said,
"That's it!" and a few weeks later, a perfect dummy for Pete's a Pizza landed on my desk. And I really mean virtually perfect--I can't remember changing a word--the biggest decision was whether to use parentheses or italics for the
"prop" explanations. The whole project, including the extremely simple design, was an editor's dream come true.
In addition, I can say for sure that the age of the parents was not an issue for us and that Bill was not trying to make a point of any kind. As with all of Bill's characters, Pete's parents came to life with a pen and watercolor, and they are what they are. I suppose we can look at them and draw any sort of conclusion we want, but in fact, I can guarantee Bill would simply say, "They are just the parents! Leave them alone!"
Holly McGhee Formerly Associate Publisher of Michael di Capua Books / HarperCollins, currently owner of Pippin Properties, Inc, a children's book literary agency
(named after one of Bill Steig's notable pigs, Zeke Pippin)
Received on Wed 31 Mar 1999 04:20:56 AM CST
Date: Wed, 31 Mar 1999 05:20:56 EST
CCBC--I hope this is the correct way to reply!
I know that this audience is sometimes interested in the history of how a picture book came to be and since Pete's a Pizza is still being talked about about, I thought I'd share the story. I was at Bill Steig's home a few years ago to work on one of his picture-book ideas. After a day or two of tinkering with a particular story, we looked at each other and admitted that the story just wasn't working. We set it aside and then proceeded to relax with his wife, Jeanne: we watched television, went out to dinner, did all the fun kind of stuff we usually don't have time for. As the time for my departure approached, I said to Bill, "I hate to return to New York empty-handed. Didn't you play any games with your kids when they were little?" Without missing a beat, Bill replied, "Well, I used to turn Maggie into a pizza!" I said,
"That's it!" and a few weeks later, a perfect dummy for Pete's a Pizza landed on my desk. And I really mean virtually perfect--I can't remember changing a word--the biggest decision was whether to use parentheses or italics for the
"prop" explanations. The whole project, including the extremely simple design, was an editor's dream come true.
In addition, I can say for sure that the age of the parents was not an issue for us and that Bill was not trying to make a point of any kind. As with all of Bill's characters, Pete's parents came to life with a pen and watercolor, and they are what they are. I suppose we can look at them and draw any sort of conclusion we want, but in fact, I can guarantee Bill would simply say, "They are just the parents! Leave them alone!"
Holly McGhee Formerly Associate Publisher of Michael di Capua Books / HarperCollins, currently owner of Pippin Properties, Inc, a children's book literary agency
(named after one of Bill Steig's notable pigs, Zeke Pippin)
Received on Wed 31 Mar 1999 04:20:56 AM CST
