Ask Jackie

Below are some of the most frequently asked questions by children during Jacqueline Rogers many visits to schools and libraries. At the bottom are a few questions asked in emails about how to get published.

What is your favorite book that you've illustrated?
Probably "Monster Soup", a collection of poetry compiled by Dilys Evans. Because it was a collection, every poem had it's own story, so it was like illustrating a new story on every page. And of course , I just LOVE monsters. I also used a checkerboard theme to show up somewhere on every spread. sometimes the pattern would be obvious, and sometimes the pattern would be hard to find. I also LOVED illustrating "Fairies, Trolls and Goblins Galore", also a poetry collection compiled by Dilys Evans.
How many books have you illustrated?
I have illustrated over 90 published books for children of all ages in addition to numerous magazine and newspaper articles, plus some projects that I am working on that have yet to be published.
How long does it take to paint a scene from one of your books?
It depends on the painting style. For my kindergarten books, I have a looser, faster style. Those pages take only a few hours each. The more detailed books like "The Night before Christmas" by Clement C. Moore, were painted in layers with acrilycs, lots of detail and lots of labor. I spent weeks on just one painting.
How do you get your ideas?
Most of my ideas come from experiences that I have had, or funny people that I know. My kids and their friends are frequent subjects, or things that have happened that just get in my head and won't go away until I write them down or paint them!
What is your favorite medium?
Most of my books are done in watercolor. It might be my favorite, but I love painting in oils too. .Watercolor is the most comfortable for me. Sometimes I need to take a little vacation from it and try something new. Other times I feel the story needs to be painted a certain way, and I need to feel out what that would be. Sometimes it is a thicker, richer paint, like acrylic or oil. Sometimes collage works better. I like to experiment when I can, it pushes me and scares me, and that makes my work more exciting.
What is your favorite thing to draw?
Right now, I love to draw fantasy creatures like fairies and elves, trolls and ogres. But I always always love to draw animals.
How do I get a book published?
You would make sure your manuscript was the best it can possibly be. You could hire a free lance editor to help you do that. You could try to get an agent. An agent would have connections to publishers that would get your manuscript circulated and placed in the right house. Remember that writing for children is a very difficult field. I get rejected most of the time! I am constantly trying to improve my writing and my illustrating so that I am always growing. Take classes! Workshops! Join organizations, writing groups, keep informed about the business of children's book publishing.
Will you illustrate my book?
Publishers pick the illustrators to match the writing style of the acquired manuscripts. It is generally not the job of the author to find their own illustrator. Concentrate on your manuscript and selling that to a publisher.