Posts by slthomson@earthlink.net

Poop Research

Posted by Sarah L. Thomson on May 21, 2021 in Children's Literature, Nonfiction | 0 comments

Dogs do it. They’re not sorry. And they would do it again if they could. (Thanks to Claudia Peters from Pixabay for the image!

It’s remarkable how often my research for nonfiction leads me into the realm of poop. A while back, there was the question of how the Apollo astronauts managed with no toilet. And of course, the fascinating shape of wombat poop. This week I’ve been delving into the age-old question of why dogs eat poop.

a) Because their ancestors did.

b) Because it’s there.

c) Because dogs are just, by nature, gross.

d) And other reasons that may be revealed if I find a publisher for this new project one day.

Those Pesky Commas

Posted by Sarah L. Thomson on May 14, 2021 in Grammar, Writing Process | 0 comments

Commas. Commas are tricky.

We learn in school that a comma means a pause, which is true, when you are reading. This doesn’t mean that, when you are writing, you should stick a comma in anywhere you feel the need to take a breath.

The rule that gets ignored most often is this: do not use a single comma to separate the subject from the verb or the object from its modifier.

Which means:

DON’T DO THIS: Stella ran along the ancient corridor, and dodged a vampire on the stairs. (Here, “Stella” is the subject and and the two verbs are “ran” and “dodged.” Just as you wouldn’t write “Stella, ran along the corridor” you can’t stick a comma between “Stella” and “dodged.”)

INSTEAD, DO THIS: “Stella ran along the ancient corridor and dodged a vampire on the stairs.”

DON’T DO THIS: “Just in time, Ambrose flung the amulet out of the window, and into the shrubbery.” (Here “flung” is the object and “into the shrubbery” is an adverbial phrase modifying “flung.” Just as you wouldn’t write “Ambrose flung the amulet, out of the window” you can’t stick a comma between “flung” and “into the shrubbery.”)

INSTEAD, DO THIS: “Just in time, Ambrose flung the amulet out of the window and into the shrubbery.”

Tune in later for more about getting commas into the correct places.

Pygmy Possums

Posted by Sarah L. Thomson on May 7, 2021 in BOOK: Wombat Underground | 0 comments

The world’s tiniest possums are tougher than they look–after they were feared extinct following Australia’s devastating 2019-20 bushfires, survivors have been found on Kangaroo Island. Wildlife is amazingly resilient–as the animal protagonists of my new picture book, Wombat Underground, discover.

Mostly I just wanted to post a picture of an intensely adorable possum. I admit it.

Wombats Coming Soon

Posted by Sarah L. Thomson on Apr 30, 2021 in BOOK: Wombat Underground, Children's Literature, PIcture Books | 0 comments

Wombat himself, illustrated by Charles Santoso–just a snippet of the lovely, lovely art for this book

Today I’m looking forward to the day when (about a year from now; we in the publishing business live in the future a lot) my picture book Wombat Underground will be published. This is a book close to my heart; it holds so much of my feelings about both the natural world and the nature of humanity–essentially, when we’re frightened and alone, do we welcome in strangers who are also frightened and alone? Do we shelter each other, or do we drive each other way?

(Yeah, it’s not just about wombats)

But it is also a charming and exciting story about a wombat and a bushfire, and it’s just…I’m really proud of it. I can’t wait for the day when you all get to see it too.