Dear Michelle and Mindy,

Thank you for the opportunity to submit a sample of my picture book manuscript, LITTLE ROBOT’S FIRST DAY, written in 563 words.

CLINK X WE DON’T EAT OUR CLASSMATES: It’s Little Robot’s first day of school and his gears are whirling with excitement! He tucks in his loose wires, brushes the rust from his old casing, and tightens his too-big treads. But at school, he notices he’s not like the other robots with their shiny first day of school parts. Will Little Robot ever fit in? Or will his hand-me-down parts throw a wrench in his big day?

Recently, Matthew Winner, host of The Childrens Book Podcast, tweeted that he has not seen enough books about poverty or representing what life is like for a Title l child. As a writer from the rural Midwest, this is a reality I see on a daily basis. I hope you agree there is a need for economic diversity in picture books and the market is ripe for more stories featuring children from families with limited means who overcome obstacles with charm and creativity.

I am the author of Sophie and Little Star (Clear Fork/Spork, 2018), Extraordinary Ordinary Ella (Amicus Ink, 2020), Superheroes Don’t Babysit (Beaming Books, 2020), and the Little Nature Explorers board book series (Amicus Ink, 2020/21). A member of SCBWI and the Author’s Guild, I am very active in the Kidlit community, especially via Twitter where I enjoy over 2200 followers. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Merchandising and am a former Daycare owner/Preschool teacher. As you can imagine, picture books are a big part of my day. Though I have been represented in the past, I am not currently represented by a literary agent.

Little Robot’s pistons pumped, his gauges jumped, and his gears spun wildly with excitement.

It was the first day of his new school and Little Robot wanted to look his best.

He tucked away his loose wiring.
He tightened his too-big treads.
Little Robot carefully brushed the rust from his casing.

Slurping down his boltmeal, he was ready to roll.