Happy #BookBirthday to Happy Birthday, America! + Five Qs with Roxanne Troup = 4th of July in May!

Today we’re chatting with author Roxanne Troup about her new picture book, Happy Birthday, America! Illustrated by Jennifer Doehring (Albert Whitman).

How can it be May already? And why are we celebrating the release of a picture book about 4th of July?

Short answer: Booksellers need to order books months in advance so they get them in time for their target season or specific holiday. Thus publishers need to get the actual book in their hands and spread the word much earlier than you might expect. And authors sometimes have a very short turnaround time too! (More about that below.) But first…

About the Book:

The 4th of July marks the annual celebration of America’s Birthday. And this year, a family heads to the local park, where everyone in town has gathered for a party unlike any other. There are games, music, food, and―best of all―a huge fireworks display!

There’s a reason behind all of the fun and festivities, though: the freedom of the celebration reminds everyone why the United States was founded two hundred and fifty years ago!

Art by Jennifer Doehring for **Happy Birthday, America!**
written by **Roxanne Troup** (Albert Whitman).

Click here to view the book trailer.

About the Author:

Readers may remember meeting Roxanne Troup when we celebrated REACHING FOR THE STARS, Illus. Amanda Lenz (Schiffer Kids) on the blog. And we first met Roxanne Troup on a previous blog post celebrating the #BookBirthday of her book, MY GRANDPA, MY TREE, AND ME.

Did you know she grew up in a historic home, surrounded by farmland and legends, including a visit by outlaws back in the 1800’s? Today, her childhood home is full of tales of hidden passageways, underground tunnels, and false floors. She now lives in the mountains of Colorado and enjoys hiking with her family and exploring our amazing world. It’s no wonder she loves combining stories with fascinating facts and history!

Let’s ask some questions!

Q 1. How did you approach this unique challenge of crafting a story that reminds readers, “There’s a reason behind all of the fun and festivities, though: the freedom of the celebration reminds everyone why the United States was founded two hundred and fifty years ago.” ?

Roxanne Troup: I didn’t write Happy Birthday, America! in sequence. Inspired by my own first-remembered fireworks experience, I drafted the climax first. Then, I had to reverse-engineer a story to house that experience.

I imagined how a child might conceptualize the Fourth of July. What frame of reference would they have for such an event? A birthday party!

Interior art by Jennifer Doehring for
**Happy Birthday, America!**
written by **Roxanne Troup** (Albert Whitman).

But writers and kids are really good at asking one question—Why? So I kept digging. Why would America celebrate its birthday? How would a parent explain that? And suddenly I had my bigger Why?; the So what? factor that often determines if a story is picked up for publication.

Q 2. What was the most difficult aspect of creating this book? The quick turn-around –or ?

Roxanne Troup: This book did have a quick turn-around time: 6ish months, start to finish!

And while that didn’t affect me too much as the author (as far as production goes, my job is basically done after acquisitions), it has impacted what I can do for promotion.

I’ve been rushing to finalize extension activities and create promo graphics, not to mention the fact that I can’t meet the lead times most bloggers/organizations/review journals need to share this book. Thankfully, Albert Whitman has been able to partner with #America250 to help with promo.

Q 3. What’s your favorite spread?

Roxanne Troup: I love all of Jennifer’s firework spreads. But my favorite is probably the final spread.

I love that readers have to turn the book to see it. It reminds me that sometimes we have to change our perspective to see all that is good surrounding us.

Q 4. What surprises did illustrator Jennifer Doehring bring to the project?

Roxanne Troup: Towards the end of the book, Jennifer and the team at Albert Whitman created a scene that isn’t depicted in the text, but that added great depth to the story. The scene highlights American symbols of freedom, like the Statue of Liberty and the Declaration of Independence. Jennifer uses a dream-like swirl to contain those symbols as the main character is preparing for bed and asking Dad why America celebrates the 4^th of July.

Q 5. What do you hope young readers will take away from Happy Birthday, America! ?

Roxanne Troup: I hope that readers of all ages recognize the importance of celebrating the good in our lives—not just the perfect.

America has not done everything right, but its people continue to strive for the values that made us—freedom, equality, and personal responsibility. And that progress is worth celebrating (as depicted in the backmatter of this book). It’s worth celebrating the progress in our individual lives, too; for what we don’t value (aka celebrate), we misuse and eventually lose.

PS LOOK at this fantastic back matter: