Writing Nonfiction

By Henry Herz

I’ve had the opportunity to write four creative nonfiction picture books that are anthropomorphic “autobiographies”—I Am Smoke, I Am Gravity, I Am Light, and I Am Wind—all illustrated by the amazing Mercè López and published by Tilbury House. 

How did I go down this path? Editors, we're told, are always looking for new approaches. So, I put on my thinking cap. There are some picture books with anthropomorphic characters, but I'd never seen smoke treated as children's book subject, much less a character. And who better to describe smoke than smoke itself? Still, smoke isn't even corporeal. Would editors consider such so unusual approach? Would this stray too far from the trodden path? I rolled the literary dice.

Subverting expectations is a tried and true writing technique. The saying “where there's smoke, there's fire” tells us both are dangerous. But what about the beneficial uses of smoke? Also, since smoke is telling its own story, I had to consider what type of character voice to employ. Smoke is ancient, dark, shifting, mysterious. That inspired me to have smoke speak in a spare, lyrical voice, using alliteration and riddles.

I also wanted the book to have a narrative structure rather than a simple recitation of facts. I considered the carbon dioxide given off by wood smoke. Two oxygen atoms and one carbon atom. Carbon... Inspiration struck like lightning splitting a tree. Plants are the lungs of the Earth. They breathe in carbon dioxide through their stomata. They drink up water through their roots. Sunlight provides energy to split those molecules. The plant forms cellulose from carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, sequestering more and more carbon as they grow. Conversely, burning tree branches releases the stored carbon. Eureka! Smoke has a “cycle” too. 

In I Am Smoke, smoke tells its own story, explaining the various ways in which people have employed it over the ages and across the world. Not only did this add richness to the story, it added marketing hooks: STEM, geography, history, and social science. Authors focus naturally on story, but we must also factor in marketing considerations.

 

 

 

About the Author:  Henry Herz is a children’s literature author, educator, and editor known for blending history, science, and creativity into engaging books for young readers. He has written numerous award-winning nonfiction and fiction titles that make complex ideas accessible and fun, and he frequently collaborates with experts to ensure accuracy and depth. In addition to his writing, Herz is a dynamic school presenter and the editor of acclaimed anthologies that showcase diverse voices in children’s publishing.