FINDING FREEDOM IN THE SANDBOX

by Randi Sonenshine

I like structure. In fact, I crave it and feel uncomfortable in its absence. Not like sand in
your sneakers uncomfortable. Like an army of fire ants crawling up your legs
uncomfortable. It’s why jazz, with its offbeat rhythms, gives me vertigo, and why
haphazard picture arrangements send me reaching for my inhaler.

As you might imagine, early on in my publishing journey, this unhealthy dose of
perfectionism often hijacked my writing process…until I learned how to harness the
power of structure. Although it seems paradoxical, a strong structure unleashes my
creativity; it allows me the mental space to focus my creative energy on the writing and
the freedom to experiment with words.

This is one of the reasons poetic writing, especially rhyming, appeals to me. It inherently
provides that framework through meter and rhyme. However, it’s far from the only way
to create structure; sometimes a simple refrain or parallel beginning element is enough
to provide the structure I need. Many popular works of fiction have had great success
using this technique (If You Give a Mouse a Cookie, Goodnight Moon, Mama Do You
Love Me? for example), but it can work equally well for nonfiction.

That concept propelled the process in writing my debut, THE NEST THAT WREN BUILT (Candlewick 2020). I had been intrigued by the Carolina Wrens’ habit of building nests in various containers in my garage - an upside-down bike helmet, an Amazon box, the brim of a garden hat - as well as the process and materials they used in the construction (snakeskin?!). While researching, the title popped in my head, unearthed from a childhood memory of reading “The House That Jack Built,” no doubt. The concept was a natural fit for my subject and purpose; however, instead of following the original, unrhymed cumulative approach, I used only the beginning and ending elements to build a spare, poetic framework that echoed the natural rhythms and cycle of the wrens’ work and created a pleasing read-aloud.

 

Using this structure created a sandbox in which I could play with words, changing and rearranging until they fit and felt just right, layering each verse with poetic elements like alliteration and assonance, and embedding both the scientific language and the context young readers would need to understand it. This approach also paved the way for companion titles, THE LODGE THAT BEAVER BUILT (2022) and THE DEN THAT OCTOPUS BUILT (2024), and I had just as much fun playing in the word sandbox with them!

A peek into my “sandbox” with the first verse of THE DEN THAT OCTOPUS BUILT:

The actual first page, gorgeously illustrated by Anne Hunter:

Tips for Building Your Sandbox

1. Be strategic. Choose a structure purposefully. For example, some elements,

such as refrains or parallel structures can create a particular cadence, which can

echo a theme or evoke a mood. Experiment with different options until you find

one that reflects or enhances your subject in some way.

2. Think outside the (sand) box. When it comes to seeking a structure, don’t

overlook a potential source. Classic books, nursery rhymes, and songs may

provide inspiration, but so could famous speeches, poems, or lines from classic

literature (even Shakespeare!).

3. Make it your own. If you take your cue from a well-known source, work to make

it your own. For example, a book about a biome, modeled after the classic Over

in the Meadow, might be Deep in the Rainforest or Out on the Prairie. Similarly,

All around the Mulberry Bush could inspire Up and Down the Sycamore Tree.

4. Don’t be afraid to use something that’s already been done. As with The Nest

That Wren Built, there are many other books, especially in the last few years, that

took inspiration from The House That Jack Built (See the list below for just a

few.), but they are all unique and work beautifully.

I hope you can take away a tiny grain of inspiration from the mentor texts below. See

you in the sandbox!

A Sampling of Books With Strong Structures 

A Nest is Noisy, An Egg is Quiet, A Rock is Lively by Dianna Hutts Aston

Before he was a Jazz Giant: A Song of John Coltrane, by Carole Boston Weatherford and

Sean Qualls

Before She Was Harriet, by Lesa Cline-Ransome and James Ransome

Mojave by Diane Siebert and Wendell Minor (Mask Poem…”I am…”)

On a Snow-Melting Day, by Buffy Silverman

Over and Under the Snow by Kate Messner and Christopher Silas Neal

The Gabi That Girma Wore by Fasika Adefris, Sara Holly Ackerman, and Netsanet Tesfay

The Sea Knows by Alice McGinty, Alan Havis, and Stephanie Laberis

This is the Sunflower by Lola Schaefer and Donald Crews

Water Can Be, A Rock Can Be, A Leaf Can Be by Laura Purdie Salas and Violeta Dabija

Water is Water by Miranda Paul and Jason Chin

Welcome to the Green House by Jane Yolen and Laura Regan

Where Once There Was a Wood by Denise Fleming

Whoo-Ku Haiku by Maria Gianferrari and Jonathan Voss

About the Author:

Randi Sonenshine is the author of THE NEST THAT WREN BUILT, THE LODGE THAT BEAVER BUILT, and THE DEN THAT OCTOPUS BUILT (Candlewick Press), which have earned starred reviews and appeared on many notable lists, including the Chicago Public Library, Bank Street College, Capitol Choices, and the CCBC. She is also the author of National Jewish Book Award Finalist, THE INSIDE NAME (Apples & Honey Press). In addition to writing for children, Randi is a literacy specialist and instructional coach in northwest Georgia, where she does her best writing accompanied by birdsong and a good pot of Earl Grey tea.