This past month, my students and I have been reading Nebraska fiction. When I realized that the author of the state picture books we were reading lived right here in Nebraska, I contacted her with the hope my students could interview her. She kindly answered all their questions, along with sending us a signed poster and a postcard showing all the state books. Thanks to Rajean Shepherd for this opportunity and the gifts!
Students: Why did you write books about Nebraska?
Rajean: I enjoyed writing about Nebraska because I love living in this wonderful state with its rich history. Also, “C is for Cornhusker-A Nebraska Alphabet,” is part of a national series of books titled, “Discover America State by State.” Sleeping Bear Press began the series in 1999 with their first alphabet book, “M is for Mitten-A Michigan Alphabet,” and they completed the series in 2005 with “A is for Aloha-A Hawaiian Alphabet.” Our Nebraska state alphabet book is the 45th title in the series. “Husker Numbers-A Nebraska Number Book” is part of Sleeping Bear Press’ series, “Count Your Way Across the U.S.A.” and Nebraska’s state number book is the 20th title in this series.
In about 2003, I was visiting my parents in Michigan when I found the book, “M is for Mitten-A Michigan Alphabet” on the shelf of a bookstore, so I purchased the book as a keepsake of the state in which I was born. When I returned to my home in North Platte, Nebraska, I found the book “L is for Lone Star-A Texas Alphabet” on the shelf of a bookstore. The Texas book looked similar in format to the Michigan book, so I opened both books to discover they had each been published by Sleeping Bear Press. I thought to myself, “If Sleeping Bear Press has an alphabet book about Michigan and they also have one about Texas, perhaps they are planning to publish an alphabet book about Nebraska.
So, I called the company to inquire. Sleeping Bear Press told me that “yes,” they were planning to publish a Nebraska alphabet and that they had many submissions that had been sent to the company, but they hadn’t chosen anything, yet. So, if I was interested, I should send in some of my writing. That is exactly what I did and six months later I received a phone call from the head editor of Sleeping Bear Press notifying me that I had been chosen as the Nebraska author. I feel very blessed to have the opportunity to represent our great state of Nebraska in these two national series!
Students: Why did you use a picture book format?
Rajean: The picture book format has always been my favorite! The beautiful illustrations in a book are, hat I feel, helps bring a book “to life!” Writing a children’s picture book has been a life-long dream of mine ever since I was in high school. I didn’t think that dream was ever going to come true. I had tried submitting various manuscripts to different publishers for many, many years, but with no luck. I have a box of approximately 100 rejection letters that I have received over the years from these different publishing companies. As I continued receiving “rejection” letters, I became very discouraged about trying to get a manuscript published, but my parents always taught me, “if at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again.” So, I didn’t give up! If I had given up, I may never have had the opportunity to write the two Nebraska books.
Sandy Appleoff, the illustrator, is from Falls City, Nebraska, and I feel she did a marvelous job in illustrating the two Nebraska books. She was hired by Sleeping Bear Press, just as I was. We did not know each other prior to working on the projects together. However, since that time, we have had the opportunity to be together at various book signing events throughout Nebraska. If you have had the opportunity to look at the various titles in the “Discover America State by State” series, as well as the “Count Your Way Across the U.S.A.” series, you may have noticed that they are printed in a very specific format. Each page has a rhyming verse to appeal to younger students, as well as an expository text of factual information in the margin of each page to complement the rhyming verse. The expository text is specifically written to appeal to older students, as well as adults. All of the state titles have a similar font on the front cover and they are the same size. This helps a person to be able to identify that the state titles are all part of a national series.
Students: What inspired you to write about the people and places that you featured?
Rajean: My job, as the author of both books, was to write about the treasures of our great state or, in ther words, to write about what makes our state “unique” from the other 49 states. So, as I chose the topics for the books, I always tried to keep that focus. Writing the books was like putting a giant puzzle together and trying to get all the pieces to fit. Some of the pieces of the puzzle fit more easily than others. For example… when I began writing the book, I felt the best place to begin was with “letter A,” since that is where you begin when reciting the letters of the alphabet. “A is for Arbor Day” was the very first thought I had for letter A, since Nebraska can claim that the very FIRST Arbor Day began in our state. Although all 50 states and some other countries of the world celebrate Arbor Day, only Nebraska can claim that we had the very first one. Therefore, I felt Arbor Day was important enough to capture it in the book under “Letter A.” I then proceeded to letter B and, since I live in North Platte where Buffalo Bill used to live and where he began North America’s FIRST rodeo, I was pretty certain that letter B would stand for Buffalo Bill, a famous figure in Nebraska’s history. Most of the authors of the state alphabet series chose their state nickname as the title of the books, so I knew from the beginning that letter C was going to stand for “C is for Cornhusker,” since that is our state nickname. However, when I arrived at letter D, I worked for days, I worked for weeks, and I worked for months, before I finally decided on a topic. At that point, letter D became known as “D is for Difficult” and I no longer went in alphabetical order. I started skipping around and letter D was one of the last pieces of the puzzle to come together. Letter D stands for “D is for Dance” of the sandhill cranes, since over 80% of the world’s population of sandhill cranes come through Nebraska on their migratory journey north to Alaska, Canada, and Siberia. The cranes are especially known for the graceful “dance” they do. Those are examples of how the giant alphabet puzzle began to fall into place, piece by piece.
Students: Have you seen all the sights you described in your two books? What were your favorite places to visit? Are there places you would still like to visit?
Rajean: Unfortunately, I have not had the opportunity to visit ALL the sights I described in both books, but I have visited most of them. I really enjoyed the opportunity to visit Nebraska City, where Arbor Day was founded. Letters A and X have to do with the history of Nebraska City. While in Nebraska City, I visited Julius Sterling Morton’s (the founder of Arbor Day) 52-room mansion which is illustrated on the “A” page. It is a beautiful, grand home. Also, the Mayhew Cabin, featured on the “X” page, is located in Nebraska City. The cabin has a rich history as part of the Underground Railroad in our state of Nebraska.
Of all the places featured in the two books, I would have to say that MY FAVORITE location is on the “G is for Great Plains” page. Although I was born in Bay City, Michigan, my family roots actually began in Wood River, Nebraska where my grandfather was born on a homestead in 1895. Although my grandfather is no longer living, he is one of the people I admired most in my life. The illustration on the “G” page is a home that my grandfather built for one of his 11 siblings and that home is still “standing” in Wood River. If you are ever traveling along 1-80 between the Wood River and Alda exits, you can see this house in the north cornfield at mile marker 303. I have since stopped at the home to let the people, who now live there, know that it was my grandfather who built their home in 1918..-when he was 23 years old. My grandfather also built a home in Milwaukee, Wisconsin (where my dad was born & raised) and he built a summer cottage at Wind Lake, Wisconsin. When I stopped at the house in the illustration, the people who own it invited me inside. I immediately recognized some similarities between that house and my grandfather’s house in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, although the Milwaukee house is no longer standing. In visiting with the lady who lives in the Wood River house, I discovered that my grandpa had made four beveled windows in the home, which the lady had taken out and sold to an antique dealer. The lady gave me the name of the antique dealer in Ravenna, Nebraska and I called the antique dealer to discover that she still owned all four beveled windows. I was able to purchase the four windows from the antique dealer, so I now own something my grandpa created with his own hands over 90 years ago. The windows are some of my most prized possessions.
One of the locations that I would love to visit someday is Fort Atkinson, which is featured on the “Number 12″ page of “Husker Numbers.” I love history and Fort Atkinson is a place where you can step back in time and experience life like it was from 1820-1827, during Living History Days at the fort.
Students: Where were you born? Why did you decide to stay in Nebraska?
Rajean: As I mentioned in the previous question, I was born and raised in the state of Michigan, in the community of Bay City. If you look at a map of the United States, you will notice that the state of Michigan looks like two “mittens” on the map. Whenever you meet a “Michigander,” as we are called, you will notice that they like to hold up their two hands, or “mittens”, and then they proceed to show you where their city is located by using their two hands as a map of Michigan. I was born in the “crook of the thumb” on Lake Huron, one of the five Great Lakes. It was a great city in which to be raised. After graduating from high school, I went on to attend Central Michigan University and I graduated with a degree in elementary education. After college, I had the opportunity to travel and work for 10 years, with an international, educational, musical performing group, Up with People. I met my husband while traveling with Up with People and we were married in 1983. We lived in Tucson, Arizona for 12 years and that is where our two sons, Breton and Collin, were born. In 1994, we moved to North Platte, Nebraska and we have lived here for the past 17 years. We have loved living in our great state of Nebraska and raising our two boys here. Our son, Breton, graduated from Nebraska Wesleyan University in May. Now, he works full-time for Up with People in Denver, Colorado, as their admissions representative. Collin, our younger son, is a senior at Nebraska Wesleyan University where he is pursuing a degree in Communication and Philosophy. He would like to continue on with his degree and study International Law.
Just a little side note: The illustrator surprised me in the book “C is for Cornhusker,” by illustrating my two boys on the “A is for Arbor Day” page. Breton is the blonde boy standing next to the tree on the left side of the page. Collin is on the far right side of the page, halfway hiding behind a tree. The third boy is a friend of the illustrator. Also, on the “K is for Kool-Aid” page, you can see what the illustrator, Sandy Appleoff, used to look like when she was a little girl. In the illustration, she is shown selling Kool-Aid with her brother, who is wearing the Falls City Fire Department hat.
Students: Have you ever lived on a farm? What do you like/dislike about it?
Rajean: No, I have never lived on a farm, however, I imagine it would be an exciting place to live. Since my grandfather Luebs was born on a homestead in Wood River, Nebraska, I feel I have a good understanding of what life would have been like on a farm, a long time ago. Although a farm would be a fun place to live, it would require a lot of hard work to maintain. When my grandfather was 93 years old, I put a tape recorder under his chair and I interviewed him about what life was like growing up on a farm in the early 1900′s. He shared some amazing stories with me. When I asked him what he used to do for fun as a child on the farm, he said that he used to go out to the orchard and gather all the twigs he could find. He would stack them one on top of the other to create a fence. Then he would go out into the fields to collect round rocks and oblong rocks. The round rocks became his “cows” and the oblong rocks became his “horses” and he would play “farm” for hours. Also, he mentioned that, as a child, he was able to leave his town of Wood River one time a year, on the 4th of July, when he and his family rode their horse & wagon to the big city of Grand Island. Each child in the family was given $0.25 to spend on something they wanted. Grandpa said they usually bought fireworks to celebrate the 4th of July. I treasure that two-hour interview with him and I now have a “keepsake” with his recorded voice that I can listen to anytime I am missing him!
Students: What are your favorite animals? Why?
Rajean: I think my favorite animal is our yellow cockatiel bird. We have had him for a long time and he is fun to have around the home to keep us company, now that our two boys have grown up. Sometimes, I leave the cage door open and he climbs out and finds his way over to me when I am at the computer. He knows how to step up on my foot and then climb all the way up to my shoulder, where he perches while I am writing at the computer. As a matter of fact, he just climbed up on my shoulder, as I am typing you my answers at the computer!
Students: Have you been to a Huskers game? What do you like/dislike about them?
Rajean: Yes, I have been to a Huskers game and I love the excitement that fills the stadium on game day. I especially love the “sea of red,” as seen on the “R is for Red” page of the alphabet book. Also, I love when Husker fans release the red and white balloons at each game, after the Huskers score their first touchdown. It seems as though our entire state is “united” on Husker game days!
Students: Have you ever met a famous person? Who? How did you meet that person?
Rajean: I have been very lucky to have the opportunity to meet a number of famous people, so it is difficult to pick just one. Most of the opportunities came while I was traveling the world with Up with People, the international, educational, and musical performing group. I guess the three near the top of my list are King Hussein from the country of Jordan, King Goodwill of the Zulu Tribe of South Africa, and President Jimmy Carter, our nation’s 39th president. My cast of Up with People was invited to attend church with President Carter in his hometown of Plains, Georgia. When our cast of 120 arrived to church, we were told to quickly find a seat, as the church service was ready to begin. I walked down the aisle and found my way to a seat in the 2nd pew, along the aisle. After sitting down, I realized that the President was directly in front of me. Throughout the entire service, I kept thinking of a way I could meet him. I thought the church might have a “meet & greet” time when everyone turns around to their neighbor to shake hands, but this particular church didn’t have that time. If they had, everyone would have mobbed the President to try and meet him. So, I just sat patiently through the entire service, wishing there was a way I could personally meet the President, but thinking that it wasn’t going to happen. At the very end of the service, everyone in the church was asked to stand as the President exited the church. As I stood up, the President left his pew in the front row and began walking down the aisle. When he reached my spot in the 2nd row, he stopped, looked me in the eyes, and reached out his hand to shake mine. He said, “Thank you for joining me in worship service, today!” It was just as exciting to meet King Hussein and King Goodwill, also.
Students: What are you working on next?
Rajean: Sleeping Bear Press has started a new series of books for very young children, ages 2-5. They are board books that are part of a series titled, “Little Michigan,” “Little Nebraska,” etc. They are written in rhyming verse with clues on each page. The young child is able to piece the clues together and then turn the page to see what the clues uncover. For example, “Little Michigan” has a verse that reads: “Bundle up, when out you go, to build me from the winter snow.” On the page front of the page, there are two coal eyes, a carrot nose, a scarf, etc. Then, when you turn the page, you see an illustration of a snowman. It is a way of introducing very young children to the treasures of their state. I am hoping to have the opportunity to write “Little Nebraska,” although our state is not on the list, yet.
In closing, I would like to express a heartfelt thank you for your wonderful, thought-provoking questions. It has been a joy to meet you, indirectly! I can tell that you are a terrific group of students!
In addition, I know you all have dreams and goals of things you hope to accomplish in your life. I would like to encourage you to never give up on those dreams because; with a bit of hard work and determination, you can accomplish those goals and make your dreams come true. Remember, “If at first you don’t succeed, try, try, again!”
I included one last rhyming verse in “C is for Cornhusker” as a thank you to all the people I have had the opportunity to interact with through the writing of the two Nebraska books. This verse is for you…
As I’ve traveled the state of Nebraska
and journeyed from A-Z,
I’ve discovered so many treasures,
so much to do and see.
But of all the wonderful sights
and the history that abounds,
the spirit of Nebraskans
is the greatest treasure I’ve found!
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