The Backstory: WONDER OF THE WOODS

Bonnie Kelso joins The Backstory today with her latest picture book, WONDER OF THE WOODS (The Little Press & One Little Earth). Keep reading to get a sneak peek at the inspiration behind this lyrical adventure through the woods before it officially hits shelves on October 15. And be sure to leave a comment on this post for your chance to win a 30-minute AMA with Bonnie.

AH: Welcome to The Backstory and thank you for joining us and sharing the inspiration behind WONDER OF THE WOODS.

Before we begin, here's a little about the book.

A young girl explores the wooded area near her home and encounters a variety of animals that are curious about their new visitor. Tails twitch, bodies ripple, and leaves drift. They watch each other from a safe distance. Could the Wonder of the Woods be YOU?

What’s the story behind the story? What was your inspiration? Where did the idea come from?

BK: Hi Andrew, thanks for having me! The original inspiration for this story is a bit different from what the book became in the end. I had a close encounter with a bobcat while hiking in California. I wanted to write a story about it, trying to capture that sense of wonder when coming face to face with a wild animal. 

AH: What an experience that must have been and the perfect inspiration for a story. While your end result has deviated from that original idea, that emotion and sense of wonder remains and comes through wonderfully.

AH: How did you approach going from this seed of an idea to what is now WONDER OF THE WOODS? Was it something undeniable you had to write immediately or did you need to sit with this idea and let it grow for a while before it found its way to the page?

BK: The first draft was written in the 2nd person and was about a child looking for clues and tracking a bobcat. After receiving comments that the situation was too life threatening for a child, I changed the bobcat to a fox, then a raccoon, and then finally a skunk. 

AH: Aha! I was wondering what the reason was for the switch from a bobcat and that makes perfect sense.

AH: Did WONDER OF THE WOODS undergo any major changes/revisions from the original version? If so, what led you to make these changes?

BK: The story always remained in the 2nd person, but the editor suggested that I add in more animals, which shifted the focus of the story away from a tracked animal and more toward general exploration and observation of wildlife in a wooded area. 

AH: I like how this change widened the scope of the book. A more general take creates a broader opportunity for connection with the story.

AH: Are there any books/authors that you feel influenced your work on?

BK: At the time of writing the story, OUTSIDE IN, by Deboroah Underwood and illustrated by Cindy Derby, had just won a Caldecott honor award. I was intrigued by the softness of this quiet story and thought that it showed a child’s delicate connection with nature in a beautiful way. It spoke to me and my own childhood experiences and made me want to explore those memories with my own writing. 

AH: Where do you tend to find your inspiration or your sparks for ideas?

BK: I tend to find inspiration through nature, but in this case, it was more of tapping into my own childhood memories of nature and the way I explored it as a child. I actually wrote several short stories at the same time as writing WONDER OF THE WOODS that would be more appropriate for an older audience, but I haven’t pursued them much further, even though I would like to in the future. 

AH: I hope you do. I love seeing the variety in authors' work across genres.

Do you have any upcoming projects or news you would like to share with us?

BK: Yes! I am excited to announce that I have another picture book releasing in November: QUAIL TRAIL, which is about a young quail chick who thinks she’s ready to be a leader. Then, two new books will come out next year. SLEEPY SEA, the second in a three-part series of informational picture books pairing childhood milestones with fascinating sea animal facts. DEXTER, THE STAND UP DOG, comes out in the fall. That one is about the inspiring true story of a dog who learned how to walk on his two hind legs after an accident. 

AH: These all sound amazing! And congratulations on having so many forthcoming books. I look forward to reading and helping spread the word about all of them!

Where can people connect more with you?

Website: www.BonnieKelso.com

Instagram: @bonnie.kelso

X: @bonniekelso 

AH: Readers be sure to connect with Bonnie on social media and while you are at it

please consider supporting her and WONDER OF THE WOODS in any way you

can.

This could include:

- ordering from your favorite indie

- marking as want to read on Goodreads  

-leaving a review

- making a library request

Bonnie, thank you so much for sharing all about WONDER OF THE WOODS. I loved learning how this book came to be!

---

GIVEAWAY!

Bonnie is offering one winner a 30 minute “ask me anything” phone or zoom chat.

Ways to enter:

1. Retweet my tweet about this blog post. Additional entry for tagging friends!

or

2. Leave a comment on this post.

or

3. Post about this interview on social media and tell me in the comments that you did.

Each method earns an extra entry!

---

ABOUT BONNIE KELSO

Bonnie Kelso studied art at the Rhode Island School of Design. She is the Regional Advisor for Nevada SCBWI and winner of the 2021 Karen Cushman Award. She has two new picture books releasing this fall: WONDER OF THE WOODS and QUAIL TRAIL. With a background as an exhibit designer for organizations such as NASA, National Geographic, and the Smithsonian Institution, Bonnie enjoys taking complex information and distilling it into bite-sized pieces. Her passion for nature and environmental awareness shines through in her books, murals, and community art workshops.

---

ABOUT ANDREW HACKET

Andrew Hacket  is a writer, second-grade teacher, and father of three. He is also the author of Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea,  Curlilocks and the Three Hares, and Hope and the Sea. Andrew recognizes that being a kid is hard and he writes to create ways for kids to see themselves in stories and characters, to accept and overcome their insecurities, or to escape for just a little while through the power of their imaginations.