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OVER, BEAR! UNDER, WHERE? Cover Reveal with 12 x 12 Founder Julie Hedlund

[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text]Hi everyone! Kelli Panique here. We have a special treat today! I’m interviewing our own 12 x 12 founder, Julie Hedlund, as she reveals the cover her upcoming book with Michael Slack, OVER, BEAR! UNDER, WHERE? (Philomel, September 2021). But first, the book description…

Over and Under are friends enjoying a day at the park. They go on the swings (Over goes over Under) and the seesaw (Under is under Over). After adding a hot-dog dog to their coterie, they spot . . . a bear! (Unbearable!) But is he really such a scary creature? Readers can pick apart the wordplay in this funny, punny story about a pair of pals discovering that friendship underpins all.

Julie, as I type this, we have more than 1500 authors and illustrators who’ve joined 12 x 12 in 2021! How does it feel to do a cover reveal on the blog of this huge community you’ve created?

It feels marvelous, and a tiny bit surreal. When I started 12 x 12 (in 2012), I didn’t have an agent or any published books. And while I did have two books published prior to this one, they came out several years ago, so I almost feel like a “book virgin.” LOL! It’s not an exaggeration to say that even as the 12 x 12 community has grown over the years, it is family to me. So to reveal my cover with you all is special beyond words.

I have to ask, was OVER, BEAR! UNDER, WHERE? a 12 x 12 draft?

Everything I’ve written since 2012 is a 12 x 12 draft, and OVER, BEAR! is my February 2016 draft. It was a StoryStorm idea (then called PiBoIdMo) from 2015.

What inspired you to write this book?

As proof that ideas can come from anywhere, the original inspiration for the book was this scene in the movie Airplane, which I find just as hilarious today as I did the first time I saw it:

I got to wondering whether a picture book with characters named Over and Under could be as funny if it included their spatial relationships as well as turning what would be compound words into dialogue. What I ended up with at first was something that amused ME but wasn’t really a story. Once I added Bear (and the hot-dog dog), I realized the heart of the tale was about dropping pre-conceived notions, acceptance, and friendship.

Okay, let’s get to the main event, shall we? Without further ado, here is the cover for OVER, BEAR! UNDER, WHERE?

Where can I go to see the announcement and pre-order the book?

Penguin / Random House

Wow! You know I love this cover so much. What was your reaction when you saw Michael’s cover for the first time?

I believe I actually squealed. And honestly, I’m not a squealer. But the minute I saw it, I knew it was the most perfect cover imaginable for this book. Michael took the humor into the stratosphere with the text placement on the bear’s behind (which also features in the story), which also elevates the double-entendre of the words “under” and “where” in such a  brilliant way. Plus, can we talk about how he made Over a bird and Under a mole? That was ALL Michael. So as a gentle reminder to authors – trust your illustrators! They will find ways to make your words come to life that you could never have imagined.

Thanks, Julie! It’s been fun to turn the tables and see you being interviewed. Also, I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention to everyone else that this is the final week of 12 x 12 registration for 2021. If you are interested in getting the accountability, support, and motivation to write your picture books this year, check out our Membership page!

Thank YOU, Kelli. And for anyone who hasn’t met Kelli, know that she is the miracle that makes all things happen in 12 x 12. Without her exceptional organization and customer service skills, I wouldn’t be able to write a word!

OVER, BEAR! UNDER, WHERE? is now available for pre-order at Bookshop.org, Barnes & Noble, Amazon, and everywhere books are sold, including your local independent bookstore

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47 Responses

  1. The books sounds hilarious and heartfelt and just a yummy mix of fun! Congratulations, Julie! The cover is wonderful!

  2. Incredible delightful! Congrats, I love the cover. I can imagine how the story will fold. Adorable!

  3. Thrilled for you, Julie! Will definitely order. You have been such a support for our writing community. It’s our turn to support you. Yay!

  4. Wow. I am already smiling and haven’t even read the book. I am beside myself with joy and don’t want to be behind in wishing you the best!

  5. This is amazing Julie! Thank you for sharing more about the journey of this story. Kids will love this hilarious book!

  6. That cover is adorable. Roll on September! I love that your source of inspiration is that scene in Airplane … Classic pun territory!

  7. Wow! So adorable! And funny. Love the big bear bottom, which tells me this book is full of humor! Congrats Julie!

  8. Love it! I would absolutely have chosen to read this at storytime simply based on the cover! The fun that can be had with the storyline is like icing on the cake 🙂

  9. Congratulations and thanks for sharing your story about how this book came to be! To think you didn’t even specify what type of creatures Over and Under were. Wow! I can’t wait to read it.

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Financial Need Scholarship Guidelines

All applications will be accepted via email only between November 1, 2023 – November 30, 2023 at kelli@juliehedlund.com.

Subject line of the email:

  1. 12 x 12 Financial Need Scholarship
 

Please include the following in the body of the email:

  1. An autobiographical statement and career summary in 250 words or fewer.
  2. A short statement describing the nature of the financial need/circumstances in 250 words or fewer.
  3. A sample query letter for the manuscript you are submitting with your application.
  4. Pitches for two additional completed picture books.
 

 Attached to the email:

  1.  The full text of one picture book manuscript, attached as a Word document named as FIN_YourFirstName_YourLastName_Title_of_Manuscript.doc (or docx).