You may be familiar with Marcia through her incredibly popular picture book roundup or interview posts. Or, if you’re lucky, you’ve read one of her engaging and exceptionally well written middle grade books. If you haven’t, let your fingers walk, skip, or roll to our 2018 interview post featuring Roller Boy! In this interview, however, I’m excited to interview my gracious and uber talented friend about The Puffin Who Whispered on its fledgling day. Although this charming book is fiction, I guarantee you’ll be as puffin-obsessed as I am after reading Marcia’s responses!
Laura: Marcia, Happy Book Birthday to The Puffin Who Whispered! I love this quote: The Puffin Who Whispered is a story about daring to reach out without changing who you are inside, even if you’re a very soft-spoken puffin. Can you share what this book is about, as well as your inspiration for writing it?
Marcia: Thank you, Laura! The Puffin Who Whispered is about a lonely puffin who finds the courage to speak up and help others in her quest for friendship. While I was growing up, my grandparents lived on the coast of Maine, so I’ve known about puffins for years. I’m pretty sure I had already written at least one draft when I began eating Barbara’s Bakery Original Puffins Cereal™. There was information on the box about how to help Project Puffin continue their work. They are the amazing group that brought puffins back to islands off the Maine coast. I quickly encouraged friends and family members to eat Puffins Cereal, too. Soon I had collected 250 box tops in order to adopt a puffin. I named her Abigale.
Laura: Thank you for sharing information about Project Puffin! Now I understand why your main character is named Abigale (and spelled that way)!
As I wrote in the intro, I admit to being a bit puffin-obsessed. After seeing them from afar in Iceland, I’m hoping to see them a little closer in Maine. While The Puffin Who Whispered is fiction, I happily detected a number of realistic elements in story, such as pufflings being the name for the adorable puffin chicks. Please tell us about the research you did for this book and how you blended reality with fiction. Also, perhaps, what research you learned that didn’t end up being integrated. FYI: I just learned that in August and September, residents of Iceland’s Westman Islands conduct the Puffling Patrol to save (and ultimately launch) pufflings that have fledged from their nests and landed on streets, gardens, and roofs!
Marcia: I did do a lot of research over the course of writing this story. Anytime I found something unusual, I took note of it. I think it’s amazing how extremely fast puffins can fly, how super deep they swim, and how they can carry a lot of fish all at once in their bills. Knowing how fast they are able to fly was useful when I had Abigale zoom after a windblown nest with a frightened puffling inside. As I alluded to above, I learned a lot about puffins through Project Puffin as well. One of the many ways their workers lured puffins back to the island was to carve and paint dozens of decoys. Setting up the fake puffins made the island more welcoming to any puffins flying past—very clever!
Laura: Very clever indeed! Picture books are the marriage of narration and illustration, and Roch Hercka (click here to view more of his amazing art) did a wonderful job capturing puffins in your book, sure to delight the lucky children and caregivers who read The Puffin Who Whispered together. Did you have any interaction with the illustrator during the creation of this book? Also, how did you find your publisher, Lawley Enterprises LLC – through a direct submission or through an agent?
Marcia: Lawley Publishing is very generous in allowing creators to be involved in all aspects of their book. I not only was able to help choose the illustrator, but I got to meet him virtually during group meetings. This worked well, considering it was 9AM for the publisher in Arizona, noon for me in New England, and 6PM for Roch in Poland! I also got to sign off on his sketches and gorgeous final paintings. I put minimal art notes in my picture book manuscripts, but only if they are really necessary to the story. For example, when Abigale is looking out to sea, I added a note off to one side in a pale, small font that said: Dark, gloomy clouds are coming in. Overnight, the storm wreaks havoc and destroys homes.
As to how I found Lawley, it was through a direct submission. First, I read all I could find online about them along with studying their website and reviewing a few of their books. I actually submitted two previous projects before getting a ‘yes’ for The Puffin Who Whispered.
Laura: I’m glad you had such positive interactions with both Lawley Publishing and Roch! And impressed that you persevered with your submissions! What was your draft/critique process for this picture book? How different (or how much in common) did your process have with creating your middle grade novels?
Marcia: My first drafts and revisions of this manuscript were similar to all of my stories. Especially since even my middle grade books tend to start out much shorter. At some point though, I chop and tighten picture books and keep adding words for middle grade, continuously fleshing them out. I am in two critique groups, which I find very helpful in getting my work completed, polished, and ready for submission. I submitted The Puffin Who Whispered with 550 words but ended up adding back in 100 words during final edits, for more clarity.
Laura: As an experienced kidlit author, and with your longtime experience acquiring children’s books for a public library, what advice can you give to struggling kidlit writers?
Marcia: Like many others have said: just keep learning, writing, and reading. And don’t give up! That’s really all you can do because sometimes it’s a matter of luck that you happen to send the right manuscript to the right editor or agent at the right time. Critique groups and keeping abreast of opportunities are both extremely important, too.
Laura: How are you planning to celebrate the publication of The Puffin Who Whispered?
(P.S.: Count me in!!)
Marcia: I have several events lined up, from story times at libraries and bookstores to getting ready for my launch party. I’ve been making attendee buttons, figuring out crafts and games, and I even wrote a song that will be performed at the launch party. I cheated a bit by changing the lyrics to a well-known song that’s been reworked many times over the years because the original version was in the public domain. I’m being cryptic so that it will be a surprise for everyone in attendance. Unlike with penguins and other common animals, it was tricky to find puffin related stickers, cookie cutters, and door prizes without going overboard on budget. But when I realized the theme could be beyond that, it opened up whole new possibilities. What do puffins like best? Fish! So now there’ll be plenty of ocean-themed stickers, and I’ll be making fish-shaped cookies that will fit right in with the other treats. Here are a few key dates and locations:
August 1, 2026 — Hampstead, NH Public Library — Launch Party 1-3pm
August 9, 2026 — Hummingbird Books, Chestnut Hill, MA — Story time at 11am
August 14, 2026 — Peabody Institute Library, Danvers, MA — Story time & Craft at 10am
Laura: Thank you for sharing your events! I can’t wait to hear your song!! Or eat a cookie, I must add. For my second-to-last question, what fun facts about yourself are you brave enough to share with our readers?
Marcia: I was surprised that what first came to mind is the fun I used to have making greeting cards years ago. I made them for family and friends, but then I also discovered cardmaking contests. I believe their popularity only lasted a few years, and I happened to have the interest at the right time. Now that I think about it, sending in card entries was a great introduction to later sending out manuscripts. Both have rejections, acceptances, and require a good dose of luck. Some of my wins included t-shirts and other swag, having my card published in a major magazine, singing a card verse on the radio (and being told not to quit my day job), along with an amazing VIP-status vacation for two to Orlando.
Laura: Last, but definitely not least, what’s next for you, and how can our readers reach you?
Marcia: I’m excited to have my fourth middle grade novel coming out in 2027. It is historical fiction and takes place in Poland during the late 1800s. This was during the Russification period when language and culture was banned, including main character Magda’s beloved papercutting craft. She also keeps busy raising a baby goat, which has been a lot of fun to write about.
Readers can follow me here: https://marciastrykowski.com/blog/
Instagram https://www.instagram.com/marciastrykowski/
Goodreads https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/6857956.Marcia_Strykowski
Bluesky https://bsky.app/profile/marciastrykowski.bsky.social
X https://x.com/MarciaStry/
Laura: Thank you so much for interviewing with me, Marcia! I wish you and your darling picture book much success!
Marcia: Thank you, Laura, my pleasure! I’m happy to offer a GIVEAWAY of a copy of The Puffin Who Whispered to one winner. All you need to do is leave a comment and you’ll be in the running. The winner (U.S. addresses only) will be randomly drawn from all who comment by August 4th and will be contacted the next day. GOOD LUCK!
WRITERS' RUMPUS 