Q&A with Jeff Verney

 

 

 

Jeff Verney is the author of the new children's picture book Bunnies to the Rescue!. Also a musician, he lives in Connecticut.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Bunnies to the Rescue!?

 

A: Over the years my family and I have vacationed on Nantucket, and one summer I realized that no matter where we stayed on the island, there were always bunnies in the yard.

 

And as I started to pay attention to the bunnies, the light finally went on that there were bunnies all over the island. I started thinking about all of the books that I had read about Nantucket, and none of them really mentioned the bunnies!

After noodling on this, a few years ago I thought, “I should write a children’s picture book about the bunnies.” I spent a couple of years thinking about possible story lines; I knew I wanted the book to have action and excitement while at the same time having a couple of high-level positive themes.

 

I finally settled on one of the ideas that involved three bunnies trying to save a stuffed bunny whose family was taking it to different locations on the island. It was an absolute joy to then write the story while on vacation in Nantucket, while sitting at a picnic table in the back yard and watching bunnies hop back and forth across the yard!

 

Q: What do you think Melissa Bailey’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: I wanted the book to be a visual love letter to Nantucket, featuring some of my family’s favorite places on Nantucket. I joined the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators which gave me access to the portfolios of hundreds of different illustrators, and I literally looked at every single portfolio.

 

As I pondered hundreds of illustrations, I kept returning to the portfolio of Melissa Bailey, who has illustrated dozens of children’s picture books, and decided she was just the illustrator I was looking for! 

 

From the time I received her initial sketches through getting her completed colored illustrations, I felt like Melissa had lived on Nantucket and was inspired by its natural beauty, just as I have been since the first time I stepped on the island!

Q: Can you say more about why you decided to set the story on Nantucket?

 

A: Several years ago, my family and I started a tradition of vacationing on Nantucket Island for a week each summer. Each year we have rented a house in different locations on the island, giving us a chance to really get to know Nantucket.

 

It’s a magical place with, among many other things, beautiful beaches, delightful activities for children, great seafood, and fabulous locations to read books (a key priority for the Verney family!). The island also provides a continuous opportunity to revel in the glorious gifts of nature, whether on land or in the ocean, day or night.

 

During our early years on Nantucket, we learned a lot about the island. We explored every nook and cranny of the island, and we devoured books in the Nantucket library. And, of course, we spent a lot of time in the two fabulous independent bookstores on Nantucket, inevitably heading home each year with a new stash of books.

 

But as mentioned above, I came to realize that there were lots of bunnies on Nantucket which inspired the story that just had to be set on Nantucket.  (That’s not to say that the Nantucket Bunnies will never travel to other locations; we have lots of ideas for future stories featuring the Nantucket Bunnies!)

 

Q: What do you hope kids (and adults) take away from the book?

 

A: I hope that kids (and adults) will take away several things from the story.  Most importantly, I hope that everyone will realize that it’s OK to be friends with those who are different from us.

 

I also hope that the story inspires folks to be mindful of taking care of others. However, we should also be careful to not jump to conclusions about the needs of others. 

 

Finally, I hope it inspires folks to visit Nantucket and go to some of the locations that are featured in the book, especially Mitchell’s Book Corner, which is a fabulous independent bookstore!

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am working on a draft of the next Nantucket Bunnies book, which currently is titled Bunnies to the Rescue … Again! It will also take place on Nantucket and involves many animals and sea creatures, including a whale! When bunnies meet a whale, anything can happen!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I am filled with gratitude for Deborah Kalb giving me the opportunity to answer questions regarding Bunnies to the Rescue! And I deeply appreciate The Children’s Book Review co-sponsoring the Bunnies to the Rescue! Awareness Tour. Finally, I hope that everyone who reads the book enjoys spending time with the Nantucket Bunnies!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This Q&A was created in partnership with Jeff Verney. Enter for a chance to win a signed hardcover copy of Bunnies to the Rescue!, a plush blue bunny, and a $25 Amazon gift card.