Welcome back, dear reader, to a spring edition of First Stories. The dogwoods are in bloom and every tree is leafing out – don’t you love that phrase? – which is the perfect time to welcome the author of THREE new picture books to talk about the story that inspired him to “spring” into writing books for children.
Andrew Hacket is a second-grade teacher of 16 years and a father of 3. Andrew’s background of being surrounded by children, both at work and at home has been a treasure trove of inspiration. A nature lover, Andrew can be found exploring the woods of central Massachusetts to collect his thoughts and draft his stories. While often witty and imaginative, Andrew also enjoys writing lyrical picture books with sparse text and big emotions.
Me: Andrew, welcome to First Stories
Andrew: Thanks for having me!
Me: I always start off with the same question because I love hearing about that first spark of inspiration. That niggling idea that would not stop tickling a creator’s brain until it was written down or drawn. So tell me about your “first story.” The one that really pushed you to consider publishing. What inspired you to write it? What was it about?
Andrew: Oh, it is so hard to decide what is the “first story.” If I had to pick one, I would say it is McGregor Greggs, The Unhatchable Egg. Very early in my teaching career I was instructing my second-graders on how to create a narrative story. I began with this egg character who was tie-dyed, leftover from Easter, and had a neon green bendy straw poking out from his shell in order to see. A story was pulled together over the next few weeks as I modeled for students a very basic try and fail structure story.
Each year after that, I found myself revisiting this character and story as I used it to teach a new group of students. As the years went on this story morphed and changed, but always kept the original bones. Our egg character felt lonely and alone, not knowing what it truly was and an adventure of self-discovery and acceptance takes place.
Me: I love that you were working on this story for and with your students, modeling narrative structure and character arc! It’s also giving me Humpty Dumpty vibes, blended with this old song that my mom used to sing to me about Eggbert, the Easter egg. All together, this concept sounds charming! 🙂 So where is it now?
Andrew: McGregor is currently collecting dust in a Google Drive folder. When I was crafting this story I knew very little about publication and how to write with the intent to be published. I do think this story has potential to be salvaged and that McGregor could carry a story. For now, however, he will keep collecting dust until I have the time to give him the makeover he deserves.
Me: Oh, good! I’m delighted to hear that McGregor could make a reappearance one day! But I very much understand not having the time to return to some older stories. But maybe one day, the time will be right. Are there any themes in that story that you can see in your writing today?
Andrew: Absolutely! Whether I am writing absurd, humorous, or heartfelt, some thread of self-acceptance and social-emotional learning (SEL) weaves its way in. This first story is no different.
Me: Looking back, what elements of that first story made it unmarketable? Did you receive feedback on that story? What did that feedback teach you?
Andrew: To begin with, that first story was way too long and overly tell-y. It would need a massive cut in word count and some tweaks to make it a bit less predictable.
McGregor is a story that I have never received feedback on, as at that time, the idea of becoming published wasn’t anything more than a wild dream. I knew nothing about the industry or where to begin. Then once I did know enough, I knew this was not a story that was ready to be critiqued.
Me: It’s true that there is so much to learn about the publishing industry, the craft of writing, the specifics of picture books! They are such a fascinating art form, and one that is critical to fostering a love of story and of reading.
So, why is that “first story” special to you? How was it important for your writing journey?
Andrew: That first story stirred the creative spark that I have always had inside me, but until that time had been fulfilled through the creativity involved in my teaching. It is also the first story that allowed me to begin to imagine the possibility of becoming a published author. It was as a result of this story and years of teaching with it, that I began to express this secret hope to be published to my students. The more I spoke about it the larger the desire grew.
Me: I completely relate! My own first story was not really my first, first story, but the one that really pushed me to keep learning, to keep growing as a writer. And it sounds like McGregor played a similar role in your writing journey, Andrew.
I would love to hear more about your upcoming releases! (Andrew) That’s right! Andrew has THREE books releasing THIS YEAR! Can you tell us a little about these books? How did you come up with the idea for these books? Does they relate at all to your “first story”?
Andrew: I am extremely fortunate to have three traditionally published books coming out in 2024. The first, Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea recently released on April 9 from Page Street Kids. Ollie is gorgeously illustrated by Kaz Windness and follows the absurd journey of Ollie Alexander Kandersteen, a boy with a name bigger than he is, as he attempts to best his bully by becoming a tree.
Ollie was inspired by a summer conversation with my kids about what would happen if you swallowed a watermelon seed. My mind wandered to what would happen if you swallowed something else, perhaps an acorn! This combined with a preexisting character named Twig who was a small boy who would prove to everyone all the things he could do because he was small.
My second book will be releasing on May 1 with The Little Press. Curlilocks & the Three Hares is an early reader chapter book with adorable full color illustrations by Jan Dolby. This fractured fairy tale follows Curlilocks as she ventures into the three Hares salon ready to quit her curls and take her hair into her own hands before picture day arrives.
Curlilocks was directly inspired by my daughter who hated her curls when she was younger. Fortunately, she has come to love them!
And on May 28, Hope and the Sea releases from WorthyKids. This lyrical picture book with beautiful illustrations by Svetla Radivoeva follows a lonely little girl named Hope as the Sea befriends her and helps her find friendship and a sense of belonging.
Hope was inspired mainly by the emotions in the book. I wanted to explore loneliness. I also had written a few contest pieces around this time where I personified environments as characters and this story felt like the right place to explore that further. I was able to channel my love for nature and the ocean into a character and display the poetic side of my writing that I had not yet been able to showcase.
As different as the three books are they all maintain that SEL and acceptance theme that was found in my first story.
Me: Andrew, thank you so much for stopping by First Stories today! It was a pleasure to hear about McGregor, your classroom, and your upcoming releases! Congratulations on Ollie, Curlilocks, and Hope!!
Andrew: Thank you!
Andrew has generously offered to giveaway a 30-minute Zoom call! This could be a virtual read aloud for a classroom, an AMA, or a brainstorming session. This would be PERFECT for a classroom visit, (hint, hint, librarians and teachers!) or as a great workshopping opportunity for a new or established writer! To enter, comment below OR on the original Twitter post.
Please consider pre-ordering or purchasing a copy of Andrew’s books at the links below:
Ollie, The Acorn, and the Mighty Idea
Heather C. Morris 
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