Episode 4 - Chris Barton

How did a toddler, a smoke alarm and an obituary lead to Chris Barton’s first published book?

Find out in this episode of My First Book Story, where Meredith Davis talks with award-winning author Chris Barton about The Day-Glo Brothers, illustrated by Tony Persiani. Chris shares how his son’s interest in the story of how he installed a smoke alarm in their house, a story he requested over and over, sparked his writing journey. A newspaper obituary planted the seed for his debut nonfiction picture book that received 23 rejections until one crucial connection through SCBWI eventually led to publication. From cutting 4,000 words to learning how Day-Glo ink actually works, Chris generously shares his story with wit and wisdom.

Books mentioned

• The Day-Glo Brothers: The True Story of Bob and Joe Switzer’s Bright Ideas and Brand-New Colors (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Day-Glo-Brothers-Switzers-Bright-Brand-New/dp/157091673X)

• The Dinosaurs of Waterhouse Hawkins (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Dinosaurs-Waterhouse-Hawkins-Caldecott-Honor/dp/0439114942)

• Shark vs. Train (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Shark-vs-Train-Chris-Barton/dp/0316007625)

• Can I See Your I.D.?: True Stories of False Identities (Amazon – https://www.amazon.com/Can-See-Your-I-D-Identities/dp/0803733100)

Links

• Chris Barton (https://chrisbarton.info)

• Meredith Davis (https://meredithldavis.com)

• Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (https://www.scbwi.org)

• Episode Webpage (https://meredithdavis.substack.com/p/chris-bartons-first-book-story)

Theme music by Nate Davis

Produced by Clay Davis