San Martin – “A person’s a person no matter how small,” the well-known line from Dr. Seuss’s “Horton Hears a Who,” is just a part of author Karen Beaumont’s philosophy about life and about her work.
It is particularly appropriate that the author who focuses on giving children books to be excited about in their first years of learning has learned that one of her books, “Move Over, Rover!” has been named one of three “Honor Books” for the Theodor Seuss Geisel Award.
The award is given annually to authors and illustrators of the most distinguished contribution to the body of American children’s literature known as beginning reader books published in the United States.
According to the Web site, “The award is to recognize the author(s) and illustrator(s) of a beginning reader book who demonstrate great creativity and imagination in his/her/their literary and artistic achievements to engage children in reading.”
The award has special meaning for Beaumont. She once sent Geisel, better known as the beloved Dr. Seuss, a birthday card. When she didn’t hear back from him, she sent him another card the next year. This time he responded with a hand-written note, which she treasures. She also has several signed copies of his books.
Last year, in the award’s first year, she asked her editor to put one of her books up for consideration, “I Like Myself,” illustrated by Catrow.
“This just looks very similar to a Dr. Seuss book,” she said, pointing to an illustration of the heroine of the book atop a Seuss-like contraption. “I just really thought this would have been a good book to submit.”
But the editor didn’t submit the book. This year, however, she was surprised, startled and very happy, she said, to hear she and illustrator Jane Dyer had received the Honor Book Award.
Beaumont said she advises the young students who tell her they want to be authors to “start now,” because the process takes a long time.
“People don’t realize all of the work that goes into it, and the time it takes from the actual writing process until the book is published,” she said. “So I always tell budding authors to start recording their memories, start writing anything at all, just to get a start.”
A part of her childhood spent in rural Oregon is responsible for much of her inspiration, she said. The family – Beaumont’s parents and her two brothers – lived on eight acres and often had unique pets, including a baby raccoon, who enjoyed playing with the neighbors’ baby skunk.
“It was so earthy, so real, almost 1800s because of the chores, the environment, everything,” she said. “That was a special time in my life, and I know I draw from it now in my writing.”
Beaumont takes her writing very seriously. One of her least favorite comments she hears from people is, “When are you going to write a real book.”
She spends so much time polishing her work that a 350-word manuscript can take up to a year to complete.
It has taken her many years to reach what she sees as a measure of success.
“It’s not the monetary success, it’s the other things, like when the mother of a little adopted girl told me that the first book her daughter received was ‘I Like Myself,’ and that it had been very important in her life,” she said. “Those are the kinds of things that matter to me.”
When she talks to children at school assemblies or meet-the-author events, she talks to them about perseverance.
She tells them to imagine they are trick-or-treating, and at each house they go to, they are turned away without candy. How many houses would you go to, she asks them, before you give up. She said she gets a variety of answers before she asks them, “But what if the very next house has the bag of candy?”
Cinda Meister, co-owner of BookSmart, said she has known Beaumont for 11 years, since the store first opened.
“We’ve watched her grow as an author,” she said. “We’ve been involved with her since her first novel was published. All her books are wonderful. They beg to be read aloud.”
Beaumont frequently visits BookSmart to do readings and sign books.
“She will come in a personalize books for customers, which makes a really nice gift,” Meister said. “We’re fortunate to have an esteemed author in our community, one who is very approachable and willing to share with the community.”
