An author-editor Q&A with Editorial Director Kelly Barrales-Saylor and Maria Mariananyagam

Here’s a little something different to brighten up your day.

Q&A’s on this site are nothing new. But honestly, anyone can interview an author or illustrator if they want to. The bar? Fairly low. In some ways, it can be a lot more interesting when that children’s book creator is interviewed by someone close to them. Say, an editor. Such is the case today with author Maria Mariananyagam and her Editorial Director, Kelly Barrales-Saylor, previously from Sourcebooks eXplore, now the Executive Director of Children’s Books at Ten Speed. Maria recently debuted her picture book The Amazing Power of Girls this past June and the two wondered if I might host a discussion about their process. Since “process” is one of my favorite things to hear about, I was happy to host the two of them.

The Amazing Power of Girls: Meet the Universe’s Most Powerful and Invisible Forces is the type of book that puts the science squarely where you want it. Or, as its publisher describes it:

“Scientific forces are part of your everyday life, but you can’t see them! How do you know they are there? Follow seven girls in this unique spin on introductions to STEM, as they personify and explain each force in their own words, bringing science to life.

This exciting and beautiful girl-powered, STEM-focused picture book celebrates the strength of girls and their importance to science.”

With that in mind, here are its creators:

---

Kelly Barrales-Saylor: Maria, first and foremost, tell us a little bit about where this book came from. What was your impetus for writing it?

Maria Mariananyagam: I’ve always loved math and science. I was surrounded by it growing up. My dad is an engineer and my mom is an accountant, so it was a big part of my upbringing. I didn’t realize it at the time but that exposure would give me the confidence to pursue a career in engineering when I got older. When I started my engineering degree, though, I was surprised at how few women were there with me. And it became clear that maybe not all girls received the same encouragement. When I became an author, this was one of the first books I wanted to write. I loved the idea of comparing girls to the actual forces of physics—gravity, buoyancy, friction, magnetism, and more—because it felt like a great conduit to explaining what each force does, but also showcased that children truly are forces that can change this world.

Kelly, How did you become attached to this project? What drew you to this submission?

Kelly: When I received this submission, the pitch was interesting enough to take a closer look. And once I started reading the manuscript, I was enamored with Maria’s lyrical writing. I was sucked into the way she pulled so many elements together into one picture book text! There is something so beautiful about comparing children with natural forces of nature and that all these forces are necessary to coexist and thrive in this universe. I knew there was something so different about the approach that it could be too different, too challenging to make it work. But I loved it so much, so I immediately sent it to two of our incredible marketing directors to get their take on it. They agreed that there was something really special about the project—the writing, the concept, the tone—we had to pursue it.

Maria, how much of the story changed between the initial draft and the final project? Was there anything you wanted to include in the book and just couldn’t? Anything you had to cut?

Maria: A few things changed from the initial draft. I had included some extra forces—normal force and centrifugal force—but including them felt like too much for this book. Additionally, I had written the initial drafts in five-line stanzas that were much sparser; in revision, I wanted to amp up the personification so that readers could really feel the embodiment of these forces.

Kelly, when editing this book, what were you focused on?

Kelly: The biggest element we needed to tackle was the positioning of the book itself. The content is so rich and beautiful and unique but how can we communicate that with readers in a quick and easy to understand way? That was probably the largest hurdle for us to overcome. We knew this book was special, but what angle should we take in order to communicate that? Is this primarily a STEM book? A girl power book? How do we capture how magical this book is at a glance? We conducted a lot of research and consumer tests to find the right words and phrases that resonated with readers the most.

Maria, how do you hope readers, caregivers, and educators will interact with this book?

Maria: There are so many entry points into this book. At its simplest level, it is a girl-empowerment book with gorgeous illustrations (by the amazing Skylar White). As kids get older, it’s a book that explains not only what each force does while simultaneously describing a person. The book is rich in double entendres, puns, and idioms, and I’ve been able to engage students all the way up to sixth grade, who write their own personification poems based on a scientific object. Sourcebooks put together an INCREDIBLE educator guide and activity kit with tons of exercises, reflections, and curriculum connections. There’s even a fun “What force are you?” personality quiz for kids! I’m hoping readers won’t run out of ways to interact with this book.

Kelly, if you were to typify the ideal reader for this book, what kind of a kid would that be?

Kelly: The ideal reader is a child who is interested in STEM subjects or any reader who identifies as female or any reader who has a mother, grandmother, aunt, or sister in their life. Really, this book is for any kid or grownup who has ever felt like perhaps they did not fit in or who needed a boost of confidence because we as humans are full of incredible forces just like those found in nature. And we can do so much good in this world with the energy and persistence we are inherently born with.

Maria, what else are you working on?

Maria: I have another STEM-SEL book in the works with Sourcebooks coming out June 2025, called Wait Till You’re Older. It follows Reha, who when told she’s too little to play with her brother’s big toy, attempts to build a time machine to get older. I also have the next board books coming out in my Baby Virtues series (WorthyKids/Hachette) later this year and early next year. In January 2025, my debut middle-grade novel, No Purchase Necessary, will be released with HarperCanada/HarperColllins. It’s an exciting year ahead!

---

Many thanks to both Kelly and Maria for taking the time to ask one another questions today. The Amazing Power of Girls: Meet the Universe’s Most Powerful and Invisible Forces is, as ever, available now, so find it wherever good books are sold.

Filed under: Conversations