At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our creators as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Suzy Levinson!
About the Author:
SUZY LEVINSON is a children’s author and poet. Originally from Massachusetts, she now lives in New York with her husband and their most excellent cat. Her poems have appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines, including Highlights and Cricket. Her critically acclaimed debut picture book, Animals in Pants, was published in 2023.
Q&A with Suzy Levinson:
The combination of poetry, dinosaurs and driving is such a fun and unique idea. How did the idea for this book come to be?
It all started when I was deciding on a birthday gift to send my little nephew in Montreal. He wanted candy, but I figured I could do a bit better than that. I googled “cool presents for three-year-olds,” and this extremely disturbing-looking set of toy cars popped up. They were dinosaur heads, just the heads, on wheels. Really weird. I scoffed, then immediately bought them because how could I not? It was ridiculous! Some evil genius had taken two random things that kids love, dinosaurs and cars, and smashed them together in a way that utterly defied reason! Then I thought, hmm . . . I could do that, too. That’s when the title, Dinos That Drive, hit me like a lightning bolt, and I knew it was time to get to work on an exciting new poetry collection.
How much dinosaur research did you have to do?
First things first, I sat down and wrote a list of the dinosaurs I knew off the top of my head, which was about three. So I obviously had to read some dinosaur books to fill out that list to twenty or so. Then came the task of matching up specific dinosaur traits to specific modes of transportation, which entailed more research. Because I couldn’t just plop random dinos in random vehicles, willy-nilly. These poems were only going to work if I maintained a certain level of weird internal logic, where the nonsensical made sense. For instance, I learned that “brontosaurus” means “thunder lizard,” so of course he had to ride a motorcycle! I mean, let’s face it: Thunder Lizard is the ultimate biker name.
You cannot miss the humor in this book. How do you make sure your poems are playful, funny and easy to read?
The most important part is establishing a silly and subversive premise right at the top, like hello, welcome to a world where dinosaurs drive. That’s the reality we live in now, take it or leave it. From there, my only job is to present perfectly reasonable scenarios in this weird driving-dino world, each written in rhyming verse. Writing in rhyme is the biggest challenge. It’s also my favorite part. There’s nothing more fun than writing poems that sound loose and conversational, all while maintaining strict-strict-STRICT rhyme scheme and meter! I’m basically creating impossible word puzzles that I then have to solve. The only way to ensure that these poems stay playful is if I’m super-duper tough with myself. No stumbly and distracting meter, no flat and uninspired word choices, no awkward phrasing! I have to read my work aloud, over and over again, plus share it with trusted critique partners who won’t hold back. The poems should feel effortless, almost like I didn’t tear my hair out making them just so.
What do you love most about writing poetry for kids?
I didn’t read much poetry when I was a kid, but I was fairly obsessed with Shel Silverstein’s collections. A Shel Silverstein poem always felt like a thrilling gift. Like a dino head on wheels, you might say. The fact that I can now sit at my desk whenever I want and play around with language, find the perfect word combination that paints a picture, that makes kids laugh and see the world a little differently? Well, that feels like a pretty thrilling gift, too.
Do you have a favorite dinosaur?
I’ll admit, I’ve never thought about my favorite dinosaur before. But now that you’re asking . . . I’m going with stegosaurus! By all accounts, a gentle herbivore. Meaning if I ever bump into one, he probably won’t eat me.
Books by Suzy Levinson:
Dinos That Drive
Written by Suzy Levinson
Illustrated by Dustin Harbin
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774885239 | Tundra Books
You’ve never seen a dinosaur that’s into driving cars? Well, buckle up! Brontosaurus, Triceratops, Pterodactyl and T. rex are all here to show off their driving, flying and diving skills in this riotous, fully illustrated book of poems about dinosaurs and their favorite things-that-go! From flighty Bambiraptor’s traffic chopper to hardheaded Pachycephalosaurus’s garbage truck to mama Maiasaura’s kid-carting minivan, and even to the stars beyond — these dinos on the go have no time to slow down. Each spread is full of fun details for young readers to pore over, but with our intrepid dino guides providing helpful dino facts on each page, you’ll never need a GPS again!
