Carolyn Crimi

Outside, Inside

Outside, Inside is a poetic story of contrasts about all the fun things a little girl does indoors during a thunderstorm. It will always be very special to me since it was the first book I ever got published. In fact, when the editor called to tell me that Simon & Schuster would be publishing it, I cried on the phone. This was not the best negotiation tactic. It's very difficult to pretend that you're some hard-nosed business woman after you've just blubbered on the phone about how this is the best day of your life and that you'd do it all for free.

I wrote the first draft of Outside, Inside on a stormy day. I love that warm, cozy feeling of being indoors during a big storm. The text for the book was only one page long, but it took me over a year to make the words sound just right. I kept re-reading the story and adding or taking away words before I thought it was good enough to submit. Of course my editor wanted me to make MORE changes. Editors, you know, are paid to torment writers this way. I felt the story was perfect, but after I thought about her suggestions I had to agree with her. The book was 250 words. I revised 249 of them.

I was very pleased with the illustrations Linnea made
using cut paper. I especially love the illustration with
Molly twirling on her tiptoes. The funny thing to me is
that I do not mention frogs or a pet bird once in the text,
and yet Linnea has them throughout the book. I love
seeing how illustrators add their own details to the story.

Reviews:
Horn Book, 1995: "Outside, rain falls and trees flap in the wind. Inside, Molly wakes up and begins her day. The poetic text vividly evokes the sounds and atmosphere outside and inside, using clever juxtapositions."

Related Home & Classroom Activities:
Rainy Day Book: write a classroom book about all the things students like to do on rainy days, giving each student his/her own page.

Rainy Day Splatter Painting: scribble designs on paper with different colored markers. Place the paper outside when it starts to rain. Bring it inside when you're happy with the design.

Collage: Linnea Asplind Riley made the illustrations in this book using cut paper. Tear up pieces of different colored construction paper and past them onto paper to make rainy day pictures. You can also tear up scraps of wrapping paper.

Bake Cookies!: mix up some chocolate chip cookie dough and squish it between your fingers, just like Molly.

Other Rainy Day Books:
There Goes Lowell's Birthday Party, by Esther Hershenhorn, illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers.

Puddles, Jonathan London, illustrated by G. Brian Karas.

In the Rain with Baby Duck, Amy Hest, illustrated by Jill Barton.



	*Outside, Inside* Outside, Inside is a poetic story of contrasts about all the fun things a little girl does indoors during a thunderstorm. It will always be very special to me since it was the first book I ever got published. In fact, when the editor called to tell me that Simon & Schuster would be publishing it, I cried on the phone. This was not the best negotiation tactic. It's very difficult to pretend that you're some hard-nosed business woman after you've just blubbered on the phone about how this is the best day of your life and that you'd do it all for free. I wrote the first draft of Outside, Inside on a stormy day. I love that warm, cozy feeling of being indoors during a big storm. The text for the book was only one page long, but it took me over a year to make the words sound just right. I kept re-reading the story and adding or taking away words before I thought it was good enough to submit. Of course my editor wanted me to make MORE changes. Editors, you know, are paid to torment writers this way. I felt the story was perfect, but after I thought about her suggestions I had to agree with her. The book was 250 words. I revised 249 of them. I was very pleased with the illustrations Linnea made using cut paper. I especially love the illustration with Molly twirling on her tiptoes. The funny thing to me is that I do not mention frogs or a pet bird once in the text, and yet Linnea has them throughout the book. I love seeing how illustrators add their own details to the story. Reviews: Horn Book, 1995: "Outside, rain falls and trees flap in the wind. Inside, Molly wakes up and begins her day. The poetic text vividly evokes the sounds and atmosphere outside and inside, using clever juxtapositions." Related Home & Classroom Activities: Rainy Day Book: write a classroom book about all the things students like to do on rainy days, giving each student his/her own page. Rainy Day Splatter Painting: scribble designs on paper with different colored markers. Place the paper outside when it starts to rain. Bring it inside when you're happy with the design. Collage: Linnea Asplind Riley made the illustrations in this book using cut paper. Tear up pieces of different colored construction paper and past them onto paper to make rainy day pictures. You can also tear up scraps of wrapping paper. Bake Cookies!: mix up some chocolate chip cookie dough and squish it between your fingers, just like Molly. Other Rainy Day Books: There Goes Lowell's Birthday Party, by Esther Hershenhorn, illustrated by Jacqueline Rogers. Puddles, Jonathan London, illustrated by G. Brian Karas. In the Rain with Baby Duck, Amy Hest, illustrated by Jill Barton.