I came home from work Saturday to find Hiccups for Elephant on my kitchen table! I don't think I have ever been so excited or nervous to crack open a children's book before!
All right, here's the comparison. This is a Scholastic Reader level 2 book so I think in general the writing needs to be a little less complex for it's readers. The story is very cute; elephant can't take his nap because of the hiccups, one by one his animal friends try to cure him of them (more out of frustration than helpfulness). There are four suggestions made (if you want to know what they are you need to buy the book cuz I ain't tellin!). In the end Elephant's hiccups are cured and everyone gets back to sleep...well almost...(there's a surprise ending! Again not telling...) In Hiccuping Hubert, Hubert is giving a concert and he's super nervous, then gets the hiccups. Again his friends try to cure him, although their attempts are made out of sheer helpfulness not frustration. In my story there are also four suggestions made as to how to cure Hubert, though generally they differ than Hiccups for Elephant. There is also a surprise ending in my story...boy oh boy!
I'm thinking our stories are different enough, though both are fun, Hiccuping Hubert seems to have more of a moral where Hiccups for Elephant is merely cute and fun.
So, next step make contact with Mr. Preller...but how? I mean I know how, but I'm a little nervous...what exactly does one say to a well seasoned published author who's written a book very similar to yours? Whatever I end up writing one things for certain, it will probably be something he'd write - apparently we think a lot alike...
On a side note if you check out his blog you will see he has posted some illustrations a class did for his book, I want it noted that I posted my illustrations from my daughter's class first....whose copying who now???
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