Touch the Sky: An Interview with Author Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic
Learning to pump on the swings is a rite of passage for many young children. In Touch the Sky Vern longs to be one of the kids who swoop until their toes touch the sky. A chance encounter with precocious (and hilarious) Gretchen gives him just what he needs to know, and he finally learns to soar. Hilarious and heartfelt, this story is for every child on the cusp of learning something new and just needs that extra push to get there.
Today author Stephanie V. W. Lucianovic joins us to discuss her own experiences learning how to pump, the song stuck in her head as she wrote this charming picture book, and more! Read on to download the free educator guide!
Who taught you how to pump?
My big sister, Jennie. She finally got tired of giving me so many underdogs to get me swinging that she taught me how to coordinate my body to keep up the momentum. We had a swing set in our backyard in Minneapolis on which I practiced A LOT, and that moment where everything just with my arms, legs, body, and brain is unforgettable. It’s truly as Gretchen puts it in the book: “It’s hard until it’s not.”
Did you have a favorite place to swing growing up?
We were lucky to have so many playgrounds in our neighborhood, but I specifically remember Triangle Park near Cedar Lake. It was really close to our house, and when I close my eyes I can still remember every climbing structure and ride they had back in the late 70s and early 80s. There was the jungle gym that looked like a spider web on which we hung upside-down from our knees, the metal slides that got really hot in the summers, the baby swings that we all called “diaper swings” because of the shape of their seats, and, of course, the “big kid” swings with their flexible black rubber seats. I can still smell those seats baking in the sun.
What Madonna song was constantly running through your head while writing the book?
The plaintive song “This Used to Be My Playground” is inextricably linked in my head with parks. And the verses were even more relevant for me recently. When I got my author copies of TOUCH THE SKY, I took it to do an off-the-cuff photoshoot at the playground where my own kids grew up playing. Unfortunately, it was totally fenced off and torn up! Everything was gone. They are in the process of revamping/rebuilding it, and it will be open again soon, but still, it was a very melancholy site that day!
Did you go to local parks to do your research on the mechanics of swinging?
In fact, I didn’t and in a few more questions, you see why. Instead, I sat on the edge of bed (where I do most of my writing) and contorted my body in all the swinging motions in order to accurately depict all the steps in the book. The complex mechanics of swinging wasn’t something I ever thought of until I had to write it all down in steps.
Do you know any tricks you can do on a swing?
I wasn’t much of a daredevil as a kid (still that way as an adult), but at some point I got brave enough to jump off when the swing hits the top of the highest arc. When you do that, it you go soaring into the air and (hopefully) land on your feet. However, that was never to be tried on with ground covering except for sand. I also remember turning myself upside down and wrapping my legs around the chains like some sort of circus trapeze artist.
Do you still enjoy getting on swings now?
Sadly, no. I’ve always been prone to motion sickness in cars and airplanes, and it’s only gotten worse as I’ve gotten older. A few years ago, I got on a swing with my oldest and discovered how nauseous it made me. That was not something I thought could happen!
Praise for Touch the Sky
★ “Lucianovic demonstrates a keen, child-friendly understanding of what it’s like to master a new skill. . . The energetic, loosely drawn mixed-media illustrations zing with color. . . It’s swing, hit, and no miss with this rip-roaring charmer.” — starred, Kirkus Reviews
“This is a wonderfully engaging and supportive must-read about personal growth through persisting, trying again, succeeding, and helping others pitched perfectly to resonate with the target audience’s age, context, and interests. Reviewer Rating: 5″ — Children’s Literature
Free Educator Resources
Download the free teaching guide developed by educator Jennifer Hart. Also found on the Lerner website!
Connect with the author
Stephanie V.W. Lucianovic writes books in the San Francisco Bay Area surrounded by a few kids, a few cats, and one husband. Her work includes The End of Something Wonderful, Hello Star, and The League of Picky Eaters.
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