Six Questions with Chelsea Tornetto

Chelsea Tornetto is an educator turned children’s book author (she taught 7th grade world geography for 17 years prior to writing for kids.) Chelsea has enjoyed writing rhyming poetry since she was a child, so rhyming picture books are a natural extension of that. She grew up on a farm in the Midwest, and currently lives in rural Missouri, so many of her stories are about the simple joys of childhood in her part of the country. It is her hope that her stories are universal enough to appeal to kids everywhere! Chelsea’s picture book, Chalk the Walk, was illustrated by Laurel Aylesworth and published by Familius. Visit Chelsea’s website to learn more about her and her work. She’s part of PB25 Vibes, a group of 12 authors and illustrators with picture books launching in 2025. Be sure to visit their X/Twitter feed (https://x.com/pb25vibes) for book announcements and writing tips.

1. What inspires you?

I am the kind of person who sees picture book ideas everywhere!  I am never short on inspiration. But because I write mostly in rhyme, I find that most of my stories start with a specific catchy phrase or rhyme that I just can’t get out of my head. Like the phrase “chalk the walk!”  Once it popped into my head, I couldn’t get rid of it, so I knew it had to be a picture book!  

2. What makes you passionate about being a children’s author?

For me, writing is an art and a challenge I set for myself. It’s a bit like wanting to solve a crossword puzzle on your own without using Google! I enjoy tinkering with words until I’ve found the perfect one!

3. Did you have a favorite book or author when you were a child?

A book called The Snow Kept On Falling by Kathie McQueary has always been my favorite.  It perfectly captures the excitement of rural kids waiting and hoping for snow. I also love Frog and Toad. Toad can always make me laugh…he’s so relatable!

4. What inspired you to write Chalk the Walk?

My own kids love to play with sidewalk chalk in the spring and summer. It’s a cheap and easy activity that gets them off their screens and out in the sunshine!  During the pandemic, I saw a news story about people leaving hopeful notes outside of  their neighbor’s houses with sidewalk chalk as a way to stay connected while still isolating. I thought that was a really cool idea, and it made me think about how something as simple as sidewalk chalk can change the whole “vibe” of a street.  And that's how my book Chalk the Walk was born!  

5. Is there anything special you want your readers to know about your book? Do you have a favorite spread?

I love how the illustrator, Laurel Aylesworth, used the overall color palette to show how chalk can brighten the neighborhood. If you notice, the first several spreads are very monochromatic…dark and gray. Then, as the story progresses the pages get more and more bright and colorful! It really helps convey the overall message. 

6. What was the most difficult part of writing or researching this book?

No research required for this one.  And the poem itself came together fairly quickly.  I’d say the hardest part was waiting for the beautiful illustrations!