College student, Epiphany Spear, illustrated one scene from Betcha! with her interpretation of the characters, Kit, Jazz and Clementine.
By Laurel G.
new: “Betcha!”
Children’s Book
Kit’s improbable bet with her best friend Jazz leads to a madcap sequence of the dime rolling down the Guggenheim’s Great Ramp, while Kit, Jazz, and Kit’s Toto-sized dog, Clementine, run to keep up with it. A subplot develops when a museum guard joins in, chasing Clementine, not the dime. At that point Clementine runs ahead of the dime, and it’s her “tailwind” that helps propel the dime towards the finish line. A lot is at stake: the wager involves Kit’s red sneakers, which Kit decorated with glitter, and Jazz’s softball mitt, which Jazz decorated with beads.
Epiphany Spear started college as a freshman at Case Western Reserve University in the fall of 2024. She brings her creativity to life through photography, ceramics, graphic design, and drawing and is considering a major or a minor in visual arts. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends, exploring new places, and playing with her pet dog, a Maltese named Fluff Muffin. Epiphany’s drawing of a scene for “Betcha!” is her first time creating an illustration for a picture book.
College student, Epiphany Spear, illustrated one scene from Betcha! with her interpretation of the characters, Kit, Jazz and Clementine
writer, laurel g.
More About Betcha!
FAQ’s:
1. Will the depiction of famous art mentioned in the story require copyright approval?
Rather than using actual reproductions, the artwork in Betcha! can be depicted in the style of famous artists, which is the approach Thacher Hurd used to depict famous artwork mentioned in his picture book Art Dog. This approach means no copyright approval would be required.
2. What are The Wizard of Oz parallels in the story?
Once illustrated, grownups reading the story to their kids will recognize the connections to The Wizard of Oz: coveted glittery red shoes, Jazz as the Wicked Witch on her bicycle, Clementine as Toto, the Guggenheim as tornado on a stormy day, and the blurring of real and make-believe.
3. Are there any books similar to Betcha!?
Betcha! is a picture book that fits into its own niche by combining art and fast-paced action. In contrast, the picture book, You Can’t Take a Balloon into The Metropolitan Museum (in print since 1995), is wordless. Art Dog by Thacher Hurd (in print since 1997) has limited action.
4.What about the fact that Kit, Clementine, and Jazz break museum rules?
In the classic From the Mixed-Up Files of Mrs. Basil E. Frankweiler, in print for 60 years, brother and sister break museum rules of The Metropolitan Museum of Art. In contrast to the realistic storyline of The Mixed-Up Files, the storyline in Betcha! intentionally blurs what is real and make-believe. Before the dime rolling sequence, for example, Kit herself acknowledges that “no person on earth can roll a dime that far.”
5. What is your sales pitch for Betcha!?
Betcha I Can Roll That Dime All the Way Down the Guggenheim! is a rollicking, fast-paced, page-turner, which is loaded with hooks for kids and which has obvious appeal to parents and educators by introducing kids to a famous art museum and some of the great art in it.
6. Will Betcha! be a series?
That is my intention. I am working on a picture book story that takes place at MOMA which has a working title of Gonna Roam-a in MOMA. A third story, which is in the idea phase right now, is called Dunno What Hit Me at the Whitney. Kit, Jazz and Clementine are characters in both of these stories.
7. Am I looking for representation?
Yes, I have started querying literary agents.
Laurel G. writes picture book stories!
I wanted kids to fall in love with birds as much as I have, so I wrote I Wish They Would Come in for Tea (subtitled Making Friends with Birds), a sweet, little board book story.
I wanted to introduce kids to fine art in a fun and exciting way, so I wrote Betcha I Can Roll that Dime All the Way Down the Guggenheim!, a fast-paced, rollicking read-aloud.
