"I Hear the Wind " My first book

Back in December of 2006, my first book,"I Hear the Wind " was released by Stemmer House Publishing. It was edited by Mr. Craig Thorn. It was Craig, editor in chief  at Stemmer House, who first read my query letter that I had anxiously mailed to them. But I think more than anything...it was the illustration samples I sent with that caught his eye.

The inspiration for this book was the work of author and Illustrator Chris Van Allsburg. I was fascinated by how he could create books for children that could be appreciated by adults as well.

And so I began the process of getting this piece of prose I had written into picture book form.  I needed to divide the story into the standard 32 page format and create illustrations for each page that not just represented but also attempted to enlighten the words on the page.

Some illustrations came easy, some were a little more work. Once I had the book in a somewhat uniform and cohesive form, I then began to read and reread the book over and over again. I'm sure my own kids grew a little tired of hearing "daddy's book" again. Looking over every detail to make the words and pictures work as one.
There is a huge amount of time, talent, patience and energy needed to get a book from idea to submission ready...and then you need to find a publisher. I was extremely lucky to have landed with Stemmer House. Granted they were a small publisher, but at least they took a chance on releasing a book by an unknown author. "I Hear the Wind" didn't win any major literary awards, but it did garner some nice reviews...

Midwest Book Reviews said...
Written and illustrated by Greg Budig, I Hear the Wind is a beautiful black-and-white softcover picture book about the voice of the night wind, sometimes gentle, sometimes fierce, as heard by a young child. Each two-page spread features one or two sentences on the left, and a compelling gray scale scene of the nighttime world on the right. A recurring motif of leaves drifting in the wind complements this simple story, ideal for reading aloud before bedtime. "And I wonder if anyone else is awake and can they hear the wind just like me? Do they sit by their winter tight windows and wait for the wind dancing leaves?" Highly recommended.

Arm Chair Interviews... 

Looking Glass Reviews...

So the book was not without a certain amount of praise. I only wish it could have reached a larger audience....but such is the way of the world.