Biscuit Author Visits Pound Ridge First Graders

“I am an author,” Alyssa Satin Capucilli said to a group of Pound Ridge Elementary School first graders. “That means that more than anything in the world, I love to read.”

Capucilli, who is best known for her “Biscuit” series of young reader books, talked to students about writing a book before leading them in an exercise to write their own Biscuit stories.

To begin, Capucilli read the first book in the series, Biscuit.

“This book is a true story—kind of,” she told students. Capucilli explained that the idea for the book came one night when her daughter, Laura, wanted to dog sit for their neighbors’ large dog. Not only did she want to dog sit, but she wanted the dog to sleepover. He still had a lot of energy come bedtime, so Laura tried things like bringing water and a bedtime snack, getting him a blanket and reading a story. 

 “He didn’t want to go to sleep, but Laura was so patient. She inspired me.”

Capucilli noted that the tale in Biscuit was different than what happened in real life.

“I took what was real and true in my life to write about, but I stirred in some imagination. I made my neighbor’s big dog a small dog who loves a story.”

Capucilli then spoke to students about the process required to make a book. They were shocked to learn that it takes two to three years to go from an idea to a published book.

All of her books start in what she calls a “treasure keeper.” They are notebooks where she jots down ideas and expands on them.

“I write in it every day,” she said. “It’s a little messy, but that’s ok.”

She told students that there are three very important things she needs to know when she writes a story: who will be in it; where it will take place; and what happens first, next, and last. She also tries to tuck in a little problem that she can fix by the end.

“I write lots of words and then send them to my teacher, only my teacher is called an editor,” she said. “Sometimes she says she thinks I can make it better. Once we agree that the words are perfect, we send it to the illustrator.”

Pat Schories, the illustrator for the Biscuit books, started her part of the process by meeting Laura, Capucilli’s daughter. Schories and Laura read the story together and then Laura began acting out different parts of it. Schories took photos and used them as references for illustrations that ultimately ended up in the book.

Capucilli showed students a side-by-side comparison of a photo of her daughter and the final illustration.

“Woah, that looks so similar!” a student shouted.

Capucilli also showed the first graders photos of the printing press and the first print of the book, which was one large sheet of paper that got folded into book form.

After explaining the book-making process, Capucilli had an important question for students.

“If you were going to write your own story about Biscuit, who might your characters be? Where might your setting be? What might happen first, next and last?”

Students were so excited and started sharing ideas for settings: outer space, a bowling alley, a museum, a park, an arcade.

They went back to their desks with “treasure keepers” of their own and excitedly chattered about what they were going to write their stories about.

“I’m going to write about Biscuit getting lost,” on student said.

“I’m going to write about Biscuit playing hockey! Biscuit’s going to have a helmet on so that he stays safe.”

“My story is going to be ‘Biscuit Meets the Demon Hunters.’”

Before Capucilli left, the whole class stood in a circle and shared the titles of their stories.