March Guest Guru: Author / Librarian Jolene Gutierrez

Every month, Rate Your Story features one Guest Guru who will give Ratings and Feedback to each of four lucky Members! Those who want to be considered for this opportunity should read this article, consider its contents when choosing your manuscript, submit early in the month and be sure to request consideration for a Guest Guru Slot from Judy, our Inbox Coordinator.

To really learn about Jolene, please consider buying one of her books here: https://amzn.to/4cGxdZP

What do you LOVE about children’s books?

I love that children’s books touch on so many topics and allow kids to see themselves within their pages. I’m a teacher librarian for grades 2-12 and I love knowing that if a child or the adults in the child’s life come to me looking for books on a specific topic, I will be able to find books to put in their hands. I love how excited kids get when they come to my library. Hopefully, they’re a little excited to see me, but mostly, I know they’re excited to look for new books, and that’s such a beautiful thing!

What brought you to children’s books?

My mom and my dad. As a child, my mom read to me, took me to the library, and volunteered at my school’s library. My dad told me that he would never say no to buying me a book. Having parents who valued reading, books, and libraries showed me the importance of books. I’ve really never left the world of children’s books because I’ve been working as a teacher librarian all of my adult life.

Name something you loved / enjoyed as a child?

I loved learning others’ history and my own family heritage. I grew up in a small, mostly homogenous farming community, so books were my windows to the world. For my own children, it was important to me that they have stories that reflect their Mexican heritage, and as young adults, both of my kids co-wrote books with me to celebrate and share some of our traditions: my daughter Shaian and I wrote The Ofrenda That We Built, a Día de Muertos book, and son Dakota and I wrote Mamiachi and Me: My Mami’s Mariachi Band, a story that touches on the rich history of mariachi and the power of an all-female mariachi band.

What do you look for in a project to make it a favorite?

I love books that make readers feel something—books with heart. I love books that will help readers learn something they didn’t know and will help them grow as people.

Share a story that you love and why.

Two of my recent favorites are Ruth Behar’s middle grade Across So Many Seas and Lynn Brunelle’s and Jason Chin’s Life After Whale: The Amazing Ecosystem of a Whale Fall.

What is a common issue with the manuscripts you receive?

If you’re like me and aren’t an illustrator, make sure you’re leaving space for illustrations. That being said, don’t cut your writing so much that you get rid of all of the beautiful, lyrical language!

In terms of becoming a writer, what does PROFESSIONALISM mean to you?

To me, the word “professionalism” is synonymous with the word “respect.” We are writing stories in the hopes of sharing them with young readers, so we must respect our intended audience and our co-workers, including other writers, agents, and editors. There are a LOT of emotions that bubble to the surface while we’re doing this work—during the writing, during the submitting, during the far-too-frequent moments of waiting. To me, professionalism is treating others and ourselves with respect because everyone is doing their best to bring beautiful stories into the world.

Please share a Submission tip with our Members.

Do your homework! Make sure you’ve researched the person you’re submitting to so you know their interests and requirements for submissions. And be sure to follow all their guidelines when submitting—this is your chance to show them that you pay attention to details.

Please share a Revision Tip for our Members.

I listen to audiobooks a lot and I read a lot of picture books to my students, so I know the power of hearing a story aloud. This is especially true if you’re writing picture books because these books are intended to be read aloud, so make sure you read your manuscripts out loud or, even better, ask someone else to read your story while you listen. You’ll catch areas that don’t flow as they should, areas where you might leave more space for an illustrator, and repetition of words that you might not catch when you’re just eye-reading.

Name subjects you would like to read about.

I’d love to read little-known history, picture book biographies, and stories about various types of families and traditions. I also love food stories as well as stories about feelings and figuring out the world.

Name subjects you would not like to read about.

Even though I’ve written a couple of rhyming manuscripts, I’d rather not critique rhyming manuscripts. I also feel like things that we see frequently in picture books like anthropomorphized animal stories, common holidays, and basic concepts (alphabet, numbers, etc.) can be tough to tackle unless they’re written in a unique way.

Share a fun fact about YOU!

The school library that I run is housed in an historic Chapel that’s turning 100 years old this year. It’s one of my favorite places in the world. Our Chapel library is such a special part of our campus—I’ll hold a birthday party for the building.

Also is there anything in particular you want or don't want to give rating and

feedback on?

No rhyming manuscripts, please. ☺

Jolene Gutiérrez is an award-winning neurodivergent teacher librarian who has been working with neurodivergent learners at Denver Academy since 1995. Jolene writes for young readers and hopes her books will help some readers feel seen and will help others learn and grow in compassion. Her books have been printed in 10 countries and 9 languages. Jolene is an active member of SCBWI, part of the KidLitCollective group, and a co-creator of #KidlitZombieWeek and Picture Book Gold. Jolene is represented by agent Kaitlyn Sanchez and is the author of Unbreakable: A Japanese American Family in an American Incarceration Camp (Abrams Childrens, 2026, co-authored with Minoru Tonai), Mamiachi and Me: My Mami’s Mariachi Band (Abrams/Appleseed, 2025, co-authored with her son Dakota), The Ofrenda That We Built (Chronicle, 2024, co-authored with her daughter Shaian), Too Much! An Overwhelming Day (Abrams/Appleseed, 2023), the Stars of Latin Pop series (Rourke, 2021), Bionic Beasts: Saving Animal Lives with Artificial Flippers, Legs, and Beaks (Lerner, 2020), and Mac and Cheese and the Personal Space Invader (Clear Fork/Spork, 2020). Find her online at www.jolenegutierrez.com.