Design Discussions with Siobhan Ciminera, Editorial Director for Simon Spotlight, an Imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing

Hi Guessers,

Image courtesy of
Siobhan Ciminera

For this month’s Design Discussions, I had the pleasure of interviewing Siobhan Ciminera, Editorial Director for Simon Spotlight, an imprint of Simon & Schuster Children’s Publishing. Simon Spotlight oversees all titles in the Ready-to-Read program, including the 2006 Geisel Award winner (Henry and Mudge and the Great-Grandpas by Cynthia Rylant, illustrated by Suçie Stevenson) and last year’s Go, Otto, Go! by David Milgrim, which won a Geisel Honor.

Design elements are very important to the Ready-to-Read line, and are discussed early on. Siobhan told me, “I would say we start discussing design elements as early as pre-acquisition. We need to have a clear idea of how we will proceed with the look of the book as we are working on the text.” Throughout the process, Ready-to-Read editors work hand in hand with the designers, authors, illustrators, and licensors on how the book will look.

Siobhan shared with me that Ready-to-Read books adhere to strict guidelines for each level. The lower the level, the stricter the measures. Here are some of the elements covered:

• Word count
• Word choice
• Number of letters on a line
• Number of lines on a page
• How closely illustrations and text match up
• Font size



Henry and Mudge and the
Great-Grandpas
by Cynthia Rylant,
illus. by Suçie Stevenson

Additionally, all Ready-to-Read titles use a specified font and adhere to design and illustration guidelines. Guidelines are also constantly reviewed to make sure they align with the current reading standards.

Two elements from the guideline list that are paramount to Siobhan are word choice and syntax. “Sometimes the difference between a Level 1 and a Level 2 is simply in the synonyms used and whether clauses are broken up into two separate sentences or flowed together.” For the lower levels (PreLevel 1, Level 1, and the new Ready-to-Go! level for kids learning sight words), Siobhan feels it’s especially important to provide picture support on each and every page.

Go, Otto, Go!
by David Milgrim

Although working within these guidelines can be challenging, Siobhan finds the process fun. “We often liken working on a beginning reader to working on a jigsaw puzzle. Yes, it’s hard finding the right piece to fit in the right place—the right word, the right syntax—but once you do, it’s extremely satisfying, especially when you know this is going to go in the hands of a beginning reader.”

Yes, the leveling guidelines are important, but the overarching element of importance for Siobhan is whether or not it’s a fun and engaging read for children. “If it’s not fun to read then nothing else really matters.” She says that just like there’s satisfaction in sorting out the puzzle pieces of a beginning reader, it’s a joyful puzzle to choose what to publish with the goal of having a “robust program, but one that ensures that each book is distinct from others on our list and from what’s already out there.”

Of course, I had to ask about beginning reader pet peeves (‘fess up, I’m sure you have a few too!). Siobhan mentioned books that use a beginning reader trim size (6” x 9”) that claim to be a certain level, but have too much text that would intimidate a very beginning reader. Her goal is for readers, no matter their interests or reading level, to come away feeling accomplished. She worries that a text-heavy early level can leave kids frustrated and ultimately turn them off of reading.

Mitchell is Moving
by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat,
illus. by Jose Aruego & Ariane Dewey

I also asked about her all-time favorite beginning reader. Siobhan chose Mitchell is Moving by Marjorie Weinman Sharmat and illustrated by Jose Aruego and Ariane Dewey. She told me, “this story about friendship starring two adorable dinosaurs is so sweet, funny, and relatable. Lots of white space and simple yet descriptive illustrations make this reader originally published in 1978 feel fresh and modern today.”

It’s easy to see that Siobhan takes great pride in the books her team creates for young readers. “At the end of the day, we’re helping kids learn to read and feel proud of being able to do so, no matter their reading level. And that is a really cool job. It certainly helps this night owl get out of bed every morning!”