MSU alumna publishes 39th children’s book: “How to Be a Proper Ogre”
Though Michigan State University alumna and New York Times best-selling author Kelly DiPucchio’s latest children’s book is the 39th she’s published, it’s her first modern fable.
“How to Be a Proper Ogre” (Feiwel & Friends, $18.99), illustrated by Janie Bynum, explores themes of belonging, personal empowerment and defying expectations. It follows Mary Beth, an unconventional, non-slimy, tan-skinned ogre (who looks more like a human than an ogre) who struggles to fit in with her revolting family, particularly her two brothers named Crusty Boogers and Hairy Knuckles. While her brothers terrorize the townspeople, Mary Beth is considered too gentle and is sent to sell goose eggs. When a greedy prince threatens her family, Mary Beth proves true bravery and kindness come in many forms.
“I think the humor and the surprise ending makes this book stand out from other children’s books on the shelves today,” said DiPucchio, of Macomb. “The inspiration for the ogres came about one day when I was considering various animals and characters not commonly featured in picture books. Of course, ‘Shrek!’ by William Steig came to mind when I thought about ogres, but beyond that popular title, there aren’t many other ogre books.”
Fellow children’s book author Lisa Rose, formerly of West Bloomfield, praised DiPucchio’s work.
“Kelly’s books start with one genius idea that I envy and go, ‘Why I didn’t think of that first?’” Rose said. “However, it’s her heartfelt humor that makes her books successful across generations.”
According to DiPucchio, the ending of “How to Be a Proper Ogre” was reimagined and rewritten numerous times before she finally landed on the perfect plot twist.
One of her favorite things about writing the book was coming up with fun ogre names.
“Kids can generate their own unique ogre name by downloading the activity kit Janie and I created for the book, which can be found on the publisher’s website,” she said.
Even though DiPucchio has known Bynum, formerly of Kalamazoo, for over 20 years, “Ogre” marks their first professional collaboration.
“It was a joy to finally create a picture book with her,” DiPucchio said. “I had always admired Janie’s art. One day, about four years ago, she posted a fun sketch of an ogre-like creature on Facebook. I already had a very early draft of the ogre manuscript languishing in my computer files, and seeing her sketch prompted me to share the story with her. From there, Janie and I started brainstorming the project, and, ultimately, our agents sold the book as a package deal, which was very exciting.”
DiPucchio was born in Warren and raised in Rochester. She’s an alumna of Rochester High School and MSU, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in child psychology and development. She has been married to her husband, John, for 35 years. The couple has three children and four grandchildren, with a fifth on the way.
While she was attending MSU, DiPucchio’s professors encouraged her to submit her writing for publication. However, she refused.
“At the time, writing was a personal thing to me. It didn’t occur to me to get published. I wasn’t ready to pursue it,” she said.
When her children were young, she’d read them picture books, which inspired her to try her hand at writing one. In 2001, after six years and 200 rejection letters, she sold the manuscript for “What’s The Magic Word?” which was published in 2004.
In 2008, DiPucchio published her best-known book, “Grace for President,” illustrated by LeUyen Pham. The book has received positive reviews from many media outlets, including The Washington Post. It made The New York Times’ best-sellers list. Time Magazine even interviewed DiPucchio, which she said is rare for children’s book authors.
According to DiPucchio, “Grace for President” was inspired by her former editor Donna Bray’s daughter Grace. When Grace was in preschool, her teacher had displayed a poster of the presidents of the United States. Grace innocently asked her teacher, “Where are the girls?”
“Grace’s teacher relayed the story to Donna, who felt the anecdote would make a great foundation for a picture book,” DiPucchio recalled. “Donna called me and asked me if I could build a story around Grace’s thought-provoking question.”
The book follows Grace Campbell, an ambitious grade school student, as she begins her political career as a presidential candidate in her school’s mock election. She is inspired to run when her teacher, Mrs. Barrington, hangs up a poster of all the presidents of the United States in her classroom.
Grace is stunned when she sees there hasn’t been a single female president and announces her candidacy against fellow student Thomas Cobb. Initially, nobody thinks she stands a chance against him. However, Thomas rests on his laurels, while Grace tirelessly and relentlessly campaigns. In the end, she beats Thomas by two electoral votes. The victorious Grace declares that she’ll run for POTUS when she grows up, leading to a picture on the last page of her being sworn in.
That image still makes DiPucchio misty eyed to this day.
“The final illustration of Grace as an adult getting sworn in on Inauguration Day is such a powerful image! I never get tired of sharing it with kids,” she said. “There are no words on the last page because words aren’t necessary. It’s a very powerful image, one that I hope inspires all children, regardless of their gender or race, to dream big.”
In 2019, DiPucchio wrote a sequel called “Grace Goes to Washington,” also illustrated by Pham.
“Sales for the two ‘Grace’ books are steady, but I always see the biggest uptick in sales during a presidential election year,” DiPucchio said. “In 2028, ‘Grace for President’ will celebrate its 20th anniversary, which is hard to believe.”
DiPucchio’s 40th book, “The Secret Life of Dog Toys,” illustrated by Jenn Harney, will debut this September.
“I write five to six picture book manuscripts per year. I get published one to two times per year, on average,” DiPucchio said. “I don’t have a set schedule. I don’t work that way. I have to write when I’m inspired to write. When I’m not writing, I’m doing a lot of reading. It’s pretty great to have that flexibility to work from home — it’s awesome.”
DiPucchio is also a member of the writing team for PBS’ “Carl the Collector,” the network’s first series centered around a main character who’s autistic. It debuted in late 2024, targeting children ages 4 to 8. It emphasizes social-emotional learning, self-identity, community and the power of inclusion by featuring a mix of neurodiverse and neurotypical characters.
Zachariah O’Hora, who illustrated DiPucchio’s 2018 picture book “Poe Won’t Go,” is the creator of “Carl the Collector.”
“When Zach was looking for writers for the show, he reached out to me. I had no television writing experience, but Zach was familiar with my picture books, and he had faith that I could learn,” DiPucchio said.
Earlier this year, every member of the “Carl the Collector” writing team received an Emmy Award for Outstanding Public Service Initiative.
“This was a huge honor and a career highlight for me,” DiPucchio said. “Picture books are my first love and where I feel the most confident, but being a part of a ground-breaking animated children’s show has been immensely rewarding.”
Keep up with DiPucchio at kellydipucchio.com.
