ONE CAN BE

Today I’m thrilled to welcome multi published author Pat Zietlow Miller to the blog to celebrate the release of her newest book: ONE CAN BE. Beautifully illustrated by Annie Cron, this sweet book is being published by Beaming Books TODAY! (September 2nd, 2025).

Congratulations to Pat and everyone involved in this project! Happy Book Birthday!

A bit about ONE CAN BE:

An ode to introverts and quiet leaders. Sometimes you need to be alone–to think and breathe. Other times you need to be with friends–those you know and those you’ve only just met. And, sometimes, everyone works together to create something wonderful. Perfect for anyone who loves books and little libraries.

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Now on to our interview:

M. Pat, I’m so happy to have this wonderful opportunity to talk with you about your beautiful book on your release day. Can you share what inspired you to write it?

P. It all started with a tweet. During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, when we all were isolating, Paul W. Hankins, a teacher at Silver Creek High School in Sellersburg, Indiana, posted a tweet about how he left copies of THE ONE AND ONLY BOB by Katherine Applegate at the end of his driveway for a friend to pick up. He finished the tweet by writing: “A book can fit. A book can fill. A book can fix.” I liked the concept of sharing books even without the in-person contact, and I liked the cadence of Paul’s final three lines. So I started playing around with a poem about enjoying being alone but seeking connection when you needed it. I’m a big introvert – a top-scoring INFJ on the Myers Briggs Personality Assessment. And overall, it took me longer than other people to get annoyed and frustrated at being alone during the pandemic. So I wanted to write a story about the joy in being alone and thinking and wondering and then the equal joy that can be found in connecting with the right people at the right time.

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M. That’s such a great story, Pat! I love that you kept the original tweet as a memento. Thanks for sharing it! It’s clear how we never really know what will end up inspiring us, or how or when. Can you tell us why was it important for you to write THIS book?

P. Along with being an introvert, I’m a book lover. I love reading them, discussing them, and sharing them. I guess that makes me a booktrovert. Someone who’s introverted, but happy to discuss books. So, I knew I wanted to include books in ONE CAN BE Why? Because:

 Paul was sharing them in his inspirational tweet.

 I’m a big fan of Little Free Libraries and often leave my books in them. (But the LFL concept actually was suggested by Beaming Books editor Naomi Krueger after she saw my story.)

 With all the efforts to ban books or control book access, I wanted to remind people how wonderful it is to read something, share it with someone else, and then discuss it.

And even though folks are no longer isolating, this still seemed like a great time to focus on the benefits of creating a remote or in-person bookish community.

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M. Adding the Free Library concept was spot on! I like how your book highlights not only the importance of books and libraries, but also their significant contribution to the communities. Regarding the illustrations, can you share how was it for you to meet the characters created by Annie? Did you have any input in the illustration process? Did you include art notes in your manuscript?

P. One of my favorite parts of the picture book creation process is seeing the art. It is so cool to find out how the illustrator imagines what I wrote. When I saw Annie’s art, I instantly loved the color palette she’d chosen and the group of kids and neighbors she’d created. (Here’s an interview with Annie about how she approached the art.) I didn’t have much input on the art which was fine with me. I generally try not to suggest changes unless there’s a factual error in the art or something that I find confusing. The art note question is an interesting one. Generally, I prefer not to use art notes. My experience has shown that illustrators come up with cooler things than I would ever envision. But, in this case, my agent, Ammi-Joan Paquette, looked at my 130-word poem, and suggested I add some notes. So I did. But, I also included a disclaimer that there were many other ways to approach the illustrations, as well. And Annie and the Naomi Krueger were actually the ones who thought of having Little Free Libraries play such a big part in the art.

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M. Seeing the art is one of my favorite parts of the book process too; and it’s so true, creating a book is really a team effort, in which each member makes the product way better. On another note, what would you like readers to take away from this book?

P. That reserved, quiet kids often have a lot going on under the surface. They can be a wealth of big ideas and creativity. So ask them what they’re thinking! AND, that even people with the best ideas often need to work with others to make those ideas a reality. Which is exactly what happens in this book.

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M. I love that, and yes, that theme definitely pops out in this story. Finally, to wrap this interview up, and considering you have written so many books, what’s one revising tip you’d give writers?

P. Read your story out loud multiple times. Listen for where you stumble over words. Listen for where it sounds clunky or repetitive. Listen for where you might get bored. Listen for spots where you can say the same thing more creatively and concisely. If you’re feeling brave, have someone who hasn’t seen your story before read it out loud while you listen. Where do they stumble over words? Which parts sound odd or don’t flow? A great picture book is one anyone can pick up and read smoothly. So listen to where that isn’t happening and go back and work on those areas.

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Pat, thanks so much for such great advice, for your time, and for sharing your experience creating ONE CAN BE. It’s been such an interesting conversation! I wish you all the best in the coming months as you promote it, and in your other projects in the works too. Congratulations!

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PAT’S BIO

Pat Zietlow Miller has published 22 picture books and has more on the way. Her first book, SOPHIE’S SQUASH, won the Golden Kite Award, an Ezra Jack Keats New Writer Honor, and a Charlotte Zolotow Honor. BE KIND was on the New York Times bestseller list for 10 weeks, and IN OUR GARDEN is a two-time Dolly Parton Imagination Library selection. Pat lives in Wisconsin. 

Connect with Pat!

Website: www.patzietlowmiller.com

Twitter/X: @PatZMiller

Instagram: @patzmill

BlueSky: @patzmiller.bsky.social

Thanks for reading!

M

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Cover photo by Andrea Piacquadio.