After being notified The Day Annabelle was Bitten by a Doodlebug had been selected as Honorable Mention in the Writer’s Digest Self-Published Book Awards, I was so pleased! But I was even more excited two months later when I at last received the comments and [perfect] scores from the judge.
Judge’s Commentary*:
The Day Annabelle was Bitten by a Doodlebug is a fabulous, well written book about a girl named Annabelle who can’t stop doodling! I wasn’t surprised to discover on your about page that you’re a poet—your sing-song poetry in this book is flawless. Usually I discourage self-published writers from using rhyme in their story, but that’s because it’s often imperfect, but in this selection, that’s not the case at all. This is an excellent example of when rhyming works in a children’s book, and makes it that much stronger. The illustrations are also very strong and support the story well. I can’t imagine any child reading this book and not wanting to start doodling themselves. I was a little sad to see Annabelle had stopped doodling at the end of the book, though something is to be said for jumping back into life again, playing soccer, etc. Your sense of humor shines through well—my favorite laugh was when Annabelle doodled in her noodles. It was also a treat to see the main character’s progression as she kept drawing, even into the ridiculousness of becoming an international sensation! I’d love to offer a bit of critique, but in all honesty this is one of the most polished self-published books I’ve seen this year. It’s absolutely delightful. Here’s to more books from Julie Wenzlick.
Structure, Organization, and Pacing: 5
Spelling, Punctuation, and Grammar: 5
Production Quality and Cover Design: 5
Plot and Story Appeal: 5
Character Appeal and Development: 5
Voice and Writing Style: 5
