Happy Thursday Critters! I’ve been so excited to share today’s debut author interview for a while now, as Abi Cushman’s new picture book, SOAKED, is one I’ve been anticipating the release of for quite some time now. SOAKED officially released this past Tuesday with Viking Books for Young Readers and has received glowing reviews all around.
So without further ado, please welcome Abi Cushman to Critter Lit today!
Where do you live? I live in the same town I grew up in -- Niantic, CT. Seventeen-year-old Abi did not see that one coming.
When did you know you wanted to write and illustrate picture books?
I remember trying to draw Huckle Cat and Officer Flossy from the Richard Scarry books when I was in elementary school. But it took me thirty more years to nail down my own voice and get my characters and storylines to fit into the unique format that is a picture book.
Tell us about your road to publication, what did that involve for you?
My road to publication, in some ways, has been relatively short. It took me three years to get a book deal after I decided to make a serious effort at becoming a published author-illustrator. In 2015, I was a new mom reading lots and lots of board books and picture books to my daughter. I had an idea for a story, so I created a dummy and joined a local critique group. Nine months later, I landed an agent with that story. In 2017, I won the PEN New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award for the second dummy I wrote, as well as the Tassy Walden New Voices Award (for CT unpublished authors). I thought this was IT. That this was the story that would sell, because it had won those awards and got editor interest immediately after my agent sent it on submission. But things never lined up for that story, and I was crushed. Luckily, I used those feelings of dejection in a new story called SOAKED! which featured a very glum bear stuck in the rain, and I ended up selling it in 2018!
I should note too that throughout my publication journey, I’ve found the support of the kidlit community to be absolutely wonderful. The friendships I’ve made online and in-person have bolstered me up when I most needed it. This is something I’ll always treasure.
Can you share a bit about your process?
When I’m creating a story, I do a lot of rough sketches first and then piece everything together like a puzzle. I’ll draw thumbnails and then a rough mini dummy to figure out page turns and pacing.
After getting feedback, I make a larger dummy with more polished sketches. Once everything is approved, I create the final art by first drawing the characters with a mechanical pencil on computer paper. I scan those into Adobe Photoshop and adjust the levels to make the outlines nice and dark.
Then I apply the color with a Wacom Cintiq tablet. I keep most of the characters on their own layer/group in Photoshop so that I can move them around if necessary. And after drawing in the background and building up the colors and details, I arrive at the final art!
What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?
I write ideas or snippets of text down in my ugly sketchbook [https://taralazar.com/2020/01/04/storystorm-2020-day-4/] along with rough drawings of characters and scenes. When I’m in between projects, I go back through my sketchbook and see if anything catches my interest. And if so, I do more sketches to try to develop the idea further and see if it has legs.
Anything you can’t live without while you write/draw?
If I’m doing final art, I need a mechanical pencil with a good eraser. I definitely don’t get things right the first time for the most part. I also prefer peace and quiet while I work.
Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?
I am inspired by so many authors and illustrators, but to name a few who not only excel on a technical level but also stand out for their perseverance, resilience and drive:
Maral Sassouni (illustrator of The Green Umbrella)
Maral Sassouni (illustrator of The Green Umbrella)
Ken Lamug (author-illustrator of the upcoming graphic novel Mischief and Mayhem)
Arree Chung (author-illustrator of Mixed, founder of StorytellerAcademy.com)
Rebekah Lowell (author-illustrator of the upcoming MG novel in verse The Road to After]
The Soaring 20s crew (2020 debut picture book authors and illustrators)
Dream project to work on?
One thing I love about being an author-illustrator is the ability to create my own projects. True these projects have to be pitched by my agent and then accepted by an editor (and the editorial team, and the sales & marketing team, and the publisher), but at least I’m not waiting for something awesome to just land in my lap. I’m out there making something out of nothing. So usually my dream project is the one I’m working on now! That said, if an art director or editor had a manuscript they thought would be a perfect fit, I would love the opportunity to illustrate it.
Tell us about your debut book.
Soaked! is about a bear caught in a rainstorm- his ice cream cone is soggy, his cashmere sweater has shrunk, and he definitely does not want to try hula-hooping with a hula-hooping moose. But his trio of friends help him see that having fun isn't dependent on sunshine and clear skies.
What’s up next for you?
I am wrapping up final art for my second book with Viking, Animals Go Vroom! It challenges readers to guess what goes roar, hiss, or honk and has little peekaboo windows. I think it’s a fun read-aloud, and I’m really excited to share it with everyone next summer.
And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?
The Princess Bride. But I didn’t watch it until the 90s when a teacher put it on at the end of a field day to pass the time before dismissal. We only watched the beginning and I remember thinking, “WOW. What is this?? It’s absolutely awful. The color and scenery look so fake!” But then slowly but surely, I came to realize it was the greatest movie I’d ever seen.
Huge thank you to Abi for stopping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on all your success! We can’t wait to see ANIMALS GO VROOM! when it comes out next summer!
ABI CUSHMAN is an award-winning children’s book author and illustrator. She has also worked as a web designer for over 15 years, creating websites for libraries, towns, and local businesses. She runs two popular websites of her own: My House Rabbit, a pet rabbit care resource, and Animal Fact Guide , which was named a Great Website for Kids by the American Library Association. In her spare time, Abi enjoys running, playing tennis, and eating nachos. (Yes, at the same time.) She lives on the Connecticut shoreline with her husband and two kids.
For more information about Abi, visit her online or follow her on social media:
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