Happy Thursday Critters! I’m thrilled to be back this week with an illustrator interview! I love all the authors and author/illustrators we have on Critter Lit, of course, but It’s not often I get to feature an illustrator. Today we have an immensely talented illustrator who has illustrated over 60 books! She’s here to tell us all about her new books (4 came out last year!) and some insight into her process.

So without further ado, please welcome Christina Wald!

Where do you live?

Cincinnati, Ohio

How many years have you been in publishing?

Since the early 90s. I started doing Children's books in 2005.

How did you first get published?

I first did art for role-playing games in the 90s. I took my portfolio to conventions and eventually did work for Dungeons & Dragons, Star Wars, and Lord of the Rings books and cards. I refocused my portfolio in the early 2000s and my first picture book was in 2005 for Publications International. It was Look, Find & Learn: Animals of the World. I got my first books from art directors seeing my portfolio online starting with Scholastic. I did art for Scholastic News for many years.

Do you illustrate full-time?

Yes.

What inspires you to create picture books?

I love the medium and form of storytelling. I am now getting into writing but it is tricking because my schedule fills so quickly. My book about sketching just went to print and it was the hardest thing I have ever done. I had to project manage, write, hire and editor and designer, and create any additional artwork. It makes me respect all those roles in a new way. I am used to doing all my illustrations and handing them off to the designer. It has also emboldened me to write more for children's books and comics. This is a great time to fuel your own dream projects. I have so many ideas.

What surprised you the most working as an illustrator?

Each project is so different. No two books are alike and it can be hard to predict how long it will take to paint. There are so many factors.

What is your favorite thing about being an author/illustrator?

The creative freedom and the joy of doing something I love. Every part of the process is so interesting. I love researching whatever animal I am illustrating or figuring out the look and design of characters and the spaces they inhabit in the story.

I have traveled to many places to research for books I had to illustrate. Once, I met with bat rescuers for a book I illustrated by Carole Gerber called Little Red Bat. I also went to Montana for The Wild Life of Elk by Donna Love, which was a partnership with the Rocky Mountain Elk Foundation and the US Forest Service. Most recently, I went to Switzerland to photograph a village I was illustrating for Werd & Weber. Sometimes I meet with scientists and contact people for illustration details for historical illustrations.

Thumbnailing and researching a new book is so full of excitement and possibility.

What do you find difficult working as an illustrator?

Scheduling and planning. I am always working on several projects and am booked through 2025. I have to make sure I make time for family, travel, and interests. Balance is so difficult and yet very important. Illustrating a children's book is like running a marathon and a graphic novel is like 10 marathons. You cannot finish one in a couple of all-nighters.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

Through urban sketching and my sketchbook. Getting into urban sketching made me remember why I love drawing.

Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?

I try to sketch every day.

Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the Kid Lit community?

People are so supportive. I had a friend send my portfolio to his editor when I was first getting into kid's books and recently, I got a really nice referral from another illustrator for a really cool book. There is so much generosity. I have several groups of artist friends I meet with online and we share our projects and talk about the business.

Recommended reading?

My favorite books growing up were the McCloskey books like Blueberries for Sal and the Francis series by Russell and Lillian Hoban. My current favorites are Dan Santat (Oh No! Or How My Science Project Destroyed the World, Beekle), David Wiesner (Mr. Wuffles is GENIUS), and Aaron Becker (Journey).

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

That is tough to say, I have had the opportunity to work on some really cool books with many amazing authors and teams. I had the opportunity to illustrate the San Diego Zoo's Centennial picture book in 2015 and Sloth's Treehouse Inn is with the same team from the zoo. I also recently illustrated about about Kew Gardens (Return to Kew Gardens) by Marsha Varrow which had really lovely characters and is unique. It was also really exciting to work with Mazza Museum.

What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started illustrating?

Be patient.

Can you tell us about your newest book?

Sloth's Treehouse Inn came out last fall. It is about Santiago the sloth letting all his animal friends live in his tree to escape the destruction of the rainforest. It was so fun to illustrate. Sloths are a favorite animal of mine, I love their faces. The Cincinnati Zoo and the San Diego Zoo have the same species of sloth so I went to the Cincinnati Zoo to sketch and watch them.

*Studies for SLOTH’S TREEHOUSE INN by Carrie Hasler, Illustrated by Christina Wald*

*Interior sketches for SLOTH’S TREEHOUSE INN by Carrie Hasler, Illustrated by Christina Wald*

*Interior art from SLOTH’S TREEHOUSE INN by Carrie Hasler, Illustrated by Christina Wald*

I actually had 4 books (Sloth's Treehouse Inn, Return to Kew Gardens, The Train Rolls On to the North Pole, and Alp Nik) come out late last year. COVID was a crazy time and a bunch was released at once. I also had a book re-release from Storey Publications called The Barnyard.

*Interior art from THE TRAIN ROLLS ON TO THE NORTH POLE written by Jodi Adams, Illustrated by Christina Wald*

What’s up next for you?

I am finishing Hadori Stands Up by Shari Lyon. Shari wrote the San Diego Zoo Centennial book and this is the 4th in her Read to Me, Sing to Me series. It is about a hippo who stands up to poachers to save her friends. It is a really moody and cool book with a earworm song. It will be available soon through Kickstarter, stay tuned but following my Instagram or blog. I also have two more train books coming up. The latest, The Train Rolls On to the North Pole, came out in fall 2022. The one I am working on is The Train Rolls On to the County Fair. I have a couple more books lined up to be revealed soon.

*Interior sketches from Hadori Stands Up written by Shari Lyon, illustrated by Christina Wald*

*Interior art from Hadori Stands Up written by Shari Lyon, illustrated by Christina Wald*

Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?

Keep creating work and stories. Don't get distracted by comparing yourself to other creators online. Focus on the type of art you want to do and love; it is the road to happiness.

And last, but not least, who is your favorite children’s book character?

Madeline, of course.

Huge thank you to Christina for stopping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on all your new books!

CHRISTINA WALD is a designer, illustrator, and educator. She has illustrated over 60 picture books, many about animals of all types! She also teaches illustration and narrative story telling at Northern Kentucky University. She loves to travel and sketch all over the world and just got back from New Zealand. Her book Sloth's Treehouse Inn came out in the fall and Sketching Here & Everywhere is out at the end of May. Mazza Museum acquired some of her works a couple years ago for their collection and the Toledo Children's Library also has a piece of her work from Little Red Bat. She lives in Cincinnati, Ohio with her husband and 3 cats.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Christina follow her on online: christinawald.com or follow her on Instagram: @christinawald_art

ORDER THIS BOOK To order a copy of SLOTH’S TREEHOUSE INN, click here.

WIN A COPY! Want to win a copy of SLOTH’S TREEHOUSE INN?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, May 25th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Illustrator BlueBean

February 9, 2023Illustrators, debut interviewLindsay Ward3 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! Today we have an interview with illustrator BlueBean, visiting with us all the way from Malaysia. I’m thrilled to have her with us today to talk about her creative process and new book, THE WAY WE SAY HELLO, written by Andrea Denish, which just published with Starry Forest Books this month!

So without further ado, please welcome BlueBean!

Where do you live?

Hello! I am BlueBean. I’m from Malaysia. Recently, I moved to a new town far away from the city and work in my home studio.

How many years have you been in publishing?

Three years and counting.

How did you first get published?

I feel happy that I got an offer from the client which is a sweet start for me.

Do you illustrate full-time?

Yep, I am a full-time illustrator. I worked as a concept artist at an animation studio before becoming a freelance illustrator. I spent many years exploring different paths, including teaching, working in the wild, picking fruit, and growing avocados. These are the things that inspire me to keep creating. After my last job at the capsicum greenhouse, I started drawing again, and a few months later, I got a chance to draw my first picture book.

What inspires you to create picture books?

I love books! Children's picture books have always been one of my favorite books to collect. Maybe it counts as one of the reasons? :D

What surprised you the most working as an illustrator?

I think illustrating a book is something I never dreamed of! I love how my art came out on the spreads and tells a story with the colors. Currently, I want to create more lovely picture books and it is one of my big goals!

What is your favorite thing about being an illustrator?

Creating things and enjoying what I’m doing.

What do you find difficult working as an illustrator?

Creating things and enjoying what I’m doing. Yep, the same answer as the previous question. I have to admit nothing I enjoy is easy, which is why I feel more fulfilled every time I complete a challenging task.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

I do other things. Writing, baking, traveling, and hopping into a nice cafe for food and good vibes. And, I play games and badminton sports!

Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?

Most of the time, I will set a goal first before the creativity comes to life, like planning what value I want to bring out, or how the arts would affect others. Then, I sketch the idea and also research it.

*Interior sketch from THE WAY WE SAY HELLO, written by Andrea Denish, illustrated by BlueBean, published by Starry Forest Books*

*Interior art from THE WAY WE SAY HELLO, written by Andrea Denish, illustrated by BlueBean, published by Starry Forest Books*

Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the Kid Lit community?

I’ve met super nice and talented people, including book illustrator friends, although I have to say that I am actually a very shy person. For this book title, the whole project was challenging, yet I appreciated having the creative freedom given by the Starry Forest team to make the best work I could.

Recommended reading?

Jimmy Liao from Taiwan impressed me a lot since I was a teenager. His arts are quiet, yet so vivid and emotional. I have always loved his books, especially The Sound of Colors: A Journey of the Imagination. The illustrations are just phenomenal and filled with details.

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

This “The Way We Say Hello” book of course is one of the most exciting picture books I have drawn. Since the illustrations are created in gouache and digitally, it's also the first book I have drawn in traditional media, this was the hard part, and it took me a lot of courage to take the first step. I first painted my book spread with gouache, then digitally touched up the painting and finished it.

What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started illustrating?

Honestly, I don’t know. But if I’m thinking now, I hope to receive any kind of positive words! They are meant for me! And I love good advice from great people or leaders. Sometimes, I may feel lost and I will need guidance.

Can you tell us about your newest book?

First of all, I would like to thank Lindsay for having me in this interview. This book is a lovely book, written by Andrea Denish, and everyone is welcome to read it, whether you are an adult or young! I also read this story to my cat, Yibby who I brought home for New Year's and it was a great welcome gift for her.

Here’s a bit about the book:

A young child searches for the best way to welcome a new baby to their family as they ask, "A special day. A special place. How will you greet a special face?" With rhyming text, heartwarming art, and educational facts about cultures and customs around the world, The Way We Say Hello takes you as far as Tibet and as near as your front yard as you learn greeting after greeting.

Along the way, you'll also discover how to welcome the world into your heart in different languages, gestures, and places. You can say "namaste," "howdy," or "annyeong." You can use traditional greetings like the Māori hongi or European cheek kisses. You can use sign language to greet those who are hard of hearing, or send a card to someone far away.

Perfect for new big siblings, baby showers, and kids curious about different cultures and languages. There are so many ways to greet someone new, no matter where they're from or what language they speak--so how will YOU say hello?

What’s up next for you?

Currently, I am working in an upcoming art gallery in a bookstore. Stay in touch with my social pages, where I’m always sharing news. At the same time, warmly welcome you to visit my online shop at https://bluebeanart.etsy.com

Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?

“Love what you do! Do what you love!” These are the words that popped into my head. I know that sometimes we are asked to choose between two options. But I hope that in the adult world, we wouldn’t have to select a single answer to a multiple-choice question—we can always do our best to balance many aspects at the same time.

And last, but not least, who is your favorite children’s book character?

I must say is the main little girl with a bubble ponytail! I hope everyone can feel her cuteness and sweetness!

Huge thank you to BlueBean for stopping by Critter Lit today!

BLUEBEAN 蓝豆, is an artist and book illustrator from Kuala Lumpur. Her real name is Angela. She is currently working in her home studio where she creates all the illustrations and goodies.

Her paintings' inspiration comes from the beauty and harmony of nature. She loves the calm feeling and whimsical stories with cute and quirky fellows. While characters with tiny paws are her huge sparks, she admires all kinds of creatures in the wilderness.

Her arts appear in picture books, animation, music videos, and advertisements. She also has a small online shop selling products that she makes.

Spending most of the time creating, BlueBean jumps around for stores and wonder. She enjoys good movies, and music and is a huge book lover. Sometimes she attends art events and mostly has a tea party with forest buddies.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about BlueBean or her work, visit her online:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/__bluebean

Website: https://bluebeanillustration.com

Online store: https://bluebeanart.etsy.com

BUY THIS BOOK To purchase a copy of Bluebean’s book, click here.

WIN A COPY! Want to win a giveaway copy of THE WAY WE SAY HELLO?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, February 16th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Author Susanna Leonard Hill and Illustrator Betsy Snyder

October 25, 2022Authors, book release, Interviews, Illustrators, Vet InterviewsLindsay Ward15 Comments

Happy TUESDAY Critters! This week we have TWO awesome interviews with THREE amazing creators. Today, we are celebrating the release of ALPHABEDTIME, written by Susanna Leonard Hill, illustrated by my friend and critique partner Betsy Snyder, and published by Nancy Paulsen Books! I’m thrilled to have both of these fabulous ladies with me today on their book birthday!

I was lucky enough to see the art for this book come together so it’s an honor to be featuring this book and interview as a bonus post this week.

So without further ado, please welcome Susanna Leonard Hill and Betsy Snyder!

It’s lovely to have you both here on Critter Lit!

Susanna: Thank you so much for having me on your blog today, Lindsay!

Betsy: It’s great to be here!

Where do you live?

Susanna: I live on Blueberry Hill in Unionvale, NY, a map dot so small it is like a well-kept secret

Betsy: Independence, Ohio

How many years have you been in publishing?

Susanna: My first book was published in November, 2002, so almost exactly twenty years.

Betsy: About 17 years.

How did you first get published?

Susanna: My daughter was starting kindergarten, and we had just moved to the area so she didn’t know anyone. I asked the school for a couple names of nearby classmates so we could arrange a playdate. The first person I called wasn’t home. The second was Liza Voges and she brought her son over to play a few days later. We talked while the kids played and I asked her if she was a SAHM or if she did something else. She said she was a children’s literary agent. I said, I write children’s books! She asked to see my work, but it took me 6 months to get up the nerve to show her. I was afraid she wouldn’t like it, and then things would be awkward at school get-togethers. I could just imagine myself trying to use my power of invisibility to avoid the embarrassment of facing her at the kindergarten Halloween party. But when I finally did show her a handful of manuscripts, she was enthusiastic. She became my agent, and she sold my first book to Simon & Schuster within the year. She has been my agent and friend for twenty years, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without her!

Betsy: Publishing a children’s book was on my career bucket list since studying Illustration in college (Go Flyers!), but I knew I needed to get more illustration experience (and benefits!) first. Following graduation with a degree in Visual Communication Design, I worked as a staff designer at a small publisher and later as both a designer and illustrator at American Greetings. Around 2005, just when I decided it was time to get serious about getting published, serendipity struck. Brian Cleary, a coworker, who also happened to be an accomplished children’s book author, approached me about the possibility of illustrating his new manuscript Peanut Butter and Jellyfishes: A Very Silly Alphabet Book. He connected me with his publisher Lerner Books, I sent them my portfolio, and they offered me my first book contract! That opportunity and a referral from a friend led me to my agent Lori Nowicki at Painted Words, and that soon led me to a 3-book (and later 5-book) contract with Random House writing my own books.

Do you write/illustrate full-time?

Susanna: I write as full-time as I can manage, between teaching writing, school and library visits, and a lot of time spent on family commitments.

Betsy: The hours I dedicate to work vary depending on my project load and my family’s needs (I have a 5yo, 8yo and crazy 5mo puppy-monster). Right now, I’m more part-time, but I fit work in whenever I can (during school days, puppy naps and in the wee hours after everyone else is asleep). But my mind never stops thinking about book ideas (ask my family!).

What inspires you to create picture books?

Susanna: When you get right down to it, are there any books better than picture books? I love the interplay of words and art. I love the age group for whom they are written, for whom all the world is new. I have 5 children and 3 grandchildren (plus, technically, I was a child myself once upon a time in the last millennium) and that is a constant source of inspiration – the funny things they say and do, their wishes and fears, their wonder and curiosity, the milestones they pass, the things they sometimes misunderstand because they’re young and everything is new, the challenges they face, the feelings that seem bigger than they are sometimes – it all inspires ideas for picture books. And there is something wonderful about reading picture books with little ones who are just learning about the world.

Betsy: I love creating characters and stories that spark imaginations. Some of my favorite memories as a young child are of my family reading to me, and getting lost in the pictures (like Make Way for Ducklings by Robert McCloskey). It’s such a gift to be able to make books that families can snuggle up with and read together.

What surprised you the most working as an author or illustrator?

Susanna: I was most surprised by how many people are involved in the creation of a book. When I was little, we didn’t have authors come visit our school. I thought of them as wise old hermit men (or women) – picture Merlin – who lived in isolated places like mountaintops, or hobbit holes in the woods, and wrote amazing books that were perfect straight out of the starting gate. I had no idea that they might have agents, or how much editors might help them improve their books before publication, or that there were separate art directors, or all the people involved with marketing and publicity. A traditionally published book isn’t something you do completely on your own. It really takes a village.

Betsy: When I entered publishing, I didn’t anticipate that I’d need to hone my public speaking skills for author events. I’m not a natural at being in the spotlight, so the idea of putting myself out there was intimidating at first, but I’ve grown to genuinely enjoy and embrace the more social side of being an author and connecting face to face with my audience.

What is your favorite thing about being an author, illustrator, or author/illustrator?

Susanna: If I can have a part in helping to entertain, educate, delight, inspire, comfort, reassure, or engage young readers in a way that brightens their day and invites them to love books and reading, I feel like that is the most fulfilling work I can do. And although it’s hard and requires effort, it doesn’t feel like work the way some things do because it is also such a pleasure. Is there a better job than getting to make up stories all day long?

Betsy: Definitely meeting my readers and sharing my books with others. Holding my published book in my hands for the first time is pretty special too.

What do you find difficult working as an author, or illustrator?

Susanna: For me, the difficult part of working as an author are all the extras. If I could only write, that would be great! But there are so many other things to do! Social media and maintaining an online presence. Arranging and doing school, library, festival, conference, and bookstore events. Doing what you can to publicize your books. Don’t get me wrong – it’s all important and I’m happy to do it. But those are not things I’m particularly comfortable with. I would rather talk up someone else’s books than my own. Twenty years in, I still get nervous any time I have to speak in public. And anything I know about marketing/publicity I’ve learned as I go, and I know I could be a lot better at it.

Betsy: Imposter Syndrome is no joke and self doubt can be paralyzing. When I find myself feeling stuck in a rut with a project and negativity creeps in, it has helped me to have a network of creative friends to reach out to, and in turn, to offer my support when they need it. This creative collaborating always fills my cup and gives me the confidence boost I need to get back at it.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

Susanna: One of my favorite things to do is write or type out someone else’s book – a book I love. There’s something about writing or typing it that helps get my creative wheels turning and gets me in the right mindset. If I haven’t written for a few days, or if ideas are slow to come, this can often be a way to get things rolling.

Betsy: I take a walk, play with words, think up catchy titles, get goofy with my kids, browse at the library or bookstore, start with a fun format, or dig up nuggets of ideas that I’ve set aside.

Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?

Susanna: I always write my first drafts longhand – pen on paper. I just think better that way.

Betsy: I’m pretty prolific at collecting my ideas. I’m always typing notes into my phone—during showers, road trips, etc.—and emailing them to myself to tuck away into folders for revisiting later.

Also, at the beginning of every project, I do a brain dump to empty the clutter in my head and get to the good stuff. My problem is always TOO many ideas vs. a lack of ideas.

Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the Kid Lit community?

Susanna: I’m not sure I can point to one single instance, but I find the Kid Lit community in general to be wonderfully friendly and supportive – a group of genuinely lovely people I’m deeply glad to be a part of.

Betsy: Having my artwork from Tons of Trucks (by Sue Fliess) accepted into the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show and attending the opening in NYC was an experience I’ll always remember. It was such an honor to be in the company of so much talent in one room.

Recommended reading?

Susanna: Writing Picture Books by Ann Whitford Paul, The Nuts & Bolts Guide to Writing Picture Books, by Linda Ashman, The Writer’s Guide to Crafting Stories for Children, by Nancy Lamb, picture books, picture books, and more picture books.

Betsy: Some of our family favorites are Swashby and the Sea (Beth Ferry and Juana Martinez-Neal), Bob, Not Bob! (Liz Garton Scanlon, Audrey Vernick, Matthew Cordell), The Wolf, the Duck, and the Mouse (by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen), We Don’t Eat Our Classmates (by Ryan T. Higgins), and Sophie’s Squash (by Pat Zietlow Miller and Anne Wilsdorf)…and there are SO many more.

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

Susanna: The highlight of my career thus far has been when kids light up when they recognize one of my books and tell me they have it, or they’ve read it, and they love it. A close second is when I get emails, sometimes including photos or videos, from parents or grandparents telling me one of my books is their little one’s favorite and gets read every night, or drawings or thank you notes from kids. Also, becoming a New York Times Bestseller was pretty amazing and not something I ever thought would be on my resume! That was an honor I never expected.

Betsy: It’s a 3-way tie between landing my first contract to both write and illustrate my own books with Random House (beginning with Haiku Baby), having my work accepted into the Society of Illustrators Original Art Show, and publishing a 4-book novelty series with Chronicle Books (I Can Dance, I Can Play, I Can Dream, I Can Explore).

What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started writing/illustrating?

Susanna: Writing can be isolating, even for introverts who are pretty happy on their own, and it was hard in the beginning not having anyone to talk to who understood the writing life. So, I wish someone had told me when I first started that the internet was coming, and that communication, critique partners, support, the opportunity to further my writing education through webinars and online classes, and most importantly friendship with other writers was about to become so much more possible. The internet is a double-edged sword, but it’s worth it for the connection to other writers. I have met so many wonderful people online, and it is a joy when I get to meet them in person at conferences.

Betsy: Just because it feels hard doesn’t mean you aren’t good at it or that you aren’t meant to do it. Making a book is hard work every time, even for experienced authors and illustrators. Every book presents a new challenge to solve that is difficult in its own way and needs its own unique solution. There is no road map, and sometimes you have to go down many paths, and even backtrack, to find the right one. This process is not easy for anyone, but when you see it through to the other side, it’s so worth it.

Can you tell us about your newest book?

Susanna: My newest book is ALPHABEDTIME, illustrated by the amazingly talented Betsy Snyder, and published by Nancy Paulsen Books, an imprint of Penguin Random House. In case you couldn’t tell from the title, it’s a book about putting the alphabet to bed ☺ It is written in rhyme, and is (I hope!) lively and fun, while also being an opportunity for young readers to practice the alphabet and feel the safety and security of being part of a large, rambunctious, and happy family. I am proud of the text, but Betsy’s art really takes it to the next level. She put so much thought and care into creating it. It is clever, bright, and energetic, and filled with details that make looking at the pictures so much fun! Every single character has multiple things associated with it which begin with his or her letter. B alone has at least 8! The dog and the cat appear on every page and are fun to look for. And after M appears, there are bunnies to find, too. I feel so lucky that Betsy was the one to illustrate this book. She really brought it to life in the best possible way!

Betsy: Here’s a sneak peek…

*Interior Art from ALPHABEDTIME by Susanna Leonard Hill, Illustrated by Betsy Snyder, Published by Nancy Paulsen Books*

Betsy: The book begins with all the letters plus Mom and Dad at the dinner table (but none of the letters are revealed yet).

Betsy: From here, Alpha Mom announces “TIME FOR BED!” and we meet each of the letters in order and follow them through the book as they scramble and ready for bed.

Betsy: But even once the alphababies are rounded up and put to bed, there are surprises. Can you guess what happens next?!

Betsy: Fi-nally, the alpha babies are all tucked in again—almost. (This is the part where you have to read the book to find out how it ends!)

What inspired this story/art?

Susanna: This book wasn’t exactly inspired. I was having a hard time thinking up something to write about one cold winter morning – you know the feeling, where you stare at the wall and consider that doing your taxes would be more fun than facing that blank page – and I just decided to write an alphabet book. Of course, there are many very good ones out there already, so I had to think of something that hadn’t been done yet. It took me a fair amount of playing around, experimenting with bad (some very bad ☺) ideas before, in an effort to just feel like I was writing something, anything, I wrote alphabet alphabet alphabet across my page. When I read it out loud to myself, it started to sound like “alphabed”, and that made me think of bedtime, and suddenly, EUREKA! I thought, ALPHABEDTIME! I’ll write a book about putting the alphabet to bed.

Betsy: I’m lucky that I had an already-amazing manuscript to inspire my art (since all Susanna had was a blank page!). It was love at first read for me. My inspiration was part what Susanna put into her writing—the skillful rhyme, bouncy cadence and playful pacing—and part what she left out. The manuscript had an openness that allowed me the freedom to explore a strong visual narrative and weave in fun alphabet references along the way.

In terms of the characters (26 kids, 2 parents, and 11 pets—PHEW!), I wanted the entire alpha family to be colorful, diverse and quirky with lots of personality and alphabet details. My own kids loved playing “art director” and offering up their ideas and opinions along the way, and my real art director Marikka Tamura with designer Cindy De La Cruz helped me wrangle all those kiddos onto the pages in the very best way.

What’s up next for you?

Susanna: I have a couple other books coming out in December – WHAT LITTLE GIRLS ARE MADE OF and WHAT LITTLE BOYS ARE MADE OF – and one coming out next summer – YOU’RE THE STAR IN MY SKY – all for Sourcebooks. And I’m in the middle of contest season on my blog, where I run the Halloweensie, Holiday, and Valentiny Contests for Children’s Writers.

Betsy: More books! I’m about to jump back to working on some new ideas that I am pretty excited about.

Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?

Susanna: Try to love what you do. Try not to get caught up in what’s trendy, or what you think will sell. Write for yourself. Write what you love. If you feel passionate about what you’re writing, that will come through in your work and make it shine. And whether you sell it or not, you will have written something that’s meaningful to you. It might be something that really doesn’t turn out well but that you learn a lot from writing. Whether it’s good or not so good, every manuscript you write makes you a better writer.

Betsy: There is no one roadmap to get published—every artist’s journey is unique. Seek opportunities, like stepping stones, that get you closer to your goals. Looking forward, you cannot always see how one thing will lead to another, but it inevitably will.

And last, but not least, who is your favorite children’s book character?

Susanna: That’s like asking who your favorite child is! It’s impossible to pick just one! But, if I had to pick just one, (er, per age group) I guess I’d say, for picture books, Frances, from Russell Hoban’s series, for middle grade Anne of Green Gables, and for YA, Karou from The Daughter of Smoke and Bone trilogy. (That was practically only one!)

Betsy: Lola from the Charlie and Lola book series by Lauren Child.

Huge thank you to you both for stopping by Critter Lit today! Happy Book Birthday to ALPHABEDTIME!

Susanna L. Hill (susannahill.com) is the author of three New York Times bestsellers, including Moon's First Friends: One Giant Leap for Friendship, and the award-winning author of over twenty-five more books for children, including Punxsutawney Phyllis, Can't Sleep Without Sheep, and the popular When Your Lion Needs a Bath series. Her books have been translated into French, Dutch, German, Japanese, Chinese, and Thai. She does frequent school and library visits, teaches picture book writing, and has a popular picture book blog. Susanna lives in New York's Mid-Hudson Valley where she practices the alphabet with her children and two rescue dogs.

Author-illustrator Betsy Snyder's smile-inducing art can be found on everything from social expressions products, board games, plush, decor, fabric, wallpaper, and of course—books! Since making her publishing debut, Betsy has illustrated and/or authored over twenty books. Betsy lives in northeast Ohio, where she enjoys cozying up to doodle with her art-loving family of four (plus one furball puppy), and venturing out to schools and libraries to encourage kids (and even grown-ups) to share their stories and chase their dreams. Learn more about Betsy and her books at www.betsysnyder.com.

BUY THIS BOOK To purchase a copy of ALPHABEDTIME, click here.

WIN A COPY! Want to win a giveaway copy of ALPHABEDTIME?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, November 3rd! US addresses only please.

Interview with Author Rosie J. Pova and Illustrator Monika Filipina

February 10, 2022Authors, Illustrators, InterviewsLindsay Ward5 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! Today we have DOUBLE the fun with a DOUBLE interview featuring both the author and illustrator of the same book! I’m so excited to introduce to you both creators of THE SCHOOL OF FAILURE, A STORY OF SUCCESS, a brand new picture book from Yeehoo Press, releasing May 10, 2022.

As you all know, making a picture book is a unique process when the writing and illustrating is done by two separate people. It’s amazing when it all comes together as one cohesive book, even though, in most cases, the author and illustrator never communicate with one another during the process. Everything is typically handled through the publisher— and yet a beautiful book is created! Like magic! Well, that and a ton of creative energy and hard work. I’m so excited to share two halves of the same book with you today.

So without further ado, please welcome author Rosie J. Pova and illustrator Monika Filipina!

Photos: Left: Rosie J. Pova, Right: Monika Filipina

Where do you live?

ROSIE: I live in Dallas, TX, but I'm originally from Bulgaria.

MONIKA: I live in Torun, Poland.

How many years have you been in publishing?

ROSIE: I've been writing for publication for over 17 years now.

MONIKA: About 10 years.

How did you first get published?

ROSIE: It only took me 12 years to get a yes from a small traditional publisher, but it was actually a triple yes as they offered me contracts on three standalone books--two picture books and one middle grade novel--and that's how I got started with traditional publishing.

MONIKA: I was starting while I was still studying at university. I first worked did small jobs designing books, then I illustrated my first book of good-night poems for a Polish publisher. After finishing my BA degree I found an agent and did small illustrating jobs. During my MA I started working as a junior designer at one of top educational publishers based in London. It was a great experience that gave me insight to the publishing work. I got to see how a book comes to life from scratch. However after a couple of month I got my first big illustration job and had to quit.

Do you write/illustrate full-time?

ROSIE: I do, yes--I write full time. But I also coach and mentor emerging and pre-published authors, helping them advance their writing careers and move closer to their publishing goals.

MONIKA: Yes! I am lucky to be working as a full time illustrator.

What inspires you to create picture books?

ROSIE: Anything and everything! I love that kidlit format, and I'm definitely partial to picture books in particular, even though I write for children of all age groups--from board books to young adult. I call picture books "little geniuses" because they are such simple yet profound multi-taskers that accomplish so much, as an art form, in such little time and space.

MONIKA: I guess that my biggest inspiration at the moment are my children. I spend vast amount of time with them and it is natural that I observe how they play, move, talk and get lots of inspiration from them. Having said that, I find inspiration from many other things - I love running in the forest and spending any free time in the outside. It is just when I am lucky to see something interesting that stories and ideas come to me on its own.

What surprised you the most working as an author, illustrator, or author/illustrator?

ROSIE: How much my stories transform when a professional illustrator comes on board, the art is added to the words, and my story becomes a real book. It's such a thrill to see! Also, the amazing questions kids ask me when I visit schools!

MONIKA: Working as an illustrator has been a learning curve all the way. There is many things that nobody tells you before you got ‘out there’. What surprises me at the moment are emails with requests to illustrate an entire book within a month. It makes me wonder who are the people that can illustrate this and I must say, I would love to chat with them! It takes me 3, sometimes 4 days to finish ONE illustration so I would really love to know the trick to work faster!

What is your favorite thing about being an author, illustrator, or author/illustrator?

ROSIE: My favorite thing is visiting schools, interacting with kids, and sharing my stories and my journey as a way to inspire them to pursue their own dreams.

MONIKA: I get to do what I always wanted to do! I remember that as a child I dreamt about being a children’s book illustrator. I am an individual and do not feel good working with other people so being independent freelance illustrator is absolutely great. I also manage my own timetable which means I can work when I want (though I have been working days, nights and weekends lately as I have been finishing new books!)

What do you find difficult working as an author, illustrator, or author/illustrator?

ROSIE: Definitely the long waiting at every step of the process--from finding and agent, to waiting for replies while on submission, to anxiously awaiting for the book release--it takes years! This business can be so slow and unpredictable. As a prolific writer, I'm eager to have multiple books releasing each year, so a lot of patience is required.

MONIKA: One of the most difficult things for me is pricing my work! I lack self-confidence to value my work and at times I forget how much work it took to do what I do :) I also find very difficult to manage my schedule. I tend to take on far too much work and end up working crazy hours.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

ROSIE: I read, brainstorm, write down things my kids say, read kid lit blog posts or simply wait and trust that an idea is coming, knowing that I need to stay open to receiving it.

MONIKA: I love jogging, exercising and yoga. These are great ways to freshen up my mind. Also, taking a break and going to the woods or to the seaside work magic!

Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?

ROSIE: No, not really. I like being flexible with creativity and open to the unexpected.

MONIKA: I need a good breakfast in the morning before I can start to think. When I work I like to have a movie playing in the background. It is funny because when I look at the illustrations I did I can remember what movie or tv series I watched while working on that particular artwork :) at the moment I have been watching Harry Potter movies, again!

Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the Kid Lit community?

ROSIE: I've gotten so much help and support from the kidlit community over the years, in many forms--from critiques, advice and resources to peers helping me spread the word about my books and purchasing them... it's such a great and generous community, and I can't imagine anyone doing this alone. The support has been invaluable and so much appreciated!

MONIKA: Every bit of support, warm comment and advice is positive and helpful during the times we have now.

Recommended reading?

ROSIE: Oh, so many new books that I can recommend, but let me mentions just a few titles:

Home for a While by by Lauren Kerstein, Illustrated by Natalia Moore

Clovis Keeps His Cool by Katelyn Aronson, Illustrated by Eve Farb

A Flood of Kindness by Ellen Leventhal, Illustrated by Blythe Russo

Dancing with Daddy by Anitra Rowe Schulte, Illustrated by Ziyue Chen

... and so many more!

MONIKA: Always Harry Potter! I grew up with the series and have been in love with this magical world ever since I read the first book. I also love Jo Nesbo’s books - Harry Hole series is fantastic. I have also read his other work and he is just a brilliant writer I guess. (How can it be that two of my favourite book series are about Harry?)

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

ROSIE: Definitely seeing my book, Sunday Rain, featured in The New York Times and Parents magazine, as well as having an incredible, interactive read-aloud video created by Bri Reads on her YouTube channel that now has over 73K views in just nine months! Oh, and one more to mention... when a school in San Diego told me they want to turn my upcoming book, The School of Failure: A Story about Success, into a play!! I cannot wait to see that!

MONIKA: I am proud that the first picture book I illustrated, OH WHAT A TANGLE, won Best World Picture Book at China Shanghai International Bookfair. It also always brightens my day when I receive complimentary copies of my books.

What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started writing/illustrating?

ROSIE: I wish someone would've told me to join a critique group right away.

MONIKA: I wish that I actually believed some things that I was told. For example I wish that I focused on developing and improving my own visual language instead of taking on commercial jobs and working the way I was told to working. I wish that I believed more in my talent instead of taking on far too many jobs in the past. I also wish that someone told me not to take on jobs that terms I am not totally happy with.

Can you tell us about your newest book?

ROSIE: Yes, I'm quite excited about it and cannot wait to share it with readers! It's a fractured fairy tale about how the road to success is paved with mistakes.

MONIKA: THE SCHOOL OF FAILURE is a truly wonderful story about success. I did my best to bring the characters to life and to make each of them unique. I really think that children need this story to believe in themselves and never give up :)

*Interior art from THE SCHOOL OF FAILURE, A STORY ABOUT SUCCESS by Rosie J. Pova, illustrated by Monika Filipina, published by Yeehoo Press*

What’s up next for you?

ROSIE: Next for me is launching a new writing course for emerging picture book writers.

My agent and I are also on submission with a few different stories, so hopefully more new books will be in the pipeline for me soon.

MONIKA: I have been extremely busy and there is a few more books with my illustrations coming up soon. I plan to slow down over the summer months, rest in our caravan by the sea and learn to surf.

Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?

ROSIE: Read newly published books in the genre you write, find a critique group, but also invest in your craft and get professional feedback, write a lot--don't get stuck on one story--and finally, be open to feedback and don't be afraid to experiment with your work. Sometimes, you can be pleasantly surprised with the outcome.

MONIKA: I don’t think I can stress this enough because this is the thing I have the most difficulties with: BELIEVE IN YOURSELF! Believe in your work and your talent because you have a very unique gift! Even if it does not work out, as in the SCHOOL OF FAILURE, sooner or later, you will find a way to make it work.

And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?

ROSIE: Dirty Dancing.

MONIKA: INDIANA JONES!

Huge thank you to both Rosie and Monika for stopping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on your fantastic new book!

ROSIE J. POVA is a multi-published, award-winning children's author and kid lit Writing Coach. Her latest picture book, Sunday Rain, was featured in The New York Times and recommended by Parents magazine. Her upcoming picture book, The School of Failure: A Story About Success will be released in spring 2022 in both China and the USA.

Rosie loves to visit schools and her interactive workshops empower students to unleash their creativity and grow in confidence through reading, writing, and creating.

She has been featured on TV, radio, podcasts, and print media, and also speaks on women's and moms topics.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Rosie visit her website: RosieJPova.com or follow her on social media:

Twitter: @RosiePOV [https://twitter.com/RosiePOV]

IG: https://www.instagram.com/rosiepova/

FB: https://www.facebook.com/RosieWrites

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/rosie-j-pova-childrens-author/

As a daughter of two karate masters, MONIKA FILIPINA’s life was very active. From the youngest age she trained sports and was competing all over Europe and in 2000 Monika even won a gold medal at the World Karate Championships in Lisbon, Portugal! Despite such adventurous childhood, drawing was the thing that she was most passionate about. So one day, Monika simply decided to pack her bags and move to the UK to study. In 2011 she completed BA with Hons in Illustration at the University of Wolverhampton and was honored Dean’s Prize for Excellence in Visual Communications and was chosen one of Highly Commended Students at the D&AD New Blood Show. Soon after that, she moved to Cambridge and in 2014 have successfully completed Master’s degree in Children’s Book Illustration at Cambridge School of Arts.

In 2013 the book that Monika illustrated, “Oh! What a Tangle”, published by Digital Leaf, was awarded the Golden Pinwheel award for best International children’s book and Shanghai Children’s Book Fair! So far she was very lucky to be working with lovely clients all over the world and keeps making her dream come true every day.

She has recently founded her own baby clothes brand for which she designed all illustrated all the outfits. Monika lives with her two little kids, two not so little cats and one totally grown up husband in her hometown - Toruń, Poland. In her free time she enjoys running, yoga and fitness.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Monika, visit her online: https://monikafilipina.art/

https://thebrightagency.com/uk/childrens-illustration/artists/monika-filipina

Or follow her on social media:

https://www.instagram.com/monikafilipina/

https://www.facebook.com/MonikaFilipinaIllustration

BUY THIS BOOK To order THE SCHOOL OF FAILURE, click here.

WIN A COPY! Want to win a copy of THE SCHOOL OF FAILURE?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, February 17th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Illustrator Rachel Sanson

August 19, 2021Illustrators, Interviews, Vet InterviewsLindsay Ward2 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! Today we have an interview with a fabulous illustrator who released a new book with Sleeping Bear Press in March, THE LADY OF THE LIBRARY, written by Angie Karcher. I’m thrilled to have another illustrator stopping by Critter Lit today to share her experiences in Kidlit, process, and advice for other creatives out there!

So without further ado, please welcome Rachel Sanson!

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Where do you live?

I live in Bristol in the UK. At the moment I’m in a shared house with 3 lovely housemates and a very chaotic Bengal cat.

How many years have you been in publishing?

I’ve been in publishing for about 5 years now.

How did you first get published?

I first got published after signing with my first agency, I illustrated a small educational book for a Canadian publisher. It was my first experience illustrating professionally, I think you’d struggle to find it now and I’m ok with that!

Do you write/illustrate full-time?

At the moment I do, I work in a shared studio space with other creatives which is great.

What inspires you to create picture books?

I’ve always loved telling stories not had much experience with writing, so instead I told the stories through drawing. It's a lot of fun to flesh out an imaginary world and the characters in it.

What surprised you the most working as an illustrator?

You learn very quickly about things you do on autopilot, for example shortcuts you take in drawing and objects that look nothing like they should! Because working professionally with publishers is a much more collaborative process these things are pointed out to you, and you discover a lot about yourself.

What is your favorite thing about being an illustrator?

I most enjoy being able to draw silly things for a living! It’s great to be given the freedom to explore a subject as you want to, and being trusted to come up with the right results.

What do you find difficult working as an illustrator?

Of course it’s always stressful to be in a career where your income isn’t stable or guaranteed. The most difficult part is probably convincing other people (and yourself) of your worth. Unfortunately, it is still really common to be offered work with unacceptably low fees, and having the confidence to question and say no to that is something I only learned over time.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

I’ve learned that I personally go through phases of having ideas and feeling inspired and at other points being much more in the mood for organization and problem solving. It’s not always convenient but I think it’s good to try to go with the flow and not fight against whatever mood you’re in. Some days you can sit with the sketchbook in front of you and feel completely stuck and other days you’re filling pages up as fast as you can.

Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?

I’m trying to get better at planning out work and putting in a good amount of research before diving straight into line art, which is sensible but difficult for me as I like to work things out as I go. I also try to draw every day even if it’s just a few sketches that don’t go anywhere.

Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the Kid Lit community?

The Kid Lit community on social media was really helpful while building my portfolio after graduating from university. I’ve met a really positive group of people who encouraged and inspired me as I was developing my portfolio. It’s been amazing to see so many of these artists go on to be published and bring out gorgeous books. I think it would have been very hard to stay motivated without positive feedback from other people in the illustration world.

Recommended reading?

I’ve been reading a lot of end-of-the-world novels which I don't think anyone needs lately! So I’ll suggest some recommended listening instead. If you’re a creative you can’t go wrong with The Creative Pep Talk and Make it then Tell podcasts.

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

Probably the first time I received a copy of one of the books I illustrated, it was amazing to have it as a real object!

What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started illustrating?

Generally, Know your worth! And on the technical side it’s really important to learn the fundamentals of drawing before you try to develop a style. Styles are something that appear over time whether you notice it happening or not and it’s much harder to work backwards and figure out why your stylized characters look strange. So get out there and sketch from life!

Tell us about your newest book.

My newest picture book is The Lady of the Library, written by Angie Karcher and published by Sleeping Bear Press. It's the story of a ghostly lady haunting a library that is about to be closed. All seems lost until a little girl appears and the two team up, putting together some wild ideas to attract visitors and bring the place back to its prime!

*Interior art from THE LADY OF THE LIBRARY by Angie Karcher, illustrated by Rachel Sanson published by Sleeping Bear Press*

The story focuses on the importance of libraries and community space, and its main character is based on The Grey Lady of Willard Library. The employees of the real library were so happy to be haunted that they set up online webcams for anyone to try and catch a glimpse of their ghost!

Working on this book was a lot of fun, it was a great opportunity to draw some dark spooky scenes and, of course, lots and lots of books.

What’s up next for you?

Right now I’m taking a bit of time to experiment with my work and try new things, as well as trying my hand at writing a few story ideas. I’d love to keep working on picture books in the future.

Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?

Be nice to people and don't be worried to approach your peers! Most illustrators I’ve met are really lovely friendly people, and it’s great to have people in the know who can support and advise you. Also a lot of us work from home, and are away from office small talk, so we’re pretty up for a chat!

And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?

My favourite 80s movie has to be Labyrinth. It’s probably also my favourite movie generally!

Huge thank you to Rachel for stopping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on your new book!

RACHEL SANSON is an illustrator of children’s books and is currently based in Bristol, UK.

Originally from a tiny town in the North of England, she graduated from the University of Lincoln with a degree in illustration after 3 years in a little studio perched on the top of a very steep hill.

Rachel loves to work on children’s fiction and enjoys illustrating weird and wonderful characters and the worlds they live in.

Rachel’s past work includes the Topsea middle grade novel series and the Tails from History educational book series. Rachel’s first picture book, The Lady of the Library was published in 2021 by Sleeping Bear Press.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Rachel, visit her online: https://www.rachelsanson.co.uk/

or follow her on social media:

Instagram @Rachelsansonillustration

Twitter @rachel_sanson

ORDER THIS BOOK To order a copy of THE LADY OF THE LIBRARY, click here.

WIN A COPY! Want to win a copy of THE LADY OF THE LIBRARY?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, August 26th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Illustrator Nadja Sarell

April 15, 2021Illustrators, Vet InterviewsLindsay Ward4 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! Today we have an interview with the immensely talented Nadja Sarell! Her newest board book, EAT UP, BEAR!, written by Terry Pierce, came out earlier this month with Yosemite Conservancy. As a longtime freelance illustrator, I’m thrilled to have her with us today to share her experiences and advice.

So without further ado, please welcome Nadja Sarell!

Where do you live?

I live in Helsinki, Finland.

How many years have you been in publishing?

About 15 years, on and off.

How did you first get published?

I had shown my portfolio to an editor in a publishing house I knew well during my illustration studies. Soon after my graduation I received my first commission from her—a book with black and white illustrations.

Do you illustrate full-time?

Yes, I work as a full-time freelance illustrator for children's books and educational publishing.

What inspires you to create picture books?

I'm inspired by characters—who they are, how they feel, where they live. For me, illustrating a picture book is like creating a play on stage, maybe because I was a dancer before changing into children's book illustration. I love the stage, but I prefer to be the one hiding behind the scenes!

What surprised you the most working as an illustrator?

How the world is full of excellent authors and illustrators! I feel humbled to be able to fit in among them all.

What is your favorite thing about being an illustrator?

I love to work with books that the children will read again and again with their families, in schools and so on. It's the child reader that is the most important thing for me. The whole experience of a time spent together reading and looking at pictures, and the child learning to read both text and visual narrative.

What do you find difficult working as an illustrator?

Sometimes it's hard to make the ends meet, if you only work for children's publishing. I think a lot of illustrators need to do other jobs like teaching, running online shop, graphic design, etc.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

I look for inspiration from outside my studio.

Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?

I need to get started in the morning!

Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the Kid Lit community?

We have a great association for illustrators in Finland and it's such a big help to be able to get support from fellow children's book illustrators close to home. I'm also a part of a small virtual support group of five designers/illustrators from around the world.

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

Probably signing up with my illustration agent Astound and being able to receive commissions outside Finland, from clients like Yosemite Conservancy! This board book was really special and one of my highlights, definitely.

What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started illustrating?

Don't expect anyone to come and knock on your door. This advice was for the days before social media. It has changed the game completely, especially for visual artists.

Can you tell us about your newest book?

This spring brings several published books for me, always very exciting. "Eat Up, Bear!" by Terry Pierce is a book where I had an opportunity to try a new technique and I really enjoyed it. We don't have black bears in Scandinavia, but you can come across a brown bear in the forest. This is why the children are taught to make some noise, so the bears know to avoid people. I did a lot of research for the board book, because it had to be informative and accurate as well as sweet and colorful. I love the research part!

*Interior art from EAT UP, BEAR! written by Terry Pierce, illustrated by Nadja Sarell*

What’s up next for you?

I'm working on two picture books at the moment, one for an indie publisher in the US, and one for a Finnish publisher. They are both based on real life main characters, so it's a whole new experience again. Then there will be some chapter books and a story book for the educational market. So it is quite a hectic time of the year!

Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?

You can always ask advice from your colleagues, especially when it comes to contracts, pricing, and other non-illustration things that are an important part of this job. And you're never ready as an illustrator, there is always room to grow! And don't work for exposure only, something that newcomers are often asked to do.

And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?

Star Wars: Return of the Jedi.

Huge thank you to Nadja for stopping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on EAT UP, BEAR! We can’t wait to see what you come out with next!

NADJA SARELL is an illustrator living in Helsinki, Finland. She graduated with MA in Dance from Theatre Academy Helsinki. Soon after that she moved to a small town in North Wales to study children's book illustration. She graduated from North Wales School of Art and Design with BA in Illustration for Children’s Publishing in 2004.

Since then, she has worked as a freelance illustrator for children's publishing in Finland and abroad. Her clients include Hachette, HarperCollins, Simon & Schuster, and Yosemite Conservancy. She loves to teach art, illustration and dance for both children and adults.

If Nadja was an animal, she would be a cat living in an old mansion with a large fireplace and a comfy sofa. Her favourite things are music, dancing, black coffee, and chocolate.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Nadja or her books, visit her website or follow her on Instagram.

ORDER THIS BOOK To order a copy of EAT UP, BEAR! click here.

WIN A COPY! Want to win a copy of EAT UP, BEAR!? Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, April 22nd! US addresses only please.

Interview with Author/Illustrator Matthew Cordell

April 1, 2021Authors + Illustrators, Illustrators, Vet InterviewsLindsay Ward3 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! Today we have an interview with extremely talented, Caldecott medalist, author and illustrator Matthew Cordell! His newest illustrated book, FOLLOW THAT FROG, written by Philip C. Stead, came out early this year and is the third book in their picture book trilogy featuring Sadie and and her Aunt Josephine. It has received starred reviews from both Booklist and The Bulletin for the Center for Children’s Books, and is a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection. FOLLOW THAT FROG is a must have for your library. I’m a huge fan of Matthew’s work and I’m thrilled to have him stop by Critter Lit today!

So without further ado, please welcome Matthew Cordell!

Where do you live?

I live in the far northern suburbs of Chicago. A little town called Gurnee.

How many years have you been in publishing?

My very first publishing gig was a middle grade novel called The Gorillas of Gill Park by Amy Gordon. That came out in 2003 from Holiday House so... (takes out calculator) 18 years!

How did you first get published?

My wife, author Julie Halpern, and I were submitting a picture book proposal around to a number of publishers in 2001-2002. One publisher, Holiday House, asked me if I would be interested, instead, in illustrating a middle grade novel. Of course, I jumped at the chance. It was a terrific first project to get my feet wet as an illustrator. Incidentally, the picture book Julie and I were hoping to get published, Toby and the Snowflakes, happily found a home with Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (simply called Houghton Mifflin at the time) and was published in 2004.

Do you write/illustrate full-time?

Yes. I worked as an illustrator nights and weekends for 7 years until I made the leap to go full-time in 2007.

What inspires you to create picture books?

I love the audience. Children are tremendously inspiring to me. They are bursting with hope, potential, beauty, and brilliance. Everything is new to them and they are open to new experiences. And they are open and honest about their feelings. It's exciting to create art in this space. I'm a big picture book fan. I love the storytelling dance between words and pictures. Picture books are immensely challenging to make. To create a book that speaks to both a child and an adult is quite the task. When it works, it's absolute magic!

What surprised you the most working as an author/illustrator?

Up until I met Julie and she suggested the idea of making a children's book together, It had never occurred to me. I'd been an artist in different ways all my life, but I hadn't thought about children's books since I, myself, was a child. I didn't have children in my life at the time. Honestly, initially, it didn't sound very appealing. But Julie won me over by showing me lots of lots of picture books. Her childhood favorites as well as contemporary successes. I was blown away by how incredible picture books could be. I'd completely forgotten! Once I started working with publishers, and sharing books with children, it was all so tremendously inspiring. I loved it. I love it. So... what surprised me the most about working as an author/illustrator? All of it.

What is your favorite thing about being an author/illustrator?

I think it's a tie. Being able to draw everyday for my job. And getting to hang out with kids all the time for my job.

What do you find difficult working as an author/illustrator?

Being, essentially, a freelance artist, it can be stressful at times, not having the stability of other jobs. Health insurance, regular paycheck, job security, etc. But there's an invaluable freedom in my situation that I wouldn't trade for anything.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

I try to get away from my desk--every day if I can--to go for walks out in nature. It helps to break away from what I'm working on, and to get the blood pumping, and to immerse myself in the outdoors. I love animals and I'm really into birding. I sometimes bring my sketchbook and draw. I often get new ideas and jot them down. I have high cholesterol too, so a daily walk is a win-win.

Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?

I'm very much a creature of habit. I've been drawing with the same brand of ink for years with the same type of pen nibs on the same brand of paper. If I find something that I like, I'm not usually looking around for something different or better. Sometimes, though, I wouldn't mind breaking out of my shell to try new things and experiment with new media and techniques.

Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the Kid Lit community?

When I was first starting out and didn't know very many people at all, Julie and I were at an ALA cocktail reception. I was standing against a wall feeling and looking awkward as can be. Someone came up and introduced himself to me. He recognized my name on my name tag and remembered some mailers or postcards I'd sent his way. We had a nice conversation and he was very kind about my work. I was genuinely surprised and moved by the gesture he made. It was David Gale, longtime editor at Simon and Schuster. In the years that followed, whenever I saw him at conferences, we would say hello and have a nice chat. Sadly, David passed away last year, but I'll always remember that party and his kindness and the warm welcome he showed when I really needed it.

Recommended reading?

My new, favorite new-to-me book is Owl Moon by Jane Yolen and John Schoenherr. I've been obsessed with owls and owling this winter, and several folks suggested I look at Owl Moon. I knew of it, of course, being a Caldecott medal-winning book, but I had never seen it. (I'm embarrassed to say!) I bought a copy from my local bookshop and it most definitely lives up to the praise. It is a perfect picture book. Perfect text. Perfect art. It really captures the spirit of birding, owling, sharing a magical experience between father and child. I love it so much.

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What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

Without a doubt, when Wolf in the Snow received the Caldecott Medal in 2018. It was a shock, surprise, explosion of emotions, and it still gets me choked up. It's hard to fathom that a book of mine is part of that rich and wonderful legacy.

What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started writing/illustrating?

That on top of writing and illustrating, you'll need to work as a public speaker, publicist, amateur educator and mentor, and other unexpected crash course, odd jobs. There are a lot of hats to be worn in this business. Making the books is just one part of it.

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Can you tell us about your newest book?

I have two new books that just came out. Bear Island is my newest author/illustrator picture book about a girl, Louise, and her family processing and healing over the loss of their pet dog. Much of it plays out on a lake island that Louise visits and encounters a massive grizzly bear. Follow that Frog! is the third book in a picture book trilogy by Philip Stead and me (the first two being Special Delivery and The Only Fish in the Sea). All three of these books are wild, weird, madcap adventures starring headstrong, unflappable Sadie and her eccentric Great Aunt Josephine. These books are so much fun and were so much fun to illustrate!

*Interior art from FOLLOW THAT FROG, written by Philip C. Stead, illustrated by Matthew Cordell*

What’s up next for you?

My next book to come out (September 7, 2021) will be What Isabella Wanted, by Candace Fleming, pictures by me. It's a fascinating picture book biography of Isabella Stewart Gardner, late 19th century world traveler and art collector who built and opened her own museum in Boston at the turn of the century. In the 1990's there was a late night heist where several priceless drawings, paintings, and artifacts were stolen, and the mystery has never been solved.

Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?

Read lots and lots of picture books. Know the past, present, and future--what's coming out next. Having that education of the world of picture books and publishing, and also knowing what you personally like and don't like, is one of the best things you can do for yourself.

And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?

Definitely the original Star Wars Trilogy. (Even though the first film was a 1977 release) I was a huge Star Wars kid and am now a huge Star Wars grown-up.

Huge thank you to Matthew for stopping by Critter Lit today! We are so excited about your upcoming books. Congrats on all your success!

MATTHEW CORDELL is the Caldecott Medal-winning author and illustrator of Wolf in the Snow and Hello Neighbor!: The Kind and Caring World of Mister Rogers, recipient of four starred reviews, and the illustrator of numerous highly acclaimed children's books including Philip C. Stead's books Follow That Frog!, The Only Fish in the Sea, and Special Delivery, which was a Washington Post Best Book. He wrote and illustrated Another Brother, Wish, and Hello! Hello!, a New York Times Notable Children's Book. Matthew lives near Chicago with his wife, author Julie Halpern, and their two children.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Matthew, visit him online: http://matthewcordell.com

or follow him on social media:

Twitter: @cordellmatthew

Instagram: @cordell_matthew

TO ORDER Matthew’s books, ring up your local bookstore or click here.

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Want a chance to win a copy of FOLLOW THAT FROG?! Comment on this post or share it on Twitter. One lucky winner will be selected Thursday, April 8th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Author and Illustrator Ginnie Hsu

February 4, 2021Authors + Illustrators, Illustrators, Interviews, Vet InterviewsLindsay Ward7 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! Today we are joined by an incredibly talented author and illustrator. I’m a huge fan of her work— I love her compositions, details, and color palettes! And she also happens to be professor of illustration at my alma matter, Syracuse University. I can’t wait for all of you to check out all her books.

So without further ado, please welcome Ginnie Hsu!

Where do you live?

Upstate NY.

How many years have you been in publishing?

So far, two happy years. I am learning so much, and I am so grateful for the experiences.

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How did you first get published?

My agent, Anne, told me someone was interested in having me illustrate a farm book! I love farms, and it was perfect. The Farm that feeds us was out last July, and it was one of the happiest days last year.

Do you write and illustrate full-time?

Now I am! I am also teaching Illustration at Syracuse University.

What inspires you to create picture books?

Telling stories in a lovely way, and I love to draw.

What surprised you the most working as an author/illustrator?

The amount of time you have to put in to create, think and experiment. It’s fun and time-consuming at the same time.

What is your favorite thing about being an author/illustrator?

I get to tell the story and illustrate the way I want it to be.

What do you find difficult working as an author/illustrator?

Oh, there is never enough time for me. I wish there are 48 hrs a day. I will spend 28 hrs drawing and write stories! I don’t sleep a lot. haha

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

Go out for a drawing adventure in the wild. I love walking and just walk in nature.

Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?

I always start writing and play with the materials first if I want to play nowadays. And, I have to have tea, coffee, and some snack around.

Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the Kid Lit community?

Yes. I met so many friendly people. I love all the editors I work with. They are some of the most amazing people I met. So encouraging.

Recommended reading?

From my reading list this year. The Bluest Eye by Toni Morrison! I am almost done with it and highly recommend it!

Also, poetry!

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

I get to grow as an illustrator and be an illustrator. If you told me I get to draw for a living ten years ago. I would not believe you. Haha, It’s genuinely a dream that comes true.

What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started writing and illustrating?

There are going to be ups and downs, and your drawing will grow as you grow.

And, don’t focus on a style. Focus on how you draw and what you want to draw.

Can you tell us about your newest book?

Yes. My newest book is Lady Bird Johnson, That’s Who, written by Tracy Nelson Maurer.

It’s about the former first lady, Claudia Alta Johnson, aka Lady Bird Johnson, who help make America cleaner and greener!

Interior art from LADY BIRD JOHNSON, THAT’S WHO by Tracy Nelson Maurer, illustrated by Ginnie Hsu

What’s up next for you?

I am currently working on a couple of books now and am also researching the book I am writing. I am very excited to jump into the other areas, like creating fabrics and products for my shop. It’s a never-ending career that’s full of excitement and surprise.

Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?

Yes! Thank you all for creating! The world is so much better with stories you create and share.

And last but not least, favorite 80s movie?

My neighbor, Totoro!! I grew up watching Miyazaki movies. It’s still one my favorite.

Huge thank you to Ginnie for stoping by Critter Lit today! We are such a huge fan of your illustrations and can’t wait to see what you come out with next!

GINNIE HSU is an Illustrator, a Designer, an Educator, and a Maker living in Upstate New York. Her work is often inspired by my everyday life, human living, and her love for nature. She has received recognition in Creative Quarterly 55, 3x3 International Illustration Show No.15 (Picture Book Bronze, two Professional Merits), AI-AP International Motion Art Awards 6 (winner), and Uppercase Magazine No.38 “Fresh. Her clients and publications have included Macmillan, Henry Holt, Benchmark Education, Old Dungate Press, Breathe Magazine, American Greetings, and Babbel Magazine.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Ginnie or her books, visit her online:

Instagram: @ginniehsu

Website: helloginniehsu.com

ORDER THIS BOOK To order a copy of any of Ginnie’s books, click here.

WIN A COPY! Want to win a copy of LADY BIRD JOHNSON, THAT’S WHO?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, February 11th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Author Gianna Ruggiero

November 12, 2020Authors + Illustrators, Debut Interviews, IllustratorsLindsay Ward3 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! One of my favorite things is picture books that center around food. I love to cook and bake and I always enjoy a good food driven story. Today I’m sharing a new picture book that celebrates the joy of food: EVERY NIGHT IS PIZZA NIGHT, which released in September, written by New York TImes Bestselling chef J. Kenji Lopez-Alt and illustrated by Gianna Ruggiero. I’m thrilled to have Gianna join us today to talk about her debut picture book and road to publication.

So without further ado, please welcome Gianna Ruggiero!

Where do you live?

I currently live in Oakland, California, but originally hail from South Philadelphia. Proud of you, Philly.

When did you know you wanted to write/illustrate picture books?

I have always liked telling stories, and in college I remember doing a mock children’s book idea for a class. It was really fun and I experimented with photos and digital illustration. I knew then that this would be something I would like to pursue, but didn’t really know how. From that moment my career has mostly been in feature animation and video games. Children’s book illustration has always been on the back burner. In the past few years, I had finally started to pursue illustration more seriously by attending SCBWI events, networking with agents and publishers, and talking to published illustrators about their journey. That hard work seemed to pay off as it helped land me a spot with a literary agency.

Tell us about your road to publication, what did that involve for you?

Man, I wish I could be a little bit more inspiring and helpful, but it was pure luck and a backlog of portfolio work. I lost my job a couple years ago and tweeted out to the world wide webs sharing that I lost my job and was looking for work. Somehow that tweet landed on Kenji’s timeline and he took interest in me and my work. He later reached out to me asking if I would collaborate on a children’s book with him. I was optimistic, but I wasn’t aware of who Kenji was at the time, so to me he was a random stranger on the internet, thus it led me to be a bit hesitant. A lot of times internet strangers will email you asking for you to help do work on a screenplay they are writing, or their 5,000 page novel, and it goes nowhere. It’s a total crapshoot. But for me, I was lucky. Kenji not only turned out to be a famous chef, but a wonderful, talented, kind-hearted human that valued me and my work. I owe him many thanks.

Can you share a bit about your process?

My process usually starts out with a large amount of panicking, and what I can only describe as me flailing wildly around in circles, drawing things that somehow amount to an idea. Then I develop those half-baked ideas into a final concept.

Oh, boy. I feel like my process is always evolving. For some reason it is easier for me to conform to a style that is given to me from an art director than to form a style that I need to adhere to myself. For Every Night Is Pizza Night, it started out with a lot of reference gathering. Gathering styles from other illustrators I like, and photos of people I wanted to draw. From there it is a lot of scrappy sketching on paper or in the computer. I try to think a lot about the scope of the project, what kind of style I can commit to in a given time, what makes me happy, what the mood of the project is, things along that line that help inform how the final illustration will look.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

Ever since I was a kid, I walked a lot. I walked to school, I walked to friends houses, the bus. Wherever I walked it was usually accompanied by a CD player. I found myself lost in daydreams. Whatever I would listen to would conjure up a mood, a style, characters, scenarios, and stories. I would visualize little snippets between characters or come up with story arcs. Still to this day, I do that mostly walking my dog or commuting to work. The only thing that has changed is the CD player.

That was a very long-winded way of saying: Music. Music gets me in a creative mood.

Another thing I do is get rid of my shame and turn off the judgemental side of my brain. When I am sketching and trying to enjoy whatever it is I am creating on paper, I try not to judge it or shame it. I just enjoy it and see where my brain takes me in that moment.

Anything you can’t live without while you write/draw?

The internet.

Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?

So many to name. I am a big fan of Emily Carroll and her short story horror comics. Big fan of Emily Hughes, John Bond, Amélie Fléchais, Joe Todd-Stanton, and Christian Robinson.

Dream project to work on?

I would love to work on a strange silly adventure, or some sort of fantasy book. I really like books that feature animal characters meeting strange characters. I loved “The Phantom Tollbooth” as a kid, and I just loved the strange and creative worlds; ones that have never been explored or thought up before.

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Tell us about your debut book.

Every Night is Pizza Night is about a young girl named Pipo who believes pizza is the best food in the world, that is until her parents tell her to go investigate. Pipo takes that as a scientific challenge, and goes on a journey in her neighborhood tasting different foods from different cultures. Pipo tries a whole range of foods from bibimbap to rice and beans. It is a book that celebrates different cultures, and diversity. It inspires kids and families to be adventurous, and try different foods while understanding that food can hold different traditions and meanings to us.

The book is light-hearted and funny. It also features pages that are explosive and whimsical whenever Pipo takes a bite of a new food she has never tried. It even features a pizza recipe in the back of the book for parents and kids to make together.

What’s up next for you?

Kenji and I are taking a much-needed break for right now, but I expect that sometime next year we might begin exploring a new book idea. Currently, I am enjoying just sketching and learning how to get better at roller skating. I am also coming up with a video game idea that I might pitch to my studio. So nothing too exciting, but that is fine for me.

And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?

The Thing! It is the best!

Huge thanks to Gianna for stopping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on your debut!

Gianna Ruggiero is a concept artist, video game developer, and illustrator. Every Night Is Pizza Night is her debut children’s book. She lives in Oakland, California.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Gianna or her work, visit her online: www.giannaruggiero.com or follow her on social media:

Instagram/Twitter @immagigi

ORDER THIS BOOK To order a copy of EVERY NIGHT IS PIZZA NIGHT click here.

WIN A COPY! Want to win a SIGNED copy of EVERY NIGHT IS PIZZA NIGHT?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, November 19th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Author/Illustrator Kayla Stark

October 22, 2020Authors + Illustrators, Interviews, Illustrators, Vet InterviewsLindsay Ward4 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! Today we have an interview with author/illustrator Kayla Stark whose new book FRIENDS AT THE FIREHOUSE, which released in August with Chronicle Books, is one of the coolest lift-the-flap books I’ve seen in a long time! I’m so excited to share her work with you all today and continue our week of creatives that work with novelty and board books.

So without further ado, please welcome Kayla Stark!

Where do you live?

Nashville, TN USA

How many years have you been in publishing?

This is a rough approximation, but I think it’s been close to 4 years now!

How did you first get published?

Parallax Publishing reached out to me about illustrating a picture book called “Mr. Pack Rat Really Wants That”. The author saw my work on the Women Who Draw website and then asked the editor to email me. I think that’s a pretty unusual way for the publisher to reach out, but I’m so happy they did. I did a few tests before I officially landed the job. Since this was my first time working on a picture book, Parallax wanted to make sure I was up to it.

Do you write/illustrate full-time?

Yes, I do! I spend more time illustrating than writing at this point, but I’m hearing the siren call of writing and I can’t stay away. It’s intimidating because I’m not as practiced in writing, but I do want to pitch my own stories—and I have so many ideas!

What inspires you to create picture books?

That’s a good question. The picture book industry seems to be where my work best fits. In the beginning I didn’t set out to make my work fit the picture book industry, but once I became friends with other picture book illustrators and learned more about the industry I felt like I had finally found a place to park my work and settle in.

In my work I like to ask silly questions and play with ridiculous “what ifs”. Questioning and observing everything always leads me to an idea or story that begs for further exploration.

What surprised you the most working as an author/illustrator?

I was surprised when I saw how much work and energy went into the creation and promotion of a new book. It’s a true team effort! I’m also constantly surprised by how connected the illustration/publishing world is. Everyone knows everyone!

What is your favorite thing about being an author/illustrator?

There are 2 things that immediately come to mind.
#1 - I love the initial stages of a job. The research phase and open possibilities give me such a rush!
#2 - Once a book/project is finished I look forward to the promotional events. Launch parties, process posts, interviews, readings, signings etc. I’m an extroverted person and getting these opportunities to travel, meet, and speak to new people fills me up!

What do you find difficult working as an author/illustrator?

Sometimes the daily monotony and isolation gets to me. It can feel like I’m working in a vacuum and treading water. It’s imperative to keep up my momentum and focus in order to finish projects. Knowing I have to power through on the days I don’t feel creative is difficult. I try to spin it in my brain and think of it as leveling up my self discipline.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

Hmmm…I’ll try a few different things. FaceTiming a friend who gets it is the best medicine. I’m so happy (and lucky) to be friends with a number of illustrators and other artists—both local and online! I’m a part of The Warren Studio here in Nashville, TN. When I need a change of pace I’ll go in and see people, get lunch, and just have a fun day.

Some other things I’ll do when I need new ideas is— read; workout; go to a museum*; schedule a trip*; go to my list of ideas and thoughts I keep in my phone; create a new color palette and imagine what type of scene or story would use it.

*I’m not doing these things currently due to Covid-19 safety concerns.

Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?

I used to watch a little bit of TV after waking up, however I realized that when I do that my mind wants to be entertained all day instead of getting into work mode. Now when I wake up, instead of turning on the TV, I do these things in this order to feel like it’s time for work—open the blinds, brush my teeth, wash my face, grab my coffee, and walk upstairs to my desk.

I also like to be left alone for the first few hours of the work day. My husband has been working from home since March and I had to set up a no talking rule for the first 3 hours of the work day.

Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the Kid Lit community?

Wow, most everything has been positive. Hmm…something that stands out is getting to know others in the Kid Lit community on Instagram. It’s led to friendships, critique groups, collaboration opportunities, agents, meet ups, and a wonderfully fulfilling life/career.

When I think about it, it’s crazy how many friends I’ve made through Instagram and the close knit connections of the kid lit community.

Recommended reading?
All of Martin Salisbury’s books on picture books and illustration.

The Fog by Kyo Maclear, illustrated by Kenard Pak.

Mac Barnett’s books are always a delight.

I’ll stick to these few for this purpose, but I need to make a whole list separated into categories.

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

I just illustrated the covers for a new release of classic titles (The Jungle Book, Black Beauty, Alice in Wonderland, and Treasure Island). It was surreal to see that job land on my desk and I am happy I was trusted to take on these beloved titles. I’ll be sharing those on my Instagram very soon along with some behind the scenes process posts!

What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started writing/illustrating?

This is still a job, sometimes you are going to have to put in extra hours and work when you don’t feel like it. Somedays it will feel like you are going nowhere and somedays you’ll feel on top of the world, but most days you’ll feel somewhere in between. Ask for help when you need it, take care of yourself, take criticism (but not personally), and just keep going. You will never feel like you’ve “arrived”, so stop expecting that. You are doing what you love, celebrate that!

Friends at the Firehouse by Kayla Stark, Chronicle Books — *Friends at the Firehouse* by Kayla Stark, Chronicle Books

Can you tell us about your newest book?

Friends at the Firehouse written and illustrated by me is a lift-the-flap journey through a firehouse. The annual parade is about to start and we need to find the missing Dalmatian puppy. There are 35 flaps to inspect and tons of details for kids to pour over. It’s published by Chronicle Books as part of their Double Booked series—which means the book is a unique die cut shape (a firehouse in this case) and opens from both sides as a gate fold!

Interior art from Friends at the Firehouse by Kayla Stark, Chronicle Books

It’s the most complex book I’ve worked on and it took me a WHILE to wrap my mind around everything as I was laying out the illustrations. I visited 2 local fire stations before starting and took hundreds of photos. The firefighters drove me around in the truck and I got to slide down the pole like a real fire fighter!

What’s up next for you?

I have some stories of my own I’m going to pitch! So I’ll be going into writing mode and working on getting a manuscript and book dummy together.

I’m also working on a language learning vocabulary book! —along the lines of Richard Scarry’s Big Book of Words, but with my own world and characters. :)

Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?

I know this is said over and over again, but I believe it bears repeating. Create the work you want to get hired to do! All the time I see and talk to artists that are just waiting for someone to hire them for their dream job, but there are no clear examples in their portfolio to show they CAN do that job. You have to show you can already do something before someone will hire you do it.

Draw and write a lot! Start building your social media platform now and engage with other people. It can be annoying to keep up with all the platforms, so pick 1-2 and post consistently!

And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?

Oooh. I’ll say The Shining. I’m not a horror nut, but there’s just something about that movie.

Huge thank you to Kayla for stopping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on your new book, we can’t wait to see your upcoming projects!

After graduating with a BFA from the University of Tennessee at Martin and working for a few years as a graphic designer; KAYLA STARK decided to shift into the world of her first love—illustration! She works both digitally and traditionally, depending on the project, and is most comfortable when settling into the beginning “research” phase of projects. The traditional media she uses most often are: watercolor, gouache, and colored pencils (she is on a constant search for the perfect, scratchy pencil texture) She is naturally very curious and asks a lot of questions—this quality is a constant fuel for inspiration.

She lives in Nashville, TN in a small house with her husband and 2 cats. Most of the time she is working upstairs in her studio, but a few days a week she joins a group of friends and fellow illustrators at a co-working space in East Nashville.

Kayla’s hobbies include playing board games, participating in (almost) any event, learning languages, and planning trips (she loves public transit). Some of Kayla’s favorite topics are birds, traveling, science, animal fun facts, and history.

She has done work for various clients including Highlights Magazine, Sleeping Bear Press and Chronicle.

FOR MORE INFORMATION visit Kayla online at www.kaylastark.com or on social media:

Instagram: @kayla_stark

ORDER THIS BOOK To order a copy of FRIENDS AT THE FIREHOUSE click here.

WIN A COPY! Want to win a copy of FRIENDS AT THE FIREHOUSE?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. TWO lucky winners will be announced on Thursday, October 29th! US addresses only please.

GUEST POST: 5 Tips to Market Your Picture Book as a First-Time Author by Desiree Villena

July 23, 2020Authors, Craft, Authors + Illustrators, book releaseLindsay Ward2 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! This week we have a guest post by Desiree Villena, a writer with Reedsy, who’s sharing some tips with us about marketing your picture book as a first-time author. I’m so excited to have Desiree with us today and we hope to share more posts like this in the future along with our stellar line-up of author interviews. Critter Lit’s mission is to help give authors and illustrators a platform to share their work. We hope you find the information we post, share, and promote useful on your creative journey.

5 Tips to Market Your Picture Book as a First-Time Author

By Desiree Villena

If this is your first time publishing a picture book, you’ve got an exciting journey ahead of you! The playful world of children’s publishing will make marketing your book one of the most joyous tasks you can find in the literary industry. It’s still important and serious work, of course — but you can also benefit from that freedom to be a little extra creative and silly! With that in mind, here are five tips to market your first picture book both effectively and enjoyably.

1. Craft a fun author bio

As a children’s book author — and a picture book author at that — you can afford to be a little less formal than you’d usually be in a professional context. One place where this informality might manifest is your author bio, which can be as absurd and nonsensical as you like.

Take, for example, the beloved Greek children’s author Eugene Trivizas: a criminology professor who completely eliminates his real life from his bio in favor of a more whimsical, child-friendly persona. “Eugene Trivizas is an explorer, inventor and a juggler of runny eggs,” his bio reads. “Eugene lives on the Island of Fireworks together with his Parrot, Cynthia, his White Elephant, Pukipon, Lilly, his Spotted Leopard, the Invisible Horace, the Invisible Kangaroo and many other friends and acquaintances.”

If you’re publishing your picture book traditionally, you probably put together an author bio when you were looking for a literary agent. However, the bio that will appear on your website can be more playful and intriguing than that, and more in line with the eccentricity of many pictre books!

That said, as a first-time author, it’s understandable that you may not want to go all the way with a completely wacky author bio — and you might be inclined to keep it shorter, too. Still, you can introduce an element of playfulness at the end of a completely serious bio. Anything that makes your reader smile will do the trick!

As a concrete example, pets are always a safe bet. If your bio ends with, “She lives in Ontario with her cat, Estelle,” you could add a detail about that pet, like “She lives in Ontario with her cat, Estelle, whom she deeply admires for her ability to communicate with household objects.” This sort of bio may be especially effective if your picture book is related to animals, like Sarah Kurpiel’s Lone Wolf. But animals aren’t the only way to make a bio fun; check out Abi Kushman’s bio at the bottom of this interview with Critter Lit for another great example.

2. Keep your design materials consistent

To ensure that your author brand is recognizable, you should aim to keep all design materials within a consistent aesthetic. What I mean by this is that the visual impression conveyed by the design of your book cover should not be at odds with the appearance of your website, or any other promotional materials (like social media image posts).

In fact, these visual elements should not just avoid clashing messages; they should be perfectly synchronized. This is a key concept of branding, which involves establishing a clear visual identity. Such an identity includes things like your color scheme, typography, or any logo-style shape by which you might market a series of picture books.

Visual consistency helps make your marketing campaign more memorable and holds your online presence together. So as you embark on this journey, talk to your illustrator/designer and agree to some rules that will guide the visual side of your marketing strategy.

3. Go out and meet your readers

Possibly the most exciting part of a marketing campaign for both yourself and your young readers is going out and meeting each other! If your book is being published traditionally, talk to your publicist about attending book festivals, visiting schools, and doing readings in libraries and bookstores. If you’re self-publishing, reach out to the people organizing these things yourself, and simply state your interest in (and enthusiasm for) being part of their future events!

You can even suggest some activities yourself to keep your requests from being too broad and vague. For example, say you’re happy to visit their school and hold a writing or illustration workshop, followed by a short reading of your picture book. And it should go without saying, but I’ll say it anyway: whatever sort of event you end up suggesting, always make sure to arrive armed with copies of your book to sell!

The pandemic may make it tough to implement this part of your marketing plan at the moment, but that doesn’t mean you can’t do anything to reach your target market. Plenty of bookshops are holding their regular events online, so don’t hesitate to get in touch and highlight that you’d still be happy to be part of an online event. It’s less than ideal, but better than nothing!

4. Use social media to your advantage

While we’re on the subject of online promotion, social media will be enormously helpful to you during this difficult COVID-19 period. If you’re successful in holding some online events, as mentioned above, you’ll hopefully see flurries of interest on your social media pages. Stay active on these pages by sharing both promotional and fun, helpful materials (such as book recs for parents who are struggling to keep children occupied at home).

Again, if you have a publishing deal, your publisher’s marketing team will be able to help with this; otherwise, be creative! Can you put together any educational activities using some of the illustrations from your book? Or perhaps you can ask your illustrator for outline-only drawings of your characters, to supply to young children as a coloring exercise? Anything that will get your audience to interact with you digitally is a hugely positive addition to a marketing campaign conducted from home!

If you have a mailing list (as you should), make sure to repeatedly provide sign-up links on your social media pages. A mailing list is an incredibly valuable tool, even for picture book authors — your young readers may not have email yet, but their parents do! Use your mailing list to keep up a friendly stream of communication and resources for these parents (and teachers and librarians and more), and always notify them when you have a new book coming out.

5. Give author interviews

On the note of promotional activities you can safely conduct from home, one of the most fun ways to improve your digital networking is to give author interviews — just like the interviews on Critter Lit’s website! Aside from children and their family members, another part of your audience is going to be fellow authors, illustrators, and publishing professionals who love picture books and will be keeping up-to-date with new releases.

These readers will be curious to hear where you find inspiration, how you arrived at your picture book idea, and how your overall creative process works. Remember: interviews are a crucial aspect of belonging to a professional literary community in which authors help one another promote their books. And these interview articles will definitely be something to share on those social media accounts we discussed!

I hope these tips are helpful to you and that they inspire you to create (or expand upon) an amazing marketing plan of your own. As a first-time author, it’s okay if you make some mistakes — what you don’t want to do is be too afraid to be creative, and end up launching your book with a fizzle rather than a bang. Be brave, and best of luck!

Huge thank you Desiree for stopping by Critter Lit today and sharing some wonderful tips with us!

DESIREE VILLENA is a writer with Reedsy, a marketplace that connects self-publishing authors with the world’s best editors, designers, and marketers. She's very passionate about helping authors reach their dreams, and enjoys reading and writing short stories in her spare time. Desiree hasn't yet written a children's book of her own, but maybe someday!

Interview with Debut Author and Illustrator Abi Cushman

July 16, 2020book release, Debut Interviews, Interviews, IllustratorsLindsay Ward37 Comments

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:

Twitter

Instagram

Facebook

Sign-up for Abi’s newsletter here for totally top secret sneak peeks and giveaways!

BUY THIS BOOK To order a copy of Abi’s debut picture book, click here.

WIN A COPY! Want to win a copy of SOAKED?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, July 23rd! US addresses only please.

Interview with Illustrator Elaheh Taherian

May 28, 2020Debut Interviews, Illustrators, InterviewsLindsay Ward1 Comment

Happy Thursday Critters! Today I’m thrilled to be sharing the work of illustrator Elaheh Taherian, whose debut picture book in the US is written by my lovely and talented friend, Tricia Springstubb. I always love sharing another illustrator’s work— especially one as immensely talented as Elaheh. Her work is filled with rich textures, patterns, and colors— which remind me of Matisse. There is such a playful sensibility in her design and shapes that I love too.

So without further ado, please welcome Elaheh Taherian!

Where do you live?

I live in Brooklyn, New York

When did you know you wanted to illustrate picture books?

When I was a kid I was more interested in illustrations in the picture books than the story. I would read the story several times, look at the pictures over and over again and I would draw next to them to tell my story. I grew up knowing that I love art and drawing and to be an artist. My father really supported me to go to art school. I studied visual art/painting for my undergrad and at some point during this time I remembered how much I loved illustration and storytelling that I’ve forgot about during years.

Tell us about your road to publication, what did that involve for you?

I decided to study illustration for my master’s degree. I grew up in Iran and over there in order to get to either grad school and undergrad there is a national wide entry exam. It is so competitive and after you accept in the first round which is the theory exam, there is the second round for drawing and illustration skill tests. I got accepted in one of the top art schools in 2006. in my second semester, I got my first book illustration deal through an art director who was familiar with my work. It was like a dream for me. I was lucky to get to work on an actual project while studying. Also, we had art director critiques visiting the school and I was lucky to meet a great art director who was interested in my works and asked me to meet him. First, he hired me to illustrate for a very great children’s magazine and after several months I had a book contract with the publishing company that he was the art director. This first book with him was so successful and the book “ The Giant Snowman” published in 3 different languages with very great publishers in France, Switzerland, and South Korea. Long story short within 4 years until left Iran in 2010, I already had illustrated 7 children’s books.
After I moved here I did not know anything about publishing here nor I knew anybody. I tried to connect with some people, I did not have much luck. I decided to go to grad school again to build my confidence again probably and learn about the industry here and get to know people. I studied MFA Illustration at the School of Visual Arts. I got to know great people and I received great feedback from teachers and critique guests. After my graduation from SVA, it took me 3 more years to get my first book deal with Candlewick Press and I was lucky to get to illustrate this beautiful story written by great Tricia Springstubb, Khalil & Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures. A story about love and friendship. When I received the offer email I was literally jumping up and down all over my apartment. I also signed my second book deal a month ago with Little Bigfoot.

Can you share a bit about your process?

I usually start with doodles, character study, and so many sketches— that is the most challenging part for me. It might take me days of not working, but focusing on what I really want and thinking and getting inspired.
After I come up with the right sketch, and I am happy with the characters and compositions, I start working on the color palette and the techniques I wanted to use. I usually know what technique I want to use when I read the story but it can change depending on the sketches. After I pass this part, it gets easier and I just enjoy working with colors and the characters.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

There are some times in our life that we feel our mind is blocked and there is no way we can get anything done or we just keep repeating ourselves. At these times, if I’m having trouble with a specific project, I stop it and I start drawing something unrelated to the project— something that I have total freedom in and most of the time through that I get back on track and I come up with my best ideas. Because you think that you don’t think about the project while in your unconscious you are still thinking and reviewing and looking for solutions. Sometimes looking at my old drawing archive helps me to come up with new ideas. Sometimes doing nothing and looking at people through the window or taking a walk can help. Also libraries, art galleries and museums are the best places to be when you need inspiration. To get new ideas sometimes you need a pause and come back fresh.

Anything you can’t live without while you draw?

Freedom of imagination, my plants, and at least 10 cups of Black Tea.

Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?

Marc Chagall’s beautiful works and colors was my first source of inspiration in my art. He is a great story teller and knowing his art changed my view and direction in my work. He also was an illustrator. There are so many great artists and authors who inspire me and it’s hard to put all the names down but I can name some great author and illustrators that I always looked up to like Peter Sis who was my Thesis Advisor in grad school (I feel so lucky), Eric Carle, Tomie DePaola (who we sadly lost last month), and so many more...

Tell us about your new book.

Khalil & Mr. Hagerty and the Backyard Treasures written by the great Tricia Springstubb.
I was so lucky to get to illustrate her story. The story is about building a friendship full of love and surprises! The book released on May 26th, 2020. I am so excited about it. It’s my first book in the USA and I am looking forward to sharing it with the world.

What’s up next for you?

My next illustration project is a book I will be working with Little Bigfoot. The story is called Baba’s Gift and is written by two sisters, Ariana and Christina Amini. This book is scheduled for Spring 2022. I am also working on writing and illustrating a new story. Next, is just keep working and getting inspired.

Congrats on your debut book in the US Elaheh! We are thrilled you could join us on Critter Lit today!

ELAHEH TAHERIAN graduated from MFA Illustration as Visual Essay program from School of Visual Arts in New York City with the Paula Rhodes honor award for exceptional achievement in illustration in 2015. Prior to this, she received an MFA degree from Art University in Tehran, Iran 2009. She has illustrated several children’s books and her works have been published in several magazines and featured in many exhibits. Elaheh lives and works in Brooklyn, New York.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Elaheh, visit her online at www.elahehtaherian.com.

BUY THIS BOOK To purchase a copy of KHALIL AND MR. HAGERTY AND THE BACKYARD TREASURES, click here.

WIN A COPY! Want to win a giveaway copy of Elaheh’s debut book, KHALIL AND MR. HAGERTY AND THE BACKYARD TREASURES, written by Tricia Springstubb?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, June 4th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Cassandra Federman

September 5, 2019Authors + Illustrators, Authors, Debut Interviews, Illustrators, InterviewsLindsay Ward3 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! I’m so excited to have Cassandra Federman stop by today! Her debut book as an author/illustrator, THIS IS A SEA COW, just came out September 1st and IT IS ADORABLE! I can’t wait for you all to check it out!

So without further ado, please welcome…Cassandra Federman!

Where do you live?

I’m originally from Massachusetts, but I’ve lived in Los Angeles for the past 12 years.

When did you know you wanted to write/illustrate picture books?

About 5 years ago. I pitched an idea for a picture book to my husband (also a writer) and he encouraged me to go for it. He even got me a membership to SCBWI (Society for Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators) for our first anniversary. I think he might know me better than I know myself.

Tell us about your road to publication, what did that involve for you?

A lot of hard work! I hadn’t done any sketching since I was a teen, so I had a lot of catching up to do. I taught myself Photoshop, since that seemed to be the way the industry was heading. I went to as many SCBWI events, mingles, and conferences as I could. I started a critique group full of amazing individuals that I’d met at those events. I applied for every contest I could find through Twitter, kidlit blogs, and SCBWI. Finally, in 2017, I won two mentorship contests. The dummy I polished with the help of my mentors landed me my agent, Jenna Pocius. Jenna put two of my dummies out on submission and the second dummy sold in 48 hours!

Can you share a bit about your process?

Sure! The manuscript always comes first for me. I know that a lot of illustrators work the other way around, but I think I’m more of a writer who illustrates than an illustrator who writes. The manuscript goes through several rounds of notes with my critique group before I send it to my agent for her thoughts. After she’s signed off, I create the book dummy. The style of illustration I use really depends on the book. For instance, This Is a Sea Cow, was designed to look like a child’s school report, so I use a lot of photography and found objects. I also hand lettered it so that the writing would look like a child’s. Other dummies of mine include a graphic novel where I use ink and half tones, and an underwater story using watercolor and various other traditional media that I scan into photoshop. Once I complete the dummy, I send it back through my critique group, then to my agent for notes. Finally it goes out on submission and I start working on the next thing. (If I’m not working on something, then waiting on responses is excruciating!)

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

I think I’m lucky to be an author-illustrator because I can switch back and forth between writing and sketching, which allows me to keep the creative juices flowing. A tool I’ve found very helpful is Google docs. Whenever I get an idea I just pop it into a google doc with some notes. That way I’ve always got a list (that I can access from a phone or an iPad or a computer) of ideas to go back to.

Anything you can’t live without while you write/draw?

A digital tablet of some kind: iPad or Wacom Cintiq.

Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?

Kate Beaton, Jon Klassen, Dan Santat, Sophie Blackall, Shannon Hale, Lucy Ruth Cummins, Mo Willems, Ame Dyckman, and the list goes on!

Dream project to work on?

Oof, I don’t know. I guess any project that changes childrens’ lives for the better. Whatever THAT project is, I want to do it.

Tell us about your debut book.

This Is a Sea Cow is a fourth-wall-breaking book designed to look like a second grader’s school report on sea cows. The subject of the report does not like her portrayal, so Sea Cow--or Manatee as she prefers to be called--comes to life to set the record straight.

What’s up next for you?

I’ve got some exciting stuff in the works that I hope to be able to talk about soon!

And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?

The Princess Bride. I walked down the aisle to the theme song.

Huge thank you to Cassandra for stopping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on your debut! We are so excited to see what you do next!

CASSANDRA FEDERMAN is a writer and illustrator in Los Angeles, CA. She is originally from Massachusetts, but like manatees, she hates to be cold. She wanted to grow up to be a comic book artist and a marine biologist. She decided this book accomplishes both of those things. In college she studied abroad in Belize, where she rescued an orphaned manatee. She hopes this book will result in the rescue of many more.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Cassandra Federman visit her online or follow her on social media:

Twitter/Instagram: @CassFederman

TO ORDER Cassandra’s book, ring up your local bookstore or click here.

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Want a chance to win a copy of THIS IS A SEA COW?! Comment on this post or share it on Twitter. One lucky winner will be selected Thursday, September 12th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Author and Illustrator Susan Reagan

August 29, 2019Authors, Authors + Illustrators, Illustrators, Vet Interviews, InterviewsLindsay Ward4 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! Today I’m very excited to be sharing the work of one of my dear friends and critique partners, Susan Reagan! Sue is an incredibly talented illustrator and writer and I’m thrilled to have her with us on Critter Lit. Her newest board book, SIMON SAYS OPEN THE BOOK, written by Emilia Zebrowska, published with Creative Company this month. Her work is stunning and I can’t wait to share it with you all!

So without further ado, please welcome the fantastically talented Susan Reagan!

Where do you live?

I live in Tremont, a neighborhood of Cleveland, Ohio. Our neighborhood was once called the Southside. We sit directly between Cleveland’s Downtown and the Steelyards that once fueled the economy and life of the neighborhood. I love living in a city neighborhood! It’s full of history and diversity and is my greatest inspiration as an artist.

How many years have you been in publishing?

Quite a few. The first books I illustrated were for Christian publishers. But it wasn’t my primary source of work, I worked for American Greetings as an illustrator for the first half of my career. I still freelance for them; it’s my bread and butter work.

How did you first get published?

I had a brief stint with an agent back in the mid 90’s who got me my first book. It was MY LITTLE BOOK OF BIG BIBLE PROMISES. But it wasn’t a leap into publishing. I stayed with American Greetings for a while after that.

Do you write/illustrate full-time?

I have always illustrated full-time but for many markets. It’s only over the past five years that I have decided to dedicate myself mostly to publishing and picture books (I still have bills to pay so I do some other freelance too). I am working on my writing. I have a couple of manuscripts just about ready to share with my agent. They have been in the works for years. Writing is much more challenging for me than illustrating but I love to push myself. I have also started teaching illustration as adjunct faculty at the Cleveland Institute of Art. I’m loving it!

What inspires you to create picture books?

My own manuscripts are based on visual puns or a funny phrase. I like silliness but the books I love to illustrate are more serious or complex. My drawing style is more observational and less character design driven. I love the use of line and I love a subtle limited color palette.

What surprised you the most working as an author/illustrator?

I guess what surprised me most is just how involved the process is and how different it is from the other types of illustration I’ve done. It’s a slower paced business and it took some time for me to adjust it. I‘m accustomed to a quick turn around on assignments. But I love how much time I get to spend with a book while illustrating it. I love having time to really think things over.

What is your favorite thing about being an author/illustrator?

I draw, design, paint, concept, every day!

What do you find difficult working as an author/illustrator?

The toughest part is sending out finished work and waiting. Even when you know the work is good there is something about waiting to hear from a creative director or an editor that makes most artist anxious. Most of us are naturally tough on ourselves. We don’t do this work just for ourselves. We want to hear that it worked; that we created something acceptable, beautiful, funny, touching, informative, whatever the goal. Also, I feel the weight of illustrating someone else’s story. I want to do right by them. I know how hard they worked to create their beautiful writing.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

I was feeling a bit rusty a few years back. I got so caught up in the business of illustrating and creativity that I got a little lost. I went back to my first love of drawing people. I participated in The 100 Day Project on Instagram and made a drawing a day of people I observed. It really energized me. I loosened up my line work and started trusting my instincts again. I made so many discoveries that are now a part of my illustration style.

Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?

Coffee is important. I think better when using my iPad and sitting in my living room than I do anywhere else. Also I like quiet when I am thinking so no music or background noise. If the windows are open and it’s a cool day— that’s the best!

Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the Kid Lit community?

My critique group without question! For over five years now I have benefited knowing these very talented women, one of which is the writer of this blog. Lindsay Ward, Betsy Snyder, Kellie DuBay Gillis, and Alissa McGough. Each one so smart, honest and talented! We give each other honest feedback and support each other’s successes and dreams. I have learned so much from this amazing group!

Recommended reading?

I’m reading THE UNDERGROUND RAILROAD by Colton Whitehead. I would highly recommend it!

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

Last January I signed with Stephanie Fretwell-Hill at Red Fox Literary. I have already signed on to illustrate a book by Beth Anderson, who has visited this blog. She’s an amazing writer. I love AN INCONVENIENT ALPHABET and I can’t wait to get my copy of LIZZIE DEMANDS A SEAT. The title I will be working on is PRUDENCE WRIGHT AND THE MINUTE WOMEN, about Prudence Cummings Wright and the ways that women used their skills and ingenuity to contribute to the American Revolution. I’m just getting started!

What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started writing/illustrating?

Take the work seriously but don’t take yourself too seriously. Actually I have probably been told that a 100 times, I need to listen better.

Tell us about your newest book.

SIMON SAYS OPEN THE BOOK, written by Emilia Zebrowska, from Creative Editions just released this month. It’s a sweet little bed time board book in which one last game of Simon Says turns into a fantastical journey into the night and off to dreamland.

Another recent release is YOU AND ME, another board book from Creative Editions, written by Rebecca Kai Dotlich. It made the American Library Association’s list of Notable Children’s Books for 2019. I was pretty happy about that.

What’s up next for you?

I just turned in LIGHTS OUT. I am very excited about this book! It’s a wonderful story written by Marsha Diane Arnold, published by Creative Editions, about the disruption that happens in nature and animal behaviors from too much light. It releases next fall. Here’s a sneak peek:

*Sneak peek from LIGHTS OUT! written by Marsha Diane Arnold, Illustrated by Susan Reagan*

I’ll have another board book Creative Editions titled READY OR NOT. And then as mentioned above, PRUDENCE WRIGHT AND THE MINUTE WOMEN IN 2022.

Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?

I would say to remember that sometimes it can take a while to have the breakthrough you are looking for. Work on what you love and seek good critiques and don’t be afraid of an honest opinion.

And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?

I don’t necessarily have a favorite but I remember laughing so hard at A Fish Called Wanda and Raising Arizona that I thought my sides would split. Wonder what I would think now?

Huge thank you to Susan Reagan for stopping by Critter Lit today! We can’t wait to see all the fantastic books you have coming out!

SUSAN REAGAN’S picture books include YOU & ME by Rebecca Kai Dotlich (Creative Company, 2018), SIMON SAYS OPEN THE BOOK by Emilia Zebrowska (Creative Company, 2019), and LIGHTS OUT! by Marsha Diane Arnold(Creative Company, 2020). She is currently illustrating PRUDENCE WRIGHT AND THE MINUTE WOMEN by Beth Anderson (Calkins Creek, 2022). Susan graduated with a BFA in Illustration from the Columbus College of Art and Design. She teaches illustration techniques as adjunct faculty at The Cleveland Institute of Art. Susan lives with her husband and three “mangy mutts” in Tremont, a historical neighborhood of her hometown of Cleveland, Ohio.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Susan Reagan visit her online or follow her on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/susan_reagan/

TO ORDER Susan’s books, ring up your local bookstore or click here.

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Want a chance to win a copy of SIMON SAYS OPEN THE BOOK?! Comment on this post or share it on Twitter. One lucky winner will be selected Thursday, September 5th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Illustrator Noël Ill

August 15, 2019debut interview, Holiday Books, Illustrators, InterviewsLindsay Ward2 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! Today we are joined by Noël ILL, an incredibly talented illustrator, whose new board book by Carole Gerber comes out this month with Familius. I love the art in this book— it’s charming, fun, and the perfect new book to share with your little ones this Halloween!

So without further ado…please welcome Noël ILL!

Where do you live?

I live in the Inland Empire. It’s in Southern, California, Southwest of San Bernardino County. There are beautiful mountains and sweet smelling orange trees everywhere.

Noël Ill dressed up as a kitten for Halloween when she was little.

When did you know you wanted to illustrate picture books?

As a kid, I was always drawing and my favorite assignments in elementary school were when the teacher would ask the class to write a short story and draw a picture to go with it. I knew then that I enjoyed illustrating stories. It wasn’t until I was in community college, before I went to art college, that I took a children’s literature class and realized I would love to illustrate children’s books. It was my main goal when I headed into ArtCenter.

*Interior art from IF YOU’RE SCARY AND YOU KNOW IT! written by Carole Gerber, Illustrated by Noël Ill*

Tell us about your road to publication, what did that involve for you?

It involved a lot of daydreaming and a little bit of confidence. After I graduated from ArtCenter, I was hoping to somehow get into illustrating children’s books, but I had no idea how. So, that’s where the daydreaming part came in. I was just dreaming of doing it with no actual tangible plan. Then I came across a job posting from ArtCenter’s job board where a local educational publishing company was looking for an illustrator to illustrate bilingual English and Spanish books with Hispanic themes. I immediately applied. I’m half Mexican and I felt very confident that with my illustration skills and my Hispanic cultural background combined, I would be a great fit for the job. I got the job and I still work with them today. The company is called Lectura Books and I’ve illustrated 11 books for them. I also post a lot of my original artwork online. That’s how the art director for If You’re Scary And You Know It! came across my work and got in contact with me. I’ve been illustrating professionally for over 10 years and even though I have illustrated many books for the educational market, this book is actually my first book in trade publishing.

Can you share a bit about your process?

First I start with looking up reference. I look up online the subject matter I will be working with. Or, if I have the time and the assignment has to do with something like for example, a horse, I will actually go to a place where I can see a real horse and take pictures of it and just observe the horse’s personality. Then I start sketching ideas in my sketchbook with pencil. I sketch out character ideas and layout composition ideas. After that, I move over to the computer where I began creating the illustration digitally.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

I do anything but art! I will even start to organize the clothes in my closet or organize boxes in my garage and then I start finding old stickers and trinkets I forgot I had which then starts my imagination going. It goes from, “Oh, I didn’t know I still had my sticker collection from the 1990s.” to “ I need to start drawing my own line of stickers!” It’s not too hard for me to get new ideas. So many things inspire me every day.

Anything you can’t live without while you draw?

Not really. The only thing I tend to always have or at least remember to have with me is a bottle of water to drink.

Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?

Yes, all of the illustrators that worked with Hallmark in the 1980s. I loved their greeting cards, the paper goods, the sticker sheets, plush toys, everything. I also love a series of books about holiday traditions by Edna Barth and illustrated by Ursula Arndt. I re-read the books almost every year. Probably the most popular book of that series would be the Halloween one, Witches Pumpkin’s and Grinning Ghosts: The Story of the Halloween Symbols. I love learning about the history of holidays and the line-art illustrations in them are great. I’m also hugely inspired by mid century illustrators. I’m drawn to the shapes and colors and creative use of space.

Dream project to work on?

I have so many! Besides wanting to team up with a manufacturer and become the next Lisa Frank, I would like to team up with one of the “big five” publishers and illustrate a book that helps children with dyslexia. I have dyslexia and I went through almost my whole academic life without knowing. I didn’t get diagnosed until I got to college. I always wished I could have started learning about it sooner. I think I would have been more confident in reading and writing back then had I known. It would be great to contribute to a project that helps kids with that.

Tell us about your debut book.

It’s called If You’re Scary And You Know It! written by the amazing, Carole Gerber. The book is Halloween themed with 10 full color spreads illustrating follow along movements and actions set to the tune of If You’re Happy And You Know It! Each page introduces the reader to a different child character in their Halloween costume, performing an action, whether it’s howling at the moon like a werewolf, shaking a limb like a scarecrow or bending your knee like a boney skeleton. It’s a great audience participation book and I know kids will have lots of fun following along.

What’s up next for you?

Currently, I am excited to get sketching more original ideas for the greeting cards and products I sell through my website.

And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?

I love this question! There were so many good movies in the 80s it’s hard to choose, but I am going to say The Chipmunk Adventure. You can’t go wrong traveling the world in a hot air balloon singing rockin’ songs.

Huge thank you to for Noël Ill for stopping by Critter Lit today! We can’t wait to see your adorable board book out in the wild this month!

Noël ILL earned her BFA with honors in illustration from ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, California. Throughout her design and illustration career, she has had the opportunity to apply her artwork and tasteful design sense to the publishing and entertainment media fields. Her more notable commercial work includes production art for the quirky HBO animated series, The Life and Times of Tim, the “Be Mine” sticker pack for Facebook stickers, and “The Sweetest Little Ghost” her licensed illustration for Papyrus greeting cards.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Noël ILL visit her online or follow her on social media:

Twitter: @noelillart

Instagram: @noelill

Facebook

TO ORDER Noël ILL’s book, ring up your local bookstore or click here.

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Want a chance to win a copy of IF YOU’RE SCARY AND YOU KNOW IT?! Comment on this post or share it on Twitter. One lucky winner will be selected Thursday, August 22nd! US addresses only please.

Interview with Illustrator Christopher Denise

July 25, 2019Authors + Illustrators, Illustrators, Interviews, Vet InterviewsLindsay Ward10 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! Today we have the incredibly talented illustrator Christopher Denise stopping by to chat with us! I’m a huge fan of Chris’s books and I’m thrilled to share his work with all of you today! I was lucky enough to meet Chris and his lovely and talented wife, Anika Aldamuy Denise a few years ago at a writer’s retreat in Vermont. You can read Critter Lit’s interview with Anika here. Their newest book, BUNNY IN THE MIDDLE came out earlier this month with Henry Holt and has received wonderful reviews:

"This sweet picture book acknowledges the special place each sibling occupies in a family. . . Kids will savor adorable details, such as children's artwork on a bedroom wall and winsome animal students lined up for school in a tree. Charming and comforting."―Kirkus Reviews

So without further ado, please welcome Christopher Denise!

Where do you live?

We live in Rhode Island in a little bayside community just outside of Providence. We love it here! We found an old beach house, fixed it up (most of it), and built a studio out back. The best part is that we can walk barefoot to the beach.

How many years have you been in publishing?

I started in publishing before my graduation from Rhode Island School of Design in 1990. So, about 29 years ago. My first book, The Fool of the World and the Flying Ship, was published in 1994.

da4e020379b94a53-BakingDayatGrandmas_jcktfrnt_RGB_large.jpg

How many books have you published?

Bunny in the Middle just published this July. It is my twenty-fifth book in trade publishing. When I first started out I published a number of books for the educational market.

Do you illustrate full-time?

I do! But it’s not necessarily like most full-time jobs. My wife, Anika Aldamuy Denise, is a kid lit author so in addition to our careers, we share responsibilities for taking care of all the house and family things. If I am on a deadline, she will step in and make sure all the home things happen. If she is in the thick of a project, I will take over. It’s not uncommon for either one of us to be back at work on a Sunday night.

What inspires you to create picture books?

I am inspired to create picture books that I like to read. Humor is big for me. I love to laugh and I love surprising and funny picture books! I also try to keep myself in a state of wonder. Children are fascinating and have such a truthful and amazing way of seeing the world. If you can tap into that, there is always inspiration.

What surprised you the most working as an illustrator?

The degree of tenacity that is required to stay in the field surprised me. While at RISD, I was fortunate enough to study with David Macaulay (Cathedral, The Way Things Work). Just before graduation, we had a long chat and he told me that it is not always the most brilliant or the most talented that make it in this business. You need the grit to stick with it, day after day, year after year.

What is your favorite thing about being an illustrator?

The ever-changing challenges of each book. Every author that I work with has a distinct voice and requires me to start over, to start fresh. I try to get myself into a beginner’s mind at the start of each project so I that I can respond to what is in front of me and what that particular book is asking for in terms of pacing, character development, and even the look of the book. It’s a wonderful way to be constantly in a state of growth and exploration.

What do you find difficult working as an illustrator?

The hours can be tough but I have gotten much better at managing production schedules. Even more difficult is managing the uncertainty of the market. You never really know how a book is going to land and if it will find its audience. That can make it difficult to plan and can be a challenge when raising a family.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

Spending time with my family is hands-down the best thing I can do to generate new ideas or get a fresh perspective. It gets me out of my own headspace. The dinner table at our house is like a brain trust and the perfect place to beta test ideas.

Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?

This sounds odd but I am habitual about routine. I need to show up in the studio and get in my hours. After so many years at this job, I know what works. I’m very good (an expert, actually) at breaking routine when I want to, but if I have too many days of distractions that take me out of the studio, I get very grumpy. Also exercise! It’s another way to get out of my own headspace and come back fresh.

Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the kid lit community?

A few years ago I was asked to speak at Kindling Words East as a guest illustrator. I really didn't know what to expect but it was such a good fit for me, I ended up joining the committee and being their Resident Illustrator — and in many ways, finding a family. It truly is a safe and trusting place where we can discuss kid lit and the real nuts and bolts of living a creative life.

What is your favorite picture book?

A very tough question. I am going to skip listing the classics. But I can’t choose just one! I have so many favorites in different sub-genres of picture books and they change all the time. I do love I am Small by Emma Dodd. Swan by Laurel Snyder and illustrated by Julie Morstad, is a big favorite. Also Good Night Owl by Greg Pizzoli, and Days Like This by Simon James.

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

Hmm, another tough question. In a way, living as an artist and spending my days in the studio, I am living the highlight every day. I’m grateful for the good reviews, the stars, the acknowledgements, and certainly when something happens like your book lands on the NY times list! But looking back at highlights can be tricky because comparison is inevitable. Comparing what was then, to this day in the studio. It just doesn't not feel right to me. There are things I am proud of. Firefly Hollow was a journey that required me to grow and change in different ways. Recently, I completed and sold my first picture book manuscript and I feel great about it. But really today, with all the possibility it offers, is the highlight.

What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started illustrating?

Don’t spend too much energy trying to prove yourself or working towards becoming something that you think that you should be. Allow the work to grow and to change. Just relax and have fun with it! Work hard at refining your tools but focus on allowing your individual, authentic voice to emerge.

Tell us about your newest book?

Bunny in the Middle written by Anika Aldamuy Denise!

We created Bunny in the Middle to celebrate the unique (sometimes challenging), but ultimately very special experience of being in the middle. Our middle is fearless but wise. She holds a unique place in the family. So we wrote a book to celebrate her — and all the middles out there.

What’s up next for you?

Oooo, I wish I could say more! Just last week we reached an agreement to publish my very first book that I have written and illustrated. Check the PW rights report-it may be in there this week!

Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?

Yes, the standard advice is true. Read tons of picture books. Your local librarian should be your best friend. If you can, volunteer to read at a story hour at your local independent bookstore. Reading aloud to an audience is one of the very best ways to really understand what makes picture books work. Once you get going, avoid the comparison game. I know that we all seek recognition for our efforts and award time can be tough for many. Don’t fall into that trap, it will not serve you. Celebrate great books and achievements by your fellow authors and illustrators — especially if they are underrepresented in the industry.

And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?

I guess Star Wars falls in the wrong decade so I would say Back to the Future with Raiders of the Lost Ark being a close second.

Huge thanks to Christopher Denise for stopping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on all your success and your first author/illustrator project— we can’t wait to check it out!

CHRISTOPHER DENISE is an award-winning illustrator of many critically-acclaimed books for young readers including Alison McGhee’s Firefly Hollow, Rosemary Wells’ Following Grandfather, Anne Marie Pace’s Groundhug Day, as well as several in Brian Jacques’s Redwall series. His books have appeared on the New York Times bestseller list and have been recognized by Bank Street College of Education, Parents' Choice Foundation, and the Society of Illustrators. Christopher lives with his wife and collaborator, Anika Denise (Baking Day at Grandma’s, Bunny in the Middle). They live on the coast of Rhode Island with three exceptionally nice people who happen to be their daughters.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Christopher, visit him online at http://www.christopherdenise.com/ or follow him on social media:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/christopherdenise/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Christopher-Denise-Illustrator-385062757194/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/cadenise

Blog: http://christopherdenise.blogspot.com/

TO ORDER Christopher’s books, ring up your local bookstore or click here.

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Want a chance to win a copy of BUNNY IN THE MIDDLE?! Comment on this post or share it on Twitter. One lucky winner will be selected Thursday, August 1st! US addresses only please.

Interview with Author/Illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi

July 18, 2019Authors, Authors + Illustrators, Illustrators, Interviews, Vet InterviewsLindsay Ward3 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! I’m so excited about today’s interview because our guest is…wait for it…

DEBBIE RIDPATH OHI!

I absolutely adore Debbie’s books and I’m thrilled to have her on Critter Lit and share her fabulous interview with you all. Debbie’s newest book, I’M WORRIED, written by Michael Ian Black, just released in June. If you haven’t read this series, you are missing out! I’M WORRIED is the third book in the I’m Bored! Series. The art is playful and wonderful and the text is spot on. Go check these books out! Debbie also offers incredible advice, templates, and posts about writing and illustrating children’s books on her site inkygirl.com.

So without further ado…please welcome Debbie Ridpath Ohi!

DebbieOhi-PhotoAnnieTruuvert-201807-DSC_0410-flat1000.jpg

Where do you live?

I live in Toronto, Canada.

How many years have you been in publishing?

It depends what you mean by publishing.

My first children’s book came out in 2012: I’M BORED was written by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by me, and was published by Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers. My first book for grown-ups came out in 2001: THE WRITER’S ONLINE MARKETPLACE published by Writer’s Digest Books.

I think that the first thing I ever had officially published was a series of comics I created when I was in high school which ended up appearing in a cross-Canada newspaper for schools. I ended up winning their overall writing contest - I won a typewriter!

But the very first thing I had unofficially published was a family magazine I created with the aid of my sister and brother called FAMILY WEEKLY. I was the editor, and we all contributed stories, comics, puzzles, contests, and jokes.

Debbie Ridpath Ohi and Michael Ian Black

Do you write/illustrate full-time?

Yes!

My first full-time job, was a computer programmer/analyst.

What inspires you to create picture books?

Interacting with young readers.

*Michael Ian Black and Debbie talk to young readers at Savoy Bank Street in Westerly, RI*

What surprised you the most working as an author/illustrator?

When I first started illustrating picture books, I was amazed at how much creative input I had. I came from a writer’s world, after all, and used to think that a picture book illustrator just illustrated the author’s text. What I found: there is soooooooo much more to being a children’s book illustrator!

If I could give my young self some advice about writing picture books, it would be this: Leave room for your illustrator. Their creative vision matters just as much as yours. I feel incredibly lucky to have been working with authors, art directors and editors who understand this.

What is your favorite thing about being an author/illustrator?

Two favorite things:

The part of the creative process when you fall so deeply into your work that everything else around you disappears.
Talking with young readers.

What do you find difficult working as an author/illustrator?

Trying not to compare myself to others.

It’s hard not to do this, especially when I’m on social media so much!

The fact is that there are ALWAYS going to be people who seem to be in a better place than me, whether it’s book contracts or awards, bestseller lists, getting more attention and public praise, and so on.

Two things that help the most:

Trying to focus on enjoying my own journey at my own pace.
Talking with young readers and hearing about young readers who love my books. I know I’ve mentioned this earlier, but I do find this helps ground me, reminding me of what’s really important. Sure, I may not have made it onto such-and-such list or someone posted a bad review of my newest book BUT (!!!!) here’s this earnest 2nd-grader who tells me that reading my book inspired her to write a story or draw a picture or helped her in some way.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

Read books. Get out of my office and take a walk. Going to SCBWI and CANSCAIP events. Hanging out in person with Kidlit friends. Read more books.

Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?

What I find helps me the most: focusing on the FUN, and not being afraid to make mistakes.

For me, this means using inexpensive art materials during creative play. I find it hard to immerse myself in fun creative experimentation if I’m using a piece of watercolor paper that costs $5 a sheet, for example.

Another important factor for me: uninterrupted focus time. This can be as short as 15 minutes, but I need to know that during that 15 minutes, I’m not going to be interrupted. This means no Internet, no phone calls, etc.

Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the Kid Lit community?

Omigosh - this is such a hard question because there have been so many!

Here’s just one: Lee Wardlaw was the first children’s book professional who ever encouraged me in my writing. She was also the one to first tell me about the SCBWI, introduced me to people at my very first conference. After working with me on my first middle grade mss, she introduced me to her agent, Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown. Ginger is now my agent.

Recommended reading?

One of my favorite writing craft books right now is THE MAGIC WORDS: Writing Great Books For Children and Young Adults by Cheryl Klein.

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

So many highlights to choose from! I’m grateful for all of them.

But I would say one personal highlight was meeting Judy Blume in person after illustrating some of her revamped middle grade and chapter books with Atheneum / Simon & Schuster Children’s.

*Photo by my Simon & Schuster editor Justin Chanda, moments after I burst into tears after Justin introduced me to Judy Blume.*

What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started writing/illustrating?

Working on your craft is important, it’s true, but you also need to get out and start meeting people in the industry. Yes, you are an introvert who dreads the whole idea of “networking” - but you CAN learn how to do it, and will make good friends in the process.

Also, be prepared for rejections. Many, many rejections. Learning how to handle rejection is an essential skill before and after publication.

Can you tell us about your newest book?

I’M WORRIED is a new picture book written by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by me (Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers), and is part of the I’M.... series of books about emotions. The first was I’M BORED and the second was I’M SAD.

This newest book in the series is about Potato, who is worried about everything. Because anything might happen. When he tells his friends, he expects them to comfort him by saying that everything will be okay. Except they don’t. Because it might not be, and that’s okay too. Still, there’s one thing they can promise for sure: no matter what happens…they will always be by his side.

Spread from I’M WORRIED written by Michael Ian Black, illustrated by Debbie Ridpath Ohi

What’s up next for you?

I’m working on illustrations for GURPLE & PREEN, a picture book story written by Linda Sue Park. I’m excited about this project because Linda Sue wrote it especially for me to illustrate with my broken crayon art! Our book is coming out from Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers in 2020.

Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?

Intelligent perseverance is as important as talent.

And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?

So hard to choose! I’m torn between Back To The Future (1985) and E.T. (1982).

Huge thank you to Debbie for stopping by Critter Lit today! We are so excited about all of your fabulous books! Congrats on all your success!

DEBBIE RIDPATH OHI is the author and illustrator of Where Are My Books? (2015) and Sam & Eva (Simon & Schuster, 2017). Her writing and/or illustrations have appeared in over 20 books for young people, including titles by Michael Ian Black, Judy Blume, Rob Sanders, Aaron Reynolds, Lauren McLaughlin and Colby Sharp. Her newest book is I'm Worried, a sequel to NY Times Notable I'm Bored and I'm Sad, written by Michael Ian Black and illustrated by Debbie. Debbie posts about reading, writing and illustrating children’s books at Inkygirl.com. You can find out more about Debbie and her work at DebbieOhi.com as well as on Twitter at @inkyelbows and Instagram at @inkygirl.

TO ORDER Debbie’s books, ring up your local bookstore or click here.

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Want a chance to win a copy of I’M WORRIED?! Comment on this post or share it on Twitter. One lucky winner will be selected Thursday, July 25th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Author/Illustrator Philip Stead and Illustrator Erin Stead

May 2, 2019Authors + Illustrators, Authors, Interviews, Illustrators, Vet InterviewsLindsay Ward4 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! I’m so thrilled about today’s interview— it’s somewhat of a fangirl moment for me, as I love their books so much. Each time I read one, I discover a new detail to fall in love with. Their newest book, MUSIC FOR MISTER MOON is stunning. We’ve been reading it at bedtime almost every night over here. I don’t think there is an intro I could write that would do them justice…so let’s just jump in, shall we?

Please welcome Erin and Philip Stead!

Where do you live?

We live in an old farmhouse in Northern Michigan, not too far from the Lake Michigan beach.

How many years have you been in publishing?

13 years.

How did you first get published?

PHIL: We moved to New York City when we were just out of college with the idea of getting into children's books. I worked briefly for the Brooklyn Children's Museum as a designer/illustrator and spent my free time hitting the pavement, talking my way into publishing offices. Meanwhile Erin worked in a children's bookstore, Books of Wonder, and then later took a job in design at HarperCollins. In the end it was a friend that helped us get a foot all the way in the door. Our friend, fellow bookmaker George O'Connor, passed some of my work along to Neal Porter, an editor at Roaring Brook Press. George had worked with Erin at Books of Wonder. Interestingly enough, Erin also worked with other future authors Nick Bruel, Jason Chin, and Julie Fogliano at the same store. All of those names ended up getting their break with Neal Porter as well. After George had linked me up with Neal he also suggested to Neal that Erin might be interested in illustration work. Up till then Erin had never done illustration work. In fact, she'd barely done any drawing at all in almost three years. In the few days between George's suggestion and Erin's first meeting with Neal I wrote a draft of A Sick Day for Amos McGee, then basically pitched it to both Erin and Neal at the same time over dinner.

Do you write/illustrate full-time?

Yep, we've been doing this full-time since the beginning, even before it made any financial sense to do so. We're just not good at multi-tasking. But we are pretty good at being broke.

What inspires you to create picture books?

Dusty, old, forgotten books, mostly. And animals.

What surprised you the most working as an author, illustrator, or author/illustrator?

We would read books (i.e. Dear Genius, by Leonard Marcus) that made it seem like all the illustrators and authors that we grew up reading were all actually friends in real life. This seemed cool, but unlikely to us. But even just a few years in it became clear to us that we all really DO know each other. We love knowing so many other bookmakers. It's one of our favorite things about the job.

What do you find difficult working as an author, illustrator, or author/illustrator?

Literally everything. We're both really hard on ourselves and we both contemplate quitting on an almost daily basis. By now though (and we say this often to each other) we basically have no marketable skills for the real world. We could be professional dog walkers maybe. That's about it.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

PHIL: Erin is always cooking when she's stuck on a problem. Sometimes she avoids her desk for weeks and just cooks, cooks, cooks. It used to stress me out, the longer she'd go without setting pencil to paper. But now I know it's all just part of the process. Neither of us are prolific sketchers. We often go straight to final art from the idea in our head. So I guess cooking is akin to sketching for Erin. I find a lot of my inspiration outside of the children's book world. Aside from my love of used book stores I don't really stay too up to date on what's new, other than what my friends are making. I love movies, especially weird ones. And I love music. All music. I'm currently in love with an album by an Ethiopian jazz pianist named Tsegue-Maryam Guebrou. It's unlike anything I've ever heard and I'm sure it's trying to tell me something if I just listen to it long enough.

Anything you are habitual about when it comes to creativity?

Procrastination. And the making of coffee to do so.

Can you share a positive experience you’ve had in the Kid Lit community?

We've done several school events through an organization called An Open Book in Washington DC. Their goal is to get books into the hands of kids who might not have access to book ownership otherwise. School events can be exhausting but we always leave our Open Book events feeling energized and in love with books again. When you see how much a book, just a single book, can mean to a kid it really puts a lot of the other troubles of bookmaking into perspective. It also helps you realize that your books don't really belong to you after they're finished. They go out and live their own interesting lives outside the studio.

Recommended reading?

Who Needs Donuts? by Mark Stamaty. A Barrel of Laughs, A Vale of Tears, by Jules Feiffer, and Bambert's Book of Missing Stories, by Reinhardt Jung. We recommend these books to pretty much anyone who will listen.

What has been the highlight of your career thus far?

Making a book about our dog (Ideas Are All Around) and then getting her picture published in the New York Times thereafter.

What is something you wish someone had told you when you first started writing/illustrating?

That there will be a lot of public speaking. Neither one of us really considered that getting up and talking to grown-ups would be a big part of being a children's book illustrator. For two bonafide introverts it's kind of a bummer sometimes.

Can you tell us about your newest book?

We've been thinking a lot lately about what it would be like to grow up right now in a world that is all about over sharing and over stimulation. Quiet, alone time was essential to both of us as kids. It's still essential to us. I don't think kids are often allowed these days to do things alone—truly alone. Everything is always documented and shared. Music for Mister Moon is book about an introvert, made by two introverts. We hate to ever say what a books means, but at its core the book is meant to ask a question which is: can a thing have value if it isn't shared?

What’s up next for you?

Our next book is actually the 10 year anniversary edition of A Sick Day for Amos McGee. It'll come in a nice, cloth slipcase and have some bonus content inside. After that I've (Phil) got a book called In My Garden. It's the first ever book that I've illustrated but not written. It was written by Charlotte Zolotow and originally published in the 1960s with illustrations by Roger Duvoisin.

Anything else you’d like to share with aspiring authors and illustrators?

Always be curious.

And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?

PHIL: The Princess Bride

ERIN: Yes, definitely, The Princess Bride

Huge thank you to Phil and Erin for stopping by Critter Lit today! We are so excited to see what you make next!

PHILIP AND ERIN STEAD are the author and illustrator of the 2011 Caldecott Medal Book, A Sick Day for Amos McGee. They have collaborated on many books together including Bear Has a Story to Tell, Lenny & Lucy, and most recently The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine, a New York Times bestselling reimagining of an unfinished Mark Twain fairy tale. Philip and Erin live in northern Michigan. Someday Erin hopes to learn how to play the cello.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Erin and Philip, visit them online:

Erin Stead’s Website

Philip Stead’s Website

TO ORDER Philip and Erin’s books, ring up your local bookstore or click here.

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Want a chance to win a copy of MUSIC FOR MISTER MOON?! Comment on this post or share it on Twitter. One lucky winner will be selected Thursday, May 9th! US addresses only please.

What's up on deck? Tune in next week for an interview with author Sheri Dillard!

Interview with Debut Author and Illustrator and Husband and Wife Team Megan and Jorge Lacera

April 4, 2019Authors + Illustrators, Authors, Debut Interviews, Illustrators, InterviewsLindsay Ward7 Comments

Happy Thursday Critters! Today, we have an interview with debut author and illustrator Megan and Jorge Lacera! A husband and wife team, their debut picture book, ZOMBIES DON’T EAT VEGGIES!, released this week in both English and Spanish! I’m thrilled to share their work with you today!

So without further ado…please welcome Megan and Jorge Lacera!

Where do you live?

Our home is Cypress, Texas, y’all—a suburb of Houston.

When did you know you wanted to write/illustrate picture books?

Collaborating has always been our jam. We met while we were both working in the kids’ entertainment studio at American Greetings in Cleveland, Ohio. It didn’t take long for us to realize that we both love everything about stories—reading them, watching them, critiquing them, arguing over them! Creating stories together is magical.

Once we got married, we started thinking more about picture books. We loved that we could create something from beginning to end and execute the full vision that we collectively dreamed up. Super appealing.

After Jorge attended a week-long illustration seminar with faculty that included amazing creators like Adam Rex, James Gurney, and Rebecca Leveille Guay, we were both inspired and excited so we started to really go for it. Our first attempts didn’t exactly come together (re: they were a mess), but we kept evolving. When a little zombie kid character named Mo shambled his way into Megan’s brain, we knew we were onto something that we couldn’t let go.

Tell us about your road to publication, what did that involve for you?

We put a ton of time and energy into learning and sharpening our craft. Years. We attended local and national SCBWI conferences. Read countless books, studied their structures and forms. Founded a critique group that was very focused on achieving publication-level work. Completed a seminar with Mira Reisberg’s Children’s Book Academy. Made dummies, critiqued the heck out of them, threw them out, started over.

After all that we felt confident in querying agents. We’re now represented by John Cusick at Folio Jr. (he’s awesome!). ZOMBIES wasn’t on submission all that long before the offer from Lee and Low came in. We absolutely love Lee and Low and have so much respect for their integrity and dedication to multicultural stories and creators. Editor Jessica Echeverria’s offer letter was unbelievable….she got EVERYTHING we were going for with ZOMBIES and more. Perhaps cliché, but collaborating with Jessica and Lee and Low feels meant to be.

From signing the deal to the book’s release, two years have passed. Much of that time has been on revising, revising, revising. Some days were challenging, but holding the final book in our hands is totally worth it!

Can you tell us about how you work together as a husband and wife team?

Usually when we tell people that we work together they look totally mystified. “On purpose?!?” they ask.

Yep. We really do love working together.

We work at home. After we get our son off to school, we talk over coffee and breakfast. Usually that includes some debate over the latest news stories or a movie we watched the night before. But there’s also a review of our goals for the day, ways to divide up the work, reminders of our big vision and where we’re headed. In addition to our books, we also consult and freelance for companies together—so there are those projects that require collaboration and sometimes quite a bit of negotiation on how it will all get done on time.

The day from there depends on where we are in the process. At the concept stage of a book, we’re together a lot….sketching out ideas, outlining a plot, building art reference, watching movie clips. Once we’re on the same page, we both go off separately; Megan to write the manuscript, Jorge to draw. Then we come back together to review and critique everything we’ve both done.

People often want to know if we argue. Of course we do! Part of we’ve learned while collaborating at companies is how important healthy disagreement and creative conflict are to the process. Ideas and stories get better when you can push each other to go even further. Respectfully, while keeping your focus on the work. We welcome the “conflict” now because we know it means there’s room to grow…our standards are pretty high and holding each other accountable to those standards is key to our process.

What do you do to shake the rust off or get new ideas?

Consistent exercise is really important to both of us. Jorge does Cross-fit and Megan does hot yoga. Sweat seems to clear space for creative work. We take walks most days and talk about where we’re at with a project or hammer out details of what’s working and what isn’t.

It isn’t always easy to remember (okay, you might have to drag us kicking and screaming) but taking days off from working to go see a movie, eat Torchy’s Chips and Queso (it’s amazing and totally dangerous), or just do a whole lot of nothing can open up room for ideas and fresh energy.

Getting new ideas isn’t really an issue; it’s zeroing in on the ones that speak to us most urgently, knocking them around enough to slough off the dust and craggly parts, and then carefully cultivating them into the special somethings that they become.

Anything you can’t live without while you write/draw?

Jorge: I work digitally primarily. I recently made the switch to a Dell Canvas and I’m not sure how I survived before. It’s upped my game and I love it.

Also, Cuban crackers. Nom, nom.

Megan: My Macbook Air. So not unique, but I love me some coffee while clicking and clacking away.

Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?

Gosh, there are tons. To name just a few…

Adam Rex

Paulo Coelho

Yuyi Morales

Kate DiCamillo

Judy Blume

Peter Brown

Mac Barnett

William Joyce

Tony and Angela DiTerlizzi

Alice and Martin Provensen

Jon Klassen

Dream project to work on?

This is our dream. We loved creating ZOMBIES, we love our current projects, and we really can’t wait to get started on all the stories we have popcorning around in our heads. We’ve been planning for this time in our lives, working day and night to make it happen. So eternally grateful!

Tell us about your debut book.

Mo Romero is a zombie who loves nothing more than growing, cooking, and eating vegetables. Tomatoes? Tantalizing. Peppers? Pure perfection! The problem? Mo's parents insist that their niño eat only zombie cuisine, like arm-panadas and finger foods. They tell Mo over and over that zombies don't eat veggies. But Mo can't imagine a lifetime of just eating zombie food and giving up his veggies. As he questions his own zombie identity, Mo tries his best to convince his parents to give peas a chance.

The Spanish edition ¡Los Zombis No Comen Verduras! is also available and features details exclusive to that edition. Our story has a lot of puns and zombie jokes that wouldn’t work with a straight translation. Yanitzia Canetti adapted ZOMBIES and did a wonderful job!

We hope you’ll love our quirky story about family, self-discovery, and the power of acceptance!

What’s up next for you?

We signed a two-book deal with Lee and Low Books (their first for picture books!) so we are already working on book #2 (monsters may or may not be involved). We also have several other projects in the works, including more picture books and illustrated middle grade series.

We’ve also created several animated series for kids. One is currently in development…stay tuned for more news on this in the coming months!

And last, but not least, favorite 80s movie?

Megan: A hard choice of epic proportions, but I have to go with The Neverending Story. What I wouldn’t do for a luck dragon like Falcor!

Jorge: Impossible to pick just one. Okay, fine! Monster Squad.

Huge thank you to Megan and Jorge for stopping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on your wonderful new book, we can’t wait to see all your upcoming projects!

JORGE LACERA was born in Colombia, and grew up in Miami, Florida, drawing in sketchbooks, on napkins, on walls, and anywhere his parents would let him. After graduating with honors from Ringling College of Art and Design, Jorge worked as a visual development and concept artist for companies like American Greetings and Irrational Games. As a big fan of pop culture, comics, and zombie movies, Jorge rarely saw Latino kids as the heroes or leads. He is committed to changing that, especially now that he has a son.

MEGAN LACERA grew up in the suburbs of Cleveland, Ohio, with a book always in her hands. She became a writer and creator of characters and worlds for entertainment companies like American Greetings, GoldieBlox, and Hasbro, and later formed her own creative company (Studio Lacera) with husband Jorge Lacera. After reading many stories to their son, Megan realized that very few books reflected a family like theirs--multicultural, bilingual, funny, and imperfect. She decided to change that by writing her own stories.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Megan and Jorge and their work, visit them online here or follow them on social media:

Twitter: @Jlacera @MeganLacera

Instagram: @Jlacera

Facebook: @MeganAndJorgeLacera

LinkedIn: @Jlacera @MeganLacera

TO ORDER Megan and Jorge’s book, ring up your local bookstore or click here.

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Want a chance to win a copy of ZOMBIES DON’T EAT VEGGIES?! Comment on this post or share it on Twitter. One lucky winner will be selected Thursday, April 11th! US addresses only please.

What's up on deck? Tune in next week for an interview with debut author Cathy Ballou Mealey!

H E L L O C R I T T E R S !

My name is Lindsay Ward. I'm a children's book author + illustrator, wife to author Frank Tupta, mama to three wild boys, and an 80s baby who loves to bake. Most days you can find me writing and drawing in my studio at home in Peninsula, Ohio.

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