Interview with Author/Illustrator Sandra Salsbury Part 2

Happy Thursday Critters! Isn’t it awesome when things come full circle? I love it. It just feels right. Like all is right with the world— which let’s be honest, is a rare feeling these days. Needless to say, today our interview is very full circle.

Back in 2018, I was lucky enough to get the opportunity to mentor Sandra Salsbury, an up-and-coming author/illustrator, through Writing With the Stars. If you don’t know about this fantastic mentorship, click here. It is very cool and an amazing opportunity for unpublished authors, illustrators, and author/illustrators. Hopefully, it will be up and running again in the near future.

When I first interviewed Sandra, she hadn’t found an agent yet and was unpublished— which I knew was only a matter of time. She is supremely talented (see stunning art below). So, I’m thrilled that today, I get to interview Sandra as an author/illustrator with a debut picture book, BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD, which just came out with Peachtree Publishing. This is the manuscript and book dummy that led me to select her to mentor. Like I said— full circle. So cool.

So without further ado, please welcome Sandra Salsbury!

Where do you live?

I live in Berkeley, California in a house full of ferns.

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

Drawing was always one of my favorite hobbies growing up, but I didn’t seriously consider art as a career until after I had already started college. One semester as a biology major and I realized that I should probably study art instead. I spent 4 years getting a BFA in illustration and it wasn’t until my last semester, when I enrolled in children’s illustration because it fit my schedule, that I realized picture book illustration might be something that interested me. 

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

The funny thing about the road to publication is that it’s hard to pinpoint when it really starts. I took that first children’s illustration class in 2006, the semester I graduated with my BFA. I didn’t feel ready to go out there in the world, so I continued to get an MFA as well. In 2011, I started getting published as an illustrator, mostly with educational companies and small presses. Finally, in 2014, I realized that to get the kind of agent I wanted and the sorts of work I was interested in, I would need to try writing as well. In 2016, I came up with the idea for Best Friend in the Whole World and started developing it. In 2018, I won a mentorship with you and then went on to win the Don Freeman Grant from SCBWI. I also signed with my agent at the very end of the year and we went on submission in 2019. After 7 months of being on submission, we had offers from 2 publishers and selected to publish with Peachtree. From there, everything came together fairly quickly (at least, compared to the rest) and now the book is out! So, it only ended up taking about 15 years. 

Thumbnails, sketches, and final art from BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD by Sandra Salsbury

Can you share a bit about your process?

When I begin working on a story, it spends a long time in my head at first. I like to figure out the major plot points, my middle, and my end, all before I even look at a piece of paper. I will sometimes begin by writing out the opening lines of my story in my head. Once I feel like I have a good understanding of where I am going, I will do character sketches and start working on the manuscript. After I have the words written out, I will do thumbnails of my pages and then go back and forth between the words and the pictures until I find the right balance. At this point, I usually realize there’s something impossibly broken with the story and I will agonize over how I didn’t see it sooner and how the story is terrible, but after a couple weeks of hand-wringing, the answer will smack me in the face and end up with something that works.  

 The process for my art involves many incremental steps from thumbnails (each stage getting more detailed), to value studies, to color roughs, then line art, and finally the final paintings. The paintings are done on Arches 140lb cold press watercolor paper with Prismacolor Col-Erase pencils in brown and Winsor & Newton paints in Cadmium Yellow, Scarlet Lake, French Ultramarine, and Burnt Umber.

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

Read more books! I find that if I don’t read enough picture books, all my ideas slowly dry up. I start to worry that I will never get another good idea in my life. I tell all my friends that it’s over and I have to quit. And then finally, I go to the library and pick up a pile of new books and magically, inside those books are also new ideas.

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

When I am writing or drawing, I actually need total silence and zero distractions. So much of the writing and drawing process is about thinking for me that I can’t work with music or tv in the background. However, once I get to the painting stage, I don’t need to think anymore and I love listening to audiobooks. When painting Best Friend in the Whole World, I finished fourteen audiobooks in six weeks. 

Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?

My current picture book obsession is Pokko and the Drum by Matthew Forsythe. I also am in love with In A Jar by Deborah Marcero. Some illustrators I routinely look at are Julia Sarda, Rebecca Green, Jon Klassen, and Jessixa Bagley. 

Dream project to work on?

The wonderful thing about being an author-illustrator is that if I can dream it up, I can work on it! I would love to someday do a middle grade graphic novel and right now the only thing really stopping me is my own fears (in my defense, graphic novels seem really scary).

Tell us about your debut book.

Roland lives a quiet life all by himself. One day, he stumbles across someone to be his new best friend. It’s fine it’s just a pine cone! But soon signs start popping up in the woods that make Roland realize someone else might be missing their best pine cone friend and Roland must make the choice between having a good friend and being a good friend.

Interior Art from BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD by Sandra Salsbury

The funny origin story of this book is that once when I was a child I found a perfect stick and then tragically lost it later that day. The inexplicable and irrational bond I felt with that stick has stayed with me into adulthood and I wanted to write a story that captured the bond children can have with their friends—real or imagined. 

Interior Art from BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD by Sandra Salsbury

Interior Art from BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD by Sandra Salsbury

What’s up next for you?

Hopefully more books! I have a couple more ideas that feel could actually turn into something, so I’m currently coxing them to life. Some of them are being more stubborn than others.

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

If I had to pick just ONE, it would definitely be The Princess Bride. I know a million people probably pick The Princess Bride, but that’s only because it’s SUCH AN AMAZING MOVIE!

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Huge thank you to Sandra for stopping by Critter Lit again! We are so so proud of you over here at Critter Lit and can’t wait to see what you come up with next!

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Sandra Salsbury grew up in the Santa Cruz mountains, where she made friends with many pine cones and sticks. She received a BFA and MFA in illustration from the Academy of Art University. She currently lives in Berkeley with her husband, a large collection of staghorn ferns, and countless spiders who provide moral support, as the great spiders in literature are known to do. For more information about Sandra or her book, visit her online or follow her on social media:

Website: www.sandrasalsbury.com

Twitter: www.twitter.com/sandrasalsbury

instagram: www.instagram.com/sandrasalsbury

ORDER THIS BOOK To order a copy of BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD, click here.

WIN A COPY! Want to win a copy of BEST FRIEND IN THE WHOLE WORLD?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, March 18th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Debut Author and Illustrator Mikela Prevost

Happy Thursday Critters! Today we have a fabulous interview with debut author and illustrator Mikela Prevost whose book, LET’S HAVE A DOG PARTY! came out in March. I adore this book so much! It’s cute, funny, and oh so charming with a lot of heart— my favorite combination. Here’s a sneak peek for those of you who haven’t read Mikela’s wonderful debut yet…

Kate and Frank are best friends. To celebrate Frank's birthday, Kate throws him a party with all her favorite things: lots of friends, dancing in circles, loud singing, and sparkly confetti everywhere. But best friends don't always have the same taste in parties. Frank prefers quiet, sun-drenched naps on his favorite rug. So he hides. Kate must find a way to bring Frank back to the party--on his own terms.

I’m thrilled to have Mikela with us today, so without further ado…please welcome Mikela Prevost!

Where do you live?

In the Valley of the SUN! Phoenix, Arizona.

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

As a kid, I wasn't terribly good at reading but I always had the pictures in books to help guide me through the story in one way or the other. But by 2nd grade, I had started to grow in my reading abilities and at that point, the Harry Potter books of my day were Shel Silverstein's Where the Sidewalk Ends and The Light in the Attic. I devoured these books, for the brevity of the poems and the child-like pen and ink illustrations. 

Silverstein's illustrations seemed so approachable, something that I could do. Drawing came much easier to me than reading, so seeing how a story could be encapsulated in such a brief poem along with an outlandish drawing was so attractive to me. The worlds he created through his poems always had me wondering what else happened beyond that last sentence. 

As a writer and illustrator now, I want to try and give young readers that sense of  "seen" as Shel Silverstein did for me.

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

Signing with a literary agent was the best way for my work to evolve. I attended SCBWI's Winter Conference in 2017 where Rebecca Sherman of Writer's House came across my work. She loved my illustration work and knew that my writing had potential. Over the course of several months, I was writing stories and sending sketches to Rebecca but she really wanted to start my career off on the right foot, so she pushed me to produce my best work. I'm so thankful she did, as I look back and see those earlier stories - I would not want them out in public! When the story idea for Let's Have a Dog Party! came, Rebecca made me feel like I had struck gold! We sent the text, dummy and two finished illustrations out, it went to auction and we found a great home for the story with Joanna Cardenas who (at the time) was the editor for Viking/Penguin.

Can you share a bit about your process?

Writing and illustrating is such a balancing act - having just enough of the best words while allowing the illustrations to do some heavy lifting. I  try to write more than I need then weed out what is superfluous to the story. 

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

I "squeeze the sponge dry" on a topic until I've exhausted every possible story idea. I write out ideas until I reach the end of the page. 95% is garbage worthy, but I will stumble on a gem that makes me so excited, I won't sleep at night.

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

While writing, I listen to a curated instrumental playlist that cues up my brain to stay focused on just that story. While illustrating I binge podcasts and watch/listen to old Mystery Science Theater 3000 episodes. And I keep the coffee flowin'.

Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?

My illustration friends Molly Idle, for her graceful, luscious line work and joyful colors and Juana Martinez-Neal, who captures the essence of children so innately. Also, her talent with patterns is second to none! An author I aspire to emulate is Jon Agee - his humor is so wry yet it translates to children in the perfect way. My Rhinoceros was my own personal masterclass in writing.    

Dream project to work on?

Anything that results in a kid loving a book so much, it falls apart. That, to me, is the true mark of a successful book.

Tell us about your debut book.

With Let's Have a Dog Party! I was sitting in my office, wracking my brain for a good story idea, while my kids and a few neighbor kids were running back and forth by my door chasing our little dog Pepper. She's a good-natured dog that will tolerate anything, but I knew eventually the chaos would reach a crescendo and she would take off running. If I wasn't there to stop this fiasco, I imagined a party breaking out. That's where the idea came from - I liked the idea of the kid characters just deciding out of the blue that "today" was Frank's birthday and using whatever they had on hand to celebrate. Like my kids, I knew a point would come that the characters would realize the poor dog had hit his limit and need to de-escalate the situation.

What’s up next for you?

I can't say just yet - but I can say I'm excited!

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

Ghostbusters! And it still is my favorite movie! I saw it in the theater with my Dad, so I'll always have the good memories to associate with the movie.

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Huge thank you to Mikela for stopping by Critter Lit today! We can’t wait to see your debut book and all that you do!

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MIKELA PREVOST is an author and illustrator currently residing in Phoenix, Arizona with her husband and their three kids. Born and raised in Southern California, she received her BFA from the University of Redlands, and an MFA in Illustration from California State University of Fullerton. Writing and illustrating for children has been her life-long pursuit and passion. Her work is driven by the desire to capture the whimsical innocence and unique perspective from which a child sees the world. 

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Mikela visit her website or follow her on social media:

Instagram

Twitter

Facebook

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

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Want a chance to win a copy of LET’S HAVE A DOG PARTY?! Comment on this post or share it on Twitter. One lucky winner will be selected Thursday, June 6th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Debut Author/Illustrator Lindsay Moore

Happy Thursday Critters! Can you believe it’s already the end of the year?! This year has flown by. We have just a couple interviews left in 2018 before we make the leap into the new year. One of the wonderful experiences I had this year was traveling to Bowling Green State University here in Ohio to speak with teaching students about writing and illustrating books. During my visit I had the opportunity to meet our guest on Critter Lit today, Lindsay Moore.

It’s rare in this business to get face time, so anytime I can connect with a fellow author or illustrator in person, it’s always lovely. And Lindsay is no exception. Her debut picture book, SEA BEAR: A JOURNEY FOR SURVIVAL will be released January 22, 2019 and has received a starred review from both Kirkus and School and Library Journal, with many other rave reviews. A lovely and lyrical text set against stunning watercolors and delicate line work, you won’t want to miss this book. I’m thrilled to be sharing her story and work with you today!

So without further ado, please welcome Lindsay Moore!

Just a couple of Lindsays hanging out.

Where do you live?

I live in Bowling Green, Ohio. It is a small town south of Toledo, surrounded by corn, with a state university and railroad tracks running through it. I am new to town, but my family and I like it here.

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

This question has 2 answers. When I was in third grade my teacher, Mrs. McDonald pulled me aside and told me that I was good at writing and I could grow up to be a writer someday. It was the first time I thought of authors as actual people and I believed her. 

And then...

Around the age of 13 I was reading lots of books by Madeline L'Engle. She had become my favorite author and I came across a her biography at our school library. I read about the challenge she had finding a home for A Wrinkle in Time and the amount of rejection she had to push through in order to publish it. I came to the conclusion that if Madeline L'Engle had that much trouble, then there was no hope for me. Madeline L'Engle was special and I was completely aware of how absolutely ordinary and un-special I was. So, I put any real dreams of being published aside, but continued to enjoy writing for school and for whoever would read it.

It wasn't until I was five or so years out of grad school, living in Ann Arbor, when I went to a Caldecott panel with Brian Floca, Chris Raschka, Erin Stead and Phil Stead, that I really thought seriously again about publishing. I scribbled this quote into my notebook from Erin Stead about working on books:

"Constant state of anxiety with deep shades of regret."

It spoke to me because that summed up a good deal of my experience in the creative process. I didn't know you could be apprehensive and make books.

I read two really good books after that panel at the Kerrytown Bookfest: Writing With Pictures by Uri Shulevitz and Dear Genius: The Letters of Ursula Nordstrom by Leonard Marcus. They kind of confirmed that...I'm struggling on how to say this...making picture books made sense to me in a way that fine art didn't. I needed a story. I wanted there to be words. It was the way my brain/heart/hands worked. I felt like I found the perfect form of art.

Interior spread from SEA BEAR: A JOURNEY FOR SURVIVAL

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

It will have been about 4 years from the time I seriously decided to write to SEA BEAR coming out in January 2019. I think it is important to say that it wasn't clear from the get go that I would ever be published. I didn't believe in myself or even tell many people that I was writing.  

Ann Arbor is a great place for writers though. That is where I started. They have this wonderful program through the Ann Arbor District Library called The Emerging Writers Workshop. They meet twice a month and I met a few aspiring children book writers there. We formed a critique group and met every two weeks to work on our manuscripts. I owe all three of them so much because they patiently and attentively listened to draft after draft of the same story.

SEA BEAR was my first manuscript and I worked on it for about a year, but I was told that maybe it was a bit too serious for children. I put it aside to write manuscripts that were more "fun".  I wrote this really quirky one about a traveling lobster, but everyone my agent submitted it to said it was too off beat for them to follow. Probably the hardest critique I got was unsolicited from another agent that said my artwork looked dated. Her opinion came out of nowhere and it kind of stopped me in my tracks. Like, maybe I should just give up. I was looking up jobs online, thinking maybe I should find a job in the field of medical illustration. That is in fact what my degree is in.  

Around the same time I (somewhat reluctantly) shared my work with another author, Phil Stead.  He encouraged me to submit SEA BEAR and challenged me to experiment with new mediums in my illustrations. So, I finally got a dummy together, but my agent still had to call me for a pep talk because I was so deep in self doubt that I needed someone else to say it's time to submit. I went into the submission of SEA BEAR telling my husband to get ready for a suite of rejection and that it would probably lead to me crying in the shower like Tobias Fünke. Thankfully, that didn't happen. SEA BEAR found the perfect home at Greenwillow Books.

Interior spread from SEA BEAR: A JOURNEY FOR SURVIVAL

Can you share a bit about your process?

Sure! So, I'm really slow at the beginning. I research a lot. Even though SEA BEAR is fiction, it is based-off radio collar data that tracked the long swims polar bears make in the Arctic. I read a lot of journal articles and books. The library was an indispensable resource. Honestly, I get a little giddy when I find out that I have interlibrary loan holds ready for pick up. Then I read and think.  Like...I sit in silence and stare at walls and ceilings and light fixtures and focus.

My favorite part is storyboarding. I feel like if there was a job, just making story boards, I would be the happiest person.  

My illustrations are done with watercolor and two different kinds of drawing ink. The inks have slightly different properties and so they interact differently with the watercolor. I also use conte crayon and colored pencil.  My goal with SEA BEAR was to say, "I think the Arctic is a wonderful, mysterious, large, beautiful space, worthy of our awe and conservation." 

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

Walking in the woods clears my mind. I also just try to keep my eyes and ears open to the world, because it's really full of small stories that are just waiting to be noticed. That all being said, I am currently suffering from a bit of writer's block. So….

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

I really like silence and time. Also, I like to read the Psalms. 

Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?

Absolutely. There are so, so many. So many, Lindsay.

I'm going to name two, because otherwise there would be too many and I wouldn't want to leave anyone out.

1. Lynne Rae Perkins - When I read her books, I can feel my heart. She draws out very real childhood feelings and places them honestly on the page and its like she just explained to me something that I had been confused about since I was a kid. I really love The Broken Cat and the artwork in Snow Music makes me pause every time I read it.

2. Erin Stead-  Erin is just brilliant. The illustrations in The Purloining of Prince Oleomargarine made me weep because she handles her figures (both animal and human) with such care that you can feel their sorrow.  

Dream project to work on?

That is a good question. It would probably have to do with the water, but I'm really not sure.

Interior spread from SEA BEAR: A JOURNEY FOR SURVIVAL

Tell us about your debut book.

SEA BEAR is a 48 page picture book about a long distance swim a polar bear makes from the pack ice to dry land. It's based on field research in the arctic. It focuses on the relationship between polar bears and their sea ice habitat.  

What’s up next for you?

I'm working on a second book with Greenwillow. It's in really early stages though...research phase, so I won't say too much, other than I need to go for a walk in the woods.

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

Oh, I'm not much of a movie person, but "When Cameron was in Egypt's land......"

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Thank you so much for stopping by Critter Lit today Lindsay! We are so excited to see SEA BEAR out in the world!

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Lindsay Moore is an artist and writer with roots in Northern Michigan. She studied Marine Biology and Fine Art at Southampton College on Long Island and figure drawing at the Art Students League in New York City. Lindsay earned her Master of Science in Medical and Scientific Illustration from Medical College of Georgia (now Georgia Regents University) and has received recognition for her work from both the Association of Medical Illustrators and the Australian Institute of Medical and Biological Illustration. After 5 years spent primarily in Queensland and Ontario, then some time Ann Arbor, Lindsay now lives Bowling Green, Ohio with her family.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Lindsay and her work visit her website: www.lindsaykmoore.com or follow her on Twitter @YesPlankton.

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

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Want a chance to win a copy of SEA BEAR: A JOURNEY OF SURVIVAL?! Comment on this post or share it on Twitter. One lucky winner will be selected Thursday, December 27th! US addresses only please.

What's up on deck? Tune in next week for a Critter Lit Interview with debut author Monique Fields!

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Interview with Debut Author Aidan Cassie

Happy Thursday Critters! Today, I’m very excited to share with you the work of debut picture book author and illustrator Aidan Cassie! I received an F&G of Aidan’s debut book, STERLING, BEST DOG EVER, this past summer and immediately fell in love with little Sterling.

Sterling the dog has always wanted a home. But no home has ever wanted him. So when Sterling sees a sign on the side of the Butlery Cutlery Company advertising free "shipping to homes around the world," he is determined to become the most terrific fork ever! For what home doesn't need flatware?

Sterling is delivered on time and undamaged to the Gilbert family's front door. He is not, however, what they ordered. . . . But he may be exactly what they need. A humorous, heart-tugging picture book about finding a family, who wants you just as you are.

Sterling is quite lovable. Just look at the adorable cover below. Our family dog, Sally, was a rescue, so I immediately connected with Sterling’s hope of finding the perfect family and home. The illustrations are wonderful and the story is charming. I hope you enjoy Aidan’s new book as much as I do.

So without further ado, please welcome Aidan Cassie!

Where do you live?

I live on a west coast island, on the side of a small mountain, in Canada’s Salish Sea, just north of Seattle. It’s a quirky, rural pocket of co-op farmers, naturalists and artsy-folk, but most people here are urban-transplants, like myself. I love island life - our daughter takes a ferry to school while my husband and I work from our home studios (to the great delight of our big red dog, Sooka).

When did you know you wanted to make picture books?

While I was working on my degree in animation I started telling stories visually and fell in love with the process. After creating my wordless animated film, I thought I’d naturally write wordless picture books. Instead I discovered my voice, and the wonderful space between the text and illustrations.  I’m fascinated by the way readers/listeners/viewers construct what is happening with what is on the page, as well by the unsaid words and implied images. 

Can you share a bit about your process?

Assuming I’ve settled on a promising story idea nugget, I start by sketching characters to help me visualize the story. Then there’s the “walking and talking in the woods phase” as I envision it playing out like a little movie that I tell myself aloud… rewind, revise, and tell again. Sooka just chases sticks and is very non-judgmental. 

At the point my tale feels relatively solid I often enjoy a burst of drawing and writing. I pare things down to the important visual “shots” and make a series of thumbnail drawings, the same way I’d storyboard for animation. Later I might redraw with a bit more detail onto recipe cards, so I can reorder, add to, and edit the elements. I constantly flip between modifying drawings and editing words. Often the words are last to come.

 When I’m happy with the final flow I scan my sketches and create a digital dummy that has all the text in place for my crit group to read and edit. Later, many revisions later, if my agent likes it, I’ll make some final art samples for prospective publishers. I go back to the tiny 1’ drawings again, this time digitally. I experiment with the color narrative, palette and tonal balance for the whole book laid out on one page. I do each tiny spread’s colour very roughly so as to have a guide when doing final art. I use a Cintiq to create final art, usually with digital water color layers and textures that sit beneath my drawings. 

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

Of course ideas must be caught and gathered as they show up. Sometimes they come from mining strong childhood feelings of my own, but most often they come from the outside; like overheard conversations, observing something strange, a great line in a song, bizarre news stories or by mashing together unlikely things, like dachshunds and forks. And sometimes I just need to put myself somewhere new; we just came back from taking a year to live in Provence; every day in France was brimming with “new”!

Art supplies you can't live without?

It’s a short list; my 2B pencils, and a good eraser.

Maybe some run-of-the-mill photocopy paper too.  All my creations are born of a pencil line on cheap photocopy paper. It allows me feel free to let loose and make oodles of useless doodles. And useless is important. For me, being too precious or careful cramps my creativity and exploration. I like the erasable nature of pencils, so when it comes to watercolor painting (not a forgiving medium), I find I take more risks when I work digitally, because I know there is an “undo”.

Favorite illustrators?

Oh, yes, I love sharing my art crushes!! Birgitta Sif, Isabelle Arsenault, Emily Gravett, Kady MacDonald Denton and, and, and… Chris Riddell, Carter Goodrich, Pierre Pratt and Shaun Tan!

Dream project or book to work on?

I’m feeling pretty lucky that I’m working on a bunch of my own books right now, so things are pretty dreamy as it is. One day I’d love to work collaboratively with a funny author (like Emily Jenkins or Aaron Reynolds), preferably on a ridiculous story jam-cram-packed with dogs - you know, if we’re talking DREAM project.

Tell us about your debut book.

My debut book was inspired by a childhood dog I had, an odd little dachshund. Sterling, Best Dog Ever is about a dog who’s had a hard time finding a home, so he lives in a damp box. When he discovers a fork factory that ships to good homes he thinks he’s found his ticket to happiness. When it occurs to him that the new family, surprised by the little stow-away, may not need a fork, Sterling decides he could be anything if they would just keep him. He’s an expert at adapting, but it takes him a while to understand what this loving family really wants.

What’s up next for you?

I’ve just finished up the final cover art for my second book, Little Juniper Makes It Big, about a wee raccoon who feels too small for everything, and that will come out in 2019. While waiting for edits and feedback on that book I’ve been working on my third book (still at the untitled dummy-book stage) that will come out the following year, both with FSG Macmillan.

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

Wow, “80s movie” feels like a genre in itself – like I need an answer that features the Neutron Dance. But I have to go with animation! As a 9 year old I was completely spell bound by the The Secret of Nimh in 1982. 

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Aidan Cassie studied animation and earned a media arts degree at the Emily Carr University of Art and Design as well as Edinburgh College of Art. Sterling, Best Dog Ever is her first picture book.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Aidan and her book, visit her website at www.aidancassie.com.

TO ORDER a copy of STERLING, BEST DOG EVER, ring up your local bookstore, or click here.

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BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Want a chance to win a SIGNED copy of STERLING, BEST DOG EVER?! Comment on this post or share it on Twitter. One lucky winner will be selected Thursday, October 18th! US and Canadian addresses only please.

What's up on deck? Tune in next week for a Critter Lit Craft Post.