Interview with Debut Illustrator Erica De Chavez

Happy Thursday Critters! I’m so thrilled to be sharing today’s interview, because TODAY we have Erica De Chavez stopping by Critter Lit! She is super talented and one of the best book designers EVER— now I may be a little biased because she also happens to be my book designer. BUT she really is. I’m so grateful I’ve had the opportunity to work with someone as talented as Erica, and there is nothing better than completing a picture or board book and handing it off to a designer who you completely trust to make your work marry seamlessly with the text. I have also probably put her through the ringer lately with the type of books (hello nonfiction!) we’ve been working on together at HarperCollins so I’m so very grateful she had time to be with us today to talk about her debut illustrated book, her experience in the industry, and upcoming projects.

So without further ado, please welcome Erica De Chavez!

Where do you live?

I am a former Brooklyn, NY transplant that now resides in sunny Clermont, FL.

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

It was at the end of my junior year in art college. I was already planning for my illustration senior thesis project which was completely un-related to children's books. Fortunately, I took an elective class in my spring semester, Illustrating Children's Books. That class and my professor, Tom Casmer, literally changed my art journey trajectory. I went from not knowing what I was going to do with my passion for art and how I was going to make money or find a job doing art to becoming hyper-focused on the children's publishing industry, the picture book writing and creation process and all things picture books from then on. Though I always had a healthy interest in children's art and media which I voraciously consumed through my love for all animated shows, films, anime, comics, and manga very early in my life. I'm also blessed to have parents and grandparents who read to me often when I was a child and encouraged my appetite for reading and libraries.

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

I left FL after graduating with my BFA in Illustration and went to live with my brother in Queens, NY who is a graphic designer for men's fashion. I spent much of my early career doing freelance projects for small educational toy companies and picking up illustration commissions here and there. It was after my second attempt applying to HarperCollins Publishers for a design assistant position that I broke into the industry working under Martha Rago, who was already a well-known art director at the time. She taught me everything I needed to learn about children's book design and sharpened my design eye for meshing typography and children's book art. I met many children's book authors and illustrators as her assistant, many of them award-winning and others fledgling creators starting out their publication careers. I became a member of SCBWI, CBIG, and attempted to create many art critique groups until I finally met kindred spirits and formed The YEA Girls artist collective. My small, tight-knit artist community grew to include professors at NYC art colleges, other designers who also wanted to pursue illustration careers on the side and more prolific mentors and teachers who are active authors, illustrators, and editors themselves. It was through an SCBWI conference twitter thread that I met Annie Fox, the author of The Girls' Q&A Book on Friendship and co-founder of Electric Eggplant. A former artist I hired to illustrate a picture book returned the favor and hired me to illustrate for The Future Is Ours sticker book. And it was through my SCBWI.org portfolio page that Kendra and Claire-Voe OCampo found my art and decided to reach out to me to illustrate Mighty May Won't Cry Today. 

You are now a Senior Designer for HarperCollins. Can you tell us about your experience working on both sides of the table in publishing?

It's been an education into the industry, the decision making process, the team collaborations, seeing and working daily with the tons of un-named people who read, edit, market, finance, manage, proof, and sell the books and countless more. It's literally like a curtain being pulled back. I realize how little most book creators know about how the decisions for some of the direction for their books come from. And that's honestly for the better, in my opinion. It helps save the creators' mental fatigue and emotional distress and allowing them to focus on what they do best, writing and illustrating. I find as a book designer, you're the glue to all the bookmaking departments, so that comes with a lot of personality managing, too. You work with and for a WIDE range of personalities inside a publishing house. It's also a day job that I depend on for my daily expenses; it's my livelihood. But it sometimes can feel like a drag, energy-wise. Many may not realize it, but designers are working on anywhere between 30-60 book titles all at the same time, managing books that are publishing on seasons sometimes three years out. It's a bit bonkers. No one told me the job required such heavy multitasking capabilities. Compartmentalizing can help, but it's hard to "turn off" at the end of a work day. I live and breath children's books now. It's literally my life. It can feel overwhelming and burn out is frequent. But it's fulfilling and satisfying work, especially when I flip through and read the books I helped create and guide. My knowledge and experience as a book designer better informs my own personal artwork and stories.

Can you share a bit about your process?

My artwork always starts with a sketch in a tiny sketch book. I love tiny sketchbooks that don't feel too precious or overly expensive. I draw from life and drot down bits of story ideas that come fast and fleeting. I often bounce ideas with my partner for characters and story beats that are half finished and are bookmarked for later days. When I focus in on an idea for a project I look up inspiration and reference photos and experiment with art materials. I try to create a series of images based on a theme or a piece of story I'm inspired by. Nothing is ever fully formed, it's more experimental. Then I sit down to write, which also starts very loose with a plot timeline and character biographies. The story and storyboarding thumbnails happen at the same time with pencil and paper, which is much faster for me than drawing on a tablet. I scan my drawings in along with some paint textures and redraw/edit final illustrations. Sometimes I transfer final drawings with a light pad to heavy watercolor paper and use a mix of watercolor, gouache, colored pencils, crayons, and graphite that I scan in to further edit digitally in Photoshop. I sometimes scan pen and ink hand lettering or line work from my sketchbook or loose drawing paper and incorporate those into my illustrations digitally as well. But my process always begin with pencil to paper. 

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

I consume a lot of media and art in all forms. I read books, comics, manga, graphic novels, biographies, and motivational texts. I watch movies, mostly animated films and tv shows. I listen to podcasts occasionally until I get tired of it and sometime I enjoy the hum of silence. I go out and enjoy nature. I like to run long distance, hike, throw a frisbee around, and kayak. I also garden and observe nature. I listen to live music and I love traveling to different countries. All of the things I enjoy in life outside of art and design inadvertently inspire my art and design work! Life is very cyclical. So as long as I live fully, I'm never without a good idea.

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

A cup of good milk tea, black or green. A good music playlist that lists my mood and makes me smile. And a good snack! I'm a creative muncher.

Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?

Oliver Jeffers inspired my art and career as soon as I dove back into picture books in college. Erin Entrada Kelly inspires me to write stories about kids that are like me, colored and Filipino-American and just like every other kid with a dream. Simona Ciraolo and Lorena Alvarez Gomez continue to inspire me to make beautiful children's books because their books so gorgeous and the stories all feel like emotional little jewels. Their books feel like precious objects sitting on my book shelves.

Dream project to work on?

I dream of working on my first author-illustrated children's book debut, be it picture book or graphic novel or maybe even an illustrated chapter book. I dream of working on many projects in a long and fruitful children's artist career. I'd love to work with publishers big or small on stories that move readers emotionally and positively. 

Tell us about your debut book.

Mighty May Won't Cry Today, is about an imaginative little girl named May who tries not to shed a tear on her first day of school. She navigates through unexpected challenges with clever positivity and mindful breathing techniques. With the help of her two moms May learns why it's OK to cry and that we all do sometimes. The story really hits home for me because I am a pretty emotional person (aren't all creatives?) and I was an emotionally sensitive kid. I cried through my short stint in daycare and cried through the first week of kindergarten during which my mother had to leave work daily and come eat lunch with me at the school cafeteria. I love that this story tells kids it is totally OK to cry. I wish I had been told that more often when I was young. 

Interior Art from Might May Won’t Cry Today by Kendra & Claire-Voe Ocampo, illustrated by Erica De Chavez

Interior Art from Might May Won’t Cry Today by Kendra & Claire-Voe Ocampo, illustrated by Erica De Chavez

Interior Art from Might May Won’t Cry Today by Kendra & Claire-Voe Ocampo, illustrated by Erica De Chavez

What’s up next for you?

I'm finishing up an illustration series I started last year in the middle of the pandemic creating portraits of some of my friends and family members who are health care workers and Asian-American. I'm also focusing on a series of mini illustrations from a set of rejected sketches that didn't make it into the final The Future Is Ours sticker book, taking the opportunity to experiment with new color palettes and try to evolve my digital illustration style. And I'm also reworking a picture book dummy into a sequential paneled book format—very much a work in progress. 

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

My Neighbor Totoro. It epitomizes everything I love about children's stories and art made for children.

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Huge thank you to Erica for stopping by Critter Lit today! We are so excited for your debut and can’t wait to see what you do next!

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ERICA DE CHAVEZ is a Filipino-American children's book designer by day for HarperCollins Publishers and by night transforms into a freelance author-illustrator. She is the illustrator for the indie published middle grade advice book, The Girls' Q&A Book on Friendship by Annie Fox and contributed over 40 fun stickers to The Future Is Ours: Feminist Stickers to Express Yourself by Duopress Labs. Her latest publication is a picture book, Mighty May Won't Cry Today, by Kendra and Claire-Voe Ocampo, is a National Indie Excellence Award finalist.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Erica or her books, visit her online at www.PandaErica.com or follow her on social media:

Instagram: @PandaErica

Twitter: @PandaErica

Facebook: www.facebook.com/PandaErica

ORDER THIS BOOK To order a copy of MIGHTY MAY WON’T CRY click here.

WIN A COPY! Want to win a signed copy of MIGHTY MAY WON’T CRY?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, June 10th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Author Gianna Ruggiero

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. 

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!

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

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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 Debut Author and Illustrator Sarah Kurpiel

Happy Thursday Critters! I hope you are all staying healthy and safe. Today, we have an interview with author and illustrator Sarah Kurpiel, whose debut picture book, LONE WOLF, comes out on May 19th. Congrats Sarah! I adore Sarah’s illustrations and I can’t wait to share this sweet book about belonging and family with all of you today.

So without further ado, please welcome Sarah Kurpiel!

Where do you live?

A suburb outside of Chicago. I’ve lived in the Midwest all my life.

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

I’ve been drawing for as long as I can remember, but it was always just a hobby, a way to relax. Then, in college, one of my English professors included graphic narratives in his course. Those books had a profound effect on me. That was the first time I started thinking seriously about drawing stories. Flash forward a few years to my first library job as a part-time cataloger. A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip Stead and illustrated by Erin Stead crossed my desk. I read it on the spot. It had such heart and reminded me how much I loved picture books growing up. I knew that was the kind of story I wanted to make. It wasn’t until a few years later that I started drawing with the goal of publication, but these were the moments that set me on that path.

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

In 2018, a popular illustration account on Instagram shared one of my drawings. Thanks to that stroke of luck, I was contacted by Allie Levick and Rebecca Sherman at Writers House, who became my agents later that year. Their guidance and expertise was (and continues to be) invaluable. They helped me get my story, Lone Wolf, submission ready and secure a book deal with a great editor. In the months that followed, I went through several rounds of revision before starting the final art. The publication process is long and fluctuates between rushing and waiting. It’s helpful to have another project to focus on during the downtime.

Can you share a bit about your process?

I mostly use dry media brushes in Photoshop on a Wacom tablet connected to my computer. I started drawing digitally in 2016 and it clicked for me right away. I love the flexibility and possibilities of digital. I do a lot of sketching with pencil and pen on paper too. I always have a sketchbook.

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

Doodle. I love drawing for no reason at all. I love not knowing what I’m going to make before I begin. Sometimes I doodle a character who sparks a story idea. I also keep a list of things I could draw a thousand times without getting tired of drawing them and then use that to limit the possibilities of stories I might tell. That said, I’m very new to this. I’m still learning my own process.

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

Nothing in particular, but I do enjoy having coffee close at hand! 

Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?

So many. Erin Stead, Molly Idle, Christian Robinson, Oge Mora, Richard Jones and Rebecca Green, to name a few. I follow artists of all kinds on Instagram, and seeing their work brings me so much joy.

Dream project to work on?

I’d love to make a wordless picture book one day. I admire those who’ve done it well. Some of my favorite picture books are wordless. I’m also fascinated by the wordless woodcut novels of the 1920s and 30s. 

Tell us about your debut book.

Lone Wolf is about a Siberian husky mistaken for a wolf so many times that she starts to believe she is one. The main character, Maple, is inspired by my childhood dog, a husky who was goofy and stubborn in all the best ways. Lone Wolf is about identity, belonging, and family. I’m honored that it received a starred review from The School Library Journal. Lone Wolf will be published by Greenwillow/HarperCollins on May 19, 2020.

What’s up next for you?

I’m currently working on final art for my next picture book which hasn’t been formally announced yet.

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

Back to the Future. (Part 1. Definitely not Part 2.)

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Huge thank you to Sarah for dropping by Critter Lit today! Congrats on LONE WOLF, we love it! We can’t wait to see what you create next!

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SARAH KURPIEL is a librarian and author/illustrator from the Midwest. Her stories are inspired by nature, animals, and everyday life. Sarah has been doodling in the margins of notebooks for as long as she can remember. She started drawing digitally in 2016 and never stopped. Sarah uses a power wheelchair and considers her disability an important part of her identity. Her debut picture book, Lone Wolf, will be published by Greenwillow/HarperCollins in May 2020.

FOR MORE INFORMATION on Sarah, visit her online or follow her on Twitter @SarahKurpiel and Instagram @sarah.kurpiel

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

WIN A COPY! Want to win a giveaway copy of Sarah’s debut book, LONE WOLF?! Leave a COMMENT below or RETWEET this post on Twitter. One lucky winner will be announced on Thursday, May 21st! US addresses only please.

Interview with Debut Author Kelly Carey and Illustrator Qing Zhuang

Happy Thursday Critters! I hope you are all staying healthy and keeping yourselves busy. I’m so excited to feature a DOUBLE interview today with Kelly Carey and Qing Zhuang, whose debut picture book, HOW LONG IS FOREVER, came out with Charlesbridge this week. Please give Kelly and Qing a warm welcome!

Where do you live?

Kelly: I live in Massachusetts in a rural town with one stoplight. 

Qing: I live in Manhattan but might move soon to some place not too far away. 

Kelly: I’m the country mouse and Qing is the city mouse! 

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

Kelly: When I was in grade school I used to make up bios and backstories for the teddy bears on my bed. Yes, while my friends were learning the dance moves on the latest MTV videos, I was deciding that one of my stuffed bears was a fifty-one year old retired physicist who enjoys salmon fishing and coin collecting. I even typed that up on a typewriter! It’s still embarrassing now and I told no one about it then! But looking back, I think that was me wanting to make up stories and be a storyteller. I got serious about writing picture books about 15 years ago. I took a correspondence class through the Institute of Children’s Literature and I’ve been writing ever since. (Oh my gosh, I just realized that I am now the same age as that retired physicist bear who liked salmon fishing!)

Qing: As a lonely kid with busy parents, I found a lot of comfort and entertainment in drawing, writing and reading. When I was in 6th grade, I won a book writing and illustration contest and got $250 for it. I so enjoyed making the book and the prize made me feel excited and seen. Foolishly or fatefully I started pursuing this career. 

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

Kelly: I took my first real step on this journey when I took the correspondence class through the Institute of Children’s Literature in 2007. That class made me ravenous for more workshops and classes that could help me improve my craft and understand the industry. I was very lucky to have a magazine fiction story published that same year and I’ve had a magazine story published every year since. I funneled the payments for those stories into more conferences and workshops. 

I joined The Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators (SCBWI), participated in Julie Hedlund’s 12x12, Tara Lazar’s Storystorm, and ReFoReMo. All offered a wonderful way for me to get feedback on my work and to improve my craft. It was through SCBWI that I met my first critique partners and we started a blog for writers, 24 Carrot Writing, that has been offering help and advice to fellow writers for almost 6 years. I think pushing back from the desire to write, alone, and in isolation, and really getting out into the community of fellow writers made a big difference in my success. Going to all those conferences and workshops allowed me to find writing buddies, critique partners and this whole amazing KidLit community. I thought I was going to learn about craft and become a better writer, who knew I was also going to find colleagues and friends! That has been a wonderful bonus. 

I joined The Writers’ Loft in Sherborn, MA and took classes offered by Karen Boss, Editor at Charlesbridge Publishing. Karen is now the editor for How Long Is Forever?.  I could argue that How Long is Forever? would have found its path to publication on its own merits, but I think connecting with Karen and forming a professional relationship through that class, and applying her excellent teaching to my manuscript, certainly helped speed up the process. 

I wrote the first draft of How Long Is Forever? in 2013. It went through major revisions over the course of two years with the help of my critique group. I took two classes at The Writers’ Loft taught by my future editor Karen Boss at Charlesbridge. The MS went through more revisions and was under contract in 2017. This book was four years from first draft to contract and seven years from first draft to published book. But my journey to publication was fourteen years. Persistence is key.  

My advice to other writers, based on my journey, would be to get out into the writing community. Meet fellow writers, take classes and workshops, offer your own help and advice, listen to editors and agents, and become a part of the community. I think the community will reward you for your efforts – it did for me. 

Qing: For many years, I had to grow as a person in more ways than I can list here before I could even build some level of confidence. I worked many odd jobs and saved up to pay for SCBWI conferences. Every year I would hear a little more feedback but no more than that. It was always so mysterious to me how people find their agents and editors, but I did know that I needed to keep getting better and continue to get my work out there so I kept showing up. 

I love working as a teacher and it was essential in my understanding of children and their world. I think many of us who make children’s books are very in tune with our own childhoods, but it is so important to observe all kinds of children today. One year, I decided to venture out of NYC over to the great state of NJ for their summer SCBWI conference for the first time. That turned out to be an excellent decision since the NJ conference was where I got to display my work more intimately and even won a juried show for a piece I had submitted. I also got to meet many editors, including the one I have the fortune of working with at Charlesbridge for my debut book. Kelly saw more of my work online and referred it to the editor. 

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

Kelly: I find that one of the best ways to shake the rust off is to move on to a new project. Usually, if I can’t find the right way to revise a problematic manuscript or tease the story out of a kernel of inspiration, it’s best to put that manuscript aside for a week or two and pick up a different one. 

Of course this only works if you have some ideas and manuscripts on standby that can jump in during an emergency. That’s why I jot down ideas all the time. I’m always grateful to have those backup stories to work on. I pop ideas into a note on my phone the minute they come to me and then I transfer them over to a computer file titled “story ideas”. I love being able to lean into those files when I feel stuck. 

Another great resource to fight through writer’s block is a critique group. If you really want to bust through a blocked moment with a manuscript and the thought of putting it aside for a few days seems tragic, I reach out to my critique partners for help. Often they offer up just the right piece of advice or ask the perfect question to reset a blocked moment. 

And if none of this works – I call it a day and go grab a good book to read or go do laundry. There is always an abundance of both in my house! 

Qing: A lot of it is to just get started. Get it all out on paper or on the computer and deal with the mess later. Listening to music and doodling until a sketch excites me. It’s always a surprise when you hit your groove or when a creative solution comes, I think the key is to calm down and not be afraid of this messy process. 

Tell us about your debut book.

Kelly: In How Long Is Forever? Mason is waiting for the first blueberry pie of the season and it’s taking forever. At least that’s what Mason thinks, until Grandpa asks him to prove it and sends Mason searching the family farm to find the meaning of forever. 

Every child and adult has been in a situation where something feels like it is taking forever. This story is an invitation to really think about how we throw around that word and what things really deserve to be labeled forever. 

I hope Mason’s search encourages kids to go on their own hunt for their forevers. It’s a wonderful gift when you notice and call out those people, places and things that will forever hold a special place in your heart. It might be a flavor of ice cream, a grandparent, or a favorite slide on a playground. Whatever it may be, I hope kids take a moment to pause and feel good about the forevers in their lives. 

Interior Spread from HOW LONG IS FOREVER, Written by Kelly Carey, Illustrated by Qing Zhuang

Qing: For me, How Long Is Forever? is really about how not forever everything is. The closest thing to forever is the memories and love that gets passed down, in the case of this book, through a scrumptious homemade blueberry pie. When my editor first sent me the manuscript, I read it with my now husband, who was very moved because the relationship between little Mason and Grandpa reminded him of his own grandfather who had passed when he was a teenager. For my husband, his “blueberry pie” is the humble Chinese scallion pancake his grandfather used to make for him whenever the fridge was empty. The memory of his grandfather cooking this treat is simple and mundane, but it held something special just like our sweet story. 

Interior Spread from HOW LONG IS FOREVER, Written by Kelly Carey, Illustrated by Qing Zhuang

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

Kelly: Star Wars and Princess Bride. I don’t care if the love story takes place in space or in the days of castles and knights, if the princess is strong and independent and the prince is brave and hunky – I’m happy.  

Qing: The Goonies! Or Beetlejuice!

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Huge thank you to both Kelly and Qing for stopping by Critter Lit today! We are so excited for you and your debut book HOW LONG IS FOREVER! Congrats!

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FOR MORE INFORMATION

Visit Kelly Carey at www.kcareywrites.com

Visit Qing Zhuang at www.qingthings.com.

To order an author signed copy, click here.

Interview with Debut Author Amanda Jackson

Happy Thursday Critters! Today we are joined by debut author Amanda Jackson, whose new picture book, MY SHAPE IS SAM, comes out September 17th! I’m so thrilled to be sharing this brilliant book with you all today! And bonus— Amanda’s book is illustrated by fellow illustrator, Lydia Nichols, who I studied illustration with at Syracuse. I can’t wait for you to all see this fantastic book these two incredibly talented women created.

So without further ado…please welcome Amanda Jackson!

Where do you live?

I live in Beaverton, Oregon, about 10 minutes from downtown Portland.

When did you know you wanted to write picture books?

My husband and I moved to California in 2016. We’d gone for his job and quickly realized we wouldn't be staying for as long as we’d planned. In the meantime, I was offered a job working with a child with autism. However, without a commitment to staying in the area, I couldn’t, in good conscience, accept the position. It was that instability that kept me jobless, and presented a gift in disguise. I remember having to make the decision to stop worrying about what to do with myself, and try to make the most of this unstructured, uncertain time.

I’ve always loved writing, but had never tried writing for kids. Because most of my professional life has been spent with picture book readers/listeners, I started there. I wrote my first picture book story (which will of course never see the light of day) and realized this was “my thing.” That realization made me feel like the luckiest person in the world. And it was such a clear realization too. Like stumbling across something I’d been looking for my whole life. It was magic, and I dove in head-first.

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

In mid-2017, I participated in a Twitter pitch even called Pit2Pub. That’s where I connected with Charlotte Wenger, then an editor with Page Street Kids. She requested the manuscript for My Shape is Sam, and made an offer a couple months later! So exciting. It’s been a wonderful couple years of working with Charlotte and all the wonderful people at Page Street. They’re so collaborative and honoring of their makers’ hopes for their work.

Can you share a bit about your process?

Sure! I’m not a routine writer. I spend a lot of time at my desk, but it happens whenever I have the time. But I love to write, so there’s rarely a day I don’t do it. I’m always in the midst of a few projects at different stages. My favorite stage is revision. It’s not as overwhelming as a blank page, and it always reminds me of throwing pottery - the calm of having already done the work of getting something on the wheel, and then I just have to keep shaping it until it’s beautiful.

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

The best thing I’ve found for new ideas is reading. Lots. Good work is so inspiring, especially if I’m feeling stuck in one of my own stories. Like a palette cleanser, it helps me push “reset” and see my work with fresh eyes.

Anything you can’t live without while you write?

Hmm the only thing I can think of is quiet. It sounds fun to write with music on (especially to influence the mood of my story), but my brain just doesn’t work that way.

Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?

Oh my gosh so many. Several picture book authors that come to mind first: Julie Fogliano, Ryan T. Higgins, Anna Walker, Oliver Jeffers... there are so many more. I’m inspired by the ability to pack a punch with a few simple words. That’s one of the reasons I adore this craft. And a few of my favorite illustrators: Lydia Nichols, Fiona Lumbers, and Beatrice Alemagna.

Dream project to work on?

A series. I would LOVE to work on a project that extends beyond one picture book. To create characters that readers get to know (and look forward to!) through multiple books. Ah that sounds like so much fun.

Tell us about your debut book.

MY SHAPE IS SAM is about Sam, a square who lives in a world of shapes. Everyone has a job to do, depending on their shape. But Sam doesn’t like stacking like the squares. He wants to roll like the circles.

My hope is that this story helps readers challenge norms that don't fit them. And that they continue to discover who they are, in spite of prescriptive expectations.

What’s up next for you?

I’ve always got projects in progress, so for now, more writing and revising!

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

Ha! Hmm. Crossing Delancey is way up there. It stars Amy Irving and Peter Riegert, and it’s not super well known. I’m such a sucker for the unlikely lovers trope, plus the music is great (I think it’s the only soundtrack I own!), I’ve seen it a million times.

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Huge thank you to Amanda Jackson for stopping by Critter Lit today! We are so excited for your debut and can’t wait to see what you do next!

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AMANDA JACKSON writes stories for kids and their grown-ups. She's pretty sure there's nothing better in the world. She grew up in Pennsylvania, where she discovered her love of making: drawing, crafting, sewing, cooking, storytelling. Anything to give her imagination a voice. When she was six, someone gave her a journal. She instantly felt at home with the magic that happens when words come from inside, pass across the page, and connect with someone else. In her twenties, Amanda moved to Portland, Oregon, and cozied right into the land of gray skies and creative living. She finished her degree in Human Development, worked with lots of awesome kids, and married her love. Of all the happies in her life, writing is one of the happiest. And she’s beyond thrilled to share her words with you.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Amanda Jackson visit her online or follow her on social media:

Twitter: @Amanda2Jackson

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

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Want a chance to win a copy of MY SHAPE IS SAM?! Comment on this post or share it on Twitter. One lucky winner will be selected Thursday, September 19th! US addresses only please.

Interview with Cassandra Federman

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.

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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!

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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.

Debut Interview with Jenn Harney

Happy Thursday Critters! It’s been a while— but it’s great to be back! I’ve had a crazy few weeks with ALA and deadlines— I’m trying to push through the rest of the summer until baby no. 3 arrives! BUT I’m so excited to be back to our interview schedule with fellow local author and illustrator Jenn Harney! I’m thrilled to be sharing Jenn’s work with you all today. Her debut, UNDERWEAR! just came out this past April with Disney/Hyperion and it is HILARIOUS— I just know you’re all going to love it!

So without further ado…please welcome Jenn Harney!

Where do you live?

Twinsburg, Ohio. I usually say “Clevelandish” because people know where Cleveland is. Twinsburg, not so much.

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

I met Tomie dePaola from a far at a Young Author’s Conference when I was, I think, in second grade. It was the first time it ever occurred to me that people could write and illustrate books as a job.

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

I was VERY VERY lucky. When I signed with my agent, Rachel Orr, she asked if I wrote. So, I started writing. My first story went nowhere. My second story was UNDERWEAR! It was picked up by Stephanie Lurie at Disney Hyperion on its first round of submissions. Right time. Right place. Right Editor. I was very lucky.

Can you share a bit about your process?

My process always starts with drawings. I love character design and that’s where I start. Just doodling characters and seeing if any of them have any merit. Then, I play with the story. I write everything on legal envelopes. Easy to throw out. Usually I thumbnail a dummy as I write. Everything is always visual with me. The words come afterwards.

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

I’ve learned that if I’m having a bad drawing day to walk away from it. It’ll pass. If I force it, nothing looks good. I’ll get more done in a good drawing day than if I try to force it on a bad one. The Colour Collective weekly drawing challenge is a huge part of the rust shaking, too. Just a great group of illustrators. Just follow the #colour_collective tag on Fridays around 2:30 EST, and you’ll see what I mean.

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

Something to listen to. Not music. Usually has to be an audiobook, or episodes of MST3K or RuPaul’s Drag Race. Have to have talking in the background.

Any authors and/or illustrators who inspire you?

So many! Bill Watterson, Paul Coker Jr., Tomie DePaola, Tom Yohe, Steven Kellogg, P.D.Eastman, Richard Scarry, David McKee, Alan Tiegreen....I could keep going.

Dream project to work on?

Little Golden Books. I’ve always wanted to do a Little Golden Book.

Tell us about your debut book.

UNDERWEAR! Started with a Colour Collective piece I did. The story worked itself out on a walk with my ever stubborn corgi lodged under a bush and my ever loud self yelling “Get out from under there.” And he looked up at me like “Under where?” and it clicked. Steve went on an extra long walk that day as I looked like a crazy person tapping out syllables and talking out loud about underwear.

UNDERWEAR! Is pretty much autobiographical. I am the frazzled parent who just wants to get their kid out of the tub, into PJs and off to bed. My daughter is said kid who finds ENDLESS ways to keep herself out of bed. I think every parent has been on both sides of this story. And, stories about underwear are never not going to be funny. It’s just a fun word to say.

What’s up next for you?

My second book SWIM, SWIM, SINK is slated for launch in early 2020. Fingers crossed I can just keep working along.

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

Amadeus or Empire Strikes Back or Time Bandits. Don’t make me choose. (Oooo...Sophie’s Choice is good too!)

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Huge thank you to Jenn for stopping by Critter Lit today! We are so excited for you and your fantastically funny debut! Congrats!

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JENN HARNEY has illustrated several picture books, including Todd Tarpley’s HOW TO BECOME A KNIGHT (Sterling), NEVER CRUMPET WITH A TRUMPET (Boyd Mills Press), SMELLY KELLY (Boyd’s Mills Press). She has
also illustrated the covers and interiors for Jennifer Hamburg’s Hazy Bloom series (FSG), and Susan Lurie’s Wanda Seasongood series (Disney-Hyperion).

Jenn made her author-illustrator debut with UNDERWEAR (Disney-Hyperion) to be followed up by SWIM, SWIM, SINK in 2020 (Disney-Hyperion). She enjoys working at break-neck pace at her desk while binge watching old episodes of “Mystery Science Theater 3000” and “RuPaul’s Drag Race”. Jenn lives in Cleveland, Ohio, with her husband, her daughter, a dog named Steve and the ghost of the oldest living goldfish in North America.

FOR MORE INFORMATION about Jenn visit her online at jkharney.blogspot.com or follow her on social media:

Instagram + Twitter: @jennharknee

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

BOOK GIVEAWAY!

Want a chance to win a SIGNED copy of UNDERWEAR?! Comment on this post or share it on Twitter. One lucky winner will be selected Thursday, July 18th! US addresses only please.

What's up on deck? Tune in next week for an interview with author/illustrator Debbie Ridpath Ohi!

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 and Illustrator and Husband and Wife Team Megan and Jorge Lacera

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.

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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!

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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!