Tag: Illustrator Interviews

Author/​Illustrator Interview: Kristen Balouch

On By Only Picture BooksIn Author Interviews, Illustrator Interviews

This month’s picture book creator interview is with Kristen Balouch, an author, illustrator, artist, and designer living in Brooklyn. Few creatives give as much access to their workspace in the way Kristen does: “I live in a tiny apartment in Williamsburg, Brooklyn that I renovated with salvaged finds. I designed the apartment around this twelve-​foot table. Everything happens at this table: manuscript sorting, book illustrations, editorial illustrations, hand-​lettering, fabric collections, daydreaming, birthday cakes, and dinner parties.”

Here’s a photo of that cool space!

Kristen has created a number of her own picture books such as Feelings and The Little Little Girl with the Big Big Voice, and she’s illustrated the work of others, as with Baby Polar. Her most recent book is the picture book If You Are the Dreamer, which arrives this month.

She also runs Little Blue Mushroom, a “literary agency for children’s books.” (More on this in a minute.)

Let’s get to the interview to find out more about all the cools things Kristen is doing.

RVC: Let’s start with an easy one. As a child, what was your favorite picture book?

KB: The first books I remember reading were Roald Dahl books—Fantastic Mr. Fox and James and the Giant Peach. My grandma lived in Ohio and we lived in California. I think she knew no one was taking me to the library and so she would mail packages of books to me.

RVC: Grandmas like that are the best. What else about your childhood set you up for a career in children’s books?

KB: I lived in among the redwoods of California and we were in no way confined as children. It was me, my sister, and our dog Wonder Dog. We ran, explored, and daydreamed in between the redwoods and along the Russian River.

RVC: In what ways was your creativity coming through during high school?

KB: We moved to Ohio and I had a wonderful art teacher in high school. His name was John Antro. He put the idea of art school and New York City in my mind. My family moved in the middle of high school to Florida and I was devastated. But I was lucky and landed in another school with another amazing art teacher, Roger Smith. These two teachers—their vision, their encouragement—altered the course of my life. Teachers change lives!

RVC: Indeed they do! Now, you went to the Pratt Institute as an undergraduate. What drew you to that school? 

KB: When I was 14, I lied and said I was 16 to work the weekends at a fried chicken place. I saved all my money—I think it was $800, something like that–and used it to go to Pratt for a high school program in the summer. Pratt had a campus which made it feel more like a school experience than a city experience.

Later, as an undergraduate there, I had the most wonderful English professor, Daniel Gerzog, and I started working on picture books. I also explored New York City. My favorite spot was Books of Wonder. I passed the afternoons with the picture books there.

RVC: Your undergraduate experience at Pratt was a while back. But you recently went back to college via the low-​residence MFA in Writing for Children at Vermont College of Fine Arts. What was the goal?

KB: I felt like I had the art down, but the writing! I just fumbled with words. I went to VCFA and I witnessed the craft of writing and the devotion. It looked the same as my art practice but with words, and I could also see that the components of the book were the same…character development, environment, suspense, story arc. It was just using words to get there instead of color or composition.

RVC: What was the most valuable lesson you learned at VCFA?

KB: I think I learned to trust my words on paper.

RVC: Let’s get to your books. What’s the story behind your first picture book, Listen to the Storyteller? How did that come about?

KB: I had sent a book dummy for The King & the Three Thieves to Viking. They were publishing Simms Taback at the time and I adored everything they printed. And then they said “Yes!” But they said we have something else first. It was Listen to the Storyteller.

RVC: What’s your favorite thing about that book?

KB: I look back at those illustrations and the compositions are so expressive. I was learning how to use placement and form to tell a story.

RVC: One of my favorites of yours is the Ezra Jack Keats award-​winning picture book Mystery Bottle. Care to share the close-​to-​home story that inspired it?

KB: Mystery Bottle is like collecting a family history, political borders, and ways of life then sprinkling those details throughout a book. The initial spark was my son’s grandparents and how much they wanted to meet their grandson, but the gap between here and Iran seemed so enormous. It was a way to bring them together.

RVC: On one hand, the story is kind of nonfiction. But things happen in it that aren’t quite realistic in a traditional sense. How do you handle that challenge in terms of creating visuals (which many reviewers note is their favorite thing about the book)?

KB: There are so many ways to see and experience reality. For example, let’s say there are two things on the table that are approximately the same size. If one of those things is important to me, then maybe I would draw it larger. Or maybe that thing is so important to me that it might fill the whole room. Or maybe that thing is so important to me that it fills the entire page. In that example of scale, all of those images would represent a reality. It may just not be the reality we are used to seeing.

RVC: That’s a great point about perspective. I’m not sure writers fully understand all that an illustrator does. Speaking of that…what’s the most important thing writers should know or understand about picture book illustrators?

KB: I think writers do know that illustration is also storytelling and that can enhance or add layers of meaning. Personally, I like to illustrate a roomy text that allows for a broad interpretation.

RVC: Since you brought up interpretation…what do you think about art notes?

KB: Art notes can be necessary if the author is considering a specific visual that tells the story. Other art notes can be micro managing. People have different ways of working. Some people like to be told what to do. But I am not one of those people. Most publishers make sure illustrators have the room to create.

RVC: You’ve been doing freelance work beyond kidlit things for a very long time. How does that work inform your kidlit illustrations?

KB: When art is out in the world, it doesn’t have the same proximity or amount of time with the viewer as children’s books. Images need to be more immediate and compelling—the messaging needs to be clear. The luxury of time and proximity in children’s books creates an environment for play and dialogue. I hope my work has become better as a communicator from creating for different viewers.

RVC: What are your thoughts on the state of kidlit in general right now?

KB: Could you ever imagine this many beautiful books being produced?
The extraordinary, thoughtful books being published every season just takes my breath away. Small presses and imprints acting as small presses are creating diverse books, neurologically and otherwise, which broaden the picture book market. It’s very exciting!

I wish more obscure books became less obscure and made their way into more readers’ hands.

RVC: Here’s a question I’ve never asked in an OPB interview before. How do you go about making a quality artist’s statement? (P.S.—this is something unique to artists. Writers don’t worry about such things!)

KB: I suppose first you have to think about who will be reading your artist statement and how to connect with them. I like to include things that are important to me and the things that make me tick. Like…I like kindness and poetry and little things that dance around in the background of a page. But then if you put that into a context where your reader values awards or accomplishments, well, then I would include some of those, too.

It’s a little scary defining oneself on paper. Be brave, speak truth, walk boldly even if it’s uncomfortable!

RVC: What is Little Blue Mushroom?

KB: Little Blue Mushroom is this incredible thing that happened almost on its own–just add water!

I started teaching online courses about five years ago. I wanted to help illustrators find their way into the children’s book market. I had so many years of trying to figure out how to create story as an illustrator. I looked for access points into storytelling. I put together the things that I thought were helpful and were from the point of view of the illustrator and created a handful of courses.

The response was tremendous. So many very talented illustrators showed up. Little Blue Mushroom organically evolved into a boutique literary agency to help a half dozen of those illustrators bring their work to publishers.

RVC: Any tips for writers or artists who decide to follow in your path and create a similar company?

KB: Be generous with what you can offer. Pay attention and do what’s important to you, and it will grow.

RVC: Brag time. What’s a current or forthcoming project you’re super stoked about?

KB: If You Are the Dreamer is coming out Sept 21st with Cameron Kids. It’s sort of like a contemporary Runaway Bunny in its simplicity and poetry. I’m counting down the days!!! Check back with me in the spring for more exciting news, too!

RVC: Last question for this part of the interview. You’re back at Pratt again, but as a teacher this time. What’s that like for you?

KB: I love encouraging people/​students to see a way to bring what they love to the world. There is room in the world to do exactly what you want to do. I also like to help swat away any nay-​saying self talk–get outta here!

RVC: Okay, it’s time for the Speed Round. Zoomy questions and zippy answers, please. Ready?

KB: Ready!

RVC: Best place in Brooklyn for cupcake?

KB: Bakeri in Greenpoint or Williamsburg.

RVC: Your three favorite colors, in order, are… 

KB: I have four! Strawberry ice cream pink, bright persimmons orange, electric pure yellow, and a hazy gray blue.

RVC: “If I weren’t creating art or writing, I’d be…”

KB: A therapist or a gardener!

RVC: Five things you can’t do your work without. 

KB: Focus, sleep, a full belly, a Sharpie, and a piece of paper.

RVC: If you could illustrate for any living picture book writer, it’d be…

KB: Carole Boston Weatherford.

RVC: [Quick sidenote–check out the OPB interview with Carole right here!] Your illustration philosophy in five words or less.

KB: Be kind.

RVC: Thanks so much, Kristen. Best of luck with the new book!

KB: Thank you!

A Celebration of Jane Yolen’s 400th book (2 interviews and one original poem)

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To help celebrate Jane Yolen’s 400th published book–what an amazing accomplishment!–I felt the need to do more than just review it at OPB. Thus, we have this bonus goody that’s just for you!

I asked Jane and Jen four questions each, and with the productivity and generosity that Jane is so well known for, she offered an original poem, too. Enjoy!

Questions for Jane

RVC: Why is Bear Outside a good book to be #400?

JY: Because it is typical of my picture book style–lyrical, strong young girl who solves a problem, and has a kicker last line.

RVC: What was most surprising about the hubbub around #400?

JY: That I seem to be the most surprised person of all!

Heidi (my daughter and PA) had been counting the books because when I hit 365 we had a big party at the Eric Carle Museum with teachers, librarians, editors, friends, etc. But I thought as I was just reaching my 80s, I would slow down. But a little over three years later, it was clear I was going to hit 400.

RVC: What’s something readers wouldn’t guess about the girl in this story?

JY: She is me in a way, though instead of a bear, I look out through the eyes of story and it emboldens me.

RVC: Your favorite image from the book? 

JY: I think the very last page, when they are quiet, and instead of a child hugging a toy bear to keep herself safe from night frights, the bear is hugging the girl.

Questions for Jen

RVC: Why is Bear Outside a good book to be #400?  

JC: Bear Outside is the result of so many things I never saw coming or anything I could have conceived of when I started my career in illustration. I had worked on bits and pieces here and there, and I got my foot into the door with Little Pea, but it wasn’t until I started creating bodies of work for gallery shows that I really started to develop a visual voice that felt true to me. It has always been a symbiotic relationship, bringing what I learned creating pieces for galleries into book work and bringing the narrative structure of book work back into paintings made for gallery shows.

If you had told 2007 me that this piece of my career would become part of someone else’s artistic milestone, let alone Jane Yolen’s artistic milestone, I would have calmly told you to get off of my lawn. But it is. It exists, it’s here, and it’s an incalculable honor. To have something put out into the world be seen and understood by someone and then be moved to write a story that respects the core of the image with spare, perfect words? It gives me too many feelings.

For me it’s not a good book to be #400. It’s the PERFECT book to be #400.

RVC: What was most surprising about the hubbub around #400 for Jane?

JC: When I received the manuscript for Bear Outside, I wasn’t told that it would be Jane’s 400th book. I didn’t even know until recently. So it’s all a wonderful surprise. I muddled through my own brain and ideas for so long–it’s a real crock pot of a brain. It makes me wonder what it’s like to have a brain that is all “go go go” while also creating beautiful, meaningful stories. It’s awe inspiring.

RVC: What’s something readers wouldn’t guess about Bear?

JC: Probably that Bear is a Taurus sun with a Sagittarius moon.

RVC: Your favorite line from the text?

JC: “I take care of Bear and Bear takes care of me.”

It’s the perfect distillation of the relationship between Girl and Bear. It’s ideally the relationship we should have in others.

Hugging the Bear

At night, in the dark,
he snores and grumbles.
Sometimes he whimpers.
Then I curl around him.
I am here, Bear, I whisper.
Day will come soon enough.
Wear me like a  suit of armor.
Hold me like a sword of fire.
Tell my story over and over
till all night fears go away.
And his mumbles and whimpers
fade into the dawn.

©2021 Jane Yolen all rights reserved

Author/​Illustrator Interview: Marla Frazee

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It’s always a treat when we get a picture book author who illustrates as well, and that’s exactly what we have with our January interview with Marla Frazee. (Witness two Caldecott Honors for her fine illustration work!) She was born and raised in LA, and has three grown sons who are off in the world, making her proud.

To get to know her a little bit better, let’s play seven truths and one lie. Here we go!

Marla:

  1. created the artwork for Sara Pennypacker’s bestselling Clementine series.
  2. had a childhood pet—a dog named Pappy who ran away at top speed every chance he got.
  3. refused to go to nursery school (and found kindergarten terrifying!).
  4. had to go to detention for wearing a clown costume to a high school assembly.
  5. was a contestant on Art Linkletter’s “Kids Say the Darnedest Things” TV show.
  6. has a Little Free Library in her front yard.
  7. authored The Boss Baby, which was adapted into a Dreamworks movie of the same name.
  8. works in a red-​doored studio in her backyard beneath an avocado tree.

Want to know which one is the falsehood? Read on and find out! The answer will be in the interview below.

RVC: What was the picture book that set you on the path to being a picture book maker?

MF: It was, without a doubt, Where the Wild Things Are. I was 8 years old when it came out. I loved books, loved to draw, and was already planning to be a children’s book author and illustrator, but the moment I saw Max’s bedroom turn into a forest in just three page turns, well… it sealed the deal. I just wanted to learn how to make that sort of magic happen.

It’s still my favorite book of all time and I’m still trying to figure out how Sendak did what he did in it.

RVC: I’m sure you’ve been asked this before—are you a writer who does art, or an artist who writes? 

MF: I’m an illustrator who tells stories with pictures—and often words.

RVC: What kind of training did you have for your writing and your art?

MF: I went to ArtCenter College of Design in Pasadena, CA, and received a BFA in Illustration. I’ve attended as many SCBWI (Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators) conferences as I could. I’m also a long-​time subscriber to The Horn Book Magazine which has given me a sense of both publishing history and its current state, notable books and the people who make them, and some understanding about why certain books get great reviews and others don’t. When I had children and read a bazillion books to them over the years, I developed my own passionate opinions about which children’s books worked and which didn’t. That’s been my training!

RVC: It took a while for you to break into picture books.

MF: It did take a while! No one could ever say I was an overnight success!

RVC: What kinds of things did you do along the way before landing that first book deal?

MF: I worked at Disney Studios after I graduated and quickly realized it wasn’t for me. I quit after 6 weeks to become a freelancer—and that’s what I’ve been doing ever since. In the years after that, I did whatever kind of illustration job I could get: textbook and mass-​market books for kids, editorial illustration, advertising, greeting cards, and stuff like McDonald’s Happy Meals boxes and kid-​friendly mascots for every team in the National Football League. But during all those years, I was trying to get published. I just wanted to make picture books.

RVC: You’ve had incredible success as an illustrator for picture books, having received a Caldecott Honor for All the World and A Couple of Boys Have the Best Week Ever. How aware were you of those books being special during their making?

MF: I’m not sure how this will sound, but I always think the book I’m working on is special. If I don’t, I’ll keep revising until I do. And if I still don’t, as painful as it is, I put it away. The thing I am most surprised about, honestly, is which of my books do end up connecting more than others. I am the worst judge of how a book of mine will do once it is out in the world.

RVC: Liz Garton Scanlon did an interview with OPB in 2018—she’s terrific. What was the biggest challenge you faced in illustrating her manuscript All the World?

MF: Liz IS terrific. I’m with you on that!

RVC: Absolutely!

MF: Back to the previous question, I was immediately aware that her manuscript for All the World read like a classic. The biggest challenge I faced was getting my head around the title. I mean, a book about ALL the world? I knew I couldn’t illustrate a book about all the world. So I thought about what it was like to feel a part of the world—to be somewhere you love with people you love—and illustrated that.

It took a while to figure out. I dumped a nearly finished sketch dummy and started over. Our editor, Allyn Johnston of Beach Lane Books, kept both Liz and me on track through a number of revisions. Allyn had a sense of the emotional power of All the World from the start. She was instrumental in how that book came to be.

RVC: How is the process different with illustrating your own books versus the books of others?

MF: I love alternating between doing one of my own books and then illustrating someone else’s words. The process is very different. If it’s my own, I’m moving back and forth between pictures and words. It’s usually a big mess and I often don’t know it will come together. On the other hand, when I say yes to a manuscript, it’s already written. And it intrigues me, challenges me, and isn’t anything that I could’ve come up with myself. My job is to bring the picture story to a place where it is an equal partner to the words. It feels acrobatic.

RVC: How many books are you typically working on at the same time, and how long do they generally take?

MF: I typically work on one book at a time and once I’m actively in process (as opposed to marinating), each book usually takes a year.

RVC: Let’s talk about Boot & Shoe. On one paw, it’s a funny dog bromance, but on the other paw—like so much of your work—there’s wit and wisdom, as well. How did this interesting story come about?

MF: Ha! Well asked!

Let’s see. I was teaching my Children’s Book Illustration class at ArtCenter, something I’ve done on and off for 25 years, and I listened as a student read Blueberries for Sal to the class. I love that book and it’s been a major influence in my own work, but this was the first time since I was a child that anyone read it aloud to me. I was thinking about how hilarious it is when we, the reader, know what’s going on but the characters don’t. Little Sal is following Little Bear’s mom and Little Bear is following Little Sal’s mom, and they don’t know it yet! But we do!

I decided right then that I wanted to make a book like that. I remembered how fun and funny it was to play hide-​and-​seek around a tree; one person going one way, the other person going the opposite way. That’s how the idea started.

RVC: Which of your books surprised you the most in terms of how it came out?

MF: The Boss Baby was one of the hardest books to figure out. It was funny in concept but unfunny for a long time in execution. The baby character needed to be cute, but not-​cute. The tone needed to be understood by a child, but sophisticated. The setting needed to be contrived, but realistic. I almost gave up on it. Obviously, I’m very glad it finally worked.

RVC: I think it’s fair to say that you might be best known–beyond the kidlit world—for The Boss Baby movie. How did that all happen?

MF: I heard that DreamWorks animation was interested in optioning The Boss Baby right before the book was published. I was thrilled, of course, but didn’t take this to mean a feature length film would actually be made. I know there are a lot of hurdles. But we just kept hearing good news about where it was in first the development process, and then in the production process.

During these years, DreamWorks invited me to the studio a number of times to meet the filmmakers and see the progress. It was an incredible experience to watch how much love, care, and talent went into it all. I always left completely blown away and inspired.

RVC: Just the other day, I saw that the movie sequel is coming out in late 2021, and there’s the Netflix TV show that’s been going for a few years now. How involved are you in the spinoffs?

MF: I was invited to see the sequel a few months ago when it was about 60% finished and had a great conversation with the producer afterward, but I have no creative involvement with the Boss Baby films or TV show. I’m more like a soccer mom. I sit on the sidelines and cheer.

RVC: You once said that kids read the pictures in a picture book in a way that adults no longer can. What does that mean? 

MF: Kids really read pictures. For story. For meaning. They see everything. No detail escapes them. They’re experts at it.

I think that once we learn to read words, this picture-​reading skill lessens and words take precedence. By the time we’re grownups, we aren’t all that great at reading pictures. We see them, sure, but we don’t study them the way kids do. I feel honored and humbled to be working for an audience of picture-​reading experts.

RVC: You’re really good at working the page turn—something would-​be picture book writers often ignore or struggle with. What’s your secret?

MF: What a nice thing to say! I work on thumbnails sketches for months and months to get the pagination right. The picture book form is a beautiful challenge and the page turn is one of its most unique and important features.

RVC: One final question for the “serious” part of the interview. What’s something you’re working on now that you’re really excited about?

MF: I’m trying to get a project to work. And I’m afraid it might not work. So “excited” isn’t something I’m feeling yet. More like determined. I’m really determined. I can’t talk about it yet.

RVC: I understand completely. With my own writing, I keep things quiet until that’s no longer an option, one way or another. Best of luck with it!

MF: Thanks!

RVC: Okey dokey, Marla. You’ve been waiting for it, and now it’s here—the Speed Round! Zoomy questions and zippy answers, please! Are you ready?

MF: I’m not too zippy, but sure…

RVC: Star Trek, Star Wars, or Stargate?

MF: None of the above. But have you ever seen the 2012 Sean Baker film Starlet? I loved that!

RVC: Best place in Pasadena for California pizza? 

Casa Bianca Pizza Pie in Eagle Rock (which is Pasadena-​adjacent; the neighboring town). Get the eggplant pizza.

RVC: Who would’ve been your Dream Author to illustrate for? 

MF: Ruth Krauss.

RVC: What’s your go-​to art tool?

MF: An eraser, maybe? I erase A LOT!

RVC: What’s the last picture book you read that totally WOWed you?

MF: I was blown away by The Important Thing About Margaret Wise Brown, written by Mac Barnett and illustrated by Sarah Jacoby. The way it was written and the way it was illustrated and the person it is about. My god. I felt that it was an innovative and expertly crafted as Margaret Wise Brown’s work was and because of that, it honored her legacy in every way possible.

RVC: Three words that sum up your picture book philosophy.

MF: Go for emotion.

RVC: Thanks so much, Marla! And for those who really want to know which of the bio “facts” in the introduction was actually a falsehood, the answer is…

MF: I wasn’t on Art Linkletter’s TV show, but my best friend Lisa Gilden was. She won a bunch of prizes that we played with together. I recall a toy vacuum cleaner and a croquet set. Obviously the croquet set was more fun!

RVC: For those of you who didn’t notice, the above falsehood means that Marla WAS sent to detention “for wearing a clown costume to a high school assembly.” And Marla was nice enough to include a photo by way of proof. What better way to end this interview than that? Thanks, Marla!!

Author/​Illustrator Interview: Hannah Batsel

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It’s always a treat to witness the beginning of a picture-​book career, and that’s what’s happening with the author/​illustrator we’re interviewing this month—Chicago artist Hannah Batsel, whose debut, A Is for Another Rabbit, comes out this month from Carolrhoda Books (Lerner Publishing). Hannah has a background in creating fine art and book arts, so she’s sure to have an interesting perspective on the process of becoming a picture maker. She’s also a self-​described “fashion idiot and rabbit superfan.” Talk about intriguing!

Let’s get to the interview to learn even more.

RVC: You probably don’t know this, Hannah, but I reached out to recent OPB-​interviewee (and Lerner editor) Carol Hinz for suggestions on early-​career writers who might be ideal for an OPB interview. Your name came up immediately—she clearly thinks you’re terrific. But here’s the real surprise—I already knew your name and work. You’ve got books in the Brizdle-​Schoenberg Special Collections Center at my college’s library, and I lurk in there a lot. 

Tell me about your interest in making special-​collections-​quality books like Ephemerus and Maneater, which are the two I’ve shown to my own students here.

HB: Wow, my reputation precedes me!

Well, I was first introduced to artist books and fine press books as a part of my printmaking studies, and I completely fell in love with them. I think that I’m a bit of a control freak, and the fact that I can write, illustrate, print, and bind an edition of books all by myself (and therefore obsess about whether that text line should be a sixteenth of an inch to the left or not for three days without annoying anyone else) is very empowering. Printing only small editions lets me branch out from the traditional codex structure and make weird double-​sided books, books with jointed paper dolls, fold-​out books that expand to twice their size—you name it! I think there’s a book design out there that’s perfectly suited to contain any conceivable human idea.

RVC: Let’s talk about my personal favorite—Maneater. It’s a boxed set of four books, where each sits inside the other like those Russian nesting dolls, and they’re held in place by little hidden magnets. And the story—if I recall it correctly—works backwards in time.

HB: It does work backwards in time—and then forward again! The smallest, innermost nested book takes place the furthest in the past, so as you read towards it, you get more context about the characters’ past relationships before having to read yourself back to the surface to finish the story in present day.

RVC: How did this project come about?

HB: This project was inspired by my collection of late-​19th-century mass market colonialist children’s books (a mouthful, I know). These books’ covers are gilded and colorful and just a treat to look at, but their beauty belies a lot of frankly horrifying ideas about the Western world’s relationship with both the natural world and the cultures of people they didn’t understand.

The four books of Maneater are all illustrated in that lush and extravagant style, and each of the four books follows a different character. There’s a mythical tiger god who rules over life on a tropical island, an actual tiger who is captured from the island and sent to a zoo, a villager on the island who must emigrate and work at the zoo once the island is stripped of its natural resources, and a wealthy shareholder who ends up employing the zookeeper as a butler after a tiger attack forces him into retirement. The books can be read separately, but only when you read them together does a legacy of colonialist greed become clear.

RVC: In what ways are artist books like picture books?

HB: I would say that all of my artist books are picture books! They are certainly for an older audience, but every single page in them is illustrated. Like other picture books, they are meant to be held and explored and looked at, not just read. I even have an artist book that’s only pictures: Overhead, a book that I wrote, printed, and bound all on a commercial airline flight (confusing the flight attendants to no end, I’m sure.)

RVC: You earned a BFA in Printmaking and Book Arts from the University of Georgia, followed by an MFA in Interdisciplinary Book, Paper, and Print Arts from Columbia College Chicago. Clearly you had a book-​focused future planned early on. When did you get interested in this career path?

HB: I had a professor at the University of Georgia who got me into artist books (thanks, Eileen!). Once it clicked for me that books could be made out of just about anything by just about anyone, I set out to do it in as many ways as possible. I feel fortunate to have found something that I can confidently say I’ll be making for the rest of my life in some form or another.

RVC: Let’s talk about your debut picture book. What’s the story behind A Is for Another Rabbit?

HB: I was speaking with my mom on the phone about how I’d like to write a children’s book, and how abecedaria (that’s nerd talk for “alphabet books”) were some of my favorites. I told her that I especially love animal alphabet books, but that I would probably want to make every letter about rabbits, which would make for a very boring book. We started goofing off and improvising pages (“U is for Uuuuuughh, seriously? Stop with the rabbits already!”) and while some of our off-​the-​cuff joke pages were a bit—well—vulgar for a younger audience, others did make it into the first draft of the manuscript.

RVC: How did the story change in the rewriting/​revision process? Was it always metafiction from the first draft?

HB: Very little of the original manuscript ended up changing, actually! It was mostly minor tweaks. It was always metafiction; I think that with a format as tried-​and-​true as the alphabet book, the most interesting thing to do was to throw a monkey wrench into it and explore what would happen if this very rigidly-​structured genre went awry.

RVC: Please talk a little about how you handle pacing via image and text. 

HB: This is something that I tend not to think too hard about; rather, I draft out what feels best to me intuitively and then show as many people as I can so that they can tell me if something feels off. Pacing is one of those things that’s hard to get a grasp on if you’re too close to the project, so having outside perspectives helps a lot. In general, I try to keep my text as tight and necessary as possible—if I can cut something from a manuscript, I do!

RVC: A Is for Another Rabbit uses rhymes, at times (yep—look what I did right there!). What’s your philosophy for rhyming well?

HB: Keep a consistent meter, jam as many rhymes in there as possible (not just at the end of the line), and above all else, use a rhyming dictionary! There’s no shame in it, and there are tons of free ones online; starting with a really great final line and then looking up rhyming words to build up to that finale is a great way to write a stanza.

RVC: The book is dedicated to “my favorite animal in the whole world: the rabbit.” What’s the appeal of these “feisty, fantastic, fluffy-​tailed” critters?

HB: One little-​known rabbit personality trait that I love is their sheer audacity, their absolute impudence. When a cat behaves like a jerk, at least he’s got the claws and teeth to back it up. A rabbit is a prey animal who has been running for his life in the wild for millennia, and yet you let him up onto your couch one time and he thinks he’s the king of the world!

The misbehaving rabbits in my book are inspired by a real rabbit, Pip, that I used to have. He was allowed to go anywhere in the house except for under my bed, so of course, he loved to try to sneak under when I wasn’t looking. Whenever I caught him snooping around for a way in, he would leap into the air with joy at the thrill of being caught and flee the scene! He seemed to like getting caught even more than succeeding!

RVC: I can sympathize with that because (when they were very little) my two kids loved to sneak into my office and riffle through my manuscripts, papers, stories, etc. and wait until I came back to catch them, and they’d laugh, laugh, laugh. Then they grew up and couldn’t care less what I do for a living.

What’s next for you in terms of the picture book world?

HB: I’m always working on my next book, and right now, I’m finalizing the manuscript and initial sketches for a new picture book that will make use of my letterpress-​printing background. I can’t tell you much, but I’ll give you a hint: if A is for Another Rabbit is a good Easter read, this next one would be better suited for Halloween…

RVC: I look forward to the spooky fun!

Last question for the main part of this interview. Since Carol Hinz got you into this, what’s it been like working with her and Carolrhoda?

HB: Carol and the team at Carolrhoda have been an absolute dream to work with. Making your own books like I do means that I had no idea how a bigger production worked, which book sizes were standard, what to put on a title page, what a book contract looked like, or even… oops… how to accurately manage a final deadline. But Carol and Danielle Carnito, my art director, held my hand ever-​so-​patiently and walked me through the whole process.

One thing that’s a bit strange is that I’ve never met either of them in person! From start to finish, making a book together was a multi-​year process, all over email. For all I know, Carol could be a bunch of rabbits standing on each other’s shoulders in a trench coat. Wait—have you ever met her?

RVC: Hold on now… while I’ve interviewed Carol, I have NOT met her. Hmmmm. You might be on to something here.

HB: I think so!

RVC: Alrighty—it’s time for the much-​heralded, always-​awesome SPEED ROUND. Rabbit-​quick questions + hare-​fast answers, please! Are…you…ready?!?

HB: I was born ready.

RVC: Your three favorite picture book rabbits?

HB: Wait, wait, I’m not ready!

Uhhhh, jeez, this is a tough one! Honestly, Richard Scarry’s vast herd of fictional rabbits would probably take up all three slots. Naughty Bunny, The Bunny Book, Bunnies, I Am a Bunny, not to mention all of the Busytown buns—the guy’s practically cornered the market on great picture book rabbits! Honorable mentions, of course, for Margaret Wise Brown’s many picture book rabbits, especially those of Goodnight Moon and The Runaway Bunny!

RVC: Most surprising rabbit fact?

HB: Rabbits can’t vomit. Hey, you asked for surprising!

RVC: Best place a rabbit might go to get GREAT Chicago deep dish?

HB: Pequod’s, hands down. That caramelized crust…

RVC: Best picture book art you’ve seen in the last year?

HB: Daria Tessler’s riso-​printed zine, Three Magical Recipes from the Book of Secrets of Albertus Magnus, published by Perfectly Acceptable Press here in Chicago.

RVC: What’s going to keep you up tonight after doing this interview?

HB: Nothing. I can go to sleep within 15 seconds of hitting the pillow; it’s like a superpower.

RVC: Three things that are at the heart of your overarching creative vision?

HB: Magic, fine detail, and the exploration of power (and the power of exploration!)

RVC: From one Chicagoan to another, thanks so much, Hannah! It was a hoot cluck chirp uhhh, say…what sound do rabbits make?

HB: Hmm, well they do thump their back feet on the ground when they’re angry. But I think this interview has been more like a contented tooth-​chatter, don’t you?

RVC: Right. That’s what I meant. It was truly a tooth-​chattering swell time. Thanks for playing along, Hannah!

Author/​Illustrator Interview: Elisha Cooper

On By Only Picture BooksIn Author Interviews, Illustrator Interviews

This month’s interview is with Elisha Cooper, an author who both writes and illustrates his own picture books. Instead of doing a standard bio paragraph here, let’s begin the process of getting to know him and his work a little bit better via two lists.

List One—Books Elisha Made:

  • While Elisha has created a lot of picture books, here are a few that OPB especially digs. For details on any of them, go ahead and click on those lovely covers!

List Two—Stuff Elisha Likes:

 

And, because we like to underpromise and overdeliver here at OPB, I offer a bonus third list, detailing a few of the various ways you can find out more about Elisha’s fine work via the Internet.

List Three—Bonus Stuff!

With that, let’s move on to the interview!

RVC: I confess—after reading scads of interviews others have done with you, I can’t find anyone who asked this question, so I’ll ask it. How do you pronounce your name? Is “Elisha” like Uh-​LIE-​sha, or Uh-​LEE-​sha? Something else entirely? This word-​loving, name-​loving person needs to know!

EC: It’s Uh-​LIE-​sha, though I’m fine with any pronunciation. I had a friend in high school who spent four years calling me “Isaiah.” There have been times I wish I’d been named Elijah (the more famous prophet), as that is easier to pronounce, and sounds tougher. But I’ve come to appreciate my name, its ambiguity.

Just this week The Cleveland Plain Dealer reviewed my book, praising the author and “her” beautiful watercolors. I sort of love that.

RVC: Wow, that’s some crackerjack reporting from The Cleveland Plain Dealer. Well done them!

Now that we’ve gotten the vital 411 on this name situation, let’s talk about your most recent picture book, River, which has been well received by readers and critics. In your Author’s Note for that book, you thank the Sendak Foundation. But on other occasions, you’ve also claimed to have been “the worst Maurice Sendak Fellow ever.” I’m getting the sense that you’re a man of great contradictions.

I wonder—is this an example of what you wrote in 2008 for Publisher’s Weekly in an article called “About the Author” where you mused on the “unique ridiculousness of the author’s note”?

EC: I know I’m trying to have it both ways. I was one of the worst Sendak fellows (I didn’t work in the studio they gave me), but the fellowship was also incredibly important for River. It allowed me the space to think, and start sketching nature along the Hudson. With that Publisher’s Weekly piece I believe I was trying to point out how we as authors (we as humans, really) are always trying to craft and present a more perfect version of ourselves. I’m as guilty of that as anyone.

RVC: Speaking of versions of ourselves…how did the actual version of yourself that grew up on a farm inform your work as a picture book maker?

EC: Animals, animals, animals. And views! I was surrounded by barn cats, dogs, goats and cows. I drew them, walked with them, milked them (my goats), and read with them. They were my companions. I read a ton, too, when I wasn’t shooting my BB gun or throwing a football.

In some deep way–and I know this answer has that crafting revisionism I was just disparaging–my childhood could not have been better designed for a future children’s book author.

RVC: Rumor has it that you would’ve preferred to play in the NFL than create kid’s books. Fact, or alternate fact?

EC: Fact. Who wouldn’t?! Yes, like any number of kids in the 80s, I dreamed of playing professional football. I even sent drawings of Lynn Swann to Lynn Swann (the Pittsburgh Steelers were my team). I think I still have the autographed photo he sent me in response. I played football at Yale, but was a back-​up. I still love football, how within the brutal mayhem there can be moments of grace and beauty.

RVC: At what point did you realize you were well-​suited to create picture books? Was it post-​college during that stint as a messenger for The New Yorker where you delivered art and manuscripts (which sounds pretty cool, by the way)?

EC: Hmm, I don’t know if there was one moment. I’ve always kept sketchbooks. Always written, always drawn. When I was at The New Yorker, a colleague  suggested I try children’s books and I sort of slid into the field. I’m still uncertain what makes a picture book a children’s book (Sendak has a great rant about that). My hope is that if I love something, and draw and write about it, a child or an adult out there may love it, too.

I don’t mean to punt on your question, but I don’t think I’ve ever had one “eureka” moment. I’ve always felt art in me. Which doesn’t mean I don’t get stuck, or rip stuff up, or struggle. I know something’s good, though, when I tape it on my wall and it stays there.

RVC: I suspect that most picture book makers believe their process to be bizarre, messy, and/​or inefficient. Given that, I’m still asking: what’s YOUR process? How does the magic happen for you?

EC: Coffee. Family. Newspaper. Second coffee. Music. Write (café), or paint (home). Third coffee. Paint more. Run. Visit bookstore. Bike along river. Read. Cook. Family. Sports. Sleep.

Repeat.

RVC: How does the process differ for making your non-​kid books, like A Year in New York and Falling: A Daughter, a Father, and a Journey Back?

EC: For my books of essays, the memoirs (Crawling and Falling), I just spent more time writing. Which is sort of obvious! More hours in Brooklyn at favorite cafés, taking notes then writing up those notes, then editing editing editing. The more I make books, the more I think of myself as an editor. This goes for my children’s books, as well. I put something up on the wall, look at it hard, then change it.

RVC: Here’s something that’ll likely surprise you. I think I personally know some of the barns you used in your book Farm. How? Well, I went to Northern Illinois University for my undergrad degree (Go Huskies!), and I’ve read that you spent a lot of time driving around DeKalb County (for you non-​NIU types, that’s where NIU is located—about 60 miles west of Chicago, smack-​dab in the middle of Big Corn country) with your sketchbook while cooking up that book. Is this possible or am I way off base here?

EC: That’s so cool. Go Huskies! Yes, Farm is set almost entirely in DeKalb County. I drove many back roads there. While the farm in my book is a combination of a few farms, the main “model” was a farm in Hinckley, Illinois. A wonderful family let me hang around their farm for the year; a highlight was riding in the their combine harvester.

Writing that sentence, I realize how lucky I am to be doing what I’m doing (whatever that is).

RVC: What’s the most challenging part about drawing a barn well?

EC: No challenge. A barn is a barn, and I like to draw them (which reminds me: Edward Hopper painted barns so well). Now, having said that, and knowing this makes me sound a little cocky, here’s a list of things I can’t draw: donkeys, giraffes, horses, dinosaurs, dragons, faces, cactuses, politicians, canyons, hands, violins, lips. The list goes on!

RVC: Here’s one final set of questions for this part of the interview. Looking back at Big Cat, Little Cat—one of my Elisha Cooper favs that could’ve been included at the list in the intro but I wanted to save it for the Big Finish here!—what are you most proud of about it now? How has your relationship with it changed over the years? 

EC: Thank you! I’m so glad you like the book. Though, I’m not sure if I view my books in that way, with pride (in other words, it’s just a book). That could be my hang-​up with the word “pride,” as I do feel a sense of contentment with this book. I like the simple ink line in Big Cat. I had never used ink before, so that was a cool learning experience. I suppose the Caldecott Honor changed my relationship with the book, but I have tried not to let it. I try to remember the book I made.

RVC: Okay, it’s time to shift gears to part two of the interview—the no-​holds-​barred LIGHTNING ROUND! Zippy questions and zappy answers, please. Ready?

EC: Scared!

RVC: Most underrated Pittsburgh Steeler of all time?

EC: Louis Lipps.

RVC: Most surprising thing on your playlist right now?

EC: What’s a playlist? Don’t have one. Though I do have an old wood-​cased CD player next to my desk.

For River, I penciled the book to Hamilton, and painted it to Turandot, La Boheme, and Madame Butterfly.

RVC: Which animal didn’t quite make the cut (but you wished had!) for 8: An Animal Alphabet?

EC: Ooof. I think I packed every animal I could into that book.

RVC: Which do you fret over more—words or images?

EC: Don’t fret.

RVC: Best compliment a child ever gave on your picture books?

EC: Oh, goodness. I’d have to answer with the image, in my mind’s eye, of a kid after a school assembly clutching my book in her arms and looking up at me. That look floors me every time.

RVC: Three words that sum up your philosophy of picture books?

EC: Location, location, location. Um, no. Isn’t that for real estate? But, you know what, since where I actually am–whether it be in a café or alongside a river–is so essential to my work, I’ll stick with that answer.

 RVC: Thanks so much, Elisha!

EC: And thank you! This was fun.

 

Illustrator Interview: Duncan Beedie

On By Only Picture BooksIn Illustrator Interviews2 Comments

This month’s interview is with author/​illustrator Duncan Beedie, the first UK-​based interview subject we’ve ever had at OPB! Don’t worry, though—I’ve installed a UK-​to-​American-​English translator plugin, so we don’t run into any linguistic snafus!

Let’s borrow some bio stuff from Duncan himself: “I have been doodling and drawing since way back in the early 1980s, lying on my parents’ living room floor, grasping a felt tip in my clammy little fist, through to my current profession, grasping a Wacom stylus in my clammy little fist. So, not much has changed, although I no longer lie on the floor to draw.”

I first learned about Duncan via his picture book, The Lumberjack’s Beard, which I read to my kids and they said, “That beard is bonkers good.” With an endorsement like that, I knew I had to bring Duncan into the OPB fold one way or another.

So, let’s get this interview underway and learn about all things Duncan! With a little luck, we might learn something about that wondrous across-​the-​pond place called the UK, as well.

RVC: Let’s start right where my kids did—that lumberjack’s beard. With a picture book where you’re both author and illustrator, where does the story begin? With a title, an image, a phrase? (It’s the beard, right? You can tell us.) 

DB: I always start with a character design. I consider myself more of an illustrator than a writer, so doodling in a sketchbook always comes first. Then, if there’s a character I particularly like, I start to develop a world for him/​her. I think about that character’s routine, what they might wear or eat, and hopefully a story idea emerges. That was certainly the case with “Big” Jim Hickory in The Lumberjack’s Beard.

RVC: One of the things I’ve noticed in looking at picture books by UK publishers (like Templar Books, which published many of your titles) is that there’s a stylistic difference from picture books from US publishers. What do you think? Do you see it, too? What’s this about?

DB: I’m afraid to say I haven’t looked closely enough at enough US picture books to be able to comment on the stylistic differences (my apologies!) I do, however, notice differences between UK books and their European counterparts. Particularly in terms of the illustration. I also think artists and writers vary incredibly within the UK. I haven’t a clue what accounts for this stylistic difference, but it’s great to see so much variety on bookshop shelves.

RVC: I completely agree. Variety is the life of spice, right? Something like that?

Moving ahead! I always like to know the origin story of a creative. You gave us a wonderful bio nugget in the intro, so let’s jump to another key point in your creative past—your first book. What’s the story behind it? How did it come about?

DB: The Bear Who Stared came about from an illustration as well. One day I drew a gormless-​looking bear [UK translator in action here! Gormless: an informal British word, meaning “lacking in vitality or intelligence; stupid; clumsy”] as if he were posing for a passport photo. I had a printout of it in my studio and would occasionally stare at it–the gormless bear stared back.

Eventually a story about a socially awkward bear formed in my mind. I sketched out a storyboard and sent it to a couple of publishers, and Templar Books replied stating they were interested in developing it. The rest is history, as they say.

RVC: I love the answer, but I confess–that bear’s staring is getting to me now, too! ARGH! Let’s move on as if that bear isn’t still giving me The Look…

Prior to getting into illustrating picture books, you worked in animation for 14 years. How did the skills you learned in that environment inform your work as a picture book illustrator?

DB: Quite simply, animation is a great form of storytelling. In terms of my artwork, it taught me a great deal about the storytelling process. Storyboarding in particularly made me think about pacing a narrative and how to construct a visual composition in terms of using the space available. I still use animation software (Adobe Animate CC) to draw the colour artwork for my picture books. I know there are plenty of other programs out there, but I find it so intuitive and easy to use. 

RVC: In all your experience with picture books, what has surprised you the most?

DB: This might sound weird, but I’m constantly amazed by how bloody nice everyone is in the world of children’s books. Maybe I’ve just been lucky, but there’s a real community spirit among authors, illustrators, and even competing publishers. I say “competing,” but there seems to be a genuine camaraderie across the board. I came into the industry from having worked in TV and commercials, so it was a bit like moving from LexCorp to a puppy sanctuary.

RVC: I understand that you “have a desk” at Paintworks, which seems like an artsy, hipster place with studio/​offices, residential spaces, and an exhibition venue. How much work do you do there? And how does it affect your creative process, having a clear view of the city, as you do?

DB: Well, I see you have done your research!

I rent a desk in an animation studio called Sun & Moon Studios. I’ve known the directors for a long time and they are good friends of mine. We have recently moved to a much bigger studio that is even “hipper,” with a foosball table and “industrial-​chic vibe.” However, I have lost my window view of the city, so have to make do with a photo of it as my desktop wallpaper.

I tried working from home, but it was such a solitary experience that it genuinely impacted my mental health. It’s nice to be able to socialize with fellow creative types.

RVC: What do you think is the most common misconception about freelance illustrating?

DB: That we sit around in cafés with MacBooks, eating artisan poppy seed bagels, whilst wearing gaudy knitwear and big hooped earrings, and stroking cats. Although, like most clichés, there must be enough truth in this scenario to warrant the cliché status.

RVC: Though your description there is a 100% match with every single artist I know, I take your point. It could just be me and my select group here. Who can say?

Let’s talk agents. You’re repped by Jodie Hodges at United Agents. At what point in your career did you secure representation, and how vital is it for young artists to do the same?

DB: I was initially repped by Illustration Ltd (from 2011) and it was great to have a team with their expertise fighting in my corner, as it were. If I do conform to an artist stereotype, it is that I have about the same level of business acumen as a goldfish. A lot of clients (outside of publishing) seem to think of illustration as a hobby and therefore don’t value it for what it’s worth. An agent will fight to get you a fair price and have the gumption to stand up to the cheapskates.

RVC: If I asked Jodie to describe your work, what would she say?

DB: What I love about Jodie is that she has this brilliant ability to communicate what she looks for in authors and illustrators in such a clear yet personable manner–that’s a hugely important asset for an agent to have. As such, I couldn’t begin to put words into her mouth–I’d just ruin it.

RVC: Sometimes I hear people say that you can’t teach people to write. Do you think people can be taught to draw? (Note that this comes from a person who, despite working at Ringling College of Art and Design for a decade, can only draw three things—a bunny, Papa Smurf, and a vaguely three-​dimensional box. Then again, I’m not on the art side of things. Maybe that has something to do with it …)

DB: I’m self taught when it comes to illustration, and I’m always learning. Some people have more of a natural talent that comes through without tuition, while others hone their skills at art college. There’s no right or wrong way, but you should never stop learning new things.

Don’t discount your Papa Smurf drawing skills. They may save your life one day.

RVC: Well, if drawing smurfs can save a life, then thank goodness I’m so good at it, right? I mean, just consider the two images below.

You can barely tell which is drawn by a fancy professional artist and which is done by yours truly, right? I KNOW! It’s amazing what I’ve been able to do without a single art class ever! Can you believe it?

In any case, let’s have one last “serious” question before we move on. And let’s be clear—this might be the most important question anyone has ever been asked in an interview EVER. What in the blazes are “sherbet dib-​dabs”? My much-​ballyhooed WordPress UK-​to-​American-​English translator plugin is stumped at that phrase, which appears in your website bio.

Color/​colour me intrigued!

DB: So, a “Sherbet Dib Dab” is a piece of candy from the UK in the 1980s, which constitutes a pouch of sherbet powder into which one dips a lolly (boiled sweet on a stick). You then lick said sherbet from the lolly and repeat this process until the sherbet is all gone and the lolly has been licked into non-existence.

At school, we used to pour the entire sherbet contents into our mouths so that they frothed up with foam. We then thrashed about on the ground to emulate a rabid fit. There was a genuine rabies scare in the early 80s so this behavior was frowned upon by teachers and parents alike.

RVC: Oh my goodness, I’m SO glad I asked. From your delicious description, the candy sounds a bit like Fun Dip. But without the rabies fakeroo, I think, which I bet made it an extra tasty experience for all involved!

Now … no matter which side of the pond you’re on, this is what you’ve been waiting for. THE LIGHTNING ROUND! Zappy fast Qs and zippy-​skippy As, please. Are YOU READY!?!

DB: Hit me up with those gigawatts! I’m revving the DeLorean in anticipation.

RVC: Best place for fish and chips in Bristol?

DB: Easy! Prince’s in Fishponds. Next…

RVC: Coolest ships–Battlestar Galactica or Buck Rogers?

DB: Presuming you mean the original BG, then that one. Cylon Raiders trounce anything else in the galaxy.

RVC: What secret talent do you have that no one would suspect?

DB: It’s nerdy, but as my dad is a retired air force officer, I was obsessed with planes as a kid. I can identify pretty much any military aircraft at a glance.

RVC: What’s going to keep you up tonight after this interview?

DB: Oooooh, that’s a toughie. I may have to come back to that.

RVC: Best illustrated picture book you’ve recently encountered (by any artist not named Duncan)?

DB: I love Mary Who Wrote Frankenstein written by Linda Bailey and illustrated by Júlia Sardà. It’s a delicious slice of Gothic brilliance.

RVC: Best compliment a kid’s given your art?

DB: It’s not specifically about my art, but I remember after a book reading at a school, one kid ran up to me, hugged me round the legs, then told me he loved me and wanted me to come home with him to be his daddy. You can’t really top that. In fact, that’s probably going to be the thing that keeps me up tonight.

RVC: Thanks so much, Duncan. It was a hoot getting to know you and your work better. (For Duncan and his UK pals, I’ll offer a possible UK equivalent for the American expression “a hoot.” I’d go with “gobsmackingly bloody scrummy,” “tickety-​boo,” or perhaps just the simple but tried-​and-​true “sick.”)