Category: Author Interviews

Author/​Illustrator Interview: Tadgh Bentley

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This month’s interview is with Author/​Illustrator Tadgh Bentley, a British illustrator and writer who now lives in Ohio with his wife, son, and dog. He’s a fan of penguins (witness his Little Penguin series), so we know he’s a truly terrific person. He’s also keen on creating books about critters of all types, as evident from such picture book titles as Samson, the Piranha Who Went to Dinner and his Dino Detective and Awesome Possum chapter books.

Tadgh is also a self-​trained illustrator, which impresses me to no end.

Let’s get right to the interview to find out more about Tadgh, his books, and his process for creating them!

Tadgh’s website

RVC: Let’s start with the most important thing. How do you pronounce your name?

TB: It’s pronounced “Teague” like “league” but with a T. It’s a Gaelic name.

RVC: Aha, okay. And you have an accent, too, I can’t help but notice.

TB: So, I’m British. I’ve been here [in the US] for 11 years. My wife is from a little town called Logan in southeastern Ohio. We met and then moved here 11 years ago, and I’ve been desperately trying to hold on to my accent ever since. Not that I’ve got anything against the American accent, but there are some British people here whose accent is not quite British and not quite American, which just sounds very strange to me.

RVC: You didn’t go to school to train to be a writer or artist. What was the original plan?

TB: The original plan was to keep on trying to think of a plan, really. In my teenage years to my early 20s, I didn’t really know what I wanted to do. I ended up doing sociology at the University of Bristol, and then I decided to teach.

RVC: What level were you teaching?

TB: I was trained in elementary education, but my last stint was teaching fifth and sixth-​grade English Language Arts. I taught the TAG (Talented and Gifted) class, which allowed me to have the same set of students for two years. This long-​term engagement let me get to know my students well and was one of the most rewarding aspects of my job.

RVC: How did you go from teaching into creating picture books?

TB: I’ve always journaled fairly regularly and I read a lot when I was younger. But I didn’t have a creative outlet for that interest. Then shortly before moving to the US, I was in a bookstore looking for a book to read. And I just kind of noticed Oliver Jeffers’ Lost and Found. I picked it up and was captured by it straightaway. I hadn’t considered picture books until that point, but I’d always been a doodler.

RVC: Let’s talk about your art ability. You’re self-​taught, right? So, when did you know you could create art at a high enough level to do this?

TB: I have this fairly relentless inner voice that’s constantly saying, “You’re not there yet.” That can be useful when I’m aware of it. I always emphasize to young people that my formal education in writing ended in high school and everything I’ve learned has come from the Internet. But it’s also about the process over results, learning from dead ends. So, I find comfort in hearing that even successful people like Peter Brown have their doubts.

RVC: Do you have a story of a failed picture book that led to something good?

TB: Currently, I’m working on an idea about a bear that invents a roller coaster. Putting that aside has led me to revisit another project that I now see in a new light. It can be crushing to not have a product at the end, but you have to keep creating.

RVC: What are your feelings about digital art?

TB: My entry into illustration came through photography and later Photoshop. While I find digital art valuable, especially for book production, it feels a bit like a “fraud” since there isn’t a physical, unique artifact at the end. This led me to explore oil painting, which has been deeply satisfying.

Working with physical paints has taught me far more about color than years of digital work. For digital artists, I recommend experimenting with a simple palette of physical paints to better understand color mixing.

RVC: Great advice. And speaking of advice, do you have an agent?

TB: I do. It’s John Rudolph at Dystel, Goderich & Bourret.

RVC: He sold your first book?

TB: Yes, my first book was Little Penguin Gets the Hiccups. I wrote it during an eight-​month period when I couldn’t work after moving to the States.

RVC: What’s the story behind that first book?

TB: I was having dinner with my wife, Emily, when she got the hiccups. The idea of a mouse getting hiccups popped into my head, which eventually turned into a penguin. I created a complete dummy and John Rudolph picked it up. He liked everything but the art initially. He said my willingness to listen to feedback and make changes was crucial in his decision to take me on as a client.

RVC: What’s it like working with a recurring character?

TB: My experience with the Little Penguin series was more about navigating the structure rather than handling recurring characters. We had this formula—introduce a problem that Little Penguin has caused, then show him trying to solve it. At first, I thought it’d be helpful, but it ended up making things more complex. I liked adding new characters like Kenneth the bird or a polar bear. I’ve always enjoyed stories where there are little details to discover upon multiple readings.

RVC: Me, too.

TB: It also allowed me to enrich the story world, which I naturally tend to visualize as a broader, “real” universe. This sometimes leads me into overthinking, but it’s a part of my creative process.

RVC: I note that the majority of your characters are animals, not humans. Is this a conscious choice?

TB: It wasn’t intentional. Early on, I was somewhat uncomfortable drawing humans. I’ve been writing stories that involve humans, but those never really materialized. Currently, I have several projects underway featuring non-​human characters—like a bear on a roller coaster, a hedgehog in a bouncy castle, and a bird that can control the sun.

RVC: Which of the characters from your published picture books do you most identify with?

TB: Frank from One Chicken Nugget comes to mind. I’m an introverted person, but much like Frank, my brain is always active and running around. He’s a bit out of control, but I feel a kinship with him.

RVC: How does it feel to work as both an author and illustrator?

TB: For Dragons Eat Noodles, I was just the illustrator. The experience made me realize how traditionally separate the roles of author and illustrator are in the publishing industry. I found this surprising because, for me, the words and pictures are deeply interconnected and inform each other.

RVC: I think it’s important for people to understand that perfection isn’t achieved on the first try. To that end, I sometimes ask if interview subjects are open to sharing drafts. Are you?

TB: Absolutely. I have a wealth of early material for my first book and One Chicken Nugget as well. I believe the hard work involved in revisions is what makes the creative process authentic.

RVC: How does your family influence your work?

TB: My four-​year-​old son Fionn, who’s obsessed with rockets, has been a big influence. He’s inspiring me to write stories about space. Fionn’s way of engaging with the world really inspires me. In One Chicken Nugget, I snuck in a rocket on every page for him.

Aside from that, my family has always supported my love for reading, though I’m the outlier when it comes to artistic pursuits.

RVC: Do you keep tabs on markets other than the U.S., like the UK?

TB: Currently, all my book deals are for North America. As a Brit, I would love to have a book published in the UK. Now that I’m focusing solely on writing and illustrating, I’m planning to broaden my horizons.

RVC: What do you wish you knew when starting in children’s literature?

TB: One of the most important lessons I’ve learned is to focus on the process rather than the end product. While it’s true that I sometimes struggle with finishing projects, the shift in focus toward the creative process has been beneficial for my overall growth and enjoyment in my career.

RVC: One last question for this part of the interview. What’s a picture book that has really inspired you?

TB: The Rabbit Listened by Cori Doerrfeld. An unbelievably gently, important story.

RVC: Great choice, Tadgh. But now it’s time for the LIGHTNING ROUND. Fast questions + fast answers, please. Are you ready!

TB: Absolutely.

RVC: What’s something surprising that’s on your music playlist?

TB: I’ve got a fairly eclectic range, but there’s a really good band called Lankun–it’s Irish folk.

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

TB: Time. Patience. Pencil. Paper. Imagination.

RVC: Who sets the standard for picture book art for what illustration?

TB: Jon Klassen’s style really stands out. The colors, textures, and simplicity of it all. My favorite picture book is We Found a Hat. I just think it’s beautiful.

RVC: What’s the last picture book that actually have you laughing out loud?

TB: It’s The Legend of Rock Paper Scissors by Drew Daywalt. I was reading that with my kid, and it’s hilarious. It talks about characters getting their “battle pants” on and such. Fionn was laughing in the most adorable way.

RVC: Who’s a picture book author you’d LOVE to illustrate for?

TB: If there are any astronauts out there writing picture books…let me know!

RVC: Sum up your picture book philosophy in three words or less.

TB: Humor, meaning, and simplicity. That’s what I aim for.

RVC: Thanks so much, Tadgh!

Author Interview: Henry Herz

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This month’s Author Spotlight shines on Henry Herz. Known for his whimsical and educational tales, Henry has authored over a dozen books for kids and many short stories for adult audiences. Considering he got a late start in writing thanks to his background in engineering and political science—yeah, we’ll talk about that!—he’s been impressively prolific.

In addition to writing his own stories, Henry’s also edited anthologies for both kids and adults, such as The Hitherto Secret Experiments of Marie Curie (YA horror) and Beyond the Pale: A Fantasy Anthology (adult fantasy, urban fantasy, and paranormal stories). Considering Jim Butcher was in that collection, I’ll have to ask about that book, even though it’s most certainly not picture book-​ish in any way. It does have kidlit queen Jane Yolen aboard, though, so that changes things some.

Alright, I can’t wait any longer. Let’s get right to the interview to hear from Henry!

RVC: Let’s talk about the STEAM elephant in the room. You’ve got a BS in Engineering from Cornell, an MS in Engineering from George Washington University, and an MA in Political science from Georgetown. What was the plan with all of that?

HH: Ha. My degrees actually do reflect a plan. My career began as a defense analyst, so engineering degrees in operations research (applied math) combined quite naturally with a degree in national security studies from Georgetown. The thing absent in the plan was any thought of writing fiction, though I loved reading it since elementary school, from Where the Wild Things Are up through The Lord of the Rings.

RVC: Okay, that’s a fine plan. But you eventually found your way to writing, so what sparked your interest in writing children’s books, and how did you make the transition into this career?

HH: About fifteen years ago, I wanted to share my love of fantasy with my young sons. They were too little for watching most of the fantasy movies. Struck by inspiration one day, I came up with a way to share the joy of entering the magical realms of fantasy. I would write a fantasy chapter book for them. That decision had two unintended consequences.

First, I did not anticipate was that my boys would give me feedback on the story.  They devised some of the character and creature names, and made plot line suggestions.  And who better to help make the story appealing to kids than other kids?  So, the goal of interesting my sons in fantasy transformed into also encouraging them to write.

Second, I discovered that I loved writing for kids. We ended up self-​publishing that book. I was hooked. I became a SCBWI member, joined a critique group, and kept honing my craft until I sold my first picture book, Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes, to a traditional publisher, Pelican.

RVC: It seems like you get a particular kick out of mashing things up, or combining unusual things, like Little Red Cuttlefish (fairy tale + underwater story).

HH: Yes, if mixing chocolate and peanut butter produces a popular candy, why not combine two unlikely topics or literary elements to write an engaging book or story.

RVC: Good point!

HH: Now that you mention it, I think that half my picture books are mashups:

Monster Goose Nursery Rhymes = monsters + nursery rhymes
When You Give An Imp a Penny = monster + the circular structure of If You Give a Mouse a Cookie
Little Red Cuttlefish = underwater version of Little Red Riding Hood
Cap’n Rex & His Clever Crew = dinosaurs + pirates
How the Squid Got Two Long Arms = underwater version of a Rudyard Kipling Just So Story
2 Pirates + 1 Robot = pirates + robots

Some of my short stories are also mashups, including:

“Cheating Death” = teenage Marie Curie + Pet Sematary
“Bards of a Feather” = Pied Piper + The Witcher
“The Cost of Gold” = HBO’s Deadwood + Native American ghosts
“Libbie and Dewey’s Excellent Adventure” = teenage Marie Curie + time travel
“The Repairwoman” = Aladdin’s Magic Lamp + sci-​fi noir
“Norsemen Cruise Line” = Dracula + cosmic horror

Mashups are fun!

RVC: Mashups absolutely are fun! Now, let’s jump to one of my favorite books of yours. Talk about the origin of I Am Smoke, a story where the smoke itself serves as a narrator through time.

HH: I find the employment of fictional elements to convey facts a great way to engage with young readers and teach them without them realizing it. Fiction can be the melted cheese we pour on top of the broccoli of nonfiction.

RVC: Yum!

HH: Now, there are some picture books with anthropomorphic characters, but I’d never seen smoke treated as a character. And who better to explain the various ways in which people have employed smoke than smoke itself? But I needed an overarching structure. I considered the chemistry of smoke. It turns out that wood smoke is primarily carbon dioxide, ash, and water vapor. Water vapor got me thinking about the water cycle—water evaporates from rivers, lakes, and oceans to form clouds. Eventually, the water precipitates as rain or snow. Rinse and repeat.

Then I considered the carbon dioxide given off by wood smoke. Two oxygen atoms and one carbon atom.

Carbon.…

Inspiration struck like lightning splitting a tree. Plants are the lungs of the Earth. They breathe in carbon dioxide through their stomata. They drink up water through their roots. Sunlight provides energy to split those molecules. The plant forms cellulose from carbon, oxygen, and hydrogen, sequestering more and more carbon as they grow. Conversely, burning tree branches releases the stored carbon. Eureka! Smoke has a “cycle” too.

RVC: Did people get it right away?

HH: 27 publishers declined the manuscript until Tilbury House bought it.

RVC: Wow.

HH: This is a lesson to all aspiring authors: be persistent. And I feel vindicated, because I Am Smoke earned the following acclaim: Kirkus starred review, ALA Notable Children’s Book 2022, School Library Journal’s 100 Scope Notes – The Most Astonishingly Unconventional Books of 2021, Kirkus 150 Most Anticipated Fall Books, National Council for the Social Studies 2022 Notable Social Studies Trade Books for Young People, Children’s Book Council’s Sept. 2021 list of anticipated bestsellers, San Diego Union-Tribune’s Fall arts preview 2021: Top book picks this season, School Library Journal’s Predictions! NYT Best Illustrated Children’s Books 2021, Evanston Public Library’s 101 Great Books for Kids List of 2021, School Library Journal’s Fuse 8 Production – 2021 Science and Nature Books, New York Public Library’s Best Books for Kids 2021, School Library Journal’s Fuse 8 Production – Best 2021 Nonfiction Picture Books, Evanston Public Library’s Blueberry Award Honor, Winner of the Book Launch Award from the Society of Children’s Book Writers & Illustrators, Towner Book Award nominee from The Washington Library Association, SCBWI Crystal Kite Award finalist, UNLV’s Children’s and Young Adult Literature: Notable Children’s Books 2022, Bank Street College of Education Best Children’s Books of the Year, SCBWI Crystal Kite Award finalist, UNLV’s Children’s and Young Adult Literature: Notable Children’s Books 2022

RVC: That’s a fantastic list–congrats!

HH: Thanks!

RVC: Beyond the lesson about persistence, what was the most important lesson that book taught you?

HH: Where there’s fire, there’s smoke. Both are dangerous. But both can be beneficial, too. The helpful uses of fire are more obvious, like providing light and heat, cooking food, making ceramics, and keeping predator animals away. Controlled fires clean forest floors, nourish the soil, promote the growth of established trees, and reduce the frequency of huge fires.

Smoke, on the other hand, was trickier. Smoke from a building fire can be deadly. Smoking cigarettes is bad for you. What surprised me most in researching the story was the many applications of smoke to help people through the millennia and across the globe. Smoke has been used to coax seeds to sprout, to drive out pests from homes, to send signals over long distances, to cover foul smells, to calm bees when harvesting honey, to flavor and preserve food, as part of religious ceremonies, and even to heal.

RVC: How do you approach the balance of education and entertainment in your books like How the Squid Got Two Long Arms?

HH: If I’m writing fiction, then I always start with entertainment in mind. I develop the story arc and develop the characters. I like to emphasis any educational elements in the back matter, so as not to distract the reader from the story. For example, the author’s note at the back of How the Squid Got Two Long Arms provides some nonfiction information about squid. STEM back matter increases the appeal of the book to parents and educators.

RVC: Please talk about the anthologies you’ve edited and how that work differs from writing your own books.

HH: I love curating and editing anthologies. It’s great fun to be part of a team that includes highly skilled authors. I learn a ton. What’s funny is that I only realized after doing five of them how similar that is to project management. Because editing an anthology involves managing creative people (see also herding cats), tracking schedule, tracking budget, diplomatically offering constructive feedback to authors who in many cases are far more acclaimed writers than I am. I’ve edited or co-​edited six anthologies so far, with two more sekret projects in the works:

  • Beyond the Pale adult dark fantasy anthology (Birch Tree Publishing) – stories by Saladin Ahmed, Peter S. Beagle, Heather Brewer, Jim Butcher, Rachel Caine, Kami Garcia, Nancy Holder, Gillian Philip, Jane Yolen.
  • Coming of Age: 13 B’nai Mitzvah Stories middle grade anthology (Albert Whitman & Co.) – stories by Sarah Aronson, Nora Raleigh Baskin, Barbara Bottner, Stacia Deutsch, Debbie Reed Fischer, Debra Garfinkle, Henry Herz, Alan Katz, Nancy Krulik, Stacie Ramey, Jonathan Rosen, Melissa Roske, Laura Shovan, Jane Yolen.
  • The Hitherto Secret Experiments of Marie Curie young adult horror anthology (Blackstone Publishing) – stories by Mylo Carbia, Stacia Deutsch, Sarah Beth Durst, Henry Herz, Alethea Kontis, Susanne Lambdin, Dee Leone, Jonathan Maberry, Emily McCosh, Seanan McGuire, Steve Pantazis, Lissa Price, Bryan Thomas Schmidt, Scott Sigler, Christine Taylor-​Butler, Jo Whittemore, Jane Yolen.
  • Wink young adult contemporary fantasy/​sci-​fi anthology (Brigid’s Gate Press) – can’t announce the full lineup, but it includes eight NY Times bestselling authors.
  • Combat Monsters adult World War II fantasy anthology (Blackstone Publishing) – can’t announce the full lineup, but it includes seven NY Times bestselling authors.
  • A Great Miracle Happened There contemporary middle grade anthology (on submission) – can’t announce the full lineup, but it includes seven NY Times bestselling authors.

RVC: Here are the much-​anticipated Jim Butcher questions. How big of fan are you of the Dresden Files?

HH: A very big fan. I love how he writes his fae, and the clever tactics he devises for Harry.

RVC: What was it like working with Jim? 

HH: Beyond the Pale was a reprint anthology, so I didn’t work with him on his story for that. It’s an action-​packed tale of his criminal mastermind, John Marcone. I did get to meet Jim when he was on a San Diego Comic-​Con author panel I moderated.

RVC: Did you ask him what the @!$@# happened with the 2007–2008 TV series? 

HH: Ha, no. That is a sensitive subject for him. One of the best things about that series was that an actor with an English accent played a character with an American accent, and an actor with an American accent played a character with a British accent.

RVC: Please share some insights into your writing process. How do you develop your ideas, and what tools or rituals aid your creativity?

HH: I’m definitely a plotter (not a pantser). I don’t really have any tools or rituals beyond coffee. Creative ideas pop into my head when my muse sees fit. I have learned to shift projects if I feel stalled on a particular story, returning later with a fresh perspective. On other occasions, I submit to an open call for stories where the theme tickles my fancy. In that vein, I’m desperately hoping my submission gets accepted into a Winnie the Pooh – Cthulhu Mythos mashup anthology.

RVC: Who doesn’t have that literary hope? Now, Henry–we’ve got time for one final question for the regular part of this interview. It’s brag time! What’s coming up that you’re really excited about?

HH: The first “sequel” to I Am Smoke comes out next year, I Am Gravity. A third and fourth picture book for that series are ready to follow. My anthologies Wink and Combat Monsters are scheduled to come out next year. A publisher has expressed interest in my anthology, A Great Miracle Happened There. I have stories schedule to appear in a US Space Force-​themed anthology from Baen Books, a Conan-​themed anthology from Titan Books, a Dracula-​themed anthology from Dracula Beyond Stoker, and an essay about occult detective fiction will appear in the 100-​year anniversary issue of Weird Tales Magazine. Visit www.henryherz.com for all your Henry news needs.

RVC: Congrats on all that great news, but let’s shift gears to…The Lightning Round. Zip-​zap-​quick questions and zoomy-​swift answers, please!!! Are you ready, Henry? 

HH: Yes!

RVC: If you could only have one app on your phone, it’d be…

HH: If you mean in addition to the actual phone app, Gmail.

RVC: You get one freebie for 2024—personal chef, personal maid, or personal masseuse?

HH: Damn. A Sophie’s Choice. Personal chef, so I’d always eat healthily.

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

HH: Desktop computer, Internet access, web browser, email, social media.

RVC: The last picture book that made you LOL?

HH: Wombat Said Come In by Carmen Agra Deedy.

RVC: Best compliment a kid reader ever gave you?

HH: When they drew their own version of one of my book covers.

RVC: Thanks so much, Henry!

HH: Thanks for hosting me.

Author/​Illustrator Interview: Kaz Windness

On By Only Picture BooksIn Author Interviews, Illustrator Interviews

This month’s Author/​Illustrator Interview is with Kaz Windness, who—like me!—is a member of the PB23’s picture book group.

I’ve been watching the Herculean efforts she’s put into that group to support the work of other creatives, and that alone is worthy of kudos, praise, and deep-​dish pizza. But wait…there’s more! She’s also an author/​illustrator who’s created several picture books as well as Ready-​to-​Read books like Worm and Caterpillar Are Friends and Cat vs. Vac. Did I mention she created a book called Mother Goth Rhymes? And If UR Stabby?

Perhaps more important, Kaz is a dog person. Specifically “squishy-​faced dogs.” And waffles. And all things Halloween. And thrifting.

And she has a black belt in TaeKwon-Do.

Are you ready to learn even more about Kaz? I sure am!

RVC: Let’s start with a really important topic that’s absolutely not the “correct” biographically chronological way to start an interview. How have you used your platform as an author and illustrator to advocate for neurodivergent individuals?

KW: Anytime anyone can be vulnerable and talk openly about their differences, it’s helps others gain confidence to be vulnerable, too. Neurodivergence is many things, not just autism, and I’ve found that talking about being autistic has helped others get their own autism or ADHD diagnosis, or feel confident in talking about their depression or anxiety. Maybe it’s the autism, but I don’t think any topic should be off-​limits or closeted. I would much rather you told me about your trauma than about the weather or what you had for lunch—unless you had waffles, then tell me all about it! Point being, things that are hidden get twisted.

When we talk, we learn, we heal, and we understand ourselves and our world better. We also make connections, and the ND community is amazing!

RVC: Could you explain how your experience as an autistic individual informs your storytelling? How do you think this perspective contributes to the field of children’s literature?

KW: For one, children’s books are my special interest and always have been. Being passionate about children’s literature informs my understanding of good storytelling, what is happening in the children’s book market, and it inspires my art. Every book I create is plumbing my own psyche in some way, and that includes analyzing how being autistic in a world not designed for me has been difficult, but also how my specialness is something I cherish. I absolutely love hyper-​fixating on a story idea or solving the best turn of phrase or figuring out the just-​right color palette. Those are things that delight me as an autistic person, and that works out nicely for the line of work I’m in.

RVC: Your book Bitsy Bat, School Star (note the OPB piece on it right here! ) uses a bat to symbolize being autistic. How did you come up with this metaphor, and why do you think it’s an effective way to explain neurodivergence to children?

KW: Bats are a big special interest of mine and one of my favorite animals to draw. I created a couple cute and spooky bat picture book concepts, but my publisher wasn’t interested in Halloween books from me.

One day I struck up a conversation with one of my college illustration students–someone who is autistic like me–about growing up neurodivergent. I compared it to being like a bat in a school for mice. Everything can feel upside down, and when I tried to act like everyone else, it made me feel more confused, upset, and more prone to meltdown or shutdown. I began to realize bats were the perfect symbol for being autistic. “Bitsy Bat, School Star” gives voice to a character who is female-​presenting and coded as a high-​masking autistic. This specific perspective isn’t well-​covered, but it’s applicable to many autistic children and relatable to any kid who has ever felt like they are different or misunderstood.

RVC: Thanks for the backstory with that! How important do you believe representation of neurodivergence is in children’s literature, and why?

KW: There are a lot of children’s books on the topic of autism. The number of books isn’t the problem. It’s who has been telling those stories and whose voices aren’t being heard that is what we need to work on. There is so much deeply harmful ableism in the world, so it’s important to let those who are of those group tell their own stories. We are infantized, talked over, and treated like we have a disease that needs a cure. (See also: eugenics.) I also want to take a moment acknowledge that black, brown, non-​speaking and high support needs autistics need more room in this conversation, too.

RVC: Let’s go backwards now. Can you tell us a bit about your journey to becoming a children’s picture book author and illustrator? What inspired you to follow this path?

KW: We were a bookish household without a TV, and my mom read to us constantly. The moment I laid my eyes on Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak, I decided I was going to become a children’s book author and illustrator.

I went to art school for children’s book illustration and I teach at my alma mater. I also attended children’s book writing and illustrating conferences, entered portfolio showcase contests, and was discovered by my agent in NYC after 15 years of trying to figure out how to break in. I’m ready ready now.

RVC: Awesome! Now, what’s the story behind your first published picture book?

KW: Swim, Jim! is my debut authored and illustrated picture book. It came out last year and just won the Colorado Book Award for children’s literature. The idea came from seeing an article in the Miami Herald featuring a crocodile crossing a canal on a pool noodle. I drew a picture of him, and my agent said “write it!” so I did. It was rejected 65 times before going into auction and publishing with Simon & Schuster.

RVC: Wow, that’s persistent. What’s the most valuable lesson that experience taught you?

KW: One of the great things about it taking so long to get publishing momentum is I know who I am, what I want to say, and I have the confidence and experience to produce good quality work in a short amount of time.

RVC: How has your teaching experience at the Rocky Mountain College of Art + Design (your alma mater!) influenced your writing and illustration work?

KW: I’m for sure a better artist. Figuring out how to revise and improve what isn’t working in student work has applied directly to me improving my own work. I also just love teaching. The students inspire me constantly and are amazing people. I get to do my special interest all day.

RVC: Can you give us an insight into how you balance the text and illustrations in your picture books? How do they complement each other to tell the story?

KW: What they don’t tell you before you break in is that a lot of the direction the story takes, including how much text, how many pages, and general style direction, is a collaboration. As an illustrator-​only, I generally prefer sparse text so the illustrations can do the heavy lifting for the storytelling. For a story like Bitsy’s, more text was needed, and I’m working with an editor that wants to make sure there is a lot of clarity for the reader in the text. It’s still my ideas and my voice, but I will be coached to clarify, explain, and add story beats. I still want the art to elevate the story and go beyond what the text is doing. Show, don’t tell. I’m always looking to distill the most important idea of the text into an illustration that makes you feel something.

RVC: Could you talk about how that happened with If UR Stabby, which isn’t exactly a picture book, but it’s funny. And stabby!

KW: “Allegedly” happened. I take the 5th. It’s not a children’s book, let’s be clear.

RVC: Fair enough!

KW: My publisher for Mother Goth Rhymes, Hermes Press, asked me for another book and said I could do whatever I wanted, so I did. Stabby is a lovable, cantankerous unicorn who deals with life the only way he knows how–horn first. It’s a humorous collection of comics, art parody, and tarot cards (you just have to see the book to understand), and it’s dark. It was cathartic for me to be creating Stabby during the pandemic, and it came out while we were still in the thick of it, so cathartic for others, too.

RVC: You’ve worked on various formats from picture books to graphic novels and early readers. How does your process differ for each one?

KW: Storytelling is storytelling. Almost always, I get the book idea from a sketch and I ask myself what story that character wants to tell, and then I go about writing it. I also don’t think panels are all that much different than any other kind of illustration composition, you just need to know how to use speech bubbles, and for early readers, get the story down into minimal words. Again, it’s another puzzle to solve, and I love solving word puzzles.

RVC: Your books are known for their character-​driven narratives. What process do you follow to create such vivid and relatable characters?

KW: Can I offer a shameless plug instead of an answer?

RVC: Sure!

KW: I teach a class on this at CuddlefishAcademy.com. It’s called Hook! Plot! Pitch! and talks about premise hooks, plotting, and selling your books.

RVC: In your opinion, what elements are essential to create a great picture book?

KW: Honesty, heart. Books should be told with sincerity and by people who either care about children or are willing to be vulnerable about their own childhoods. This isn’t just not a side hustle, it’s a terrible side hustle. Don’t let those get-​rich-​quick TikTok’s fool you. If you are passionate about children’s books, that’s the “why.”

RVC: Tell me about a project or accomplishment that you consider to me the most significant in your career.

KW: Winning the Colorado Book Award for my debut written and illustrated picture book, Swim, Jim! was a real honor. An illustrator friend recently told me that they expect good an unexpected things to happen, and this was definitely one of those things for me. Here’s to more of that!

RVC: What about a time when things didn’t go the way you wanted?

KW: You are asking someone who took 20 years to break in. I will wear out my keyboard if I get into that here.

RVC: What trends have you observed in children’s publishing, and how do you feel they’re influencing the industry?

KW: We are all writing about what we recently experienced, so everyone is submitting grief books right now. I saw a trend in isolation and catastrophic storm books because as a metaphor for COVID and quarantine, and then I saw a trend in what I call “ampersand books,”—that is to say friend books like Worm and Caterpillar are Friends, because we were missing our friends and those narratives were wish fulfillment for renewed connections. I’m currently seeing a lot of tree books, and even have one coming out early next year (Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea written by Andrew Hacket/​Page Street Kids). Maybe it’s commentary on environmental concerns or the need for deep roots to survive—maybe both. I would caution authors not to follow trends. Instead, write the book only you can write. Dig into your psyche and pull out your truthiest truths, and tell that story. It takes way too long for a book to publish to ever be on trend. Be YOU.

RVC: What advice do you have for aspiring authors and illustrators who want to break into children’s publishing?

KW: Get professional feedback. Get manuscript and portfolio reviews. Work with a critique group. You’ll get better, and you’ll get support. (CuddlefishAcademy.com offers coaching and critiques.)

RVC: One final question for this part of the interview. What’s something upcoming that you’re excited about, or really want to promote?

KW: It’s back to school time and Bitsy Bat, School Star is perfect for getting kiddos ready for school, and is a perfect ice breaker for first day of school, and it sets the year off right by recognizing the specialness of every child. Free lesson plans at www.BitsyBat.com!

RVC: Okey-​dokey, Kaz. Let’s buckle down and get super serious because it’s time for THE SPEED ROUND! Wahoo! Sizzling swift questions and flappy fast answers, please. Are you ready?

KW: Yes!

RVC: Most misunderstood thing: UFOs, ghosts, or psychic abilities? 

KW: Psychic abilities.

RVC: Pepperoni. Great deep-​dish pizza topping, or the GREATEST deep-​dish pizza topping?

KW: I love broccoli on pizza. Do with that what you will.

RVC: If you could have a conversation with your future self, what advice would you ask for?

KW: Tell me I won’t have to work this hard later on. Tell me that my books will eventually have their own momentum so I can spend more of my energy on creating them rather than promoting them. Tell me that the rock I’m pushing up this hill will eventually roll down the other side and not back onto me. I don’t know if that is advice, per se, but it’s what I would hope to hear.

RVC: A picture book writer (living or deceased) you’d LOVE to illustrate for?

KW: Illustrating is hard. That’s so much pressure! While I’d love to get a big commercial illustration gig, I am THRILLED when someone else illustrates my words. Heather Brockman-​Lee just illustrated When You Love a Book (Viking/​Flamingo Fall 2024) and that was a dream come true. I’m also a huge fan of LeUyen Pham and I would evaporate out of my body and become a cloud in the heavens if she illustrated one of my books.

RVC: Favorite LGBTQIA+ picture book?

KW: I’m super excited for Molly’s Tuxedo by Vicki Johnson.

RVC: Best thing a kid has said about your books?

KW: I’ve had a few people send me pictures of their kids taking my books to bed with them, usually falling asleep with them on their face. Those pictures are better testimonials than words.

RVC: Thanks so much, Kaz! Here’s hoping you can finally convince your agent and editor to let you draw a toilet in a picture book someday. Ah, to have super-​duper scatological dreams….

KW: A toilet someday! Thanks for the opportunity!

Author Interview: Marsha Diane Arnold

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This month’s Author Interview is with Marsha Diane Arnold. Her books have sold over one million copies, so what more do you need to know? 🙂

Alright, I’ll share a bit more.

Marsha’s lived on the West Coast, the Middle, and now, The East Coast (Florida), and she claims to love them all, but I think it’s clear which her favorite is. In addition to loving reading and writing, she’s a fan of bicycling, swimming, gardening, and scuba diving.

Her 23rd picture book, One Small Thing, just came out in May. Don’t worry, we’ll talk about it, along with a lot of other things.

Here are her social URLs.

And let’s end this introduction with a poem she wrote. Enjoy!

THE STORYMAGICIAN’S CHANT

I’m a StoryMagician.
I play with words.
I arrange them in stories
So they can be heard.
I’m a StoryMagician.
I imagine new worlds.
I bring them to life
Like a shiny new pearl.
I’m a StoryMagician.
I’m awake! I’m aware!
I sit with my notebook
Writing stories to share.

MDA: “The Storymagician’s Chant” is one I used as a call and response with students, during school visits. We had a lot of fun. I can already tell this interview is going to be a lot of fun, too. Thank you for inviting me, Ryan!

RVC: You bet! Now, please share three words that describe your childhood. 

MDA:  Farmgirl, family-​oriented, barefoot.

RVC: When did you realize you were going to be a writer? 

MDA: I always loved reading and books. I majored in English literature in college, but I never thought about being a writer myself. That is, not until my children were born and I started writing a weekly newspaper column entitled homegrown treasures. It was about children, family, and life, usually from a humorous, yet heartfelt, perspective. One reviewer said of it: “She finds a universe in her backyard!” I was a writer!

RVC: How did that weekly column help prepare you for your work as a kidlit author?

MDA: I asked the editor of the newspaper if I could use a pseudonym for my homegrown treasures column; I was so nervous about people judging me. He advised that wasn’t a good idea for a local newspaper columnist. Ha. I was finally persuaded; my first column was published under Marsha Arnold.

During those ten years of writing a weekly column, I learned about discipline, structure, word limit, and how to write subtle humor. My true love was picture books, so during those ten years I also started a writer’s group for picture book authors. My first picture book was published ten years after I began writing homegrown treasures. By then, I wasn’t quite as nervous about people judging me. My first picture book was published under Marsha Diane Arnold.

RVC: What’s the story behind your first published book? 

MDA: My first book, Heart of a Tiger, was published in 1995. That was a long time ago and my memory is fading.

RVC: I’ll take whatever you recall or whatever you want to make up! 🙂

MDA: I think I was writing the story about myself, for myself. I only realized this long after it was published. Like the small kitten, Number Four, I wanted to give myself a name like Beautiful Bengal on Naming Day, but, like Four, I wasn’t worthy of that name and had no idea how to become worthy.

In a way, I wrote the story to show how each of us can find the courage to follow a “Magnificent One” and learn to become worthy. Even if what you aspire to is not possible, as it was not possible for Four to become a Bengal Tiger, what you hold in your heart can “grow in wisdom and power as you grow.”

RVC: What was the most important lesson you learned with that book?

MDA: Perhaps the most important lesson I learned from Heart of a Tiger was that I could do it. I could write a story that touched readers. Heart of a Tiger received some nice accolades – Best First Book by A New Author, three Children’s Choice Awards, Junior Library Guild Selection, and more. I could do it! I could “grow in wisdom.”

RVC: What a nice thing to happen with a first book!

MDA: More heartwarming than the awards was the personal reactions of readers. I autographed a book for one young reader when he was eight. Years later, after graduating from high school, he wrote to tell me that he still had the book and that whenever he had to make a difficult decision, he would reread it, using it as a guide.

RVC: Speaking of cool lessons, Waiting for Snow has a wonderful lesson about patience. How did you craft the narrative to deliver this message effectively for young readers?

MDA: I do love those patience lessons. Waiting is hard for everyone, especially for little ones. My book Badger’s Perfect Garden has a secondary theme of patience too. I believe my guiding light for Waiting for Snow was from Ecclesiastes: “For everything there is a season, and a time for every matter under heaven.” I do trust my guiding lights.

Messages are much more likely to be heard if humor is involved and if the story doesn’t go on too long. I recall working on that subtle humor for Waiting for Snow. I also cut my story over and over; I cut a character or two as well.

RVC: What was the biggest challenge with that book?

MDA: The biggest challenge may have been using quiet humor to show the friendship and support of Badger’s friends, even when they had different opinions.

My brilliant editor, Kate O’Sullivan, helped me “kill some of my darlings,” to create space so Renata Liwska’s always amazing illustrations could tell part of the story. I was happy to do so. Renata brought forth just what I wanted to show: Badger’s impatience and ingenuity. Waiting for Snow is actually dedicated to Kate and Renata, a dream editor and illustrator worth waiting for.

RVC: Let’s talk art notes. Where do you stand with these? 

MDA: I like art notes, but they must be efficient. They must be succinct. And they must not intrude on the illustrator’s creative vision.

In my nearly wordless book Lost. Found., illustrated by Matthew Cordell, I used lots of art notes. After all, there were only 18 words in the book. It needed some art notes!

RVC: What about rhyme?

MDA: I like rhyme, too! But it certainly can be challenging. For me, one of the challenges with a rhyming story, besides finding all those perfect rhyming words, is to give it that second layer of meaning, that depth, along with the lighthearted rhyme.

Roar of a Snore, my 2006 book from Dial, was an accumulated rhyming story. Children loved it, even memorizing it. It was a Dolly Parton Imagination Library selection three years in a row.

RVC: Nice!

MDA: My agent is currently submitting a rhyming manuscript for me. It’s humorous like Roar of a Snore. I’d really like to have another funny book published, but that kind of success is hard to replicate.

RVC: Please share one of your favorite moments (or a breakthrough) in your writing career.

MDA: I have experienced so many wonderful moments at the schools I’ve visited during my writing career. There was the school that had all the classes come into the auditorium in a conga line, drumming, in honor of Prancing Dancing Lily. There was the time the principal drove me to the school and I saw a huge constructed tornado on their roof! It was in honor of my book, The Bravest of Us All. What a grand time I had on school visits.

RVC: School visits can be awesome! Now, let’s talk about your most recent book, One Small Thing. What’s the logline?

MDA: When Raccoon’s home is destroyed by a lightning strike, the creatures of Brightly Wood think they’re too small to be of any help. But after returning to their homes and their individual lives, they pause and reflect, finally realizing they can each do one small thing.

RVC: This book and others you’ve written have a strong connection to nature. What inspired this in your writing?

MDA: I grew up on a farm in Kansas, near a lake. I spent summers with my grandparents, who lived in a small Colorado town, near streams and mountains. I’ve always loved nature and wildlife. I feel most at home in nature, surrounded by wildlife. So, it’s natural, I think, that nature inspires my writing.

RVC: In this book, how did you decide on the range of animal characters and their unique personalities?

MDA: I am definitely a pantser writer. I usually come up with a title and that title acts as a beacon, leading me through the story. My characters usually come to me rather easily, as if they’ve walked up and knocked on my door. I invite them in and we become friends quite quickly. I love that my character friends are so different, with different personalities and different ways of viewing the world.

RVC: That’s a lovely way to explain how a story comes together. What happens next?

MDA: I weave in little things as the story moves along, little things that help the reader know the characters. We know Raccoon loved his home by the river and that he had a pet cricket. That tells us a lot. We know Beaver, busy as she always is, gets to work on a new house for Raccoon right away. We are a bit surprised that grumpy Badger is so worried about Cricket and goes into the darkest part of Brightly Wood searching for “that silly cricket.” Of course, we needed an animal (Mouse) who made herb balms to soothe Raccoon’s burned feet, an animal who brewed calming teas (Squirrel) and an animal (Rabbit) who liked honey and honey bread, to provide nourishment. All together, the animals provide Raccoon’s basic needs and much more.

RVC: Let’s talk about process. How do you handle writer’s block and keep your creativity flowing?

MDA: I’m not a writer who writes daily…or even weekly. So, maybe I have writer’s block and don’t even know it! But when I am working daily on a project and get stuck, I go for a walk in nature or take a swim. Five minutes in the oak tree swing often works, too.

RVC: How has your writing evolved since you first started?

MDA: I used to meander about in my stories more than I do now. One reviewer referred to “Arnold’s meandering style,” even though she gave me an excellent review. That was in reference to The Pumpkin Runner, which was published in 1998. I love storytelling styles that take a journey up the hill or over the river before coming back to the main road, but those stories are harder to sell in today’s market. So, I try to reign my meandering ways in.

RVC: Are there any aspects of your writing that have remained consistent?

MDA: One person recently asked me, “How do you create depth and simplicity simultaneously?” That sounded more like a wonderful compliment than a question. Once I stopped blushing, I realized that I’ve likely always done that intuitively. It may be because I respect my audience so much. I know children can understand depth. The simplicity part is perhaps because the truest things are simple, humble, and unassuming.

RVC: Share a bit about how you revise. How do you know when a manuscript is ready to send out?

MDA: I rely a lot on my two writing critique groups. Once I have what I think is a good draft, I share my manuscript with them. After I ponder their feedback, I read my story aloud, over and over again, checking for rhythm, lyricism, wordiness. Is it ever really ready? Probably not, but at some point, we have to let go.

RVC: What’s the most valuable piece of feedback you’ve ever received on your writing? 

MDA: For me, the most valuable feedback is encouragement. Fairly early in my career, a librarian said, “Marsha Diane Arnold and her books treat kids as thinkers and speak of good things…kind of like Mr. Rogers.” I couldn’t ask for much more encouragement than that.

RVC: What role did SCBWI play in your writing career?

MDA: One of the first things I did when I decided to write for children was join the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators. I think anyone serious about writing for children should be a member. They have been there from the beginning of my career, providing information and inspiration. In 2021, my Lights Out was a finalist for the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for picture book text. Thank you, SCBWI!

RVC: One last question for this part of the interview. What’s next for you? What should we be on the lookout for?

MDA: My next book will be out August 8th! Armando’s Island is an ode to the rainforest, its precious creatures, and those who bravely stand against its destruction. My hope is to bring awareness to the beauty and value of the world’s rainforests.

I wanted to bring my readers intimately into Armando’s world, so I used as much sensory detail as I could. The illustrations by Anne Yvonne Gilbert are spectacular. And when, on the opening spread, the child Armando looks directly at the reader, I feel intimacy is achieved.

I’m also excited about a manuscript I contracted for in January. Any day now I’ll be able to share the current title and who the illustrator will be, but not this day.

RVC: Alright, Marsha. It’s time for the much-​ballyhooed, never-​equaled SPEED ROUND. Let’s keep the questions fast and the answers even faster.  Are you ready?

MDA: Never. But let’s start anyway!

RVC: If you could only have one app on your phone, it’d be…

MDA: I could probably live without them all, but I do use Messages a lot. Is that considered an app. You see how techie I am?

RVC: If they made a movie about your writing career, what would the title be?

MDA: Meandering Marsha Stumbles Along; Serendipity Saves Her.

RVC: What makes your eyes roll every time you hear it?

MDA: The “word” “Anyways.”

RVC: What do you think you’re much better at than you actually are?

MDA: Nothing. I have a rather big inferiority complex.

RVC: Am I missing anything? What’s the question nobody ever asks you, but you wish they would?

MDA: What an intriguing question. Now I not only don’t know the answer to the question, I don’t know the question! Let’s see…

Here’s the question: “Your writing can be on the serious side. Do you ever do silly things?”

RVC: What’s the answer to that?

MDA: Yes, I’m serious-​minded, but I love to laugh and I laugh a lot. I can be silly. I see humor all around us. I can dance around the living room with my poodle. I can forgive myself and you too, if we get too serious. If you knew me well, you’d know that Joyful is my middle name, right next to Diane.

RVC: Final question. What’s the best feedback a kid’s given you?

MDA: Well, “I think you are the best writer in the whole galaxy,” was pretty nice. Then again, “You are one of my superheroes. One is my dad, the other is Jesus, and you,” was quite astounding.

RVC: Thanks so much, Marsha!

MDA: Thanks to you, Ryan…I think. This was almost as hard as writing a book! Just kidding. It was so kind of you to invite me to join you on this writerly interview. What fun!

Author/​Illustrator Interview: Merrill Rainey

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This month’s Author/​Illustrator is Merrill Rainey, a self-​described “cowboy-​boot wearing, picture book creator and paper toy maker.”

With a bio line like that, what else do you need? Well, he offers more, saying that he lives in the village of Whitehouse, Ohio, with his editor (his wife), subject matter experts (his kids), and very opinionated coworkers (a very hungry toad, and some crabby hermit crabs).

What he doesn’t say in his bio is how those subject matter experts—his kids—are PR geniuses. Witness for yourself!


With that kind of lead-​in, we have to jump straight to the interview to learn more right now!

Merrill’s Website
Merrill’s Etsy
Merrill’s Facebook
Merrill’s Instagram
Merrill’s Pinterest
Merrill’s Twitter

RVC: I realize this can be a chicken-​egg question, but I’m going to ask it anyway. What came first—the writing or the art-making?

MR: Good question. I’ve always been a storyteller, or at least I think so, but it was definitely the art-​making that came first. It’s just something I’ve always done, from drawing whenever I could, to crafting with my mom. This past year, I’ve talked a lot with students about the word “boredom” and how boredom is truly the catalyst of creativity.

These quiet calm moments are so, SO important!

RVC: I totally agree–boredom done well = creative wonders. Now, how did growing up in a large family inform your creative efforts?

MR: There was never a dull moment in my childhood–it was full of moments of creation and imaginary play. When we got bored (see there’s that word again!) we always found something to do. Looking back at it now, the time I spent with my family, these childhood moments, are what laid the foundation for the things I am creating today!

RVC: What was your intended career plan when you attended Kent State University?

MR: When I decided to attend Kent State, I didn’t really know what the intended career plan was going to be other than getting better at making art. During my Freshman registration with a counselor, she asked me what type of art I wanted to focus on, fine arts or illustration. Since I didn’t know the difference between the two at the time, the counselor sent me down to the art building where the VCD senior art show was being displayed. I walked through the gallery and what caught my eye was a piece of work where one of the graduating students had re-​illustrated the Super Fudge series as a Senior art project. I remember thinking in that moment that illustrating books is what I wanted to do.

I did almost minor in technical theater, too. I took a few set design classes but ended up not being able to continue in this path as the workload for the VCD program was pretty intense on top of working a full-​time job.

RVC: During your final summer at Kent, you had an internship that changed
everything.

MR: I interned at the Akron Beacon Journal in an art department of five other very talented illustrators/​designers. It was an amazing experience learning from each and every one of them. That art department prided themselves on the art they created for the newspaper and was known for doing so. During my time there, I worked not only on daily graphics for the paper, but I also had the opportunity to illustrate a few featured sections. Working for a paper doing editorial illustrations is where I thought I’d end up, but shortly after graduation, the newspaper industry took a turn for the worse and left me looking for work in other directions.

RVC: Talk about how you managed your early career, having a full-​time job as an in-​house graphic designer while also trying to build your own art career.

MR: For a while after graduation, I focused on the day job. Being the new person at work, I really wanted to make my mark. As I was moving up the ladder at my day job, I was losing track of what I really wanted to do, and that was to illustrate.

Around this time another illustrator by the name of Penelope Dullaghan started a blog called Illustration Friday where every week she would post a new illustration prompt. You would then illustrate your take on it, and post your creation to your own blog before the following Friday. Participating in Illustration Friday is what got me back into illustrating and rebuilding my portfolio. I would spend my evenings after work honing my craft and, long story short, in 2007 I signed with the Tugeau 2 agency working mainly on educational illustration assignments. Then in 2010, when my son Chase was born, I finally got my first big kids magazine assignment from Jack and Jill Magazine and this was the start of it all.

RVC: What went into the decision to quit the day job and launch Little Rainey
Illustration & Design LLC?

MR: A lot did go into planning this decision, but it also kind of happened organically. Shortly after Chase was born, I was working 8–10 hours at the day job then after work I would go home, we’d have dinner and put him to bed. Once he was asleep, I would go back to working on contract work until about 4 or 5 in the morning. Then, I would sleep a few hours and go back to my day job. This went on for a few years. I am not quite sure what the heck was I thinking, or how I managed this for so long, but what it came down to was that I truly wanted to succeed more than anything else! In 2012, I was eventually making enough income to quit my full-​time job and start working for myself.

RVC: That’s a bold choice. Many don’t risk it. Any tips?

MR: During this time, I was also talking with a few friends of mine who had recently started their own creative businesses. They guided me on the proper steps to creating things like an LLC, starting a business bank account, filing as a small business with the state of Ohio, and the biggest steps, finding a good tax accountant. Having a good accountant is pretty key and so worth it.

RVC: What was a regular day like in that new role?

MR: This is a good question. In all of the years I have been doing this, I have yet to figure out how to get on a normal schedule. Every time I think I can, a new project shows up and then I have to figure out how to manage multiple projects at one time. I think the key here is being as flexible as possible. Being a small business owner, you are always thinking about the current work, future projects, contracting, invoicing, and marketing of your next project.

What this change in my career path did allow me to do was to spend more time with my kids. From volunteering in their schools, being a Cub Scout Den Leader, to a Soccer Coach, I’ve loved being able to be a part of their childhood as much as possible.

RVC: How did SCBWI play into your creative journey?

MR: SCBWI has been a big part of my success. So many key moments and
opportunities in my career, like meeting mentors, art directors, and publishers, have happened because organizations like SCBWI exist and I will forever be thankful!

RVC: Please share the story of your first published book.

MR: My first illustrated published book was Asteroid Goldberg–a huge learning experience in so many ways. From learning about depicting cultural traditions, to designing dynamic page compositions, as well as ways to improve the process on how I now render my final art. It also taught me a lot about contracting, advances, and royalties. It was definitely a good project to get my publishing feet wet with.

RVC: What was the most useful lesson that book taught you?

MR: The most useful lesson going forward that I learned from this project, was to make sure I was involved with things like reviewing proofs, as well as making any edits to the art, and making suggestions towards the design of the book when needed. My goal in doing all of this is to ensure, to the best of my capabilities, that when my books hit the shelf, they are the best they can be!

RVC: You’re worked with a lot of children’s magazines. What are some of the
differences between that and illustrating kidlit books?

MR: They actually are very much the same, but the biggest difference is that a lot of my magazine work is geared toward interacting with the readers through activities. For a while I created a section called Color, Cut, Play! where you would have a themed set of paper toy characters and a play set to build. This featured section is what eventually turned into the concept behind the Color, Cut, Create books series.

RVC: How did you get into paper engineering?

MR: Paper engineering started as a hobby, something to do on the side between illustration gigs. It all started with me following a blog of a fellow creative, Matthew Hawkins. Matthew used to create a downloadable paper toy each week. I thought this was such a cool idea! He inspired me to start making my own creations and this is what got me hooked on cutting, gluing, and folding paper.

RVC: What’s the most common misconception about paper engineering/​toy making?

MR: This isn’t a misconception per se, but a good number of people have never heard the phrase “paper engineering” before, but once you mention pop-​up books and the process of how those types of books get created, it all clicks.

RVC: In all your experience with paper creativity, what has surprised you the most?

MR: What surprised me the most about paper creativity was not about how to do it, but how to get kids today seeing that they can do it too. One of my passions is educating students so that they can create anything with an idea and their hands. I am also an advocate for making sure that adults realize the importance of giving kids the opportunity to create and the benefits in doing so.

RVC: Talk a bit about your HarperCollins board book series, and how they’re both readable and playable.

MR: The Peek-​and-​Play series is definitely a book that you can play with. It does have words, but those words are meant to get kids up moving, making sounds, imagining and playing! They may not be the best books to quiet down a child at bedtime, but they are great books for read-​out-​loud times! If you haven’t heard it yet, check out the ROAR! I’m a Dinosaur song. It’s a pretty catchy tune! You can check it out here (be sure to scroll to the bottom of the web page).

RVC: What’s next for that series?

MR: There are no official plans yet, but there are always new ideas in the works.

RVC: What do you enjoy most about your Jack & Jill comic series that’s found
bimonthly in the pages of Jack and Jill magazine?

MR: Everything! How could you not enjoy having the opportunity to illustrate a comic for kids. It’s awesome to think that I have the opportunity to inspire future artist just like I was inspired by comics like Peanuts, Spider-​man, and Calvin and Hobbes!

RVC: You like to experiment with art tools. What are some of most awesome failures—and successes!—you’ve created?

MR: I guess I can say that my work is full of awesome failures and successes! I say this because I use moments of failure as learning experiences to help better my projects. When I talk with kids, I mention that when I start to create anything, I always start with a written or sketched-​out plan. Sometimes though, that initial plan doesn’t always work out and I have to do some problem solving to think through how I’m going to fix the issues that arise. I refer to this process as a trial-​and-​error phase. This phase is so important to the creation of anything.

For instance, I recently created a build-​your-​own 3D Haunted House craft for Highlights Press. I built 12 different prototypes of the same house before I had everything where I wanted it to be. I wanted to make sure that before this project went to press, the activity of building the house would give the end user a sense of accomplishment while having fun creating it.

RVC: Beyond creating the awesome promo copy we see in the photo at the top of this interview, what else have your kids contributed to your career?

MR: My kids are a HUGE part of my career! I consider my kids my subject matter experts. They are always inspiration for new projects, but they have also doubled as hand models, voice over actors, and product testers. My kids built every paper toy in the Color, Cut, Create series and watching them allowed me to witness where they had trouble in the building process. This allowed me to see firsthand what needed to be improved upon. My daughter even got the honor of modeling for the back cover of OINK! I’m a Pig.

RVC: One last question for this part of the interview. What new Merrill Rainey projects should we be on the lookout for?

MR: I am currently marketing my next illustrated picture book which is a reimagined Florence Parry Heide classic picture book titled Giants Are Very Brave People set to release on August 1st, published by Holiday House Books.

I am also working on two new projects. One is another paper craft book with Odd Dot titled Building Block Books: My First Town. This book is a take on the classic children’s building blocks where young builders will punch out, build, and stack a 3D city of their own. I am also working on a hybrid picture book/​graphic novel with Hippo Park currently titled On The Air With Dr. Doodle Bug.

RVC: Alright, Merrill. It’s time for the SPEED ROUND. Zippy questions and zappy answers, please. Are you ready?

MR: YES!

RVC: If you were a superhero, what would the superpower you’d tell everyone you’d want?

MR: To be able to fly! But let’s be real, as I get older, I don’t know if I could handle the extreme heights. 😉

RVC: What would be the ACTUAL superpower you’d wish to have?

MR: I always wanted to be a Ninja Turtle when I was growing up!

RVC: Five things you can’t do your job without?

MR: A pen, good music, color, my creativity, and of course my hands!

RVC: Most opinionated pet—a very hungry toad, or a crabby hermit crabs?

MR: Hermit Crab… my son has a bad habit of not giving his crab water frequently enough, and just the other night, the crab literally took his drinking sponge and threw it across the cage to get his attention!

RVC: A kidlit illustrator who doesn’t get as much attention as they deserve?

MR: Gosh… this is a good question as there is so much good art being created out there today that it’s hard to see all of it! But if I take a step back in time, I collect classic Little Golden Books…and there is a time where a lot of these books didn’t credit the illustrator but the art is fantastic!

RVC: Your paper engineering philosophy in five words or less?

MR: Anything can become a reality!

RVC: The best thing a child ever said about something you created?

MR: If I could only remember every comment made! But if I had to pick one, or maybe two, I think it’s my kids quotes shown in the picture above. The two of them are a big part of why I do what I do and the explanation for that I’ll save for another interview!

RVC: Thanks so much, Merrill!

MR: Thanks so much for having me, Ryan!

Author Interview: Rajani LaRocca

On By Only Picture BooksIn Author Interviews3 Comments

This month’s author interview with Rajani Narasimhan LaRocca. I had a blast meeting Rajani at a Highlights event a few years ago, but when I saw her present at the 2022 FL SCBWI conference, I knew I absolutely had to have her join the OPB family and share her story in an interview. To put it in a word, she was terrific.

In addition to being a practicing physician (WOW!), she’s a talented author with a passion for creating stories that celebrate her Indian-​American heritage and introduce STEM concepts to young readers. In her brief career as a writer, LaRocca has authored several acclaimed picture books as well as books for older kid readers. It’s well worth noting that her middle-​grade novel in verse, Red, White, and Whole, was a Newbery Honoree.

In sum, she’s got a husband, a dog, two kiddos, two careers, and a lot of well-​received kidlit books. How does she do it all? Let’s find out!

RVC: Before we start, let’s clarify something important. What’s the correct way to pronounce your name? As someone with an easily mess-​up-​able name, I’m especially sensitive to such things, and I KNOW some people are saying yours incorrectly.

RL: My name is pronounced RUHJ-​née (rhymes with FUDGE-​née) La-​ROCK-​ah. Here’s a helpful audio link on Teaching Books.

RVC: Thanks for that! While I’m incredibly impressed that you attended Harvard and Harvard Medical School, I’m going to only ask you one question about your doctorness. Here goes! How did your background as a physician influence your decision to become a children’s book author?

RL: There are lots of things about that a career in medicine and a career in writing have in common, including years of practice and the need to work with a team. But the most important thing they have in common is that both, at their heart, require a fascination for and a love of people. As a doctor, it’s my honor and duty to listen to my patients and understand their stories. As an author, I do the same with my characters.

RVC: What inspired you to write your first picture book (Seven Golden Rings), and how was the journey from idea to publication?

RL: Seven Golden Rings was one of the first picture books I ever wrote! It was inspired by a logic puzzle that my uncle told me and my cousins in India when I was a kid. Decades later, I remembered that puzzle and wanted to write a story in which a character had to solve that puzzle for an important reason. It took me 70 revisions before the story was finally the way I wanted it to be! But ultimately, it found the perfect editor—Cheryl Klein, who was editorial director at Lee & Low Books at the time. Archana Sreenivasan did an incredible job of making the story and math come to life with her illustrations.

RVC: What was the most important lesson that book taught you?

RL: My son was particularly into math from a very young age, and he loved picture books that featured complex math. Seven Golden Rings continues to be a favorite when I do school visits, and it has taught me that stories that feel like folktales and deal with math can have a place in today’s picture book market.

RVC: Looking beyond Seven Golden Rings, I’m starting to notice a musical theme in your books—it’s in Midsummer’s Mayhem and Red, White, and Whole, for instance. How intentional is that?

RL: Music has been important to me since I was a child. I played classical piano since age 9, and I was and am obsessed with 80s pop music, so it’s not surprising that music plays a big role in almost all my stories: Midsummer’s Mayhem, Seven Golden Rings, Red, White, and Whole, my most recent novel, Mirror to Mirror, and my forthcoming 2024 MG fantasy, Sona and the Golden Beasts. To me, music is a powerful force that can connect us to other people across distance and time.

RVC: Even though this is a picture book blog and Red, White, and Whole is MG, I have to ask—in terms of writing craft, what’s something you’re proud about from that book?

RL: When the idea for Red, White, and Whole first came to me, I felt it should be written in verse, because it was an emotional, interior-​focused story. But although I’d written poetry and lyrical picture books, I’d never written a novel in verse before. I’m proud that I tried anyway.

RVC: Inquiring minds want to know…what was the Newbery experience like?

RL: It has been an absolutely amazing experience, from the surprise phone call the evening before the announcements, to the announcements themselves, getting to know the fellow Newbery authors—at first virtually and through reading their books, and then in person at the ALA annual conference. The 100th anniversary celebration and the Newbery-​Caldecott banquet are events that I will never forget.

RVC: I’ll bet!

RL: What a dream to be a part of American literary history! And the most mind-​blowing aspect of it all is that thanks to this award, so many readers will be reading Red, White, and Whole for years to come. As a kid who always looked for the books with the shiny stickers, I can’t believe that my book has one now.

RVC: Congrats on all that. Now, back to picture books. What has been your most rewarding experience as a picture book author so far?

RL: Seeing what talented illustrators do with my words has been incredibly joyous and humbling.

RVC: Which of your picture books do you feel most connected to and why?

RL: Oh, it’s so hard to choose just one! But I have to say that I’ll Go and Come Back, a story about a girl and her grandmother and love that stretches across the world, is very close to my heart. It was one of the first picture books I wrote, and the first one we sold, and the story is inspired by my relationship with my own grandmother.

RVC: How has your writing evolved since your first published picture book? What have you learned along the way?

RL: I think I’m a little faster at writing picture books now, but there are still picture books that take me months or years to figure out. I write from a place of joy and curiosity—that continues to drive everything I write.

RVC: Let’s go with a couple of bigger-​picture questions. Explain the type of research that goes into creating the diverse and culturally rich worlds in your books.

RL: I often write from my own lived experience, using details and descriptions that I am familiar with. I’ve been fortunate to work with illustrators who do their own meticulous research in bringing those worlds to life.

RVC: What role do you think picture books play in fostering empathy and understanding among young readers?

RL: Picture books, with their short texts and gorgeous illustrations, invite people to read them over and over. By seeing people who are both like and not like them in picture books, young readers develop respect for different people, are less likely to see them as “other,” and are more likely to see focus on the things all people have in common.

RVC: What advice would you give to aspiring picture book authors, especially those from underrepresented backgrounds?

RL: Write the story you want to write, the one that calls to you and won’t let you go.

RVC: Which picture book authors or illustrators have most inspired or influenced your own writing?

RL: During my childhood and even during my children’s childhoods, there was very little diversity in children’s picture books. I’m so grateful and proud to be publishing picture books now, with so many diverse authors and illustrators. It is very personally important to me that there are so many Indian American authors and illustrators that are publishing beautiful books today.

RVC: Let’s get practical. How do you negotiate the various demands on your time? What’s your secret? Did you figure out how Michael Keaton cloned himself in the movie Multiplicity? Did you borrow Hermione’s Time-​Turner?

RL: Haha! Almost everyone in kidlit has other things that compete for their time. My children are adults now, so I have more time than when they were little. But in general, I’ve always tried not to be too precious about when and where I write—I have worked in my (parked) car, on trains and planes, and in every room of my house. I have worked for 15 minutes at a time because that’s all the time I can spare. I try to get rid of excuses and just do what I can when I can.

RVC: I always like to ask a question about health and wellness, and here’s yours. What do you do to de-stress? 

RL: I love being outside when the weather is nice. I also find that time spent with family and friends allows me to de-stress.

RVC: Last question for this part of the interview. What’s an upcoming project or two that you’re especially excited about?

RL: Mirror to Mirror is my dual-​POV novel in verse that released in March. It’s a story about identical twin sisters, Maya and Chaya, who are very close and love each other very much. But Maya hides a terrible secret—serious anxiety that causes her a lot of pain, but she doesn’t want to tell anyone about, especially her parents. Chaya tries to help her twin, but soon realizes she’s out of her depth and tries to tell their parents. Maya stops her, and then shuts her out. Then Chaya wonders whether Maya’s anxiety is because of her, so she changes the way she looks, putting in a pink streak in her hair, and trades classical piano for show tunes and modern music so Maya doesn’t feel like she’s the competition. But instead of bringing them closer together, it pushes them further apart. In the last part of the story, the twins make a bet to switch places, pretending to be each other and playing each other’s music. Whoever lasts the longest without being discovered gets to decide what they do about high school, something they’ve been arguing about. Pretending to be each other teaches each sister about her twin … and about herself.

My next picture book, Summer Is for Cousins, is filled with sweet and stunning illustrations by Abhi Alwar, and releases May 16! It’s a story about a little boy named Ravi who is so excited to see his cousins during summer vacation. But his oldest cousin, Dhruv, is very different this year—much taller, with a deeper voice—and Ravi is worried Dhruv won’t remember all the things they used to share, including their favorite flavor of ice cream. This is a book about the sweetest joys of summer: sun, water, food, and family. You can see the book trailer here.

A Vaccine Is Like a Memory, beautifully illustrated by Kathleen Marcotte, releases June 20. It’s a picture book explaining the history of vaccines, how they work, and why they’re important. As a physician, I wanted to explain this important bit of science to young people.

Your One and Only Heart, gorgeously illustrated by Lauren Paige Conrad, releases August 15. This is a nonfiction picture book explaining the biological wonders of the human heart in paired poems.

Masal Chai, Fast and Slow, with lovely illustrations from Neha Rawat, releases September 5. It’s a picture book about Aarav, a boy who loves to go fast, and his thatha, or grandfather, who likes to take things slow. But every afternoon, they meet and make masala chai together. When Thatha sprains his ankle and can’t make chai, Aarav tries to make some for him, with hilarious results.

The Secret of the Dragon Gems, cowritten with my great friend Chris Baron, releases August 29. It’s an epistolary novel about Tripti and Sam, two kids who meet at summer camp when they find two interesting-​looking rocks and take them home to their homes in Massachusetts and California. Then they start corresponding via letter, email, text, and video chat, because strange things keep happening, and they start to wonder whether the rocks might be something other than rocks.

RVC: Whew, that’s a whole lot of goodness coming out, Rajani. Well done, but now it’s time for the thing you’ve been waiting for. It’s the very thing that make most people agree to be part of OPB, in fact. It’s…the end-​of-​interview LIGHTNING ROUND! Prepare yourself for six speedy questions that I trust will elicit six zippy answers. Are you ready?

RL: Yes!

RVC: What makes your eyes roll every time you hear it?

RL: “Irregardless.”

RVC: If someone overhears you singing in the shower, you’re probably belting out…

RL: an 80s tune!

RVC: Best 80s trend that should absolutely 100% be brought back immediately.

RL: Leggings (already back!)

RVC: What’s a STEM topic that isn’t yet covered well enough in picture books?

RL: More books about human biology! I’m trying to contribute more to this myself.

RVC: What’s a recent terrific STEM picture book that attention than it got?

RL: The Fire of Stars by Kirsten Larson and Katherine Roy, a PB bio of astrophysicist and astronomer Cecelia Payne which is combined with the story of the formation of a star, is an absolutely brilliant book.

RVC: If you could choose one key takeaway for a reader of your picture books, what would it be?

RL: There are all kinds of families and all kinds of joy. My picture books try to explore both.

RVC: Thanks so much, Rajani!

RL: Thanks so much for having me, Ryan!