Interviews With Authors and Illustrators

  

You’ll find interviews with picture book authors and illustrators on this page. All of these talented people were kind enough to take time out of their busy schedules to answer a few questions for picture book fans. If you’ve ever wondered where picture book authors and illustrators get their inspiration or who your favorite author’s favorite author is or why they do what they do, then take a look below. I think you’ll be enlightened, amused, or even surprised by some of the answers. Enjoy!

  

  

Interview With Author Karen Kaufman Orloff  (1/5/2010)

 

Q. When did you begin your career as a children’s picture book author?

KKO. I began to toy with the idea of writing for kids when I left my career as a
magazine editor to raise my children. When I would read books to them, I
thought, I’d love to do this! I had no idea at the time, however, that I
could write picture books without illustrating the pictures! Once I found
that out, I started to write stories and send them out to publishers. It
took about ten years for me to finally get an acceptance. And that book
was “I Wanna Iguana”, published by G.P. Putnam. I met my editor, Susan
Kochan, at a Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (SCBWI)
conference, when she did a manuscript critique of the story. She happened
to like it and that was the beginning for me.

Q. Why do you like to write for children?

 KKO. I think I’ve always loved children’s books, even as an adult, so it seemed natural to want to write for children. Plus, I absolutely love going to schools and libraries to read my books to them. Kids aged about 5 – 8 are the greatest audience!
They are really attentive and so happy to have a story-time. They ask the cutest questions and always seem to want more!

Q. How did you come up with the idea for your picture book I Wanna Iguana?

KKO. That one came about because my own children wanted a pet and we had
allergy issues for a dog or cat (we actually have a Labradoodle now). We
thought we’d get two cute little iguanas, not realizing that they’d grow
to be almost five feet long! I was the one family member who wasn’t crazy
about the idea of reptiles in the house — I had to warm up to it. So, I
started thinking of a story about a boy who wanted an iguana and a mom who
didn’t. How would he convince her to get one? I thought of the title
first, and it stuck in my head for weeks. The idea of letters between the
two came later.

Q. What other books have you written?

KKO. I have a rhyming picture book called “If Mom Had Three Arms,” published by Sterling in 2006. Sterling will be publishing another one of my rhyming stories, “Talk Oscar, Please!” in 2011. And this fall, the sequel to the iguana book will be out. It’s called “I Wanna New Room” and features Alex, who has to share a room with his annoying brother, Ethan, because there’s a new baby girl in the house. He’s fed up and starts writing notes to his father begging for his own space. It will have the same illustrator, David Catrow.

Q. Who are the picture book authors that you most admire?

 KKO. I love the rhymes of Dr. Seuss and the more contemporary Mike Reiss (“Santa Claustrophobia”) and Alan Katz (“Take Me Out Of The Bathtub”). I also like all of Kevin Henkes’ books, Ian Falconer’s “Olivia”, and think the “Fancy Nancy” books are adorable! I also must mention two writer friends of mine who have very cute books out: Della Ross Ferreri (“How Will I Ever Sleep In This Bed?” and “Star Of The Show”) and Lyn Rossiter McFarland (“Widget” and “The Pirate’s Parrot”).

Q. Where can fans go to learn more about you and your books?

 KKO. I have a website: www.karenkaufmanorloff.com.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell picture book fans?

KKO. To adults: picture books are so important in a child’s life. A fun and colorful book is a wonderful way to get a kid interested in reading! And to kids: Thank you for reading my books. I hope I will have many more to offer. Don’t ever lose your love for reading!

 

Interview With Author Laura Joffe Numeroff (1/18/2010)

 

Q. When did you begin your career as a children’s picture book author?

LJN. When I was 9 years old! I remember getting my first library card! I couldn’t believe how many books there were to choose from! It wasn’t long before I became a voracious reader that I was inspired to write my own stories, and illustrate them! My favorite books were ELOISE and STUART LITTLE.   

Q. Why do you like to write for children? 

LJN.  Because I don’t have the attention span to write anything longer! Just kidding! I’m told I have a silly imagination. (O.K.! I’ll admit it. I’m immature. Or “childlike” as I prefer to think!) And I LOVE making children laugh. There’s nothing like watching a young child giggle with delight. And when they’re laughing at something I wrote, it makes me feel so good. I also hoped I could inspire children to develop a love of reading.  

Q. How did you come up with the idea for your well-known picture book If You Give A Mouse A Cookie? 

LJN. I was on a loooooong, boooooooooring car trip from San Francisco to Eugene, Oregon. My friend’s family lived there and we’d visit twice a year. After the 4^th or 5^th time I thought, “If I never see another tree, I’d be fine”. When I get bored, I get antsy. When I get antsy, I get silly. When I’m silly, I tend to think of silly things, which have turned into ideas for books!

This time I was thinking of animals eating my favorite foods. I pictured a beautiful black and white zebra eating Cheetos (the crispy kind), and getting his mouth covered with orange. (I’ve never understood, if they can put a man on the moon, why can’t they get rid of the orange residue?!)

Then I pictured an orangutan eating pizza, and getting the long strings of cheese tangled up in his long arms.

In the late seventies, Mrs. Field’s chocolate chip cookies were all the rage.  (Unfortunately, I ate way more than a person should, so I gained a few pounds).
So, I thought it might be cute to see a little mouse nibbling on a giant cookie.

This time I kept going, and I pictured him drinking milk, getting a milk moustache, and on, and on, and on, until I got back to him wanting a cookie.

It was the first time I came up with a germ of an idea that turned into a whole book in my head. Sorry to say, it’s never happened since.

When I got back home, I wrote it on my dinky typewriter that I got at a flea market (the “W” didn’t work so well), and sent it out. It took forever to get nine rejections because that was in the old days of covered wagons and snail mail. (Now, I can get rejected the next day!)

Q. I know that you have written several books. What are your favorites?

LJN. Many people don’t realize that MOUSE COOKIE (I shorten the titles when I write about them! Much easier!), was my tenth book, I published nine before then. They’re all out of print except BEATRICE DOESN’T WANT TO, which I got re-published.

Of course, I love MOUSE COOKIE, although I love Moose most! Some of my other books I’m partial to are the WHAT MOMMIES DO BEST/WHAT DADDIES DO BEST series, illustrated by Lynn Munsinger, and WHEN SHEEP SLEEP, illustrated by David McPhail. SOMETIMES I WONDER IF POODLES LIKE NOODLES, illustrated by Tim Bowers, is definitely one of my faves! It’s a collection of poems that I wrote, and I LOVE reading them to kids.

But, I’d have to say I’m most proud of a book I wrote called THE HOPE TREE: CHILDREN SPEAK OUT ABOUT BREAST CANCER. I was asked to write it for an October release in paperback, to be given out for just one month. I was paired with a doctor who is a survivor, and I created a group of children who talk about their experiences. It was illustrated by David McPhail.

When the month was up, I was able to sell it to one of my publishers. All the money it made went to Susan Komen. Unfortunately, it went out of print. We gave the rights to the foundation, and they send them to the appropriate venues.

Q. What new titles should we look for?

LJN. War and Peace 2, the sequel, and A Tale of Two Cities, Tampa and Helsinki. Sorry, I couldn’t help myself. IF YOU GIVE A DOG A DONUT, OTIS & SYDNEY: THE BEST BIRTHDAY EVER!, THE JELLYBEANS AND THE BIG BONANZA (The second in a series of 4), LOTS OF LAMBS (an interactive book), and a few others that I’m keeping secret!

 Q. Who are the picture book authors that you most admire? 

LJN. I LOVE all the Eloise books by Kay Thompson. I love Helen Lester. WODNEY WAT is hysterical! David McPhail is another of my favorites. His books are very sweet and so are his illustrations. And, Dr. Seuss is my idol! I’m always blown away by his talent!

Q. Where can fans go to learn more about you and your books?

LJN. My website is: lauranumeroff.com.

Be forewarned, there’s music when you get to it! I couldn’t decide between Bon Jovi or Frank Sinatra, so I didn’t go with either of them. See, now this is when I worry that people won’t be able to differentiate when I’m kidding or not!

Actually, now that you mention it, I think it’s time to change the song from JINGLE BELL ROCK, which I had for Christmas.  

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell picture book fans? 

LJN. I think they make the best gifts! They don’t come in a box which is usually more fun than the thing that came in it, they’re lots more enjoyable than a pair of pajamas, and they read them again as adults, they bring back wonderful memories.

I would like to add something to the questions. Being a published author is a dream come true. It’s absolutely amazing to share my silly imagination with my favorite people, kids!

My mother or father read to me every night. I highly encourage parents to set up a night time routine: getting washed, getting into bed, picking a book, and reading.

Who knows, you might have a budding author on your hands!

 

Interview with Author and Illustrator Suzanne Bloom (1/24/2010)

 

 

   

Q. When did you begin your career as a children’s picture book author and illustrator and which did you do first, write or illustrate?

SB. A little over 25 years ago, our first son was 4 and my husband and I had been making wooden toys for over a decade.  I finally had enough faith in a particular story idea to jump out of the dusty, noisy workshop.  Thank goodness I didn’t know how challenging it would be.  The drawing and writing developed together.

Q. Why do you like to write for children?

SB. As my collection of picture books grew, so did my admiration of the form.  The privilege of putting beautiful art in the hands of children seems a powerful magic. 

Q. How did you come up with the idea for your picture book A Mighty Fine Time Machine?

SB. For about three years, the anteater and her pals, the aardvark and armadillo were rollerblading in my brain.  Really.  They were crashing around but not revealing their story.  Recalling the fun of playing with cardboard boxes, big and small, gave me the next piece of the puzzle.  But when I heard Samantha say, “Boys, you’ve been bamboozled!”  I knew I had my first line and the quest began.  What was the problem?  What were the attitudes and how in 28 pages could I convey their shifting enthusiasm and focus? 

Q. What other books have you written and/or illustrated?

SB. WE KEEP A PIG IN THE PARLOR was my first book.  As with all my books, you will find many details from my life in it.  The barns and house are just down the road from me.  Yes, I live on a dirt road in the country.  The ducks and sheep belonged to friends who farm.  Our cats and dogs, kids, friends, and kitchenware show up all over the place. 

A FAMILY FOR JAMIE is a story about adoption.

THE BUS FOR US was the result of a brainstorming with first grade teachers.

And PIGGY MONDAY was inspired by our younger son’s kindergarten class.  Those kids are graduating from college this spring, or already out working.

NO PLACE FOR A PIG features my brother’s Manhattan kitchen. 

Other titles are:  A SPLENDID FRIEND INDEED, TREASURE and new this spring, a third goose & bear story – WHAT ABOUT BEAR?.  I can’t wait to share that with students because the characters have to solve the problem of being left out.

I’ve had the honor of illustrating two books by Eve Bunting:  GIRLS A-Z and MY SPECIAL DAY AT THIRD STREET SCHOOL and one by Pat Brisson:  MELISSA PARKINGTON’S BEAUTIFUL, BEAUTIFUL HAIR.

In every book there are many personal details.

Q. Do you have a favorite medium or technique you like to work with when creating your illustrations?

SB. I’ve graduated from tempera to gouache with colored pencils.  Goose & bear begged for pastels.  I treat my pictures to finer materials now.  Walking into the art store is heavenly. 

When faced with all those drawings and a deadline, I usually choose to do the one I know best.  That leads me to the next.

Q. Who are the picture book authors and artists that you most admire?

SB. There are many many many and my shelves are lined with their books! Patricia Polacco had very kind and encouraging words for me as I drove her to the airport.  In fact, that gave me the courage to continue.  Leo and Diane Dillon leave me breathless.  Summertime Song by Irene Haas is so delicate and masterful, an exquisite use of black.  Tedd Arnold’s Green Wilma cracks me up and Laura Rankin’s Ruthie from Ruthie and the Not So Teeny Tiny Lie tugs at my heart strings.  There are so many others, whose work inspires and transports me as a reader and an artist.

Q. Where can fans go to learn more about you and your books?

SB. For more information about me, my work and school visits please visit my web site – www.suzannebloom.com .  Thank you for sharing your space, Lauri.

Q. Is there anything else you’d like to tell picture book fans?

SB. In the “horn tooting department”, I am pleased to share that A MIGHTY FINE TIME MACHINE has been selected for the TEXAS 2×2 list of 20 best picture books in 2010.  It follows in the paw prints of A SPLENDID FRIEND INDEED, a 2005 pick.

 

Interview With Author and Illustrator Keith Baker (2/7/2010) 

 

 

 

Q. When did you begin your career as a children’s picture book author and illustrator and which did you do first, write or illustrate?

KB. I began in 1986, after graduating from Art Center College of Design.  I studied illustration, but I knew I wanted to both write and illustrate, so I wrote several stories and painted sample illustrations.  Then I headed to NYC to find a publisher.

Q. Why do you like to create books for children?

KB. I like dealing with visual concepts in text and pictures.  I like the picture book format—simple text, big pictures, limited number of pages. And I like the challenge of bringing children to books and teaching them to read.

Q. How did you come up with the idea for your picture book Just How Long Can A Long String Be?

KB. I was listening to NPR and heard an interviewee reply to a rhetorical question, “Well, just how long is a string?”

Q. I know that you have written and illustrated several picture books. Do you have any favorites?

KB. Yes, the Mr. and Mrs. Green series—they’re fun loving and spirited and loving.  And I like working with the same characters again in different situations.  That allows for their experiences to ‘overlap’ and their personalities to expand.

Q. What materials do you like to work with when creating your illustrations?

KB. I used to paint with acrylic paint on illustration board.  Now I work on the computer, drawing with Photoshop.

Q. Who are the picture book artists that you most admire?

KB. Eric Carle, Leo Lioni, Taro Gomi, Arnold Lobel, James Marshall

Q. Where can fans go to learn more about you and your books?

KB.  www.keithbakerbooks.com