Mouse, Elephant, and Giraffe have so much in common. They like the same games. They eat the same snacks. They don’t need anyone else! Or do they? When the group takes a chance on opening up, they discover that meeting someone new and seeing things from a new perspective can be truly wonderful.
Something Beautiful is
by no means your first picture book, but you have an entire, wonderful parade
of reads already under your belt. What draws you to write for this younger
audience level?
I love
writing for young readers for so many reasons. First of all, I adored the few
picture books I had as a child. The art transported me to a place that was
happy and filled with wonder. And the pictures invited me into stories in a way
that words didn’t at first. I was dyslexic and grew up in a remote area (born
on an island in Alaska) and didn’t have a lot of access to books. I fell in
love with reading and stories through these few picture books. So I love to
create stories for kids who might feel the same.
Picture
books is also the perfect means for my work because I always see my stories in
my mind before finding the words, and I love creating the art. I love how much
emotion, joy, vulnerability, enthusiasm, and mystery can be conveyed with just
art.
And I
love how picture books is a genre that is shared by all generations in a
family. Reading together, snuggled with a book, is one of the most comforting
times I think for many people.
I
actually have three cats now, a parrot, and an adorable mouse named Pan. I’d
have a household more if I could, but reality makes it hard to travel with any
more. I was lucky to grow up with eagles, owls, hawks, and two ravens because
my grandparents were ornithologists. The birds were part of their research, but
I was pretty lucky to get to help care for them. If I could add a family member
now, it would be a raven. They were the smartest, funniest family member I’ve
ever known. They constantly hid important things like the house keys and played
tricks on our dogs, like hiding their dog food. And the calls they make to each
other is about the most beautiful sound I’ve ever heard.
What is your favorite part about writing? And what would you
rather eat worms than do?
My
favorite part is that it makes your life filled with wonder. You have to have
wonder in order to write, so you guard it and nurture it. And then there is
that magical moment when you get an idea that you know is the one that will
grow full-fledged into a story and it’s the best kind of happiness and
excitement.
I’d
honestly rather eat worms than sit in traffic or even drive on a car packed
road. I love traveling, but I hate the getting there part. It feels like such a
waste of time. The one place where I can’t be writing, drawing, painting,
sculpting, or working in my garden.
Many authors were avid readers during their childhood. What were
your favorite books while growing up?
Honestly,
I am not one of those authors. I wish I was. I didn’t have a lot of access to
books. I mostly read bird guidebooks. My parents and grandparents had a lot of
those. But a book mobile came to our town when I was 11 and I checked out The
Witch of Blackberry Pond by Elizabeth George Speare. I loved it so much, I
checked it out again and again until the librarian driving the silver Aerostar
that served as our library gave me my own copy. I kept it under my pillow and
vowed that someday I would move to New England and write children’s books. So
here I am in NH, writing and illustrating and wishing I could find that
librarian and tell her just how much her kindness meant to me!
It
wasn’t till I went to college that I read all the classics and started
devouring stories. I was studying geology, but I had my head in wonderful children’s
books that helped guide me back to that crazy dream I had when I was a girl.
Wow, geology! I would have never guessed. And now, I am curious how you went from Alaska to New Hampshire, but we'll have to save that one for another day.
What book(s) are you reading right now?
I’m
reading a biography on Vanessa Bell (Virginia Wolfes sister). Her art touches
me deeply, as well as her life and how she chose to live it.
I
also enjoy reading dozens of picture books each month, and getting excited all
over again about the genre each time I do.
When you aren’t writing, what do you like to do?
My
favorite thing is to sculpt with clay and then have a big bonfire in the
driveway to harden the clay. I can also be found in my garden, either taking
care of it, or sketching in my journal. I love travelling when I can and hiking
all day and plunking down wherever I find a beautiful spot to paint. And
playing with my pets, of course.
What was your biggest wish as a child?
To
write and illustrate children’s books! Hooray, that turned out well. I’m so
grateful to readers who enjoy my books and are a part of that dream.
No comments:
Post a Comment