The story of Now You Say Yes developed from a passing thought about a young girl driving across the country with her brother. It was not a particularly novel concept; long distance road trips are so common in American literature and film.

The taking of the trip isn’t novel, it’s why they’re doing it, and what they find along the way that makes it special. In the American mythos, a drive across the country is always a search for self, reflected in what the traveler finds.

So, after I had answered a few questions—who was she? why did she have to go? (because she HAD to go—just kind-of wanting to go was not enough), I also figured it would be good for me to take the trip that Mari and Conor took. Who knows what I’d find? Material for the book, perhaps. Or maybe, just the experience.

Sometimes, it’s a fine line between research and indulgence, and here there was no difference at all. Driving across the country has been on my bucket list my whole life and remained undone. Now it was required if I were going to be a serious writer.

The timing of the trip was fortuitous. I realized the week I was going was also the week of the total eclipse in 2017. Great plot point! In fact, it became the heart of the story—the promise of seeing the eclipse gets Conor in the car, and seeing it is where Mari has the epiphany about her place in the world.

I traveled cheap. I put some clothes in a backpack along with a sleeping bag and solo tent and flew to Los Angeles, where I rented a one-way car (surprisingly reasonable!). I spent the night at a friend’s house in Altadena, and after a visit to Huntington Hospital, where Mari’s mom ended up, I set out, tracing what I thought might be Mari and Conor’s route.

Nothing life-threatening happened to me, but surprising things did and they ended up in the book. I watched a woman wearing a yoga pants do a bow to the Grand Canyon perilously close to the edge, wondering what she was thinking. I jammed on the brakes in time to exit and see the meteor crater I read about when I was six. I drove through Okemah and had a long talk with a man who lived across the street from where Woody Guthrie’s house had been. “He never sang mean,” the man said.

And, of course, like our two heroes, I stood agog, looking up at the sky while the sun disappeared, the breezes picked up, and the birds started singing. Like Mari, I looked at all of those around me staring at the heavens, and saw in that moment how we were all part of one living thing. The eclipse was a lens through which I saw the universe and where we fit in it. I gave that perception to Mari. And like Mari and Conor, the eclipse was the catharsis.

After that, I just drove.

Also, like Mari, I listened to music. If there is ever a time in one’s life when music imprints on the soul, it’s at the age of fifteen. Whatever music you fall in love with then, you will listen to for the rest of your life—it becomes timeless. I knew Mari needed music as an accompaniment, so, before I went on the trip, I did some research as to what Mari’s mom, Stef, might have listened to in the Boston area growing up in the early nineties. I tried to place her in her culture—a working-class Irish kid.

The recording I kept coming back to, over and over again, was R.E.M.’s Automatic for the People. To me, it captures a lot of the angst and struggle teens go through, and I could imagine Stef listening to it over and over, and it seemed to me that Mari did, too. Trapped with her mom’s music, Mari connected with it and her mom in a very special way.

All along the trip, as in the writing afterwards, I kept asking myself, “What does it feel like for Mari?” While writers pay attention to visual details, and sounds and smells, I’ve come to believe it’s our power to feel what somebody might be feeling that’s at the heart of our power as artists. It’s a risky thing, but imagining what someone else’s life is like is at the center of this empathic endeavor.

The last two hours of the trip, I drove with my heart in my throat. I was experiencing the end of my own trip, but also the end of Mari’s. The truth is, I had known what the last sentence of the book was going to be before I had written or plotted anything. I knew where the story was headed.. I crossed the beautiful bridge over the Charles, and as I drove down the side streets of Lynn, headed toward where I thought her grandmother might live, my heart beat faster. I came to a house that seemed like the right one and pulled over to the curb. I stared at the door of the house, imagining Conor and Mari standing on the steps. I almost knocked on the door myself.

As I write all this now, it seems like a fait accompli. I was bound to write this book. Now that it’s done it seems it was inevitable. But, like Mari’s trip, the outcome was always in doubt. I didn’t know if I could write it. I didn’t know if it would be any good. I didn’t know if anybody would want to publish it. I didn’t know much of anything, and so, like Mari, I drove across the country with an unanswered question, hoping for the best. Yes or no?

The answer, I think, is yes. Now You Say Yes.

Q: After having a career as a composer and a lyricist for theater, how did you decide to start writing children’s books?

A: I have always written or told stories in some form. It’s part of who I am. But when I was about 21, I tried writing a middle grade book. Sadly, I didn’t finish it, but I did turn it into a musical. Years later, I attended a children’s writing course to help reignite my passion for this genre. But what actually happened changed my life. Part of the course was about picture books, and that was my “Eureka!” moment. I felt that I could do it. And that night, I started writing… and I haven’t looked back.

Q: How is composing music different from writing a book? How is it similar?

A: When I compose music, I try to evoke a story or a feeling, and that’s exactly what I do when I write picture books. I have an idea or a theme or a journey that I want to explore, and I shape the story accordingly. It’s quite a fun process, but there’s a big element of trial and error. A great deal of what I create isn’t right, but you have to find what doesn’t work before you find what does. Picture books aren’t created in a day, they take weeks to shape… even though they seem so simple.
Here’s a tip also… If I write in rhyme, I tend to sing my texts to check whether the beats hit correctly.

Q: When we asked you to tell us the most exciting thing about being a debut creator, you mentioned this story features a family like yours. Why do you think it’s important for young readers to be exposed to diverse books written by people who share those identities?

A: Every family has the right to see themselves represented in the media. And that’s the same for books too. It’s incredibly empowering for children to see others like them achieving, or being happy, or tackling problems. It gives them confidence. It gives them understanding and it helps them know that it’s ok to be themselves. There aren’t as many books that feature LGBTQ+ parents, so I have a duty to bring my experience into the stories I write. I just hope they are widely shared and enjoyed. Fingers crossed.

Q: We loved finding the little dog in every spread! Did your own two huskies inspire you and Garry to include a dog in the story?

A: I love this part of the book too, but it had nothing to do with me. It was all Garry’s idea. I love how an illustrator brings a new perspective to a story or a new approach that you just didn’t think of. I think it’s amazing how Garry has taken inspiration from my words and created a believable and loving family. One day my doggies will appear in a book.

Q: What do you hope readers will take away from Adventures with My Daddies?

A: My hope is that readers will fall in love with this book. I hope they will see their family within it, regardless of the dynamic. It’s a simple exploration of love and the power of reading… things we can all understand. But my main hope is that it will bring more acceptance for LGBTQ+ and blended families. Love is love at the end of the day.

Q: What inspired you to write Homer on the Case?

A: I like the idea of different species communicating. For example, I wonder what the different birds on my bird feeder say to each other. “Quit shoving!” “Move over!” “You take all the peanuts!” When I thought of a homing pigeon learning to read because of the daily newspaper under his feet, and then thought of a parrot learning to speak human …one thing led to another. Imagination took over.

Q: You’ve worked on nearly 150 books for children. What makes Homer on the Case different from your past projects? What makes it similar?

A: I’ve really enjoyed working on my chapter book projects: one can really try to get into the mind and spirit of the characters. I’m lucky because I can also draw the illustrations, which add personality and expression to those characters. Homer on the Case takes place in a city, unlike my usual stories, and although humans play a big part, it’s the animal characters that move the story around.

Q: You’re an author and illustrator. When you come up with ideas for stories, do you usually think of the story in text or drawings first?

A: I’ve been asked that many times, and I think the best reply is “both”! While I’m imagining and outlining a story in my head or on paper, I can’t help but picture the setting and the characters and how they look and act during different parts of the story. I’m a constant doodler. I doodle all the time. I’ll doodle ideas for a story and those doodles can be very helpful for a book dummy.

Q: How did you choose a homing pigeon for the main character?

A: I think pigeons and doves have an expression that some other birds don’t have; they have a more sensitive and thoughtful look. And I liked the idea that homing pigeons are so skillfully able to always return home. Home is often a theme in my stories, and something very important to me.

Q: You really brought the setting of Keeler Park to life. Was Keeler Park inspired by a real place?

A: Well, yes, sort of. Years and years ago I had some time on my hands as I was waiting for an appointment with an editor. It was late summer. I sat on a bench in a small park near the publisher and watched the city go about its business, people and pigeons mostly. There was a scent to the air of sycamores, and a tranquil feel of the park, nestled among tall buildings. When I was writing about Keeler Park in the story, I was imagining myself on that bench that day.

Q: Grandad keeps a photo of Otto’s grandmother inside his gold pocket watch. Do you have a special keepsake that reminds you of a loved one?

A: Several! Many! A wooden stool my grandfather made, my 3rd grade lunchbox (my mom wrote my name on it) that looks like a barn (I grew up on a farm), a string of brass bells my aunt gave me, two little ceramic pigs that sat on the kitchen window sill of the my childhood home….many more! Don’t get me started!

Q: Communication is an important aspect to this story. How did you come up with the idea to incorporate the challenge of the birds in the story trying to communicate with their humans?

A: I wish I spoke a hundred languages. If I could start over, I’d take every language course I could. Right now I’m barely fluent in English! Years ago, I lived in Egypt for a while, and the best part of my experience there was the joy in learning to communicate with people who didn’t speak English, and the only Arabic I knew was “thank you”! I was learning to read and speak and write as an adult. It was a challenge, but with great rewards. I made so many friends that way, learning to communicate. I loved it. I was hoping to get that joy across as Homer and Lulu communicate with their human friends.

Q: If you could choose to be any animal, what would it be?

A: Probably something really useful and cared for, like a police service dog or a therapy animal. I’d like to say something wonderful like a bobcat or a chickadee, but wildlife these days have it rough: they have to contend not only with natural predators and disease, but also with human interference and reduced habitat. I don’t think I’d last long as a chickadee. I’d be in the talons of a sharp-shinned hawk within an hour!

Q: What’s your favorite type of bird, and why?

A: Really?!?! Are you asking for only ONE type of bird?? That’s tough. If I HAD to limit myself, I’d say the American robin, because the song of a male robin singing in early spring has to be one of the best sounds on the planet. And I love hole nesters (woodpeckers, nuthatches, etc.) because I love the idea of nesting in a hole in a tree while the wind gently blows. I’d say “no” to any bird that has to exist in cold water to survive (northern ducks, grebes, gannets etc.) because I hate being cold and wet.

Q: Did any real or fictional detectives inspire Homer?

A: No…Homer is an original, at least in my mind.

Q: Which chapter did you enjoy writing most? Did any of your favorite scenes not make it into the final version of the book?

A: I enjoyed the last chapter the most. I love happy endings! I love the idea of Snaps being out in the sun and lounging in the warm mud. I love the idea of Otto and Charlotte getting credit for something courageous. I like having the characters coming together.

Q: What do you think happens next for Homer and his fellow detectives?

A: Hmmm. I think a dog is involved. Maybe a dog that is just a teensy weensy bit sinister…

Q: What do you hope young readers take away from this story?

A: Collaboration. Adventure. Independence. Caring.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: Currently working on four picture books. Looking forward to a post-Covid world where I can visit schools again…in person!

Q: We’re so excited to introduce you and your book to the world! Tell us a little about yourself and how you became a writer and illustrator.

A: Hello! I am an author-illustrator from the San Francisco Bay Area. Growing up, I loved to draw, and I became an illustrator because I never wanted to stop. If it was something I was going to do every day anyway, I decided it should probably be my job. When a person illustrates, they tell a story with pictures, so it just made sense that I would start telling my stories with words as well.

Q: What inspired Best Friend in the Whole World?

A: Best Friend in the Whole World is actually inspired by the real-life story about the time I found a stick, decided it was definitely the best stick in the whole world (It had two types of moss on it!), and then promptly lost it.

Q: How did you decide that Roland would be a rabbit and Milton a pine cone?

A: As a child, my favorite picture books had rabbit characters—The Golden Egg and The Runaway Bunny by Margaret Wise Brown and The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter. I have always felt they are the perfect picture book characters. Plus, their ears are fun to draw. I chose a pine cone for Milton/Popkin because I grew up in the forest surrounded by pine cones and used them in many of my own craft projects growing up. I don’t know if I ever made my own pine cone friend, but I should have.

Q: What do you think are important qualities in a best friend?

A: The most important quality in a best friend is that they bring joy into your life. People have all kinds of friends for all kinds of reasons, and each friend is special in their own unique way. Two people might become friends for many different reasons, but as long as they make each other happy, that is the only thing that matters.

Q: Have you ever had an imaginary friend?

A: I grew up surrounded by imaginary friends, but my very best imaginary friends were the ones I shared with real friends.

Q: Have you ever lost anything you loved?

A: Aside from my beloved stick that inspired the story in the first place, I also had a puffin finger puppet as a child that I took with me everywhere until, of course, I lost it. I still think about that puppet, so perhaps you can expect a puffin book some time in the future.

Q: You dedicated this story to Jacob, your own best friend in the whole world. What are some things you and your best friend like to do together?

A: Just like Roland and Milton/Popkin, one of my favorite things to do with Jacob is take walks. Sometimes we take walks on the trails in the nearby forests, and sometimes we just walk through our neighborhood and pet all the dogs and cats that live near us.

Q: What is your creative process like? Does it change when you’re doing both the text and illustrations?

A: It’s hard to know where an idea will come from— an image or a sentence or a feeling—but I almost always start by drawing the character. It’s hard to imagine a story without knowing what the character looks like! I spend a lot of time thinking about my stories before I write a single word. I might spend weeks, months, or years thinking about a story and getting it right in my head, and then one day I’ll just sit down and write the whole thing out. After that, I’ll do sketches of each page, and then I will have to go back and change the words, and then I’ll have to change the drawings until everything is balanced and working together.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from reading Best Friend in the Whole World?

A: I hope Best Friend in the Whole World will show readers all the wonderful ways in which we can be a good friend. Roland takes care of Milton/Popkin. Milton/Popkin provides company when others are lonely. Lucy welcomes Roland into her friendship with Milton/Popkin. And I hope the book reminds readers that even if we do something that doesn’t feel like something a friend should do, there is always a chance to make up for it, and you can end up even better friends than before.

Q: Rosie Loves Jack is your debut novel. How did you settle on writing for young adults after working in theater and as a teacher?

A: For as long as I can remember I wanted to be a writer. I read constantly as a child and I loved that writers could take me to other worlds and experience different people’s lives. I wanted to be able to do this myself. Of course, life doesn’t always work out the way you want it to, and it took me some time and a stern word from my children until I finally put pen to paper. It felt like I had come home, and everything I had learned working in the theater, where stories are brought to life, and working with inspirational young people was invaluable for my writing and hopefully made it much richer.

The reason I settled on writing for a teenage audience was because I’ve always loved that age group. At this age you are finding out about the world and your place in it and who you want to be as an adult, which is exciting and motivating. Teenagers are free from the lethargy that creeps into our lives as we get older—they keep us on our toes! It seemed natural for me to begin my writing career with them.

Q: Is Rosie Tremayne based on a real person or real experiences?

A: Rosie is based on a real person, although she is also my invention and an amalgamation of different teenagers who I know.

I was lucky to work with a group of very compelling young people a few years back, who all had Down syndrome. One of them, a girl called Rosie, was feisty, funny, and fiercely independent. I always wanted to write her story and share the voice that she so wanted to be heard. In my MA course in Creative Writing, she popped back into my head for a character workshop we had to do. She wouldn’t let me go after that and I knew it was time to introduce her to the world. Her voice guided me through the story.

Some of Rosie’s experiences are based on real ones that I was told about by friends or the young people I worked with, and some are based on my brother’s experiences as a person with a developmental disability. For example, there is a scene where Rosie and her boyfriend Jack are in town getting something to eat from McDonald’s®. While they are there a group of children mimic how they speak and throw food at them. Sadly, this is a true story.

Q: How did your experiences growing up with a brother with Autism influence Rosie Loves Jack?

A: Growing up with my brother had a huge influence on my writing. As a child there was no indication that anything was wrong with him, which caused confusion when he had his meltdowns. One day, when I was nine years old and my brother was five, we were out shopping in town when he had a major tantrum, shouting, kicking, and screaming. Several people came up to us, not to offer help, but to berate my mother, telling her that she was a disgrace, that my brother’s behavior was disgusting, and that he ought to be put away.

I couldn’t understand why some people were so judgmental. I wanted to tell them to “put on my brother’s shoes” for a moment and try to comprehend what it was like to be him, locked in a world that made no sense to him, where even in his sleep he’s tortured by his dreams and is unable to let us know when he’s in pain. I wanted to use these experiences in my book Rosie Loves Jack to highlight what it is like to have to deal with injustices such as these, sometimes on a daily basis.

But I also knew that I wanted to write my book so people could see that life with a developmental disability is definitely not unworthy; we need to look beyond disability to ability. My brother’s life has fueled my desire to help dispel any myths about disability because I want to make it clear that when you have a brother like mine, the positives far outstrip the negatives. My brother has taught me compassion, kindness, patience, and the ability to empathize. My character Rosie became my agent to demonstrate this, through her journey to find her boyfriend and her autonomy.

Q: Why did you choose to have a main character with Down syndrome instead of a different developmental disability?

A: This is something I am asked a lot and it isn’t surprising considering I have a brother who is profoundly autistic. I wasn’t ready to put my brother in a book just yet. I felt a huge responsibility to honor him and his life but knew that with his very limited language it would be difficult to navigate this as an inexperienced writer. I was nervous I wouldn’t get it right and that I would feel I had let him down. Working with young teenagers with Down syndrome made me realize how much of an inspiration they are. I got to know them as individuals and work with them in college and on their work placements. I became close to them all and realized that one girl in particular, who became my character Rosie, would be an incredible ambassador for demonstrating what we both wanted to say, that just because someone has difficulty communicating doesn’t mean they have nothing to say.

Q: Tell us about your approach to writing about a character with Down syndrome. How would the story differ if Rosie didn’t have Down syndrome?

A: I thought very hard before deciding I would write a book featuring a character with Down syndrome. It is a difficult area to cover unless you know what you are talking about; even though you can research any topic in great depth, it’s never the same as if you truly understand or experience something for yourself. It is an especially sensitive area, so a lot of writers might hesitate to embark on a story with a character such as Rosie, for fear of getting it wrong and misrepresenting them. There were challenges that presented themselves, so I had to ensure that I was respectful and considerate before I even began writing. And despite having a lot of experience with people with Down syndrome, I still did thorough research.

I realized I wanted to write a love story that demonstrated how my character Rosie is a teenage girl first, and not just a person defined by her Down syndrome. I wanted Rosie to help the reader understand that human emotions don’t discriminate between those who are able and those who are disabled. Rosie is an individual who shares the same universal desires to love, and to be loved and accepted without limitations. It is the universality of these desires that connects Rosie to her reader.

It became evident that I had to make sure my character was simply part of the landscape and focus on Rosie’s ability and not disability. I had to make her a fully rounded individual and not just a channel to display her disability. As an author I needed to bear in mind that it is not the child with a learning disability who prevents themselves being fully included in society, it is the barriers in society that do that.

Rosie is a typical teenager consumed by her love for Jack and she has the same hopes and aspirations as anyone else. Rosie doesn’t see her Down syndrome as a shortcoming and wants to be treated equally. I avoided stereotyping Rosie by dismissing her Down syndrome as my starting point, which then meant I avoided any obstructions.

I was confident I could portray a realistic picture of Down syndrome, as I’ve personally known people with this condition for many years and learned that there are varying levels of capabilities. Basically, I treated Rose like a normal teenager, then considered the common characteristics of a person with her condition. It soon became apparent that your average sixteen-year-old might be more streetwise and confident alone in London, but might also be just as vulnerable and gullible; Rosie, because of her innocence and trust, is much like a typical teenager because they think they know it all and think they are therefore infallible.

Ultimately, I think that the differences for my story, if Rosie didn’t have Down syndrome, are not as big as it might at first seem. She is above all else a teenager, and many of the young people I have spoken to in schools have said, “Rosie is just like me,” which is what I wanted. A neurotypical teenager might be more worldly wise, they might not take everything so literally, and their speech patterns might be a bit more sophisticated, but not necessarily as poetic. They might be more self-aware and probably more self-obsessed, because that’s how the media programs them to be, but it certainly doesn’t stop them from being just as kind and sensitive as Rosie.

Q: Why did you choose to write this book with first person narration? What are some of the challenges of writing from this perspective?

A: I wrote Rosie Loves Jack with first person narration because I really wanted my reader to see the world through the eyes of someone with Down syndrome. We hear all the time that children need to see the world they live in reflected in the books they read and yet books are still often exclusive in some ways. It isn’t just important for those children who are disabled to see themselves as the protagonist, the hero, but for all children to see every type of representation. My aim in having a character such as Rosie was to enable young people to put on someone else’s shoes and truly understand what life is like for that other person. From that comes empathy, understanding, acceptance, and the realization that we all have value and deserve to be heard.

Using first person narration presented specific challenges. I had to consider the view of the world from someone with Down syndrome. Many people with Down syndrome have incredible empathy and are very in-tune with the feelings and the needs of others—something I witnessed when I worked at Henley College and through knowing a friend’s daughter who has Down syndrome. Alongside this comes a very innocent view of the world that is lived in the moment. I had to be constantly aware of this, yet at the same time show how easily it is possible for any young person to be fooled into believing that a person is good and trying to help them, when in fact they are being conned, or even, as in Rosie’s case, being lured into a very frightening situation. I had to be aware of this balance between Rosie’s worldview and a more streetwise teenager who would probably navigate getting lost in London more easily, but in their own way wouldn’t cope any better than Rosie did in the grooming house.

Q: How did you pick Jack as Rosie’s boyfriend?

A: I wanted someone like my brother, who looks neurotypical and yet has a developmental disability, to highlight the difficulties of a hidden disability. He was an invention in my head but his character and looks are loosely based on people I know. All my characters become real people to me, and I believe they actually exist in the world! I know them inside out, right from birth, even my minor characters. The events in people’s lives are what make and shape them, so to me it is all important to do this—then they come alive.

Q: How did you decide to depict Rosie’s speech patterns and Jack’s spelling? Why did you choose to differentiate between Rosie’s narration and the occasionally jumbled way she speaks to others out loud?

A: Rosie’s voice and language were central to my novel. I needed to convey the essence of the way she spoke, without making it hard to read. Many people with Down syndrome have anatomical differences in the mouth and throat region that affect feeding, swallowing, and oral motor skills. They can also often have poor muscle tone in the mouth area, so speech and language difficulties range from mild to severe, depending on the person. Sometimes I ran Rosie’s words together to indicate this, and to also show how Rosie’s thoughts could tumble over each other when she was anxious, stressed, or simply over-excited. I also had to show her personal outlook: an “orange-segment moon” or hair like “fuzzy, blond ropes,” for example.

It was important to me that I establish the lyrical voice inside Rosie’s head. Rosie might not be able to articulate everything she wants to, but this does not mean that she cannot do that internally. My thoughts on this came from living with my brother, whose language skills are that of a three-year-old, and yet he is capable of very complex statements. At nighttime when he is asleep, he shouts out constantly and it was while lying in bed listening to this that I realized how much more coherent he could be in his sleep, and it set me thinking, “How do we know what anyone with a cognitive impairment might actually be capable of expressing inside their minds?” It was an important lesson to learn. Rosie’s lyrical voice in her head came out of this and I was delighted that my sensitivity reader, someone with Down syndrome who was hired to read and assess my manuscript, felt that I had gotten Rosie’s voice exactly right and that at times she felt that Rosie was herself, in the way she spoke and how she saw things.

For Jack’s spelling I decided to make his level of ability at the stage where a child is learning to read and write using phonetics. He didn’t need sophisticated language, as with a child’s view of the world, it is simple but often beautiful. Jack is able to express himself more easily through his artwork—his pictures paint what is going on inside his head. Like Rosie, you have the balance of some words simply put or expressed juxtaposed with a much more complex way of thinking.

Q: Where did the idea of Jack writing postcards to Rosie come from?

A: It was an idea that came to me when I was deciding how Jack would be able to communicate with Rosie having smashed his phone. Jack is much better at expressing himself through his artwork, so postcards were an ideal way for him to do this, as well as write some short sentences. Also, Jack knows that Rosie can read but at times finds it difficult, so it was his way of helping her understand what he was saying. I wanted it to demonstrate his love and care for her.

Q: What is the significance of the little blue butterfly that visits Rosie and Jack?

A: The little blue butterfly is Rosie and Jack’s good luck charm—their special butterfly that watches over them. There is a scene in the book where Rosie remembers when she and Jack go to Chester Zoo and a tiny blue butterfly lands on her hand and then on Jack. They decide it’s significant for them and it must be good luck. After the visit, Jack gets his mother, who makes jewelry, to design a tiny, blue enamel butterfly brooch for Rosie, to watch over her always, which is why the butterfly helps keep her pushing on to find Jack. It is a symbol of their love for and devotion to each other.

Q: Rosie is treated very differently throughout the story by the variety of people she encounters. Did these interactions come from personal experience?

A: Yes, the majority of these interactions came from personal experience throughout my childhood, both good and bad. Times have changed and people’s attitudes and the understanding of someone with a developmental disability have changed too. People with Down syndrome, for example, are much more present in society, in schools, and in the media than they once were, so the fear and stigmas of the past are slowly being eroded. But we do still have quite a way to go. A couple of summers ago my parents decided to pop out in the car with my brother, only to find that there was a neighborhood street party going on further down from them. They were the only people who hadn’t been invited—because of my brother. My parents were devastated, and my brother would have loved, if not actively joined in, just sitting watching everyone and enjoying the atmosphere. I was heartbroken for them and it demonstrated that people still make unfair choices and judgements for people like my brother. And I knew it was important to show situations like this in my story.

Q: You cover very serious topic like sex exploitation and homelessness. Why did you choose to make these part of Rosie’s story? And why are these topics important to include for a young adult audience?

A: Rosie is part of our real world where these issues are there for us to see. I felt that any young person out in London by themselves and unsure of where to go is vulnerable, not just someone with Down syndrome, for example—though Rosie has an innocence and naivety that a lot of sixteen-year-olds might not have. But at sixteen you think you know it all, which can make you as vulnerable as someone who is as naïve as Rosie. It seemed a probable progression in the story that this could happen to my character and I felt I could use it to highlight these issues—because there will always be predators and although most of the time it won’t end like Rosie’s journey did, it can and does happen.

Sexual exploitation often hasn’t been thought of in the context of applying to a young person with a disability, until it was at the forefront of the news in the British media. People listened with horror to these terrible stories of abuse, but after the initial period of shock, the story faded away, kept within the parameters of the television and got left for others to sort out on their own, as it was too awful to even think about.

My daughter works with young girls who have been groomed. I was shocked to discover that the larger percentage of these girls had a developmental disability. As an author I can allow my reader to explore difficult topics like this in the safety of a book, in a setting where the reader can ask questions or teachers can use it to open a discussion which sheds light on the situation. I hope that young people will find this valuable.

Sexual activity for people with a developmental disability is something that’s rarely ever discussed in a good, healthy, loving context either, as it’s sometimes seen as a taboo subject. If characters like Rosie were represented in more books and films, on television, and in advertising, then they would be seen as the human beings they are with the same emotions and desires, but also suffering the same terrible abuses. If people with developmental disabilities were more visible there would be more open discussions.

I was very conscious of the risk of raising too many issues and thus failing to do justice to any one of those issues, but I was also aware that Rosie is part of a world where these concerns are there for us to see, be it eating disorders, homelessness, sexual exploitation, or addiction, to name a few. And Rosie’s journey is a reflection of life. In Bath, where I live, the number of homeless young people is shocking. For Rosie to find a safe haven with a young homeless person seemed logical after she had been dumped by the river in London—and a very likely scenario. There is an unwritten rule amongst the homeless community to look out for each other. My inclusion of Tom, the homeless boy, wasn’t a device to raise this topic, he just happens to be there at the right time and right place, but, as a writer, there is nothing wrong in sowing small seeds of awareness on such matters, which could stimulate a dialogue that is productive. Through that knowledge come understanding and compassion.

Q: Which part of Rosie’s story is your favorite? Was there a scene we didn’t get to read that you wish made it into the final version of the book?

A: One of my favorite scenes is when Rosie is on the underground heading to Victoria and she stops to listen to a busker, who she asks to sing her special song. It’s a moment where Rosie disappears into her own head as she listens, and it is a very lyrical passage. For me it was a perfect moment when we understand the way Rosie thinks and feels in comparison to the Rosie we witness in the outside world and all that she has to deal with. It was also an important scene for me because Rosie dances with a lady who it turns out has a baby with Down syndrome. This lady has assumed that Rosie needs help navigating her journey, but she is moved to tears when she understands that her assumptions are wrong, and it changes the way she sees everything herself.

Actually, no, there wasn’t a scene I wish had been included, though I would have liked to have made the scenes longer in the grooming house, so that I could develop the relationship between Lisette, the teenager who is responsible for Rosie in the house. I had to hold back on that though, as it would have interrupted the pace too much and halted the momentum.

Q: Why did you choose to end the story with Rosie still in the hospital?

A: I chose to end the story at the hospital because it left the reader wondering what happens next. In many ways the loose ends are tied up because Rosie and Jack have been given the chance to be together again and, very importantly, Rosie has found her autonomy. I have left it open as to what happens next, so that the reader can decide. Perhaps we need Jack’s side of the story first before we journey further with Rosie and Jack.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from Rosie Loves Jack?

A: That they’ve read a great love story that entertains them, and they can relate to. I hope they take away a book with a character that stays with them and might raise healthy discussion on some of the issues presented in it. Perhaps they may look at the world through different eyes and understand more than anything that just because someone has difficulty communicating doesn’t mean they have nothing to say, and by putting on someone else’s shoes they take a step towards empathy and understanding.

Q: What was your inspiration for The Girl Who Stole an Elephant?

A: I started writing The Girl Who Stole an Elephant one wintry December, and it was an escape to another world for me. As I wrote, I imagined a world of sunshine, warmth, action and color, and put all of that into the story.

Q: Is the setting of the story based on a real place?

A: Yes, it is. It’s a fictionalized version of Sri Lanka in the past. I’ve used some real places and some made-up and taken some liberties with the geography of things; but the setting is unmistakably Sri Lankan for anyone who knows the country.

Q: Chaya is a very bold, no-nonsense protagonist with a strong personality. How did you come up with Chaya as a character?

A: She came to me fully formed, so was my easiest character to create. I think she was aspirational to me in the sense that she would have been everything I wanted to be as a child. I would have found her really cool to have as a friend.

Q: If you were Chaya, and you had access to the royal palace, what would you steal?

A: Ironically for someone who created Chaya, nothing! She would have thought it a wasted opportunity, but I would just enjoy the sights and sounds without taking anything.

Q: Do any of Chaya’s qualities remind you of yourself when you were her age?

A: Perhaps her readiness to address injustice. I think as children we’re all generally full of incredulity and anger when we learn about injustice. As we grow older we sadly accept that the world is an unfair place and become desensitized to it.

Q: What is your writing process like?

A: I have to do a lot of thinking when I’m not writing. It’s part of my writing process that lots of the work happen inside my head when I’m cooking or walking or driving. When I haven’t had a chance to do that, I get stuck. So, I spend a few hours every day at the desk (generally school hours) and I’m immersed in and mulling over whatever I’m working on at regular intervals during the day as well.

Q: What do you like most about writing for middle grade readers?

A: I think it’s a fantastic age because children are ready for (and relish!) peril and knife-edge tension. I think it’s also a time when readers are made. I think if they’re interested in books at this age and are choosing their own, they will be readers for life.

Q: Which part of this story was your favorite to write? Was there a scene you loved that didn’t make it into the final version of the book?

A:  There were some scenes I loved, like the waterfall one, but I think my favorite to write was the very beginning. I can remember the excitement I felt when I thought, this is it, this might be the one!
In an earlier version Chaya and Nour spent more time in the jungle by themselves without Neel. Chaya falls ill and Nour learns to make a fire and makes Chaya a herbal concoction. It showed Chaya at her most vulnerable and Nour taking control of the situation. This part didn’t make it into the final book in the end.

Q: In The Girl Who Stole an Elephant, we’re limited to Chaya’s perspective. If you could tell the story from another person’s point of view, whose would it be? Why?

A: That’s an interesting question! Probably Nour because she was an outsider and might have given a fairly different account of things.

Q: What do you think happens next for Chaya and her friends?

A: I think Chaya gives up stealing forever. Nour joins Chaya’s school and starts lessons at the temple too. Neel comes back to school but keeps up his apprenticeship at the carpenter’s as well.

Q: What do you hope readers take away from Chaya’s story?

A: That there’s always room for others no matter how established you are in your friendships. That friendship and loyalty is everything, and it’s easier to be brave when you want to protect the people that are important to you.

Q: As an Own Voices debut author, why do you think it’s important for young readers to be exposed to diverse books written by people who share those identities?

A: I think young readers deserve to see themselves in books, and they deserve to have access to books about all people they share the world with. There’s a richness and authenticity in stories by people with lived experience of the places or topics they’re writing about.
I think it’s in everyone’s interest to get those books out there.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: I am currently writing my third book, which is set in the same world as The Girl Who Stole an Elephant. It will have another animal as well!

Marjoke Henrichs, author-illustrator of No! Said Rabbit

“The most thrilling/exciting/unexpected part of getting my first book published is the thought that my book will be read by many children around the world, and bring a smile to their faces.”

No! Said Rabbit comes out March 1st!

Sandra Salsbury, author-illustrator of Best Friend in the Whole World

“The greatest joy of getting my first book published has been seeing comments and reviews from readers. For so many years, my book had only been seen by a handful of people close to me, so it’s amazing to see it being enjoyed by people I’ve never even met.”

Best Friend in the Whole World comes out March 1st!

Richard Jones, author-illustrator of Perdu

Dear Reader,

As a child, reading for the joy of reading was not a part of my everyday reality. Around the house we had a few Dr. Seuss books and Berenstain Bears, but sadly, we didn’t have many books that featured people who looked like me. We definitely didn’t have books written and/or illustrated by people who looked like me. Had those books existed, maybe the dream of becoming a published author would have happened way before I hit my mid-forties.

I became an avid reader as a young adult, after discovering classic Black authors like Richard Wright and Claude Brown, authors who wrote about Black boys. I also loved biographies, especially of Frederick Douglass and Malcolm X, and the more contemporary memoirs of Nathan McCall and Antwone Q. Fisher. These stories featuring Black men made me feel seen, valued, important, in ways that Dick and Jane simply did not.

Knowing about my love of biographies, a few years ago my mom mailed to me a copy of The Biographical Dictionary of Black Americans by Rachel Kranz. It was a battered old library book, something she likely discovered while rummaging at a garage sale. While reading the book one day, I came across the name of William Still, “leader of the Underground Railroad.” He was a free Black man who worked for the Pennsylvania Anti-Slavery Society, assisting freedom-seeking people who were escaping their enslavers in the South. William Still eventually began to keep meticulous records about the freedom seekers who passed through his office, documenting their personal stories, with the goal of helping to reunite families torn apart by slavery. One of those stories included the harrowing escape of Henry “Box” Brown, who had mailed himself to freedom. There was the story of Harriet Tubman who arrived one night with six “passengers.” And the story of William and Ellen Craft, who escaped to the North in disguise. William Still hid those stories in a cemetery vault. Wow!—Thanks to my mom, I’d discovered the subject of my next book!

The more I researched and learned more about William Still, the more impressed I became. He was one of the most successful abolitionists of his time. He was a fighter for Civil Rights. He started a YMCA for Black kids. So why his relative obscurity? And why have I always associated the abolitionist movement with white people—most often, Quakers—and not free Black people, without whom the Underground Railroad could not have existed, much less been successful?

The Underground Railroad truly united Blacks and whites in a common cause—the liberation of enslaved Black people. But after slavery ended, many of those white abolitionists went on to publish idyllic stories about the Underground Railroad, centering themselves as the saviors and downplaying the contributions of Black people.

Let me say it again: the Underground Railroad could not have existed without the support of free Black people, Black churches, Black organizations. These stories went mostly untold.

I am proud to say that William Still and His Freedom Stories: The Father of the Underground Railroad is an #OwnVoices title—#OwnVoices being a social media hashtag which seeks to highlight the need for more authentic, diverse authors and stories that haven’t been filtered through the eyes of people who’ve not historically been marginalized. I wrote this book in the spirit of Frederick Douglass, Richard Wright, and Nathan McCall, with the hope that it will inspire young readers in the way these writers inspired me many years ago.

I want to thank you for your valuable time in reading my book, a story much bigger than I—or William Still, for that matter. And I hope you’ll want to share this important journey with young readers as much as I do.

Sincerely,

Don Tate

We asked Mary Batten about her inspiration and writing process for Life in a Frozen World, a stunning new nonfiction resource perfect for an informative introduction to climate change.

Q: What inspired you to write this story? How did you first get involved with The Cousteau Society and explorer Jacques Cousteau’s campaign to protect Antarctica?

A: I was working as editor of the Society’s membership magazine, Calypso Log, during the late 80s and early 90s when Captain Cousteau led the Society in launching a campaign to protect Antarctica from mineral exploitation. As editor of Calypso Log, it was my responsibility to report on The Cousteau Society’s campaigns and missions. The emphasis of this campaign was to protect this pristine continent for future generations. As part of the campaign we launched a children’s petition to protect Antarctica and obtained signatures on petitions from tens of thousands of children all over the world. To further dramatize that goal, the Society mounted a special expedition. Captain Cousteau took six children—one from each of the other continents—to Antarctica. He asked me to go as a kind of mother figure for the children. I was honored that he asked me and was looking forward to this expedition adventure, but I developed pleurisy a few weeks before departure date and was unable to go. I was devastated not to be able to take part in this expedition—a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. As the photos and film footage came back to the U.S., I saw what an incredible opportunity I had missed and became fascinated with everything I was seeing and learning about the frozen continent and its importance to the planet. This book is my “virtual journey” to Antarctica.

Q: What about Antarctica interests you the most?

A: Everything about Antarctica interests me, but its profound impact on global sea level, weather, and climate interests me most. Here is a frozen continent at the bottom of the Earth, seemingly so far away, but its impact touches life everywhere.

Q: One of the main themes in this book is climate change and how it’s affecting creatures living in this particular environment. Why do you think this is such an important issue to discuss, especially with younger readers?

A: Climate change is real. More than a hundred years of science supports it, and accelerating rising seas and melting ice packs from the Arctic to Antarctica are already affecting global climate and sea level in coastal areas. In 2019, the World Health Organization predicted that climate change would kill more than 250,000 people each year. Already, people, referred to as “climate refugees,” are having to move as sea-level rise makes their homes unlivable. This issue is especially important to discuss with young readers because they will inherit the conditions left to them by the older generation. Young Swedish teenager Greta Thunberg led mass demonstrations with young people around the world, demanding that their leaders take more aggressive actions to combat climate change. In many cases, the young people are more educated and concerned than some of the so-called “leaders” who deny climate change is happening, claim it’s a hoax, and support the fossil fuel industry rather than alternative energy.

Q: What was your research process like?

A: I watched many films about Antarctica, including the old Cousteau expedition to Antarctica and videos taken by scientists doing current research in Antarctica. I interviewed scientists working in Antarctica and read books and articles reflecting recent research. My favorite part of the research is speaking with and/or emailing scientists because they’re the ones on the ground or, in the case of Antarctica, under the water, gathering information on animals and plants and their behavior. It’s their work that gives us knowledge about Antarctica, and I’m grateful to everyone who generously took the time to speak with me and answer my questions.

Q: How did your experience with writing nature documentaries for television contribute to the development of this book?

A: I think visually. When you write a nature film, you are working with the visual material—the footage. There’s interplay between the film’s narration and the images. The same is true when writing a picture book. Words and images must support each other, not just repeat each other. When writing a film, the first 30 seconds, called the “tease,” are the most important because they will either hook the viewer or they will switch to another channel. The first page, the first paragraph of a picture book functions in the same way as a film’s “tease.” I want to hook the reader so they will persist in reading the book all the way through. So I use some film-writing techniques in crafting a picture book text. And then, just as a film writer works with the film editor when narration and visuals are put together, my wonderful editor, Vicky Holifield, and I work together once the book’s designer flows Thomas’ illustrations into the page layout and we see what adjustments need to be made in order to achieve the best visual presentation of the whole book. Sometimes I have to cut some of the text to avoid a visually crowded page. Each page has to be pleasing to the eye as well as stimulating to the brain. The illustrations are key to whether a person will pick up the book in a bookstore or when browsing online. The illustrator’s images are as important as a film’s footage in selling the book.

Q: How did you react when you first saw Thomas Gonzalez’s illustrations? What do you like most about his art style?

A: WOW! I’m thrilled with Thomas’ illustrations. His larger-than-life style makes for visual impact. The scenic illustrations are spectacularly beautiful, and the illustrations of different species are accurate and bring my words to life. I feel fortunate indeed that Thomas is the illustrator for this book as well as the next one.

Q: What’s one thing you had to omit from the final version of the book that you wish you could have included?

A: We had to leave out a lot of details about how scientists work on the ice to obtain ice cores and what the cores tell about the history of climate on Earth.

Q: What’s the most interesting thing you learned in your research for Life in a Frozen World?

A: There’s no one most interesting thing. The adaptations that some animals have evolved for life in this frigid world are particularly fascinating—such as the ice fish’s natural antifreeze that prevents its blood from freezing solid, the food chain’s dependence on tiny krill, the effect of melting glaciers on penguins in West Antarctica, the “forest” of plants growing underwater. Everything about Antarctica is interesting, and I hope readers will finish this book with excitement. Maybe some of them will want to become scientists who study this remarkable continent.

Q: What was your favorite species to write about in this book?

A: The tiny crustaceans called krill and the ice fish.

Q: What is the most important thing you want readers to take away from this book?

A: That what happens to Antarctica’s ice affects not only the animals that live in Antarctica but also creatures, including humans, in every other place on Earth. Antarctic species need the ice to survive and so do we in order to keep our planet livable.

We asked Catherine Rayner about her inspiration and writing process for Arlo the Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep, a beautiful new bedtime book perfect for reluctant or troubled sleepers.

Q: What or who inspired you to write Arlo the Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep?

A: Arlo feels as though he’s been in my head as a character forever. It’s a funny feeling when you start to draw a character you’ve known for a while—it’s like an old friend coming to visit and makes you feel calm and happy. It certainly doesn’t happen often, so it’s a really lovely treat when occasionally it does! The idea for Arlo happened a little while before I realized exactly what his story would be. I always knew I wanted to make a book about sleep and mindfulness for children, and I wanted to be able to incorporate sleeping lions somehow, but I just hadn’t figured out a way to make it work. I have two children; both sometimes struggle to get to sleep, and I make up little poems for them at bedtime to help them nod off and calm their minds after a busy day. When I was working on the book, I started researching relaxation techniques, mindfulness, and meditation for children. There was a lot of connection, and I went about simplifying what I knew as a parent and had learned so I could draw on something that would hopefully become a helpful part of the bedtime ritual for parents and children alike. There is a rhyme in the story, which is memorable, and my boys now say it to themselves before lights-off time (I also now often use it when I can’t get to sleep). I very much hope other children will learn it and find it helpful, too. I really wanted to make a book that is primarily an enjoyable read and a visual treat, but which also has gentle messages in the story that will be absorbed at a deep level.

Q: Arlo the Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep is rife with themes of mindfulness and calmness. Are these virtues that are personal to you? Do you feel they’re particularly resonant for today’s children?

A: I feel that so much time is spent rushing about, we all forget to have those calm moments. Sharing picture books is a wonderful way to create a peaceful, quiet, and special quiet time. As an adult, half an hour with a good book is the perfect way to reset your mind and re-charge. If children can learn to enjoy this from an early age, then it is something they can turn to throughout life. It is so important—especially today when there are constant digital distractions. Everybody’s mind needs space from time to time, and it’s something I feel that I can help with as a children’s author and illustrator by creating books the people really want to read and enjoy. I take this aspect of my job very seriously. Looking after your mind is one of the single most important things we can do. I hope that Arlo can provide comfort, relaxation, and peace for people of all ages. He certainly makes me and my children feel ready for calm.

Q: The owl tells Arlo to relax and imagine a place he’d love to go and the things he’d see there. What travel destination comforts you?

A: Close to home, I love going up into the hills just outside Edinburgh on horseback. The views always recharge me. Further afield, Italy is my place to relax. The mountains, sun, and sea feel like a warm blanket. I always come home inspired and rejuvenated after a trip there!

Q: How did you decide to write about a lion instead of another animal? Why did you choose an owl for the lion’s companion?

A: In the UK there is a popular children’s game called “Sleeping Lions.” In this, a group of children lie very still, and the first one to move at all—even a twitch—is out. The child who can stay statue-still the longest wins! The title of this popular game was part of the inspiration for the book, and I thought a book about a lion who simply can’t sleep would be a nice nod to it. I also think there is nothing more relaxing to draw than a relaxed lion. When I started to imagine the book, I was excited to be able to paint a restless lion turning in to a relaxed and happy lion as there is a huge amount of different emotions to illustrate in such a beautiful creature. Owls are nocturnal, and Arlo needed a friend who had opposite sleeping patterns to him. A lovely night owl was the perfect companion to teach him how to get some much-needed rest.

Q: Are you more like Arlo or the owl?

A: I am more like Arlo! In fact—I use the rhyme in the story to help me nod off most nights, and I find it very helpful.

Q: What inspired your illustrations?

A: Dreams, shapes, colors, landscapes, deserts… The whole natural world! I spent a lot of time designing the book so that the reader would enjoy every page turn and appreciate an array of dreamy color and texture to help them relax and unwind.

Q: What is your process for developing your picture books? Does this process change from book to book?

A: I tend to develop a character and a story at the same time. But this does change a little with each book I make as every single one has a pattern of its own. People often ask me what the magic formula for creating a good picture book is. I wish I knew! It’s a new challenge every time as books are a bit like living things; each is individual with its own problems to overcome. Each one takes a different amount of time to create, too. Some are quicker than others, some have been bubbling away in the back of my mind for years, and others appear in a “light bulb moment.” I never find making a book easy—but it’s always worth it in the end.

Q: How was creating this book different from others you’ve written and illustrated?

A: In order to create the book and the illustrations, I really had to get inside Arlo’s mind. When I was working on the pages where he is feeling utterly exhausted, I also felt very rough as I had to delve right into his emotions to be able to illustrate his mood and expressions. I was very flat and extremely tired while I was working on the first part of the story, but I perked up after he had his first good night’s sleep. When I’m drawing a character, I have to go on the journey with them. Painting the dream spreads was lovely. I made myself feel calm and relaxed and put some lovely music on and lit a nice candle in my studio. When Arlo is excited, I’d listen to louder music and have a dance around. Sometimes I think that if somebody saw me while I was working my way through a book, they would think I was totally insane! People have to believe that the characters I make have souls. I couldn’t do this if I didn’t feel the emotions they were going through.

Q: What do you like most about writing and illustrating for children?

A: Where do I start!? I love making up stories, reading to children, designing characters, helping children learn to read, helping children develop a love of books that will help them throughout their lives. I love that I get to visit children in schools and at events. I love the letters and pictures I get from children from all over the world. I love the people that I work with on the books. I love the challenges that come with creating something new…

Q: What do you hope readers take away from Arlo the Lion Who Couldn’t Sleep?

A: I hope that readers old and young finish the story feeling content and calm. I hope Arlo helps to make falling asleep become a pleasure. I also hope readers feel safe, cozy, and relaxed like Arlo and the other lions when they finish reading. Finally, I hope that a level of mindfulness sinks into a child without any effort and that Arlo and Owl’s rhyme helps them throughout their lives. Helping them to always appreciate peaceful moments.

Q: What’s next for you?

A: Fish, unicorns, bears, birds, guinea pigs… I don’t want to spoil any surprises, but I am very busy indeed…!