Welcome to Reader’s Corner!
This is a place for all kinds of things. Poems and pictures, letters from you, thoughts from me… It’s a changing exhibit, of sorts. So, check it out, now and then — you never know what you’ll find!
Featured for now, on READER’S CORNER…
Have you ever wondered how a picture book is made?
Hi friends! This is me with my friend Ken Min, the talented, wonderful illustrator of BENJI, THE BAD DAY, AND ME. It’s not often that the writer and the artist of a picture book get to meet and hang out in person. But I was lucky — Ken and I got to do a panel together at the Mysterious Galaxy Bookshop in San Diego in 2019. He is AWESOME!!!
The process of creating a picture book is kind of complicated. It takes many people, but three are especially key: the artist, the writer, and the editor. The editor of BENJI, Jessica Echeverria, had a beautiful vision for how my words and Ken’s pictures should come together. She held the reins and made it happen!
First, she worked with me to make lots of little changes in the wording. She really helped it be a much better story! Then, she worked with Ken to discuss art direction – and based on these talks, Ken made a bunch of sketches in blue pencil. Here’s one of them:
We tossed around some ideas for small changes, but basically, we all loved Ken’s ideas for how Benji and Sammy, the two brothers in the book, should look. Then, with everyone happy, Ken went ahead and completed the artwork.
Here is a photo of me, holding the original art he did for that blue-pencil sketch! Ken very generously GAVE that sketch to me!!! And it’s hanging proudly on the wall in my house, right now!
