Tag: Creator Spotlight

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Creator Spotlight: K-Fai Steele

At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our creators as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to K-Fai Steele!

About the Creator:

K-FAI STEELE is the author-illustrator of A Normal Pig and All Eyes on Ozzy! and has illustrated several other books. She has a forthcoming graphic novel with Kokila. She was a James Marshall Fellow at the University of Connecticut, a Brown Handler Writer in Residence at the San Francisco Public Library, and an Ezra Jack Keats/Kerlan Memorial Fellow at the University of Minnesota. Born in Charlton, Massachusetts, K-Fai now lives in Stockholm, Sweden.

Q&A with K-Fai Steele:

What was the best part about designing Lena’s look?

I love chickens and I’ve always loved drawing them. I’d been trying to manifest a chicken book to illustrate for a while, so when I got the chance to make Lena I was READY. She came running straight out of central casting.

Were there any challenges in balancing her chicken features with her dinosaur side?

Drawing her as an actual dinosaur was hard. It felt like I was reverse engineering evolution. I also don’t have a lot of practice drawing dinosaurs, I think I’d much rather draw chickens with dinosaur energy.

Do you have a favorite spread?

I loved drawing Lena terrorizing Madeline’s family and the aftermath of them complaining about her being so aggressive. There was nothing in the text that suggested her parents were tending their wounds, so I think that’s a good example of how a drawing can deepen a character or a narrative. I also drew Madeline unscathed because I don’t think Lena would ever hurt a kid like Madeline (who I see as a stand-in for the reader). These two drawings give you a sense of how tough but also considerate and sweet she is! Also I really love the detail of the bandaid on Madeline’s dad’s balding head; I feel like that hit a really good humor note.

Lena is such an expressive chicken, showing a whole range of emotions. How did you make such an egg-spressive chicken face?

I love drawing chickens so much that it’s gotten easy for me to use them as templates for emotions. I know exactly what their eyes, eyebrows and beaks are going to do when they’re happy, sad, anxious, etc. I think that’s what happens when you know how to draw something so well and why drawing is so powerful; once you figure something out you can do anything with it.

The book has a die-cut cover. If money were no object, what other special features would you have included in this book?

I originally wanted a lenticular cover so that it would flicker between a chicken and a dinosaur as you walked past it, but I think this idea of a die cut cover (art director Gigi Lau’s idea) works beautifully. Hmm but if money were no object, I’d have it so that every time you read this book you’d have Lena in your lap reading it with you, pointing out all the funny details.

Books by K-Fai Steele:

Lena the Chicken (But Really a Dinosaur!)
Written by Linda Bailey
Illustrated by K-Fai Steele
56 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774880135 | Tundra Books
Lena lives in a chicken coop, and she looks a lot like a chicken. But deep down, she’s convinced that she’s a . . . DINOSAUR! She can feel it in her bones. Lena just doesn’t understand the scaredy chickens in her family, and they don’t understand her either, with her ferociousness and big ideas. The people on the farm are also baffled . . . except for little Madeline, who thinks Lena has PERSONALITY. And then, when a dastardly weasel turns up and threatens the coop, Lena’s fearful family chickens out AGAIN. It’s up to Lena to unleash her inner dinosaur like never before — to save the coop and show this silly bunch of chickens how to stand up for themselves. And when Madeline’s science fair project shows that chickens are the closest living relatives in the world to dinosaurs, Lena’s family finally starts to see that — holy hen house! — they are all dinosaurs too!

That Always Happens Sometimes
Written by Kiley Frank
Illustrated by K-Fai Steele
42 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781984852434 | Knopf BFYR
Do you have a list of things to do every morning before school, but you get . . . distracted? Or maybe you’re the only one with tennis balls on the feet of your chair and your teacher has to remind you to keep your sounds to yourself? Or maybe you like to listen to the way water sloshes in your stomach when you run down the hall, slo-mo, after the water fountain? That always happens sometimes to Max in this warm, hilarious picture book that humorously chronicles the pitfalls and celebrates the successes of a very familiar kid . . . one who may not be the most compliant or organized but who is full of energy, creativity, and kindness.

Lone Wolf Goes to School
Written by Kiah Thomas
Illustrated by K-Fai Steele
56 Pages | Ages 6-9 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780823457779 | Neal Porter Books
Wolf has just the right amount of friends: NONE. He loves to be alone. Unfortunately, everywhere he goes, other people are there too. At school, the teacher says if he can’t get along with the other students, he has to leave. So he goes to the movies. More people! He tries the beach. No peace there, either. He flees to the remote peak of a mountain, and even there, someone comes along to bother him. Finally, Wolf hatches a plan. All these people arrive for a party at Wolf’s house . . . while Wolf makes a quick exit.

Lone Wolf Goes to the Library
Written by Kiah Thomas
Illustrated by K-Fai Steele
48 Pages | Ages 6-9 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780823457809 | Neal Porter Books
Wolf’s library book is overdue, and the librarian says if it’s not returned today, he will never ever be able to check a book out again. Wolf loves books. He can’t let this happen. Even worse: the book is due by the end of story time. Story time means tons of children having noisy fun. Can Wolf get to the library in time while avoiding his nemeses —other people — and preserve both his books . . . and his sanity?  

Lone Wolf Goes on Vacation
Written by Kiah Thomas
Illustrated by K-Fai Steele
48 Pages | Ages 6-9 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780823457793 | Neal Porter Books
Wolf is excited for a peaceful, refreshing vacation: There, there’ll be nobody he knows. Nobody he doesn’t know. Nobody to bother him at all. Total relaxation. But from a sing-along bus ride to a broken elevator to a hotel room snafu, Wolf can’t seem to catch a break. And worst of all, some familiar old characters have somehow chosen the same dream destination. Will Wolf ever find solitude? Maybe the best vacation is a trip to an all-too-familiar place . . .

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Creator Spotlight: Suzy Levinson

At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our creators as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Suzy Levinson!

About the Author:

SUZY LEVINSON is a children’s author and poet. Originally from Massachusetts, she now lives in New York with her husband and their most excellent cat. Her poems have appeared in numerous anthologies and magazines, including Highlights and Cricket. Her critically acclaimed debut picture book, Animals in Pants, was published in 2023.

Q&A with Suzy Levinson:

The combination of poetry, dinosaurs and driving is such a fun and unique idea. How did the idea for this book come to be?

It all started when I was deciding on a birthday gift to send my little nephew in Montreal. He wanted candy, but I figured I could do a bit better than that. I googled “cool presents for three-year-olds,” and this extremely disturbing-looking set of toy cars popped up. They were dinosaur heads, just the heads, on wheels. Really weird. I scoffed, then immediately bought them because how could I not? It was ridiculous! Some evil genius had taken two random things that kids love, dinosaurs and cars, and smashed them together in a way that utterly defied reason! Then I thought, hmm . . . I could do that, too. That’s when the title, Dinos That Drive, hit me like a lightning bolt, and I knew it was time to get to work on an exciting new poetry collection.

How much dinosaur research did you have to do?

First things first, I sat down and wrote a list of the dinosaurs I knew off the top of my head, which was about three. So I obviously had to read some dinosaur books to fill out that list to twenty or so. Then came the task of matching up specific dinosaur traits to specific modes of transportation, which entailed more research. Because I couldn’t just plop random dinos in random vehicles, willy-nilly. These poems were only going to work if I maintained a certain level of weird internal logic, where the nonsensical made sense. For instance, I learned that “brontosaurus” means “thunder lizard,” so of course he had to ride a motorcycle! I mean, let’s face it: Thunder Lizard is the ultimate biker name.

You cannot miss the humor in this book. How do you make sure your poems are playful, funny and easy to read?

The most important part is establishing a silly and subversive premise right at the top, like hello, welcome to a world where dinosaurs drive. That’s the reality we live in now, take it or leave it. From there, my only job is to present perfectly reasonable scenarios in this weird driving-dino world, each written in rhyming verse. Writing in rhyme is the biggest challenge. It’s also my favorite part. There’s nothing more fun than writing poems that sound loose and conversational, all while maintaining strict-strict-STRICT rhyme scheme and meter! I’m basically creating impossible word puzzles that I then have to solve. The only way to ensure that these poems stay playful is if I’m super-duper tough with myself. No stumbly and distracting meter, no flat and uninspired word choices, no awkward phrasing! I have to read my work aloud, over and over again, plus share it with trusted critique partners who won’t hold back. The poems should feel effortless, almost like I didn’t tear my hair out making them just so.

What do you love most about writing poetry for kids?

I didn’t read much poetry when I was a kid, but I was fairly obsessed with Shel Silverstein’s collections. A Shel Silverstein poem always felt like a thrilling gift. Like a dino head on wheels, you might say. The fact that I can now sit at my desk whenever I want and play around with language, find the perfect word combination that paints a picture, that makes kids laugh and see the world a little differently? Well, that feels like a pretty thrilling gift, too.

Do you have a favorite dinosaur?

I’ll admit, I’ve never thought about my favorite dinosaur before. But now that you’re asking . . . I’m going with stegosaurus! By all accounts, a gentle herbivore. Meaning if I ever bump into one, he probably won’t eat me.

Books by Suzy Levinson:

Dinos That Drive
Written by Suzy Levinson
Illustrated by Dustin Harbin
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774885239 | Tundra Books
You’ve never seen a dinosaur that’s into driving cars? Well, buckle up! Brontosaurus, Triceratops, Pterodactyl and T. rex are all here to show off their driving, flying and diving skills in this riotous, fully illustrated book of poems about dinosaurs and their favorite things-that-go! From flighty Bambiraptor’s traffic chopper to hardheaded Pachycephalosaurus’s garbage truck to mama Maiasaura’s kid-carting minivan, and even to the stars beyond — these dinos on the go have no time to slow down. Each spread is full of fun details for young readers to pore over, but with our intrepid dino guides providing helpful dino facts on each page, you’ll never need a GPS again!

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Creator Spotlight: Linda Bailey

At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our creators as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Linda Bailey!

About the Author:

LINDA BAILEY has written nearly forty books for children, including The Three Little Mittens, Carson Crosses Canada, Princesses Versus Dinosaurs and If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur. Her books have been translated into twenty languages and have won multiple awards such as the Ontario Blue Spruce and Silver Birch Awards, the California Young Reader Medal, the Georgia Children’s Picturebook Award and the UK School Library Association Information Book Award. Linda has been honored for her exceptional body of work in children’s literature with the Vicky Metcalf Award. She lives in Vancouver, British Columbia.

Q&A with Linda Bailey:

Lena the Chicken (But Really A Dinosaur) is such a fun, imaginative and unique story. What sparked the idea for this story?

Chickens! And dinosaurs! I am fond of both. I once spent a few weeks “chicken-sitting” for my friend Margriet Ruurs, looking after her flock of chickens on Salt Spring Island while she went on holiday. As for dinosaurs, the first Jurassic Park movie really pulled me in and then I got hooked on all the stunning paleological discoveries that have happened over the past 30 years. In the end, it was the connection between birds and dinosaurs that triggered this story.

What is it about dinosaurs that inspires you to keep including them in your stories?

Well, they’re just so . . . odd. Aren’t they? There’s such incredible variety and eccentricity in the way they looked and behaved. Also, sheer size! And how amazing is it that they lived hundreds of millions of years ago — and we can still walk among their gigantic fossilized skeletons in museums? Generally what I feel is awe and wonder.

Was there someone that was the inspiration behind Lena?

I have never met an actual chicken like Lena. But I have known plenty of brave girls and women who have faced up to bullies like the weasel in this story. And on a personal level, I once faced a scarily large wild emu on a solitary walk in back-country Australia. I wasn’t as brave as Lena, but I did let out a loud squawk of fright. (Happy ending: the big bird ran away — just like the weasel in my story.)

If Lena were to leave the farm, what kind of adventures do you think she would want to experience?

That’s easy. In this book, Lena ends up being a guest of honor at a school science fair — and she just loves being the center of attention! I’m pretty sure Lena would want to visit lots of schools and repeat that experience again and again.

What do you hope children, and even their parents, take away after reading this book?

I hope they take away a smile and a few laughs, along with some curiosity about the evolutionary connection between dinosaurs and chickens. I also hope kids will notice that Lena was able to find her inner courage in a scary situation. And if a chicken can do that, so can they! 

Books by Linda Bailey:

Lena the Chicken (But Really a Dinosaur!)
Written by Linda Bailey
Illustrated by K-Fai Steele
56 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774880135 | Tundra Books
Lena lives in a chicken coop, and she looks a lot like a chicken. But deep down, she’s convinced that she’s a . . . DINOSAUR! She can feel it in her bones. Lena just doesn’t understand the scaredy chickens in her family, and they don’t understand her either, with her ferociousness and big ideas. The people on the farm are also baffled . . . except for little Madeline, who thinks Lena has PERSONALITY. And then, when a dastardly weasel turns up and threatens the coop, Lena’s fearful family chickens out AGAIN. It’s up to Lena to unleash her inner dinosaur like never before — to save the coop and show this silly bunch of chickens how to stand up for themselves. And when Madeline’s science fair project shows that chickens are the closest living relatives in the world to dinosaurs, Lena’s family finally starts to see that — holy hen house! — they are all dinosaurs too!

The Great Dinosaur Sleepover
Written by Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Joe Bluhm
44 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9780735269231 | Tundra Books
Jake loves dinosaurs, so with his birthday coming up, he knows just what kind of party he wants — a dinosaur sleepover! Dino games, dino balloons, dino cake. Dino everything! But when the big day arrives, his friends all come down with the flu, and the party seems to be on the edge of extinction. Then, in the middle of the night, Jake hears a strange noise and goes to investigate. To his surprise, he finds some prehistoric party guests right there in his living room! They’ve invited themselves in to make sure Jake has a birthday he’ll never forget — just don’t tell the T-Rex! An unforgettable birthday tale with huge laughs and heart, this newest picture book from acclaimed author Linda Bailey celebrates friendship, inclusion and fun – and is brought to life with magnificent, cinematic artwork from award-winning animation director and illustrator Joe Bluhm.

If You Happen to Have a Dinosaur
Written by Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Colin Jack
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Paperback
ISBN 9781774887707 | Tundra Books
If you happen to have a dinosaur, lying around your living room, and you don’t know what to do with it . . . why don’t you use it as a can opener? It will make a terrific nutcracker too! There are oodles of uses for a dinosaur — from a fine umbrella to an excellent kite and a dandy pillow, not to mention a reliable burglar alarm and the perfect excuse to forget your homework. This delightfully absurd exploration of the domestic uses of dinosaurs — and the things dinos just aren’t good for at all — is guaranteed to tickle funny bones and spark imaginations. If you read carefully, you’ll learn how to make your dinosaur last a very long time.

Princesses Versus Dinosaurs
Written by Linda Bailey
Illustrated by Joy Ang
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Paperback
ISBN 9781774883655 | Tundra Books
This is a princess book! No, it’s a dinosaur book! No, it’s . . . a T. rex book? A dragon book? A rubber ducky book?! From Linda Bailey, award-winning and critically acclaimed author, and Joy Ang, Adventure Time-artist and illustrator of the Mustache Baby series, comes an irresistibly irreverent picture book in which plucky princesses and determined dinosaurs have a battle royale over whose book this is. When they start calling in the big guns — or rather, the big carnivores — and decide to build a wall to resolve their differences, princesses and dinosaurs alike learn a thing or two about open-mindedness and sharing.

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Creator Spotlight: Claire Hatcher-Smith

At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our creators as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Claire Hatcher-Smith!

About the Author:

CLAIRE HATCHER-SMITH is a speech and language pathologist who has worked with children with Down Syndrome for 35 years. Originally from the UK, she now lives surrounded by sea on Vancouver Island, with her husband, their teenage son and a Korean rescue dog. As well as writing, Claire runs groups for neurodivergent tweens and teens, focusing on self/other awareness, self-esteem and self-advocacy skills.

Q&A with Claire Hatcher-Smith:

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
I think I’m living here! I backpacked across Canada in 1992 and fell in love with Vancouver Island. The air, the ocean, the forest. The people are pretty nice too. At least, I like the one I married. 

What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?
Walking the dog. Even when I wake up blurry, even when it’s raining, getting outside and moving around, not to mention watching her live her best life, always lifts my mood. And walking is usually the best way for me to get my ideas flowing and to work through any really tricky plot knots.

Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
It has to be breakfast (though I will happily eat excessively buttered toast at any time of day).

What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
Ooh, this is going back a bit but I was lucky enough to be in London in 1991 when Pavarotti gave a free concert in Hyde Park. It poured with rain, no one (including Princess Diana) could use an umbrella because it blocked the view of the stage and we were soaked to the skin, but the whole evening was completely magical. 

What do you look for in a friendship?
Kindness, empathy and acceptance. Plus a passion for books, coffee and wine.

Books by Claire Hatcher-Smith:

A Skeleton in the Closet
By Claire Hatcher-Smith
240 Pages | Age 10+ | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774885116 | Tundra Books
Twelve-year-old Mizzy dreams of being a detective and she won’t let anything stand in her way — not her reputation for tall tales, or her embarrassing fear of escalators, and definitely not her Down syndrome. Dumped for the summer with cousins who’ve outgrown her, Mizzy feels even more sidelined than usual. But when she discovers Great Aunt Jane’s diaries in a locked wardrobe in their spare room, and realizes her aunt didn’t just die in her sleep but under suspicious circumstances, everything changes. What’s more . . . someone in the family appears to have been involved. Under the guise of a family tree project for school, and armed with a brand-new set of Pip-Squeaks markers, Mizzy grabs the chance to prove herself to her cousins — and the world.

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Creator Spotlight: Stephanie Graegin

At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our creators as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Stephanie Graegin!

About the Author:

STEPHANIE GRAEGIN makes books for hedgehogs and humans of all ages. She spends her days and nights observing, recording and drawing the adventures of her hedgehog friends and neighbors. Her picture books include Little Fox in the Forest, Fern and Otto and The Long Ride Home. Stephanie has also illustrated numerous other children’s books, such as the Heartwood Hotel series. She lives in New York.

Q&A with Stephanie Graegin:

If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
I’m pretty happy with living in New York City. It has everything I like in one place: great art museums, tons of bookstores, great food, beautiful parks, and four seasons.

What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?
Chocolate. Feeling like things are “working” while writing, or making a drawing that feels just right. And I always feel better after a run, because it feels like an accomplishment.

Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Dinner, because it’s a time to unwind and relax. Especially if it’s Friday night sushi being eaten while watching a favorite show.

What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
Sufjan Stevens for a Celebrate Brooklyn concert. It was transcendent, he’s an unbelievable performer. The concert was outside in Prospect Park on a hot summer day. It started pouring buckets of rain which somehow made the whole experience more magical.

What do you look for in a friendship?
Kindness. Bonus points if we can talk about books for hours.

Books by Stephanie Graegin:

Everyday Bean
By Stephanie Graegin
56 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Hardcover
ISBN 9781774886205 | Tundra Books
Meet Bean, a very tiny hedgehog. She loves ghosts, swings and a stuffie called Clem. Meet Bean’s grandma. She loves strawberries, sweaters and tiny Bean burritos. And they both love stories. In ten tiny stories we follow Bean and her grandmother through adventures of the everyday. Bean loses her bad mood in a meadow and Grandma thinks she sees a ghost (don’t worry it’s just Bean!) — and there’s even a story with giant strawberries. This first volume in the Tiny Bean’s Big Adventures series by acclaimed author/illustrator and hedgehog friend/insider, Stephanie Graegin, is the perfect gift for little (and big) readers and hedgehog admirers everywhere.

Fern and Otto: A Picture Book Story About Two Best Friends
By Stephanie Graegin
40 Pages | Ages 3-7 | Paperback
ISBN 9780593481325 | Dragonfly Books
When best friends Fern, a bear, and Otto, a cat, go searching for an exciting story in the forest, they have different ideas about what that means. Fern thinks they should stop and watch a race between a tortoise and a hare, but Otto worries that a tortoise is too slow to be exciting. Fern thinks listening to the three brothers talking about how to build a house is incredibly interesting, but Otto isn’t convinced. Along the way, the two friends meet a little girl in red who is off to visit her grandmother (and a wolf headed the same way!), a cranky girl complaining that her porridge isn’t the right temperature, and many others. But it’s not until they run into a big scary witch that they can both agree: this is not the kind of excitement they had in mind. With irresistible illustrations and tons of charming details, this is a delightful fantasy that proves the best adventures are the ones you share.

Little Fox in the Forest
By Stephanie Graegin
40 Pages | Ages 4-8 | Paperback
ISBN 9780553537895 | Random House Studio
When a young girl brings her beloved stuffed fox to the playground, much to her astonishment, a real fox takes off with it! The girl chases the fox into the woods, with her friend, the boy, following close behind, but soon the two children lose track of the fox. Wandering deeper and deeper into the forest, they come across a tall hedge with an archway. What do they find on the other side? A marvelous village of miniature stone cottages, tiny treehouses, and, most extraordinary of all, woodland creatures of every shape and size living there. But where is the little fox? And how will they find him? Stephanie Graegin’s oh-so-charming illustrations are simply irresistible, and readers young and old will want to pore over the pages of this delightful fantasy adventure again and again.

Tundra Book Group