Interview of Honee Jang, Illustrator of THE PRINCESS & THE GRAIN OF RICE by Tina Cho

I want to welcome my fabulous illustrator to the Grog Blog, Honee Jang! I'm blown away by all the research and places she traveled to for illustrating our picture book, THE PRINCESS & THE GRAIN OF RICE.

Honee Jang

1. Tell us a little about yourself. (and how to pronounce your name for readers)

Hello! It's a delight to share my story with you. My name is Honee Jang, pronounced "Han-ee", with Han as in the "Han Dynasty" and E like the letter. I'm a Korean American illustrator and a book designer.

I started out as a picture book designer at HarperCollins in New York. After moving to London in 2020, I expanded my practice to illustration as well. Through bookmaking, I wish to be true to the message of each story and to create work that feels genuine, thoughtful, and sincere.

2. What or who inspired you to become an illustrator? What steps did you take for your career?

Shaun Tan's The Red Tree was my first true introduction to the world of illustration. I devoured picture books as a child, but his work was the first to make me realize that "illustrator" could be a profession. When I first moved from Korea to the U.S. in 2003, art became my primary form of expression. I used it wherever I could–to make friends, to take on big school projects, and to shape a sense of identity for myself, as someone who does art. I was shy and not yet fluent in English, and the way Tan captured feelings of displacement and self-discovery through metaphor resonated deeply with me.

His rich colors and emotional depth kept pulling me back to his other work, and learning much later that his family were immigrants made that connection feel even more meaningful.

Shaun Tan's The Red Tree - YouTube flip through

Through pure luck and the encouragement of my middle school music teacher, I auditioned for A.W. Dreyfoos School of the Arts, a public free arts high school which happens to be one of the rarest programs in the country. Students could audition for two majors, so I applied for flute performance first and fine art second. My parents thought this would improve my chances for admission since I didn't have proper art training, but I remember secretly wishing not to get in for music, so I can study art. And that's exactly what happened.

My path to art still wasn't a straight path. After a few turbulent years and many difficult conversations with my parents, I transferred from a pharmacy program to Pratt Institute, filled with a lot of hope and even bigger fear. After graduating with a degree in illustration, I took on any creative-ish work I could find–mostly graphic design for event stationery and social media. It took another two years to join HarperCollins as a book designer. I hadn't even known that role existed, but I loved it instantly. It felt like going to work to play.

As I immersed myself in the publishing world, my love for picture books quietly deepened. In 2020, I moved to the UK to join my husband, and a six-month period without a work permit gave me the unexpected space to pursue illustration myself. What began as a pause became a new chapter.

3. What made you want to take on this book project?

While working in publishing, I was in awe of the growing number of Asian immigrant voices creating picture books, and I felt a strong need for more Asian stories. Like many Asian Americans growing up in the US, I remember scanning through library shelves for familiar surnames, hoping to find a story that reflected how I felt– looking for all the Parks, Kims, and Lees (hello, Harper Lee–you're wonderful, but not quite who I was searching for).

Around the time I joined HarperCollins, Black voices were gaining long-overdue visibility in the industry, and that gave me hope that Asian voices would soon follow. Then books like Joanna Ho's Eyes that Kiss in the Corners and Robin Ha's Almost American Girl appeared, which affirmed to me that this shift was already happening, and that we didn't need to wait quietly for our turn. I knew that if given the opportunity, I could bring something honest and deeply rooted in my culture to the world of picture books.

Joanna Ho's Eyes that Kiss in the Corners and Robin Ha's Almost American Girl

I was already familiar with Tina's wonderful book, The Ocean Calls, a story about a haenyeo (Jeju island's freediving fisherwoman) and her granddaughter. With my desire to do my part, I was thrilled to receive the manuscript for The Princess and the Grain of Rice. The visuals came alive immediately–the yellow jeogori, and orange-red chima, and a curious, sincere girl who genuinely wants the best for her people. I was excited to highlight Korean values such as jeong–a deep, innate sense of care and connection– respect for elders and all living beings, and modesty.

Setting the story in the Joseon dynasty allowed me to explore a culture I deeply love. I was especially drawn to retelling Queen Jeongsoon's princess test through the lens of a familiar Western folktale, and to share her wisdom in a way that felt both fresh and relatable for readers.

4. Please share w/readers how you created the illustrations. (tools, medium)

For some years, I felt drawn back to traditional media, and this project felt like the perfect opportunity. I wanted a hand-drawn, folky quality that feels carefully made and gently worn by time.

I aimed for a flat, calligraphic style that nods to ancient art while remaining modern and child-friendly. I used rough black outlines that mimic calligraphic brushes, and charcoal/crayon like textures to flatten the color shapes. This approach helped evoke the feeling of traditional painting.

To emulate the texture of traditional rice paper–the "canvas" during Joseon period made from mulberry pulp and used since Korea's Three Kingdoms era–I experimented with various surfaces. Surprisingly, photograph of a white concrete wall worked beautifully to achieve that effect.

Early sketches of Jeongsoon

Jeongsoon before she was aged up later in the process (she looks too young to get married here!)

5. What research did you have to do for this book?

The timing I received the book offer was incredibly lucky because I had plans to travel to Korea when I received the book offer. During that trip, I gathered books, photos, and revisited historic sites in person, including Gyeongbokgung Palace, Changdeokgung Palace, and the Royal Museum.

One interesting discovery was that Gyeongbokgung, what we often think of as the main palace, was destroyed by fire during the Imjin War in 1592 and left in ruins for nearly three centuries. During that long period, Changdeokgung became the primary residence for royalty before Gyeongbokgung was eventually restored in the 19th century. As a result, the palace depicted in our book is actually Changdeokgung. It was beloved by so many royals, especially for their beautiful secret garden, and it seems they were quite content residing there. A scene from the secret garden appears in the moment when Jeongsoon and the mouse encounter the Queen and the Prince at night. I had also hoped to include the palace study hall in the opening scene, where the prince studies with two other royal boys, but we ultimately removed it because the angle didn't allow us to feature both the prince's face and the setting effectively.

The jeonja by the lake where the Queen and the prince had their late night snack

The bridge Jeongsoon crosses over to see the queen and the prince.

The fan shaped jeonja in the background of the scene

The illustration inspired by the Secret Garden

I was also able to spend time at one of Korea's best art libraries, Uijeongbu Music Art Library, where I researched hanbok, minhwa (traditional folk paintings), royal and folk art, embroidery, and furniture. I spent two full weeks immersed in books, taking notes and photos. Access to these primary sources was invaluable, particularly in correcting historical inaccuracies often seen in older K-dramas I was referencing (for example, hair and accessories that were not present at the time. Historical research today leaves very little room for error, but just 20 years ago, the standards were far less rigorous.)

Uijeongbu Music Art Library

Bojagi pattern books

Golden foil on the royal skirt

Royal interior furniture

Pillow designs

The prince's robe on coronation day

Back in London, I watched historical documentaries and K-dramas (Shroop, E-san, Moon Embracing the Sun, Mr. Sunshine, Queen: Love and War, Knight Flower, Love in the Moonlight) –often with the sound off– to focus on posture, hierarchy, clothing folds, and prop usage. I collected countless screenshots, organized by page number in the book. For lingering questions, I relied on scholarly and government resources such as Encyclopedia of Korean Culture and Korea Heritage Service.

K-drama scenes featuring the line ups of princess candidates and positioning of the royals and the court maidens

K-drama scenes featuring the line ups of princess candidates and positioning of the royals and the court maidens

The food storage in a wealthy noble's house

6. What is your favorite illustration/spread in this book?

I love the scene where the Queen and Jeongsoon face each other in profile. Their relationship is echoed in Sin Saimdang's painting of two birds making eye contact in the background wall. The subtle cherry blossoms in the room hint at the positive news the Queen is about to share.

The scene where the Queen and Jeongsoon face each other in profile

7. What was most challenging for this book?

Despite the research, some details remained ambiguous. The most challenging scene was the coronation toward the end of the book. Queens traditionally wear red for coronation ceremonies, while princesses wore dark navy robes. However, confirming this distinction, along with the embroidery details on the sleeves, took days of careful research before I was sure that this was the most accurate choice.

Hairstyles were another challenge throughout the book, but particularly in this scene. I initially chose an older hairstyle for women, then reverted to period-accurate styles on each page. For the coronation, however, I returned to the older hairstyle again, because I found special occasions like this often retained earlier traditions.

In the end, it became one of the most rewarding scenes to illustrate. Beyond the costume details, I felt I was able to capture everything I wanted to emphasize in that moment.

The coronation scene

8. Was there anything surprising that came about during the creation of this book?

I was struck by both the subtlety and intricacy of details in clothing, architecture, and everyday objects. I was especially fascinated to learn that some women historically wore trousers, and that the curved sleeves of women's jeogori (now considered as a signature Korean silhouette) only appeared around the 1900s.

9. What are some of the Easter eggs in this book?

There are many minhwa references throughout, including works by Sinsaimdang and her daughter Shin Mae-hyang (the latter's life or work are sadly far less documented), as well as paintings by Kim Hong-do and Kim Deuk-shin (the couple chasing the cat). It would be interesting for the readers to spot how these artworks echo the story's themes.

And of course, there's the sneaky mouse appears in nearly every palace scene–a wonderful idea coined by my designer, Melisa Vuong.

10. What do you hope readers take away from reading and admiring this book?

I hope young readers feel proud of their heritage and see the deep cultural roots behind K-dramas, K-pop, and Korean stories. I also hope they notice how people from the past lived differently, but also shared the same core values such as kindness, authenticity, and empathy.

11. What advice do you have for illustrators?

When I am in doubt, I try to keep creating and stay with the process. Even when it feels like nothing is moving, or even enjoyable, I remind myself that I'm still learning, experimenting, and slowly refining my voice. Feeling stuck often becomes part of the process for me, as an opportunity to pause, reflect, and readjust my direction.

This has been a mantra I've returned to for years. I try to trust that forward motion doesn't always feel obvious, but it's there.

12. What's next for you?

I've been working on my own author-illustrated picture book for a while now. I can't wait to share it with the world when it's ready. :)

You can find Honee at:

Instagram: @honeej

Bluesky:@honeej.bsky.social

X: @HoneeJ_illo

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/Honee-Jang-Illustration-100077890917664/

LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/honeejang/

Website: honeejang.com

And look at the fabulous teacher's guide that Honee & I worked on!

Click to go to the page on my website.

THANK YOU, HONEE!!

How to Write a Reimagined Fairy Tale by TIna Cho

Like many of you, I grew up listening to fairy tales. And even more fun for me as a teacher is sharing my love of fairy tales with my kindergartners. In fact, one of our common core literacy standards is to compare and contrast stories. So, I especially like reading the original story to them and then sharing all the fun retellings. For example, we read The Three Little Pigs, and then I share my author friends’ spin on the story: The Three Ninja Pigs by Corey Rosen Schwartz, illustrated by Dan Santat and It’s Not the Three Little Pigs by Josh Funk, illustrated by Edwardian Taylor.

Fairy tales with a twist are often referred to as fractured fairy tales. But I don’t like that description. Fractured means broken, something destroyed. These stories are far from that. Instead, I’m going to refer to them as reimagined. Using one’s imagination, how can you put a twist and make it fresh and new?

In my Storystorm 2022 idea notebook, I scribbled down idea #10 for one of my favorite fairy tales to teach, The Princess and the Pea. I wrote on the page: “The Princess and the Rice.” I ran the idea by my agent in June. She loved it and wanted a draft in the next month! Five months later and many revisions back and forth with my critique groups and agent, it went out on submission. The VERY next day we had a bite. Editor Grace Kendall of Farrar, Strauss, Giroux (FSG), an imprint of Macmillan really liked it because she loved watching Korean dramas. Who knew there would be an editor out there who loved all things Korea and even lived there for a summer?! (Note to writers: you never know what an editor’s interests and experiences are, so submit!!) Grace asked for an R&R (revise & resubmit). Three months later, we had an offer! And the lovely Honee Jang illustrated it. Look for her interview next time.

Here are some ideas to write your own reimagined fairy tale:

    1. Make a list of your favorite fairy tales as a kid.

To jog your memory:
Wikipedia has a running list
Popular fairy tales

   2. Change the setting.

Instead of a Western/European castle setting, I set my princess in olden-day Korea, during the Joseon period (1392-1910). Instead of a castle, it’s a real Korean palace. 

    3. Change an important object in the story.

Instead of a nasty pea (I very much dislike peas), I changed it to a grain of rice, more fitting for my setting. Also, I changed the mattresses the princess sleeps on to blankets because in olden Korea, they slept on the floor using thick blankets. 

    4.Change some characters. Swap some out for others that fit your setting.

In one of my earlier drafts, I had the usual king and queen looking for a princess for their prince. However, to make this story updated for our times, we (critique groups, agent, & editor) deleted the king, gave the princess and queen more agency, and made the prince mellow. I also inserted a mouse, not any mouse, a Korean field mouse which used to be revered in the culture of the day, go figure.

    5. Slightly change the plot to fit the setting.

After doing lots of background research of Joseon princesses, I discovered a princess Jeongson (I changed her spelling to Jeongsoon so Americans will pronounce it correctly). She actually went through a princess challenge to become the next queen for a very old monarch. (I won’t get into that tangent right now.) In olden-day Korea, there really was a competition in which noble girls would apply and flock to the palace. They would compete in etiquette, outward and inner beauty, and wisdom. BINGO! This fit nicely into the standard Princess and the Pea plot. I could just add a sleeping test on 100 blankets for another princess challenge! Do you see how I kept the main plot but changed some of the details? You still want the story to be recognizable.

    6. Add humor.

Everyone loves to laugh, from the child to the adult reading the story. Humor lightens a heavy message in a plot. And fairy tales can be heavy emotionally. Classic fairy tales have good versus evil—the wolf, the witch, an evil stepmother, etc… Children process these concepts and apply them to their own problems. So, adding in humor to lighten a scene adds to the loveable qualities of these stories! In my story, my characters fumble and tumble! Literally.

    7. Add layers to the story—emotional, cultural, thematic.

In my story, Jeongsoon, who has a heart as gentle as jade, wants to become a princess so she can help feed the hungry people in her village. But she’s a little clumsy. However, she stays true to herself to win the vote of the queen. Obviously, there are also cultural Korean details in the story. There’s also a theme of identity. The author’s note alludes to this. Growing up, I nor my daughter, had books or movies with Korean princesses. Disney princess movies had white princesses at the time. And to this day, there isn’t a Disney Korean princess. Maybe someday! So, I want readers, especially Asian kids, to see themselves in this story. There’s another theme—what does it take to become a princess? Certainly, it can’t be based on looks. What does inner beauty look like?

My daughter--Princess Anna 

    8. Add entry points or selling points for marketing.

I recently learned of this term “entry points” from my wonderful agent. This term refers to all the ways the marketing team could market your book. The more the merrier and hopefully more sales! For example, The Princess and the Grain of Rice could be marketed as a princess book. Just having “princess” in the title is high concept, IMO. It’s also marketed as a fairy tale, which teachers and librarians will love. It’s also a diverse story, especially in Asian books. It could be marketed as historical fiction because it shows the Joseon era of Korea. I just looked on Amazon. They even have it marked in the “children’s values” section. As I referred to earlier, what does inner beauty look like?

    9. Add an author’s note and backmatter if needed.

If you use a real setting and time in history like I did, you’ll want to write back matter on the real places and people mentioned in the story. Plus, to my surprise, my editor even added a photo of my family at the princess’s gravesite. *Note, when we lived in Korea, we would go to these huge cemeteries because of their beauty and serenity, the green GRASS that was hard to find in an overcrowded Korea, and the openness of nature. Little did I know I would someday be writing about the very princess-turned-queen on whose ground my children played on!

    10.Add a catchy title that alludes to the original.

The Princess and the Grain of Rice it is! And the title alone sold the idea to my agent.

 

And there you have it! My 10 ideas for writing a reimagined fairy tale. What are your favorite fairy tales? Share in the comments! And if you have more tips, add yours!

Author Tina Cho with her young kids at a Korean palace in Seoul 2012

Tina Cho is a kindergarten teacher and author of many books including Rice from Heaven, The Ocean Calls, (4 starred reviews JLG, Freeman Honor Award), God’s Little Oceanographer, the forthcoming The Princess & the Grain of Rice (Feb. 10th), and The Kimchi Fridge (Oct. 6th). Her graphic novel, The Other Side of Tomorrow received five starred reviews, a JLG Gold Standard Selection, SLJ Best Graphic Novels List 2024, Kirkus Best Middle Grade 2024, Freeman Book Honor Award from NCTAsia, SCBWI Golden Kite Award, state lists, etc… 

You can visit her website at www.tinamcho.com 

The Princess & the Grain of Rice is available!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's Time to FLOAT with Larry Daley & His Debut! Craft Chat and Book Review by Kathy Halsey

Craft Chat with Larry Daley

Yesterday FLOAT, a debut picture book by author-editor Larry Daley, dropped into our world. This fun, engaging read includes hidden, buried surprises to entice readers trapped in the winter doldrums along with a subtle message on how to calm oneself when things don’t work out the way we'd like. What to do? You know . . .FLOAT!

Excitable, spunky main character Rosie knows her trip to the aquarium will be perfect. After all, she’s waited exactly twenty-three days, nine hours, eleven minutes, and nineteen seconds to see the baby sea turtle. But when a pesky seagull nabs her lunch, she’s frantic to retrieve it. In pursuit, she tangles with otters, penguins, seahorses, and even piranhas as they munch on her Slappy Sour Loopty Froots, lightly salted Corn Crackles, and even her fudge-covered Cookie Toes! (Such fun language in this book!)

When her madcap chase with the seagull leaves a trail of devastation throughout the aquarium Rosie is frustrated with herself and the mess she made. But the patient aquarium manager teaches Rosie to “float” and take a pause when the water gets rough. 

FLOAT makes for a great read aloud with the humorous, kid-friendly language, and educators and librarians will appreciate the backmatter on what sea creatures really eat at snack time. 

Craft Chat with Larry Daley

Kathy: I’m curious as to how your background in children’s media development and supervision of comic book brands such as Batman and Superman has influenced your debut FLOAT. What’s the connection between comics and picture books for you as a writer and illustrator?

Larry: I think when you’re a young artist starting out in pursuit of work, every opportunity put in front of you is worth exploring, even if it’s not your first choice. I had not read comics growing up, but an introduction during my first year in college presented me with a unique chance to intern at Marvel Comics in New York City, and for the first time, I saw writers and artists working professionally in the field, producing stunning work that truly energized me. 

I knew this was not the artistic work I was good at and even wanted to do, but it made me want to learn everything about how books were made and how the art directors and editors worked with talented artists. It became an incredible education for how and who makes books. It helped me understand how to pitch stories, work with art directors, make corrections on press-checks (the process of checking how the color looks when printed), it even open my eyes to why some artists never get hired while others do.

All this exposure helped me jump into picture books with more confidence because I understood the business. Being a creative professional, more often than not, is about being reliable, courteous, and a team player, rather than the greatest artist that ever lived. Whether it’s making comics, picture books, or any other form of storytelling, I’m grateful to know that making anything takes many hands and every one of them should be appreciated. 

Kathy: More children’s book creators are choosing to self-publish or go with a hybrid model since the children’s market is so tight now. How did you discover Bookling Media? What made that model the right choice for you?

Larry: I had been familiar with the publisher of Booking Media, Becky Gehrisch, creative work as we had met at a SCBWI conference in New York. I was very excited to see her start her publishing imprint and decided to submit a story. What immediately impressed me was her willingness to try something new to counter her own frustrations with the exclusivity of the children’s book market. Unfortunately, entry into kid’s publishing has become quite a mystery for most, so it’s not surprising to see so many aspiring writers and artists turning to self-publishing as their chance to share their stories.

Sadly, both the production quality and the marketing know-how is still not available to most who take that path. Success for people interested in a chance to be on the shelves still need a partner to make that happen and I believe small publishers have a lot going for them, depending on their business model. As for Bookling Media, their business model definitely has them doing some things right. For one, artists under their imprint retain the intellectual properties they create, meaning Bookling Media only licenses the rights to publish, versus owning the material. This is not the case for major imprints. 

Bookling Media also puts out a high quality product. Most self published work will not find an audience because the quality is difficult for most bookstores to carry. Lastly, Bookling Media partners with artists in marketing their book by helping them understand what an artist must do to have their work recognized in an oversaturated marketplace. In the end, an artist must know how to both create and market their product. A small publisher will help an artist understand what they need to do, even if they themselves can’t do it themselves.

Kathy: The main character Rosie is likeable and engaging. Did your own daughters serve as inspiration for her? Did you do character sketches first in her development or imagine and write about her?  

Larry: I would love to say that any one of my daughters inspired me for this character, but from the start, Rosie was always inspired by my grandmother. Standing at 5 feet tall, with fiery red hair, my Nana was a sweetheart who never seemed to be afraid of anything. She had a spark that was bold, brave and vulnerable in one package.She embodied a spirit that I wanted to see in this little girl, particularly in a situation when life threw her an unexpected curve ball. 

There’s no right way to behave when a seagull steals your food, but it was funny to see Rosie process those emotions in a way my grandmother would have loved. That said, I went through many versions of what Rosy would look like and the process took me a few months before I found her in the artwork. It was also interesting drawing her with wet hair as her adventure takes her into some scenarios I had never drawn before. Thankfully, Rosy turned out the way she was meant to be and I think my Nana would have adored her.

Kathy: Informational backmatter and facts about sea creatures make this book stand out from others. How did you arrive at the topic of sea creature snacks and the idea of lunchboxes? It's so kid-centric!

Larry: One of the things I love about Bookling Media is that educational material at the back of the book was part of the agreement. It was their suggestion to find a theme that was relevant to the story but offered factual information that gave teachers and librarians a starting point for conversation. Learning about real snacks for ocean animals seemed a natural pairing with Rosy’s story, but the idea of lunchboxes came from my own memories as a kid. 

For me, the start of school always began with shopping for school clothes and picking out my new metal lunchbox. I could have skipped the clothing part, but the thrill of selecting my lunchbox was the equivalent of having the newest sneakers in school. Why exactly? I’m not sure. They were just great. And to include them in the story as something all the kids owned was a personal gift to myself, which is also why there is a photo of me, at age seven, proudly showing off my King Kong lunchbox. 

Kathy: As a former K-12 school librarian, I was impressed that you have already attended ALA! What tips do you have for authors attending their first library conferences? What were your goals for these events?

Larry: What an interesting question. I had never been to one before I attended the ALA this year in Philadelphia. For those that haven’t been, it’s a large conference event for not only publishers showcasing their new book arrivals, but also new technology manufacturers in publishing and library services that offer an interesting glimpse into how the industry works. Many authors attend only by invitation from their publishers to sign book copies and be the stars for the imprint brands. 

It’s not the first place you would expect to meet and greet talent who work on the books, but it is a great place to better understand the book market. ALA is a space to ask a lot of questions and for the most part, those that attend are willing to give you thoughtful answers. What I appreciated was the great cross section of industry people in-the-know: publishers selling their new titles, reviewers such as the Library Journal or Kirkus Reviews taking note of what’s coming out, and librarians looking to order their next list of books.

If you’re lucky enough to be invited as a published author, your day will be filled with questions about your book. However, if you decide to attend on your own, it’s an opportunity to see what are the newest books in your genre and ask questions about why the marketing team is excited about them. As a creative writer or artist, this is the place to potentially see the next big hit and ask the librarians what kinds of books they’re interested in purchasing and why. Whether or not you decide to follow the book trends is up to you, but knowing what the market is looking for plays a role in how you pitch your ideas.   

Kathy: You have a few fun secrets buried in FLOAT. Can you share what surprises are hidden and why you were interested in adding them?

Larry: Yes, FLOAT has a few secrets for the readers to find that might not be obvious at first glance. For starters, Rosy is not the only one having an adventure at the aquarium. If you look closely, you will discover a small white octopus, named Bubbles, has escaped her tank and pops up on a number of pages, looking for a way out of the building. I love finding secondary stories in picture books that are simply there to entertain curious eyes who happen to spot something in the details. 

Another secret, that’s a bit harder to find, are the 20 tiny turtles that are hidden in the artwork, one for every page. If you have a magnifying glass and a lot of patience, you might be able to find them all. But the best secret in the book is a hidden riddle, written somewhere in the illustrations, that if found gives readers a chance to win a real treasure. Lucky participants can enter their name on my website at www.larrydaley.com/riddle if they can find and answer the riddle. 

The prize in question is a treasure box with a 1 oz silver coin inside. The coin is adorned with marine animals and truly a treasure for one lucky reader. The drawing for the prize will occur on August 9, 2026 in a live event on my Instagram account @larrydaleyart, so I hope to see a lot of entries for this special event. 

Kathy: Congrats on your book launch yesterday. Describe what you plan for your debut year…a blog tour, school visits, bookstore events? What are you working on next?

Larry: At the moment, my focus is on launching my FLOAT book tour and visiting schools, bookstores and libraries with the message of “just float when life throws you something unexpected.” I believe it’s a good message for kids and parents alike, as it’s tough to remember to take a breath sometimes. My hope is that parents and their children will find FLOAT has a few giggles, a kind, adult role-model looking to help rather than scold, and a reminder that emotions get the best of us all. 

I’m thankful to be partnered with a publisher committed to seeing this story out in front of young audiences and I’m optimistic that some of the surprises buried in the illustrations will have readers turning pages with curiosity and a keen interest in finding my hidden secrets. In terms of what’s next, I’m developing a new picture book adventure, once again filled with chaos mixed with kindness, that I hope to announce shortly. Until then, I hope FLOAT finds its way into libraries, classrooms and sleepy bedtimes everywhere.

Biography

Larry Daley is an author/illustrator and freelance creative director in children's media development. An alumnus of Warner Bros. Entertainment and DC Comics, Larry supervised major comic book brands such as Batman and Superman in film, television, video games, toys, comics, licensed promotions, and children's publishing. His illustrative and written work is known for its quirky humor, playful characters, and exaggerated perspectives. Right now, his focus is on creating funny stories that blend chaos with kindness. Larry lives in New Hampshire with his wife and three lovely daughters.

Find Larry on IG @larrydaley.com. and his website www.larrydaley.com