Hakim is traveling up the mountain to visit his friend Daisy, but the fog is so thick that he can't see the road ahead. Then an old goat appears out of nowhere and delivers a sinister warning: “Beware! Beware! There are monsters up there!”
Max's Boat Pick:
MONSTERS IN THE FOG
By Ali Bahrampour
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (June 14, 2022)
Can you tell me the origin story behind Monsters in the Fog? Is it in response to the current political climate, or is it based off of a traditional Iranian saying, or...?
AB: "The story wasn't written in response to the current political climate. People fearing what they don't know is an evergreen theme, alas. I wrote down the basic idea years ago in a notebook and only got to it now. It's not based on a traditional Iranian saying either, though come to think of it, you probably could get great picture book ideas from proverbs. My father used to teach us Iranian proverbs and we would try to figure out what they meant or find an English equivalent. The one that pops into mind right now is "The lid of the pot is open. Where is the cat's shame?" I remember my sisters and me puzzling over that one for a while."
Can you tell me how some details from Iran, specifically where you grew up, come through in the book?
"The mountains that Hakim the donkey (or more accurately Persian onager) climbs are the mountains my father took us to for hiking trips. Likewise the samovar and evil eye and saddlebag are things that were around when I was growing up."
"It's hard to knit a sweater with your hooves, but Hakim somehow did it." What a memorable first line. Are there any other memorable first lines that stand out to you? "Charlotte's Web isn't a picture book, technically, but surely: "'Where's Papa going with that axe?' said Fern to her mother as they were setting the table for breakfast." The first line of Where the Wild Things Are, which stretches over several pages. "A is for Amy who fell down the stairs," from Edward Gorey's The Gashlycrumb Tinies. But a good first line can also be very plain, like "Angela Bowling took her shopping bag and set off for the village," or "Monsieur Racine was a retired tax collector who lived peacefully in a secluded cottage," to pick two opening lines from picture books I love (Loveykins by Quentin Blake, and The Beast of Monsieur Racine by Tomi Ungerer)."
Are there other picture books that you admire for how they tackle the topic of misperceptions?
"I'm Coming to Get You by Tony Ross. The Wall in the Middle of the Book by Jon Agee."
For those who love Monsters in the Fog, can you recommend one or two other books that you think they might also enjoy?
"Those ones I just mentioned, for sure. Books by Tomi Ungerer and William Steig. George and Martha by James Marshall. I am a huge admirer of James Marshall."
Your work has been likened to that of William Steig and Jon Agee. Are you a big fan of both?
"I love both of them. When it comes to picture books, William Steig is, for me, like Shakespeare. His writing is as great as his drawings. Farmer Palmer's Wagon Ride. Rotten Island. Amos & Boris. Doctor De Soto. Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. And on and on. Nowadays they don't publish many picture books like his, with so many words, because there is a misguided idea that picture books are only for very little kids and should have very few words and those kids must quickly graduate to chapter books and go to college and become weapons dealers. Jon Agee I became aware of later, because of my age, but he has a lot of fantastic books, old and recent. I just got his palindromic comic Otto for my son, but also for me."
What would be on your list of 100 best picture books of all time? "Any of the ones I mentioned above. The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson. Dr. Seuss. Millions of Cats by Wanda Gág. Frog and Toad and Uncle Elephant by Arnold Lobel. Maurice Sendak's Nutshell Library. Fungus the Bogeyman by Raymond Briggs. Ant and Bee and the Rainbow by Angela Banner. Randolph Caldecott. Good Night, Gorilla by Peggy Rathmann. La Visite de Petite Mort by Kitty Crowther. Help! Stop me! This is impossible!"
Are there any upcoming books you are most looking forward to reading? "I am excited to read Hot Dog by Doug Salati, which looks wonderful. And No! Said Custard the Squirrel by Sergio Ruzzier, whose art I love and who has made a lot of great picture books (Amandina, for example). I'm looking forward to seeing Maurice by Jessixa Bagley. She's great; her book Boats for Papa was profound."
It’s Mr. Tortoise’s birthday, and he can’t wait to eat cake with his friends. But there’s a hitch! Mr. Tortoise can’t remember how old he is, so his friends don’t know how many candles to put on the cake. And they won’t stop (or slice) until they figure out the mystery.
Max's Boat Pick:
HOW OLD IS MR. TORTOISE?
Written by Dev Petty and illustrated by Ruth Chan
Publisher: Harry N. Abrams (June 21, 2022)
Can you tell me the origin story behind How Old Is Mr. Tortoise?
DP: "I was thinking about how I know exactly when my birthday is but sometimes forget how old I'm turning and I thought that would be a fun setup. I really wanted to capture that weird, collaborative energy friends can get when they are trying to solve a mystery or a problem and just can't let it go. Right about the time I was starting to muse about this idea, I read about an actual tortoise who's very, very old named Jonathan. He's 190 and lives on an island in the South Atlantic. Pictures of him early in his life have people in the back who are wearing knickers and old-fashioned things and I realized how this would be a perfect subject. Together, these things allowed me to make a fun book about friendship and problem solving and has a little STEM mixed in."
You and Ruth Chan! What a phenomenal pairing. What do you think she brought to the book that perhaps originally wasn't there? Were there certain aspects of her illustrations that took you by surprise? "I've admired Ruth's work for a long time and was over the moon when I heard she'd be illustrating this one. She was a perfect fit. I think she was able to use the graphic novel format to organize a story which was kind of a little chaotic (in a good way I hope!). There's a lot of characters and all dialogue and she found a way to make it make sense and give it great pacing. You really feel this whole situation unfolding and different players and ideas at work. I can't believe how great it came out. I guess I was surprised that she could give Mr. Tortoise SO much expression and charm. He just has such a presence and I remember looking through my first peek at it and just marveling at how she brings something unique to him in every page."
You consistently give good advice to aspiring writers, and one piece of advice really stood out to me. "When you read book after book, you get a feel for flow and character. You develop an ear for it and once you have a sense of the rules and the conventions you can start breaking the rules and conventions." You, Dev, are definitely a rule-breaker. Who are some other rule breakers (in the picture book world) that you admire? "That's an interesting question! I think the last fifteen years or so has seen a lot of really creative work happening in picture books, a lot of good rule breaking. I think to some degree that's owing to the fact that there's so much more information out there about what the rules are in the first place, and you surely need to know that before you can break anything! I would certainly say Shaun Tan has found a way to create books that are very unique and engaging and has done
so with different structures and unconventional mechanisms. Dashka Slater amazes me with her ability to tell seemingly traditional stories with a sense of whimsy and weird that sets them apart. In general, I think books that are really successful and memorable are so because at least a bit of rule breaking has happened. I'm all for it."
Your sense of humor! I love it. Who are some other picture book writers that make you laugh? "Thank you! I'm a big Klassen fan. I think This is Not My Hat is kind of perfection. Goodnight Already! by Jory John and Benji Davies is a great read aloud, super funny. I love Daniel and Jill Pinkwater's work. The Two Bad Bears books are so stinkin' funny to me. I also LOVE James Marshall's George and Martha books—they're funny, quirky, unpredictable."
What upcoming picture books are you most looking forward to reading? "Julie Falatko has one coming out, actually with Ruth Chan: Rick the Rock of Room 214. I know it will be wonderful; Julie and Ruth are two of my favorite creators. Ame Dyckman has How Dinosaurs Went Extinct: A Safety Guide coming out next year which looks delightful. She's amazing."
Do you have a favorite bookstore, and why do you love it? "Berkeley is blessed with a bunch of wonderful indie bookstores. I certainly love Mr. Mopps' Children's Books. It's a bookstore just with kids' books and they really know and love children's literature. Also, I grew up going to their toy/bookstore so it's close to my heart. Copperfield's Books in Petaluma is just charming, vast, beautiful and a huge part of the community. I don't love to stray too far from home but am always up for a visit. Moe's Books in Berkeley near the university is amazing. It has a deceptively awesome kid's section and three floors of used books above. You can spend a day there. You asked for a favorite and I gave you three. Oh! I love Powell's in Portland too, because...Powell's."
Do you remember what you loved reading to your kids at age three? At age five? "My writing is certainly born to some degree from what my kids enjoyed when they were young. They liked a wide range but leaned into humor and weirdness to be sure. They loved Elephant & Piggie books by Mo Willems, George and Martha, and anything by Maurice Sendak and the Pinkwaters. They both loved The Big Orange Splot which is one of my favorites, too."
What would be on your list of 100 best picture books of all time? "Oooh. That's such a good question. I always struggle with this but I'll give it a go with a few.
Extra Yarn by Mac Barnett and Jon Klassen
Dandy by Ame Dyckman and Charles Santoso
Eric by Shaun Tan
Du Iz Tak? by Carson Ellis
Where the Wild Things Are by Maurice Sendak
Death, Duck and the Tulip by Wolf Erlbruch
This is Not My Hat by Jon Klassen
Arm in Arm Remy Charlip
The Story of Ferdinand by Munro Leaf and Robert Lawson
Amos & Boris by William Steig
The Big Orange Splot by Daniel Pinkwater
A Sick Day for Amos McGee by Philip C. Stead and Erin Stead
When the little green thing is dropped from the mouth of a bird, it finds an unexpected home – on the back of a bear. The little green thing just needs to convince the bear to let it stay.
Max's Boat Pick:
THE BEAR AND THE LITTLE GREEN THING
By Diandian
Publisher: Berbay Publishing (May 3, 2022)
Can you tell me the origin story behind The Bear and the Little Green Thing?
DD: "At the very beginning of this picture book project, I had images in my head of a giant bear with three saplings on his back. The bear is so enormous that at first, we think we see a mountain—until the moment the bear wakes from his long sleep and starts to move his giant body. What happened to him? What is he going to do with the saplings? So I started to think about the possible story behind these images."
Your illustrations are just stunning! What was your starting point or inspiration? "At that time I was doing a lot of woodblock prints and just become a big fan of this printing technique. The wood texture is so beautiful and has a very poetic touch. The opening spreads of the book was made by woodblock printing."
For those who love The Bear and the Little Green Thing, can you recommend another title that you think they might also enjoy? "Jon Klassen has made a lot of amazing books. His storytelling is so smart, and with such clean, joyful, and thoughtful image-making. For people who like The Bear and the Little Green Thing, I would definitely recommend his Hat Box (I Want My Hat Back, This Is Not My Hat, and We Found a Hat)."
Who are some illustrators that you admire for their unique style? "I have to mention the Taiwanese illustrator and author Jimmy Liao. He is a great author and illustrator who has had a big influence on the Chinese-speaking world. I grew up reading his books. Two of my favorites from him are The Blue Stone and Thank You, Furry Bunny, for a Wonderful Afternoon. They are two beautiful stories that talk about loneliness, friendship, and finding something lost in life. Liao’s work is often poetic, lyrical, and sentimental; sometimes these features also appear in my work. He is an author-illustrator who definitely has had a big influence on me.
There are so many other picture book authors I admire a lot, such as Germano Zullo and Albertine. Their storytelling is very poetic, meanwhile very tender and joyful. My favorite ones are Little Bird and My Little One."