Interview with Scott Rothman and Brian Won, WARM AND FUZZY

Warm and Fuzzy are best friends. Warm wants to go on an adventure, but Fuzzy isn't sure. What if it's scary? What if it's really cold or super hot? What if there are no bathrooms, or worse: no toilet paper!

Max's Boat Pick:

WARM AND FUZZY

Written by Scott Rothman and illustrated by Brian Won

Publisher: Tundra Books (April 15, 2025)

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Scott and Brian, so lovely to have you on Max's Boat! Scott, can you tell me what inspired Warm & Fuzzy?

Scott Rothman: "This is probably going to sound very weird and random but my kids and I were listening to this song I like called 'All Around You' by The Brian Jonestown Massacre (not the most kid-appropriate band name, I know) about this strange tour guide welcoming people on a magical journey and I just got this idea to write a kids book based on that. It was just a jumping-off point really – a prompt, if you will – but sometimes that’s all you need. And then, when I started writing about a character going on a trip, it was only natural that my own anxieties about facing the unknown would make their way into the story."

It's one thing to see the prompts, and then another to know what to do with them! Brian, what was your initial reaction to Scott’s text? What most drew you in?

Brian Won: "When I first read Scott’s text, I laughed and then I thought … 'Wait a second… this is basically me and my spouse, Leny.' We’re both pretty anxious people, but we somehow take turns being the calm, nurturing one (Warm) and the frazzled, overthinking one (Fuzzy). And to top it off, we even have contrasting body types – I’m definitely on the heavier side these days, especially after gaining that post-COVID 15 pounds – so the visual of Warm and Fuzzy as this odd couple hit very close to home.

What pulled me in most was how the story is both hilarious and quietly comforting. Scott’s writing has this natural, easy charm. It’s heartfelt without being heavy, and funny to boot. That gave me a ton of space to play with the visuals and let the characters be as weird and wonderful as they wanted to be."

Quietly comforting is a really good way to put it. And I can tell you had a lot of fun playing with the visuals. Scott, what was your initial reaction to Brian’s artwork?

SR: "I was absolutely blown away. I think I texted or emailed Brian immediately after seeing his first sketches. They were unlike any other illustrations in any of my other books, and I thought they added layers and depth to the story that I had no idea were even there. I instantly knew his work was going to elevate everything and make me look good and smart, even if neither of those things are true. So, yeah, I was very happy." 

Scott, can you talk about those layers and depth? What do you think Brian brought to the book that wasn’t there before?

SR: "I think all of Brian’s work has a natural warmth and humanity to it which the book both needed and benefits from greatly. My chief concern when writing these books is to do everything I can to try and make them funny and tell an entertaining story. I always hope there’s some warmth in there, too, but don’t really know. Brian’s artwork took all that hope and guesswork out of the equation. It’s just there – in every illustration, on every page – and I can’t be more thankful for it. Also, Brian’s illustrations are really funny and he found humor in places I didn’t see. In short, Brian really brought the 'warm' and 'funny.' (Sorry, couldn’t resist.)"

Brian, can you share your illustration process?

BW: "My process always starts with character. Before I even think about layouts or scenes, I sketch the characters over and over until they start to feel real (to me, at least). With Warm and Fuzzy, I leaned into contrast from the beginning. Warm is big, soft, and grounded, while Fuzzy is small, scruffy, and mildly buzzing with anxiety. One’s like a weighted blanket, the other’s like that jittery feeling you get after too much coffee."

Brian Won's early sketches for Warm and Fuzzy (above)

"You can see in the early sketches how I played around with forms, expressions, and body language to bring out their personalities. I spent a lot of time just drawing them interacting – how they might walk, sit, or comfort each other. What I really love is that Warm isn’t dismissive of Fuzzy’s anxious energy. He doesn’t try to fix it, he just shows up with patience. I like to think Warm understands because he has his own anxious moments too."

Brian Won's early sketches for Warm and Fuzzy (above)

"As the characters evolved, one of the most satisfying parts was seeing those interactions come to life. There’s a great side-by-side of an early version of a key scene: Warm covering Fuzzy from the rain. In the finished version, Warm’s gaze is more focused on Fuzzy, which helps bring out a deeper sense of care and connection."

Brian Won's early and final character design forWarm and Fuzzy (above)

"And finally, one of my favorite spreads in the whole book is when Warm opens the door to the forest and invites Fuzzy in. The light, the space, the trees … I wanted it to feel like a big exhale."

A final spread from Warm and Fuzzy (above)

What forthcoming books are you two most excited about?

SR: "Well, Brian and I have another book called Horizontal Crocodile that Simon and Schuster is publishing next year which has been a blast to work on together. I also have a picture book called Kittybunkport, illustrated by Zachariah OHora, coming out from Viking this spring, which I think came out awesome. It takes place in a coastal Maine town populated entirely by cats and it’s a funny kind of mystery ghost story – in this case, lobster ghosts. After that, I made a fun book with the illustrator Linzie Hunter called Judgy Bunny & The Terrible Beach which comes out from Sourcebooks next year."

"As for books by others, I never know what new books are on the horizon so can I just say anything new from Mac Barnett, Jon Agee, Ame Dyckman, Adam Rex, Bob Shea, Ruth Chan and/or Jared Chapman."

BW: "As Scott mentioned, we have another book coming up called Horizontal Crocodile that I’m working on with Scott, and I’m super excited about it. The illustration language has some similarities to Warm & Fuzzy, but the format is totally new for me. The trim size is long, to match our horizontally gifted (and vertically challenged) crocodile. It’s been fun figuring out how to stretch the visual storytelling across that wide format. Plus, it’s just great to get the band back together again.

I'm also really excited about this book from Arree Chung, Don't Cause Trouble. The bowl cut on the cover is something I can definitely relate to."

What would you put on your 100 best picture books list of all time?

SR: "I think Ruth Krauss’ The Carrot Seed is the most perfect book ever made and teaches kids the two most important lessons: to always do what you think is right and that adults are morons."

BW: "I agree with Scott! The Carrot Seed is such a perfect and pure children’s book. Everything about it is just right: the pacing, the page turns, the words, the illustrations. There’s nothing extra. It’s honest and confident – like me in a medium-sized jacket when I really should be wearing a large."

Hah! I've loved your answers. Thanks so much for stopping by!