May 2020

Tell us a little about yourself. How did you get your start as an illustrator and author?

I have always wanted to be a writer, ever since I was a child. My first comic strip was about a baby named Boppy. My first published comics were in a Canada-wide newspaper called Sunshine News, and I ended up winning a typewriter and a dictionary! It never crossed my mind that I would ever be able to make a living as an illustrator as well as a writer.

Children’s book author, Lee Wardlaw, was the first non-family children’s book professional to ever give me encouragement. I say “non-family” because my sister Ruth encouraged my writing from
the very beginning, and has read every single middle grade novel I’ve written. None have been published (YET) but she continues to encourage me, and I haven’t given up!

But I digress.

As a favour to my father-in-law, Lee Wardlaw agreed to read one of my first middle grade manuscripts, and also critiqued it. When it was ready, she introduced me to her agent, Ginger Knowlton at Curtis Brown Ltd., and I submitted my manuscript. I was thrilled when Ginger took me as a client!

I’ve written four middle grade novels so far. I never did send the first out; I could tell it wasn’t very good. The second manuscript is the one that Lee Wardlaw helped critique and the one that Ginger first read— it never did find a publisher, but the rejection letters from publishers were encouraging. Rejection letters are all ego-blows, of course, but I always appreciated the personal comments and suggestions. We decided to put the manuscript aside and Ginger sent out my third middle grade manuscript. I could tell I had improved because the rejection letters were even more encouraging. Sometimes my manuscript made it all the way to acquisition meetings. Once, an editor whom I greatly admire worked on the revision with me, but ended up rejecting it. That was the most heartbreaking rejection but I learned a great deal during the process, and I appreciated the editor taking the time to work with me.

I decided I needed to start meeting people. I am an introvert and up to that point, I had just been working in isolation. If I could tell my younger writer self one thing, it would be to get to know others in the children’s book community, especially face-to-face. I used to think networking was a negative thing, akin to “schmoozing.” I also dreaded the idea of having to introduce myself to strangers and talk about my work. It drives me a little bit crazy when some people tell me how LUCKY I am, that I’m so good with people, how easy it is for me to talk with strangers, how good I am at networking.

The truth is that I had to really push myself to step out of my comfort zone. It takes practice and the willingness to sometimes fail, to make mistakes. BUT each time I pick myself up and keep going, it makes me a little bit stronger and helps thicken my skin. It DOES get easier over time. 

My big break came at the 2010 SCBWI Summer Convention in Los Angeles. My husband convinced me to go despite the cost, and I’ll always be grateful for that encouragement. I paid to submit my middle grade manuscript for the critique program but it was rejected because my manuscript had illustrations (my fault — I hadn’t read the guidelines closely enough). I was so disappointed.  An illustrator friend, Beckett Gladney, convinced me to enter the portfolio showcase instead, and she even helped me put it together. My sister encouraged me as well, saying that was art was good enough.

I ended up winning an Honour Award and an Illustration Mentorship Award. Justin Chanda of Simon & Schuster Children’s asked if I’d be interested in illustrating a picture book by a comedian-actor named Michael Ian Black.

I said YES, of course!

In these uncertain times, how do you suggest that families continue to prioritize reading in their lives?

Taking time to read is more important now than ever. And to be clear, I’m talking about reading books, not obsessively checking the news online. Some suggestions:

Set aside a regular silent reading time as a family. No screens (unless they are for e-books), no Animal Crossing, no Zoom chats during this time. It could be even as short as 20 minutes. I find that being with other people who are also doing silent reading helps me focus on my own.

Do read-alouds! Have older kids or parents/caregivers read to the younger ones. It doesn’t have to be a picture book; it could be a chapter from a middle grade or young adult novel. If you record it on video, considering sharing with long-distance family and friends.

Listen to audiobooks. If you don’t want to buy your own, check out your library — chances are good it will have many audiobooks to choose from. 

Book and movie match-ups. After reading a book as a family, look for the movie version.

How can teachers and librarians utilize video to reach young readers when they can’t see them in person?

There are so many great video resources for young readers these days. Many are already on YouTube and Vimeo, while others are being created specifically for use during school closures. Most publishers have modified their online read-aloud policies because they know it’s more of a challenge for young readers to access books during the pandemic. If you’re interested in doing a read-aloud for your students or young library patrons, I recommend you check out the publisher’s guidelines first. School Library Journal has a list here. 

I’ve also started using Flipgrid with teachers and librarians to connect with young readers. I love this free, video-based discussion platform because it’s a safe and easy-to-use environment, and much easier for me in terms of scheduling than a live visit. For those interested in finding out more about how to do remote learning with Flipgrid, learn more here. 

I have compiled some of my own video read-alouds and other home learning resources on my website, for those interested.

Your books are so much fun! We think that humorous and joyful books are more important than ever. Do you agree?

Absolutely! We all need ways to boost our spirits during trying times.

What projects are you working on now? Can you tell us about any upcoming books?

I’m excited about working on the sequel to Sam & Eva for Simon & Schuster Books For Young Readers. I’m in the early revision stages right now, working with my editor Justin Chanda. The illustrations will include found object art!

I’m also working on a middle grade novel and a graphic novel for young people. No guarantee that either will be published, of course, so please cross your fingers for me!

The next picture book I have coming out launches August 25 from Simon & Schuster. Gurple and Preen: A Broken Crayon Cosmic Adventure is written by Newbery medalist Linda Sue Park and illustrated by me. I used 491 Crayola crayons in the making of the illustrations in this book! I’m especially thrilled because Linda Sue wrote this story specifically for me, after seeing my “you never know what will come out of a broken crayon” art.

Find out more about Debbie at www.debbieohi.com.