The Things Most People Fear Are Foolish
Where’s My Monster follows a young girl that is not afraid of the monsters in the dark because she brings them into the light and shows them friendship and love. What was the inspiration for your story?
The inspiration for Where’s My Monster? started with my belief that many of the things that we fear have power over us only because we fear them. That thought can be summed up with a quote I made as a teenager, namely, “Only a fool does not know fear, but the things most people fear are foolish.”
The art in this book is fantastic I loved Aurora the most. What was the art collaboration process like with illustrator Yulia Popova?
I fell in love with Yulia’s artwork the first time I came across it on Internet. I especially love how adorable the children and monsters are in the book. I gave her rough draft of the images and she transformed that draft into something that I had not even imagined; Aurora and her five pink bows are one of the countless surprised that Yulia created.
What were some themes that were important for you to explore in this book?
The Martin Luther King Jr. quote at the back of the book encapsulates the main theme of the book for me:
“Darkness cannot drive out darkness; only LIGHT can do that.
Hate cannot drive out hate; only LOVE can do that.”
Another intended theme is that LIGHT is much more powerful than DARKNESS; bring DARK into a lit room and it does nothing but bring LIGHT into a DARK room and it will light up the whole room.
What is the next book that you are working on and when will it be available?
I’m very excited about my third book. I have the whole concept organized on paper and now I just have to start to write the storyline. Yulia has said that she will be available to illustrate it at the end of summer 2022. It won’t be part of the Where’s My? series but rather for a bit older reader. I know this will sound strange but it is influenced by my first degree in Computer Science. Stay tuned and this influence will make sense.
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Readers are having fun activity where they can look for items such as a Lighthouse Calendar, crystal and other treasures throughout the book. As well, there is a question sheet at the end of the book to probe the theme of the book further.
“Where’s My Monster is a well-crafted picture book combining a meaningful message and remarkable illustrations. The combination makes this a perfect book for teachers, schools, and caregivers. With a secular approach, it is sure to be a welcome addition to help teach kindness and compassion.”
***** Literary Titan Review
Posted on May 29, 2022, in Interviews and tagged author, author interview, book, book recommendations, book review, book reviews, book shelf, bookblogger, books, books to read, childrens books, ebook, education, fantasy, fiction, goodreads, kids books, kindergarten, kindle, kobo, literature, nook, novel, parents, picture books, read, reader, reading, story, teachers, Wendy Winter, Where's My Monster?, writer, writing. Bookmark the permalink. Leave a comment.
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