The Robe Squad follows bathrobe-clad companions Artie and Gizmo through Boston’s Charlestown neighborhood, where an encounter with a tiny mouse turns their evening walk into an opportunity for kindness. What was the inspiration for the setup of your story?

The story is based on a real-life experience I had about a year ago, when walking through Charlestown; I found a small rodent on a walking path that appeared injured. I then brought the animal to a wildlife clinic for care. I wanted to find a fun and simple way to bring the story to life, involving my little dog, that could convey messages of kindness, compassion, and friendship.

What do Artie and Gizmo’s bathrobes reveal about their relationship, and how did that playful detail shape the story’s reassuring tone?​

I think they highlight the comfort they have with one another, at home and outside, and they also reflect their approach to the world around them; they like to be intentional about relaxing and reflecting, which helps them to identify opportunities to help others, that might otherwise be missed.

How did your affection for Charlestown influence the places Artie and Gizmo visit and the sense of community you wanted to convey?​

It had a big role! I wanted to bring through places Gizmo and I regularly walk past and visit; we are lucky to live near the Bunker Hill Monument and close to the Navy Yard. Ultimately, the places shown in the book are part of the past and present fabric of Charlestown, for all who live here. I was also incredibly fortunate to work with an awesome illustrator (Craig Orback) who had visited Charlestown before and who had a great eye for the details of places in the community.

How did you approach expressing the mouse’s vulnerability while preserving the comforting rhythm of Artie and Gizmo’s familiar routines?

Some of it was physical/technical in how we portrayed the mouse in terms of size and the leaf we find him under. Additionally, we wanted to convey the emotion and pain that can sometimes come with being something small in a much larger world, particularly one that can be quite busy and loud. Lastly, discovering the mouse while walking together was a natural way to bring through something that happens to us all the time while on a walk: running into a friend, another dog, or in this case, a little creature in need of help.