Photo: Random House
SLJ caught up with author-illustrator Tad Hills about Rocket Writes a Story (Random, 2012), which follows a loveable dog as he tries to write his own book, and is the sequel to the bestselling picture book How Rocket Learned to Read (Random, 2010).
Is Rocket Writes a Story semi-autobiographical or is it meant to encourage kids who have trouble writing?
Both. Rocket Writes a Story is absolutely autobiographical. My (and, I’m sure, many other writers’) experience is very much like Rocket’s. There’s always that proverbial “white page.” There’s always the question, “what happens next?” When I visit schools, I’m always struck by kids’ desire to write stories and make books. They tell me how hard it is to think of ideas. I think they find comfort hearing that it’s tough for me too. They are often surprised to hear that it takes me months and months and draft after draft to write a story. Then, of course, there are the illustrations….
Do you do use a word tree like Rocket’s?
I do see many word walls in classrooms when I visit schools. I don’t have a word tree per se. Generally, I write ideas down on paper or type them into my phone or computer. Sometimes I send them in emails to myself. Then I gather those ideas and sift through them. Some make it into a story right away, some not for years or ever. It’s smart to write them down somewhere though.
I know you studied art and writing in college. Which one comes easier to you?
As a kid, I loved to draw and paint and make things. I also spent time writing or imagining stories, but the art came more easily. It was just simpler and more immediate to sit down and draw a picture or make a clay sculpture than write a story. I think it’s still that way for me. It’s hard to come up with a story and details and then fit them all together.
Prior to Duck & Goose (Random, 2006), you created books without narrative. How did you make the transition?
Yes, Duck & Goose was my first book with a narrative. My wife Lee Wade and Anne Schwartz, her friend and colleague, had encouraged me to write a kids book long before they started Schwartz & Wade Books. I had wanted to write a story for a long time and had thought about plots and characters and details. I started writing three distinctly different stories. Duck and Goose is the one that took shape. The hardest part was sitting down and just writing.
I know you come from an artistic household, but was it something you had always wanted to do?
I never set out to be a children’s book author or illustrator. I always loved making art and writing but wanted to be an actor. I started illustrating novelty books for Lee who was running Simon and Schuster’s children’s art dept. One thing lead to another. I guess the first time I held a copy of Duck & Goose was when I realized that if someone asked me what i did I could say “I write and illustrate children’s books.”
How involved were you in the How Rocket Learned to Read app and what do you think of ebooks?
I was involved with the building of the How Rocket Learned to Read app to a degree. I made suggestions here and there. The app was built by my brother Jonathan’s company, Domani Studios, so I had an insider’s view of the process. I also trusted that Domani would create a fantastic book app. His team worked with Random House, and they really built something special. I feel that the app introduces animation and interactivity that actually enhances the book in interesting ways. To top it off, Hope Davis, who is an amazing actress, narrates the story perfectly.
Are there plans to make Rocket Writes a Story or any other of your books into apps?
As of now, there are no plans for an app. I think it could translate nicely. Maybe someday. I am talking to a company about an enhanced ebook version of The 12 Days of Christmas, a flap book I made many years ago. If all goes well that will release this Christmas season.
What’s the real-life Rocket—and the inspiration for your books—doing these days?
Rocket just had his fifth birthday on July 18. He’ll be going to the beach soon. He loves the water and will dive off a dock of any height. He likes to chase ducks.
What else inspires you and your books?
It’s hard to know where inspiration comes from. You never know when that whiff of feathers and pine needles will hit you. But when it does, it can set off an imagination explosion. Like Rocket, I have a tough time getting started. I often feel like growling when things are not going well but when the writing flows, when I feel like I’m sharing the space with my characters and I can sit and listen to the characters’ conversations in my head, I—in my own way—wag my tail like Rocket does.
What role did libraries play in your life growing up and do your kids like the library?
I spent many hours in a library near the town where I grew up. A family friend, Phyllis Lindsay, was the librarian there. She had a passion for books and kids and loved finding just the right book for each reader. Over the years my kids have spent much time in their school library. Their school has a very active library scene and getting to go to the library is a very exciting and special time for the kids.
I think that the Rocket books have resonated with librarians because these books are, in a way, about the power of books and stories and words. When a librarian thanks you for writing a book you take it to heart.
You’ve said that your kids influence your work and that you watch and listen to them and their friends. Are there any plans to write a chapter book or a children’s novel?
For a while, I’ve been working on a chapter book about Franny and George, a couple of ducks who live in a little wooden house with a family (and a dog). The dad in the family writes children’s books about the two ducks. Over the years, my kids and their friends have given me a lot of material and you can be sure that they, in various ways, will be represented in this story.
Tell us what you’re working on now?
I just finished another Duck & Goose board book, Goose Needs a Hug, which will come out in December. I’m always thinking about what Duck & Goose and Rocket will do next. No specifics to report yet, though.