Meg Edson is the author of the new picture book Zig Zag Zeph and Friends. It's a sequel to her picture book Zig Zag Zeph, which is about her cat Zeph, who has a condition called cerebellar hypoplasia. A former special educator, Edson lives in the Washington, D.C., area.
Q: Did you know when you wrote Zig Zag Zeph that you’d be writing a sequel?
A: No! When asked if I would write another book, it was a hard no as I didn’t think I could find another topic I cared as much about as Zeph. The idea of Zeph introducing his friends just came to me one day.
Q: How did you meet the cats you write about in Zig Zag Zeph and Friends?
A: Three out of the five cats I found on social media. I followed Sparrow and Marty but I looked for another and found Noodle. I work with Sue’s cat mom. Catori’s cat mom received my first book as a gift and contacted me and told me about Catori.
Q: What reaction have you had from readers since writing the first book?
A: I have had an amazing reaction to the first book but in a different way than I thought. People really like learning about Zeph’s disability and thanked me for educating them about a special needs cat.
I have since become an advocate for special needs cats and that is what inspired me to write about five other cats.
Q: What do you think Analia Oliver’s illustrations add to the book?
A: Ana’s illustrations bring these cats to life. I didn’t want classic drawings in Zig Zag Zeph as I want to capture his essence, which Ana did perfectly. She did the same with the five guest cats and her attention to detail is outstanding. I feel the illustrations are what have made these books a success.
Q: Will you be writing more books about Zeph and his friends?
A: Ha! Again, a hard no but you never know.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I hope people will now give older or cats with differences another look at a shelter as that is why I wrote Zig Zag Zeph and Friends.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Meg Edson.
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