Q&A with Deb Pilutti

 

 

 

Deb Pilutti is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture book Fish Don't Go To School. Her many other books include Old Rock (is not boring). She lives in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 

 

Q: What inspired you to create Fish Don’t Go to School, and how did you come up with the idea for your character Henry?

 

A: I was having fun drawing kids in different animal costumes in my sketchbook and made a sample piece of art that had a boy in a fish costume. I really liked the image and wanted to keep painting him.

 

Q: Did you work on the text first or the illustrations first--or both simultaneously?

 

A: Once I had the sample illustration of the boy in the fish costume, I worked on possible story ideas for him and then kept refining until I had a manuscript I felt could work. After I had a manuscript I was happy with, I made a sketch dummy and took it to my critique groups and sent to my agent for comments.

 

Q: How was the book’s title chosen, and what does it signify for you?

 

A: Book titles are always difficult for me. I think it was titled Henry’s Wonderful Suit when I first submitted it, knowing that the title would probably change later. My editor, Christy Ottaviano, and I felt the title didn’t reflect the story as well as it could. We brainstormed a bit and came up with Fish Don’t Go to School, which works well because of the double meaning.

 

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the story?

 

A: I want kids to have a fun time reading and laugh at the silliness of Henry wearing a fish costume. Maybe they’ll think about things like what they’d like to wear on the first day of school, or what favorite items they would tuck away in a secret pocket, or what they do if they feel like they need a hug, but my main goal is always to create a story that feels true to the characters that inhabit it.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m finishing up illustrations for My Best Friend Is a Lion, to be published in 2026 by Putnam Children’s Books. It’s a story about a girl who recovers from a falling out with her two best friends by imagining the ways her life would be different if she had a pet lion

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: The Dinosaur in the Garden came out last summer. After working on three books back-to-back, I’m looking forward to taking some time for creative exploration this year.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb