James Yang is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture book A Universe Big & Small: A Story About Carl Sagan. His other books include A Boy Named Isamu. He lives in Brooklyn.
Q: In your new book’s Author’s Note, you write about the impact astronomer and scientist Carl Sagan (1934-1996) had on you as a child. Can you say more about that, and about why you decided to create this book?
A: After both A Boy Named Isamu and Charles & Ray: Designers at Play I realized that while both books are about giants of mid-century art and design, they were also big influences on me as a child, so I decided it would be fun to create books based on heroes who had a big impact on me growing up. Carl Sagan immediately popped to mind for my next book.
We were a big science family and during the space race of the ‘60s science was very popular. Dad was a scientist; my younger sister eventually became a scientist. We watched all the space shows growing up, especially Lost in Space and Star Trek.
When Sagan’s Cosmos aired my sister was so excited and insisted we watch it every week. Mom wanted to watch another show but she was outvoted by the rest of us. We loved Sagan’s “ship of imagination” which took us to another world of science in each episode.
During this era, Sagan was huge! He was a regular on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson and my classmates and I loved impersonating Sagan’s unique way of speaking by using Carson’s impersonation of Sagan saying “billions and billions.”
Sagan was the voice of science for the public when I was growing up. My dad said the ability to make complex ideas accessible to the public was what made both Einstein and Sagan special.
Another reason I chose to write Sagan is it gave me chance to slip in a couple Easter eggs since I’m a huge science fiction nerd.
Sagan visits Europa, which is a moon featured in 2001: A Space Odyssey and other sci-fi space stories. The line “In a universe full of stars, there is no place like home” is a paraphrase of “It’s full of stars,” which was the last thing David Bowman says in 2001: A Space Odyssey.
The ship of imagination in my book is the Jetsons’ air car. It was so much fun to draw atoms, cells, and space.
If my next book was going to be based on a childhood hero, Sagan was first in line.
Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says, “Young Carl stands in for every child who’s ever asked big questions and considered how to answer them. The first step, as Yang makes beautifully clear, is always imagination. A lovely interpretation of curiosity and wonder.” What do you think of that description?
A: I love Kirkus’ take on Sagan! I’m always looking for a way to tell a famous person’s story that is not a typical biography since I’m not a biographer. I want to share heroes who were a big deal to me growing up with other kids and finding a hook that connects with kids.
For Sagan the hook was, “What if the story is Carl Sagan as a boy but he’s asking the questions he would later ask as an adult?” Since he was known to constantly ask questions as a child, the book practically wrote itself. It also helps that children love to ask questions so it was a natural fit.
When doing research I was surprised how many areas of science Sagan touched. I mainly remember him as an astronomer and planetary scientist. He was also interested in atoms, cells, humane treatment of animals, and protecting the climate.
He came to his conclusions by realizing all living things are created from the same building blocks, which meant we are connected to each other and everything in the universe.
He briefed Apollo 11 astronauts about the moon, and he chaired the committee that prepared a laser disk about us for the Voyager probe that left our solar system.
He was a sceptic that there was life on other planets but thought it would be prudent to create a message for extraterrestrials in case he was wrong. I love how that shows his willingness to be open to new information.
My version of Sagan is meant to be a stand in for every child who asks big questions, so I’m very happy Kirkus saw it too.
Q: How did you create the illustrations for this book?
A: I first do sketches by hand then transfer them into photoshop to use as a template. I have an iPad pro that is linked to my main computer and acts as a second monitor which I can draw on in Photoshop.
It’s amazing how natural it feels to use an iPad with an Apple pencil or Wacom with their stylus these days. There are many layers so I can move and adjust various elements as needed.
I think in terms of shapes and composition first because I have more of a designer’s brain than painter’s brain when creating images and I’m a big believer that you can’t make great images without great compositions.
Paul Rand, Paul Klee, Charles & Ray Eames, Leo Lionni, Miroslav Sasek, and Ezra Jack Keats are some of my influences, and many of them were children’s book illustrators I loved growing up. I think it’s pretty clear they formed how I like to make images, especially for children.
Q: What do you see as Carl Sagan’s legacy today?
A: His legacy is huge. Bill Nye and Neil deGrasse Tyson are descended from his love of science and sharing it with the world and he taught everyone that science isn’t boring, it’s exciting!
Sagan made us more aware how we treat animals and our environment and if a friendly spaceman from another world learns about us from a long lost probe, it will be because of Sagan. I can’t imagine leaving a more positive legacy than that.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m finishing up a book about another one of my heroes, Arthur Ashe, who was a legendary Black American tennis player. The story will be told through the eyes of a young Korean girl who loves to play tennis. Her dad’s favorite player is Ashe and he’s her favorite player too. I thought it would be fun to see someone famous though the eyes of a young fan.
On deck is murals for a center in Manhattan that cares for vulnerable children in New York and looming on the horizon is another book about a chipmunk and Korean monks and a very big day.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: If you’re ever on the subway in New York City, you might step into a car with an interior designed by me! Please make sure the other passengers are keeping their feet off it.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with James Yang.
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