Tiffany Everett is the author and illustrator of the new middle grade graphic novel Diary of a Nature Nerd.
Q: What inspired you to create Diary of a Nature Nerd, and how did you create your characters Brooke and Jayla?
A: Diary of a Nature Nerd was inspired by my own experience living nomadically. My partner and I converted a 20-year-old retired school bus into an off-grid tiny home and traveled around the country, visiting national parks and calling a new place home every couple of weeks.
It was an unforgettable experience that taught me a lot about nature and myself. I wanted to bring that lifestyle to the page in a fun, honest, and accessible way for kids.
I also wanted to explore the idea of blended families. I have a full sister, a half-sister, and a stepsister, and those shifting sibling dynamics can be both exciting and unsettling.
As a kid, the idea of gaining a new sister can feel like gaining a built-in best friend, especially when the new sibling is close in age. But living together is hard. Sisters see every side of you, and that kind of closeness can be intense. Over time, all my sisters and I have moved past just friendship to a place of unconditional love that’s messy but unbreakable.
Brooke and Jayla are navigating that complicated transition: from chosen family to actual family, with all the growing pains and unexpected joys that come with it.
Q: Did you work on the text first or the illustrations first--or both simultaneously?
A: I started with a rough outline, but I tend to think visually, so I quickly moved into thumbnails and sketching scenes while writing. I learned the hard way that doing both at once isn’t the most efficient method, at least for me.
After a major revision, I realized I needed to fully lock in the script before committing to art, especially because I am a slow sketcher, and it takes a lot for me mentally to visualize a scene and translate that mental image to paper. That lesson is definitely coming with me into the next project.
Q: Did you know how the story would end before you started writing it, or did you make many changes along the way?
A: Yes, I had a general idea of where I wanted it to end, but the path to get there changed a lot. There were definitely moments when the characters surprised me. Feedback from my editor also shaped the story in some big ways.
One of the hardest parts was letting go of scenes I loved that didn’t serve the bigger picture, but ultimately, those changes made the story stronger, more complete, and more heartfelt.
Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Brooke and Jayla?
A: Brooke and Jayla have been long-distance best friends for years. Brooke lives on the road with her mom in an RV and sometimes meets kids at campgrounds, but Jayla is the one of the few kids Brooke gets to see regularly because their parents, Wendy and Terrence, work together as conservation scientists.
Wendy does fieldwork while Terrence analyzes samples in the lab, and their shared passion eventually brought them together. Now they’re married, which means Brooke’s best friend is officially becoming her sister, and they’ll all be hitting the road together as a family!
At first, it’s a dream come true. But being best friends and living together are two very different animals.
Brooke and Jayla’s friendship is rooted in love but tested by their differences.
Brooke is full of wonder, a little obsessive, adventurous, excitable, and sometimes a bit headstrong or laser-focused on what she loves. She can be bit of a bulldozer.
Jayla is more laid back and sweet, deeply curious and caring, and a great listener. She also tends to put others first, sometimes at the expense of her own voice.
Their dynamic is all about learning to meet in the middle: Brooke learning to slow down and listen, and Jayla learning to speak up and take up space. They grow through, and sometimes in spite of, each other, which makes their relationship feel real to me.
Brooke and Jayla reflect two sides of my own personality, and writing them gave me the chance to explore the delicate balance between speaking up and slowing down, charging ahead and staying open. Their bond is the heart of the book.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I’m working on a couple of exciting illustration projects. One is called Camping is a Terrible Idea!, written by Kirsten Pendreigh. This book is a dream project to illustrate with all the nature scenes.
It’s all about a routine-loving city kid who goes camping, anticipating chaos and calamity, only to discover that nature has its own reassuring sounds and patterns. It comes out Spring 2026 from Sleeping Bear Press.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Working on Diary of a Nature Nerd stirred up so many memories from our time living on the road that my partner and I decided to go for it again. We’re currently building out our sixth camper and have made the big decision to sell our house and return to full-time nomadic life!
If you're curious about our newest van build progress, our travels, or behind-the-scenes book updates, you can follow along on Instagram at @Rolling_Vistas.
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
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