Q&A with Ashley Key

 

 

 

Ashley Key is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture book Dash and the Lights in the Sky. She is also an educator and a technical writer. 

 

Q: What inspired you to create Dash and the Lights in the Sky?

 

A: I’ve always been mesmerized by the northern lights, but the real spark came from watching my own daughters ask “why?” about everything. I wanted a book that captured the wonder of auroras while also gently explaining the science behind them — something lyrical, cozy, and full of discovery.

 

I worked in satellite communications for several years, so space weather wasn’t abstract to me; it affected real signals and systems. I thought, kids are already curious — let’s give them real science wrapped in a beautiful story.

 

And honestly, a lot of Dash’s personality came from our real-life husky, Drake — his head tilts, his sky-watching, and his endless curiosity on walks reminded me daily that wonder begins with simply looking up.

 

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

 

A: Both came together almost at the same time. I write in a very visual way, so as soon as I had the poetic rhythm of Dash noticing the lights, I could already see the watercolor washes and soft Arctic night skies.

 

Sometimes an illustration idea inspired a line of text, and other times a rhyme guided the artwork. The story and visuals shaped each other continuously, and it all started when my daughters asked me to draw our husky — I made him a bit cartoony for them, and that style naturally evolved into Dash and the world around him.

 

Q: How did you research the book, and did you learn anything that especially surprised you?

 

A: I relied heavily on primary scientific sources, especially:

NASA – Auroras Overview
https://science.nasa.gov/earth/earths-magnetosphere/auroras/

University of Alaska Fairbanks Geophysical Institute (Aurora Forecast & Science)
https://www.gi.alaska.edu/monitors/aurora-forecast

Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum – Space Weather & Auroras
https://airandspace.si.edu/explore-and-learn/topics/space-weather/auroras

NOAA Space Weather Prediction Center
https://www.swpc.noaa.gov/

 

The biggest surprise: auroras are happening all the time — even at midday — but we can’t see them without darkness and clear atmospheric conditions. I also learned how specific gases create different aurora colors.

 

For example:

Green and yellow light generally come from oxygen at lower altitudes (~100–150 km)

Red auroras come from oxygen at much higher altitudes (~200–300 km)

Purple and blue hues often come from nitrogen ions

 

I was also fascinated by the aurora australis, the southern lights, which occur simultaneously around the geomagnetic south pole. And yes — Jupiter, Saturn, and even Mars have auroras, influenced by different magnetic field strengths and solar wind interactions.

 

For a children’s book, I had to translate that into friendly language — but I refused to oversimplify scientific accuracy.

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: Curiosity, absolutely — but also confidence in asking questions about the natural world. I want children to feel that science and wonder can live together, that understanding something doesn’t make it less magical, it makes it more magical.

 

The book includes a Parent’s Reading Guide, vocabulary list, science facts, and built-in STEM crafts, because stories can spark real exploration:

Why does the Sun send out streams of solar wind?

How does Earth’s magnetosphere shield our planet?

Why do different planets have their own auroras?

 

If a family ends up watching a NASA aurora video or checking the University of Alaska Fairbanks aurora forecast together, that’s a win.

 

More than anything, I hope the book encourages families to learn side by side. There’s no pressure to memorize facts or become experts — just permission to follow curiosity, chase questions, and feel that sense of discovery long after the last page is turned.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m expanding the Dash series into a full educational collection — all Arctic and STEM-based. Dash, Echo, and Nimbus will explore topics like weather, maps, seasons, animal adaptations, sound in snow, and more.

 

I’m also building hands-on author visit programs for libraries, museums, and schools that include live science demonstrations and STEM crafts. Readers can expect more science, more northern landscapes, and new discoveries in every book.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Dash and the Lights in the Sky is already available worldwide in hardcover, softcover, and board book editions — and readers have discovered it in more than 20 countries.

 

I also offer author visits with hands-on science demonstrations, including “Balloon Planet & Dancing Northern Lights,” which uses static electricity and magnetic fields to show how streams of solar wind can create ribbons of light in our sky.

 

Every book, school visit, and STEM craft is rooted in real science, presented in a kid-friendly way. My goal is to help children look up at the sky with wonder — and leave with a spark of understanding they can build on.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This Q&A was conducted in partnership with Ashley Key. Enter this giveaway for the chance to win one of seven signed copies of Dash and the Lights in the Sky: two hardcover editions and five board books. One grand prize winner will also receive a beautifully curated craft box paired with a signed hardcover copy of the book.