Maggie Edkins Willis is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture book Little Ghost Makes a Friend. She also has written and illustrated the graphic novel Smaller Sister. She lives in Princeton, New Jersey.
Q: What inspired you to create Little Ghost Makes a Friend, and how did you create your character Little Ghost?
A: I really love drawing fall and Halloween characters and scenes. Whenever that time of year comes around, I get a bug to make some art that celebrates the vibes of the season. Little Ghost started as what I call a "one-off" piece-- more of a drawing exercise than something I was working up as a concept for a larger story.
I do often find that bigger ideas grow out of those types of pieces, but it takes the pressure off somewhat to just work on something I enjoy without expectation of it becoming something bigger. That's when I can really let myself play.
In this case, the drawing was a character study of a sweet ghost trying on different Halloween costumes. I posted it on Instagram, and the eventual art director for Little Ghost Makes a Friend, Sarah (who I had worked on projects with in the past), reposted the drawing to her story.
My editor, Catherine, saw it and reached out to me. She was looking for a sweet, spooky character just like that, and she asked if I was interested in creating a story based around him. Clearly, I was, and now we're here! That original illustration is actually included in the book pretty much exactly as I first drew it!
Q: Did you work on the text or the illustrations first--or both simultaneously?
A: I drew two illustrations before writing the story that served as concept art--that original piece that I posted online, as well as another piece which also ended up in the book that shows Little Ghost making cookies. Using those pieces to anchor the character in my mind, I wrote the manuscipt, and then sketched and rendered the rest of the illustrations.
In most of the projects I work on, I'll largely start with the text, but I will go back and forth between concept art and writing so that I'm developing the visuals and story simultaneously. In the graphic novel projects I work on in particular, it really helps me to have a very clear image of the characters in my mind as I'm writing.
Q: The Kirkus Review of the book called it a “sweetly spooky tale that reminds us that reaching out to others doesn’t have to be scary.” What do you think of that description?
A: I think that captures it perfectly! Making friends and reaching out to others is something I think about a lot in my own life, actually--in my husband's industry, moving is fairly commonplace, so a few times as an adult I've had to relocate and put down roots in new places.
I am an author-illustrator full-time, so my own job tends to be a bit solitary, and I don't have a built-in network of colleagues like I used to when I worked in an office setting. I've had to get comfortable putting myself out there and reaching out to new people.
Like Little Ghost, I tend to be a bit shy, but then once I've worked up the courage to reach out to someone new, I'm always happy I did. I'm glad that came through in the story.
Q: How would you describe the relationship between Little Ghost and Anya?
A: I have a two-and-a-half-year-old son, and something I've observed about the way he makes friends is that it's so hard initially to work up the courage to break the ice, but then so simple and natural once they're actually playing together. I wanted the relationship between Anya and Little Ghost to feel like that.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: I've got a few things cooking right now! I have a picture book coming out next year called Dinky the Tinysaur that is a Clifford-esque tale about a dinosaur that has a similarly sweet tone to Little Ghost, and I think readers who loved this story will really enjoy that one.
I also have a picture book coming out next year called Thunderland, about a girl with a fear of storms whose dad helps her face them.
In 2026, I will be publishing two companion picture books called Wondermoms and Wonderdads, which I'm really excited about because they're my first rhyming texts!
On the middle grade graphic novel side, I am in the middle of a project called Baby Steps, about a girl whose family is welcoming a baby they're not entirely prepared for. And then I've got a few other graphic novels in development after that.
So I'm definitely keeping busy, and please do keep an eye out for more to come from me in the future!
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: I truly love hearing from readers, as well as other authors, illustrators, and book lovers all across the publishing industry! Please come find me on Instagram @maggie.made.this and Twitter/X @maggiemadethis. And thanks so much for these thoughtful questions, this was a pleasure!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
No comments:
Post a Comment