Q&A with Katie Mazeika

 

 

Katie Mazeika is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture book Maybe Just Ask Me!. Her other books include Annette Feels Free. She lives in Ohio.

 

Q: Why did you decide to create Maybe Just Ask Me!?

A: When I was 3 years old, I had cancer and lost my right eye. I was in and out of hospitals for a number of years afterward. At one point, when I was 5, I spent almost six months in Cleveland Clinic to have several surgeries.

 

At that time, my favorite book was Madeline by Ludwig Bemelmans. It was the only book I knew with a character in the hospital. Not only was Madeline hospitalized, like I was, but she also had a scar. Madeline jumped up on her hospital bed and showed her scar off.

I wanted to be proud of my scars like Madeline. But I wasn’t. I was a shy kid who tried to hide my eyepatch behind sunglasses. Maybe Just Ask Me! is the book I needed as a kid. It acknowledges the stares and whispers that come with a physical disability.

 

But Mazie, the main character, isn’t embarrassed or ashamed. She gathers her courage,  speaks up, and tells her classmates: “Maybe just ask me!”

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says, “...the bright, rounded illustrations sympathetically convey Mazie’s emotions, clearly depicting her sadness at her classmates’ rumors and her happiness when they befriend her after learning her story. A reminder that kids with disabilities are the authorities of their own stories.” What do you think of that description?

A: To be honest, I love it--especially that last line! This was an emotional book for me to write and illustrate. I reconnected with a lot of feelings from my childhood. I’m happy that all those emotions come through in art.

I’m particularly happy that Mazie’s spirit comes through. Hopefully, that spirit will encourage young readers to speak up for themselves.

Q: In a note at the back of the book, you write, “Because when we pretend not to see people with disabilities, we make them feel invisible.” Can you say more about that?

A: Absolutely! I understand that kids are often taught to not stare or talk about another person’s disability, that this is considered “good manners.” But kids are curious, and curiosity (with kindness) is allowed, as long as kids understand that not everyone wants to share their story.

When we teach kids to look away from someone with a disability, we teach kids that disabilities are scary or shameful. Instead, we should encourage kids to talk openly about differences. That’s how we learn we are all human.

Looking away from someone with a disability or trying to ignore them to “be polite” is excluding that person. And it’s important that kids don’t learn that it’s okay to exclude someone just because they’re different.

Q: What impact did it have on you to create this book, and what do you hope kids (and adults!) take away from it?

A: On the one hand, creating this book was very cathartic. It brought a lot of memories and emotions from my childhood to mind. It really helped me to process what it was like growing up with a disability.  I also loved creating the imaginations of the other kids!

I hope Mazie helps readers discover the courage to speak up and tell their own stories. I hope adults and young readers have honest discussions about disability and feel free to be curious and ask questions so they can see that there’s nothing shameful or scary about disability.

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I’m currently working on art for an informational fiction picture book (also written by me). The working title is House in a Box.  It’s about a boy who builds a Sears kit home with his family and new neighbors.

 

It’s very different from Maybe Just Ask Me. It has a historical setting and is filled with all kinds of little details about the kit homes from Sears. It will be out in 2026 with Beach Lane Books/Simon & Schuster.

Q: Anything else we should know?

A: I don’t just write and illustrate; I also present to educators on disability representation in children’s books.  And I love visiting schools and meeting young readers! You find me on Instagram at kdmazart, Bluesky at kdmaz, and my website: https://www.katiemazeika.com.

Thank you so much, Deborah!

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Katie Mazeika.