Q&A with Creator JJ

 

 

 

Creator JJ is the author of the children's picture book Tiki Time: It's My Turn!, the first in a new series.  

 

Q: What inspired you to create this book, and how did you come up with the idea for your character Tiki?

 

A: Most of my writings start around a central character. So this book really all started with the main character, Tiki. I initially dreamt up the Tiki character when I was looking at some tiki statue art one day, and the character started popping into my head.

 

Tiki was a character I was creating who was a fun, rambunctious boy from a magical island in a tiki culture setting whose behavior was a little off and who just needed a little guidance to help him correct his behavior. But one day I wrote down the main character, the supporting cast of fun characters, and the world of TikiTown.

 

When I presented the idea to Fates, he and his animation studio team really liked the idea. We further developed the story around the time-traveling adventure that Tiki goes on and the supporting antagonists.

 

And the story really came together when we added in the underlying themes of the book about building self-confidence, friendship, the true meaning of character and integrity, and teaching kids to think about their own behavior and how it affects others.

 

What I think really makes this book unique too is that this is an adventure series for young readers in grades 1-3. Most series books can be for more advanced readers in the middle grade range. But this is a unique series that is really designed for early readers that gives them a chance to develop their reading skills while also diving into a magical adventure series!

 

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, when I went to write the story, I had an outline of how the story went from beginning to end. There were some changes as I made some tweaks to the overall outline. But once I was satisfied with the outline, I got down to writing the first book. And at the end of the day, I am really pleased with the initial story, plot, and the overall concept of the series.

 

Tiki Time: It’s My Turn is actually the first book in the Tiki Time series that leads up to a really exciting ending! So, there is more to come very soon.

 

Q: How were the illustrations for the book created, and can you say more about the video version?

 

A: I worked with Fates and the Humouring the Fates animation studio team to create the artwork. I had some initial ideas on how the characters looked, and they were able to take my writing and bring it to life in beautiful artwork.

 

What is funny is what they developed matched exactly how I envisioned the characters in my head as I creatively developed them. But when you look at the artwork, you can see that it is absolutely visually stunning. I couldn’t be more satisfied with how the artwork came out for the project.

 

The read-along video was created using the artwork from the original book by Fates. The video itself was produced by Wolf Design & Marketing. The audio track was engineered by Robin Smith at Frederick Studios.

 

I really had an incredible team help me put together the read-along video. It was a really fun and creative process putting this together.

 

Q: What do you hope kids take away from the story?

 

A: I hope that kids really enjoy this story and that it takes them on a fun adventure as they read the book and follow the story in the series. My hope is that they enjoy this book so much that it also encourages them to read other books in similar or different genres to encourage them to read in general more. Reading is such an important skill for kids.

 

And most importantly, I hope that they comprehend the underlying themes of the book about building self-confidence, friendship, the true meaning of character and integrity, and thinking about their own behavior and how it affects others.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I am working on the second book of the Tiki Time series, Tiki Time: T-Rex Tiki. This book picks up where the first book left off as Tiki and his friend travel back in time to prehistoric times to find King Lauia, retrieve the magical toku mask, and bring it back to the TikiTown in present time to unfreeze the town.

 

It’s already written; I am just going through the editing process now. I am hoping to have this released by late summer/fall. Tiki fans are going to love this second book! There is even more action, adventure, and valuable lessons for kids to be learned in this book.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: There are a lot of fun resources to accompany the Tiki Time: It’s My Turn book. We have the read-along video version on YouTube. The Children’s Book Review also put together an incredible activity kit that parents are able to download for their kids.

 

Additionally, The Children’s Book Review helped develop an amazing educator's guide for any educators or teachers out there that are interested in using the book in a classroom setting. The links for these fun resources can be found below.

 

Read-Along Video: https://www.youtube.com/@CreatorJJ-d2k

 

Activity Kit:  https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2024/11/Tiki-Time-Activity-Kit.pdf

 

Educator’s Guide: https://www.thechildrensbookreview.com/wp-content/uploads/2025/02/TikiTimeEducatorGuide25.pdf

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. This post was created in partnership with Creator JJ. Enter this giveaway for your chance to win one of three copies of Tiki Time: It's My Turn!. Plus, one lucky grand prize winner will receive a signed copy of the book along with a $200 Amazon gift card to fuel even more adventures.