Rebecca Green is the author and illustrator of the new children's picture books Henri & Miko: Autumn in Bosk Olivette and Henri & Miko: Winter in Bosk Olivette. She lives in Central New York.
Q: What inspired you to create your characters Henri and Miko, and why did you decide on a mouse and a bee?
A: These two friends actually happened to come across my drawing desk quite randomly! After a frustrating drawing session for a client, I wanted to draw something just for fun and a little palette cleanser. I drew a mouse, and when I shared the mouse online, someone said she needed a companion, and so I drew a bee.
Then and there, seeing this little mouse and bee together, explosions of personality and conversation erupted in my mind, and I knew better than to ignore these creative sparks. Once I had these two in my heart and mind, I couldn't stop thinking about them, though it took years to actually develop the books.
Q: How did you create the world of Bosk Olivette, where the characters live?
A: Bosk Olivette's flora is based on my home state of Michigan. I actually have a hard time drawing nature/woods, so it's still a mystery to me why I chose this setting to illustrate.
That said, seasons are incredibly important to me and to the series, so I had to hunker down and find a way to love drawing trees, flowers, etc.
Bosk Olivette is not expansive but a small little area within the woods where we are transported into Henri and Miko's world. It's a human world (they live in a cider press, for example), but we see little of the human influence on the story.
Q: You’ve described their autumn and winter--will there be books about spring and summer too?
A: Of course! Fun fact: at first there were only going to be two books--Winter/Spring and then Fall/Summer--but once we started developing them, we realized that each season was brimming with possibility, so we expanded the series to four books.
Q: What do you hope readers take away from the books?
A: That they can make their own celebrations and traditions. That every season has its own perfect joys. And that any ordinary day can be made special with intention and gratitude.
Q: What are you working on now?
A: Spring and Summer in Bosk Olivette--both books will be out in early 2028.
Q: Anything else we should know?
A: Throughout this process, I gained an immense respect for authors and artists who make graphic novels. Each of these books contains two stories which are told in graphic novel-style panels, and it was such a learning curve for me! Like, it actually melted my brain, and I would come home from my studio and just have to stare at the wall.
I can't imagine ever making a full graphic novel, but I have mad respect for those who do!
--Interview with Deborah Kalb
No comments:
Post a Comment