Q&A with J.D. Davis

  

 

 

J.D. Davis is the author of the new children's board book Baby Truck Bedtime. She lives in Connecticut.

 

Q: What inspired you to write Baby Truck Bedtime?

 

A: I’m drawn to characters so I tend to start my projects with a character in mind and see where that character takes me.

 

Growing up, my dad was always buying broken down vehicles and fixing them. His garage was essentially an extension of our home. However, I noticed that many of the existing truck books took place on farms and job sites and – don’t get me wrong – we love those books.

 

But it occurred to me that kids are usually playing with their toy vehicles at home or in their backyard. They are taking their trucks to the park with them, on their daily adventures. What would those stories look like? I felt there was an opportunity for a truck character in a home environment, with his family.

 

Q: What do you think Erica Sirotich’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: Erica’s done a brilliant job of creating Baby Truck’s world. Baby Truck Bedtime is a snapshot of family life and their home is the center of that story.

 

Erica created a world for them that blends the comforts of home with the functionality of a garage. Not only did she make their place cozy, she also considered the logistics of how they would get around and complete daily tasks.

 

Erica does a great job of matching the illustrations to the tone of the text. The book starts with action and gradually slows down as Baby Truck prepares for bed. It was important that those final pages be visually comforting.

 

Q: Why did you choose a truck family as your characters?

 

A: Once I knew I wanted to create a truck character that centered around a home environment it was natural to give him a family.

 

As I concepted the Baby Truck character further, it occurred to me that kids and trucks have a lot in common. They both get dirty and need a bath. They run around until their tank gets low and need to “fuel up.” And at night, they get tucked away to rest their engines.

 

Mama Truck and Daddy Truck are there to guide him as he learns how to be a Big Boy Truck.

 

Q: What are some of your other favorite bedtime books for kids?

 

A: Baby Truck Bedtime is a character-led board book, so while it is a bedtime book I think families will ultimately be drawn to the character. I love characters that last the test of time and that’s typically what we read at night.

 

My favorite characters include Olivia by Ian Falconer and the cast of characters from the If You Give a Mouse a Cookie series, by Laura Numeroff and Felicia Bond.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’m thrilled to share that Baby Truck Bedtime is the first book in a series featuring the character. Erica and I are currently working on the sequel. Look out for Baby Truck Bath Time – scheduled to make its SPLASH in April of 2027.

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: Baby Truck Bedtime is the first in a series of board books for babies and toddlers and is available for preorder now. We hope you’ll make space for Baby Truck on your shelf.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb