Q&A with Nathan Christopher

  

 

 

Nathan Christopher is the author of the new children's picture book When the Witch Wrote Back!. His other books include When Santa Wrote Back!. He lives in Windsor, Ontario.

 

Q: What inspired you to write When the Witch Wrote Back!?

 

A: When the Witch Wrote Back! is the second book in the When They Wrote Back! picture book series.

 

The inspiration for the series came when an author posted her kid’s letter to Santa on Twitter. It started off politely (“How are Mrs. Claus and the reindeer”) before abruptly shifting gears: “Let’s get to the point. What I want for Christmas is…”

 

I found it so authentic and hilarious. Soon, I had the idea for this enterprising kid named Jake who writes to holiday characters with one big idea after another.

 

As a kid, I loved stories that let me believe adventure and mystery could be hiding on an ordinary suburban street (“The Goonies” and “The ‘Burbs” were favorites in our house). So when it came time to write a Halloween-themed sequel, I pretty quickly homed in on the idea of a mysterious new neighbor who might be a witch.

 

Q: What do you think Pablo Pino’s illustrations add to the story?

 

A: Pablo brings SO much to each book, it’s hard to know where to start. There is tons of visual humor in the finished book that isn’t in the written manuscript—it comes entirely from Pablo.

 

I always praise the expressiveness of Pablo’s characters—one of my favorite illustrations in this book is when the witch says, “Dear Jake—A witch? How absurd. Did my cat tell you that?” and Pablo has the witch glaring at the cat while the cat cleans itself with an absolutely hilarious, “What did I do?” expression on its face.

 

And, in this book in particular, Pablo’s illustrations are truly grand and cinematic—like in the spread where Jake casts his final disastrous spell while flying on a broom.

 

Q: How would you describe the dynamic between Jake and his new neighbor?

 

A: Jake and the witch have a fun relationship. Jake is persistent, both in insisting that his new neighbor is a witch and in demanding magical help to solve his problems.

 

The witch is evasive (at first) and a little scheming (later), but I think readers will pick up quickly that she is amused by Jake’s mischievousness—maybe willing to put him through some ordeals to teach him a lesson, but ultimately kindhearted.

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

 

A: We packed the book with every Halloween trope that we could fit: witches, LOTS of monsters, candy, and—most of all—the feeling that magic could pave the way to adventure.

 

I hope it leaves kids laughing, smiling, energized, and feeling all the Halloweeny vibes. And maybe they’ll look around their ordinary neighborhoods and wonder whether something extraordinary might be hiding there.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

A: I’m lucky to be writing and revising more books with Pablo Pino in the When They Wrote Back! series. When the Easter Bunny Wrote Back! will be published in December 2026, followed by When the Leprechaun Wrote Back! in 2027, with a fifth Jake adventure to follow!

 

I also have a funny nautical picture book called Your Shed Set Sail: A Cautionary Tale, illustrated by Tommy Doyle, coming in summer 2027.

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: I love connecting with readers, teachers, librarians, and fellow picture book creators. You can find me at HelloNathan.ca.

 

And when I’m not writing, I also like building things for the author community. I’ve created Virtual Storytime, an app for exciting virtual picture book readings; PB Author Tools, a collection of free writing tools for picture book writers; and BookCrewHQ, a platform that helps authors organize promotional and review groups.

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb