Today is a behind-the-scenes deep dive duo chat with children’s author and teacher/literacy interventionist Brooke Graham, and award-winning Australian illustrator Kristen Willis.

This is a fascinating chat about how Brooke and Kristen created Family Feast, releasing 29 September and published by EK Books.

As we've already heard about Kristen's creative background in episode 8 of The KidLit Pod, Shara Curlett asks Brooke to share her background, and Brooke tells us how creativity came from early reading, her 26-year-long teaching career, and one-on-one intervention work supporting children with dyslexia/dysgraphia. She also shares how her earlier books, Go Away Worry Monster! and Nova’s Missing Masterpiece, drew on anxiety and self-regulation strategies after family challenges, including her husband’s death.

From here we do a deep dive into Family Feast. Brooke shares how her loud Maltese family and childhood embarrassment inspired the words, how she felt throughout the illustration process, and we also hear from Kristen, who shares how despite having already illustrated three published picture books, Family Feast was actually her first illustration contract!

Kristen shares her process (character design, storyboards, gouache/colored pencil, emotive color palette) and Brooke shares at what stage she saw it all, and how she felt seeing her words translated into images. Brooke also shares how important her critique group was throughout this process, including connecting Brooke with Kristen after other illustrators fell through.

Following this, Shara, Brooke and Kristen share a fun 'live reveal' of their favorite spreads from the book, followed by a quick fire would you rather game.

Family Feast will be launched at Quick Brown Fox bookstore on 11 October at 11am.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

LINKS:

Family Feast by author Brooke Graham and illustrator Kristen Willis

Family Feast launch information

Brooke Graham on Instagram: @brookegrahamauthor

Brooke Graham Website: www.brookegrahamauthor.com

Kristen Willis on Instagram: @tondocreative

Kristen Willis Website: www.tondo.com.au

OTHER BOOKS MENTIONED:

Go Away, Worry Monster! by author Brooke Graham and illustrator Robin Tatlow-Lord

Nova's Missing Masterpiece by author Brooke Graham and illustrator Robin Tatlow-Lord

Peek-a-Boo Lottie by author Laura Holloway and illustrator Kristen Willis

Casa Mia by author Josie Montano and illustrator Kristen Willis

Evie's Spare Love by author Bec Nanayakkara and illustrator Kristen Willis

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Follow The KidLit Pod on Instagram (@thekidlitpod)

Find out more about The KidLit Pod host, Shara Curlett, here:

Shara Curlett on Instagram (@sharacurlett)

Shara Curlett Website (www.sharacurlett.com)