Patricia Toht, author of the brand new Pick a Pumpkin, wanted to tell our Picture Book Party readers a little about the process of choosing an illustrator for a story and how Jarvis was the perfect fit for her:
Friends and relatives who are unfamiliar
with publishing are frequently surprised to discover that, as a picture book
author, I don’t choose an illustrator – instead, the editor and art director choose
someone whose style fits the story. When I add that I’ve never even met my
illustrators, they usually ask the same question:
“Then how do you tell them what pictures to
make?”
“I don’t,” I answer. “The illustrator reads
my text and draws what those words inspire.”
More than a few are perplexed by this arrangement.
“What if they make a mistake? What if you
don’t like what they draw?”
I’m happy to tell them that I’ve been
amazed and delighted by the illustrations for my books. The words and pictures
meld to create something beautiful.
Two of my books, Pick a Pine Tree and Pick
a Pumpkin, are illustrated by Jarvis. His illustrations evoke the
warmth and nostalgia of family traditions. They are so lovely!
The day an illustrated proof arrives is
always a special one. I pour over the illustrations, soaking up every detail. But
I had a unique experience the first time I turned the pages of Pick
a Pumpkin. It was as if Jarvis had accessed our family photos! Sure, I
drew upon our family’s experiences when writing the text, but those
illustrations – they were my memories.
How could he know that the wagon being
pulled through the farm not only contained pumpkins, but also a little boy with
a pumpkin in his arms?
Why did he choose a girl to clean the
pumpkin, with buckets in the background…
…and a little boy in blue, standing on
newspaper, pulling out the guts?
There is no way Jarvis could know that my youngest child always cut a hole
in the bottom of his pumpkin so he could sport it on his head on Halloween. So
how could it be that a pumpkin-headed child appears at the end of the pumpkin
carving scenes? (And note that both pumpkins have triangle eyes, triangle
noses, and a two-toothed grin!)
Authors and illustrators have a unique
bond, one built on trust and confidence in each other’s talents. My task is to
write the best text I can and then get out of the way as the illustrator takes
over.
The combination leads to transformation –
picture book magic!
Pick a Pumpkin is available to buy now!
