Origin
When Jean Little and Maggie DeVries asked me to illustrate their story, I almost said no. Writing a story is much easier for me than illustrating one. But their story intrigued me. How could I tie all those bits and pieces of fairy tales and nursery rhymes together visually? To do it I had to make up a picture story.
Try listening to the story without looking at the pictures. Is there anything in the words about a dog or a Dad or children? That’s what makes illustrating a book so much fun!
Fun Facts
When I first spoke to Jean and Maggie, I said I was tempted to tamper with their story. Their response was, “Tamper away.” Not many authors would give an illustrator that much freedom.
The Dad in the story is my husband, Brian. He finds his way into a lot of my books.
The only book that’s hidden in this one is The Balloon Tree. I didn’t think it’d be fair to fill their book with pictures from all my old books.
Hide and Seek
The King from The Balloon Tree
Chickens!
Activities
Activity #1: Students write their own mixed up stories.
Activity #2: Students invent a beginning and end to any of the wrong answers. For example: Explain how the princess came to be kissing a reluctant dragon and what happened after she did that.