Chatting with Casey Lyall and Kathryn Durst (Whale, That Was Unexpected), Plus Giveaway~ US/CAN ONLY!

CASEY LYALL lives in Southwestern Ontario where she also works at her local library (and waits for management to discover they’re actually paying her to have fun). When she’s not writing, Casey loves to bake, doodle and learn extremely groan-worthy jokes to tell her friends. Casey is the author of the humorous middle-grade mystery series Howard Wallace, P.I. and books A Spoonful of Frogs and Vampire Jam Sandwich.

KATHRYN DURST is a graduate of Sheridan College in Ontario, Canada. She has a background in animation, having interned with Pixar Animation Studios. Kathryn has illustrated numerous children’s books, including You’re In Good Paws, the Polite Predators books and the #1 New York Times bestseller from Paul McCartney, Hey Grandude! When she is not illustrating books, she can be found playing the accordion, growing vegetables, folk dancing or putting on shadow puppet shows. She lives in Toronto, Canada, with her grumpy mini dachshund named Chili Dog.

YABC: Is your main character like you?

I would say the biggest thing we have in common is that we both get annoyed when we have to go outside.

YABC: How do you know when a book is finished?
If you stick a toothpick in it and it comes out without any letters on it, you’re good to go.

YABC: How do you keep your ‘voice’ true to the age category you are writing within?
Mostly, I try to focus on whatever I would have found funny at that age and write in that direction.

YABC: What type of scene do you love to write the most?

Anything where the characters are getting up to some kind of shenanigans. Always my favourite!

YABC: Which character gave you the most trouble when writing your latest book?
The octopus! All of the other rhymes for Whale, That was Unexpected fell into place after a few attempts, but the octopus had me stumped for a bit. I had to step away from the book for awhile before I was able to crack it! And then it was one of those, ‘oh, this is such a simple solution, why didn’t I think of it before?’ kind of things, which is both awesome and annoying whenever it happens. 

YABC: What word do you have trouble overusing?
‘Just’ is one of my worst ones! I always have to do a search for that one and chop as many as I can. I don’t know what it is about that one – I just love it!

YABC: If your character could meet a character from another book, who would it be?

I think Maude should meet up with the main character from Vera Brosgol’s Leave Me Alone! and they could commiserate about all the people and things that keep bugging them. Or just sit in silence which they would probably enjoy even more!

YABC: What is your favorite reading space?

My cozy couch or in my office chair with my feet up.

YABC: How do you plan to celebrate the launch of your book?
I’ll be having a launch party in my home town with lots of giveaways, treats, and a big Whale bean bag toss game. Plus, there are quite a few events planned at bookstores around Southwestern Ontario over the next few months and I’m really looking forward to those as well!

YABC: What is your favorite holiday or tradition, and why?

I love Halloween and one of the traditions that I’ve had going on for a few years now is handing out books (along with candy!) I set out a table with options for all ages and let kids pick out whatever catches their eye. It’s really fun and I look forward to it every year!

~Illustrator Chat~

YABC: What is your favorite thing to draw?

I love to draw what I see! Drawing the world from observation is the best way. Going out to museums and cafes and drawing the things around me is my favourite way to draw.

YABC:  How long did it take you to create the artwork for this book?

Probably around nine months.

YABC: What inspired you the most for the artwork in this book?

I was inspired by a recent trip to St. John’s newfoundland. I tried to capture the feeling of the seaside and the buildings there. I tried to capture the fog, the cliffs and the flowers in the area.  I like the scene at the beginning of the book which shows Maude’s seaside town, as she heads down to her boat.

YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?

I think I relate most to Claude, the grumpy dog in the book.

YABC: Which techniques are your favorites to use?

I always start with traditional media, so I used charcoal to do the line art for the book, and then I coloured the drawings with digital techniques.

YABC: When did you know you wanted to be an illustrator?

I’ve been drawing since I was a little kid. I worked in animation for several years but I always loved the beautiful artwork in picture books. I’ve been illustrating books professionally for over 10 yearts.

YABC: Do you have a favorite genre to illustrate?

Funny books with animal characters.

YABC: What’s up next for you?

I am currently participating in a residency at Leporello Knowlton the summer. And then I will be heading back to Toronto to teach animation at OCAD University.

YABC:  What would you say is your superpower?

Drawing and playing the accordion!