Today we are very excited to share an interview with Author Alina Tysoe (The Great Puptective)!
Meet the Author: Alina Tysoe
From the moment she was able to hold a pencil, Alina Tysoe was scribbling away and filling notebooks with doodles of dogs and comics about her family. Today, Alina is an illustrator, 2D animator, and author of What’s Up Beanie: Acutely Relatable Comics, a collection based on her popular webcomic by the same name, the picture book Emi Isn’t Scared of Monsters, and the graphic novel chapter book The Great Puptective. She lives in New Zealand with her husband, Mike, who makes regular appearances in her webcomic, and, infuriatingly, no dogs.
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About the Book: The Great Puptective
A set-in-his-ways housecat has his routine upended by an enthusiastic new puppy with a nose for solving mysteries in this first adorable book in a graphic novel chapter book series perfect for fans of InvestiGators and Narwhal and Jelly.
Truffles the cat is the only pet in the house and reigns in peace and quiet, only exerting himself to find the best place to take a nice, long nap—preferably in a spot of warm sunshine. Then Poppy the puppy bursts onto the scene.
Poppy is loud, enthusiastic, excitable, and—worst of all—a puptective! She’s got an eye for crime and a nose to solve all mysteries that come her way…even though she’s not completely sure what a mystery is.
Truffles cannot let this intrusion stand. Poppy won’t be able to continue disrupting his precious me-time if she’s shipped to the North Pole! But could this irrepressible new companion be just what this grumpy cat needs?
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~Author Chat~
YABC: What gave you the inspiration to write this book?
It started with a brainstorming session where I wrote down the word “Puptective” and was immediately obsessed with the idea of a puppy detective. I love dogs and their earnest goofy personalities, and especially puppies that tend to run into situations head first – this became Poppy the Great Puptective. Poppy’s dynamic with her nemesis turned unwilling BFF Truffles is inspired by my own childhood dog and cat who after a brief period of rivalry got along swimmingly.
YABC: Who is your favorite character in the book?
This is cheating a little bit but I love BOTH Poppy and Truffles a whole lot. I feel like they reflect the different parts of my personality – Poppy is the one that’s excited about everything and especially new projects and Truffles is the grouchy introvert that is very particular about the way things have to be done. They are both very fun to draw with their range of facial expressions and personalities, making for a fun duo to put into different mystery situations.
YABC: What scene in the book are you most proud of, and why?
I have two! One is a very simple one, where Poppy is running circles around a table following a set of mysterious footprints. It’s a very simple visual gag but when I gave it to my niece and nephews to read to see what they think, it got a LOT of laughs, they kept rereading those pages and I’m very pleased with that. The other scene is where (without spoiling too much) Truffles has a change of heart and some realizations. I think his poses and expressions in that scene turned out funny and he’s learnt some good lessons.
YABC: Thinking way back to the beginning, what’s the most important thing you’ve learned as a writer from then to now?
I’ve learnt to be more confident and trust the process of multiple drafts. It’s very easy to panic when you’re writing/drawing your first draft and it’s not looking great yet, but that’s the whole point of it being a draft. You can look back on it with fresh eyes and revise now that you have something to build on. I still struggle with it but it gets a bit easier when you’ve done it a few times. Also learning more about what works and what doesn’t work for your own personal writing process has been very important. I’ve learnt that being very visual – my first draft for a graphic novel has to take the form of a very rough sketch storyboard rather than written words, and there’s nothing wrong with that! If it works, it works!
YABC: What new release book are you looking most forward to in 2024?
In the kids graphic novels space, I’m currently really looking forward to Cloud Puppy by Kelly Leigh Miller which looks SO cute and colorful and is also about a puppy main character, so of course I’m sold! For older readers, I’m really excited for the graphic novel A Witch’s Guide to Burning by Aminder Dhaliwal – a phenomenal storyteller.
YABC: What’s a book you’ve recently read and loved?
I just recently read the graphic novel The Princess and the Grilled Cheese Sandwich by Deya Muniz which was adorable, fun and cheesy in the best way.
YABC: What’s up next for you?
Two more books in The Great Puptective graphic novel series which I’m very excited about! Then another unannounced middle grade graphic novel project and of course my ongoing webcomic What’s Up, Beanie?. Busy year ahead!
YABC: What is the main message or lesson you would like your reader to remember from this book?
To be kind and curious! To be open to new ideas and ways of thinking about things!
YABC: What advice do you have for new writers?
Keep a notebook and write ideas down as soon as you get them even if you think they’re easy to remember!
Title: The Great Puptective
Author: Alina Tysoe
Illustrator: Alina Tysoe
Release Date: 3/19/24
Publisher: S&S Books for Young Children
Genre: Chapter Book Graphic Novel
Age Range: 6-9
