ZRecs Interview: Children's Author and Illustrator Laurie Keller

Author and illustrator Laurie Keller is the author of several popular children's books, and we reviewed one of Scholastic's video adaptations of her books, Arnie the Doughnut, last year. (We loved it.) Many of her books take on "educational" topics - her breakout hit, The Scrambled States of America, helps teach U.S. geography, and we recently got ahold of the fun animated adaptation of Open Wide: Tooth School Inside, released this summer, which packs a phenomenal amount of information about teeth - physiology, the importance of brushing and flossing, dentistry - and filling it with humor and whimsy along with her fun, textural illustrations. We decided to ask her a few questions about her process, and about bringing her books to life in an animated format. At the foot of the post, find out how you can win a DVD two-pack - Arnie the Doughnut plus Open Wide: Tooth School Inside - from Scholastic and Z Recommends!

Z Recommends: You've been through the process of animating your books with Scholastic and Weston Woods several times now. What is the process like? Can you describe a timeline and what steps are involved, and how directly you are involved?

Laurie Keller: They've animated three of my books - The Scrambled States of America [book|DVD|game|puzzle+book] Arnie the Doughnut [book|DVD|ZRecs DVD review] and Open Wide: Tooth School Inside [book|DVD]. The process usually takes about a year from start to finish. They use the original art from the books to do the animation so there's really no extra work they need from me. They've been wonderful to work with. They include me on any major decisions that need to be made along the way such as who to use for the animation, narration, etc. They even asked me to read a couple of lines for The Scrambled States but I declined - maybe someday I'll try. My boyfriend did a couple of lines for Arnie and Open Wide, though!

ZRecs: When you were first approached with the idea, did you have any concerns about whether an animation studio would be able to adapt your style to a "cartoon"?

Keller: Not really. I've been to many animation festivals and have seen so many art styles turned into animation. And once I saw some of Weston Woods productions I knew they'd do a great job and was just so excited to see what they’d do with mine.

Having the video adaptations makes me think a little differently about all the "asides" and sideline chatter I include in a story. In a book format I think they work because you can choose to read them or not but I think they can sometimes slow things down too much on video. So now when I'm coming up with the asides, I think about whether they're going to also work on video without disturbing the "flow" of the story.

ZRecs: Do you have any specific plans to adapt any more of your titles for Scholastic videos?

Keller: They're in the beginning stages now of animating my latest book, Do Unto Otters. I think it will be released in fall of 2008.

ZRecs: Do you imagine kids who watch the video being more interested in reading the book, or vice versa, or do you think they are different audiences?

Keller: Usually when I do school visits I show one of the DVDs and they really seem to enjoy both versions. I've never heard a child say they like one but not the other. Weston Woods is very careful to maintain the integrity of every book they adapt, doing everything word-for-word, and because of that, it basically just brings the book to life.

ZRecs: There is a lot of really useful information in Open Wide. It looks like your fifty-states book was also created with some learning in mind. How is it different to write a book which has some educational goals, versus one like Arnie the Doughnut, which does not? Does one type offer more structure? Is one more fun?

Keller: Well, I think Arnie IS educational – if, that is, you’re a doughnut who wants to know how NOT to get eaten! Aside from that, it’s really not that different writing one that's "educational" from one that's just for fun. I have to take a different approach with the educational ones initially because of any research I have to do. And they may offer a bit more structure up front after I get all the facts down and decide what I information I want to include. One isn't more fun, necessarily, to write than another. I really enjoy taking "dry" or "boring" subjects (geography, dental care, manners) and livening them up a bit with jokes and puns - I like that challenge. But it's also exciting to start from square one with a wacky idea and just see where it goes for no reason at all.

ZRecs: What are you working on now?

Keller: I just finished a Scrambled States sequel – they're having a talent show this time around. It will be published in the fall of 2008. I'm currently working on a book of animal idioms (with a little comic twist).

ZRecs: What other children's author/illustrators get you the most excited or inspired? Any who have influenced your style or approach?

Keller: So many author/illustrators have and continue to inspire me. I have many favorites but the ones that have really inspired me from the beginning of my career, and still today, are Petra Mathers, Lane Smith, Jon Scieszka and Maira Kalman. I'm sure they've influenced my work in one way or another just because I admire their work so much.

Want to win a pair of great Laurie Keller DVDs? Comment on this post with your best suggestion for a dry, "boring" educational topic you wish Laurie Keller would liven up in an upcoming book. We'll accept entries through noon CST on Sunday, Oct. 21, pick our favorite original idea, and announce it Monday.

If you'd like us to contact you directly if you win, include your email address or make sure your signature links to somewhere we can get it; otherwise, check our "Claim Your Prize!" list (lefthand sidebar of the ZRecs blog) on Monday, Oct. 22 to see if you've won. If the winner fails to respond with their name and address for shipment within two days of the announcement and/or notification, they will forfeit and we'll pick another winner at random.