Welcome back Eager and worthy readers! This post is dedicated to Ryan Thomas Durham, my son who turns 1 on Saturday! His party theme is Dinosaurs so I decided to interview the author and illustrator of the first two dinosaur books he ever had. Tiny T-Rex and the Impossible Hug and Tiny T Rex and the Very Very Dark!! I recently interviewed the T Rex creative team of illustrator Jay Fleck and author Jonathan Stutzman! Enjoy!
Please introduce yourself in your own words.
Jay: Hi, my name is Jay Fleck and I make picture books! I’ve illustrated about 15 books over the past 15 years and also wrote one!
Jonathan: Hey everyone! My name is Jonathan and I write books for children. I’ve written a bunch of picture books and my first graphic novel series for young readers comes out next year!
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| Tiny T Rex and his mom and dad, Original print by Jay Fleck |
Please explain how Tiny T. Rex came to be, especially how you chose the characters and how they came to life in words and art? Especially Tiny and his family? How about Pointy?
Jay: I think I came up with the name "Tiny T. Rex" before I even first drew the character. I took out a pencil and drew a little t-rex with a big head and eyes, with a little body and of course tiny arms. I tried to keep the shapes pretty simple with nice, pleasing lines and gave Tiny an endearing look that would make people smile. Then I took that initial pencil sketch and refined it digitally. The first full image was actually a big group of tiny t-rexes with little backpacks parachuting from the sky.
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| Original Art by Jay Fleck |
Jonathan: I felt so lucky to get a chance to write a story for Tiny! I loved Jay’s work and Tiny T. Rex is so cute! This was the first character that I wrote a story for that I had artwork FIRST before coming up with an idea, so I was working off of Jay’s art and trying to create a story that fit our big-hearted, small-armed dino. I think Jay, Chronicle, and I all felt that Tiny’s character (and size) would make a great jumping off point for telling stories about a dinosaur who faces a world much bigger than him with confidence, persistence, and most of all, kindness. So I felt trying to hug his best friend, Pointy (who is feeling down), would be a great way to introduce the character to encapsulate Tiny’s struggles and personality traits. We wanted to also have a life in the world for Tiny, so I wrote family and a best friend into the story, and Jay brought them to life wonderfully. The fun thing about a series is... the world of Tiny can keep growing!
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| Tiny T-Rex Book 1, The Impossible Hug |
What was the inspiration for Tiny specifically for each book?
Jay: With each book I’m sent the text from the publisher once it’s gone through multiple drafts and they and Jonathan are both satisfied. Obviously as the illustrator I use that as my inspiration along with any notes for visual ideas that Jonathan might have.
Jonathan: Essentially for each book we set a problem in front of Tiny and the humor and fun comes from seeing how Tiny uses his creativity and kindness to figure out how to overcome it.
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| Tiny T Rex book 2 The Very Dark Dark |
Was any of the creative processes different for the Impossible Hug and The Very Very Dark? What inspired each story?
Jonathan: For me, sequels are a little more difficult to write. Because it’s a series, the books have to feel similar in tone, but I try my best to keep them fresh and surprising. Much of the fun of reading is about discovering, finding little surprises and wonders along the way even with characters and worlds we already know and love.
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| Yours Drewly and Tiny Tex book 2 Tiny T Rex and the Very Dark Dark |
Explain how you collaborated on Tiny and his series? How did Tiny become a series? Any favorite behind the scenes moments or best outtakes?
Jay: Tiny was actually developed from the start as a series. Chronicle really liked the character and felt Jonathan and I would make a great team. So we both signed on for a couple of books and went from there. I really don’t have many outtakes. The sketches for the three TINY books I’ve done so far are actually pretty close to the final versions, which isn’t true for most books I’ve worked on. For some reason I’ve had a pretty clear idea for what I wanted to do with each book in this series from the start. That’s probably a combination of Jonathan’s great work on the text and notes along with already having a pretty clear vision of the character in my own head.
Jonathan: It’s been so fun working with Jay! One of the best parts of making picture books is collaborating. I can write a page with something in my mind, but it really only comes alive when Jay illustrates it. It is a bit magical getting the art back and seeing Tiny, Pointy, and Auntie Junip (one of my favorites) all running around looking adorable in this world we created together. It’s so fun! I feel very grateful that I get to help create it with Jay, that Chronicle is letting us create it, and that it has found its way into the hearts of so many children.
Jay's Illustrations are cute, cartoony, artsy and perfect for Jonathan’s words. Explore how your mix of words and art make Tiny one of the best and most relatable Dinosaurs ever for kids of all ages and parents?
Jay: I can’t speak for Jonathan but my goal for Tiny was always to make him seem very lovable and approachable- just a kind, sweet character. He has a big head and a small body and arms, and an array of endearing expressions. He also has big ideas and is very determined, so not only can his cuteness make you smile but hopefully he also provides a little inspiration.
Jonathan: The great thing with Jay’s art is that everything he mentions above about the character, Tiny’s sweetness and kindness, you can see on the page. For me, kindness was essential for not only Tiny’s look but his character. So that is definitely the core of Tiny. I think it was important to write a character that is both kind and had agency. I wanted Tiny to face those big obstacles headon with courage, perseverance, and intelligence.
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| Tiny T Rex series creative team Jonathan Stutzman and Jay Fleck |
What do you want Tiny T Rex’s legacy to be? What would he tell today's readers both adults and kids?
Jay: Simply put- I want TINY to help spread good vibes. He’s a cute, compassionate little guy, we could all use a little more of that. And while I don’t know what Jonathan has on the horizon story-wise, I'd like to flesh out his world and the other characters that surround him.
Jonathan: I definitely want children to be encouraged and empowered. It doesn’t matter how small a child is or what physical limitation they may have, they have agency. They can learn, try, be brave, and most of all, be kind.
What are your relationships to Independent Bookstores?
Jay: I’ve done events with local bookstores and visit every local bookstore I can find when I’m travelling. I love independent bookstores and was a little scared with everything happening that we might lose some.
Jonathan: Independent bookstores are incredible. I feel so blessed to have some close to my home, and to have so many indie booksellers support our Tiny series as well as my other books. Personally, indie bookstores are one of my favorite spaces to pop into. The books, the people, the smell of old and new stories… magic! I’ve definitely missed going in person during the quarantine.
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| author Jonathan Stutzman and yours Drewly at Books Inc Palo Alto |
What keeps you creating gems of creativity for kids books despite all the evil, germs, apocalyptic elements and deadlines?
Jay: Illustration is escapism for me, when I put my head down and deep in work I’m not thinking about anything else. And I hope that work brings a little positivity and light into the world. If I can make a sweet, cute image and post it to social media and that makes even one person smile, it’s a good thing, especially now.
Jonathan: It’s definitely been difficult for me personally, but stories are one of those things that rise above everyday problems. You can see that with the lasting power of the stories that we’ve known since we were children. Stories are very human and essential to our DNA. I love the John Steinbeck quote, “But I have a new love for that glittering instrument, the human soul. It is a lovely and unique thing in the universe. It is always attacked and never destroyed”. I feel like that soul is also embedded in our stories, art, music... and how we share them with each other. It’s one of the things that keeps us hopeful and resilient even in the darkest times.
What other projects have you worked on together? Any collaborations currently scheduled?
Jay: TINY T-REX AND THE PERFECT VALENTINE comes out at the end of the year. And then we have a couple more Tiny books that we’ll eventually work on. After that, who knows what the future holds for Tiny!
Jonathan: Definitely more Tiny T. Rex!
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| Tiny T. Rex book 1 and 2 being devoured by Ryan Thomas Durham |
What’s next for you professionally as individuals?
Jay: I will be making books for as long as I can! Drawing cute pictures is probably the greatest job in the world.
Jonathan: I agree with Jay. I love writing and making books for children and I don’t ever want to stop. I feel incredibly grateful to be doing this and that children around the world can read these stories, find some joy and hope.
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Big appreciation and gratitude to (with embeded links) Thank you to Jay Fleck, Jonathan Stutzman, Books Inc, Chronicle Books, Chronicle Kids Books, Hachette publishing, Books Inc Palo Alto and Kelly Costello Durham and of course Ryan Thomas Durham!
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