Kevin Henkes TeachingBooks.net Original In-depth Author Interview Kevin Henkes, interviewed from his home in Madison, Wisconsin on October 20, 2010. TEACHINGBOOKS: How did you come to use mice as the characters in so many of your books? Did you consider other animals as well? KEVIN HENKES: My early books realistically rendered humans as the protagonists. As my stories became more humorous, I thought that I could better match my texts by drawing more loosely and using animals as my main characters. Bailey Goes Camping was the first book in which I did this; Bailey and his family are rabbits. For my next book, A Weekend with Wendell, I chose to use animals again, but I wanted to draw something other than rabbits. I made sketches a dog, a cat, an elephant, and a mouse. I liked the mouse sketch, and so, Wendell was a mouse. I enjoyed doing that book so much, I continued to use mice as the protagonists in many of my picture books. I have no particular affinity for mice, nor was using them repeatedly in my books something I planned to do. It just happened. TEACHINGBOOKS: Your mouse characters have loving, supportive, understanding parents, teachers, and other adults in their lives. What was your own childhood like? KEVIN HENKES: I grew up in the 1960s in a working-class neighborhood in Racine, Wisconsin, with my three brothers, my sister, and my parents. There were people of all ages in my neighborhood... and many children. As a boy, I drew more than anything. I also read, rode my bike, and played outside a lot. We didn t own many books, but we went to the public library regularly. This was one of my favorite family activities, and I m certain it played a role in my becoming a writer and illustrator. TEACHINGBOOKS: Which of your characters is most like you? KEVIN HENKES: Like Owen, I think I m quiet, yet tenacious. And, like Wemberly, I am a worrier. TEACHINGBOOKS: Your mouse characters face common childhood problems and emotions being bullied, feeling insecure, giving up a blanket, getting lost, accepting
responsibility, and making amends for inappropriate behavior. What do you think of the trend to use children s books to teach character education in the classroom? KEVIN HENKES: I ve never heard of character education. When I create a book, I m concerned with telling a story that is entertaining and works as a piece of art. I m not trying to teach anything. However, I do know, as a parent, what wonderful discussion starters books can be. Books are powerful. We live in a world that is sorely lacking when it comes to tolerance, reason, empathy, and understanding. Books can help children see themselves and see others in such a way that they might be able to understand the world better. Who could possibly be against that? TEACHINGBOOKS: How long does it take you to complete a new picture book, from getting the idea to final page proofs? How much time do you spend on each illustration, and what kinds of changes do you make to your words and pictures? KEVIN HENKES: Each book is different. Some come easily, and some are very difficult to bring to completion. I ll often think about an idea for months, even years, before I m ready to write. It s difficult to say how much time I spend on each illustration. I don t do each illustration from start to finish; I do them in stages. I do sketches for the entire book first. Then I ll refine all the sketches. Next, I ll do a finished pencil drawing for each illustration in the book. Inking comes next. At this point, I make several copies of each ink drawing so that I can test different colors before I finally paint each piece. If I change words at this point, it s usually a matter of taking something out that isn t necessary any longer. Perhaps I ve said what I want to say in the illustration and don t need the words any longer. TEACHINGBOOKS: Do you have a favorite among your own books? KEVIN HENKES: My favorite book is always the next one, because I always think that the next one will be perfect, my best. TEACHINGBOOKS: Children adore Kitten s First Full Moon, but they do wonder why there s no color in it. Can you give them some insight into how you came up with the story and developed the illustrations? KEVIN HENKES: The story began as part of a failed attempt at creating a young concept book about circles. There was one line from the manuscript I liked: The cat thought the moon was a bowl of milk. This line stuck in the back of my mind. I expanded upon it to write Kitten s First Full Moon. Page 2 of 9
All along I saw the book in my mind as a black-and-white book. I d long wanted to do a book with limited or no color, and for the first time, I d written a story that seemed just right for this approach. The text is simple and young, and so I wanted the art to be simple, too. I liked the idea of having a white cat, a white moon, and a white bowl of milk surrounded by the night. TEACHINGBOOKS: How has receiving the Caldecott Medal affected you? KEVIN HENKES: To have a book of mine win the Caldecott Medal was a wonderful honor, but it hasn t really changed anything most importantly, it hasn t changed the way I think about and approach my work. TEACHINGBOOKS: What are your favorite picture books by other authors and illustrators? KEVIN HENKES: There are so many picture books I admire. Here are fourteen of my favorites, in no particular order: Harry the Dirty Dog, by George Zion, illustrated by Margaret Bloy Graham Is This You? by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson More, More, More, Said the Baby, by Vera B. Williams Blueberries for Sal, by Robert McCloskey George and Martha, by James Marshall Me and My Captain, by M. B. Goffstein Where the Wild Things Are, by Maurice Sendak Sylvester and the Magic Pebble, by William Steig The Carrot Seed, by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Crockett Johnson Rain Makes Applesauce, by Julian Scheer, illustrated by Marvin Bileck The Happy Day, by Ruth Krauss, illustrated by Marc Simont A Child s Good Night Book, by Margaret Wise Brown, illustrated by Jean Charlot Bedtime for Frances, by Russell Hoban, illustrated by Garth Williams Benny Bakes a Cake, by Eve Rice TEACHINGBOOKS: Several of your books feature mouse-themed paintings, including a mouse-inspired facsimile of Edvard Munch s The Scream (Owen), a Picasso-like portrait (Chrysanthemum), and the word Mice, inspired by Robert Indiana s Love paintings and sculptures (Lilly s Big Day). What artists have influenced or inspired you in your work and your life? How about writers? KEVIN HENKES: When I was a boy, my favorite artists were Walt Disney, Norman Rockwell, and N.C. Wyeth. Now, I m drawn to work by the likes of Albert York, Giorgio Morandi, and Balthus, to name a few. Page 3 of 9
My favorite writers include: Alice Munro, William Trevor, William Maxwell, and Ian McEwan. TEACHINGBOOKS: What is a typical workday like for you? KEVIN HENKES: Now that I m a parent, I work from the time my kids go to school until they return home. Sometimes, I ll work again before I go to bed. Among other things, my day may include: drawing, painting, writing, answering mail, working on a speech, going over a contract, or getting slides organized for a talk. Drawing, painting, and writing are the best of these. TEACHINGBOOKS: What does your studio look like? KEVIN HENKES: My studio is the remodeled attic on the third floor of our house. It is a large room filled with books. From the windows I have a great view of our yard. When I m working, I feel as if I m up in the trees. My tools are old-fashioned, but they suit me well. I use a typewriter that belonged to my wife when she was a teenager. And the light box I use for drawing is a small plastic one I received as a Christmas gift when I was a boy. TEACHINGBOOKS: Do you work on more than one book at a time? KEVIN HENKES: Typically, I work on one book at a time. However, when I m working on a novel, I sometimes become stuck or simply need a break from it, and then I ll work on something else temporarily. If after a while the novel is not begging me to come back to it, I ll put it away even longer and take something else to completion. TEACHINGBOOKS: Which is more satisfying to you writing or drawing? KEVIN HENKES: Writing and drawing are very different, but both are satisfying. I suppose drawing comes more naturally to me. I am much more daunted by a blank piece of typing paper than I am by a blank piece of drawing paper. TEACHINGBOOKS: What is the most interesting aspect of your work? KEVIN HENKES: The most interesting aspect of my job is that it changes, sometimes dramatically, from book to book. Each new book is like having a new job altogether. I might be working on a novel about an adolescent concerned with the death of a classmate one week, and then, a picture book about a kitten the next. Page 4 of 9
TEACHINGBOOKS: What do your own two children think about your books? Do they have favorites? KEVIN HENKES: My children like my books and what I do for a living. Their favorite books of mine are those that are dedicated to them. TEACHINGBOOKS: In your books, we meet several inspirational teachers, notably Mr. Slinger and Mrs. Delphinium Twinkle. Who were the inspirational teachers in your life? KEVIN HENKES: I ve had several teachers who inspired me. Most notable was, perhaps, an English teacher I had during my junior year of high school. All my life I d been praised and encouraged as an artist. This particular teacher did this, but she also encouraged me as a writer, going so far as to say once, I wouldn t be surprised if I saw your name on a book one day. The power of these words was enormous. I ll never forget them. Or her. TEACHINGBOOKS: Mr. Slinger in particular is such a spiffy and personable guy. Is he based on anyone you know? KEVIN HENKES: Mr. Slinger is based on a couple of teachers I had as a boy, and on a teacher or two I know now, as an adult. TEACHINGBOOKS: Do you have any recommendations for ways classroom teachers or parents can help children grow as readers, writers, and artists? KEVIN HENKES: Exposure is everything. Read aloud as often as possible. If your child likes to write or draw, make sure that he or she always has paper available. Encourage children to experiment when it comes to art, and remind them to have fun and not be concerned with creating a masterpiece. If, as adults, we value art and books, our children will, too. TEACHINGBOOKS: When Lilly s at school, she knows she wants to be a teacher. When you were at school, did you know you wanted to be a writer and illustrator? KEVIN HENKES: I grew up desperately wanting to be an artist. That desire was a huge part of my identity for as far back as I can remember. It wasn t until I was in high school that writing became as important to me. During my junior year of high school I decided I wanted to write and illustrate children s books for a career. Page 5 of 9
TEACHINGBOOKS: Your picture book stories are told just as much through your illustrations as through your words. Do the illustrations sometimes come to you before the story? KEVIN HENKES: The words always come first. I try to perfect them before I draw anything. I work on my stories in longhand on lined notebook paper, and I ll rewrite several times before I type a nice, neat copy on my typewriter. However, because I m both the author and illustrator, I do think about the pictures while I write. I often edit as I go, knowing that the pictures will provide important information. For example, in Chester s Way, I didn t mention Lilly s boots, crown, or cape when I wrote the story, although I knew long before the manuscript was finished that Lilly would be wearing them. TEACHINGBOOKS: When you begin a picture book such as Wemberly, do you always know where the story is going, or do your characters ever take you by surprise and pull the story in another direction? KEVIN HENKES: Books begin with character; character is the seed from which a book grows. When I set out to write Wemberly Worried, I didn t know the book would end with the start of school, although in hindsight, it seems a logical path for the book to have taken. That s the magic and mystery of creation. TEACHINGBOOKS: It must be a very different process, working on a novel. Do you still have vivid pictorial images of the characters and their environment in your head? KEVIN HENKES: Writing a novel is very different. I can delve much deeper into a character s psyche, for example. I can describe a scene at length. And I can deal with subject matter that is more complex than the subject matter of my picture books. But, because I m a visual person, I do have very strong images in my head as I work. I love describing my characters and their environments. Setting a scene providing proper lighting, the colors and textures of things, sounds is one of my favorite things about writing a novel. TEACHINGBOOKS: To what extent is your writing inspired by your own experience, or by watching your children's experiences? KEVIN HENKES: Of course, all of my writing is filtered through my eyes, my experience. And I suppose I remember how things felt when I was young this helps me when I m writing. On occasion, I ll use a fact or two from my life, but only as a starting point. And I ve never directly used an incident from one of my children s lives in a book. Page 6 of 9
TEACHINGBOOKS: The Horn Book wrote of The Birthday Room as a story that helps us see our own chances for benefiting from mutual tolerance, creative conflict resolution, and other forms of good will. Is this a theme that you are consciously pursuing in all your writing? KEVIN HENKES: I don t really think about that sort of theme as I m writing. I want my characters to be believable. I want the story to be convincing. And I want to write good sentences. It s as simple and difficult as that. TEACHINGBOOKS: If you had to sum up in one word the characteristic you most admire in each of your mice Chester, Chrysanthemum, Lilly, Owen, Sheila Rae, Wendell, Sophie, and Wemberly what words would you choose? KEVIN HENKES: Chester, reliable; Chrysanthemum, sensitive; Lilly, exuberant; Owen, centered; Sheila Rae, brave, of course; Wendell, clever; Sophie, tenacious; Wemberly, thoughtful. TEACHINGBOOKS: What do you believe makes a great picture book? KEVIN HENKES: For me, the best picture books are those that may be simple but are textured and rich, as well. And a great picture book must have emotional truth this is probably most important. Also, I want the reader or listener to be entertained. This all sounds obvious, but it is often difficult to achieve. TEACHINGBOOKS: Do you love your characters? KEVIN HENKES: I think one has to love one s characters in order to write about them convincingly. The character who I had the hardest time loving was Jimmy Manning from Olive s Ocean. I made him a young artist, and I think that made him easier for me to love. TEACHINGBOOKS: In your book My Garden, what was important to you about the look or theme of the illustrations? KEVIN HENKES: I wanted the lines of the artwork in My Garden to be bold. I chose blue ink, a change from my typical black. And I wanted the art to be bright and colorful. As I developed the book, I thought about circles in terms of a garden: One plants a seed, it grows. One harvests whatever has grown, keeps the seeds, and plants again. It s circular. I wove that idea throughout the entire book. TEACHINGBOOKS: Please talk more about My Garden. Page 7 of 9
KEVIN HENKES: The book begins in real time. It s about a girl and her mother in a garden. The first illustrations are framed within a circle, strengthening the idea of the garden theme and strengthening the concept of the bond between a mother and child. As the narrator details her imagined garden, the illustrations bleed off the page, but there are still many circles in the illustrations: the sunflowers, the girl s hat, the ring of chocolate rabbits, the jelly bean bush, the giant tomato, the moon, the porch light. As the book winds down and we come back to real time, the circular frames of the illustrations return. And as the book closes, the circles become smaller. TEACHINGBOOKS: Your recent books seem to be geared for even younger children than your mouse books are. Why do you suppose you write for very young children? KEVIN HENKES: One of the reasons I m drawn to making books for younger kids is because the books can be so pure. Everything can be distilled to the little nugget of truth. And there s something beautiful about that simplicity. One thing I ve noticed recently is that my picture books for older readers the books with the mouse characters are about interpersonal relationships; within a family, at school, in a neighborhood. But the books I ve been doing for younger kids are usually about one child (or kitten or rabbit) alone, discovering something about him- or herself, discovering something about his or her relationship to the world. TEACHINGBOOKS: Please talk about your novel Junonia. KEVIN HENKES: Junonia is about a nine-year-old girl named Alice Rice. She s on her way to Florida for a family vacation with her parents. It s February. The Rices live in Wisconsin, where it s cold and snowy. In Florida, the sky is blue and the temperature is high. So, already, I ve set the stage for contrast and change. Alice is introspective, moody, imaginative. She s at the point in her life where she s changing and growing up quickly, but she s also firmly rooted in childhood. Alice is the kind of kid who expects things to be perfect and feels unmoored if they are not. I suppose one of the themes of the book is that happiness is uncertain, and disappointment and sadness are constant parts of the fabric of life. My family has gone to the same cottage in Florida for the past fifteen years or so. I ve wanted to set a book there for a long time, but I never felt ready to do more than think about it. For some reason, different pieces of the story started to come together for me, and I realized I had a book. TEACHINGBOOKS: Please talk about your latest mouse books. KEVIN HENKES: I ve created a new mouse named Penny. She ll first appear in Penny and Her Song. This is the first time I ve written a beginning reader. It s been nice doing something different. Page 8 of 9
TEACHINGBOOKS: Please talk about Penny s character and story. KEVIN HENKES: Penny is unlike Lilly. She s quiet. She thinks before she acts. Penny lives with her parents and the babies. In Penny and Her Song, Penny comes home from school with a song that she can t wait to share with her family. But her twin siblings are sleeping, so she must wait. Penny goes to her room and sings to herself, but she realizes that there s not much joy in that. Eventually she gets to share her song with her family. That s it, in a nutshell. It s a simple story about a kid who wants to share something joyful with her family. I ve written two additional Penny stories. One is called Penny and Her Doll, and the other is called Penny and Her Marble. Maybe there will be more. This In-depth Written Interview is created by TeachingBooks.net for educational purposes and may be copied and distributed solely for these purposes for no charge as long as the copyright information remains on all copies. For more information about Kevin Henkes and his books, go to http://teachingbooks.net/. Questions regarding this program should be directed to info@teachingbooks.net. Copyright 2011 TeachingBooks.net LLC. All rights reserved. Page 9 of 9