Laurie Thompson’s book, “My Dog is the Best!” is an adorably funny and sweet picture book with equally adorable art! I was lucky enough to interview the illustrator , Paul Schmid
(illustrator/author extradonaire of our household favorite, “Petunia’s Pet” among others) And, he sent sketches! (As an illustrator myself, I love seeing the sketches!)
Thanks so much for your great answers, Paul!
1. Your style changes a bit from book to book. Were there any particular things that influenced the soft & cuddly style of “My Dog is the Best!”? Did you use any new tools or processes?
2. Did the style or look change through the creation process or did you know how you wanted it to look in the beginning?
Paul: I developed the look for the characters fairly quickly, but the overall design of the book took several stages. We went from simple, to busy, then back to simple again. I really wanted the art to visually be in harmony with the story, which is so full of warmth and gentle humor.
Early design:
3. Laurie said you have been friends for years but that the book was offered to you without a name, did you feel more pressure or less once you found out that Laurie was the author?
Paul: I fell in love with Laurie’s manuscript right away. It came in an email from my agent, who asked if I was interested in illustrating this story. Before I had even finished reading it I was sketching. By the time I did finish reading it, I had the book all laid out in my mind. Here are some excerpts from my emails with my agent:
4. The difference between the words and the pictures is brilliant. Did you realize the joke as soon as you read the story or did that come later in the process?
Paul: It came in the editor’s notes that the author had envisioned it that way, but as inferred above, I started in on the manuscript before reading the notes. If I remember right, about halfway in I thought it could be screamingly funny to have the dog sleeping. Great minds think alike.
Thanks again, Paul. You’re the best for answering my questions!
Remember, just comment on any post this week and you will have a chance to win a signed copy of Laurie’s book!
Or order your copy right now. You can find it at University Book Store as well as:
LOVE Paul’s artwork, sketches and this book!! Thanks for such a great interview, Courtney!
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Thanks for this interview. This part of the process is so interesting to me. I can’t draw a stick man so illustrators have all my admiration. I just love the fact that they bring so many extras to a story.
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I love these illustrations – makes you want to give these cute characters a squeeze! Thanks for sharing!
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What a great backstory from the illustrator. What a great book told by illustrator and writer.
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Illustrators are the “life-givers” of picture books! Our manuscripts would not exist without talented artists. Thank you, Paul, for a great interview.
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Now I’m looking forward to reading the book and enjoying the illustrations! Thanks.
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Oh man, do I love Paul Schmid’s work. And I love this book.
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Oh I just LOVE this. What a treat, getting to hear the backstory of this lovely, sweet, funny book. Thank you!
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Loved this sneak peek Courtney and Paul!
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What an exquisite match between author and illustrator! Love them both! Love this book!
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This looks like so much fun.
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Thanks for sharing the sketches and story of the book. I love back stories.
This story reminds me of Boodil My Dog by Pija Lindenbaum, published in 1992. I can’t wait to read this story to see how they compare.
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This book looks charming. Can’t wait to get my hands on it!
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Interesting. Informative. Inspiring!
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Wonderful post, Courtney! And Laurie, wishing you the happiest of book birthdays! This story is a gem.
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Just saw another post about the book on Watch. Connect. Read. Love how illustrations play with the sleeping hound. I can’t wait to get my hands on it!
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Thank you for this wonderful interview! I loved hearing the backstory — especially how Laurie and Paul’s visions of the book aligned so perfectly!
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Looks charming and now I am so curious to read it.
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