WHEN GLITTER MET GLUE by Karen Kilpatrick, Illus. Germán Blanco (Henry Holt & Co.) releases next Tuesday, May 10th, and we couldn’t be sparklier!
In the third hilarious picture book in the award-winning When Pencil Met Eraser series, underappreciated Glue longs to stand out. It’s a sticky situation until Glue meets a new friend, Glitter, who helps bring out her inner sparkle, confidence, and creativity.
We are very excited to have both author Karen Kilpatrick, and illustrator Germán Blanco answer our questions today. Welcome Karen and Germán!
1. You two have teamed up on so many wonderful projects! How did the two of you meet / start working together?
Karen Kilpatrick: We actually met while working at the same toy company. Germán was the Creative Director of the division I led, and I was always so impressed with his work. When I wrote my first book, he seemed like a natural choice to illustrate it. I knew his work ethic and talent, and we had already worked on numerous creative projects together. It just made sense.
2. They say each of our books is a tiny bit autobiographical. Which character in this series (including WHEN PENCIL MET ERASER, WHEN PENCIL MET THE MARKERS) is most like you: Glitter, Glue, Markers, Pencil, Eraser?
Karen Kilpatrick: I think I’m a mix of Pencil, Eraser, Glitter, and Glue! Sometimes I get annoyed while working with others (Pencil), sometimes I am super exuberant and positive (Eraser), I really love helping people shine (Glitter), and sometimes I intimately relate to Glue (working hard in the background without being seen).
Germán Blanco: I feel like Purple Marker. I like being weird and a bit crazy, and like the Purple Marker, I like coloring outside the lines and coming up with my own things.
3. Were you the kid who always wanted to write/illustrate books someday, or did this creative journey begin along the way to something else?
Karen Kilpatrick: I don’t know that I knew I would write, but I have always loved books. I was one of those kids who read under the covers with a flashlight and couldn’t go to sleep because I had to finish a story. I’m still that way to this day! I started my career as an attorney, and my path to this space has been a long and tangled one, but storytelling, reading, and writing have always been a constant.
Germán Blanco: I always liked doodling, but I never thought I would be doing it for a living, so that was a nice surprise. I went to school for advertising thinking it would be a creative field, but I diverged into graphic design and eventually illustration.
4. Germán — Do you have a favorite spread in WHEN GLITTER MET GLUE –or one that was most challenging?
Germán Blanco: My favorite spread was when Glitter gets stuck on the glue, I think it’s funny and I always veer towards comedy.
5. Germán –What’s your favorite medium? Does it change with each project?
Germán Blanco: My favorite medium is pencil and paper, the classics. I like to keep things simple, which has always been my style. However it is fun to try new things and new styles with each new project.
6. Karen–How do you balance (juggle?) your busy author career with your work at Genius Cat Books and East West Literary Agency, and parenting? Any tips or tricks you’ve learned along the way?
Karen Kilpatrick: I joke that my life is like having 50 balls in the air at any one time, and then diving for the balls that are closest to the ground so they don’t hit the floor! But I don’t think you can ever balance everything and that’s okay.
Love what you do.
Karen Kilpatrick: I am focused, I work hard every day, and I love what I do, which makes everything easier. I have learned to be kind to myself and have clarity about my goals. This allows me to focus on what is important and not necessarily worry about the rest.
7. What do you hope readers will take away from this book?
Karen Kilpatrick: Everyone wants to be seen. It’s an incredible gift to be able to help someone shine. Be the Glitter to someone’s Glue!
8. Please tell us about your other projects, to be released or in the works.
We have some really exciting upcoming titles for Fall ’22. Our first early graphic novel, P.I. Butterfly, will be released in October. I just love the curiosity, spunk, and goofiness of the characters and the interactivity of the book. We’re really excited about that one! We also have a picture book, Nobody Likes Bedtime, a new series (What Is Dog?), and a guided journal called The Power of Me.
9. Is there a question you wish we’d asked?
Karen Kilpatrick: Yes–Why do you enjoy being a writer? I believe in the power of storytelling as a way to connect. Stories can inspire, educate, and heal. Writing allows me to contribute to the world in a way I feel good about and gives me a purpose beyond myself.
To learn more about Karen Kilpatrick and Germán Blanco, check out their websites:
KarenKilpatrick.com and germanblan.co
And follow them on social media:
Twitter: @AuthorKarenK
Instagram: kayppin and germanbl_nco
You can also find then on the East/West Literary Agency website:
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