Erin Dealey

It’s the Book Birthday of Poppy,

Heather Brockman Lee’s debut as an author/illustrator!

(Harper Collins)

And what perfect weather to celebrate a book about an Umbrella!

About the book:

Poppy loves Umbrella. Together they can face any kind of weather. But one day the wind blows and blows and blows. And with the wind, Umbrella goes WHOOOOSH! Oh no!

Poppy follows the wind and rain, searching for Umbrella, and along the way, she discovers something beautifully unexpected: how to lovingly let go and to face the world with courage.

About the Author/Illustrator:

Readers may remember our Book Birthday celebration for The City of Jasmine, written by Nadine Presley and illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee.

She has been drawing pictures since she was very small. Other beautiful books illustrated by Heather Brockman Lee include When You Love a Book, She Is Mama, and A Poem Grows Inside You.

Poppy is her debut picture book as an author/illustrator. (Congrats, Heather!)

Heather lives in the shadow of the Colorado foothills with her family and two silly dogs. And yes, she has all sorts of unusual friends (including umbrellas) that help her feel safe enough to be brave.

Let’s ask some questions!

Inspiration

Q 1. Since you are the author/illustrator of Poppy, which came first? A line of text? The story idea? Poppy’s red umbrella –or–?

Heather Brockman Lee:  It started years before I wrote it, with a panda umbrella. I was feeling compelled to paint panda umbrellas in different situations and with different people. Then during a conversation, I joked that I should write a book with an umbrella protagonist.

The idea slowly grew from there, with ideas about shelter, protection and letting go. In early versions “Poppy” was the name of the umbrella, not the girl! 

Process

Q 2. Can you take us through the process after the initial idea sparks? Do you go to your sketch book? Work out a story board? Run it by a critique group, your agent, or editor? Does your process differ with every book?

Heather Brockman Lee: I start with a lot of sketching and ideation, getting to know the characters, interspersed with writing and re-writing different parts of the book. It’s pretty chaotic.

At some point I shift focus entirely to the text, because that is really the hardest part for me. I know that if I can get the written part of the story in decent shape, making the art will naturally flow from that.

Once I have a pretty complete dummy I take it to my various critique partners, revise it a bunch, then my agent, revise it some more.

And of course once I started working with my amazing Editor and Art Director at Harper Collins, they helped refine and elevate it past what I could have done on my own. 

Favorites

Q 3. What’s your favorite spread?

Heather Brockman Lee: There is a spread where Poppy walks up a hill, experiencing the wind without Umbrella of the first time. I’m not sure why but that is my favorite. Maybe because it is the start of her finding her strength. 

Challenges

Q 4. What was the biggest challenge in creating this book?

Heather Brockman Lee: Writing, always writing!

But there is also a spread where Poppy looks down into the river and we see her from below that I painted and repainted at least 7 times, trying to get it just right. 

Surprises

Q 5. What surprises did you discover while creating this book?

Heather Brockman Lee: I think discovering that I really am a writer as well as a visual artist. This is my debut as an author, and while I had wanted to be a writer and was actively trying and learning and improving, I also never thought of myself as someone who is good with words. 

Q 6. What do you hope young readers will take away from Poppy? 

Heather Brockman Lee: I hope they see in Poppy that even if something bad or scary happens, they will be able to handle it. That we are all stronger than we realize. 

Q 7. Creating a picture book often “takes a village.” Do you have a village?  

Heather Brockman Lee: Yes! I completely agree about how important community is to creating a project like this. I am surrounded with people who value art and storytelling, from my family to the larger kid lit community.

Having those people to brainstorm with, who understand the challenges and successes of the process, and who give honest feedback is invaluable. And of course I love how supportive our EastWest Literary Agency family is- thank you Erin for hosting this interview!

ED note: My pleasure, Heather!

Q 8. Do you have any tips for kidlit illustrator friends hoping to branch out to an author/illustrator path? 

Heather Brockman Lee: If there are illustrators reading this that feel intimidated by the word “author” or “writer”, remembered that as an artist you are already a storyteller.

Words are just a way to help tell your story- and hopefully the images are already doing a lot of that work : )

Q 9. Are there other books in the queue? Can you share anything about them? 

Heather Brockman Lee: Yes! I have a book coming out this summer with author Z.B. Asterplume called To Knit a Ghost that is really fun.

I am also currently working on several other books, both as an illustrator and author/illustrator, that have not all been announced. 

Many thanks to Heather Brockman Lee for joining us on the blog today.

And Happiest of Book Birthdays to Poppy!

To learn more about Heather and her work…

Check out her website: heatherbrockmanlee.com

And follow her on her socials:

@heatherbrockmanlee on BlueSky, Flashes, and Instagram

And Extra Special thanks from Squirrel, Porcupine and Bear to all who have helped to celebrate the launch of my new pb with Luciana Navarro Powell: Squirrel Draws BIG Feelings (Beaming Books).

We had the most amazing Squirrel Parties!

Next up on the blog:

We chat with author Joan Schoettler about her new picture book biography:

A Doctor at Heart The Story of Groundbreaking Scientist and Teacher Vivien Thomas

Illus. Steffi Walthall (Beach Lane Books).