Today we are very excited to share an interview with author Bob Shea and illustrator Jarvis!
Read on to learn more about the author, the illustrator, the book, and a giveaway!
Meet the Author: Bob Shea
Bob Shea is the author, illustrator, or author-illustrator of many picture books and chapter books, including the Ballet Cat and Dinosaur vs. series as well as I Am a Baby; Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great; Unicorn Is Maybe Not So Great After All; Crash, Splash, Moo!; and
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Meet the Illustrator: Jarvis
Jarvis is the author-illustrator of the chapter book Bear and Bird: The Picnic and Other Stories as well as such picture books as Alan’s Big, Scary Teeth; Tropical Terry; Follow Me, Flo!; and The Boy with Flowers in His Hair. He is also the illustrator of Pick a Pine Tree, Pick a Pumpkin, and Pick a Perfect Egg, all by Patricia Toht. An animator who has worked as a record jacket designer and an animation director, he lives in Manchester, England.
About the Book: Oh, Are You Awake?
For anyone who has ever craved sleep—and anyone too full of energy to settle down—a comedy from Bob Shea, creator of the popular Dinosaur vs. series, and singular illustrator Jarvis.
It’s sleepy time for Lion and Penguin. Correction: it should be sleepy time for Lion and Penguin, but Lion’s eyes aren’t tired, and his ears would like a story. Penguin, however, is tired and nods off into sweet candy dreams—until a noise wakes him. “Oh, are you awake?” asks Lion sweetly, seated before a drum set. “Let’s have that story, then!” “Not now. It is time to close your eyes and dream dreams.” And so it goes, with an ever-more-disgruntled Penguin trying to nod off while an exuberant Lion innocently practices his drumming, bounces on his squeaky trampoline, and munches on his crunchy chips. Will Penguin need to resort to extreme measures to get his friend to sleep, or has the answer been there all along? Bob Shea’s signature wit, delivered only in dialogue, and Jarvis’s unassuming, retro art and knack for visual humor are sure to delight young readers—and their caregivers—whether at naptime, bedtime, or anytime.
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~Author Chat~
YABC: Bob, what gave you the inspiration to write Oh, Are You Awake?
Bob Shea: Kids are always trying to trick grown-ups into reading another story. I thought they would find the silly tricks in my story fun and relatable.
YABC: How did you convince Jarvis to illustrate it?
Bob: It wasn’t difficult, I simply asked him. No one is more surprised than me. As a longtime fan, I thought I’d be lucky to get an email no-thank-you. We started chatting about a possible collaboration and I shared this story with him.
YABC: Jarvis, what was the creative process like?
Jarvis: Well, Bob had already started this book. And he asked me if I would like to try illustrating it. I’m a huge fan of his so I went away and put together some designs and once we were happy with it we showed the publisher. Making a book is never a straight line so it went on a little bit of a journey at that point. The main thing for me was getting the characters right, and also getting the ‘dream sequences’ to feel like a dream.
YABC: What inspired you the most when visualizing the artwork for this book?
Jarvis: Oh that’s a hard one. This book was a little unusual because myself and Bob had started developing the visuals before showing it to a publisher. So it went through a few stages of development, the characters changed species many times! I think my thought was that the words were funny and I knew it was all about the characters and their expressions, so I kept it simple and bold.
YABC: What do you like most about the cover of the book?
Jarvis: It’s simple. I like a simple cover. Put something in the centre of a cover that’s colourful and I’m always drawn to it. I also like the typeface, it gives it a bit of retro vibe that I like.
Bob: Yes. Simple and bold.
YABC: Jarvis, which scene of Bob’s was the most fun to illustrate, and why?
Jarvis: I always have the most fun at the beginning of a project. So actually probably Bob’s initial email to me and when I started to try out different characters – that’s the fun bit.
YABC: Bob, which illustration of Jarvis’s is your favorite or took you most by surprise?
Bob: Honestly, the whole approach. I’ve been fortunate to work with incredibly talented illustrators. Lane Smith, Zach Ohora, Brian Won, and now Jarvis. Since I’m also a visual artist, seeing the way they imagine my story is a gift. It’s always wonderful and surprising. So much different than the gauzy, unrealized vision that lives in my head. Jarvis brought a spontaneous, lively energy to the story that I would not been able to pull off.
YABC: Which character do you both relate to most? Are you a Lion or a Penguin?
Jarvis: Definitely Penguin – I mean, who doesn’t love to sleep?
Bob: Penguin. I’ve taken two naps while typing this sentence.
YABC: What do you do when you feel stuck or when you want to procrastinate?
Jarvis: If I feel stuck or want to procrastinate I just…procrastinate! I’m extremely good at doing nothing. I’m not the sort of person who is constantly creating and illustrating. If it doesn’t feel right I just wait and I rely on my future self to be focused and creative. It ebbs and flows, sometimes I will have a week where I write lots and illustrate lots and have lots of new ideas. And some weeks I don’t do very much – I might just play guitar, or go on big walks with the dog or tidy my studio or cut the grass. So yea, I wait for future Jarvis to be creative. He usually gets around to it!
Bob: I wait for future Jarvis too. Okay, maybe he can’t help me, but he has a healthy approach. I have ADHD and quite sensitive to wasting time procrastinating. I’ve realized you can’t force things though. Awareness is the key. Sometimes it looks like procrastination because you’re not moving your pencil, but sometimes the back burner is where things need to simmer. My brain is stubborn and unhelpful so I trick it by paying attention to something else.
YABC: What would you say is your superpower?
Jarvis: I’ve always thought that illustrator-authors have a bit of a superpower in storytelling. We can write stories with images and words at the same time. Okay that’s not as good as flying or the power of invisibility but still….
Bob: I can hold a grudge forever. Also, I drink things fast. I’ve been with my wife for over 30 years and she still can’t believe I’ve finished my tea already.
Title: Oh, Are You Awake?
Author: Bob Shea
Illustrator: Jarvis
Release Date: April 2, 2024
Publisher: Candlewick Press
ISBN-10: 1536226580
ISBN-13: 9781536226584
Genre: Picture Book
Age Range: Ages 3-5
*Giveaway Details*
Three (3) winners will receive a signed hardcover copy of Oh, Are You Awake? (Bob Shea) ~ US Only!
*Click the Rafflecopter link below to enter the giveaway!*
Looks like an adorable book!
Book looks great!
So amazing, My nephew loves music and lions
Two of our family’s favorite picture book makers! So excited to read this one!!
The cover is adorable and this will make us laugh.
My school’s readers love Bob Shea’s Chez Bob. I’m sure they’ll be excited to read this one, too.