Author-Illustrator Tara J. Hannon on Creating Graphic Novels – PLUS A GIVEAWAY!

Hello world!!

Welcome to my blog, Blissfully Bookish. My first Q & A for 2024 sure is special because I got to interview my friend and colleague Tara J. Hannon. We met when she illustrated my picture book NO BEARS ALLOWED years ago and we remained close ever since! Please welcome her as she chats about her new graphic novels that she both wrote and illustrated, the first being BIRTLE AND THE PURPLE TURTLES published by AMP Kids. By the way, she got a two book deal the first time she ever went to acquisitions, so there’s hope out there!

BUT first- YAY! Tara is generously giving away a FREE signed copy of her book. To be eligible to win, please enter the Rafflecopter contest by clicking HERE. Contest ends Jan 19, 20243, US only.

My agent submitted BIRTLE to 16 houses. We received enthusiastic responses right off the bat, which felt great. Erinn Pascal from AMP Kids responded pretty quickly that she loved the story, but was wondering if I would be willing to try a different color palette. (The original BIRTLE palette was not limited and mostly primary colors.) I created three new color pallet samples for them to consider and a few days after sending them over we got the ‘we are taking this to acquisitions’ email. (This was my first time going to acquisitions!)

Please describe the journey to publication for BIRTLE AND THE PURPLE TURTLES.

Before BIRTLE I had been on sub five times with no success. So news of my first acquisitions meeting was tremendously exciting! I held my breath and refreshed my email repeatedly until the news came that AMP Kids wanted to invest in the first two books in the series. It was a good day. A very good day.

Where did you draw the book’s inspiration?

BIRTLE’s title came to me first. I was on a walk with my daughter and my mom and we were having fun with a little wordplay by asking each other things like: ‘What would you call a hippo and a rhinoceros?’ ‘A hippocerus’. We combined all sorts of animals, and when we combined a bird and a turtle, Birtle was born. I started writing Birtle as a picture book but it felt like I wanted more space to tell the story. So I gave myself permission to write it without word count limitation. When I was done, it was long, but kind of lovely. So I tried Birtle as a graphic novel, and it felt great!

Did you start out as an illustrator exclusively and if so, how did you make the jump to writing too? How do you straddle both worlds?

Yes! I knew I wanted to be a children’s book illustrator since elementary school. I didn’t consider the possibility that I could write until much later because I was not a confident writer. But when my daughter was born, I was inspired by her and the books we were reading, so I gave it a try.

I wrote dozens of terrible manuscripts, watched countless webinars, found some good critique partners, and slowly learned the craft. I am still learning.

Straddling both art and text is fun! Although, my manuscripts have an unnerving amount of art notes because I see the story, the humor, and the pacing as it unfolds. Luckily, I can dummy it out before it goes on sub so only my crit partners and agent know my mind’s messing inner workings while I write.

Please paste a short and compelling excerpt from your book.

Teeny: Ugh! I will never get rid of these fuzzy things!
Tootie: So let’s love them instead!
Tootie: Hello, fuzzy things! You are looking perfectly fluffy and fuzzy today!
Teeny: We don’t love the fuzzy things Tootie. Turtles aren’t supposed to have fuzz on their butts!
Tootie: But you could be the first fuzzy-butted turtle EVER! We could call you a Turzzle…or a Fuzzle!
Teeny: The fuzzy things have got to go.

Please share your favorite graphic novels that inspired you.

I used Jonathan Stutzman and Heather Fox’s book series Fitz and Cleo as a road map while I created Birtle. I really admire the pacing and humor of that series. And the characters are really sweet and lovable.

What is the best piece of advice you would give to other writers?

Find your kidlit people. The act of writing can be a solitary act, but storytelling shouldn’t be. Good critique partners provide honest feedback, new perspectives, fresh ideas, and a sense of community in an otherwise quiet craft.

And a bonus question just for kicks! What was your favorite book when you were a child?

I loved Shel Silverstein’s Where The Sidewalk Ends series. I thought those poems were hilarious. I memorized so many of his poems and re-drew his illustrations countless times.

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BIO

Tara J. Hannon is the author-illustrator of the early graphic novel series, BIRTLE (AMP Kids). Book one of the series, BIRTLE AND THE PURPLE TURTLES released Jan 2024, and book two, BIRTLE AND THE (VERY) UNINVITED GARRY will be released May 2024. Tara is also the author-illustrator of the chapter book series, THE ONLY GHOST IN TOWN (Penguin Workshop) coming in 2025. She has also illustrated the board books, PLANES USA! (’20) & GOD IS THERE WHEREVER YOU GO (’21).

Tara enjoys honest books, heavy with heart and humor. When not writing or illustrating she can be found being so uncool it’s almost cool, with her daughters and husband and jogging. She can rarely be found sleeping and she is okay with that.

LINKS

Portfolio/Website: www.tarajhannon.com
INSTAGRAM: Tarajhannonillustration
TWITTER (X): @TaraJHannon Blue Sky: @tarajhannon.bsky.social