Interview Session with Gilbert Ford: How the Cookie Crumbled

Hi Gilbert! Welcome back to Twenty by Jenny, this time with HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLED.

Where did you first hear of Ruth Wakefield & the invention of the chocolate chip cookie? How did that story inspire you?

I was trying to write a “sequel” to The Marvelous Thing That Came From A Spring. By sequel, I mean that It had to be about an inventor of something as iconic as the Slinky. I wanted it to be a female inventor this time, but I wrote several different non-fiction stories and the publisher rejected all of them. Then after a night of tossing and turning I awoke and “cookies” appeared in my mind. I remembered browsing over a female inventor of the chocolate chip cookie earlier that week so I pulled up my laptop and discovered it was Ruth Wakefield. I quickly sent the link to my editor and the publisher loved it.

In HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLED, you explain that there are three possible ways the chocolate chip cookie could come about. 1. The Disaster, 2. The Substitute, and 3. The Mastermind. What version of the story do you believe?

In all likelihood, Ruth knew what she was doing when she first baked her chocolate chip cookies. But my research found differing stories that I suspect were fabricated during an era when people craved accidental tales that transformed a nobody into a somebody overnight. Some said the invention was a mistake, while others credited dumb luck. So I wrote several versions and my editor asked me to include all of them and to let the child decide what happened. Coincidentally, the whole fake news fiasco blew up after I turned the book in, so the story turned out to be rather timely.

How did you choose the color-palette when illustrating HOW THE COOKIE CRUMBLED?

It wasn’t a conscious decision. But I did consciously illustrate it three different ways: the regular story is straightforward, the intrusive narrator pages are graphic with a flattened perspective, and the three invention stories are illustrated as 1940’s comics with halftone dots.

Why do you think non-fiction picture books are important for kids? This is your second to write, (following The Marvelous Thing that Came from a Spring), and I know you’ve illustrated more.

I write and illustrate all kinds of stories. Right now, there is a need for narrative non-fiction, so that is what I am trying to produce. I think it’s important for kids to read about real people and real events so that they not only know their history, but they gain wisdom for accomplishing their own goals.  

What is your favorite cookie? Or better yet, if you had to invent a cookie flavor, what cookie would you invent??

I would want a cookie that was sweet and salty, like chocolate chip cookie with bacon bits.

Any other books baking in the oven?

I have two science books I illustrated coming out next year: ITCH and ROTTEN, by Anita Sanchez. One is 80 pages and the other is 96. They focus on difficult subject matter typically seen as gross, and break it down by chapter in a way that an 8-11 year old can understand. I combine photographed ephemera with multimedia illustrations inspired by 1930’s cartoons.

Thanks, Gilbert! For those of you reading this interview, go out and bake some chocolate chip cookies and eat them while you read this book! 

Interview Session: Gilbert Ford, author of The Marvelous Thing That Came From A Spring

Today I’m interviewing GILBERT FORD, the author and illustrator of THE MARVELOUS THING THAT CAME FROM A SPRING: The Accidental Invention of the Toy that Swept the Nation

You may recognize his artwork on the front of some book covers in your bookstore...and these are just to name a few. You can see more covers on his website.

Gilbert and I both grew up in Jackson, MS, so it is a pleasure to interview him on what is possibly one of his most groundbreaking books to-date! He now lives in Brooklyn as a shut in, writing and illustrating from home.

Here, Gilbert answers some questions about what got him started as a writer/illustrator, his incredible illustration process for this book, and how he decided to write a picture book about the invention of the slinky.  

Author and Illustrator Gilbert Ford

When did you get your start as a writer/illustrator? How long have you been writing and illustrating?

I got my start when I was hired as a junior graphic designer at a small giftware company called Galison. They saw that I was creative so they transferred me to Mudpuppy, the kids’ division that they were trying to rebrand. At first, it was just my boss (Lorena Siminovich) and me. We had to come up with products and Lorena allowed me to write and illustrate an activity book. It did well and that gave me an appetite for writing and illustrating more books. That was 12 years ago.

What were some of your favorite books as a child? Authors, illustrators, you name them.

For middle grade it was Roald Dahl books illustrated by Quentin Blake. I still love them.

For picture books, Chris Van Allsburg’s serious and mysterious stories and artwork inspired me. But I also loved the more playful and goofy stories of James Marshall.

Who are some of your favorite authors and illustrators that inspire you today?

Oh wow. There are a lot. I’m friends with a bunch of illustrators and writers in New York City who inspire me, give me career advice, and cheer me on. In fact, there’s so many of us that Peter Brown hosts a kidlit meet up every month in Brooklyn. Last time I went, I talked to Samantha Berger, Paul Zelinsky, Caron Levis, Michael Buckley, Dan Yaccarino, Angela Dominguez, Mike Curato, and Joyce Wan. I know I’m forgetting people and there are others all over the country that I keep in touch with through Facebook.  So I’ll just name a few whose work I like but I haven’t met: Neil Gaiman, Tomi Ungerer, and Miranda July.

Interior Illustration of Inventor Richard James from
The Marvelous Thing That Came From A Spring

Describe, in your own words, why you decided to create a picture book about the history of the Slinky and its inventor, Richard James.

I have a Slinky on my desk. If I’m not pacing around my apartment brainstorming, then I’m holding the slinky in my hands, hoping the magic idea will come to me. So that’s what sparked my interest.

What I liked about the story was that Richard and Betty James were able to change people’s perception of what appeared to be a common torsion spring into a marvelous plaything. At first, the stores laughed at them when they tried to sell it.  It took just the right name and presenting it in just the right way to change the world’s perception of what it was.

So I wanted the book to inspire children to become inventors, too. With most bios, the invention is usually something completely out of reach for a child to do at their age. I understand that discovering electricity or inventing the telephone is something to aspire to, but the Slinky isn’t super complex, yet it was wildly successful. My hope is that after a read, the child will look at everyday objects with a sense of wonder and think of new uses for them. Anyone can do this simple gesture and become an inventor!

Interior illustration from
The Marvelous Thing That Came From A Spring

Describe your unique illustration process. This book in particular has amazing dioramas. What compelled you to work in 3-D?

Because I knew what the takeaway was, I had to be inventive with the artwork to reflect the story. The process for creating the dioramas was involved and used a lot of the current desktop publishing technology. I’m not sure if there is anything quite like it on the market. I’ll include the video for reference:

http://gilbertford.com/news/?p=3432

In every illustration, I tried to invent a new use for a found object in the diorama, to get the child thinking. So I used a washrag to represent a neighborhood lawn. I used a chalkboard to represent a starry night, a match to represent a pencil, and a Cool Whip cap to represent a trashcan. Discovering what was repurposed in these illustrations will be half the fun for the parent and child when they read the book a second time.

Note the washrag used as the lawn in
The Marvelous Thing That Came From A Spring

When creating a picture book, do you have the words in mind first, or the pictures?

I used to draw the pictures first and come up with the writing later and it never worked. It’s better to come at it by finding just the right story to tell, writing it in just the right way, and then illustrating it.

That lightbulb moment in The Marvelous Thing That Came From A Spring

What do you love about creating picture books for children (and adults)?

I love telling stories. I love to write, and I love to create artwork. When I’m able to combine all three, it’s more satisfying than Black Russian Cake, topped with a Kahlua glaze, sprinkled with bacon—all of that without any guilt!

Interior illustration from
The Marvelous Thing That Came From A Spring

What is next for you? Any future projects for us to look forward to?

Soldier Song (by Debbie Levy), an 80 page picture book about how music was used in the Civil War, comes out in February of 2017. In fall of that same year, another book I’ve authored and illustrated hits the shelves. It’s called How the Cookie Crumbled and it’s a nonfiction picture book about the invention of the chocolate chip cookie.

That cookie book sounds DELICIOUS! I can’t wait! 

Thanks for stopping by Twenty by Jenny, Gilbert!

Buy a signed copy of THE MARVELOUS THING THAT CAME FROM A SPRING here!