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.
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| 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.
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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!
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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:
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.
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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.
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| 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!
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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!
