Welcome to the blog, Zoje. First, tell our readers why did you decide to turn My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast—first featured in Baby Teeth— into a real book?
My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast actually predates Baby Teeth! I’d wanted to give the child character of that novel, Hanna, a favorite book—something her dad would read with her. After considering copyright issues, it became obvious that I needed to use something of my own, and I had a short story that seemed perfect. And then after Baby Teeth was published, I had a lot of readers asking me if My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast was an actual book. I’ve been trying to get it published since 2017!
What was the inspiration for the initial short story?
I was experimenting with short fiction at the time and wanted to try writing something for kids. I remembered being afraid of the dark as a child—afraid of what was behind the closet door. And to this day I’m very alert to every unexpected sound I hear in the house. I thought it would be fun to reimagine the “monsters” lurking in the dark and make them something unexpected as the source of the odd sounds—misunderstood perhaps, but friendly!
Is My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast intended for adults who’ve read Baby Teeth and/or Dear Hanna, or kids?
I’d say it’s intended for all ages. I think adult readers of Baby Teeth and Dear Hanna will get a kick out of seeing this book in real life. But I also feel like it fills an important gap for young readers who are beyond picture books, but still enjoy a book with illustrations. I talked to several librarians about this a few years ago, and they were really wishing there were more illustrated books for seven- to ten-year-olds. Chapter books are great, but who doesn’t enjoy some cool pictures?
Some of the illustrations are like a visual treasure hunt of classic toys—how did that come about?
Artist J.E. Larson was so dedicated to the creative details in this book. Early on, we had Zoom meetings with publisher Doug Murano, and in every meeting the three of us ended up reminiscing about the toys we remembered from when we were kids. We collectively wanted there to be toys from many different decades represented in the book, so readers of all ages could spot things they’d once played with.
Were all of the illustrations hand drawn?
Yes! They were sketched first, then inked, then painted. 100% hand created. (Bad Hand Books is committed to never using AI.)
Thank you so much for joining us today! Readers, here’s a quick look at My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast:
Nine-year-old Pru has many hobbies: inventing things, collecting stuff, and learning new and interesting words.
But her newest passion is discovering the source of the weird sounds she hears at night-coming from beneath her bed. Ever since she was very little, Pru suspected there might be a special kind of creature making a home in her room. But because UnderSlumberBumbleBeasts only come out in the dark, she had never seen one.
That all changes one day after Pru’s mom asks her to clean her room-an ordinary request that sets off an extraordinary chain of events. And Pru’s life will never be the same.
First depicted in the international sensation Baby Teeth, a novel for adults, My UnderSlumberBumbleBeast is a quirky and charming story about a girl with a most unusual way of making new friends. Watch what grows underneath the bed…
