Deep in the woods, at the bottom of a lake, a myth survives: the Quacken!

Justin Colón is a children’s author and actor. A former boy scout, he spent many summers surrounded by wildlife and being snacked on by every insect imaginable, but he never encountered the illusive Quacken. He lives in Long Island, New York, not far from a lake filled with plenty of perfectly ordinary, well-behaved ducks. As far as he knows, they haven’t tried to eat any of the local children. You can learn more about him at his website or follow him on X.

THE QUACKEN is a humorous picture book that plays with the horror genre.  You might not think humor and horror go together, but they DO.  The book starts with rumors of a terrible beast, but the story really starts with a rule that shouldn’t be broken.  And we all know what happens next!  What kid doesn’t want to break rules?  Hilarious chaos ensues.  I don’t want to spoil the book too much, but it plays with those classic horror movies we all know and love.  The illustrations by Pablo Pino are absolutely perfect.  They bring just the right amount of dread mixed with the farcical.  That’s no easy feat to pull off!

Welcome Justin!

Me: Can you tell us a little bit about your writing journey? When did you start writing stories?  What brought you to this picture book?

Justin: I wrote my very first picture book manuscript, Serious Seymour and the Bureau of Silly Ideas, in December of 2017. Upon the suggestion of a kind stranger within the writing community, Sarah Floyd, I submitted it to a [now-defunct] picture book mentorship program a few weeks after writing it. The story itself was weak and lacked technique, but the ideas and humor within it showed enough promise to earn me a spot in the mentorship program a month later (January of 2018). And though I don’t believe I’ll ever seek to publish that manuscript, it served its purpose in my creative journey.

After an incredible three months working closely with my mentor, Pam Calvert, I wanted to pay it forward. So, I started PBChat, a weekly Twitter chat for picture book creators. Every Wednesday evening, writers, illustrators, agents and editors connected, sharing good news and responding to fun ice-breaker questions and thought-provoking prompts centered around that week’s topic. Sometimes the chat extended into the early hours of the morning. Looking back, it feels like that was a golden age for the picture book community, which is exactly what PBChat became—a community. It soon expanded to include a free, annual mentorship program that assisted 115 upcoming picture book creators on their path to securing representation and publication.

During that time, I got my ducks in order, connecting with other picture book creators, learning the market, honing my craft, and producing new manuscripts. In the final months of 2020, I felt the time had come for me to pursue representation. That was a relatively fast, though stressful process. I signed with my agent in March of 2021, went on submission that same month, and we sold The Quacken in September of 2021.

Me: Writing a horror picture book is a very difficult task to accomplish. Kids are clamoring for them, but if they’re too scary, they’re immediately rejected.  How in the world did you think of this incredible story that is both funny and (mildly) scary?  What gave you the idea?

Justin:  I love spooky stories, whether they be in picture book, novel, animated film/show, or live action film/show form. The Quacken arose from my desire to write a horror comedy picture book. Once I learned about this portmanteau, I knew I wanted to create a creature feature based upon it. This process is how a few of my other picture books unfolded as well. The Zombees, illustrated by Kaly Quarles, publishes in 2025 through Simon and Schuster. And Vampurr, illustrated by Lenny Wen, publishes in 2025 with FSG/Macmillan.

Me: Wow!  I can’t wait to read those.  The sound like more fun is on the way!  The word count in THE QUACKEN is very brief, which helps to keep the pacing of your story swift and tight, as it needs to be for this genre.  Do you know what the word count of the finished manuscript was?

Justin: I believe the final manuscript quacked in somewhere around 320 words.

Me: Ha!  I see what you did there. Was the writing of this concept easy from the first draft?  Or did you have to make many revisions for this story to get to this incredibly polished work of art?

Justin: During my first phone call with my soon-to-be agent, she asked to read The Quacken before extending an official offer of representation. I wasn’t done drafting it, though, so the stakes grew tremendously, along with the pressure to get the story “right.”

In the end, my agent loved the version I submitted to her. We went on submission with it a few weeks after signing. I completed various r&rs (revise and resubmits) for different editors before my acquiring editor entered the mix and offered on the version closest to what my agent and I first went on submission with. From there, there were relatively few edits because my editor loved the story and felt it was polished.

Me: What is one thing about writing this story that surprised you?

Justin: One thing that surprised as a result of writing this story, and which now gives me a sense of comfort and confidence, is the sheer subjectivity of the process and product. Responses can and will vary from agent to agent, editor to editor, reader to reader. It’s this way with acquisitions, reviews, awards, etc. What elicits an “ehh” from one individual might elicit an “extraordinary!” from another.

Me: That is SO true!  Pablo Pino’s illustrations in this book are absolutely perfect.  I love the page turns, monster reveal, and the various “scary” setups!  Did you have any illustration surprises?  Any favorite illustrations?

Justin: There’s a scene in which the protagonist, Hector, has barricaded himself in a cabin and the phone starts ringing off the hook. When Hector answers it, he discovers it’s the Quacken on the other end of the line and the call is coming from inside the cabin. It’s a spoof of a classic horror trope.

I included an art note within the manuscript for how I envisioned the scene playing out.

But I was worried that ending the book with an interior setting/scene would feel underwhelming and anticlimactic following the escalating energy and suspense of all the outdoor scenes leading to the final face-off between Hector and The Quacken.

However, Pablo Pino, being the skilled illustrator and master of his craft that he is, instinctively resolved this issue in the funniest way possible, without me ever expressing this concern. Not only did he come up with a great solution (which I don’t want to spoil), he crafted one of the most suspenseful scenes in the book while managing to make it hilarious and not too scary. Best of all, he ended the book outdoors in a very fulfilling way.

This was one of my favorite scenes in the manuscript, and I loved it even more when I saw Pablo’s initial sketches and final art.

You can check out Pablo’s portfolio here.

Me: I agree!  He did a brilliant job.  Any advice for newer picture book writers?

J: Yes, come work with me! I offer editorial services through my small business, The Kidlit Hive. Together, we can take your stories, craft, and career to the next level.

Thank you for stopping by my blog today Justin.

Dear readers, this book releases next week on July 16th.  Keep a lookout for it.  It’s such an amusing take on the horror genre that kids will be “flocking” to it!  I can guarantee that this one picture book you won’t want to miss.