It’s not every day that a super talented author-illustrator gets to create a sequel.  But wait until you see today’s picture book!

Kaz Windness has visited my blog several times. She is a children’s book author whose first friends were books. Some of her favorites are hidden in these pages. One of her best human friends illustrated this book. When Kaz isn’t chewing on a good novel, she can be found chewing on homemade waffles or teaching illustration at the Rocky Mountain College of Art and Design. Kaz is the author and illustrator of several books, including Swim, Jim! and Bitsy Bat, School Star. She lives in Denver, Colorado with her family and an overly friendly Boston terrier named Remy.  You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram or on BlueSky.

BITSY BAT, TEAM STAR is a wonderful sequel to BITSY BAT, SCHOOL STAR.  Where the first book thrived on developing Bitsy’s character and world, this book manages to do exactly the same thing by expanding both!  It didn’t seem possible, but there was such glorious room for more and Kaz found the perfect fit.  There is a new character who has ability challenges of his own, an owl named Enzo who is non-verbal.  And rather than making fast friends, Bitsy finds his presence a challenge to her self and world views.  I don’t want to spoil the plot, but this is a sequel that is beautifully done.  I couldn’t imagine a better story line that works this well!

Welcome back Kaz!

Kaz: Thank you so much for inviting me to be on your book blog again!

Me: Bitsy has a sequel!  Your first sequel!  YAY!  What gave you the idea for this new story?

Kaz: Yes, my first sequel! I didn’t know Bitsy would have more books, but I knew if that were to happen, I wanted to explore different aspects of the autistic experience. Friendships, and especially changes to friendship dynamics, have always been a struggle for me. This shows up in BITSY BAT, TEAM STAR as a new student, Enzo Owl, joins Crittercrawl Elementary. To complicate things, it’s the week of the Critter Games and Bitsy will need to race Enzo to see who is the fastest flier.

Me: I love that you added a new character who is like Bitsy in so many ways (a flier, a night dweller, and neurodivergent), and yet she finds him a bit of a threat (without him actually being so).  It’s so realistic.  Why bring Enzo into the story and why make him a non-speaking owl?  What choices did you think through in designing his character?

Kaz: Non-speaking autistics are under-represented, and I wanted to show other ways people can communicate. This includes the use of sign language, spelling boards, and in Enzo’s case, an AAC device (Augmentative and Alternative Communication device). His communication differences are not central to the story, but showing them ensures that more kids are seen. Also, the use of symbols used to show Enzo’s speech adds a layer of literacy kids can decode.

As far as why Enzo is an owl, when I originally pitched the first Bitsy book, a publisher suggested I turn her into an owl and mentioned all the similarities you pointed out. I couldn’t make Bitsy’s story work without the symbol of her world being upside down, but I had tried drawing Bitsy and her family as owls anyway, and those characters stuck with me. With permission, I named Enzo after my friend Laura’s son. Bitsy is also named after a friend – Bitsy Kemper. 

Me: Aww I love that.  And Bitsy is a poor sport!  Again, SO realistic.  I have a Kindergartner this year that I immediately thought of who struggles with this.  I love that the solution isn’t easy for her and her “big idea” isn’t actually a good one in this book (opposite of what you did in the first book’s plot).  The twist at the end for the solution feels so natural, but was it hard to come by? Were there challenges for you in writing this story?

Kaz: Were there challenges writing the book? Oh my gosh! YES! I’m laughing because sequels, I’ve discovered, are very tricky to write. Me and my editor, Catherine Laudone, wanted to stay true to Bitsy’s world, tell an important and impactful story, while keeping it fun, active, and exciting. I have never gone through so many story ideas or rewritten a manuscript so much.

I’m glad you mentioned your kindergartner that struggles with being a poor sport. There was a lot of push and pull in regards to making Bitsy more “likeable” in this story. Bitsy is a real kid to me, and a character who is a lot like I was as a child.

There are so many times I’ve accidentally hurt someone’s feelings by being unintentionally insensitive, and even lost friends because of it. (This still happens.) There have been many times I’ve been so hyper-focused on a goal or objective, that I’ve missed or rejected a friend’s invitation to hang out or help. I need those hyper-focus times, but I also want my friends to accept me when I come back. I also want them to forgive me when I’ve been hurtful. I never want to hurt anyone. If Bitsy can be understood and accepted for her differences, even when those differences are things society deems as “unlikeable,” there is a lot more hope for neurodivergent kids to find that acceptance, too. 

Me: I know that Bitsy went through quite an illustration overhaul from first concept to final form in the first book.  Was this book easier to illustrate now that you knew the environment and characters better?  Were there any illustration challenges for you this time?

Kaz: Easier? Yes and no. As you know, an artist’s style and interests change a lot from year to year. I always want to push myself to grow, but in the case of a sequel, you have to match the first book’s look. For example, I pitched a much brighter and saturated palette for the second book, thinking this would reflect the activeness of a racing story. I was coached by my amazing art director, Laurent Lin, to reel it in, at least enough so both books in the series would feel compatible. The cover was the hardest piece by far. It always is, but in this case, I had to match Bitsy’s character design, plus the colors and textures precisely. There were also a lot more eyeballs on the second cover than the first one, which meant a lot more editing notes to accomplish. 

In terms of easier, having a known cast of characters instead of creating them from scratch was much easier. It was also fun to dress them in 1980’s racing outfits inspired by my elementary school field days.

Me: Ha!  I love that inspiration.  What is one thing that surprised you in the creation of this book?

Kaz: Not really a surprise considering I have dyscalculia and math skills are not my strong suit, but the number of times I thought the race was tied and it was not? I had to redraw and even re-paint a few of the race scenes with different outcomes to make sure the race was tied when it came down to Bitsy and Enzo’s flying race.

Me: I loved this book for so many reasons.  Are there any plans for a sequel to this book?  (Please say yes!)

Kaz: Yes! BITSY BAT, SNOW STAR is well underway. The book is written, the sketches are mostly approved. All I have to do now is paint!

Me: Oh my gosh!  SNOW?!  I can’t wait to read it!  I love that there is a sensory room for Bitsy to gather herself back together at school and take a break.  Not all schools have these.  What would you recommend for schools that don’t have a sensory room, but have autistic students?  What do you wish your teachers had known to help support you growing up?

Kaz: Yes, it is a luxury to have the space and budget for a school sensory room. I’ve met several wonderful educators that have in-class tools such as Sensory or “Calm Down Corners” with a rocking chair, yoga ball, or bean bag chair and a basket of simple but effective sensory tools like tactile sticks– tongue depressors with pompoms, pasta, or googly eyes glued to them.

My biggest triggers are unpredictable or loud noises, strong scents, and bright lights, especially fluorescents. Having an option to wear noise canceling headphones in the classroom would have helped me a lot, and being able to draw instead of keep my hands still and my eyes on the teacher, too. I hear and learn so much better when I’m doodling, and I got in trouble all the time for drawing. When I’m forced to make eye contact, it’s all I’m doing. I can’t hear anything that’s being said. Drawing is my fidget and helps my brain process information.

I’m so grateful to teachers like you who are thinking of your student’s needs and doing your best to accommodate differences. It’s not easy to juggle all you do, but simply by caring, you are making a huge difference in children’s lives.  

Thank you for reading and sharing BITSY BAT, TEAM STAR and for this wonderful interview.

Check out the new and updated educator lesson plans at BitsyBat.com as well as activities and resources like ideas on how to create your own Sensory “Calm Down” Corner.

That sounds like a great resource. Thank you so much for stopping by my blog again today Kaz.

Dear readers, BITSY BAT, TEAM STAR is released into the world on February 4th.  You only have one more week to wait to read it and trust me when I say, you won’t want to miss this one.  It’s an incredible sequel worth reading.