Author-illustrator Katie Mazeika shares perhaps her most personal picture book so far.

Katie Mazeika has visited my blog once before. She is an author and illustrator with a BFA from the Columbus College of Art and Design. When she isn’t in the studio, she likes to spend time at the theater, in her garden, or getting lost in a good book. She is the creator of picture book biographies including Annette Feels Free and Beulah Has a Hunch!. She lives in Ohio with her family and two dogs. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Twitter or Instagram.

MAYBE JUST ASK ME is the story of young Mazie who wears an eye patch and a scarf for reasons the reader isn’t told right away (which is an important plot point). It’s her first day of school and she’s nervous what others might say but … no one talks to her about it. Instead she hears them whispering about it with outlandish theories that end as soon as she comes near. She gets frustrated and hurt, but the real crux of the story is the question about whether or not she will be brave enough to tell them to simply ask her and talk to her about it. Katie Mazeika goes on to explain in the back matter that we’re taught from a very young age that it’s rude to ask any questions at all and she wanted to debunk that. She also wanted to create a book that would’ve helped her as a child.

Please note: I received a copy of this book from the publisher to review, but the opinions, as always, are my own.

Welcome back Katie!

Me: This is your third book as author-illustrator and perhaps your most personal to date. What gave you the idea for this story?

Katie: A series of events at a kidlit retreat. We had a speaker who had been a children’s phlebotomist before she became an author and illustrator. She gave a very emotional talk that triggered some childhood memories. Afterwards a group of us were talking about disability and differences. The topic of being stared at because of my eye and dealing with it from a young age came up. That’s when the idea came to me.

Me: I love the look of your illustrations in this book. Did you do something different than usual? Did you use traditional media or digital, or a blend of both?  What made you decide to use this medium for this book?

Katie: Thank you!!! Just like my first two books as an author and illustrator, MAYBE JUST ASK ME! was illustrated in Photoshop. But ANNETTE FEELS FREE and BEULAH HAS A HUNCH! are picture book biographies. MAYBE JUST ASK ME! is based on my childhood, but it is fiction. The tone of the book is more playful and humorous. So I made the art more playful.  I used some collage elements when I illustrated the kids imagination bubbles to make them stand out from “reality”. I loved working with digital collage and plan on using more of it in the future.

Me:  I love that you address a very hard subject (i.e., others ignoring disabilities but still whispering about them) without accusing anyone or being mean. Your main character simply finds her own solution and ultimately her own peace and happiness. Was the story and character always like this? Were there many revisions before it became this well written?

Katie: This was the first, and only time, I knew exactly what the general story was going to be from the beginning. I have heard other authors talk about a book that arrives fully formed-but this was the first, and only, time it happened to me. Even so, there were still all kinds of rewrites. For example: the gym scene was initially in a library, then a music room before it landed in the gym. And there were lots of little tweaks up until the end.  Every word was weighed by me, my agent and my editor. We wanted Mazie to feel deeply, even when she was in despair, but hope was key. We wanted it there without pushing it too hard and making the story too saccharin.

I always knew who Mazie was. Obviously, Mazie is based on myself, but she is not who I was as a kid, she is who I wished I was. I was shy and embarrassed about my eye. I wrote Mazie to be brave, outspoken, and most importantly, without any shame.  I understood that if Mazie was accusatory or mean it would change the tone of the story and lose my audience. I don’t want readers to feel scolded for being curious and imaginative.

Me: As this book was so personal to you, was it harder to write? Or easier?

Katie: BOTH! On the one hand I loved writing and illustrating this book! I feel so privileged to tell my story. I was very focused on creating the book I needed as a little girl.

At the same time, it brought up so many memories, not just for me but for my parents and brother.  It was happy and sad to talk about that time in my family’s life. There was a lot to process.

Me:  After reading the book several times, I noticed something in the illustrations. I see a book being shoved in her backpack and a painting of a familiar character. Is it my imagination or is MADELINE alluded to here? If yes, why was that important for you to include that within the story in such a subtle way?

Katie: I’m so happy you caught that!! I was in and out of the hospital from the age of three. MADELINE, by Ludwig Bemelmans, was the only picture book I knew of with a character in the hospital. Hospitals are still rarely shown in picture books, but even more so when I was little, so finding a book that had a little girl in the hospital made me feel seen. But Madeline isn’t just hospitalized, she also has a scar, like me. Madeline jumps up on her hospital bed and shows her scar off to the other girls. I loved this scene! Madeline was my hero as a kid. She was who I wished I could be. So, I made her Mazie’s hero too.

Me:  What is one thing that surprised you in the creation of this book?

Katie: How much I didn’t know about what my parents went through when I was little. I have kids of my own so when I listened to the stories from my mom and dad I sympathized as a parent.  And it gave me a new appreciation for both of them.

Me: Your back matter is incredible. It’s not only helpful, it’s direct and compassionate with how others can support, not only you, but others with disabilities as well. Was this your idea? Or did an agent/editor/publisher suggest it? Is there anything else you wish you’d included? What else would you like to say to young readers about this?

Katie: The back matter was my idea. I speak regularly on disability at NCTE, book conferences, and state library conferences. Again, and again educators and parents always have the best intentions but seem overwhelmed by how to talk about disability and support people with disabilities. I put some of the most important points in the back matter. I want to make educators and parents aware of language choices and actions that are unintentionally offensive and harmful. More importantly, I want young readers to be aware. It’s okay to be curious, and of course we notice differences. And talking about disability can be hard; there are things that I’m still learning! But I wanted to make sure that kids and grown-ups know that inclusion can’t happen if we are just ignoring people because they are different.

I love that. Thank you for stopping by my blog again today Katie.

Dear readers, this book is published today! If you haven’t had a chance to track down a copy yet, I highly recommend it. It’s a story that lets children with disabilities be seen and figure out how to have conversations with others around them. It even helps parents, educators, and all adults to have these tricky conversations too. What an incredible story and what an incredible tool to have. You won’t want to miss it.