I know some of you might not believe this, but I had such a hard time making friends when I was younger. Today’s picture book is perfect for kiddos just like little me.

Berrie Torgan-Randall is an author/illustrator working from her home studio in Media, PA. Berrie’s illustrations have appeared in Ladybug Magazine, and her debut early reader graphic novel, Bella & Blue: Bella Meets Blue was published by The Little Press Publishing in 2022. In addition, Berrie’s debut picture book, Just Ducky: A Friendship Takes Flight, publishes in the fall of 2025. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram or BlueSky.

JUST DUCKY: A FRIENDSHIP TAKES FLIGHT is Berrie’s author-illustrator debut picture book. Margaret, aka Ducky, is obsessed with … you guessed it: ducks. She spouts of duck facts at day camp when no one wants them in an effort to make friends. She never loses her love of ducks or positivity, and somehow finds a way to apply her facts to any and every situation. Will she make a friend? I think the sub-title kind of gives that away. Yes! And it’s a surprising friend at that. This book manages to capture the heart of this little girl perfectly, but I would expect nothing less for a book published by Cardinal Rule Press. Their whole goal is to produce books that are realistic fiction (i.e., with real children), inclusive (so all children can see themselves), and showcase positive character traits. That’s a lot to demand but it is certainly delivered.

Welcome Berrie!

Me: Can you tell us a little bit about your creative journey? When did you start creating art and/or writing picture books? How did that lead to where you are now as the author-illustrator of this book?

Berrie: I was a shy kid who preferred to hide behind my mother’s skirts, and in class I would be devastated if the teacher called on me for an answer. One of the places where I did feel comfortable and thrived was in the art room. My teacher (Mrs. Dragon) commented on my kindergarten report card: “Berrie colors in the lines.” Not much has changed from this report because I still am good at coloring in the lines. I loved art so much that I went to art school. I had a hard time finding an art-related job after art school and after floundering around with not so satisfying jobs, I went back to school to get my masters to become a librarian. I loved my job as a librarian, but I missed making art.  After my youngest went to middle school, I had the opportunity to dedicate my career to my first passion–writing and illustrating books for children.

Because my mom is a librarian, my sisters and I spent a lot of time reading books in the library. One of my favorite books was Harry the Dirty Dog which was a big inspiration for my early reader graphic novel series Bella & Blue. Another book that influenced my art and storytelling was Make Way for Ducklings. I love the scene where Officer Michael holds up traffic so that Mrs. Mallard and her ducklings can cross the road. The illustrators of these books (Margaret Bloy Graham and Robert McCloskey) use a limited palette just like me.

I joined SCBWI, volunteered as an Illustrator Coordinator, and attended numerous conferences to learn the craft of writing and illustrating books which started my long journey to publication. Along the way I learned about the “three Ps” (Passion, Perseverance, and Patience). It’s the last P that I believe is the hardest. Along the way, I have met so many kidlit creatives and professionals who have encouraged me and served as my mentors to get me to where I am today.

Me: I love that and I love the illustrations you did for this book. The t-shirts are so specific to each character! Can you talk about that process a little bit? What media did you use to create the illustrations in this book? Are you mainly a traditional or digital illustrator (or a blend of both)?

Berrie: I had a great time designing the outfits for my characters. One of my majors in college was surface pattern design. I created patterns to go with each of my characters. I worked for the summer during college at a children’s clothing shop where I dreamed about designing children’s clothing. I guess you could say that I achieved this goal in a slightly different way because I not only get to design my characters’ clothing but also get to develop their personalities.

Ducky’s outfit (t-shirt and leggings) is based on clothes that my two daughters wore. I chose to have Ducky  wear crocs based on an incident when my daughter took care of a friend’s ducks for a couple of days. My daughter Facetimed me with frustration because she couldn’t get the ducks into their pen for the evening. When I asked her to put her phone somewhere where I could see what she was doing, I couldn’t stop laughing because she looked like a duck with her yellow crocs.  In my story, Ducky is wearing yellow crocs.

My process for illustrating my books is that I sketch with a ballpoint pen (it’s too easy to become eraser obsessed and lose my first ideas while sketching in pencil). I create the layout and more refined sketches with a mechanical pencil on Canson’s Comic Book Art Board paper, scan my illustrations, and use Procreate for the finishing touches.

Me: I absolutely adore Ducky! And Marvin! They are both so realistic. What gave you the idea for this friendship story?

Berrie: Just Ducky: A Friendship Takes Flight  is a story based on an event that happened when my son was in daycare, and I was the librarian at the school attached to the daycare. My son’s class came to the library for story time. While I attempted to read the story, my son kept interrupting with “facts” he wanted to share. I was initially annoyed, but his teacher told me he was enthusiastic about the story and wanted to let me know about it right there, right then. Ducky knows everything about ducks and wants everyone in day camp to know about ducks–much to the chagrin of her nemesis Marvin.

Marvin is based on a blend of quirky kids (the ones I taught) and my son Kellen. In school, Kellen would get upset with the other students, especially with one student in particular who I’ll call Wesley. Wesley  interrupted his teachers and was the class clown. Kellen would be upset with Wesley’s antics much like Marvin is upset with Ducky as she quacks off duck facts. As they both matured, Kellen and Wesley became close when Kellen learned to appreciate Wesley’s sense of humor and also to let small annoyances roll off his back.

Me: The main character feels SO real to me. She actually reminds me of a student I had last year. Was she inspired by anyone you know or based on someone real? How did you make her so realistic?

Berrie: I draw my stories from childhood memories, funny and real antics from my three children’s childhood, and from my students who have given me lots of fodder for great story ideas. Ducky, whose real name is Margaret, is named after one of my former students who insisted that she is Margaret not Maggie or Marge. Another inspiration for this story is my youngest daughter Sylvie who went through phases of collecting things. One year it was tiny hand sanitizers (pre-pandemic); the year after it was an obsession with collecting objects with mustaches.

Me: Making friends is a very important subject for kiddos. They are so obsessed with it from an early age. Why was it important to you to tell this story about a young girl who doesn’t quite fit in? Why did you want to share it with young readers?

Berrie: Great question Jena! Every kid I know, including myself, has struggled with making friends at some point. Even as adults, it can be hard to make new friends especially as you transition to a new grade, a new school, or any new situation. I was the kid who people assumed was older because I was tall.  I was often asked “How’s the weather up there?” by the comedians in the class. In high school, I met my best friend Sarah at freshman orientation when my mother remarked, “There is another tall girl over there. You should be friends.” Sometimes moms make good choices.

My hope is that children see themselves reflected in the stories that I write, especially kids who are discovering their distinct gifts and individuality and learning how to embrace their quirky and unique selves. Just Ducky is not only about a quirky “duck loving” kid, it’s a story about compassion when Ducky helps her nemesis Marvin feel comfortable in the water and takes the time to listen and be friends with “rock loving” Marvin.

Me: What is one thing that surprised you in writing and/or illustrating this story?

Berrie: I submitted Just Ducky during a yearly open submission time for Cardinal Rule Press, and my manuscript was chosen out of over 1,000 submissions! When CRP learned that I am also an illustrator, I also got to illustrate my story. I am CRP’s first author/illustrator.

Another surprising incident that inspired the title Just Ducky came to me during the pandemic. I volunteered at a local vaccine center when a man wearing a baseball cap that I and many others would find offensive came in to get his shot. Normally I wouldn’t have engaged in conversation with him, but I thought, “you know we are all in this together,” so I asked the man how he was and he replied, “Just ducky.” Thus the title for the book about compassion and friendship was born.

Me: Any advice for other aspiring picture book writers and/or illustrators?

Berrie: Persistence is one of the most important keys to having success in the book world. Nobody is going to “knock on your door” if you don’t put yourself out there (I wanted to crawl under a rock when I first started showing my portfolio compared to the other illustrators who had beautiful professional portfolios). If you are passionate about writing and/or illustrating for children, take the advice from Nike and “Just Do It!”

That is great advice Berrie. Thank you for stopping by my blog today. 

Dear readers, this book is published next week. Be sure to keep an eye out for it. It’s a sweet story full of compassion and an excellent example of the type of books Cardinal Rule Press is looking for.