Sometimes you just need to be left alone to calm down, even if you are literally in outer space.

Molly Harris is the author of picture books The Big Squeeze, Whirby, and I Need Space. She is a technical writer by trade who enjoys world traveling and working on too many projects at once. Originally from Massachusetts, she now lives in Ireland with her husband and two sons. You can learn more about her at her website or follow her on Instagram, X, or BlueSky.

Jon Corby is an illustrator and children’s book designer. He earned his BFA in illustration from Syracuse University and is currently based in Pennsylvania. I Need Space is his debut picture book. You can learn more about him at his website or follow him on Instagram or BlueSky.

I NEED SPACE is a picture book all about a little rocket ship named Rocco. For Rocco, space is a giant playground, but just like any playground, not everyone follows the rules or plays nicely. Rocco needs some time alone to figure out how to handle his emotions. What an incredibly clever take on “needing space” and including an SEL hook that is sure to appeal to every teacher of little kiddos.

Welcome Molly and Jon!

Me: Can you talk about your creative journeys? How did you get started writing and/or illustrating? How did that lead you to the work you’re doing now with books for kids?

Molly: I’ve always loved writing since I was very young, so I majored in English at Boston College, and from there I pivoted to careers like web editorial and technical writing. But when I started to feel the creative writing part of my identity slipping away, I committed to making a real go of getting a book published. I was working on a YA novel when I had my first baby and started reading picture books again. Something about the rhythms and patterns and characters just clicked in my head, and I realized, “I totally get this.”

Jon: I studied Illustration at Syracuse University. I always enjoyed sequential illustration and later loved learning about typography and design. Now I feel lucky to both design and illustrate picture books. They balance each other nicely and scratch different creative itches!

Me: Molly, I LOVE this concept! We all say “we need space” but I’ve never seen anyone take that expression to actual outer space to talk about NEEDING space! That’s brilliant! What gave you the idea for this book?

Molly: This book came to me during a bedtime heart-to-heart with my son. He was suddenly very reluctant to go to preschool because another child was playing rougher than he liked. Not mean or anything–just a high energy, in-your-face kind of kid that was more than my son could handle. I recognized that it was giving him anxiety, so I suggested, “It’s always okay to say, ‘I need space.’” Ironically, we were looking up at a star projector on the ceiling, lying on space-themed sheets, with our heads propped up on a rocket-shaped pillow. I thought, “Surely, someone has made a personal space book set in space?” How lucky for me they had not!

Me: Jon, I love the way you’ve illustrated Rocco, and those have to be the cutest meteors I’ve ever seen! Can you talk about your illustrations? What medium did you use to create these? Are you a traditional or digital illustrator (or a blend of both)? What research did you have to do for your illustrations in this book?

Jon: Thank you so much! Gouache is my favorite kind of paint, so I used digital gouache brushes in Photoshop to create the illustrations. I researched Space Age art and design to make Space (and the meteors!) feel as friendly as possible.

Me:  As a teacher, I absolutely love how this story seamlessly includes SEL about calming yourself down without being preachy in any way. Why is that an important thing for each of you to share with young readers? Why create this book in the first place?

Molly: Is there anything more maddening than someone telling you to take a deep breath or calm down when you’re in the midst of a well-earned meltdown? I definitely didn’t want to preach to anyone in this story! Instead Rocco leads by example. That’s what’s amazing about picture books: you really can “show, not tell.”  Thanks to Jon’s clever illustrations, kids can see Rocco getting fired up and seeing red… and then literally cooling his jets and taking stock with a bit of distance.

Jon: I completely agree! Molly’s manuscript was so relatable on an emotional level, and the humor and creative imagery is what made me excited to illustrate the story.

Me: The text has such a great flow to it and the characters are incredibly memorable. The illustrations are so full of color, movement, and creativity (I love the interpretation of the text!). How many revisions did each of you have to make to get this story to the final product?

Molly: The original text of the story is actually very close to the final product, in terms of the “space as a playground” metaphor and Rocco gaining a fresh perspective on the wild wonders of space. My agent suggested adding in the space back matter, which I had never added to a manuscript before, but given the STEM subject matter seemed like a good fit. One of the biggest additions was the SEL back matter, which our editor Nicole Fiorica suggested. I decided to write it from Rocco’s POV, to give it a friendly, non-preachy feel: like a friend going, “Hey, I hear you’re having a tough time, I’ve been there! This is what I like to do when I’m stressed…” Again, much better than someone simply demanding you CALM DOWN!

Jon: Initially I drew Rocco with one eye and green metal panels (like Plankton from Spongebob Squarepants). Nicole Fiorica and Michael McCartney, the book’s Editor and Art Director, helped make Rocco and Space look more appealing and also more scientifically accurate where it was needed.

Me: Were there any surprises for either of you as you worked on this project?

Molly: The best part of being “only” an author is that I get to be surprised by what my illustrators bring to the table! Jon’s interpretation of Rocco and his world is just so playful–who wouldn’t like to swing on the International Space Station tethers with a couple of aliens? And let’s not forget the space dog!

Jon: I had imagined Space as being only black, so I was surprised to see how colorful it can be! It gave me freedom to make the backgrounds whatever colors I felt best fit the mood of each page.

Me: Ha! I love that. Do either of you have any advice for new writers and/or illustrators?

Molly: If you are an author but not an illustrator, it may seem daunting at first to share the work/credit with another person. But it has honestly proven to be one of the most rewarding parts of the whole publishing experience for me. Getting those first black-and-white sketches, watching your brain child come alive with color, waiting to see what the endpapers look like (I still haven’t seen them yet!!)… Each little reveal is a thrill! I feel really lucky to have a partner for every story.

Jon: You may be hired to work on a project because of one specific illustration in your portfolio, so have fun making every illustration you share!

That is great advice. Thank you Molly and Jon for stopping by my blog today.

Dear readers, this book publishes next week. It’s both a fun space romp AND an SEL jaunt into self-control that leaves me in awe. Trust me when I say, you won’t want to miss this one!