Critically acclaimed children's author Corey Ann Haydu (the Hand-Me-Down Magic chapter book series) has created a magical and whimsical world in her new early reader series, Zoomi and Zoe (Quirk Books). With the first two books—Zoomi and Zoe and the Tricky Turnaround and Zoomi and Zoe and the Sibling Situation—publishing in June and August, respectively, PW sat down with Haydu to learn about the series. On the docket? How the book's central characters—a glittery rhino and her imaginary human friend—came to be, tackling tough topics for the youngest readers, and the value of "zany-ness" in children's books.
The Zoomi and Zoe books are fun and fantastical but also address familiar childhood worries and milestones. Can you talk about creating this balance?
I’ve always been focused on writing about tougher issues for kids, and in the middle grade and YA spaces, figuring out how to do that while using a bit of magic came really naturally. I knew of course magic appeals to younger readers too, but it wasn’t until my older daughter was interested in reading chapter books with me that I came to understand how valuable zany-ness is for this age category. I saw so quickly that what she was drawn to was a really deep sense of fun and whimsy and silliness, and I saw a path forward where I could take what I gravitate toward in my work for slightly older readers—using magic to get at life’s ups and downs—and infuse it with a heavy dose of fun and zany-ness that I hadn’t previously gotten to play with as much. It’s been an extremely fun process, to let myself write for the sillier side of kids, and I hope I can make big feelings feel safe while doing it.
Did you always know that Zoomi would be a rhino?
No! I knew Zoomi would be furry, and big, and have a gentle monster vibe, but the specific details emerged over time. What’s fun about writing this series is that I can really take things to an over-the-top place. Zoomi doesn’t have to just be furry; she can have a horn and glitter and a really silly way of operating in the world. You know that quote from Coco Chanel, about how before you leave the house you should remove one element of your outfit, one accessory? I would say I let myself enjoy the opposite approach in the writing of these books. What if there’s more?
In what ways do Zoomi and Zoe help each other to learn and grow?
Zoomi and Zoe are opposites in a lot of ways—Zoomi is full speed ahead, zooming everywhere, sure of herself, wanting to be in charge, wanting everyone to have fun all the time. And she’s convinced there’s only one way to have all that fun—her way. Zoe is a more reserved personality. She likes plans and lists and taking her time. I think these kinds of friendship are often the most important, especially in childhood. They have to work hard to understand each other, they push one another out of their comfort zones, and ultimately they have to find real acceptance and celebration of their differences. The best childhood friendships that I’ve witnessed are that—ones where the kids have different strengths and do a dance of pushing each other, challenging each other, frustrating each other, and accepting each other.
What's your advice for readers who might be facing their own Tricky Turnarounds?
First of all, to know that everyone has a Tricky Turnaround—many Tricky Turnarounds!—is so important. I’m a big believer in a few things: feeling and talking about even the hardest feelings, not pressuring yourself to be all better right away, and looking for what is funny or joyful or peaceful in the world when you need to focus on something else. I love laughter and I love crying—let yourself do both as much as you need to! But most of all know you’re not alone, and find those people who let you cry and help you laugh. And stay open to who those people—or fuzzy glittery rhinos!—might actually be.
Anne Appert's illustrations pop off the pages. What was it like to first see your characters come to life in pictures?
A pure thrill. I can’t speak highly enough about Anne Appert’s incredible work on this series! When I was a kid, I had a babysitter who was great at drawing, and I used to come up with the silliest things for her to draw for me—a hippo on roller skates, a penguin ballroom dancing, whatever. I loved that, and working on this series with Anne is that childhood feeling times a hundred. Ultimately, I have learned so much about these characters and the world they live in through Anne’s visual storytelling and thrilling choices.
Sometimes I’d invent something—like ice cream chess, for instance, or a pineapple portal that humans travel to this magical world through—without necessarily having a clear visual of what that might be. And Anne always brought such a perfect energy and sense of fun to every quirky little detail I threw out. It’s a very cool experience, to see a whole world come to life visually. I really love the way authors and illustrators ultimately collaborate to create the world of the book together. I’m so limited by words and not being a very visual person. Anne brought so much in that surprised and delighted me, and I love that I gave one layer of ideas and then they took that first layer and found so many other aspects and layers, so much more life and detail and wonder. The world is really one built by both of us.
How does the early reader format help to enhance the storytelling?
One of the challenging things about writing early reader chapter books is that you are so limited by word count. And while at first glance that can feel restrictive, it’s ultimately a really cool challenge. The scope of the story is just right for this category—there’s conflict, but the conflict is contained and focused and relatable for young readers. Familiar. But the world of GlumbleGlibble is not contained and focused at all—and it’s certainly not familiar! It is meant to be exuberant and surprising and dynamic and bursting. That would be impossible to capture without illustrations. The early reader chapter book format lets the world be expressive and full and new and colorful and thrilling, while the story hopefully feels home-y and close to the heart.
What was the inspiration for the land of GlumbleGlibble?
Really GlumbleGlibble comes from me letting myself have as much fun as possible! One of my favorite books as a child was Julie Edwards’ (who is actually THE Julie Andrews!) The Last of the Really Great Whangdoodles. I haven’t read it since I was a kid, but I wanted to capture that same feeling I had reading that as a child—sort of like the whole world is a lift-the-flap book and underneath every flap is something that will make you smile, make you laugh, make you gasp or wonder.
If you could visit GlumbleGlibble, what's the first thing you would do?
Unlike Zoe, who is nervous to try something new, I’d go right for the rainbow mudslide! I’d be a little scared—my nieces recently made me go down some serious waterslides and I screamed the whole time—but if those waterslides were fun, I can’t imagine how great a rainbow mudslide would be!
Books, like favorite plushies, can provide such comfort and support during tough times. Did you see these parallels as you were creating the series?
Oh I love that!! I don’t know that I thought of it in those exact terms, but that certainly captures what I want kids to feel when reading the series—like they are getting a big hug from Zoomi herself, just through the magic of reading.
Can you give any sneak peeks of upcoming adventures for Zoomi and Zoe?
Yes! I can say that Zoomi and Zoe will have new babies entering their families... and for very different reasons, they’re both a bit disappointed and confused about how their new babies act and what those babies need. Like the first book, I hope to capture their worries authentically and also to have a lot of very silly solutions to their new sibling situation. Later, in book 3, I get to tell a sleepaway summer camp story set in GlumbleGlibble, with a little dose of friendship drama and some classic summer camp details... like bunk beds that tell knock-knock jokes!
