The Picture Book Buzz - Interview with Carol A. Foote and Larry Day

Carol A. Foote is a writer and photographer. The oldest of three children, she was born in Los Angeles and grew up in a small house in Santa Monica canyon, collecting tadpoles from the stream across the road, chasing butterflies in the vacant lots, and exploring the big, rambling estates that had occupied the canyon for years. She always wanted to be a writer and started her first story, a horse story, in third grade, writing in pencil in a spiral notebook.

Carol loves to travel and has been to every continent except Australia, photographing orangutans in Borneo, penguins in the Antarctic, and polar bears in Canada. Besides writing, photography, and travel, she loves history, science, reading, and taking her dog for long walks in the hills near her home. She lives near Santa Cruz, California, with her husband, two cats, and their own trouble dog, Lily, an energetic golden retriever — though Lily is not nearly as much trouble as Tucker!

She and her husband have long been supporters of conservation efforts, particularly through Wildlife Conservation Network, which partners with Working Dogs for Conservation.

Carol writes to explore ideas that move or fascinate her and to share her love for the world and everything in it. She loves writing for kids because their minds are open to exploring, learning and imagining.

Carol is a debut picture book author.

​Larry Day is the award-winning picture book illustrator of both fiction and non-fiction. He was born and raised in Gibson City, Illinois, a rural farming community where he flunked high school Art. He received an Associate’s Degree in commercial art, and worked as a staff artist for pinball and video games before becoming a storyboard artist and picture book illustrator. Day is the recipient of 3 Gold medals from the Society Of Illustrators, and the SCBWI Golden Kite Award for Not Afraid Of Dogs.

He is also an award-winning cartoonist for the Sopris Sun, a newspaper in Carbondale, Colorado where he won First Place for Best In-House ad campaign, Colorado Press Association Network, 2022, First Place, Investigative Story team, 2022, and Best Cover, Colorado Press Association Network, 2021. Communication Arts, 2024 Illustration Annual Award Of Excellence, A Beacon of Light ad campaign cartoons and art direction.

Larry is the illustrator of 16 books, including A Fort on the Moon by Maggie Pouncey (2020), My Fourth of July by Jerry Spinelli (2019), Beware! by Bob Raczka (2019), Bim Bam Bop and Oona by Jacqueline Briggs Martin (2019), Found. by Jeff Newman (2018), Voices of the Underground Railroad by Kay Winters (2017), Nice Work, Franklin! by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain (2016), Raisin, The Littlest Cow by Miriam Busch (2017), Lion Lion by Miriam Busch (2014), and Worst of Friends: Thomas Jefferson, John Adams and the True Story of an American Feud by Suzanne Tripp Jurmain (2011).

Their picture book, Trouble Dog: From Shelter Dog to Conservation Hero, releases February 25th.

Welcome Carol and Larry, thank you so much for stopping by to talk about yourselves and your book.  

Thanks so much for having us, Maria!

Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write or illustrate? How long have you been writing or illustrating? What is your favorite type of book to write or illustrate?)

CAROL – I’ve been writing for decades, but I switched from journalism to children’s fiction only after having kids of my own.

I’m a morning person, so I try to make writing the first thing I do every day after pouring a cup of tea. If I don’t get to it first thing, I tend not to get to it. That’s especially true for first drafts. I’m able to work pretty much all day on revisions.

In terms of where I write, this is not a very romantic image, but I write at my computer with the window shades down to keep from being distracted by the view.

For picture books, I like writing about nature and wildlife, but for middle grade fiction, I enjoy writing fantasies. I do also have a young adult historical manuscript set in ancient Egypt. I’m pretty sure I don’t have it in me to write a contemporary novel.

LARRY -  I mostly do my drawing and writing  in my studio in the house where I live with children’s book author, Miriam Busch, who also happens to be my co-creator and wife. In my studio, is where my materials are handy and within easy reach.  I also draw and write in various other areas like the kitchen table, on the patio, or the living room. Sometimes I gather my sketchbooks and notebooks and go to the library to write and draw where I can be surrounded by picture books and other reference books.  Another place that I like to write, and draw is in our cozy little camper that we pull with our truck on camping trips across the country.

My first memories of drawing were when I was around six years old. I have a drawing of a Farris wheel inspired by the small County Fair in the nearby farm town where my father  took me every summer. I also eagerly drew on the back of the bowling sheets that my mother brought home after bowling with her league. My siblings and I mostly drew battle scenes inspired by my father’s service in the US Army.

I like to illustrate fiction and non-fiction. With non-fiction books like Trouble Dog or books of history like George Washington, Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, the duel between Alexander Hamilton and Aaron Burr, or The Underground Railroad; I get to do research and learn interesting things about each subject. For example, I learned that George Washington was a superior horseback rider who, during the American Revolution, was so good that one time he sat far back on his horse’s rear-end adding weight to help climb a steep muddy embankment. Even though Tucker, the dog  in Trouble Dog is fiction the story is based on non-fiction so I guess Trouble Dog can be called a mix. No pun intended! [Ha! 😊]

Non-fiction is based on stories that already exist like Tucker discovered by a Conservationist in the animal shelter or sniffing and finding rare plants and animals. With fiction it’s just the opposite where stories do not already exist, I rely more on my own creativity of stories that I create whether it’s a manuscript that I’ve written or one someone else has written. It’s fun for me to illustrate a story that’s uniquely in my own approach and style.

It is great to "meet" you both! Who was your favorite author, illustrator, and/or your favorite book as a child? 

CAROL - The first book I remember falling in love with was Mary Poppins. I loved reading about real kids finding magic in the midst of their everyday world. After that, I couldn’t get my hands on enough books that let me imagine magic in my own life. 

LARRY - We didn’t have many picture books growing up as a child. The one book that I remember captivating me was Ferdinand by Munro Leaf with illustrations by Robert Lawson. I completely absorbed that book. As I grew and was exposed to more artists and illustrators, I became inspired and influenced by a larger variety of artists from Ernest Shepard, famous for Winnie the Pooh, to Maurice Sendak.  

Those are both such great books. Carol, what was the inspiration for Trouble Dog: From Shelter Dog to Conservation Hero? 

CAROL – Two real conservation dogs with Working Dogs for Conservation (WD4C) were my inspiration—Pepin and Wicket—and their handlers, Megan Parker and Aimee Hurt.

Like a lot of people, I’d never heard of conservation dogs until I saw Pepin at an annual Wildlife Conservation Network (WCN) expo in San Francisco. Megan, a co-founder of Working Dogs for Conservation, helped Pepin wow the audience by hiding things for him to find. She described how conservation dogs help biologists by sniffing out invasive plants and animals not easily detected by humans, and by finding the scat of rare or endangered species so scientists can study the animals without disturbing them. Being a lover of dogs and wildlife, I was immediately intrigued and wanted to know more.

But what inspired me to write this story was learning that the remarkable dogs that make great conservation dogs often languish in shelters because they’re too rambunctious and full of energy for family life. Happily, conservation organizations have learned to search shelters for such dogs and give these talented canines a second chance at life because the same qualities that make them trouble—their nonstop energy and intense focus—help them become great conservation dogs. I knew right away that I wanted to write that story—of a rejected dog being rescued, celebrated for his incredible abilities, and finding his place in the world.

I love that these dogs are getting second (third...) chances. Thank you for sharing and highlighting their special stories. Larry, what about the Trouble Dog manuscript that appealed to you as an illustrator? 

LARRY -  With Trouble Dog, the appeal was that someone took such a unique subject to write about. I don’t think the subject of conservation dogs had ever been written for a picture book audience, not to mention it was very well written with a terrific amount of back-matter to follow up the end. It was no surprise that a publisher like Eerdmans had picked it up.

And I'm glad you agreed to illustrate it and beautifully capture Tucker's spirit! What is a (or the most) fun or unusual place where you’ve written a manuscript or created an illustration?

CAROL - I almost never write anywhere but at my computer. The only exception I can think of was a few years ago when I visited the house where my father grew up in the Catskills. I tried writing in the “library” where my grandfather, a fairly famous writer in his day, used to pen his stories on yellow lined notepads. It was a beautiful old house, left mostly as it had been, and I felt I could almost channel him there.

LARRY -  One of the most fun places is spreading out thumbnail sketches on the kitchen counter to see a book in its entirety and revising it over and over adding or removing drawings, changing the pace, and editing the words. I usually do this with author, Miriam Busch who happens to also be my wife. She even works with me on books that are not ours together.

Carol, that sounds like an amazing experience. Larry, you are really lucky. Carol, what was the toughest part of writing Trouble Dog? What was the most fun?

CAROL - The toughest part was getting it right, doing draft after draft after draft, paring it down to the essentials and trying to find the right balance between the story, the information, and the emotion.

Most of it was fun. I loved meeting Pepin and seeing him show off his talents at several demonstrations. I loved talking to Pepin and Wicket’s handlers, Megan Parker and Aimee Hurt, and hearing about the dogs’ experiences.

You definitely managed to capture the emotion and the little-known role of Conservation Dogs. Larry, what’s the hardest part of illustrating picture books? What was the toughest part of illustrating Trouble Dog specifically? What was the most fun?

LARRY - Picture books are massive undertakings. All picture books start with a manuscript, the most important element. There’s no use illustrating a book if there’s not a well-written story behind it. There’s a lot to figure out and consider for example, what do the character(s) look like while keeping them consistent through the book, whether it’s’ people, animals, or environments. But the hardest part can be making the art and the manuscript come to life while making the book feel like the story and the art work together seamlessly.

I think you do a great job balancing the consistency and energy of picture books. Carol, did anything surprise or amaze you when you first got to see Larry’s illustrations? What is your favorite spread?

CAROL - Some of the mischief Larry had Tucker getting into were surprises because they were his own ideas. But probably my biggest surprise was just seeing the story brought to life by his wonderful illustrations, so filled with color, emotion, humor, and movement. It was so fun to see how Larry captured Tucker’s irrepressible joy, whether he is knocking over a fish tank, playing tug-o-war, or ready to work. 

 Text © Carol Foote, 2025. Image © Larry Day, 2025.

It's hard to choose one favorite spread! Maybe the scene in the kitchen where Laura has a hand on her hip, the screen door is torn, the toaster is hanging off the counter, and the stools are knocked over. Chaos reigns, and Tucker is looking up at Laura with a toy in his mouth, his expression saying, What? I laugh every time I see that. But I also adore the illustration at the end when Tucker is kissing Laura and she’s hugging him, and the cup and hat are falling but Laura doesn’t even notice. It’s just a moment of pure love.

Tucker's face and attitude are precious (Hi! How was your day? Wanna play?) Larry, is there a spread of which you are especially proud? Or perhaps is your favorite spread? 

 Text © Carol Foote, 2025. Image © Larry Day, 2025.

LARRY -  It’s difficult to pick one over the others. One of my favorites is the title page where Tucker is running with a red tennis shoe. The illustration of Tucker with her toy elephant sadly looking at people passing him by was a moment to stir the emotions. I also like the illustration of Tucker jumping in the air now mouth open ready to catch the tennis ball.

Oh my gosh - Tucker's expression (and those of the other two dogs) is heart-wrenching! How long did it take from the first draft to publication for the text and illustrations of Trouble Dog?

CAROL - Almost ten years. But I was writing other manuscripts during that time, as well, and almost five of those years were after receiving an offer from Eerdmans Books for Young Readers. The pandemic slowed things down considerably, and the slow nature of picture book publication was at its worst. 

LARRY -  This book took an especially long time to illustrate. I think it was well over two years.

After the process of submitting many rounds of thumbnail sketches, my first “final” version didn’t work because Tucker looked too much like a police dog and was too scary looking. So, I went back to the drawing board. I had sent in numerous sketches of dogs until I landed on one that we all agreed fit the look of Tucker. I had seen a golden retriever while we were on a camping trip in the Northwest. The owner was repeatedly tossing tennis balls into the bay where her dog jumped in the water and retrieved them over and over.  That became Tucker.

I'm glad you both kept working on it, despite the setbacks, because it is a wonderful book! What's something you want your readers to know about Trouble Dog? 

CAROL – I hope readers take away the idea that everyone has strengths and is capable of doing amazing things, provided the chance, even if that hasn’t been recognized yet. I love that this story has that message at its core. As much as it is about the enduring relationship between dogs and humans, and about the positive work being done in the field of conservation, it’s also about everyone having worth and a place in the world.

That is such an important additional layer. Larry, many illustrators leave treasures or weave their own story (or elements) throughout the illustrations. Did you do this in Trouble Dog? If so, could you share one or more with us?

LARRY -  There’s something very special about the love and connection between owner and dog. The secondary stories I tried to capture are the energy in Tucker and the close relationship between him and Laura. I did that by showing the two finding each other through the bars of the cage, wrestling on the ground in Africa, Tucker showing affection with paws on Laura, and snuggling together on the couch.

And of course, Tucker always sniffing and loving every minute of his life.

Tucker's sheer joy in "the game" and in living with L:aura is one of the best aspects of the book and you gorgeously captured this! Are there any new projects you are working on now that you can share a hint or tidbit with us?

CAROL - I have another picture book in the works that also deals with conservation and is based on a true story. It’s about a wild cheetah in Botswana and the young girl whose love for cheetahs helps save its life. I’m also working on a middle grade time travel novel. As much as I love science and nature, I also love the idea of visiting history through time travel.

LARRY - I’ve been writing my own stories and developing characters more and more. Those stories are all at different stages of development. I’m working on a few picture book stories that will be sent around as soon as they are ready.

I wish you both the best of luck with these projects! Last question, what is your favorite National Park or Forest, regional park, or city park (anywhere in the world)? Or the one you’re longing to visit. Why?

© Global Alliance of National Parks.

CAROL - One national park that I’d love to return to again and again, is Kruger National Park in South Africa. It has beautiful landscapes, stunning birds, and an abundance of African wildlife, including rhinos, hyenas, hippos, crocodiles, elephants, lions, leopards, giraffes, and many kinds of antelopes. 

Thank you, Carol and Larry, for sharing with us a bit about yourselves and your newest picture book.

To find out more about Carol A. Foote, or to contact her:

Website: https://www.carolafoote.com/

Twitter: https://x.com/Aloraca

Facebook: www.facebook.com/carol.a.foote.1

Instagram: www.instagram.com/carolafootewriter 

To find out more about Larry Day, or to contact him:

Website: https://larrydayillustration.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/larry.day.334

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/larry.day56/

Twitter: https://x.com/larrydayart