The Picture Book Buzz - Interview with Eliza Wheeler

Eliza Wheeler is an illustrator and author of books for kids, teens, and the young at heart. Her book Miss Maple’s Seeds was a NYT bestseller, and her book Home in the Woods was dubbed “Gorgeous” by the New York Times book review.

One side of Eliza's artwork focuses on creating fantastical, bright, and cozy story worlds, while the other side dives into historical & biographical stories with big heart. She was a recipient of the Sendak Fellowship Award in 2017 and has illustrated numerous books for children. Eliza grew up in the Northwoods of Wisconsin, lived for a time beside the hills of Los Angeles, and now resides near the lakes of Minneapolis, Minnesota.

Eliza’s the author/illustrator of Home in the Woods (2019) and Miss Maple's Seeds (2013).  And she is the illustrator of 11 books, including What Rosa Brought by Jacob Sager Weinstein (2023), This Is Our Baby, Born Today by Varsha Bajaj (2019), Cody and the Rules of Life by Tricia Springstubb (2018), Fairy Spell: How Two Girls Convinced the World That Fairies Are Real by Marc Tyler Nobleman (2018), John Ronald's Dragons: The Story of J. R. R. Tolkien by Caroline McAlister (2017), Cody and the Fountain of Happiness by Tricia Springstubb (2016), The Left-Handed Fate by Kate Milford (2016), Tell Me a Tattoo by Alison McGhee (2016), Wherever You Go by Pat Zietlow Miller (2015), Doll Bones by Holly Black (2015), and The Grudge Keeper by Mara Rockliff (2014).

Her newest picture book, A Cozy Winter Day, was released on October 15th.

Eliza, I have admired your books, especially Home in the Woods and Wherever You Go for a while, and I am so happy to get to chat with you about your newest book.

Thank you so much, happy to have this chance to chat with you!

Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write or illustrate? How long have you been writing and illustrating?)

I’m an illustrator/writer of books for children (and other things when I can find time!). I say ‘illustrator’ first intentionally, because that’s really my core art-form…the way that I think is very visual. Learning to write came much later for me and arose out of necessity when I realized I had my own stories to illustrate in earnest, beyond the dabbling of earlier years, around 2010, when I began studying the craft of writing for picture books mostly through the Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators (scbwi.org).

I’ve been illustrating and writing full-time since 2012, and honestly these feel like crafts that I’ll be constantly learning about and growing into for life. At least, I’ve never heard an artist say they learned it all and they’re done (apart from quitting the craft entirely).

It's good to meet you! What is one of the most fun or unusual places where you’ve written a manuscript or created an illustration?

I have had to work in some bonkers places because of book or art deadlines! This happens mostly when some form of travel coincides with last-minute deadline shifts – so not fun but definitely unusual. I remember having to make a large amount of time-sensitive revisions to art files while traveling from Los Angeles to Wisconsin for the winter holidays. I worked on my Wacom tablet and laptop in the airport waiting to board the plane, during the whole plane ride in the cramped seat space (my sweet spouse let me spread my set-up over his tray table), and then continued working waiting for baggage claim, and finished the work sitting at my parents’ kitchen table late into that night. These are the “don’t look at how the sausage gets made” real moments of book-making, haha.

Ha! That sounds like a very stressful start to a holiday vacation. What was your inspiration or spark of interest for A Cozy Winter Day? Did the text or the illustration come first?  

It’s one of those projects that has been gestating for many years. When I was little I loved animal story-worlds and wanted to make my own version one day. I have little sketches I can see in old sketchbooks going way back that mark early beginnings of this book. But I was always missing a central theme for the story world.

In 2016, my mom lent me The Little Book of Hygge by Meik Wiking (pronounced hoo-ga), about the Scandinavian concept of coziness and a felt sense of well-being. It connected with me on several different levels: 1. with my adult self living with a chronic pain condition (not cozy) who needs to be intentional to create comforts to soothe and cope, and 2. with my child self who loved snow days that involved crafts, playing in snow, and cozying up with cocoa afterwards. And then, 3. learning about some concepts and daily traditions that have been a part of one’s ancestry–in my case Danish, Swedish, and Norwegian–going back centuries but still feel relevant can be a fun and inspiring connection to make (selectively, of course).

So that was when it all ‘clicked’ together. I was working on other book projects at the time, so I just captured little ideas in both text and sketch form as they came to me until 2021, which was when I finally pitched the idea as a series to my publisher Nancy Paulsen, at Penguin.

I love the coziness you created! Which was the hardest or most challenging, the writing or illustrating for A Cozy Winter Day? And what was the most fun?

Both are hard and joyful, but in different ways! Writing is very hard mental work. It’s something I have to be loose and organic about, because forcing ideas to come doesn’t work at all. When I’m writing I walk a lot…I’ll take pages out to walk, read, and mark up as I go, then go to a cafe or come home to write out what came to me. That’s the joyful bit! But I can’t spend more than 2-3 hours writing; the energy comes more in a burst, then it disappears quickly.

Illustrating, on the other hand, is slower and more physical. People might think it involves just sitting there, but it takes full-body focus and long work hours. When I’m at my drawing table by myself but not under an intense deadline is me at my happiest.

How many revisions did the text and/or illustrations of A Cozy Winter Day take from first draft to publication?

That’s a good question! I had to look at my files to figure this out - there are over 30 word docs where the text drafts make gradual shifts, but I think it would be fair to say MAJOR drafts in both text and illustration went through about 5 different versions before getting into the final form.

Thank you for sharing. That's not too bad. Many illustrators leave treasures or weave special images (or elements) throughout the illustrations. Did you do this in A Cozy Winter Day? If so, could you share one or more with us?

I tried to make the cast very diverse and full of personality, so if you look at each character in the book and what they’re doing on each page, you should be able to see the visual details reflecting each unique character’s personality. I grew up surrounded by cousins, and often when I make characters I think of us all young together, roaming around wild but also cozied up inside at my grandparents. My cousin Micah uses a wheelchair, which inspired one of the kid characters in the book who uses one too, and I took care to fit in the subtle but important details of accessibility within the home space – a lift on the stairs, ramp into the front door, and handles on his bed.

I love the "Acorn Villagers" character montage on the dedication page. Be sure to look for the things Eliza just mentioned in the image below. Is there a spread that you were especially excited about or proud of? Or perhaps one which is your favorite spread?

Text &. Image © Eliza Wheeler, 2024.

Ooo, hard to pick a favorite . . . possibly the last spread of the book was my favorite to make. All the kids are in their own unique bed nooks, and you can just feel the wintery cold outside and that falling asleep feeling of drifting off but also excited about the next day and doing it all over again.

I love the aura of that illustration, too! But I decided to show the morning version instead of the final spread. Readers will have to check out the book to see why we love it so much! What's something you want your readers to know about A Cozy Winter Day?

I made this book so specifically for 4-year-old eyes. I remember at that age seeing dollhouses, cuckoo clocks, and animated cartoons or books with characters living in trees, and I felt a physical desperation to be able to shrink down small and climb into those spaces. It’s a sensation and desire that’s never left me! I designed these scenes full of details to delight little eyes pouring over it, to be able to see inside the spaces and imagine themselves inside the books like I wanted to be able to, too.

Ooh, I love this! And you definitely succeeded in bringing these unique fun and cozy animal homes to life. Are there any upcoming books or new projects you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?

Yes! I’m currently working on A Cozy Summer Day, in which we’ll be back with the Acorn Village friends. I’ll take a break from COZY after that to work on illustrations for a picture book written by author Martha Brockenbrough called Darwin's Orchids about a period of Darwin’s life and work when he fell ill and was studying pollinators. It’s creatively re-juvinating to pivot between joyful bright picture books and historical picture books or middle grade projects. It keeps me looking forward to the shifting energy of the one coming next.

Exciting! I can't wait for these books to come out! 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?

Another tough choice. I adore parks of every kind, and haven’t had a chance to visit some of the largest. The Redwood National forest in Northern California has a special place in my heart. And of the many on my bucket list, visiting the Lake District in England would be a big one.

Thank you, Eliza, for sharing with us a bit about yourself and your new picture book.

Thank you, Maria, for letting me share here with you all!

Be sure to come back on Friday for the Perfect Picture Book #PPBF post on A Cozy Winter Day.

To find out more about Eliza Wheeler. or to contact her:

Website: https://wheelerstudio.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/wheelerstudio/

Her 2-minute Newsletter for Creatives: https://wheelerstudio.substack.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/eliza.wheeler/ 

For those in Minnesota and Wisconsin, Eliza has some Storytimes for kids lined up! 

●       NOV 23 - Minneapolis MN THE WILD RUMPUS BOOKSHOP Storytime 10:30 a.m.

2720 43rd St W,

Minneapolis, Minnesota

●       NOV 30 - Solon Springs WI (Book signing only) 10 a.m. - 12 p.m. THE LITTLE GIFT HOUSE 

9234 East Main Street

Solon Springs, Wisconsin 54873

- She’ll be signing books in the shop during Small Business Saturday! Please call ahead to order your copy (+1 715-378-4170). Check LGH for updates.

●       DEC 7 & 8 - Minneapolis MN 'Julmarknad' Holiday Market at THE AMERICAN SWEDISH INSTITUTE, Storytimes at 11 a.m. & 1 p.m. both days. 

2600 Park Ave

Minneapolis, MN 55407

This part of a larger ticketed event.

●       DEC 16 -Eau Claire, WI DOTTERS BOOKS Storytime 10:30 a.m.

  307 South Barstow

Eau Claire, Wisconsin

Please do share these events if you know friends with little ones in these areas.