The Picture Book Buzz - Interview with Lydia Lukidis (2025)
Lydia Lukidis is an award-winning author of 50+ trade and educational books for children. Her passion for reading and writing began at a very young age, when she was a voracious reader and composed poem after poem in her journals. At the same time, her deep curiosity also prompted her to study science, and she eventually acquired a College degree in Pure and Applied Science. She later acquired her Bachelor degree in English Literature from McGill University and her love for the written word continued to grow.
Today, her passions of writing and science have merged together. She now integrates her studies in science and her everlasting curiosity into her books. She’s especially fond of writing books with stimulating STEM topics, while keeping the text accessible and engaging for young readers. She also continues writing fiction and poetry.
She's the author of numerous books, including Dancing Through Space: Dr. Mae Jemison Soars to New Heights (Albert Whitman, 2024), and Deep, Deep, Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench (Capstone, 2023) which was a Crystal Kite winner for the Canada and North America division, Forest of Reading Silver Birch Express Honor, a Cybils Award nominee, and winner of the Dogwood Readers Award.
Her newest picture book, Up, Up High: The Secret Poetry of Earth's Atmosphere was released on January 1st.
Welcome back Lydia, thank you so much for stopping by to talk about your newest book and writing.
Having written a number of nonfiction picture books, what is your research process? Did it change at all for Up, Up High: The Secret Poetry of Earth's Atmosphere?
My research process is always lengthy and messy. I don’t always know the exact theme I’ll write about, just the general theme. I also don’t generally know my hook right off the bat, it takes a ton of research and thought.
Good thing you enjoy science and researching. What was your spark of curiosity or inspiration for Up, Up High: The Secret Poetry of Earth's Atmosphere?
When I started writing Deep, Deep D0wn, the book on which Up, Up High is based, my original hook didn’t work out, so I spent a year reformulating it. The original sparks were questions I was curious about: What’s down there in the Mariana Trench? And, what’s up there in the highest reaches of our atmosphere?
It was a bit more straightforward with Up, Up High because I knew the hook right off the bat (the first time that ever happened!). But the topic was much more vast. The book features the entire atmosphere of Earth, which spans so many topics from weather to electrical phenomena to space related engineering.
That is a really expansive topic. As a sequel, how did the writing and journey to publication for Up, Up High compare to that of Deep, Deep, Down: The Secret Underwater Poetry of the Mariana Trench? Was it easier or more challenging? Why?
It was easier in the sense that I knew the tone and structure, and I felt lyrical language would work well with this topic. I love writing lyrical but that style doesn’t always work, sometimes the writing needs to be more casual or humorous etc. . . .
However, this book was harder to write because as I mentioned, the topic was ridiculously vast. It took a lot of research time but even more time to explain these phenomena in child-friendly ways. The only way I can do that is when I understand a topic inside out, so I spent most of my time researching.
It's impressive how you can boil down the information for a child reader! How long did it take from the first draft to publication for Up, Up High?
Not that long, it took about three to four years. That’s pretty good in this industry! My book Dancing Through Space took ten years to materialize. And some of my WIPs are taking even longer. What I’ve learned is that each project is distinct and follows its own rhythm.
A very great point to remember! What was the hardest part of researching or writing Up, Up High? What was the most fun?
The hardest part was trying to understand Transient Luminous Events (TLEs). I confess I didn’t know what these were until I wrote this book. I loved writing the spread on sprites, which are large scale electric discharges that occur above thunderstorms. They are beautiful! But we still don’t know that much about them so researching them was a challenge.
It's exciting to learn about 'new' phenomena that are still being learned about. When you first saw Katie Rewse’s illustrations, did anything surprise or amaze you? What is your favorite spread?
Text © Lydia Lukidis, 2025. Image © Katie Rewse, 2025.
My favorite spread depicts the northern lights which I have yet to see in real life! Katie did a phenomenal job of capturing the magic in her own whimsical way. She has her own style, and it was wonderful to see that style merge with my narrative, while remaining scientifically accurate.
I agree with you. Katie really captured the wonder of the atmosphere in her illustrations. What's something you want your readers to know about Up, Up High?
What would I love children to take away from this book? Of course, I framed the narrative as an adventure where readers are invited to journey up into our atmosphere. But I’d like them to remember two things:
-We often take our atmosphere for granted. It’s invisible and we rarely talk about it. But without it, we wouldn’t be alive. It gives us life!
-Our atmosphere also protects us and so we must protect it. We need to be vigilant about how our actions contribute to pollution and climate change, and do everything to ensure the atmosphere’s protection.
Great things to remember. Are there any new projects you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us?
I love writing nonfiction STEM and people know me for that. But surprise, I also like writing funny! I have a new early graphic novel series coming out in July 2025 and it’s super exciting!! This is my first trade graphic novel (I also wrote one for Capstone for their educational line). My forthcoming GN is called Groucho the Grouchy Groundhog, which is a nod to Garfield, slapstick humor, and Seinfeld. All things I love!
Congratulations! This sounds interesting. Last question, what animal or natural feature (place) do you want to learn more about? Why?
Great question! I’m obsessed with both the deep sea and space. Regarding the deep sea, NOAA says we have explored and discovered about 5% of our vast oceans. Which means, 95% is yet to be explored. What lives down there? What creatures exist that we know nothing about? I’m eternally curious about that!
Sounds like you may have another book or so about the deep sea in your future. Thank you, Lydia, for stopping by to share about yourself and your newest picture book. It was wonderful to chat with you.
Thanks for having me!
Be sure to come back on Friday for the Perfect Picture Book #PPBF post on Up, Up High: The Secret Poetry of Earth's Atmosphere.
To find out more about Lydia Lukidis, or contact her:
Website & order links: http://www.lydialukidis.com/
Twitter: https://twitter.com/LydiaLukidis
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/LydiaLukidis
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