News & Media
It’s Time for… MONSTER SLAM!
WHO. WILL. WIN?!?!
Filled with humor, poetry, and MONSTERS (of course!), George McClements’ HAIKU KAIJU AH-CHOO! and Vikram Madan’s BEWARE THE DRAGON AND THE NOZZLEWOCK are two ferociously fun books!
In this fun Q+A, hear from both creators on their love for the fantastical, their methods for poetry-writing, and which monster they think would conquer.
Tell us about your book! What was the inspiration behind it?
VIKRAM: BEWARE THE DRAGON AND THE NOZZLEWOCK is a funny poetry collection AND a graphic novel – a unique combination all its own. My previous funny poetry collection, A HATFUL OF DRAGONS got a lot of attention for being a very visual book, and kids in particular seemed to enjoy my occasional use of the comic format. I decided my next poetry book would be more fun if it had more comics. At the time I started the book, the only thing I knew for sure was that each poem had to each tell a story (otherwise it would be hard to illustrate it as a comic). The Dragon and the Nozzlewock showed up uninvited along the way, insisted on staying, and before I knew it, they had taken over, much to the chagrin of all the other ‘surprising characters’ in the book!
GEORGE: My book is about a big, ill kaiju. He’s scared, has no idea what’s happening to him and goes to look for help. The inspiration for the story comes from my love of old monster movies and my giant son!!
What was your favorite (or least favorite!) thing about learning to write poetry in school?
GEORGE: Obviously, my favorite thing about learning poetry was learning haikus. Counting out
syllables on my fingers, not necessarily having to rhyme, and they were short! Totally perfect for me… I can be such a lazy writer.VIKRAM: I wrote my first poem in 3rd grade for a summer-vacation assignment. I enjoyed that experience so much that I never stopped writing poems since. Sadly though, I was not taught anything about writing poetry in school. It took me over thirty years of writing poems on my own before I finally figured out how to do it in the way I wanted to do it. Note that there isn’t any right or wrong way to write poems – poetry is basically ‘making art with words’ – but for anyone interested in writing rhyming poetry, you should expose yourself to prosody.
Both of your books employ a unique graphic novel/comic-like approach. Why did you decide to use this format for your story? How do you think it works with the poetry in your book?
VIKRAM: In creating my previous five graphic novels (OWL & PENGUIN – 3 book series, ZOONI TALES – 2 book series) I became very aware that the comic format really helps kids learn how to process visual information and develop critical thinking skills (this is well-documented). Poetry, on the other hand, is already known to develop language, vocabulary, and reading and thinking skills. Kids won’t realize that this fun and funny book is – (Attention Parents and Educators, nudge, nudge, wink, wink! 🙂 ) – a perfect educational tool!
GEORGE: I love comic books! The excitement contained within their pages felt like the perfect format to capture the big action of my story. I also love how they can alter speech bubbles to let you know if a different language is being spoken.
What do you enjoy most about writing for kids? (You can share your love for poetry, illustration…etc!)
GEORGE: Kids are so accepting of different ideas…open to new experiences and cultures. They
have no issues with a kid speaking kaiju (or the existence of a kaiju full stop) capture ‘bots, giant tissues and blankets…it makes total sense to them (and me) They make writing fun!!!VIKRAM: As a kid, books were my gateway to learn about the world. I try to create books that engage kids with humor and surprise, and hopefully give them enough of a positive experience that when they finish, they reach for the next book, and the next, and never really stop. By helping expanding their minds and their horizons, my hope is that they will become the critical thinkers we need to chaperone the world forward. In a way I write books to, in whatever small way I can, help save the world! (Talk about pressure!) 🙂
What are you working on next? (And will it feature a monster?)
VIKRAM: I am working on my next book of poems but it won’t be out for a few more years. It’s not supposed to have monsters in it, but I’m pretty sure I can sneak a few in when my editor isn’t looking. (Don’t tell her!)
GEORGE: I am trying my hand at a chapter book next. It doesn’t have any monsters in it, but it
does have a load of fantasy characters. This is a new process for me…I’m finding it difficult at times, but I am so loving it!
CHOOSE YOUR SIDE (or choose both)… Pre-order both books now!
Beware the Dragon and the Nozzlewock
A Graphic Novel Poetry Collection Full of Surprising Characters!
