Illustrator Spotlight: Phyllis Harris
Happy Monday and welcome to Picture Book Spotlight! 🥳
To begin, there are some serious shenanigans happening at my author Facebook page, Picture Book Spotlight. Things have kind of blown up over there since July, and it's been a lot of fun to connect to readers and fans of the books. There are shenanigans like stuffies that almost look like Dennis and silly videos and everything in between.
Hard copies of The Book of Rules are currently sold out everywhere online from the back-to-school frenzy, but once the 8th printing finishes and ships, it will be available again in November. Dennis is almost 5 years old, you guys! He can go to Kindergarten next year! (which I'm sure he'd love to do 😈). E-book copies remain available for instant access and work especially well with a projector screen and Novel Effect if you're in the business of unique read-aloud experiences to groups of kiddos.
In other news, last week was Fat Bear Week. Don't know what that is? Think I made it up? I can't wait to tell you about it! And congratulations to Backpack, the fattest bear of the season. I was personally on team Bucky but...oh well. Backpack was a close second in my heart.
Because humans are weird, each September, we've taken Katmai National Park's bears' annual survival instincts and turned them into a fun, bracket-style elimination tournament for our entertainment. They're eating fish to not die during the winter...and we're voting on who's fattest! It's truly great. If you didn't get in on the fat-bear-action this year, mark your calendars for mid-September to participate in 2027. You can learn all about the featured bears, and explore.org makes it really special.
Speaking of hibernating bears, I know a certain bear who personally knows Backpack. They grew up together in bear school...
Can you believe This is Not a Sleepy Bear Book is almost a year old!? Lots of kids in Tennessee are meeting Bear and Owl for the first time this fall, as it was recently selected as one of their Volunteer State Award Book Nominees. Fingers (and paws) are crossed that Jenn Harney and I receive the most votes! (but darn, there's some FIERCE competition!).
Alright, you didn't come here to read about fat bears and Dennis--we've got an illustrator and book to spotlight!
Today I have the privilege of spotlighting Phyllis Harris. Her (almost) newest book is a wordless picture book called Claude. Every art teacher needs a copy of this book. Wordless picture books have such a special place in my heart, and I don't sing their praises nearly as often as I should. As a father reading to littles, some of my most enduring memories of slow, intimate bedtime stories have been talking about the meaning of wordless picture books. You can certainly just look at images and turn pages and not talk at all and still enjoy these unique books at some level. But it's a missed opportunity not to use these books as a rich conversation for how each of you makes meaning and sense of the story.
Questions like: What's happening on this page? What do you notice? How does this character feel? What changed? What's going to happen? What did you like about this story? What was the most important moment? are great places to start but can be specified depending on what's happening in the book. I have to consciously not English-teacher my kids, but sometimes, I can't help myself. Claude would definitely bring all of that out in me. Grab a copy and a kid and see where the conversation goes!
In addition to being a great example of the power of art to tell a story on its own, this book is also a wonderful love letter to the creative process. For me, it was a timely reminder that perfectionism is antithetical to joy, creation, and progress. We gotta get messy and have fun!
That draft doesn't have to be perfect, and it never will. It will never be as good as it sounds in your head...but you still need to write it anyway. Because you're the only one who can tell that story like you. That's what you're actually selling--your point of view, your voice, your unique way of phrasing things. So just be present. Show up. Get that butt in the chair, embrace the mess, and see what comes out in the end. Like Claude, you just might be surprised...
Earlier I mentioned "almost newest" picture book because she actually has a BRAND NEW and beary adorable-looking picture book out on October 6th! Check out this gorgeous cover and get you a copy as well!
Okay, that's enough from me. I think it's time to hear more about Claude straight from its creator.
Cue the spotlight...Here's Phyllis!
Give us the story behind the story: what was the entry point for this book and how did the first version evolve to its finished form?
This story all started with Brinkley, my dog. He is a sweet, kind spirit and I adore him, but man, can he be needy! Any time I sit to work at my drawing table to draw or at my computer to write, he is there making it known he is in need of attention. He wants to play or walk or would like a treat. So he was definitely the inspiration for the dog, Claude, in my book, and I am the artist who is trying to create a masterpiece. The Claude Monet idea came a bit later.
What’s something you hope readers notice?
That the dog, Claude, does not wear a beret until the very last page, where he has earned his artist title. Also, the reader doesn’t really know the name of the dog until the last spread, where you can read his dog tag.
What do you hope lingers with readers long after they close the book?
That perfectionism is boring and unexpected chaos can oftentimes lead to messy masterpieces.
In your artwork, what illustration detail is most meaningful to you and why?
In this book, the most meaningful detail is the line quality. Not perfect but loose and playful. Which is more difficult to accomplish than one would think. Just like the artist in the book, I can take the creative process way too seriously, which can zap all the fun out of it. My art always turns out better when I let go of the perfectionism and just enjoy the process and have fun.
What whole spread stands out to you and why?
The climax of the story was a fun spread to create. All of the trouble begins to build a few spreads prior, which ultimately leads to a big colorful mess, or is it a mess after all?
What surprised you about the process of bringing this story into the world?
The fact that I did not originally intend for this book to be wordless was the biggest surprise. It happened organically. I had the images all mapped out in my head for a long time, and once I got the characters created, I decided to go ahead and get it all storyboarded out into a book dummy. After that, I sat down to write. The words I wrote seemed to take away from the pacing and story. I tried and tried until finally realizing it didn’t need words to tell the story.
Why are wordless picture books so valuable for kids, and what skills do they uniquely foster?
Wordless picture books help foster imagination and help to understand story structure better. They can become good storytellers themselves. It can build their confidence and reduce reading anxiety, eliminating the fear of stumbling over difficult words or mispronouncing words.
What message or advice do you have for one of the characters?
I would encourage the little artist not to worry about the outcome of the art but to enjoy the process and let go and play a bit more.
How did this book change you?
After Claude received 3 starred reviews from School Library Journal, Booklist, and Shelf-Awareness, as well as a great review from Kirkus, my confidence and creativity have been emboldened. I can't wait to continue to create fun books for kids to enjoy!
The Final Word: What would you like to leave in our minds to consider or further reflect on today?
Realize how little control we have over things. Control can be a barrier to true creativity and joy, so let go and play more!
I love the advice of letting go in the name of PLAY! That is exactly how The Book of Rules was written--just for fun and never queried! There's something special about our approach, point of view, or voice when we create from a place free from the desire for something to be published. It's a mysterious process, this endeavor. If we're not playing and having fun, that might be the first thing to change about our approach. Thank you, Phyllis! 🤓
And thank YOU, kidlit fam for stopping by this sometimes dusty corner of the internet. To express her gratitude for reading this Spotlight Interview, Phyllis will be doing a super rad giveaway--a Picture Book Spotlight FIRST! See details below on how to enter so you can look stylish (like Claude) while writing that new picture book manuscript you've been neglecting...
TO ENTER THE GIVEAWAY:
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***The deadline for this contest is Monday, October 12th at 9 AM CST
Winners will be contacted on Monday, October 12th & announced on social media***
About Phyllis
Phyllis is an author and illustrator who transitioned from a newspaper graphic designer to a freelance illustrator for Hallmark Cards and then to a full-time illustrator. Over the past 25 years, she has illustrated more than 30 children’s books. Her debut as both author and illustrator was THE GIFT SHOP BEAR, which was featured in the Kansas City Star, and she continues to craft meaningful stories for young readers. Her newest picture book, CLAUDE (released May 2026), introduces children to Claude Monet while offering gentle lessons on overcoming perfectionism and embracing "happy mistakes." This highly praised release earned a triple crown of starred reviews from School Library Journal, Booklist, and Shelf Awareness.
About Brian
Brian is a former child who writes for children. Sometimes his books are funny. Sometimes they are weird. Sometimes they have child-eating monsters and bears and wolves and pancakes. Sometimes they have none of those things. You just never know. When Brian isn't writing for kids, he can probably be found chasing his own children and corgis around his house. Or vacuuming (if you've ever known a corgi, you know). Brian thanks you for reading this here blog and for your readership and support of picture books. He invites you to go do your own writing--messy and imperfect and full of play. If you've made it this far, no, there's no hidden emoji code, but Brian's 4th picture book deal (and likely 3rd book to be published--sometimes things get out of order with the timing) is announcing soon. Shhhhhhhhhhhh!