Creator Corner: Author and Illustrator Katie Arthur

Welcome to Creator Corner, a blog series where we interview the creators of our recent books. For this post, we interviewed What if Marty Doesn’t Like My Party? author and illustrator Katie Arthur, whose book published March 18, 2025!

Owlkids Books: Katie, what was the inspiration for writing this book?

Katie Arthur: Marty evolved quite a bit through the writing and editorial process—it was actually much sillier once upon a time! But the earliest idea for the book came from a real situation I remembered from my own childhood: a friend rearranging the date of her birthday party to accommodate another child’s schedule … only to have that child not attend the party after all! It got me thinking about the high stakes of a birthday party, how it’s both so fun and exciting but also kind of nerve-wracking, too.

OKB: What was the most enjoyable part of bringing this story to life? What was the most challenging part of the process?

KA: Working in comics for the first time was super enjoyable. My first book had some comic elements, but this is my first time going all in. I learned so much.

OKB: Do you have a favorite spread? What was your process for it?

KA: I think Henry’s full page imaginary scenarios turned out pretty nicely. It was fun to loosen up my drawing style and try to capture Henry’s emotions as he might represent them.

OKB: What themes or topics did you enjoy exploring in your illustrations?

KA: I love drawing the interiors of homes. I like capturing all the little details that tell the story of who people are.

OKB: What do you hope readers will take away from this book?

KA: I hope the book is helpful for anyone who struggles with anxious thoughts, or who can get carried away with their what-ifs. I hope, too, that the book demonstrates that it’s totally normal to hold multiple feelings—excitement and apprehension, for example—at the very same time.

OKB: What’s an interesting fact people may not know about you?

KA: I taught myself how to knit at the end of last year and now dream of living on a sheep farm and knitting woolly sweaters all day.

Thank you so much Katie for taking the time to do this interview and creating a wonderful book! We hope readers enjoy What if Marty Doesn’t Like My Party? as much as we did!

Grab your copy today!