Creator Corner: Author Megan Pomper and Illustrator Christina Leist
Owlkids Books: Megan, what inspired you to write this book?
Megan Pomper: I have been known to mishear a thing or two every now and then. According to my family, my substitutions can be fairly ridiculous. I loved the idea that the reason behind mishearing things could be something absolutely absurd. My son at the time was a big fan of unicorns and they were everywhere at that moment, so it felt obvious that a unicorn could get inside an ear and wreak havoc.
Owlkids Books: Christina, what was the inspiration for your illustrations in this book?
Christina Leist: I was laughing when I first read the text. I love stories that are a wee bit silly and this one was definitely to my liking. Therefore the tonality of the text set the tone and gave me permission to be a bit silly, colorful, expressive as well. With all the tohuwabohu in the story, the circus came to my mind. And so I chose the colors, created the characters, and added some details with a hint of circus in mind.
Owlkids Books: Megan, what was the most enjoyable part of bringing this story to life? What was the most challenging part of the process?
Megan Pomper: This story was such a blast to write, from the first to the final draft. It still felt so fun and silly even after revisiting it many, many times. There was one passage that required a little more time to get just right, which I would say was the most challenging part of the process. But even then, it allowed for some great collaboration sessions that were such wonderful learning experiences (and those are never a bad thing!).
Without a doubt, seeing Christina Leist’s delightful art was my favorite part of the process. I don’t think I could ever tire of seeing an artist’s interpretation of my words, and the whimsy and magic Christina brought to this story was such a gift to see for the first time.
Owlkids Books: Christina, what was the most enjoyable part of illustrating this book? What was the most challenging part?
Christina Leist: The most enjoyable part: coming up with the characters—especially the unicorn. I love horses. One day when I was four years old my dad came home with a pony named Mona that he rescued. The pony was a quirky little creature, like most ponies. I loved her, as she often was up to no good. But since she was so cute, one could not be mad at her. I was thinking of her and her antics a lot while drawing the unicorn, as I believe that little glitter-induced unicorns are basically quirky ponies with a sprinkle of magic—and a horn.
The most challenging part: creating the illustrations of this very fun and cheerful book while my dad was very sick.
OKB: Megan, what do you hope readers will take away from this book?
MP: I really hope readers finish this book with cheeks that hurt from smiling! I also hope they think of Tracy when tricky challenges come their way and are inspired to not give up, even when the solution isn’t always clear. And, of course, I hope this story gives readers a healthy dose of caution around glitter crafts!
OKB: Christina, what do you hope readers will take away from this book?
CL: I hope they get to chuckle a lot. And maybe they pick up a bit of the main character Tracy’s perseverance.
OKB: Megan, what’s an interesting fact people may not know about you?
MP: The Dr. Lewis in this story is named after my family doctor (who would have removed the unicorn quickly and effectively!). Also, I have a perfect circle birthmark on my index finger (likely put there by a unicorn).
OKB: Christina, what’s an interesting fact people may not know about you?
CL: I can whistle really loud—so loud I have to tell people standing close by to cover their ears. My dad taught me around the time that Mona came into our lives and with this he made me a kid with a very special and at times annoying skill that comes in handy to this day.
Thank you so much Megan and Christina for taking the time to do this interview and creating a wonderful book! We hope readers enjoy There’s a Unicorn in Your Ear as much as we did!
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