Creator Corner: Author Naseem Hrab and Illustrator Kelly Collier
Welcome to Creator Corner, a blog series where we interview the creators of our recent books. For this post, we interviewed Otis & Peanut Find a Way author Naseem Hrab and illustrator Kelly Collier, whose book is publishing April 15, 2025!
Owlkids Books: Naseem, what are Otis & Peanut up to in the third volume of the series?
Naseem Hrab: In Otis & Peanut Find a Way, Otis and Peanut are back with three hilarious and heartfelt adventures. In “The Trip,” Peanut helps Otis overcome his fear of leaving home by practicing going on a trip—without actually leaving home. In “The Stone,” Otis learns how time can help smooth over his sadness after losing Pearl. And in “The Visit,” Otis and Peanut plan their visit with Otis’s sister, Marion, down to the minute—until their plans get lost in the wind, pushing Otis to embrace the present. (Peanut has no trouble with that!)
Owlkids Books: Kelly, can you speak to the color scheme of the series?
Kelly Collier: I wanted the characters to feel quirky, timeless but bright and fresh.
OKB: Naseem, what was your inspiration behind some of the themes of this book?
NH: These books are a way for me to process my own childhood (and adulthood) emotions. In the past—and even now—I’ve struggled with facing my many fears and dealing with the slightest change. There’s nothing more stressful to me than a friend asking if I’m free without telling me why. And don’t even get me started on the mental preparation I need just to go on a trip. Eee!
OKB: Kelly, what was the inspiration for your illustrations in this book?
KC: The manuscript was full of all the these great moments and emotions between the characters, some funny, some sad, some more subtle. So I really aim to get those feelings to come across visually.
OKB: Naseem, what was the most enjoyable part of bringing this story to life? What was the most challenging part?
NH: Creatively speaking, I’ve been really lucky with the Otis & Peanut series! Writing these books was the first time characters spoke to me so clearly. It almost felt otherworldly when I wrote the stories. They were having conversations in my head! That said, whenever I took a break from them, it took some coaxing to get them to speak to me again.
OKB: Kelly, what was a challenging part of bringing this story to life?
KC: I think the hardest part was working on the roughs for the middle story, “The Stone.” I was (and still am) grieving a loss, so it was very personal and emotional. It was also very cathartic and as always, these characters always make me smile so it was a healing process for sure.
OKB: Naseem, do you have a favorite spread in the book?
NH: Ooh! I love everything Kelly Collier has done with every single illustration! Otis and Peanut are so wonderfully expressive. If I had to choose, the silent pages in “The Stone”—when Otis is grieving the loss of Pearl, the stone slips from his hand, and the moment when he shakes off Peanut’s attempt to comfort him—pack such an emotional punch for me.
OKB: Kelly, do you have a favorite spread in the book? What was your process for it?
KC: For me, my favorite spread is in the Stone, when Otis pulls his hand away from Peanut after Peanut has suggested that maybe Otis’s sadness is being smoothed down by time. I think this moment speaks to the complexity of grief. Did Peanut say the right thing? Did Otis feel better? We aren’t sure, and that’s OK.
OKB: Naseem, what do you hope readers will take away from this book?
NH: I hope that readers will feel more comfortable sharing their anxieties and grief with those they feel closest to. Big feelings can become much more manageable once the right person helps us find a way to express them … and maybe even let them go.
OKB: Kelly, what do you hope readers will take away from this book?
KC: That grief is something we learn to live with and not something to “get over.” And that moving forward after loss is okay, even though it is bittersweet.
Thank you so much Naseem and Kelly for taking the time to do this interview and creating a wonderful book! We hope readers enjoy Otis & Peanut Find a Way as much as we did!
Grab your copy today!
