PHOTO: Lindsay Ward, renowned author and illustrator, at home in the scenic Cuyahoga Valley National Park.
Thoughts On Craft, Creativity, And Connecting With Readers
Lindsay Ward reflects on her creative journey, balancing humour and heart, and the artistic process behind her beloved books that resonate with children and adults alike.
Lindsay Ward has a remarkable gift for inviting readers into worlds that feel both familiar and delightfully unexpected. Whether it’s Gray, the protagonist of This Book Is Gray, seeking recognition and inclusion, or Dexter, the toy dinosaur of Don’t Forget Dexter!, whose anxious musings strike a chord with children and adults alike, Ward’s stories are imbued with a heartfelt curiosity about the human experience. Her narratives, often threaded with humour, explore themes of belonging, individuality, and love in ways that resonate deeply across generations.
Beyond her talent as a storyteller, Ward is equally skilled as an illustrator, capturing the essence of her characters with artwork that is, at once, vibrant and intimate. Each element of her books is a carefully considered piece of the whole, as her years of illustration work meld seamlessly with her knack for crafting engaging prose. Her ability to shape the voices and personalities of characters, as seen most recently in Best Day Ever, co-written with her husband, Frank Tupta, showcases a creativity grounded in both thoughtfulness and fun.
In every project, from the Community Helpers series to the enchanting Please Bring Balloons, Ward’s work serves as a tender reminder of the beauty in everyday moments. Whether through whimsical wordplay, empathetic characters, or art that leaps off the page, Lindsay Ward cultivates a space where humour and heart coexist, offering readers of all ages a chance to pause, reflect, and smile.
Lindsay Ward masterfully combines whimsical storytelling with heartfelt messages, delivering memorable books that enchant, inspire, and entertain audiences of all ages.
In ‘This Book Is Gray’, how did you develop the character of Gray to convey themes of inclusion and individuality?
The idea for GRAY was initially inspired by a random thought I had about blue and orange (which are complimentary colors) complimenting each other in a conversation. I found this idea hilarious as I love a good play on words. But as the story evolved, the idea of a color, like Gray, feeling left out because he’s not on the color wheel, felt very relatable, especially for kids. What inspired the book ultimately became an anecdote as Gray’s story revealed itself during the writing process and took center stage. By the time I had a first draft, I knew the heart of the story was Gray and how badly he wanted to find his own relevance. I think that’s something we can all relate to.
‘Don’t Forget Dexter!’ introduces a toy dinosaur with separation anxiety. What inspired Dexter’s character and his humorous, anxious voice?
I was pregnant with my oldest son when I wrote Don’t Forget Dexter. My husband, who is also a picture book author, had to get a shot prior to our son’s birth. While waiting in the doctor’s office one afternoon, my husband noticed a toy dinosaur that had been left behind, under a chair. He took a photo of it and texted me, “Well, they left me here.” I laughed when I read the text and immediately sat down and wrote Dexter’s story. Dexter’s voice came very easily. I think his worries are actually what makes him so relatable for kids. He says all the things we worry about out loud, instead of just thinking them.
“I try to remember who I’m actually writing for.” – Lindsay Ward
Your upcoming book ‘Best Day Ever’ personifies days of the week. What drew you to this concept, and how did you approach giving days distinct personalities?
My husband, Frank Tupta, and I wrote BEST DAY EVER together, which has been my favourite writing experience thus far. Frank had the idea to do a book about the days of the week. We mulled the idea around for a while, considering different angles, but ultimately decided that Monday would be our main character, as most of us dread Mondays. As an illustrator, I really enjoyed personifying the days of the week. We thought a lot about cultural perceptions of each day, what people associate with certain days, and how we personally felt about them. I tried to factor all of that in when I sat down to create the character art.
In ‘Sunnyside School’, part of your Community Helpers series, how do you aim to portray everyday heroes to young readers?
When I was a kid most of the books that discussed jobs, were focused on becoming doctors, lawyers, and astronauts, which are obviously important jobs, but not the majority of what most of us grow up to be. I loved Richard Scarry’s What Do People Do All Day?. I would pour over the pictures, absorbing every detail. He depicted so many different jobs, it was fascinating! My Community Helpers series is a nod to that book, with modern day jobs, and humans instead of animals. Every job is important. We all contribute to our communities in various ways. My hope is that these books reflect that ideal for kids.
Your books often blend humour with heartfelt messages. How do you strike this balance to engage both children and adults?
I try to remember who I’m actually writing for. I think as writers it’s very easy to let your own voice and opinions slip in, losing site of the character’s. I try very hard not to do this in my books. Obviously, some of that is unavoidable. We all come to the table with view points, opinions, and beliefs constructed by our own world view. But I remember what I loved to read about as a kid, and I pay attention to what resonates with my own three boys. Love and humor seem to be a constant with them. The best kind of humor, in my opinion, is full of love.
“The best kind of humour, in my opinion, is full of love.” – Lindsay Ward
As both author and illustrator, how does your visual art influence your storytelling, and vice versa?
I actually never planned to be a writer. That was an accident. I studied illustration in college and planned to just illustrate for other writers. But, my first agent believed I was a writer and kept telling me so. Honestly, I thought she was crazy. I didn’t even know how to write, not properly anyway. Or in the way I thought was necessary to become a writer. But writing is a funny thing. For most writers I know, they do it because they can’t not do it. It’s like an itch you have to scratch otherwise you’ll go crazy. And while I came to making books first as an illustrator only, I can’t imagine not writing either. One doesn’t exist without the other. But I always start with the story, never the art. I’m very cerebral with my writing in that I don’t write many drafts, most of the planning happens in my head before I actually sit down to do it. The same can be said for the art. I spend a lot of time thinking about what I’m going to do before I actually do it, whether I’m writing or drawing. And I won’t sit down to do either until it feels right.
What advice would you offer aspiring authors and illustrators looking to create impactful children’s books?
Be your work’s biggest advocate. Because no one else is going to do it for you. No one else is going to believe in it as much as you do. And stay true to the work you believe in. Now, that doesn’t mean you should ignore constructive criticism. You should always listen. Sometimes writers/illustrators can be too close to a project to the point of missing obvious issues. But you should also know when to tune it out, too. There is such a thing as too many cooks in the kitchen. It can be very easy to lose site of the heart of your story— which only you can determine. For me, this was much harder to learn.
