Amy Amberg (AA): Hi Alexandra! I’m looking forward to the publication of your newest book, Hazel and Herbert, due out at the end of February! It has the feeling of a sibling relationship set in the springtime woods. Can you tell us a little bit about the story?
Alexandra Thompson (AT): Yes, I’m so excited for this book to come out! Hazel & Herbert is the story of a young fox, Hazel, who discovers an egg while out on a walk. She’s excited to get home and cook up the egg with her Papa when much to her surprise — TIP, TIP, TAP! — out pops a baby bird. Her life is upended by this sudden new addition and the book explores the rich social-emotional concepts of the inevitability of making mistakes, forgiveness, and found family.
AA: What was your process in creating this book? Since you are both an author and an illustrator, which comes first, the story concept or the pictures?
AT: Sometimes an idea for a book will pop into my head – just a seed of an idea, in need of time and tending. Other times I’ll be sketching and a character will emerge that feels like they have a story to tell. I’ll start asking myself questions about this character. Who are they? What do they like to do? What are they afraid of? What do they want?
This particular story had been percolating in my mind for quite some time and was loosely inspired by the addition of my own baby brother when I was 7. I scribbled down the initial concept back in 2019. My agent and I sent off the dummy to my editor, Stephanie Pitts, but she felt it was missing the mark and wasn’t quite there. After a lot of back and forth (and illustrating three other books and having a baby), we finally nailed down the dummy and got the green light from my editor in 2024.
After getting the green light, we finessed the manuscript first. I then tackled character designs of Hazel, Herbert, and Papa. Rough sketches came next, many rounds of revisions, then on to final art, which I created using colored pencils and watercolor that was then scanned and edited for digital delivery.
AA: Which came first in your career path, writing or illustrating? How did you prepare for both skill sets?
AT: I think of myself as an illustrator first, author second. When I first dipped my toes into the world of picture books, I was not expecting to write my own. I wanted to illustrate other people’s stories. It wasn’t until my first SCBWI conference in 2017 where I had a portfolio review with Lucy Ruth Cummins (Art Director at Simon & Schuster), who encouraged me to write my own stories based on my illustrations. She was particularly interested in a french bulldog illustration I had and felt he had a lot of potential. I left that conference inspired and energized and wrote A Family for Louie, which became my debut author/illustrator picture book with Putnam in 2020.
I’ve been drawing since I could hold a crayon – truly! Making art has always been my passion that carried through from childhood to now. With writing I try to consume what I create. I’m always reading picture books, reading books about writing, listening to podcasts about story and craft. A self-led education!
AA: What advice would you give to a younger version of yourself regarding your work in this field? How would you advise someone who would like to achieve what you’ve accomplished?
AT: You can’t edit a blank page. Also, thinking about a drawing isn’t going to make you better – butt-in-chair and get drawing!
My advice to someone else looking to get into children’s books is, first and foremost, do the work. Write the book and draw as much as you can. But also, find your people. Writing and illustrating books is a lonely experience and finding your community will sustain you through the highs and lows of publishing.
AA: How is your artistic process different when illustrating for your own writing versus another author’s work?
AT: When you’re illustrating for yourself, you definitely have more control, and I spend a lot of time balancing out what to show vs. what to say in the text. It’s also complete freedom for character design and world building.
I worked on two books that had a lot of guidance and feedback about what the characters looked like since it was about their respective authors (Ben & Emma’s Big Hit by Gavin Newsom, and I am a Masterpiece! By Mia Armstrong). This is a really fun challenge that I enjoy though.
AA: Tell us a bit about your career in illustration. [ie, did you get an art degree? How would you describe your style? Do you work on paper or computer, or both?]
AT: I received a BFA from MassArt for Fashion Design and started my career in children’s apparel. During my time working in children’s apparel, I developed an interest in surface design (prints and graphics that go on the clothing). This got me back into illustrating and I rediscovered my love of picture books. I began creating my picturebook portfolio, took the MATS class Illustrating Children’s Books, and joined SCBWI to learn more about this field.
I always have such a hard time with the word “style” because I feel like I have many different styles. I know I’m not the only artist that struggles with this! My work is lush and cozy with a dash of whimsy, and I’m inspired by my New England upbringing, love of food, and all things spooky. I work both traditionally and digitally. It depends on the project and how much time I have. Hazel & Herbert was created using colored pencils and watercolor – a first for me. This was a real challenge, but I love how the artwork turned out. The Little Red Chair, which I illustrated for Cathy Stefanec Ogren, was created digitally – a combo of Procreate and Photoshop. I had just had my daughter, so I needed to be able to work on the go and in quick pockets of time while she was sleeping. There was no time to set up a palette, clean brushes, and watch paint dry, haha.
AA: With the pub date approaching, what are you doing to market this book? This part of the process is often a challenge to writers! Are there any promotions tied in with the book, or events planned?
AT: In addition to the usual social media postings and newsletter outreach, I have an amazing pre-order bundle that I’m doing with Back Cove Books in Portland, Maine. When you pre-order your copy through them, you’ll receive a signed copy of the book, sticker sheet, bookmark, and signed art print. I’m so excited with how the book swag came out! You can pre-order here: https://backcovebooks.com/hazel-herbert
They ship or you can pick-up in store if you’re local.
I’m also having my book launch at Back Cove Books on Saturday, February 28th at 11am. Join us for storytime, craft, book signing and more! Event details here: https://backcovebooks.com/events/3873620260228
There will be library and bookstore visits happening throughout March and April. You can check out my list of events here to see if I’ll be doing an event near you!
AA: Where can we find you online?
AT: You can find me on the web: www.alexandraco.com
Follow me on on Instagram (most active here): https://www.instagram.com/alexandraco_illustration/
and Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/alexandradraws.bsky.social
AA: Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with the Writers Rumpus readers about Hazel and Herbert and your career in writing and illustration!
AT: Thank you so much! I hope your readers love getting to know Hazel & Herbert.
WRITERS' RUMPUS 
Your book looks delightful. I’m going to pre-order for my grandson.
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Lovely book in time for warmer weather!
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