Cartoonist Steenz shares how they creates their Heart of the City strips and what goes into creating their new book, Heart Takes the Stage.
"In the end, I hope readers of these little adaptations recognize the same thing as readers of the big classics: our monsters are often ourselves. And we should show them some compassion."
"For me, stepping into the ocean is a lot like entering a poem. Because poems are where emotions, that often feel mysterious and vast, are given sound and space. Like the rhythm of crashing ocean waves, poems are a song I can revisit, explore, and maybe even find transcendence in."
"As authors and activists, we knew that we needed to share Loujain’s story as far and wide as possible."
"Researching and visiting historical sights became a passion, and the lore associated with them became inspiration for my books...it was on a trip to Scotland, to the Isle of Skye, where I was lucky enough to visit the ruins of Dunscaith Castle (also known as the Fortress of Shadows), that I learned of the deity who would be the inspiration for the leader of The Academy for the Unbreakable Arts."
"I think just about everyone knows that reading to children is a good thing to do, and we read them compelling stories, not grammar exercises. We expand their vocabulary by reading them stories with words they don't understand, and if we find we can't explain a word ourselves we don't abandon the book, but hopefully we show them how to look words up and we share with them the pleasure of learning new things. We can do that with math too."
"Throughout the three books, I have my characters meet these key real-life figures and learn from them. So that as the superheroes demonstrate the best ways to punch out supervillains, the historical figures also show them real-life skills. I want to plant the seed with young readers that the things we're good at—math, puzzles, pattern recognition, languages, even flying—might actually become our own superpowers."
"That, in a nutshell, is why I choose the biographical subjects that I do: to show young readers that they can overcome adversity and soar."
"We create the future our children and grandchildren will live in. The choices we make ripple into the future."
"I hope that readers will be able to see how cultures and artists from all around the world have interacted with each other as the world became more connected over time."
