CB: What inspired the concept for Knuckleheads?
JH: While pondering the word "knuckleheads" one day, I began doodling pictures of hands. I drew faces on their palms. I gave them eyeballs, mouths, and hair. I thought it was funny that these hand—heads I'd drawn literally had knuckles.
CB: What was it like collaborating with illustrator Michael Slack? Did your ideas for the book evolve as a result of the collaboration?
JH: The editors and designer working on my book had already been looking for the right picture book project for Michael Slack when my story arrived. They thought his art style would suit Knuckleheads. It was one of those lucky instances of good timing. Michael is an incredibly talented illustrator, and I am delighted with the quirky, fantastic art he created for this book!
CB: The wicked witch is the connecting link between the tales in Knuckleheads. Where did that idea come from?
JH: Have you ever noticed that every fairy tale has a bad guy that fuels the plot—a witch, a jealous queen, a mean stepmother, a hungry wolf? In essence, they're the same character. They're pure evil, and their job is to persecute the main character.
That's where the core idea for the witch as a connecting link in Knuckleheads came from. I got the idea to create a book of four tales in which these bad guys actually are all the same character—a witch who slyly slips from one tale to another. In each story, she pretends to be a queen or a stepmother or whatever evil character the tale requires, and she causes mischief wherever she goes.
CB: Your pun-filled recreations of classic characters like Hansel and Gretel help bring these stories into a modern context. Was this one of your goals? Do you think readers will look at fairy tales differently after they read Knuckleheads?
JH: I wanted to put a new spin on fairy tales through wordplay. It would be great if readers use this book as a jumping off point for their own imaginations. What kind of body parts or other inanimate objects might they use for fairy tale characters? I hope to hear from children and adults who give this a try.
CB: You've published many books before this one. Why did you submit Knuckleheads through the "slush pile" (publisher lingo for the unsolicited manuscripts received)? How do you usually tackle the publishing process?
JH: Knuckleheads is pretty "out there." I knew that not just any publisher was going to take a chance on it. But I love the unique style of Chronicle Books. They've earned a reputation for creating wonderful, surprising, funny, and beautiful books. So I put my dummy into an envelope and mailed it to their slush pile. This is pretty much my typical approach to publishing.
CB: What was your relationship with fairy tales growing up? Did you have any favorites?
JH: I loved fairy tales because I imagined myself to be the heroine of each tale, and I liked being scared by the witch, wolf, or whatever evil lurked in the story. My favorite fairy tales are the four highlighted in the book: "Handsel and Gretel," "Handerella," "Nose White," and "Thumbelina."
CB: What function did reading serve in your life when you were a kid? What function does it serve in your life now?
JH: Books were friends when I was a kid, and they still are. My dad went to work every day, leaving my mom with my sister, brother, and me. We had only one shelf of books in our house, but my mom loved to read, so we often went to the library.
We moved about every three years due to my dad's job requirements. There was no email, MySpace, or Facebook back then, so I lost touch with friends each time we relocated. But books were a constant, enriching presence.
CB: After so many years, why do you think classic fairy tales continue to capture our imaginations?
JH: Fairy tales are morality tales. They're good versus evil. They end with happily ever after—at least these days they do. And that's satisfying. I love seeing the bad guys get their comeuppance, don't you?
These tales also make a good springboard for teaching a variety of classroom lessons about plot and character. They're easy to dissect because their plots are straightforward, and each character has traits that are clear-cut.
CB: Do you foresee a sequel to Knuckleheads?
JH: If Knuckleheads gets a thumbs-up from readers, I'd love to do a sequel, but with a different slant. I've already got some new picture book dummies underway, and I'd love to work with Chronicle again.
CB: On a final note, what pastimes do you suggest to help our non-writing hands avoid boredom?
JH: Idle hands? Try finger painting. Do a little palm reading. Go into the garden and find out if you've got a green thumb. The possibilities are endless.
