Photo courtesy of Nick Bruel
After penning more than a dozen books starring Bad Kitty, children's author and illustrator Nick Bruel and his purring protagonist take on testing in the latest title, Bad Kitty Takes the Test. In it, the mischievous tuxedo cat of the series’ title must take a course and pass an exam mandated by the Society of Cat Aptitude Management—or face having her cat license revoked. Bruel visits area schools this week, and he will sign and discuss his new book at Left Bank Books on Saturday, January 21 at 4 p.m. Bruel recently offered his insights on what inspires his writing, as well as advice for aspiring artists and writers.
What gave you the idea for your latest Bad Kitty book?
The newest book, Bad Kitty Takes the Test, is inspired by what inspires every book in the series: I always ask myself the question, "What do kids care about?" Having visited schools all over the country, I have come to recognize that kids care a lot about taking tests. Pretty much regardless of the grade level or age, kids are being tested and, similarly, they are stressed out because of it. I’m not trying to make standardized testing my cause célèbre, but we have a situation in this country where the average third grader is being tested more than 20 hours a year. That’s just the time that students are asked to sit down and take tests, not even counting the hours of practice tests and days and weeks preparing. There is always going to be a need for assessments, but I think it’s gotten a little out of hand.
Photo courtesy of Nick Bruel
What do you tell fans who ask for guidance about becoming an author or illustrator?
Be brave—not only in terms of having confidence in your ability to write, draw, or whatever it may be, but also the act of sharing it with a publisher and, potentially, the public. That can be much more daunting than we generally recognize. Don’t worry about the naysayers, especially when you say to yourself that you shouldn’t, couldn’t, mustn’t—just pay attention to the voice inside you that says, "I want to and can."
Can you describe your own creative process?
I use a fairly specific jumping-off point that has worked for most of my books, in which I think of the title first, rather than a story, concept, or character. I start with one, maybe two, words that interest me and see if a story can come out of it. That is how Bad Kitty was born. I was at home contemplating unique titles I had never seen before. Bad Kitty came to me, and when I asked myself what a cat could do that would be so bad, I came up with so many ideas. I have used that process for most of my books, drawing inspiration from two- or three-word titles.
What are you looking forward to about your visit here?
I am very fortunate to be doing what I do because, as an author of books for children, I have a wonderful opportunity to visit schools and encounter hundreds of my readers at a time. So I’m looking forward to doing just that in St. Louis.
Bruel’s appearance at Left Bank Books is free and open to the public. Proof of book purchase is required to enter the signing line. For more information, click here.
