Welcome to the latest installment of my sort-of-semi-regular bloggy interview show, Waffles with Writers, where I chat with a working writer over a waffle-based breakfast.
Today’s guest is the lovely and talented Cathy Ballou Mealey, whose debut picture book, When a Tree Grows just hit store shelves. Cathy is also a big fan of wee rodents—and, as most of you know, I am a big fan of big fans of wee rodents.
Cathy! Welcome! I just put breakfast on the table. How do you like your waffles?
Hi Mike! Thanks for inviting me. I like my waffles with real maple syrup, butter and a side of fresh raspberries please.
Since you live so close to the Marshmallow Fluff factory, I thought you’d prefer a Fluffernutter waffle sandwich. I have all the fixin’s if you change your mind…
I’d never say never, but eating that super-sticky Fluff would make the rest of this interview sound like “Mmwuff fuwmpf phampumf.” Maybe later.
So be it. First off, I love When A Tree Grows! It’s fun and funny and the plot moves forward in cheerfully unexpected directions. How did this story come about? What inspired it?
Thanks! I’m really happy that you found Moose and Squirrel’s antics funny!
A few years ago I was out in the woods, enjoying a nature hike with my family when we heard a distant, creaky Crash! Was it a falling tree? An animal? We froze, listened, and after a long silence, hiked on. I began to wonder: What if that crash had scared a bear or frightened a deer?
Building on that “OR” question, I framed a wacky story with two different possible outcomes, one rather expected and one funny, unexpected outcome. Readers will find that “OR” spotlighted on the bottom corner of each page with a clever curled paper art effect.
When A Tree Grows features a precocious squirrel. I know that you are a pro-rodent (prodent) writer. Were you always a fan of the little critters, or did your rodent fandom arrive later in life?
Definitely a prodent fan for life. My first all-my-own pet was a guinea pig named Brownie. Yep, I came up with that super creative name all by my five-year-old self. He was a charmer. Brownie was followed by a second piggie, Eliza Jane, and a repetitive sequence of hamsters. These days I am befriending the wild squirrels in my yard with tempting peanut snacks so they will pose for my camera.
Your story also stars a moose. A moose and a squirrel, eh? Bullwinkle fan?
Of course! And Fractured Fairy Tales cartoons. I also like the visual/logical challenge of pairing two creatures with mismatched proportions. That naturally lends itself to picture book hilarity, much like the GINORMOUS guinea pig in Everybody’s Favorite Book.
Aw! Look at you, plugging my picture book! This is why we’re such good friends. But let’s get back to talking about you. I’m always interested in kid lit writers’ childhoods. What was the young Cathy like?
I am so glad that you are asking me and not my older brother. I was a perfect angel and my parents’ favorite child.
When did you first have the desire to write?
As a kid I loved to write and illustrate greeting cards, so my earliest efforts were short and to the point. I also wrote scripts for Muppet-like puppet shows, assigning the best roles to myself of course. When writing lost its luster as school assignments piled up, I stopped scribbling for pleasure.
As an adult, I drafted my first picture book manuscript for the Cheerios “Spoonfuls of Stories” contest. Even though “Ozzie the Oyster” was definitely not ready for publication, my prize was discovering a passion for the craft of picture book writing
You dedicated the book to your “astute forester” father and “elegant correspondent” mother. This intrigued me. Can you tell me a little bit about your folks?
They are enthusiastic supporters and paid for my first SCBWI membership, so it was a natural choice to dedicate the book to them. My dad, at age 89, still cuts, splits, and stacks the wood used to heat their house. Thus, Moose made a tree-crackingly excellent tribute to Dad’s arboreal skills. My mom attended secretarial school and has the most Palmer-method perfect, beautiful penmanship and shorthand. Like Squirrel, when she sets pen to paper her encouraging messages are irresistible and instantly recognizable.
You have two not-so-little ones. What role do they play in your writing/critiquing process?
My teens are too deeply into teendom to attend well to their mama’s picture book shenanigans. The youngest used to illustrate my stories when she was still at the crayon and marker stage. Alas, recent family contributions tend to be the type familiar to most of us: “You know what you should write your next book about? [Insert idea here.]” To which I always respond, “Great idea. YOU should write that book!”
Thanks so much for coming by, Cathy! One last question: If you could be reincarnated as a rodent, what kind of rodent would you be?
I live with a deep-seated insecurity that I would like to resolve by being reincarnated as a river otter. Doesn’t everyone love a river otter?
Well, sure, but…
OK, that’s not technically a rodent. But I am not always a rule-follower, and I am sure that otters and rodents of all sorts would be good friends. And would share their Fluffernutter waffles. “Mmwuff fuwmpf phampumf!”
Hey, Look! A Writer Fellow! 
Great interview! Love the term prodent. p.s. I also have a guinea pig, Salami.
Yay Robin, fellow prodent writer! I have seen snapshots of your adorable canines. Can we have a Salami selfie sometime soon? ❤
Deal!
I didn’t know that! I thought your dog was aggressively anti-rodent!
My dogs love gnoshing on rodents. I had many rodents growing up: Salami, my beloved guinea pig, and Alexandra I (hamster) and Alexandra II (gerbil).
The three of us should collaborate on a piggie PB. I’m thinking something along the lines of The Musketeers, but, you know, with guinea pigs.
Love this idea! The Three Oinkateers!
Ooh, I really want this to happen now.
Thank you Mike, for inviting me to share waffles with you and your writer friends.
“Mmwuff fuwmpf phampumf!” everyone!
Thank you, Cathy, for being so ding-dang awesome!
Love the interview and can’t wait to read the book. I love rodents. Our cat from my childhood did too. Mostly, he liked their heads. I had to give up on having gerbils as a pet. Now, I watch the squirrel antics in my yard and write poems and stories about them.
Thanks Sarah! Yard squirrels are the best. I see more in suburbia than I ever did growing up in the wilds of western Massachusetts.
Gerbils are wonderful. I’ve had three.
Headless gerbils, on the other hand, is about the worst pet of all time.
I don’t do small rodents. Sorry. I could tell you storrrrrrrrieeeeeeeeeees……………..
Boo, could I interest you in a capybara? Rodent awesomeness in the supersized form!
*…..runs screaming……………………………….!!*
Have you ever seen a photo of a capybara, Boo?
Just looked at one *still shaking*
Oh, geez. Capybaras are the most mellow animals on earth!
but but but……………………….!
No buts from you. They’re the size of dogs and they are kind and gentle to all of God’s creatures.
bring me one?
Great interview and I will definitely be looking up THAT book. My husband is a huge Rocky & Bullwinkle fan. Might be a cute Father’s Day gift for him. 😉
Of course, I have to get it for my nieces and nephews also! ❤
Thanks Courtney! I appreciate that folks still recall those two. Dudley Do-right anyone?
I always preferred Dudley Do-Right to Bullwinkle. I loved the crisp pacing and the silly title cards. (“There’s a baby crying. Is it yours?”) I even had a Snidely Whiplash action figure.
I liked Dudley Do-Right also. But my favorite was the Fractured Fairy Tales. We actually have all of tge series on VHS. I might have to find them on DVD now… 💜
Snidely = evil Magician from Frosty the Snowman
Awesome interview, and so fun to learn about Cathy and her book. The “OR” is wonderful and I can see how it would capture any kid’s imagination. 🙂
Thanks! I like to recruit a helper at book reading to wave a giant OR poster at the critical page turns. Helps build audience participation with little ones!
If you ever tour New Jersey, I’m your “OR” Guy.
Congratulations Cathy! I love the cover and illustrations — they will draw readers! Look forward to reading it! Also enjoyed the interview with Cathy. I especially enjoyed learning about your family and your, especially your dad, and your book dedication to SCBWI — nice gesture.
Cathy is awesomesauce. Period.
Thank you Pat! I hope your library will have a copy of TREE for you soon!
I LOVE the idea for and execution of (not of the guillotine variety) this PB. The dual storyline/corner “OR” is brilliant! Can’t wait to read it! And quite the entertaining interview, too, Mike.
TY Jilanne! Appreciate your enthusiasm and Mike’s fine hospitality, of course!
Very cute, and FYI, Scampers FINALLY arrived! Hooray!
WOOO!
Delightful interview with rodent-full questions that keep the reader…. smiling. Just like your book, Cathy, which sounds terrific. I enjoyed hearing how your childhood writing inspired you, as well as your childhood family pets. I didn’t learn to love rodents (okay, love may be a strong term – to appreciate rodents) until I met Mike here on his blog. He’s nearly hit us all on the head with the glory of rodents, and I’m coming around. In fact, last summer when I was recovering from a concussion and had to sit out on the porch doing nothing for long stretches of time, a squirrel and I became good friends. The conversation interesting enough that Petey will be a character in my next picture book. 🙂 Speaking of that, how did you find your illustrator? Looks like she caught your characters perfectly.
I think “The Glory of Rodents” sounds like a great title for Mike’s next book! Or maybe you can use it for your upcoming book on Petey! How nice that you made a buddy. Good for you!
Sterling actually proposed three illustrators – all were fantastic. In the end we all felt Kasia’s woodland critters really captured the look and feel we wanted for the book. Their fuzziness and round, expressive eyes are super cute, aren’t they?
Great choice on the illustrator, for sure. Yes, super cute. KUDOS to you!
You guys are hilarious. Your books are ridiculously funny. You are nice people AND on top of that you are kind to rodents.
I concur with all of this.
I agree with you😊😊❤❤
Thanks, Daniela!
Terrific interview to enjoy while taking a respite with tea and chocolate chip banana bread! This could have been a waffle if I had a waffle iron or even a box of Eggos in the freezer, but alas…
The important thing is that you’re eating waffles in spirit.