Author-Illustrator Julie Morstad

Happy Monday! Julie Morstad dropped by to celebrate National Poetry Month. We chatted about When Green Becomes Tomatoes, seasons, picture books, and reading. I wrote the words in green, and she wrote the words in black. Thank you, Julie! 

When Green Becomes Tomatoes is the first picture book I have made with Julie Fogliano. I love her voice. When I first read the words, they reminded me a little bit of Ruth Krauss. There's something childlike there - one of my all-time faves! I hope we get to make another book together someday.

I created the illustrations for When Green Becomes Tomatoes mostly in gouache, using lots of layering of colours, and trying to introduce texture as much as possible. I used tools I hadn't used before in the paintings, scraping away with a palette knife, and adding fine details with brushes and pencil crayons

Illustration Credit: Julie Morstad 

My favorite season is summer. Hands down. While snow is beautiful, I hate to be cold!

If you visited my studio you would see many piles of books on different subjects, little things that inspire me and art supplies meticulously arranged by colour or in total chaos.

You might also see my daughter splayed out on the floor drawing (she steals all my best pencils!) 

Illustration Credit: Julie Morstad 

Picture books are a dream for me to be illustrating as a job. Seriously! My dream job. I feel so lucky.

Reading is... Hmmm ...maybe I will say that books are like food to me. I'd starve without them.

 Borrow When Green Becomes Tomatoes from your school or public library. Whenever possible, please support independent bookshops.