The following interview was conducted by: E.Dian Moore &  To read more about Dian Moore’s reviews click HERE

To read Dian's review of the book CLICK HERE

BP:  I'm tickled by your imagination and must ask, where did the idea come from to have poisonous yuck bugs in a story spewing unkind remarks?

Reynolds: Hard to say where these ideas come from. I was originally working on a lesson about Proverbs 12:18 (I wrote all three books originally as drama scripts as part of Promiseland's Metamorphosis curriculum), and I remember getting ready to sit down and write the story and I still had no clear ideas about it. And, in a flash, the idea of taking the concept words cut like a sword and tongue of wise people brings healing to a literal place, just came to me. It wasn't until I physically sat down at the computer to write that the specific ideas of Yuck-bugs and the watch-what-you-utterfly came spilling out. That's often how it works with me. I get lots of ideas all the time, but the writing itself is so much of the creative process, and so many different things come just while I'm sitting there writing that were never part of the original idea itself.

BP:  How did the story come together with the illustrations - did the illustrations inspire the story or vice versa?

Reynolds: People often think that I must work together with the illustrator, but truth is...I've never even met the guy in person. I wrote the story, and once it was shaped and revised a bit and Zonderkidz was excited about publishing, they found an illustrator. Typically, an author will have little input into who is selected...the book really becomes a team effort at that point between the author, publisher, and illustrator. In the case of the Yuck Bugs (and the other two in the series), Zonderkidz asked me if I had any ideas for illustrators. That doesn't always happen. I was familiar with Pete Whitehead's work and just loved his quirky funky style. I had also seen him do bugs before, and I knew he would do a great job with these stories. The Zonderkidz folks went with my idea to bring Pete in, and about 18 months later, we had a complete book with story and wonderful illustrations! 

BP:  What other books have you written, and do you have a website?

Reynolds: I do have a website - www.aaron-reynolds.com

I have another book coming out this October called Chicks and Salsa,, published by Bloomsbury Children's Books.

I also have several other books that are currently scheduled for future release:

-I'm currently working with Bloomsbury on a second book called Down the Drain.

-Stone Arch Books, a fabulous publisher out of Minneapolis (they do a lot of very boy-friendly books, including graphic novels) is publishing a new graphic novel series of mine called Tiger Moth: Insect Ninja. The first two books in the series are due out next fall. I don't know what it is about me and bugs!

-Charlesbridge Publishing is currently working with me on a book called Metal Man about a boy and his relationship with a metal sculptor. It's has a really gritty, urban flavor.

-And Zonderkidz and I are talking about releasing some more of the Proverbs bug books in this series.

BP:  Please share the experience of deciding on a scripture that you would illustrate with a story for youngsters.

Reynolds: I knew I wanted to focus on Proverbs. They are so rich with basic, bite-sized nuggets of truth that are just great for kids. But a lot of them are worded in kind of complex ways, hard for kids to make sense of. I started by searching for Proverbs that spoke the plainest, in language that kids would really grab onto, that expressed truths that really are a part of a kid's everyday life. That lead me to a short list of 10 great Proverbs that I thought could be ideal. And then I started writing.

BP:  What are you working on now?

Reynolds: I'm always writing. I just finished an early draft of a new story called Kitty Glitter that is in very rough stages...far from done. I've got several ideas I'm stewing for some longer chapter books. I've always got about 6 stories at any one time that I'm fiddling with. That's the key, I think, to writing...just write a lot. The ideas are all around you. But it's the act of sitting down and hammering them out. That's where the work is, but it's also where the inspiration really comes.

BP:  How are you using Poisonous Yuck Bugs now that it's written and published (speaking engagements, etc.)?

Reynolds: Through the web site, I'm scheduling visits with schools to work with kids and talk about the stories and the writing process. I also work a lot with Children's Ministries in churches around the country, and it's always fun to work with kids and get their reactions to the books.

BP: Thank you for taking the time to share more about your writing process and what's coming up.