Ryan: Do you remember how and when you came up with the idea for Carl and this story?
Justin: I wrote this story about a month before the pandemic began. An agent posted a photo of a pangolin to Twitter and said she would love to see a pangolin story in her inbox. For those who might not know, a pangolin is a critically endangered animal that could one day face extinction due to habitat loss and humans hunting and trafficking them. They look like scaly anteaters, or Sandshrew from Pokemon.
At the time, I didn’t have an agent, and I thought, I can write a funny story starring a pangolin! After doing research online, I saw that a lot of people said pangolins always look like they’re plotting something nefarious because of how they walk hunched over with their paws together, like Igor.
It wasn’t long before I came up with a story about a villainous pangolin plotting to take over the world. When Disney bought my book, we changed the pangolin to a possum.
*Oh, and the agent I signed with is not the agent who wanted a pangolin story.
Ryan: What is it about lovable bad guys that is so appealing to kids? What’s up with that?
Justin: Well-done villains are often such rich characters—compelling and complex. Villains are the heroes of their own story, and they often have such strong convictions and will do whatever it takes to achieve their objective. And many times, their attitudes and actions are not just black or white. Crafting a villain feels like getting free reign at some metaphorical playground.
With Carl, I knew I wanted to craft a character who is misunderstood and, perhaps deep down, has a very good heart. I wanted to craft a character that has these big, villainous plans but doesn’t actually cause any harm—someone who, instead, causes funny chaos that is lighthearted for readers. We often see these types of villains in cartoons and animated movies like Pixar’s Despicable Me and Minions. They’re always up to no good, yet, for some reason, we like them, and even root for them at times. I’m a fan of stories with this sort of light-hearted mischief.
Ryan: I have to say both of your picture books have great illustrations. The Quacken was illustrated by Pablo Pino and Impossible Possums is illustrated by James Rey Sanchez. Were you matched up by the publishers or did you know them beforehand? I’m always curious how involved the author gets in illustration notes and ideas, so what can you tell us about the process of these books?
Justin: I map out all of the visual humor and jokes of my stories via art notes within the manuscripts. Of course, this requires the right balance of knowing just how much to convey so that you’re sharing your vision and ensuring the joke lands while giving the illustrator creative freedom and room to play instead of micro-managing their process. I’ll often share an idea in an art note and then right something afterward like “GO WILD!” I want the illustrators I work with to have as much fun as possible.
Once a book sells, I share an illustrator wish list. Sometimes I get to share this wish list immediately after selling the book, sometimes it’s a few weeks or months before that dialogue commences, and sometimes it’s even longer, once we’ve wrapped up edits to the text. The timeline and order of events varies according by editor and imprint. Either way, they’re having internal discussions with their art director and/or creative director. Then they get back you with a list they’ve agreed upon. Sometimes the editor enthusiastically signs off. Sometimes they present me with an entirely differently [yet incredibly skilled] list of potential illustrators for the project.
With The Quacken and Impossible Possums, I suggested both Pablo Pino and James Rey Sanchez to my editors after finding and reviewing their portfolios online. I love the illustration and design process of making a picture book, so my wonderful agent and I express my desire to potential editors to be an active player there earlier in the process. I’ve provided feedback on everything from character designs to cover samples, initial sketches, final art, the book jacket, and more.
Ryan: I really hope you’re enjoying these well-deserved, exciting months with your first books coming out, and very big congratulations to you! But of course I must ask about the future too – do you have any future projects lined up? Any hints?
Justin: I’d be happy to share. Below are some of my announced projects:
The ZomBees
Illustrator: Kaly Quarles (kalyquarles.com)
Publisher: Simon & Schuster BFYR
Publication Date: Summer 2025
A swarm of zombie bees invades an unsuspecting town on Halloween night in this delightfully spooky and highly charming picture book from the author of The Quacken—perfect for fans of Creepy Carrots and Los Gatos Black on Halloween.
Impossible Possums for Mayor
Illustrator: James Rey Sanchez (jamesreyart.com/illustration)
Publisher: Disney Hyperion
Publication Date: Fall 2025
When the city announces an emergency election, villainous possum Carl launches an ambitious campaign and a devious strategy to become mayor and take over the world. But shenanigans ensue when his new hench penguin Philbert brings the wrong diabolical device for their mission, leading to hilarious chaos in this highly imaginative sequel to Impossible Possums.
Vampurr
Illustrator: Lenny Wen (lennywen.com)
Publisher: FSG/Macmillan
Publication Date: Spring 2026
In this heartwarming, atmospheric picture book, a vampire kitten longs to find a loving home like her adopted siblings, but her unusual appearance and abilities send visitors fleeing her cemetery residence in fright, until an eerie fog rolls in, and with it a unique and unexpected creature of the night.
Ryan: Nice! Vampurr sounds like it will be right up our alley for sure. How about this – other than your own books, what are your top 3 picture books so far from 2024? And give us one kids book you’re really looking forward to.
Justin: That’s tough, and I don’t want to let anyone down. So, I’m going to cheat and, instead, share two picture books I’m looking forward to. The first is Pig Town Party by Lian Cho, publishing October 9th with HarperCollins. Lian has crafted an absurdly silly that’s fun and fresh. The other is Alberto Salas Plays Paka Paka con la Papa: Join the Quest with Peru’s Famed Scientist and Potato Expert, written by Sara Fajardo and illustrated by Caldecott Honor Juana Martinez-Neal. It’s a nonfiction picture book biography about Peruvian agronomist Alberto Salas and his hunt for wild potatoes before they go extinct. Sara’s text storytelling is top-notch, and Juana’s illustrations elevate the text of this true tale even further.
Ryan: Tough one, but in your opinion what’s the best picture book ever made?
Justin: I feel like I’m on a game show and the questions are getting increasingly difficult here. There are so many incredible picture books out there. In a way, it feels like comparing apples to oranges. I have picture books I love purely for the art, the page turns, the characters, the humor, the heart, the language, the themes and takeaway, etc. Plus, there’s all different genres of picture books, too. While the format remains the same, each might utilize it differently to tell the story. And those stories are all so different and special in their own way.
But I know that’s probably not the desired answer here. So, I’ll share a book that I admire, and that’s Sam and Dave Dig a Hole. It has the perfect interplay of text and art, utilized in a way that creates suspenseful scenes and page turns that keep readers on the edge of their seat even with such a simple plot.
Of course, I have a bunch of favorites, and if you visit justincolonbooks.com, I have an image on the site that, when found, links to a list of some of my favorite picture books.
Ryan: Since we just celebrated the Halloween season, I have to ask you the most important question of the season. It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown or Garfield’s Halloween Adventure?
Justin: I have a terrible, terrible confession. I never got behind Charlie Brown or Garfield. So, I’m not familiar with either of these. That said, Halloween for me comes down to one title and one title only: The Nightmare Before Christmas.
