Q: Who taught you how to draw?

A: I did take courses in art as a kid, but I always felt that I taught myself. But really I think what taught me was seeing my mother draw, because she was a very skillful artist. This is a self-portrait she drew at age 18:



So although she didn't try to tell me how to do things, just her example was education enough. I think that's how most learning works: you get inspired by someone, and then the learning just comes.

Q: I would like to purchase Knick Knack Paddy Whack and would like to know how to find it! We love Wheels on the Bus!

Thank you so much!

Very unfortunately, Knick Knack Paddywhack! went out of print, because although it was selling fairly well, its last printing sold out and the cost of making another one was so high--it always is with mechanical books, but especially so in this case--that the publisher could not manage it. I was not even able to get a large supply before they ran out.

So unless somewhere online there is someone with a fresh copy for sale, I'm afraid I can't help. I was quite devastated when this happened. The only way a reprint can be approved generally is if the number of copies printed can be counted on to sell within two years, and at the rate sales were happening, that number was low enough to mean a huge, totally unaffordable per-copy cost.

Q: In "Toys go out" you dedicated it to "Radish Bedundt and his ilk". Who are they?

A: Radish Bedundt was a plastic rabbit that belonged to my daughter, who had an unusual style when naming her toys. I wanted to dedicate my part of the book to toys.

It is very nice to meet you here, Ruta! If you want more information about anything, including the story of Radish Bedundt, you can send an email to the one email address posted on this site, although it is really for the purpose of requesting an appearance-- I will get to see messages sent to appearances@paulozelinsky.com.

Q: Your work is very historically based on great work of your selected artists. Did this decision to create a character or animal come from your background in art? Or from your father?

A: Yes, my illustrations often reflect specific examples from the history of art, but not always. My decsion-making process is very subjective, and whatever seems best to express what I want to see in the book is where I try to go with my drawings.

Q: I love your book Rumpelstiltskin.I saw that you used black and white tempera underpainting with oil on top.What kind of paper did you use, and did you do anything special to prepare the surface?

A: Thank you! Rumpelstiltskin's underpainting was mostly watercolor, but it's the same idea. I used watercolor paper (Arches cold press), and after the underpaintings were finished, I sealed them with two coats of matte acrylic medium, so that the layers of oil paint I applied next would not sink into the paper.

Q: What is the name of the skullcap Rumpelstiltksin wears under his black hat? Why does he wear it?

A: I'm afraid I don't know its name, but I saw it on men in a lot of paintings of the period in which I set the book. This bagpipe player painted by Brueghel is an example. I presume the reason men wore these caps was to stay warmer in cold weather, perhaps indoors.

Q: When were you born?

A: on Valentine's Day a long time ago.

Q: We are a 4th grade class who just read Rumpelstiltskin together. We noticed that you dedicated the book to Anna.
Is this your daughter Anna?

A: Yes, it is. Anna is grown up now, but she was little when I made the book, and I put her in it. You can probably find her if you look.

Q: How would you describe your drawing style? What inspires you to paint?

A: I hope that my drawing style is something that fits well with whatever I am illustrating. Beyond that, people are welcome to figure out words to describe the way I draw, but I prefer not trying to define myself in that way. I always try to make my work better, but I am not thinking about it in terms of style.
As to what inspires me to paint, it is usually a text that I am illustrating. I haven't made paintings that were not illustrations for some time now.

Q: I am in a children's literature class and our class was curious what the cat symbolizes in Rapunzel.

A: I didn't really intend for the cat to be a symbol, but as sorcerors and witches and so on often have a “familiar,” which is often a cat, it would have made sense for my sorceress to put a cat in the tower with Rapunzel, to keep her company while she was away. Then too, if you want to see a symbol, it seems relevant that cats are pets that don't always go along with their owner's plans for them. Best example: see Lore Segal's picture book with my illustrations here.

Q: Do you sell your artwork through a gallery?

A: I don't like to sell my work, but have occasionally done so. I have an agreement with the New York children's bookstore Books of Wonder to act as dealer; sometimes you can find some of it on their website. The prices are pretty princely, but that is in part a reflection of the fact that I don't like to split up the art from a book.

Q: My grandchildren love Z is for Moose. However, on the C is for Cat page, there is something else in the picture next to the cat. Is it a cloth? I told my granddaughter that I would ask you.

A: I'm very happy they love the book! If you (or preferably, your granddaughter) look carefully at the cat on the previous page, and look at the colors of the mysterious thing you are asking about, I think you will see the answer to your question! I'm happy that your grandchildren love Z is for Moose!

Q: What kinds of Children's Books do you like to read or look at?

A: I have been reading a lot of middle grade novels recently, many of them written by friends of mine. (“If you don't read your friends' novels, what kind of a friend are you?” I have been telling myself.) Some are really wonderful! And I see many picture books by new writers and illustrators because I'm on a jury that awards prizes in this category. But I don't really prefer one kind of book over another.

Q: What do you mostly use for your illustrations? For example, do you use makers, crayons, watercolor, paints, or acrylic?

A: I use many kinds of media, though not all that you mentioned. What I use depends on the effect I want my illustrations to have. Carefulness or wildness, depth of space or flatness of surface, brilliance of color or something subdued--a given story will tell me that some of these feelings belong with it, and not others. So I have used pastels, both black and colored pencil, Photoshop, watercolor, gouache, oil paint and combinations of media as well. Inspired by your question, I have included the medium I've used for each book I've illustrated, in this website's Books page.

Q: Are you original works done by hand or computer? I really really hope by hand :) !

My work is mostly drawn or painted, by hand on paper. But sometimes when there is a reason, I use a computer. For Z is for Moose, for instance, when I wanted perfectly flat, smooth backgrounds, and simple rectangular borders, I created those things in Photoshop. I could have printed them on watercolor paper, except that watercolor is transparent and you can't paint it over a colored background. So I also drew the outline drawings I'd want for these pictures, scanned them, gave them a white interior and set them in front of my backgrounds. When I printed this onto watercolor paper, I could then finish by watercoloring everything not in the background.

Q: Where do you live?

A: I live in Brooklyn, New York. If you click on the old man on a bicycle on my home page, you'll see a picture of me on a bicycle near where I live and work. (This old man is a Flash animation, so on iPads and other things like that, he won't be there, and you won't be able to see the picture, unfortunately).

Q: In Rumpelstiltskin, why is there a gold medal on his hat? Why did you put a medal on the back cover?

A: In Renaissance Europe, men sometimes wore medals on their hats for decoration. I thought it would be appropriate for Rumpelstiltskin, to wear a gold medal, since he is after all a maker of gold.

To understand the back cover and the medal on it, take a close look at the picture where the Queen is correctly guessing Rumpelstiltskin's name. Look at his hat. Look at the floor.

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Q: What was your first illustration?

A: Although at the age of 14, I drew a hand that was used in a diagram in a math textbook written by my father, I was first published on my own merits when I was in college. As an 18-year-old sophomore, I got an appointment to show my work to the art editor of the New York Times, who asked me to make a drawing for an article called something like "Autumn is a Woman." It was written by Verlyn Klinkenborg, who still writes editorials for the newspaper.

Q: What was your first book?

A: I illustrated a novel by Avi. The title was "Emily Upham's Revenge, or How Deadwood Dick Saved the Banker's Niece, a Massachussetts Adventure." The cover looked like this:

Q: Did you always know you were going to be a children's book illustrator?

A: No. I thought I might be a painter. Or maybe an architect. Or one of a dozen other things, not all of which were related to art. And I also knew as a child that I liked to make books, often collaborating with friends. But somehow it didn't dawn on me that I could become a children's book illustrator.

Q: Which of your books is your favorite?

A: I can't answer that question because if I chose one book, it would be unfair to all my other books.

Q: Where can we learn more about you?

A: Look for Talking With Artists, Volume III, by Pat Cummings.

Q: Where and how do you speak about your work?

A: I very much enjoy giving presentations about almost any of my books. These include lots of pictures, along with explanations of the stages of bookmaking, research, technical challenges, and other issues that relate to what I do. Much of it is pretty funny. I often draw to illustrate points, either at an easel or straight into my computer for projection on a screen; I can draw very fast (though not as fast as Stephen Kellogg, if you've ever seen him give a presentation!) I find I generally communicate well with all ages of audience, and try to adjust the content of my talks accordingly, whether they be Kindergartners, graduate students, or the general public. This is the part of my website for people who might be interested in arranging a visit from me.

Q: What kind of bicycle do you ride?

Q: Do you have a hard time making up your mind?

Q: What is your favorite color?

Q: What was your best Halloween costume?

A: I was in third or fourth grade and made a traffic-light costume out of a big box. I went trick-or-treating holding a flashlight inside it with me. When I got to a house, I would point the flashlight at the inside of the top light, and the words "trick or treat!"would show in the red translucent lens; then I would hold the flashlight up to my middle, yellow lamp until I received a treat, and then "Thank you!" would show in the green, bottom lamp.

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