Available to preorder now from you favorite local bookshop for pickup on May 27, 2025!

I’m proud to have illustrated Jo’s new middle grade novel, a story about 10-year old Maple who draws comics in response to stresses in her life– hey, that sounds familiar! Jo has an amazing ability to speak of deep emotions through the details of daily life, and to bring humor and imagination to difficult times. Some scenes I loved drawing include Maple as Captain Ladybug flying to a recycling center to dispose of the kitchen timer that torments her during math tests, Maple rolling down a hill in a barrel (I tried this when I was a kid, not recommended), Maple’s dream treehouse, and scenes of a “portal potty,” Maple’s dad’s means of escaping to Dadlandia, where he’s free from responsibilities of family.

The chance to make these illustrations grew out of teaching Coming of Age Comics together with Jo at CCS for five summers in a row, continuing this year. I love this week, and learn new aspects of story telling from Jo every year. Registration is open for Coming of Age Comics summer of 2025— a week packed with exercises designed to get to the heart of stories of growing up.