This past year, I’ve experienced the incredible thrill of having my work illustrated. Since the illustrations are arranged by the publisher, I don’t see the art until long after it is completed — and I often don’t know anything about the artist who transforms my words into images. So I was especially delighted to see this interview with Gigi Rose Gray, whose tremendous illustrations appear alongside my childhood tale “The Egg Man” in the current print issue of Babiekins.

When I first saw the two pieces she drew for my story, I was in awe of how someone else could capture the essence of my childhood so well. How could she know what a little girl would see in another country? How could she know what it looked like through my young eyes?

It all made sense when I read what she said about her own childhood: “In Brittany I have memories of a towering armoire teeming with jars of homemade jams, walking along the ramparts of the medieval city. In Normandy I remember the ‘moules frites’ and fisherman hauling in their catch, witnessing a thief make his escape in Barcelona and galloping on horseback through the wild fields of Provence. My work has been strongly influenced by my childhood, as I remember it to be a time of wonderment and exploration which was no doubt largely thanks to my travels.”

How neat is that? This story was illustrated by someone who really gets it. That’s so awesome.

You can see more of her art on sale for a limited time here — and don’t miss the fantastic illustrations she did for another one of my stories here, here and here