Totally Booked with Zibby Sophie Blackall, IF WE WERE DOGS
Nov 21, 2025
Sophie Blackall, a two-time Caldecott Medal-winning illustrator and author, shares delightful insights about her new picture book, If We Were Dogs. She reveals heartwarming inspirations from real-life dogs and discusses how her creative process evolved during her husband's unexpected heart surgery. Sophie reflects on childhood friendships, the importance of picture books for emotional development, and her journey as a writer-illustrator. She also highlights her farm residency, Milkwood, fostering community among children's book creators.
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Origins Born From Three Real Moments
- Sophie Blackall explains If We Were Dogs grew from three real-life moments that converged into an idea.
- She sketched the cover in the hospital while her husband faced unexpected open-heart surgery and sent it to her editor as a starting point.
Diesel: The Exuberant Canine Muse
- Diesel, a local golden retriever, inspired the exuberant big dog in the book.
- Sophie contrasts Diesel with a quieter, bookish park dog to shape the two characters' personalities.
Lean Into The Grappling
- Embrace grappling with difficult projects as a puzzle to be solved.
- Sophie advises staying with the material you love because persistence often yields a solution.
