Totally Booked with Zibby Leigh Bardugo and John Picacio, THE INVISIBLE PARADE
Jan 12, 2026
Leigh Bardugo, a bestselling author renowned for her Grishaverse series, teams up with John Picacio, a celebrated illustrator and Hugo Award winner. They dive into their collaborative picture book, The Invisible Parade, exploring themes of grief and memory through the lens of Día de Muertos. The duo discusses their friendship, the emotional journey depicted through color, and the importance of storytelling for both kids and adults. They share personal insights into rituals for remembrance and the book's impact on readers processing loss.
AI Snips
Chapters
Books
Transcript
Episode notes
Friendship Began At A Con Party
- Leigh Bardugo met John Picacio at a Worldcon party when she was unpublished and nervous.
- John treated her as a peer, sparking a long friendship that later led to collaboration.
Idea Sparked From Lotería Work
- John Picacio conceived the picture-book idea while working on Lotería and wanted a collaborator for company.
- He called Leigh and pitched a graveyard adventure, which Leigh transformed into a grief-centered story about her grandfather.
Story Chooses Its Audience
- The story revealed itself as both a children's adventure and an adult meditation on mortality.
- Leigh framed the book as a way to offer grief conversations without heavy philosophical weight.
