June 04

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Birth of a Blob: An Author/Editor Q&A with Constance Lombardo and Jill Davis

Posted by on June 4, 2024 in Author Posts | 5 Comments

Available today from Constance Lombardo and Micah Player, ITTY BITTY BETTY BLOB is a charming picture book with an important message: Being yourself is MORE than enough. 

Learn more about the behind-the-scenes story in this exclusive Q&A between author Constance Lombardo and Jill Davis, Editorial Director at Hippo Park.  

Jill: Thanks for welcoming us to your blob, I mean blog! 

In your new book, Itty Bitty Betty Blob is nervous about making a scary-enough face for Monster Picture Day. What was your worst picture day?

Constance: It was 1970, and I was in 2nd grade at Raymond J. Lockhart Elementary in Massapequa, NY. As you can see from this photo, it was a terrible case of bangs gone wrong. I must have cut my own hair that morning or maybe my sister Rita got creative on me. 

Honorable mention goes to 4th grade Picture Day, during the height of my hippie phase (complete with groovy tie-dye bell-bottoms and waist-length hair that I refused to brush.)  My mom attacked me with a hairbrush which caused whiplash and a lot of frizz. Ouch. 

Jill: This story is about more than just picture day! What else inspired you to create the character of a blob named Betty?

Constance: One of my favorite parts of the writing process is making up funny names and creating other worlds that may be other-wordly. Monsters are especially fun because they can be anything you can imagine.

I wish I could remember where the name Itty Bitty Betty Blob came from exactly. I do love the old movie The Blob, and I adore alliteration, and I revel in the ridiculous, so I guess out of all that creative goop, Betty was born! 

Jill: I remember your original title was Picture Day at Monster School. Why did you change it? 

Constance: You (and a little bit of I) decided the important thing was to focus on the absolutely fabulous character of Itty Bitty Betty Blob. And you were right! 

Jill: Why thank you! What other big changes did you remember making in revisions? 

Constance: One major change: the puffs that Betty befriends were not in the original story. Instead Betty met a mouse that became her pal. Also, Betty’s mom evolved into a much more important character. At first, like most moms, she wanted Betty to fit in. In revisions, Mom became more gentle and a true ally. Between us, illustrator Micah Player, Art Director Amelia Mack, and our intern, there were endless discussions which led to a gazillion changes.

Jill: I think you’re exaggerating. 

Constance: Writers always exaggerate. But we did lose a few good lines along the way. I still like the description of a character we lost, Frankie, who wore a ‘snapping-turtle-neck.’ That particular one is on the cutting room floor, but I LOVE all the adorable outfits Micah came up with for the monsters. Clip-on bowties. Fedoras. Striped ties. A space suit. Those monsters are really dressed to the nines! 

Jill: Micah’s artwork is absolutely next level. What did you love about working with him? 

Constance: I love the way Micah’s vision for the book includes a kind of homage to The Wizard of Oz. The book starts out in a limited palette and then bursts into a world of brilliant color at the crucial turning point. And Betty is so perfectly pink! It was so fun choosing from his wide variety of monster sketches, many of which seem to me like creatures from 1960s monster movies—but cute! 

Jill: We’ve talked about inspiration, collaboration, and bowties, but what do you see as the heart of the story? 

Constance: It’s about finding the courage to celebrate your uniqueness. That courage can come from having a supportive parent, finding your tribe, or discovering your inner strength, and, for Betty, it’s all three. I love the moment when Betty embraces being totally Betty, and the joy that follows! And now that I write that, I realize how much Betty’s story parallels my son’s journey – at least, from what I witnessed. 


Jill: That’s so poignant. There are a lot of books about being unique, but something about this one seems to be striking a chord with readers young and old. Last question: If you were a monster, what kind would you be? 

Constance: Well, vampires can fly, so that’s tempting. Invisible people can be invisible, which isn’t too shabby. But I think being a blob would suit my temperament best. What kind of monster would you be, Jill? 

Jill: Thanks for asking! I was so afraid of vampires when I was little. I would never want to be one. If I had to choose, I would be the bride of Frankenstein! I would love the bouffant hairdo with the white stripes!

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Author bio: Constance Lombardo began drawing when she was 10 years old, inspired in part by the Illustrators Annuals her dad brought home from the advertising agency where he worked, and in part by her sister doing a drawing and getting lots of attention. She’s the author/illustrator of the middle grade Mr. Puffball series (HarperCollins) the picture book, Everybody Says Meow, and Hippo Park’s hilarious Tiny Spoon vs. Little Fork. She lives in Asheville, NC with her family. @conlombardowrites

Illustrator bio: Micah Player began his illustration career designing and illustrating for Paul Frank Industries. He is the author/illustrator of the picture books Chloe, Instead and the Lately Lily series (Chronicle Books). He is the illustrator more recently of two books by Lucky Diaz: Palatero Man and La Guitarrista (Harper). He lives in a little house beneath a giant tree in the Utah mountains, with a lovely schoolteacher (and wife) named Stephanie. They are the parents of two kids, one Yorkshire terrier, and several Casio keyboards. Micah’s Instagram, where he shares his own illustrations and words express his feelings about the current state of the world, and is a terrific place to get to know him. @micahplayer