An interview with illustrator Felicia Bond

By KAREN MACPHERSON
Wednesday, March 07, 2007

Felicia Bond still vividly recalls the day she decided to become an artist.

She was 5 years old and living in Bronxville, N.Y. On this particular day, Bond was standing in the doorway of her bedroom in the late afternoon, her attention caught by a beam of sunlight coming through the window.

Bond, 52, remembers deciding that she had to capture the feeling inspired by seeing that shaft of light.

"I walked into my bedroom in the late afternoon. It was a little dark in the room, but there was a beam of sunlight streaming in the window," Bond said in an interview. "The buttery light touched me somehow. I knew right then that I wanted to be an artist. I put that beam of light in the first book I wrote, and in many others as well."

Encouraged by her parents, Bond worked hard during her youth to develop her artistic talent, and eventually earned a degree in fine arts from the University of Texas-Austin. Then, following a suggestion by her mother, Bond put together a portfolio of her work and made the rounds of children's-book publishers. She got her first book contract at the age of 24.

Today, Bond's watercolor illustrations are known by millions of children and adults who are fans of the best-selling series that began in 1985 with "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie." Written by Laura Numeroff, the books in the series include such favorites as "If You Give a Pig a Pancake" and "If You Give a Moose a Muffin."

Of course, when Bond was asked to illustrate Numeroff's manuscript for "If You Give a Mouse a Cookie," she had no idea that the book would strike such a strong chord with young readers.

"I don't think anyone thinks in terms of a best seller when they're creating a book," Bond said. "I think we all look for something that appeals to something inside ourselves. But of course it's thrilling when a book you've worked on becomes a best seller!"

Kids love the silliness of the stories as well as the "domino"-style text: "If you give a mouse a cookie, he's going to ask for a glass of milk. When you give him the milk, he'll probably ask you for a straw. When he's finished, he'll ask for a napkin. Then, he'll want to look in a mirror to make sure he doesn't have a milk mustache. When he looks into the mirror, he might notice his hair needs a trim. So he'll probably ask for a pair of nail scissors," etc.

The silliness is highlighted by Bond's puckish, stylized illustrations, done in watercolor outlined in black, and sometimes highlighted with color pencil. Bond is particularly talented at changing perspectives to keep readers interested, and her illustrations also add another dose of humor to the stories.

Bond's artistic heroes include "Peanuts" creator Charles Schulz as well as Ludwig Bemelmans, the author-illustrator of the "Madeline" books, and their influence can readily be seen in the whimsical tone of her illustrations.

Asked why she thinks the books she and Numeroff create are so popular, Bond replied: "We all bring something personal to our own reading experiences, and I think many children connect with the characters in the 'If You Give ...' series."

Bond and Numeroff recently published a "treasury" of the stories they've created together. Titled "Mouse Cookies" (HarperCollins, $24.99), the book consists of four stories, recipes, activities and sheet music to use with the CD that's also included. In an illustrated note at the front of the book, Bond says that some of her characters are based on real people, including herself.

Bond also is known for her illustrations for several other books, including "Christmas in the Manger," by Nola Buck, and "Big Red Barn," a classic story by Margaret Wise Brown, author of "Goodnight Moon."

In addition, Bond has published several books that she both wrote and illustrated. Among these books are "Poinsettia and Her Family," "Four Valentines in a Rainstorm" and "Tumble Bumble."

These days, Bond is working on two books that she's both writing and illustrating. And she plans to do at least one more "If You Give..." book. As to what advice she'd offer to young readers who also hope to be picture-book creators, Bond said: "Draw! Write! Don't stop!"

(Karen MacPherson, the children's/teen librarian at the Takoma Park, Md., Library, can be reached at kam.macpherson(at)gmail.com.)