Author Andrew Hacket Discusses OLLIE, THE ACORN, AND THE MIGHTY IDEA
Welcome back to the Kidlit Kitchen!
Today, we're diving into the world of Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea with the talented author, Andrew Hacket.
Get ready for a short but sweet conversation as we explore the inspiration, character dynamics, and the artful collaboration that brought this super exciting children's book to the table.
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RT: This is such an incredibly fun and child-centered book, Andrew! I think my favorite part about it is that it includes a literal transformation. Stories featuring characters transforming into other characters, animals, objects, etc. have fascinated me since I was a kid. I’m wondering what your seed(s) of inspiration were for this story—pun very much intended. Were there particular stories, situations, or people you had in mind when you set out to write it?
AH: The story of Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea came from combining two separate sparks of inspiration. First, I had been kicking around the idea for a while of a small-statured child named, Twig. I hoped to highlight all of the things Twig COULD do as a result of his smaller size rather than focusing on what he couldn’t do.
Then one summer day while hanging out with my kids, the old tale of growing a watermelon in your belly if you swallowed a watermelon seed came up. My mind wandered to what would happen if some other seed were swallowed, perhaps an acorn. After a bit of mental coalescing, those two ideas merged and the story that is now Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea began to take shape.
RT: I love that both of the boys have gardens. As a fellow male picture book writer and the father of a young son, I feel like it’s important to portray boys doing things in picture books that they aren’t often seen doing. Boys should be gardeners! How do you see this aspect contributing to the story?
AH: I am right with you on this, Ryan. As a dad, picture book author and elementary school teacher, I feel a responsibility to model, through my written words and my actions, that we are not tied to preexisting sterotypes in our behavior, emotions, or interests. Each individual has the power and the choice to do and act in the manner that is most authentic to them.
As far as the story goes, the gardening component was not originally present. Earliest drafts were focused solely on the bullying storyline. It wasn’t until an R&R that the gardening hobby and Everett’s jealousy began to sprout as a means to give some context to the boys’ relationship.
In the end I am thrilled with how this element enhances the story and provides the opportunity for teachers and parents to encourage children to stay openminded and to pursue the interests that excite them, regardless of anyone else’s feelings about them.
RT: The art by Kaz Windness is perfect for this story. What were your initial thoughts when you first saw sketches and finished spreads? Were there any specific elements that Kaz included that pleasantly surprised you or added a new layer to the story?
AH: Being paired with Kaz was a dream come true! Her talent speaks for itself and I feel lucky to call her a friend. I was blown away by Kaz’s interpretation of Ollie from the very first sketch and that enthusiasm only grew as the finished spreads began to come in. I may or may not have kept and extra close eye on here social media while she was creating the art for Ollie, just hoping to catch a glimpse of what she was up to.
I think the hardest ask in the book was to illustrate a child transforming into a tree and her execution of this could not have been more perfect. The little details, like his acorn-esque hat dangling from his branches or the way she kept his bowtie even in tree form, that take the art to the next level for me.
One addition that Kaz made was the inclusion of the dog and cat characters. The text does not mention them and they don’t impact the action of the story, but their expressions and reactions to the story are so fun. I know these two will capture the attention of so many kids as they listen to the story. Keeping with the pun-filled text, Kaz fittingly named them Annie Oakley and Barkley.
RT: Given that you’re a teacher, you probably have a good idea of how many educators might present this book to students. But what’s the biggest thing that you hope kids will take away from it? What do you hope stays with them?
AH: If nothing else I hope Ollie’s story encourages kids to be more accepting of eachother’s differences. These individual differences should be celebrated rather than nitpicked or used as insults and I hope that resonates with kids, helping them grow patience and acceptance for one another.
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And here's a special treat! Andrew is generously offering a chance to win a 30-minute "Ask Me Anything" call or a virtual classroom visit. Simply drop your response or question for Andrew in the comments below, and you might be the lucky one to dive deeper into the world of Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea with the author himself! Don't miss out on this fantastic opportunity.
Andrew Hacket is a writer, second-grade teacher, and father of three. He is also the author of the upcoming Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea, Curlilocks and the Three Hares, and Hope and the Sea. Andrew recognizes that being a kid is hard and he writes to create ways for kids to see themselves in stories and characters, to accept and overcome their insecurities, or to escape for just a little while through the power of their imaginations.
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