Behind the Scenes with Jean Gralley

by Hannah Crawford

Rainbow Rumpus illustrator Jean Gralley has been a comic strip artist for Cricket Magazine, Children’s Book Council “Best Book” winner for her book Very Boring Alligator, and student of Maurice Sendak at Parsons School of Design. Currently, she is the Creative Director of Storymation, which creates animations for businesses and individuals. Her work for Rainbow Rumpus can be seen at Rescue, The Girl Who Stole the Stars, Solar Girl and Lunar Boy, and What Weddings Need.

Why do you like to illustrate for Rainbow Rumpus?

We're doing a new thing here! Who doesn't like being a pioneer? As someone passionate about LGBT issues [for] most of my life, I want to do whatever I can to help Rainbow Rumpus get bigger, better, and better known.

How did you learn to draw?

I don't remember a time I didn't love to draw. I bet there are kids out there who feel the same way. I can tell them that because we love drawing, we do it lots and the more we do it, the more we learn how to do it well. Here's a secret: When we've been doing it long enough (drawing or anything else, really) we get to understand it's not easy, at all. In fact it's hard, frustrating! At that point, don't give up. Understanding it's not so easy means you've really gotten really really good! Give yourself a pat on the back instead of a konk on the head! Keep going!

What was it like to study with Maurice Sendak?

Sometimes a teacher changes how we see things and that changes our life forever. Maurice Sendak was that kind of teacher for me.

When did you discover you loved to draw? Do you remember the first thing you ever drew?

I was drawing as soon as I could hold a crayon. One of the first drawings my parents kept was of a rabbit wedding, complete with a rabbit angel hovering over the wedding cake. That was about kindergarten age. In first grade my teacher gave me a long roll of paper so I could create a loooonnnng cartoon. It was taped to the wall and went all the way down the school hallway. That was also about a rabbit. Hmm … [I] guess I had a thing for rabbits!

What do you see as the future of children’s books?

The form of the book is changing. For a long time I've been excited about digital and the possibilities it gives us to tell new kinds of stories in new ways. That isn't quite happening yet, I think. We're telling old stories in new ways but, in my opinion, the quality isn't always there. I'd like to be someone writing and animating the best of a new kind of book. As always, a good story to read is the foundation, no matter what the delivery system.

Tell us about your most recent interests or projects.

"Books Unbound" is a short animation I created to demonstrate what I think digital can do for kids' literature. It's been shown around the country (including at the Katonah and Eric Carle Museums) as "the future of the picture book." Although it was created before e-books boomed, it demonstrates paths the industry still hasn't taken. While making a living more traditionally, I'm working on developing stories in the "Books Unbound" way. (By the way, you can visit Jean’s Books Unbound portfolio online: Jean Gralley’s Books Unbound.)