Kidlit’s dynamic duo, Minh Lê and Dan Santat, are back with Lift, a new picture book about the power of imagination and the special bond between siblings. They were kind enough to answer some questions about writing for kids, being kids, and the powerful emotions that drive  our dreams.

Roarbots: I’ve interviewed several children’s and YA authors recently whose books discuss the importance of allowing children to express anger. Anger was, at one time, considered a negative emotion, one even the youngest kids were taught to suppress and repress. Why do you think that’s changing?

Minh Lê: Anger is a totally natural emotion, so as a writer, showing Iris’s anger was just about making the character feel authentic. And I think we all know (even if we learned it the hard way) that denying or ignoring our anger doesn’t make it magically go away. It’s important to recognize the validity of a child’s full range of emotions, and hopefully, seeing anger displayed on the page can help children make sense of their own emotions.

Santat: I don’t exactly see anger being a new concept in literature. Where the Wild Things Are and Alexander and the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Day are two picture books right off the top of my head that are classic examples, and YA literature has been filled with angst for as long as I can remember. I think what we’re seeing is creativity that’s pushing itself into a realm of more open expression and honesty, which is being reflected by our social environment. 

In our industry, we’ve been through a lot of social movements with respect to #MeToo, #BlackLivesMatter, and #OwnVoices, and we are really pressing a need to have people see themselves in the work we create, and that includes emotions like anger. I don’t think there’s a permission to do so but rather a need that’s been dying to be filled in for quite some time.

Iris’s character is an honest character that kids see in themselves, which helps them relate to the world and understand how to express themselves in a positive way. 

Roarbots: What’s the lesson for parents in Lift? What do we, as adults, forget about being kids?

Lê: I’m not sure if it’s a “lesson,” but many adults tend to think of imagination and escape in a pejorative sense… that it’s frivolous or a waste of time. But when I was a kid, much like Iris, I would escape into my own imaginative worlds when I needed to process things (actually, I still do). So I think it’s helpful for all of us to remember that escaping into our own imaginations is often more than just a flight of fancy – it can also be a necessary and productive journey. 

Santat: I think there has been this feeling for quite some time now that we need to constantly be keeping our children active and engaged with activities. As a parent, I can understand the anxieties these parents have in terms of helping their children prepare themselves for the future, but what I think is the underlying truth is that this attitude is an act of parents trying to calm their own anxieties about not doing enough for their kids.

My belief is that these packed schedules result in our children being consumed with stress and prevent them from having a self-expression and an understanding of themselves.

Rather than allowing our kids to have quiet time to discover their own interests and just simply be bored, we’re constantly trying to mold our kids into something or actively trying to discover their passions for them. Boredom was the single greatest gift from my childhood. The ability to just let my mind wander or to actively find something to do on my own terms is what revealed my true passion in life.

Boredom was the single greatest gift from my childhood.

Roarbots: What do you hope kids take away from Lift?

Lê: I hope kids read this book and feel a sense of possibility. Right now, so many of us are doing the important work of social distancing and staying inside – but that’s not easy, especially for kids. So my hope is that a story about a magic elevator button that allows you to travel to fantastical worlds from the comfort of your own home will provide a welcome escape (and relief) from these unprecedented times.

Santat: There’s a magical quality to Minh’s manuscript that feels as if it came from another era. I feel like this story would have felt right in place in the 80s and early 90s with the adventurous nature of Chris Van Allsburg’s Jumanji or David Wiesner’s Tuesday, which I don’t feel you see as much in picture books today. It’s a story that imagines a “what if” to everyday life, which I find is always a marvelous starting point to being creative.

Roarbots: Do either of you have siblings? If so, what were your relationships like as kids? Do you find that, when you’re all together, you fall back into your childhood roles?

Lê: I have two sisters (I’m the middle kid), and I actually dedicated Lift to them. We were always pretty close, though of course the nature of our relationships has evolved so much over the years. But no matter where we are in life, I find it comforting to know that we always have each other’s backs, no matter what.

Santat: I was an only child, but when I see old childhood friends, I can see myself using them as an anchor for the past. And I do find myself acting like “Young Dan” from time to time. 

Roarbots: Are there any lessons from being a sibling you’ve applied to parenting? Did any of those find their way in to Lift?

Lê: Hmmm… interesting question. I would say the climactic moment when Iris goes to get her brother carries a message I try to impart to my children: Even when you’re feeling down, it’s still important to think about how you can lift others up, if possible. 

Santat: I have two boys, and the need to have patience and understanding with one another is a trait I can see them appreciating from this book. I mean, we’ve all probably experienced being around an annoying coworker or relative and you normally adapt to find a balance. Nobody is perfect. 

Even when you’re feeling down, it’s still important to think about how you can lift others up, if possible.

Roarbots: Why was it important for Iris to find magic on her own but, ultimately, decide to share it with her little brother?

Lê: This relates to the last question because I think it’s important to have perspective and learn to think beyond your own needs and desires. The last line in the book is “After all, everyone can use a lift sometimes,” which is true whether you’re talking about a sibling relationship or more broadly – like a community rallying to pull itself out of a pandemic.

Santat: This was actually an issue the editor and I came across while discussing the ending of the book during the sketch phase of the project. In one of the earlier drafts, Iris fell asleep in her brother’s room and tried to sneak out so she could go back to her room and use the magic elevator door, but at the last minute her brother called out to her and she decided to bring him along.

In the final version, she wakes up in her own room, sees a framed picture of her and her brother on the ground, and actively realizes she wants to share this moment with her brother. The difference is that you can see that Iris has actively changed by her own volition and that’s growth for the character.

Roarbots: You two worked together on Drawn Together, which came out about two years ago. What brought you back together for Lift? How closely do you collaborate when you’re doing a joint project?

Lê: Any time I have a chance to do a book with Dan, I’ll jump at it. We don’t collaborate directly during the making of the book (everything goes through our editor), so I write my manuscripts in a way that leaves room for the collaborative process. 

I love books where the story is told mostly through the artwork, so once I have a concept for a story, my approach is to put just enough in the manuscript for Dan to sink his teeth into… and then get out of the way.

With Lift, I left even more space than usual by leaving all the scenes on the other side of the magic elevator doors up to Dan. He is such a strong storyteller himself, I wanted to leave that space for him to bring his own imagination to our book. 

Based on what he came up with, I’d say it was a brilliant strategy on my part. 

Santat: Minh was the brainchild for both books. Both had amazingly strong concepts that I wish I had conceived. Drawn Together was a story I wanted to do because, prior to that book, I hadn’t previously worked on a book that expressed themes of my own cultural heritage. And Lift was a wish fulfillment for an everyday practice that all kids can relate to: pushing an elevator button.

Minh’s manuscripts are always very open and allow me the freedom to express myself visually, sometimes to the point of intimidation. We both joke about one line in Drawn Together that says, “And we build a new world that even words can’t describe,” and he left it at that. And I was supposed to express that in the artwork. I mean, come on!

With Lift, Minh left the story completely open and allowed me to explore what was on the other side of the magic door. I’ve never had that type of freedom working with an author before, and it’s that type of process that makes me truly feel like the story is as much mine as it is the author’s.

Roarbots: What are each of you working on next? Minh, I have to ask if we’re going to get to see any more of Tai Pham’s adventures with the Green Lantern Corps.

Lê: I’m working on a few different projects, and I wish I could give you details, but unfortunately none of them have been announced yet! Thanks for asking about another Green Lantern book though… I definitely wrote it to leave space for more adventures, so hopefully you haven’t heard the last of Tai Pham!

Santat: I’m completing a graphic novel which started 10 years ago for Scholastic called The Aquanaut, and I’m currently in the process of writing and illustrating a memoir graphic novel for First Second about the first time I fell in love while traveling through Europe at the age of 13. I’m also illustrating about three or four picture books for other authors while simultaneously writing my next picture book.

Roarbots: Minh, if you were a Lantern, what color Lantern would you be? If you were a super pet sidekick, what animal would you be?

Lê: If I were a Lantern, I think I would be Blue, which is the lantern of Hope. To me, that is one of the most powerful things we can hold onto these days, so I would love to be able to harness and wield that power. 

As for a super pet sidekick… someone recently asked me a similar question, and my response was “chipmunk.” When they asked why, my off-the-top-of-my-head was “No one ever gets angry at a chipmunk,” which sadly tells you everything you need to know about me.

Lift by Minh Lê and Dan Santat releases on May 5, 2020. Green Lantern: Legacy by Minh Lê and Andie Tong is out now, as is Minh and Dan’s other book Drawn Together. 

Minh Lê is a national early childhood policy expert, author of The Perfect Seat (illustrated by Gus Gordon), Drawn Together (illustrated by Dan Santat and winner of the APALA Asian/Pacific American Award for Literature), and Let Me Finish! (illustrated by Isabel Roxas), and has written for the New York Times, the Horn Book, and the Huffington Post. He went to Dartmouth College and has a master’s in education from Harvard University. Visit Minh online at www.minhlebooks.com. 

Dan Santat is the author and illustrator of the Caldecott Award-winning The Adventures of Beekle: The Unimaginary Friend, as well as Harold & Hog Pretend for Real!, The Cookie Fiasco, After the Fall, and others. He is also the creator of Disney’s animated hit, The Replacements. Dan lives in Southern California with his wife, two kids, and a menagerie of pets. Visit him at www.dantat.com.