Godzilla Has A New Kids Book Out, And We Talked To The Author

Posted in: Books, Pop Culture | Tagged: godzilla, Godzilla Stomp!, Katherine Locke, Nikolas Ilic

Godzilla Has A New Kids Book Out, And We Talked To The Author

We talked to author Katherine Locke about their new children’s book Godzilla Stomp!, which is out now wherever you buy books.

Article Summary

• Godzilla Stomp! sends Godzilla crashing through classic fairy tales in a funny, kid-friendly picture book adventure.
• Katherine Locke explains how the Godzilla story grew from a playful STOMP vs. STOP idea and a narrator-led setup.
• Locke praises illustrator Nikolas Ilic for Godzilla’s standout expressions and a visual style packed with energy.
• Favorite fairy tale picks like Hansel & Gretel and Jack and the Beanstalk help make Godzilla fun for young readers.

Godzilla fans have a plethora of material to comb through these days, and that includes fans of all ages. This week, author Katherine Locke and illustrator Nikolas Ilic<a href="https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/814382/godzilla-stomp-by-katherine-locke-illustrated-by-nikolas-ilic/" rel="nofollow noopener” target=”_blank”>released a brand-new children’s picture book, Godzilla Stomp!, to stores. It features the King of all Monsters stomping through fairy-tale worlds with glee, alongside some of your favorite characters, like the gingerbread man, Hansel & Gretel, and more. We asked Locke a few questions, including how they came up with the story, which characters they wanted to make the cut, and more.

Hooking Them On Godzilla Young

How did you come up with the concept for this book?I knew I wanted Godzilla stomping through fairy tales- something familiar both to kid readers and the adults who might be reading with them–and I wanted it to be funny, engaging, and very visual. I loved the idea of having a narrator-like character addressing Godzilla, and I loved the play of STOMP and STOP. It was a blast to write!

Godzilla stomping through fairy tales is an amazing concept. -How much input did you have in the look of Godzilla?Thank you so much! Honestly, Nikolas Ilic knocked it out of theparkwith these illustrations. He really did such an incredible job. As an author, I like to give just enough art notes that the illustrator knows where I’m going, but not too many art notes that I’m doing the illustrator’s job. Illustrators are storytellers too, and Nikolas brought so much to the page. I just stayed out of his way and let him cook. 

Nikolas has such a distinct style, I’m wondering how you both arrived on the look for Zilla.I’m not much of an artist myself (my stick figure’s legs don’t line up with their abdomen, for example), so I really just sit back and let Nikolas do his magic here. He did an incredible job–I love Godzilla’s facial expressions in particular in this book. One of his facial expressions made my mom laugh aloud when she read the book. I love getting to see a book I wrote come to life once the illustrations have been completed, and this book was such a joy. I think my email back to my editor when I first saw it inked and colored was in all caps. 

Was there a specific fairy tale character that you had to make sure got into this story, like a personal favorite of yours?I’m a big fan of fairy tales and folktales. It’s a niche interest of mine. I’m particularly glad that we included Jack & the Beanstalk and Hansel & Gretel. I wanted a mix of different kinds of fairy tales kids might know–and hopefully introduce them to something new. 

My favorite part of the book is how expressive Zilla is! Love how he is grumpy for most of the book but comes alive when stomping. Any plans for a follow-up?I also love his facial expressions! They bring me such joy. I would love to do a follow-up if that’s in the cards. Fingers crossed!

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