Rocko and Spanky Go to a Party
by Kara LaReau
illustrated by Jenna LaReau
0-15-216624-6
CDN $21.95 cloth
Harcourt
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Sisters Kara and Jenna LaReau made their publishing debut with Rocko and Spanky Go to a Party. Kara is a children’s book editor, and she lives in Belmont, Massachusetts.
Jenna lives in nearby Brighton, Massachusetts, and works as an illustrator and graphic designer.
Excerpts from an Interview, courtesy of Harcourt Books:
Question for Jenna (Illustrator): It’s not every day that siblings get a chance to publish a book together. At what point did you and Kara realize that you had complementary talents?
Jenna: I don’t think there was really ever a “moment of realization.” To us, complementing each other — whether working or playing — is just part of being sisters.
Kara: Oh, I think there was a moment back in the beginning. I’d make the mud pies, Jenna would eat them ...
Jenna: Uh, that wasn’t exactly working together!
Kara: Well, it was a start.
Question for Kara (Author): In a traditional sense, a story gets written and then a perfect match illustrator is chosen. Because you work collaboratively with your sister, how was Rocko and Spanky Go to a Party born? And which came first: the story or the illustrations?
Kara: A few years ago, when Jenna and I were living together, I bought her a sock monkey for her birthday (she’s liked monkeys of all kinds since she was a kid). We promptly (and aptly, I might add) named it Rocko Socko.
Then, one day, we were hanging out in Jenna’s room, and she was talking about how she wanted to get a dog. I asked what she’d name it, and Jenna said, “Either Rocko ... or Spanky.” At that point, we both looked at the sock monkey (who had already been looking at us) and then looked at each other — and that was it.
Seeing that sock monkey sitting there and hearing the names “Rocko” and “Spanky” gave us an immediate, very clear idea of the characters and their potential for fun and mischief. The first three stories were written soon after that, and the illustrations were quick to follow.
Our monkey business was born!
Question for Jenna: Sock monkeys, legwarmers, roller skates, and scooters with sidecars: Your artwork definitely has a retro feel to it. From where did you draw these ideas?
Jenna: ... Rocko and Spanky’s world is a product of my experience — my memories of childhood, up to my life right now. But for kids, it’s all new, because they’re seeing it (and hopefully enjoying it!) all for the first time, and I get a real kick out of that.
Question for Jenna: With some of your illustrations, one can almost feel the texture of the sock monkeys, yarn, pom-poms, and maracas. What tools and methods did you use to create your art?
Jenna: Um ... sock monkeys, yarn, pom-poms, and maracas were my tools! I wanted to use real objects and materials that would be familiar and fun for kids, and engaging to them on a tactile level. The interplay between real and imagined worlds always excited me as a kid, and still appeals to me now.
The willingness to let go and mix things up is that special something that kids and artists have in common.
Question for Kara: Rocko and Spanky’s dialog is hip and modern, using phrases such as “SO glam,” “SO us,” and “way cool,” and when it comes to “wrapping,” Spanky agrees with “Word.” This is in contrast to the retro style of the illustrations — although retro is now just as hip. How did you go about choosing the modern language for your characters?
Kara: Rocko and Spanky’s voices were pretty clear from the beginning, just like so much of the rest of their characters. I knew they’d have a very specific, playful way of relating to each other. Maybe it’s because Jenna and I have our own way of communicating:
a language of inside jokes, voices, and silly gestures. We’re not deliberate about being hip or retro or modern in the text or the art (though it’s nice to hear that it’s seen that way!) — we just do what feels right.
Question for Kara: At the end of the story, Rocko and Spanky agree that they’re the “perfect pair.” I imagine you and your sister share a similar sentiment with each other. What are some of the joys and challenges of working with Jenna?
Kara: One of the things that makes our work so unusual is that it is truly a collaborative effort from start to finish: Jenna is there when I’m writing, and I’m there when she’s drawing and laying out the book.
As a result, the writing and the art and design inform each other, and we always have each other’s sensibilities in mind as we work. There’s a challenge in this as wellÑbecause it’s very immediate, there’s really no down time. We’re always shaping ideas and coming up with new ones, so the process keeps going and going and going ... usually until someone else tells us to stop!
Question for Jenna: It’s only fair to let you answer as well: What are some of the joys and challenges of working with your sister?
Jenna: Well, working with Kara is very different from working with anyone else because she smells.
Kara: What?
Jenna: Oh, did I say that out loud? What I meant to say is that, as sisters, we’ve had a lifetime of practice for this job. Kara and I have been a creative team (in one way or another) since childhood.
We also happen to share the same warped sense of humor, so a lot of our time is spent making each other laugh. On a really good day, soda comes out of somebody’s nose.
Visit Harcourt Books to read the full interview.
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