The person behind the pages.

Today BookZone welcomes Chris Ackerman the author of Poogle the Discoverer. Chris was gracious enough to answer a few interview questions that I posed to him so sit back, relax and get to know Chris Ackerman

Tell us a bit about Chris Ackerman, the person and Chris Ackerman the author.

Well, let’s see … it’s interesting that you phrase the question that way because for a long time it actually seemed like the person and the author were two distinct components. Aside from a couple minor deviations in the path, I pretty much took the traditional course of pursuing education and then employment but the author I always suppressed kept struggling to emerge. I remember reading a few novels and, with all the arrogance of youth, scoffing and telling myself I could write one far better. Nothing materialized in spite of a couple half-hearted attempts during university, so I let it go. Then one freezing cold, lonely, dark, and jet-lagged night while on law school exchange in Copenhagen, the author burst forward and I took my first real shot at writing something for a wide audience.

Since then, Chris Ackerman the person has abandoned the traditional approach to earning a living and become indistinguishable from Chris Ackerman the author. At least in my own eyes!

Tell us about Poogle the Discoverer.

It’s actually pretty strange how Poogle came to be. I had struggled with writing a full length novel and decided it would be a good idea to start with something of a little more modest length and complexity. As a kid I was an avid reader and (still to this day) big fan of cartoons so the natural course seemed to be to create characters and a world that reflected that … it would be a good trial run. A lot of the characters are amalgams of people I know, or knew, especially from that time in Denmark studying law.

Poogle is a platypus, an animal I always thought to be one of the most unique in the world and if you’ve ever seen pictures of baby ones you’ll see why I figured it to be perfect for the story. It is an action/adventure tale with a ton of twists and turns that each reveal a little more of a tragic history the characters all have in common.

The more I wrote the more into the story I got and the more I strove to emulate the quality of the books and movies that really stood out for me: Charlotte’s Web, Bambi, The Lion King, The Bunjee Venture … I wanted to create characters that kids could really identify with, flaws and all.

I also think it’s important that with all the laughs and fun, the story actually offers something more, something uplifting, some lessons … but without being preachy about it.

You mentioned that it is being used at a local school as part of their literacy program. How did that come about?

Oh, it was pretty perfect timing that a close friend of mine from university was a substitute teacher at this school when a large influx of government funding allowed it to add several new programs. He was offered the position of creating a curriculum and heading up a literacy program for students in grades 3-6 who were either struggling or disinterested. He had read Poogle and mentioned it to his principal. He agreed it would be perfect for the program and subsequently purchased a classroom set for the program.

I was also invited in to meet the students and talk a little bit about the book, its creation, the characters … and the sequel! It was more than encouraging to see a room full of kids who were that into the book.

What did you find to be the most challenging aspect of being a self-published author?

By far the most challenging part is making people aware that the book exists. I have complete confidence that Poogle is a book anyone would thoroughly enjoy reading, the difficulty is being the little guy trying to promote a book in a market where the competition is so well bankrolled!

What do you know about the process that you wished you’d known before?

I was pretty realistic about it from the beginning, but I think I probably could have started networking and researching some of the avenues for advertising and so on, a little earlier. Getting reviews, that type of thing. I felt it necessary to have a tangible product, the actual printed, bound and illustrated book, in hand before pursuing or looking into those things.

What is one piece of advice you would give to an aspiring children’s author?

Be patient, and don’t expect to quit your day job right away! Sales are great and help offset the out of pocket expenses, but if you don’t value hearing glowing reviews and getting positive feedback more then you will be disappointed.

What do you forsee in your writing future?

I am currently finishing that elusive first full length novel for an adult audience and have mapped out the sequel for Poogle the Discoverer…should be done by the fall, right around the time Disney will decide to make Poogle into an animated feature. See, I can advise aspiring writers to be realistic and grounded, but anyone who writes fiction has to have one foot in fantasy land!

Behind the Book

Uncle Unk Becomes an Uncle!

Meet Tristan Miranda, whose own moment of new-uncle panic inspired a rhyming picture book filled with over-the-top worries, warm family lessons, and illustrations children and grown-ups can laugh over together.

Buy on AmazonExplore the Uncle Unk Series

The Conversation

Dee Talks With Tristan Miranda

From spiraling childhood worries to monkey mayhem at the zoo, Tristan takes us behind the scenes of Uncle Unk's first adventure.

1. What first sparked the idea for Uncle Unk Becomes an Uncle!? Was there a real “new uncle” moment behind the story?

Absolutely! Funnily enough, the first ideas for this story came about when my brother told me that I was going to be an uncle - and I genuinely panicked. I remember thinking, uh oh, because I’d never been around babies before. Even when I first held my niece and took a picture with her, there was a slight look of panic on my face - it’s quite funny looking back.

2. Unk has a very dramatic reaction to becoming an uncle. Why did you choose humor and exaggeration as the way to explore his fear?

Great question! When I was working out the concept for the story, I wanted to make sure that Uncle Unk could be enjoyed by both kids and adults. So in using over-the-top antics, the thematic content was something that adults could relate to, while the pictures were something that children could laugh at.

3. The book captures how one anxious thought can turn into a whole parade of worst-case scenarios. Was that something you wanted children to recognize in themselves?

Another good question. Yes! That’s exactly the thought process. When I was a kid, I was a huge worrier. I would stress myself out over the smallest, dumbest things, because all my thoughts would spiral toward a worst-case scenario. Forgot to turn in my math tables in first grade? In my mind, that would lead to a demerit in that class, which would carry over into middle school and high school, meaning that I wouldn’t get into the college I wanted and would be a disappointment to my family. Admittedly, it’s an absolutely ridiculous idea, but I think that when we’re kids, our lack of life experience leads us to believe that these worst-case scenarios are logical. So with this story, I wanted it to come across how ridiculous these types of thoughts really are - and how most things tend to work themselves out.

4. Unk starts the story enjoying his carefree life. What did you want readers to understand about change, especially when a new baby joins the family?

I suppose that, with most things in life, changes aren’t necessarily bad. I, for one, am a creature of habit, so the point that I wanted to get across is that, even with some added responsibilities, the outcome is all about the mindset. After all, the best things in life take time, right? Unk just had to look at the positives - those being all the fun experiences and adventures he and Baby Reese could go on.

5. The illustrations are full of great, chaotic, funny details - from the burning pizza cover to Unk’s wild imagination. How closely did you work with illustrator Seth Thompson on those visual moments?

Thank you! Seth did a phenomenal job with this book, and I really enjoyed working with him - enough to work on sequels together! As far as our process goes, we work extremely closely on each story. Before enlisting his help with each book, I create the storyline, text, and illustration descriptions - that way he has a complete look at the story and my vision for it before diving in. The pictures themselves are developed in three stages: rough sketches, digitized background placement, and complete digital illustration. As far as the fine details are concerned - colors, the layout of the house, the style of furniture, the pizza boxes, and the way in which the action is conveyed - that’s all Seth. He really takes my words and breathes life into every page of the story.

6. The story uses rhyme and a strong read-aloud rhythm. Did you always imagine this as a rhyming picture book, or did that develop as you wrote?

Yes! One of the biggest inspirations for me is Dr. Seuss, and I wanted to emulate the colorful, rhyming style his books always have. So from the very beginning, I imagined Uncle Unk as a rhyming picture book. While writing this story, I was just sitting in front of my computer, clapping out each syllable as I kept refining the text to make sure that it was a fun and easy read.

7. Baby Reese is central to the story even before readers fully meet her. What inspired her character and the way Unk imagines her?

Baby Reese’s character is fully based on my own niece. At the time we were designing the characters and illustrating this first story, my niece’s hair and eye color were both still changing. So at the time, my niece had black hair and blue-ish eyes, which is what we used for the character of Reese. But now my Reese’s hair is brown and her eyes are hazel. As for the pink onesie and bow, these were the clothes she’d worn when I first met her in the hospital. So keeping the gigantic bow was a really important visual for me in the story, especially in pictures where Baby Reese is shown as a squid and a meteorite.

8. This book is especially relatable for families preparing for a new baby. What do you hope children take away if they are about to become a sibling, cousin, niece, nephew, or part of a growing family?

The biggest takeaway for kids is that responsibility is a two-way street. Meaning: as much as you teach a new baby lessons, they will teach their own lessons to you. My niece has certainly made me more patient and gentle - as well as given me a few new gray hairs! Honestly, I can’t wait for the day she’s old enough for me to teach her martial arts. Now that’s going to be fun!

9. Unk’s fears are funny, but they are not mocked or dismissed. Why was it important to let him be nervous before the story moved forward?

Great detail! Showing Unk’s fears is important because most people are afraid to admit when they are afraid. Fear is normal, and can be a great motivator in certain situations, so I wanted to show people, “Hey, Unk’s freaking out right now, but he’s going to overcome his fears and realize that his new life is way better than the old one.”

10. At the end of the book, readers are invited to look forward to more Uncle Unk adventures. What can you share about where Uncle Unk might go next?

Heck yes! Uncle Unk is heading to the zoo. Why? Because zoos are awesome. No, but really, we’re heading that direction because most of the storylines going forward are going to be misadventures. Think Tom and Jerry. Except Unk is Tom and Jerry is Baby Reese. So in the subsequent books, Unk is getting bruised and dirty while Reese is having the time of her life. So get ready for some monkey mayhem!

11. Are you an uncle yourself, and if so, how has that role shaped the way you see family, childhood, and showing up for the next generation?

I am indeed an uncle! A new one at that, so I still have a lot to learn. I suppose that this role has most made me realize that a little bit of chaos in life isn’t a bad thing - and that true work-life balance is a struggle, albeit a good one. Being around my niece has made me remember the importance of “being a kid” and playing. Not everything has to be serious.

12. When you’re not writing children’s books, what do you enjoy doing - and does any of that sneak its way into your stories?

When I’m not writing children’s books, I’m usually riding motorcycles, practicing jiu-jitsu and Muay Thai, writing adult novels - pirates, monsters, and the like - and playing with my niece. I definitely see an Uncle Unk jiu-jitsu story coming soon!

4.5 Huggs: Very Huggable

The BZR Review

Funny, warm, and made for sharing

“The story is funny, warm, and easy to connect with, especially for children adjusting to a new baby in the family.”

Read Dee’s Full Review

From the Publisher

Discover MW Press

MW Press is a father-and-son publishing house founded by Tristan and Blaise Miranda, bringing readers stories ranging from picture-book mayhem to pirates, monsters, and more.

Visit MW Press

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