This interview originally appeared in the January/February 2025 Horn Book Magazine as part of the Publishers’ Previews: New Books for Emerging Readers, an advertising supplement that allows participating publishers a chance to each highlight a book from its current list. They choose the books; we ask the questions.

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In Sadie Mouse Wrecks the House, TV, comic-book, and picture-book writer Elliott Kalan joins with illustrator Tim Miller for a tale of mouse-sibling rivalry/revelry.

Photo: Sylvie Rosokoff.

1. Were you more of a Sadie or a Reggie?

A Sadie. I was always doing all sorts of horribly polite and thoughtful things. Writing this book was a matter of finally letting my inner kid be bad after all these years of goodness. Of course, I couldn’t help feeling awful for all the stress I caused Reggie. Once a Sadie, always a Sadie.

2. Why mice?

I like animals that do a good job of living in the human world: mice, pigeons, cockroaches. I think they do well around us because they’re the animals that think and act the most like people do. It’s also easier to imagine a humble, house-living animal than a more majestic creature doing chores.

3. What lessons learned from writing for TV did you most bring to bear on writing an easy reader?

In joke writing, you need to communicate information quickly and clearly, stripping out unnecessary words. Writing an easy reader is similar — you don’t want to use too many words or words that might distract or confuse the reader. And in both, you want to set up the characters and the situation fast to get to the fun part!

4. Follow-up: is it hard to let the illustrator deliver the punch line?

Sometimes. I think verbally more than visually, and have to keep faith that the illustrator’s image will equal or surpass a verbal version of the joke. Luckily, Tim Miller is amazing, so I don’t have to worry much. But it occasionally feels like tossing a ball with someone; you’re always a little worried they won’t catch it. Only instead of a ball it feels like you’re tossing a baby, so you’re really worried they won’t catch it.

5. What’s the difference between repartee and backtalk?

I think of repartee as a respectful challenge between two characters, each using jokes to nudge the other to make another joke to keep the interaction going. It’s collaborative even when it looks competitive. Backtalk is a way of negating whatever the other character said. That’s just rude!

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