“Eagerly anticipated” doesn’t quite capture it! I’ve been restlessly awaiting the latest picture book by author and illustrator Corinna Luyken for so, so long, as have many of you, I’m certain. Luyken’s books captivate, surprise, and move you. Her marks and colors are so incredibly gorgeous and interesting, and her stories give us readers big things to contemplate.
THE ARGUERS (Rocky Pond Books), which publishes on May 27, delivers all of this and more, starting with its standout cover. I love the way an out-of-place rose elicits the upmost ire in the featured character. Have we not all observed and experienced that kind of trivial anger, in others and ourselves? Here’s a summary of the story:
A delightfully preposterous and original fairy tale about a community that forgets how to get along, by the celebrated creator of The Book of Mistakes
The first argument was over a brush and a comb, and which would be better for taking a tangle out of the king’s beard. Next came the argument over letters, and then over spoons . . . and soon they argued all the time, and no one could remember when the arguing had started or over what or by whom. They only knew that they had always argued, and that they did it well. Very, very well.
And so it was that the king and queen decided to hold a contest to choose the very best arguer in the land. But what will happen when everyone is so busy arguing that they can’t even hear the queen announce the start of the contest?
A fresh fairy tale with all that emotion and silliness? I could not wait to read THE ARGUERS and learn what Luyken had to say about arguing — a topic so relevant to us all. I’m beyond delighted that Corinna Luyken is visiting the blog to tell us more.
Come along we go… Behind the Book!
How did this story come to you?
This story began with a few words that came to me (“The first argument…”) When I went to write them down, a lot of the book flowed from there: from the original argument (brushes vs. combs), to the people arguing with stones and flowers, all the way to the contest announcement. I liked the world that was being created and so I made a few paintings—a lady arguing with stones, a lady arguing with flowers, and a king with an exceptionally long beard and a crew of irritated people de-tangling it. The drawings made me laugh. And when a drawing makes me laugh, I pay attention.
But that was ten years ago. The project sat on the back burner for a while, while I focused on other ideas. Then about three years ago I shared it with my editor, who loved the idea but felt the ending needed work. From there it was several more years of actively sorting out the ending before we arrived at that final sequence and that last page. So, this book has been in the pipeline for a long time!
What influenced and inspired you, as you created this book?
I am the mother of a daughter who for most of her younger years had very long hair that she liked to wear down. Hair that would get very tangled, daily. Hair that needed to be brushed, daily. This often led to a frustrating experience for both of us. We got very good at arguing over tangles. She’s 15 now and has been brushing her own hair for a long time… so I’ve had years to think about the cyclical nature of those arguments, how absurd and enduring they could be. There was this never-ending repetitive quality to some of those arguments that I used to wonder if we would ever be able to break.
And when it comes to the particular type of arguing that occurs during hair brushing, we have. But with time I’ve realized that those arguments haven’t really gone away, it’s more like they’ve shifted. Taken new form. Now we argue over laundry and screen time.
It also seems to me that inside a small or absurd argument, something deeper is often hiding. Beneath many of the disagreements in The Arguers there is a backdrop of excess. I didn’t start the story with that secondary layer in mind, it’s something that grew organically along with the pictures and story. But this sub-layer that lies beneath the original argument is something I’m very interested in.
Also, if you look at the title page at the end of Arguers, you’ll see the book is dedicated to George Saunders, Lane Smith, Molly Leach, and The Very Persistent Gappers of Frip. Gappers is a picture book they collaborated on, back in 2000. It is also the book that made me realize I wanted to make picture books. In many ways, Gappers has inspired all of my books, including The Arguers.
What is your biggest hope for this story?
In my studio, behind my drawing table, I have a cabinet covered in quotes from other bookmakers and artists. Most are about the joys, difficulties, and uncertainties of the creative process. Among them is one from Krista Tippett, interviewer and creator of the On Being podcast: “There is something redemptive and life giving about asking a better question,” she says. I think of this quote often. If anything, I hope this book might lead to some better questions.
And that those questions might lead to some interesting conversations—about what it means to get along, to disagree, to find common ground, and to move through life as a small part of a much larger community.
Working on this book has reminded me how integral disagreement is to life. It is essential to the hard and sometimes uncomfortable work of being human in this world. And that is a beautiful thing.
How might an educator bring your story into classroom activities or learning?
I’ve shared this story with a handful of classrooms already, and each time I’ve asked for a show of hands—how many people have ever been in an argument? What about an argument over something small or seemingly silly? I have been surprised and delighted by how excited the kids are to talk about these arguments. It’s made me realize that arguing is a taboo topic of sorts. And yet arguing is part of all our lives— on a small and large scale. The delight with which I’ve seen students engage with the topic of arguing has been a reminder of how the simple act of acknowledging a thing can be powerful.
Also, drawing people arguing is sooo FUN. I highly recommend it!
Thank you for visiting Behind the Book, Corinna! It was so special, reading the evolution of THE ARGUERS and learning about the conversations that you are already having with readers. I cannot wait to follow the journey of this book!
Wouldn’t you love a copy to call your own? Good news, you can! Here’s how to enter to win:
Win a copy of THE ARGUERS:
Visit @anitraroweschulte on Instagram
Like and tag a friend on THE ARGUERS post by EOD Friday, May 30
Comment below, in this blog post, for an extra entry!
US entries only
The winner will be announced on Saturday, May 31. Wishing you the best of luck!