In 2023 we established a partnership with Blue Manatee Press, working together to feature some of their titles in our All About Books catalogs. Through this partnership, we have had the pleasure of connecting with the incredible author and illustrator Doug Cenko. In the books he has worked on with Blue Manatee, we see his fun and whimsical illustration style pop out and complement the stories beautifully. A perfect style for children to engage and connect with during story time.
In honor of Father’s Day, we wanted to talk to Doug about his series “Mama and Papa”, including My Papa is a Princess and My Mama is a Mechanic. In the short time, these titles have been available in our catalog and on our website, they have proven to be wildly popular and it’s easy to see why. Doug has done such a good job of showing us that our Mamas and Papas can be supportive in our everyday tasks while also having fun and expanding our imaginations. Looking for that missing toy in the depths of the couch with Mama instantly becomes an adventurous treasure hunt. Baking a cake with Papa turns into an episode of Bake Off, decorating to be the best in show.
We had the chance to ask Doug about his creative process and here’s what he had to say:
How did you get your start writing and illustrating children’s books?
When my daughter was a baby and we started reading together, it reminded me of how much I loved children's books. I tried to learn as much as I could about the process of creating them. There was a post on a forum from a publisher (Blue Manatee Press) looking for an illustrator for a picture book. I responded to that message and was luckily given the job, which was a book called Sleepy Solar System. I started writing books as well and over the years have worked on about ten books for Blue Manatee and several more for other publishers.
What inspired you to write and illustrate My Papa is a Princess?
The time I spent with my daughter when she was young was the best inspiration. I'll always remember the time when my daughter was really young and we were playing hide and seek. I sat on the couch and put a blanket over my head and to her it was like I disappeared. Moments like that that were included in the book. That particular one inspired "Hide and Seek Champion."
What do you hope parents take away from My Papa is a Princess and My Mama is a Mechanic?
If there's a takeaway from these stories, it would be to have fun and spend as much time as you can with your kids while they still want to spend time with you.
What do you think makes a good children’s book?
The best books are the ones that you want to re-read over and over again. Your child will always have that favorite book. Hopefully you get lucky enough that it's a book you enjoy as well.
And what is your favorite book to read with your daughter right now?
My daughter is 11 right now, so we don't read together as much as I'd like anymore. We both love graphic novels, though, and we recently started reading the Amulet series together.
A special thanks to Doug Cenko for his time! We are so happy to be carrying a few of his titles. Visit our website to add these titles to your next order! And visit his website to learn more about his other books.