Making EVERY MONDAY MABEL

Behind the scenes of my latest book and more!

I’ve mentioned before how my son is a big fan of trucks, so it’s probably no big surprise that Max inspired Every Monday Mabel.

Every Monday, Max would set up his chair at the end of the driveway and wait for the garbage truck to arrive. Afterwards, he’d come back into the house and announce, “Every Monday, I do the most boring thing!”¹

That statement got me writing.

In January 2021, I finished my first draft of “Every Monday Melvin.”

Melvin was always a placeholder name (inspired by the cover of Mad Magazine #1).

This version of the story was all about waiting for the garbage truck to appear in all its glory, despite a sibling who thinks that’s a boring way to spend a Monday.

And that was about it.

I wrote the draft, but wasn’t really sure what I was trying to say. I put it away and let the story stew in the back of my mind.

I thought about Max’s interests and how I might not always get it. Being a fan of something that others don’t get—I can understand that. For instance, growing up, I was a huge fan of comics and superheroes, which, in those days, felt very niche.²

My brother Jordan (l.) and me hangin’ with Stan Lee in ‘92

I dusted off “Every Monday Melvin” a few years (and three books) later. It felt like the right project to follow up I’m Going to Build a Snowman. The new draft checked in with the parents, the neighbors, and even a walked dog³—not only to find out what they thought of this weekly ritual, but also hint at what their obsessions are.

I really enjoy books that show different characters’ POVs (A Song of Fire and Ice series by George R.R. Martin, anything by David Mitchell⁴, and, more recently, The Book of Love by Kelly Link) so I’m sure that influenced the shifting perspectives. I did something similar in What A Lucky Day!, too, now that I think about it.

My wife suggested making the main character a girl since I hadn't done a book with a female lead yet. I loved this suggestion—trucks are so often gendered as “for boys,” but trucks are for everyone. Having the truck enthusiast be a little girl added the theme of having a passion that others might not understand.

Max took notes while we were brainstorming on names. He was rooting for “Miley.”

When you’re a kid, the world can feel small—it’s only as big as your school or your church or your family—and it might be hard to find people with similar interests, but they’re out there! You just haven’t met them yet.⁵

It took me a while to figure out how I was going to include Mabel’s kindred spirits. Fortunately, garbage trucks don’t just stop at one house and, after some thumbnailing, the solution presented itself.

And, I’m happy to say, now that Every Monday Mabel is out in the world, she’s finding her people.

See more behind the scenes images from Every Monday Mabel over at Max’s Boat.

Fuse 8 Reviews MABEL

Betsy Bird wrote an incredible in-depth review of Mabel—

Succinct and smart as a whip, it actually shows a kid pursuing their passion, even as their family members patronize their choices. And if that passion is watching the garbage truck arrive every Monday? Even better.

Mabels, Mabels everywhere

Once a name for the main character was settled on and the book was off to the printers, I began noticing Mabels everywhere!

Here are a few of my favorites:

• Mabel Wants a Friend by Ariel Bernstein and Marc Rosenthal

• “Maddie and Mabel” series by Kari Allen and Tatjana Mai-Wyss

• The Ship in the Window by Travis Jonker and Matthew Cordell (the main character is Mabel the mouse)

• “Only Murders in the Building,” costarring Selena Gomez as amateur sleuth / true crime podcaster Mabel Mora

Ohioana Festival, May 3rd

Ohioana Festival will be taking place at the State Library of Ohio on May 3 from 10am-5pm. I’ll be on the picture book writing panel “Every Picture Tells a Story,” alongside Jacob Grant, Lindsay Bonilla, and Valerie Reynolds and moderated by J.P. Mitchell.

Join 5 authors who create unique books for young readers, as they explore the process of writing and/or illustrating a picture book. They will discuss their books, inspirations, and the importance of storytelling in the lives of young children.

It’s a free event, so if you’re in Columbus, stop by and say “hi!”

Quick Links

• Marianna Coppo has a newsletter!

• Travis Jonker discusses the process of making Just One Wave, the sequel to Just One Flake.

• How to turn the creative process into “Good Trouble”

• Mike White on the phases of creativity

Thanks for reading!

-JQA

1. He loved the garbage truck, but hated the waiting.

2. It will never not be funny to me that EVERYONE knows who Thanos is these days.

3. My editor Celia Lee made the wise suggestion of narrowing my focus to Mabel’s family (so long, Mr. Snickers) and using those extra pages to get a little more time with the garbage truck.

4. The novelist, not Ludwig

5. When I shared the dummy with the book’s designer, Lucy Ruth Cummins said, “Oh! This is about art school!”