Winter is coming and some of us have mixed feelings about the cold. A new Bitsy Bat book is coming too, and for all us fans of this endearing bat, we know Bitsy will only bring warmth! I caught up with author-illustrator Kaz Windness to learn more:
Me: Congratulations on BITSY BAT, SNOW STAR (Beach Lane Books, Oct. 2026)! Kids will love that Bitsy is back! What inspired you to set book three in winter?
Kaz: My awesome editor, Catherine Laudone, said she wanted a winter book for Bitsy Bat. Years ago, I had sent her a watercolor painting of Bitsy wearing mittens and a scarf, and she thought it was so cute, she wanted to see more.
“But I don’t like winter,” I said.
“Great!” she said. “Write about that.”
And so I did.
Bats aren’t cold weather animals, after all, so it was a good opportunity to explore Bitsy’s sensory challenges as she tries new things. She also eventually unmasks and is honest about her own needs and preferences.
I’m in therapy unpacking a lifetime of being a high-masking autistic as well as a people pleaser. It’s a kind of self-abandonment. I want kids to know that it’s okay not to pretend to be what you think your friends will like. When you know and respect yourself and show up authentically, you’ll attract others who do the same. We don’t all have to act the same or like the same things to be friends. How boring would that be, anyway?
Plus, it was fun to paint shimmery snowy landscapes and fun winter outfits. That is something I love doing.
Me: As a teacher, I always love to see portrayals of gently supportive educators, like Mr. Nibbles. Did you have any especially sympathetic teachers growing up who got you and guided you?
Kaz: Mr. Nibbles is based on my third-grade teacher, Mr. Jeppson. My parents had just divorced, we’d moved across the country into a community that wasn’t particularly welcoming to new kids, and I was a mess. Mr. Jeppson took extra notice of me, nurtured my interest in writing, and shared the hilarious, brilliant irreverence of Shel Silverstein’s poems with my class. He also read us “The Witches” by Roald Dahl. Dark humor was incredibly cathartic for me, and it still is. Mr. Jeppson was the perfect teacher at the perfect moment and I’m forever grateful for his care and support. I later grew up to marry an English teacher that reminds me a lot of Mr. Jeppson. I’m a big fan of teachers. I’m grateful to you for being a sympathetic educator, too. You make a huge difference in a child’s life.
Me: Your illustrations are so lively and expressive. What can you share about your process?
Kaz: Thank you! Yes, all my characters and most of my book illustrations begin as pencil drawings in my sketch book. I take a picture of the good drawings and refine them digitally on the computer. My first drawings are incredibly messy and still pretty loose all the way up until I paint the final art. I use textural digital brushes to paint the illustrations, building up layer upon layer. I want the work to appear as analog and natural as possible. I mostly use the lasso tool and spray in color with a splatter brush. It’s not a fast process, but I love all the texture I can get out of the technique. Eventually, I hope to go back to painting a whole book traditionally and I still do little paintings in my free time to keep those skills alive. Watercolor and colored pencils are my favorite analog tools.
Me: How did you get into creating books for kids?
Kaz: I’m one of those unusual people who is the thing they said they wanted to be when they grew up. My mom read lots of children’s books to my brother and I, and I remember being introduced to “Where the Wild Things Are” by Maurice Sendak around age 4. I decided I was going to be an author and illustrator just like him. I’m still chasing that dream.
I went to art school in my mid-twenties with a focus in children’s books and took lots of writer workshops and read a lot of books on writing to get up to speed on the author side of things. It took me almost exactly twenty years after college graduation to get my big break with my debut picture book, “Swim, Jim!” (Simon & Schuster) edited by Catherine Laudone, my Bitsy Bat editor. I still have a lot to learn and I’m still growing, but I’m glad I didn’t give up the dream I’ve had since childhood.
Me: What are you working on next?
Kaz: TUX GUY, CAT SPY is currently in progress as a five-book series – two picture books and three early readers, all with my awesome Simon & Schuster teams.
I also have two new graphic novels out this year, TIME TRAVELING CHICKENS: BAWK TO THE FUTURE, and NUGGET AND TENDERS’S EGGCELLENT ADVENTURE (Simon Spotlight). They are part of the new Star Chapter Books series, especially designed to recapture the interest of upper elementary readers with more pictures, shorter chapters, and accessible reading objectives. These stories are really fun and fast-paced. I hope kids will enjoy reading them as much as I enjoyed creating them.
Kaz: Thank you so much for the awesome interview! Happy reading, everyone.
Me: Thank you so much for chatting, Kaz. Wishing your book much success! To learn more, please go to Kaz Windness.
