Go behind the scenes of Bye Land, Bye Sea by René Spencer and Rodolfo Montalvo. Two children from different backgrounds show that friendship has no language in this epic bilingual story about being lost and finding a friend who understands.
Read on for an interview with René Spencer, Rodolfo Montalvo, Emily Feinberg, Executive Editor at Roaring Brook Press, and Mina Chung, Associate Art Director at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group to learn more about how this book was made, preview interior art, and take a peek into the artist’s sketchbook.
Emily Feinberg: Hi René, Rodolfo, and Mina! Bye Land, Bye Sea was such a pleasure to work on all the way through. For me, my favorite moment during the creative process was watching your beautiful sketches turn into ridiculously gorgeous full-color paintings. The details you put into each spread are so enjoyable and I find myself rereading this book for fun all the time. René and Rodolfo, what was your favorite moment while creating this book?
Rodolfo Montalvo: Wow! I think you just set the bar for the best compliment from an editor for me, Emily! Thank you! What comes to mind is the process of how the look and feel of the illustrations took shape. Early on, there were some aspects of the visuals that felt like they would carry through to the end, but much of the visuals still needed to be developed. I filled a sketchbook, made many test paintings, took many photographs, and made studies to figure out the right style and approach for the story.
Even as I started the final paintings there were still some aspects to figure out. It was great getting to see the illustrations taking shape and the images begin to start connecting to each other.
René Spencer: It’s hard to pick just one favorite moment. We had fun writing together and there were a lot of twists and turns in that journey. I guess my favorite parts of the process were when we put ourselves in the kids’ shoes, and explored the island with them as they learned to communicate and become friends. Immersing ourselves in the characters was really what made the story come alive for both of us. We bounced ideas around until things fell into place and then revisited them again and again.
Rodolfo & René: Emily, how did you and the team at Roaring Brook Press feel about the use of two languages without translation? What was your first reaction when you read the dummy?
Emily: My first reaction was that the dual-language storytelling was brilliant. The story itself is so simple that it encourages readers to understand by context. I loved the dummy when it came in – the simple approach, the fact that there are no parents — these kids have all the agency – as well as the drama that seems to jump off every spread. It felt different to me than other picture book dummies I was seeing at the time and as it came together I felt even more strongly that this is a unique approach to storytelling and an accomplished project.
Speaking of uniqueness, my questions is for Mina Chung – as the art director and designer of this picture book, what were some challenges and successes you faced while making Bye Land, Bye Sea?
Mina Chung: Hi team! It was such a great experience working on this beautiful book with you all. Bye Land, Bye Sea is easily one of my favorite picture books that I have worked on at Macmillan and it is also a designer’s dream in terms of production specs. There was Rodolfo’s beautiful artwork that was painted using watercolor and gouache and had to be meticulously scanned and color corrected, an interior gatefold spread, and the topping on the cake was the die-cut cover that had to line up with the illustration on the endpaper. With so many moving parts, it was exhilarating and nerve wracking all at once, and it was only made possible by the expertise and support of our production manager, Elizabeth Peskin.. Rodolfo painted each piece with so much intention and care, and Elizabeth made sure the printed book was as close to the original artwork as possible.
This question is for Rodolfo: Was there anything in the production process that surprised you — good or bad (but hopefully good)? And for both Rodolfo and Rene, do you have a favorite spread in the book?
Rodolfo: There are a couple things that surprised me. The first was with finalizing the manuscript. Though we did move some things around and tried out a lot of endings, the story did not change much from the first dummy that the Roaring Brook team saw. René and I were ready to chop up the story but it was a way smoother trip getting there than we thought we were going to have.
The second thing that surprised me was how much work we did to get to the final cover. I have countless thumbnail drawings, sketches, and color studies for the cover. I also created about a dozen fully colored, more detailed renderings of our favorite compositions that did not make the cut.
In the end, it was a true collaboration that got us to the final version. I really appreciate that we were able to keep searching for that one image that worked for everyone and that captured the story in one image.
This leads me to the second part of your question, Mina. One of my favorite spreads are the endpapers in the beginning of the book. That illustration was never part of any of our dummies. The idea for that moment and how it connected to the die-cuts only came about through working together as a team. Without the team effort, that image and the cover would not have ever been created. It was great to come up with new and exciting parts to the story right up to the end of the process.
René: That’s a really tough question. I have a lot of favorites, and if you ask me again later, it may be a different one! Currently I am very drawn to the spread when the characters in the story meet for the first time and exclaim in surprise and apprehension. I love the contrast of the delicate painting technique in the waves and ocean spray, contrasted with the gorgeous rock with brilliant saturated blues and golden highlights behind the boy. The dynamic composition and the colors in this piece really add to the excitement of this moment when the kids meet for the first time.
Rodolfo & René: This question is for both Emily and Mina. What’s the part of Bye Land, Bye Sea that stands out to you the most as a creator of this book? Or in other words, what’s the part that you connect with most and why?
Emily: I love how the art and text come together so beautifully. As an editor, I’m always striving to make picture books with the art and text compliment each other and feel natural doing so and it’s done so well in Bye Land, Bye Sea. I also just love the page turns and dynamic visual storytelling– it feels special and stands out.
Mina: Similarly to what Emily said, the compositions in the artwork was what stood out to me the most. Rodolfo uses a lot of design elements to pace out the story and they flow so seamlessly from beginning to end. From split panels, grids, the use of negative and positive space as framing devices, and even sound effects, every one of these details feel very intentional and require so much planning. As a picture book designer, it’s incredibly satisfying to see.
Rodolfo & René: We had an amazing experience working with everyone at Roaring Brook Press and we can’t believe what an amazing home Bye Land, Bye Sea has found. But then again, if there’s one lesson in Bye Land, Bye Sea, it would be about the magic of making new friends and how we don’t always know where or when we’ll find them next. Gracias por todo, amigos!
ABOUT THE BOOK
Bye Land, Bye Sea
by René Spencer and Rodolfo Montalvo
Published by Roaring Brook Press | Ages 4-8
Two children from different backgrounds show that friendship has no language in this epic bilingual story about being lost and finding a friend who understands.
I’m lost.
Soy naufrago.
A boy and a girl lost at sea run into each other on an island, but they quickly realize there is a huge barrier between them. They speak two different languages. Hesitant and unsure, they must figure out how to connect despite their differences, if they want to find a way home.
Dynamic picture book creators René Spencer and Rodolfo Montalvo join forces in this powerful picture book about connection and the perseverance of friendship.
PRAISE FOR BYE LAND, BYE SEA
★ “A radiant tale of adventure and friendship.” –Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “Text and artwork together create a sense of an adventurous dream, making this a perfect fit for a bedtime story or lapsit.” –Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books (BCCB), starred review
★ “Simple, meaningful text alternates between Spanish and English, exposing readers to both languages, without translations.” –Horn Book Magazine, starred review
