Go behind the scenes of Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider by Jessica Lanan. Read on for an interview with Jessica, Emily Feinberg, Executive Editor at Roaring Brook Press, and Mike Burroughs, Senior Designer at Macmillan Children’s Publishing Group to learn more about how this book was made, preview interior art, and jaw dropping 3D models.
Emily Feinberg: Hello Jess and Mike! My first question is for Jess: From my end, my favorite part of making Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider, was watching all your glorious final art come in. You really made it feel like we were there on the vines, in the dirt and leaves, and dangling upside from a fence post with Jumper. It was incredible to see that art roll in. What was your favorite part of making the art for Jumper? And what was the most surprising?
Jessica Lanan: Thanks, Emily! And great question. With the art for Jumper I wanted to show the environment and what it might really look like to be in Jumper’s world, but I also wanted to suggest all these different sensory experiences like sound and vibration and movement. All things that you can’t really have in a book. So, my favorite part of the process was trying to figure out how to simulate that. The most surprising thing was probably how much space the art took up. I had a huge blank wall available in my studio at the time, and I taped up the paintings as I completed them. It was an impressive sight when the whole book was finished, especially with Jumper’s big eyes staring right at you from across the room!
Which brings me to a question for Emily: you weren’t the biggest fan of spiders at the beginning of this, were you? How did you feel first looking at this manuscript, and have you changed your opinion of spiders since?
Emily: Ha! I knew you’d bring up my arachnophobia! And you are correct. I am generally not a fan of spiders. When the sketch dummy first came in, though, I was so blown away by your storytelling and approach to the subject, that it almost didn’t register at first that the book was about a spider. You get so immersed in Jumper’s perspective, that by the end, you’re actually rooting for her. I never thought this possible! Since working on the book, I have actually calmed down a lot about spiders (as long as they are relatively small). The book worked! I have even used the paper cup / card technique to scoop one up and put it outside. The POV in the book has so much natural empathy that it just drips off the page and guides readers into understanding spiders, not fearing them. Mike, over to you: Do you have a favorite spread / moment from the book?
Mike Burroughs: Hey Emily! Oof, that’s a tough one. It feels impossible to choose a favorite moment because this book was such a joy to work on. I love how Jess was able to interpret a variety of different senses and actions that are typically difficult to translate on a still page. This book feels alive in your hands. I will say I particularly enjoyed the sense of motion captured on pages 20-21 where we see Jumper leaping into the next spread as she tries to catch the fleeing grasshopper. Watching the young girl mimicking Jumper’s action above her feels like a really unique moment in the story.
Don’t even get me started on Jess’ use of motion lines on pages 14-15 to show how Jumper ‘feels’ the beating wings of the birds above her. It’s so good!
Jess, I’m always curious how different artists work, so naturally, I was blown away when I saw you building miniature 3-D structures and playing with different lighting for reference. Is this a standard part of your process or was this a special technique for JUMPER?
Jess: Thank you so much Mike! I had a sneaking suspicion that you might ask about those little models. Each time I start a new book I vow that I’m going to keep it simple this time with the lighting. Ha! Inevitably, I end up with something elaborate that I have no idea how to draw. I just can’t seem to help it, it always happens. So the models are essential. Once I have them built I can play around and see what the light actually does. I take reference photos and paint what I see instead of going crazy trying to make everything up in my head. Plus, they are a lot of fun to build! I’ve been making 3D models since I was a kid, and now it’s a pretty standard part of my process. For JUMPER I made a poseable spider and a model of the garden to help me with the shadows and to figure out different “shots”. (I’m pretending I’m a film director.)
Before I pass this back to Emily, Mike, I want to ask you about the text and lettering in this book. You’ve done some fun things with it throughout, but what really stands out to me is the huge font on the cover. We sure went through a lot of cover designs! How did you settle on that choice?
Mike: Thanks, Jess! Your artwork for JUMPER has such a refined and natural quality to it that I felt would work really well paired with a classic serif typeface. You’re absolutely right, we went through lots of cover designs to get to the end result. Since we decided on using a quieter moment with Jumper on the cover, I felt we needed something calming, but also punchy to really make this book pop off the shelves. Fortunately, you provided me with lots of space for the title. I wanted to keep the title lettering in a similar style with the rest of the text used throughout the book, but knew it needed some special attention. I drew each letter very tall and condensed, not only to add some drama, but to also mimic Jumper’s small, but equally long appendages. The orange and purple gradient was the cherry on top to bridge that connection with Jumper herself.
Emily, you certainly have to wear many hats when you acquire a book. What was your favorite part of working on JUMPER?
Emily: I just loved this team so much. We were really good problem solvers and I think I enjoyed those moments the most. I remember when we were working on the “sight” double gatefold, and Jess realized through new research that a jumping spider doesn’t have the same color-seeing abilities as us humans, and so she had to redo the whole spread, which was a biiiiiig one to redo. But I love it now more than I did before. I have also enjoyed seeing all the love roll in for our little jumping spider—4 starred reviews, and countless best of lists! It’s a little spider that could!
Jess, what was your LEAST favorite part of making Jumper?
Jess: Oh that’s a tough one! I had so much fun with this book from start to finish. The most arduous part was my ridiculous attempt to deliver all the art to New York in person…by train. (Why, you ask? Never mind!) There were a lot of problems: problems involving Amtrak, and an unlucky herd of deer in Nebraska, and a freight train, and a last-minute flight from Chicago after one hour of sleep. I carried the big, awkward box of art with me for the whole journey. There was a woman on the plane who was irate that the Jumper art was taking up space in the overhead bin. I tried to explain that it didn’t feel safe to gate check it, and I was actually supposed to be on a train anyway, and it was all the deer’s fault. It didn’t go very well. But I made it to New York, in the end! Here’s a photo of Emily holding the art.
Here’s a question for either or both of you, Emily and Mike: how did you feel looking at the final art in person? Is it a different experience from seeing it on a screen?
Emily: I LOVE getting original art and I’m always so surprised at how big it is in real life. Even more so with your books because your art is already so dimensional and vast-feeling, so seeing it in real life is always really cool. We don’t get a ton of physical art in for books these days so it’s always such a pleasure when we do.
And finally, I have one last question for Mike and Jess: What should we do next?!
Mike: Ooo! You know, we really traveled deep into the microscopic life of Jumper’s world. It sure would be fun to zoom out and explore the macroworld!
Jess: Be careful, I have a VERY long list of things that I’m curious about! But I’m not going to tell you here. You’ll have to wait and see!
INTERVIEW WITH A SCIENTIST
ABOUT JUMPER
Jumper: A Day in the Life of a Backyard Jumping Spider
by Jessica Lanan
Published by Roaring Brook Press | Ages 4-8
From critically acclaimed illustrator of The Lost Package comes a bold nonfiction story following a day in the life of a backyard jumping spider – meticulously researched and utterly charming.
What if you were small as a bean,
Could walk on the walls and ceiling,
Sense vibrations through your elbows,
And jump five times your body length?
That is Jumper’s world.
Open this book to discover the vibrant, hidden life of a backyard jumping spider.
PRAISE FOR JUMPER
A Kirkus Reviews Best Book of the Year
A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year
Booklist Editors’ Choice
A New York Public Library Best Book of the Year
A Chicago Public Library Best Book of the Year
An Evanston Public Library Great Book for Kids
★ “Readers will leap for this magnificent glimpse at a most marvelous arachnid.” – Kirkus Reviews, starred review
★ “An exceptionally empathetic exploration of the natural world sure to inspire new arachnid allies.” – Booklist, starred review
★ “An immersive exploration of a common jumping spider’s abilities and physical traits.” – Publishers Weekly, starred review
★ “An accessible and thought-provoking title that connects readers to the world of a spider through engagement and education.” – School Library Journal, starred review
“Simple but cinematic…satisfyingly dramatic.” – BCCB
“Lush and dramatic.” – The Horn Book Magazine
