The Backstory: THE LEGEND OF LEO
When I heard my local author friend, Monica Acker, had not one but two books releasing this year, I knew it was time to bring The Backstory back from hiatus to share the scoop on these wonderful titles with all of you.
AH: Welcome to The Backstory and thank you for joining us and sharing the inspiration behind not one, but two of your recent books.
First off, please tell us a little bit about The Legend of Leo.
MA: The Legend of Leo, brilliantly illustrated by Mikel Valverde, follows a dandelion, correction: dande-LION, who is certain he is king of all creatures. Some might call him self-assured, others might think him pompous, but Crabgrass thinks he is just a weed and tells him so. Just when we think Leo will question how special he is, there is a twist, and then a turn, and we discover that Leo is special in a way he never expected.
The Legend of Leo is silly, built for read-alouds, and has a dose of STEM as it touches on the life cycle of a dandelion.
AH: Absolutely incredible! This sounds lik a book my second graders would love!
What’s the story behind the story? What was your inspiration? Where did the idea come from?
MA: The Legend of Leo is a Covid baby. During 2020, my youngest and I went on a lot of walks. We would look for things folks put in the window, do scavenger hunts, and on this one particular day, we went hunting for kindness rocks someone hid around the elementary school. As we looked in crannies for hidden rocks, my then four-year-old found a dandelion growing from a crack in the retaining wall. She picked it, and asked “When will it be a real lion?” By the time we made it back through the front door, the character of a dandelion who was certain he was a lion was formed in my mind.
AH: Don't you wish you could just live inside the mind of a child? Their honesty, innocence, and penchant for wonder never stop amazing me and what I love most of all is their willingness to share any thought or idea, no matter how far fetched, without any concern for how others might judge it. I think in many ways, that childlike view of the world is what all of us picture book authors are trying to channel into our work.
While I know your child is a bit older since that spark of inspiration, it must be so cool for them to know that this story exists because of them.
How did you approach going from this seed of an idea to what is now The Legend of
Leo? Was it something undeniable you had to write immediately or did you need to sit with this idea and let it grow for a while before it found its way to the page?
MA: This was 100% pantsed. The same day the idea formed I started typing. Each line that came out was a surprise to me. I didn’t know where I was going, but by the end, I arrived at a complete story and a character I adored. This is not to say the story that is now The Legend of Leo is where it started. There were many changes and revisions to get the story to where it is today. I wrote the first draft in 2020 and landed on the version that sold to Marble Press in 2023!
AH: I love how you took that inspiration and ran with it immediately while the idea was hot and your motivation was high!
Did you use any mentor texts while drafting this story?
MA: Great question! I Am a Tiger by Karl Newsome and Ross Collins was a key mentor text for this project. Dandy by Amy Dyckman and Charles Santoso was also a favorite in our house at the time and I’m certain it influenced the making of the story. Additionally, I looked to books such as A Big Mooncake for Little Star and even A Very Hungry Caterpillar as I explored different shapes the story might take. I discovered a chart I completed with a version of The Legend of Leo on one side and The Very Hungry Caterpillar on the other as I explored the idea of framing the story around the days of the week. I would like to pause at this juncture to say thank you to my CPs for reading so very many versions of this story and acting as guides to help me discover what the story truly was.
AH: Where would we be without our critique partners? They are the sounding boards, safe spaces, and voice of reasons when perhaps our ideas go too far off the rails.
Can you tell us a little bit about Pirate Baby?
MA: Pirate Baby is the story of a greedy pirate, a needy plant, and the way they help each other grow. Captain Callie, awesomely brought to life by Susana Soto, is used to taking whatever she wants, including her own pirate ship, but when she discovers a beautiful green treasure, she slowly discovers that sometimes giving to others feels even better than taking.
AH: I was hooked by the title, but now knowing the premise I want to read it even more.
Where did the inspiration for this story come from?
MA: Pirate Baby came from a Storystorm seed (Thanks, Tara Lazar!). I did a deep dive and I am pretty sure it was this post from author Laura Lavoie https://taralazar.com/2023/01/29/storystorm-2023-day-29/ that inspired me to write “The pirate gardener. Has one little plant out at sea but dreams of a place to grow a garden.” This is definitely not a description of Pirate Baby but it is the seed that got me there. The image of a pirate caring for a plant was one that stuck with me and kept nagging me to figure out how to write their story. I also think it stuck with me because my husband is the plant guy in our house. He makes sure we are bathed in green and growth, even during our New England winters. I find that caring for the plants is his calm place and I wanted to capture that, but with a layer of ridiculousness. Unlike The Legend of Leo, I plotted this story from start to finish.
AH: Yes, Storystorm! I love that you stuck with this inspiration until you found the perfect outlet for it.
Do you have any upcoming projects or news you would like to share with us?
MA: I can neither confirm nor deny future happenings.
AH: So it sounds like there's a chance. We will haver to just keep our fingers crossed and hope for the best until you ae able to share with us.
Where can people connect more with you?
AH: You can find me mostly on Instagram (@MonicaAcker1) and I occasionally pop onto BlueSky (monicaacker1@bsky.social). Also, please stop by my website, www.monicaacker.com for news, updates, and links on where to find my books.
AH: Readers be sure to connect with Amanda on social media and check out her website so you don't miss any of her exciting publishing news. And while you are at it please consider supporting her books in any way you can.
This could include:
- ordering from your favorite indie
- marking as want to read on Goodreads
-leaving a review
- making a library request
Monica, thank you so much for sharing all about THE LEGEND OF LEO and PIRATE BABY with us. I loved learning how these wonderful stories came to be.
ABOUT MONICA ACKER
Monica Acker is an author and educator located in Massachusetts. She is the author of Brave Like Mom (illustrated by Paran Kim), The Legend of Leo the Dandelion (2026, illustrated by Mikel Valverde) and Pirate Baby (2026, illustrated by Susana Soto). When not writing, Monica spends her time as the mom taxi to her three children and dreaming up vacations with her husband.
In the mood for more books?
I'd love for you to check out IN THIS CLASSROOM, by me and Arthur Lin.
In This Classroom is a heartwarming celebration of the school year, capturing the joy, struggles, and growth of students and teachers as they embark on an unforgettable journey of learning, friendship, and personal achievement.
ABOUT ANDREW HACKET
Andrew Hacket is a writer, second-grade teacher, and father of three. He is the author of In This Classroom, Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea, Curlilocks and the Three Hares, and Hope and the Sea.
His next book, IN OUR FAMILY illustrated by Charlotte Ager, hits shelves February 2027!
Andrew recognizes that being a kid is hard and he writes to create ways for kids to see themselves in stories and characters, to accept and overcome their insecurities, or to escape for just a little while through the power of their imaginations.
Wow, not one but two new PB's coming to a bookstore near you... I mean me!!! Thanks for sharing, Andrew! I always look forward to your posts!
I was excited to see the return of The Backstory- always a favorite! And to kick off the return with Monica’s two adorable stories was the perfect choice. Congratulations, Monica!