The Backstory: WILL AND KRILL

The Backstory welcomes Stacey Byer to the blog today. She is here with her author-illustrator debut, WILL AND KRILL (Beaming Books) which will be releasing on June 10th. . The illustrations in this book will instantly draw readers in while the characters and messages will warm their hearts. Keep reading to learn all about the inspiration behind this book and for your chance to win a copy of your own.

AH: Welcome to The Backstory and thank you for joining us and sharing the inspiration behind WILL AND KRILL.

First off, please tell us a little bit about your story.

SB: Thank you so much for having me!

WILL AND KRILL is a heartfelt story about a shy, tiny whale who is often overlooked and ignored. So she sets off into the deep Caribbean Sea and makes an unexpected friend. It’s an empowering story about finding your own voice and standing up for others.

AH: WILL AND KRILL delivers these important messages in a beautiful way. They are certainly lessons we want our children to be hearing and emulating.

AH: What’s the story behind the story? What was your inspiration? Where did the idea come from?

SB: This book was largely inspired by my relationship with my sister. She was an introvert and I was not but in spite of it all, we became and still are best friends. I’ve always admired her quiet resilient strength and I really wanted to write a story about the value of being different and that everyone has a voice.

AH: You accomplished your goal and it seems like you had the perfect inspiration to help you along the way.

How did you approach going from this seed of an idea to what is now WILL AND KRILL? 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?

SB: Will and Krill is the fastest story I’ve ever written and it’s because most of the research was already rooted in my childhood and my relationship with my sister. I navigated through my story by tapping into our different personalities and how we would react to the same situations. I started stitching together different pieces very quickly. Like my sister loves whales. I love books about unusual friendships and how the Caribbean Sea would make a great setting as it reflects our diverse Caribbean community so well. 

AH: Those stories that are closest to us seem to have a way of pouring out of us. It so cool how you were able to pick and choose various aspects of your lived experience to build WILL AND KRILL.

Did WILL & KRILL undergo any major changes/revisions from the original version? If so, what led you to make these changes?

SB: No major writing changes but when I started working with my editor Liz Schleisman at Beaming Books, we expanded the story from 32 to 40 pages so I could turn some of the single page underwater scenes into full spreads - which I was very happy to do because I got to show more of Will’s world.

AH: That's great! I love when editors are able to make adjustements to help us show even more of our stories. Those full spreads are spectacular and definitely enhance the book.

Are there any books/authors that you feel influenced your work?

SB: I really loved Enid Blyton’s Secret Seven series and Faraway Tree series, These books helped build my imagination muscles. I also have always loved the emotional resonance of Shaun Tan’s stories.

AH: Where do you tend to find your inspiration or your sparks for ideas?

SB: I’m very inspired by my island and childhood. The Caribbean has a strong oral storytelling culture, vibrant communities and lots of natural beauty on land and sea so I get lots of creative inspiration! 

AH: And it is perfect inspiration for picture books! I can't wait to see what other projects you create.

AH: Do you have any upcoming projects or news you would like to share with us?

SB: With some of my friends I have created a non-profit to host an annual book festival on my island.  We held our first event last year. I created a children’s corner: with a focus on learning through creativity and promoting a stronger reading culture. We hope this initiative will help promote literacy and the importance of Caribbean literature to our region.

AH: Incredible! What a wonderful idea and great way to give back to the community I am sure the kids loved it!

AH: Where can people connect more with you?

SB: You can find me:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/stacebyer/

Bluesky: https://bsky.app/profile/staceybyer.bsky.social

Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/stacey-byer-a90001b/

Website: https://staceybyer.com/

AH: Readers be sure to connect with Stacey 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

Stacey, thank you so much for sharing all about WILL AND KRILL with us. I loved learning how it came to be.

---

GIVEAWAY!

Stacey is happy to offer a copy of WILL AND KRILL (US & INTL) to one winner.

Ways to enter:

1. Comment on social media post about this blog post. Additional entry for tagging friends!

or

2. Leave a comment on this post. Leave a social media tag where I can contact you if you are selected as the winner.

or

3. Post about this interview on social media and tell me in the comments that you did.

Each method earns an extra entry!

---

ABOUT STACEY BYER

Stacey Byer is a Caribbean author-illustrator who grew up on a volcanic island filled with folktales and adventure.

After graduating from Ringling College of Art and Design with a degree in Illustration, Stacey used her skills to promote art education and literacy on her island and worked with different organisations such as Room to Read, UNDP and Harper Collins UK.

Stacey also serves on her local library’s board where she advocates for the value of literacy and promotes a culture of reading.

Her experiences working with children have inspired her to write and illustrate stories that all kids can enjoy.

---

ABOUT ANDREW HACKET

Andrew Hacket  is a writer, second-grade teacher, and father of three. He is also the author of Ollie, the Acorn, and the Mighty Idea, Curlilocks and the Three Hares, and Hope and the Sea. 

His next book, IN THIS CLASSROOM illustrated by Arthur Lin, hits shelves next spring!

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.