{"id":2582,"date":"2013-06-11T06:58:52","date_gmt":"2013-06-11T12:58:52","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=2582"},"modified":"2013-06-11T06:58:52","modified_gmt":"2013-06-11T12:58:52","slug":"seven-questions-over-breakfast-with-zachariah-ohora","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/blaine.org\/sevenimpossiblethings\/?p=2582","title":{"rendered":"Seven Questions Over Breakfast with Zachariah OHora"},"content":{"rendered":"

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How Zachariah OHora’s son inspired the character Nilson from his latest book<\/em>
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No … wait just a second here …<\/em>
(Click to enlarge)<\/center><\/p>\n

This morning I’m making lots of room at the 7-Imp breakfast table for Zachariah OHora<\/a><\/strong> and Nilson (pictured above), the tantrum-throwing star of Zach’s latest book, No Fits, Nilson!<\/a><\/strong><\/em> (Dial, June 2013), what Kirkus<\/em> calls in their starred review<\/a><\/strong> an “amusing modern fable” and Pamela Paul at the New York Times<\/em> describes as<\/a><\/strong> a “charmingly original take on an evergreen concern.” It’s a tight squeeze here at the table, and he nearly throws a fit about it, but Nilson just<\/em> manages to fit. Plus, I gave him a gorilla eye lock, and he calmed down. <\/p>\n

But it’s just Zach I’m going to chat with; Nilson’s busy eating some choco-banana ice cream. Zach says his breakfast-of-choice is a Dutch Baby. “Okay, that sounds weird,” he adds. “By ‘Dutch Baby,’ I mean the pastry made of eggs, flour, and butter in a skillet. Not the human.”<\/p>\n

Zach’s debut picture book—Stop Snoring, Bernard!<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, which he both wrote and illustrated—up and won him the Society of Illustrators’ Founders Award<\/a><\/strong> (for new talent) in 2011. (That happened to be the year I juried for the Original Art award. The Original Art jury does not pick the recipient of the Founders Award, but I wholeheartedly cheered their choice that year anyway.)<\/p>\n

Zach saw two picture book releases this year, which you’ll read about below — one written by the talented Lisa Wheeler<\/a><\/strong>. (This is the one book of his I’ve yet to see, and I must remedy this.) I loved Zach’s art as soon as I met it, and I’m pleased he’s sharing lots of it today over coffee. Let’s get to it. <\/p>\n

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Jules<\/font><\/strong>: Are you an illustrator or author\/illustrator?<\/font><\/p>\n

Zachariah<\/font><\/strong>: Both! I’ve been a freelance illustrator in the editorial field for the past decade. No Fits, Nilson!<\/a><\/strong><\/em> is only the second book of mine being published, so I’m still not comfortable with calling myself an author. <\/p>\n

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Jules<\/font><\/strong>: Can you list your books-to-date?<\/font><\/p>\n

Zachariah<\/font><\/strong>: <\/p>\n