Featured Illustrator: Leslie Helakoski

The Mitten's spring 2025 banner by Leslie Helakoski

Tall tree, Yooper/Y'all, tons of talented Michigan Children's Book Writers and Illustrators, Katrina, and Gators: Author/Illustrator Leslie Helakoski

Charlie Barshaw coordinates our regular Writer Spotlight feature and interviews writers of SCBWI-MI. In this piece, meet author, illustrator, author/illustrator,  former SCBWI-MI RA, and illustrator of our spring 2025 banner, Leslie Helakoski. To read an interview with Leslie from 2020, click HERE.

 

Leslie Helakoski

You mentioned in a Cynsations interview, that your love of language sprang from where you grew up. Growing up in Louisiana, you’ve got your French and Spanish and Creole languages just dancing with each other in the streets of New Orleans. Have any of your books been translated to other languages?

Language has always fascinated me. From  14^th century Cajun French to words that sound like a chicken.

BIG CHICKENS was translated into Korean.

And WOOLBUR was translated into Hebrew.

Glamour Pic of Leslie and Carrie in their RA days

Since we interviewed last, you’ve retired from your role as Regional Advisor for SCBWI-MI. You and Carrie Pearson presided over the organization during some glorious years. What do you miss about running a society of children’s book writers and illustrators? What do you miss least?

Oh I cannot tell you how much I miss the connections to our members that running the organization fostered. Having regular events kept me informed about what our members were doing and what was going on in the industry. As for what I miss least, that would be managing finances. That is not my strength but I’m proud that I did it without any catastrophes.

You’ve always had a dual affection for Louisiana (where you were born) and Upper Peninsula Michigan (where your husband Ward came from). Recently, you’ve been spending time in both places. I imagine the U.P. in the summer, and Louisiana during the winter? How’s life between two places?

Life between Louisiana and Michigan is perfectly designed for me. Mild winters down south are a treat and just try to get me out of the UP in the summer and fall.

I think living in different places is beneficial to writers –makes us think outside the norm.

 

Leslie and Ruth, E.B. Lewis, Kristen Reminar, Deb Gonzalez and Matt Faulkner

I was delighted to see you mention fellow author/illustrator Matt Faulkner as someone who coached you on illustrating for kids. He asked you to consider the character of each of your characters. Was it an “Eva Gabor or Phyllis Diller” type of pig? Lori Eslick, Ruth McNally Barshaw and you formed an art critique group. Who else helped get your books illustrated by you?

Yes, Ruth Barshaw, Lori Eslick and I met for years supporting each other and laughing our heads off as we tried to navigate this business. My art was not published yet and Ruth was just starting her Ellie McDoodle series. Our small group later expanded to include Cathy Gendron, Heidi Sheffield, Deb Pilutti, Kirbi Fagan, Matt Faulkner, Deborah Marcero and Lindsay Moore—all amazing illustrators! I still share work with several of these artists and know I can ask them if I need advice. Having others to discuss your work with is invaluable.

 

WOOLBUR

FAIR COW was the first book you wrote and illustrated. Publishers were happy to purchase your manuscripts, but they passed on having you illustrate. I’m sure you had art ready to show what the finished page would look like. When you started pursuing picture books, it was as an illustrator. What kept you going until you got the chance to show off your stuff?

I did think illustration would be my ticket in. But when I attended my first SCBWI event (which was in Green Bay, Wisconsin) I found the writing excited me more and I realized that my art needed more work.

I paid more attention to artists I admired and sought to transfer some of that energy into my work. I passed up the opportunity to sell Fair Cow to a major publisher and went with a small press in order to illustrate. Since then I’ve illustrated 6 of my 17 books. I don’t always want to illustrate my stories but sometimes---we creators have to get pushy.

One of the things that kept me going were those interactions with other members. The generosity of this kidlit community is unbelievable.

Your career, over your many years, has had dry periods. You broke out of a publishing slump when you published HOOT AND HONK. You said the lean years made you analyze what was selling, reading the new stuff, and finding ways to make your book useful for educators. What are the current trends you’re seeing in children’s publishing?

After 20 years in this business, I am not hunting for trends. I am writing what I’d like to see in the marketplace—mainly fun and interesting stories that make me laugh. That is my strong suit and I have some great things lined up.

You have formed a partnership with author Darcy Pattison. You present to Highlights as the PB&J (Picture Book and All that Jazz). How do the two of you collaborate for one worthwhile writing program?

Darcy Pattison and I met about 15 years ago at a Michigan SCBWI event. Darcy was one of the speakers. Something she said resonated with me and I showed her how I applied it to a manuscript I was working on. (BIG CHICKENS). Soon we were swapping manuscripts and stayed in touch. Now, we are honest and tough with each other as well as supportive. 

A few years later it happened that we were both speaking at SCBWI Pennsylvania event at the Highlights Foundation’s Barn. We ended up waiting in the airport for a couple of hours together. Inspired by the programs Highlights was sponsoring, we came up with a proposal of our own. 

We’ve been teaching there now for 10 years. We are both passionate about teaching writing though we approach it very differently. Our differences help us provide feedback to our students in different ways.

Our original workshops were called PBJ (Picture Books and All that Jazz) but the format has evolved over the years and Highlights has changed the name to Picture Book Authors and Illustrators Working Retreat.

WHEN THE RAIN CAME DOWN had a personal history of devastating storms. Over your lifetime you’ve seen dozens of hurricane rains, winds and floods. The book references a specific hurricane, but you had others in mind, too, didn’t you? What other storms influenced you?

You are right, Charlie, growing up in south Louisiana did provide a front row view of many storms. However, the storm that took my childhood home was not a hurricane. It was a stalled low pressure system that hovered over the gulf for days and days, dumping unprecedented water on the coastline.

Hurricane Katrina is such a well-known storm, and though it is alluded to in my book, it is not mentioned by name. I wanted the book to have a larger reach-- especially since flooding can happen in every state of the union.

I saw GATOR’S GOOD IDEA advertised, and also GATOR’S BIG MOUTH. Same gator?

I didn’t write gator’s good idea—sounds like a fun title. Sometimes that’s all it takes to get me scribbling..

BACK TO THE WOODS. Where does that stand? What’s it about?

Back to the Woods was a flat fee project with Kiwico, which creates craft kits for kids. They like to include books into some of their themed packages. Unfortunately, this means they are not in book stores and at this time are only available in the kits. This might change.

CRABBY NEIGHBORS (Putnam) and FAKE GNUS (GroundwoodBooks).  Tell us about these upcoming book babies.

FAKE GNUS (pronounced NOOZ)  is something I am working on illustrating right now. The art should be done in about a month. I’m having a great time with it and can’t wait to get it out there.

CRABBY NEIGHBORS, published by Putnam, started out as an early chapter book. Something different for me. While I was gathering rejections on it in that form, one editor passed on it but asked if I’d consider turning into a picture book.  That being my wheel house, I gave it a whirl and now it’s in the pipeline. The publisher has a strong vision for it. We just signed illustrator Alex Willmore for the project and expect it will be out in late 2027 or early 2028.

There are whispers that you’re working on a novel. Like, long-term working on it. Please say that you haven’t totally given up on your long-form brainchild.

It’s true I have been working on a novel for a few years. (YIKES) And it is almost finished—(More YIKES.) Writing a novel is SO different than writing a picture book. I love the complicated weaving of characters and scenes. But I miss the playful language that comes out of younger stories.

I am anxious to get back to polishing that novel. Of course, I’ve had a couple of writer friends look over it for me. I hope  to get it out to my agent after I finish the art for Fake Gnus.

When asked, who would you, living or dead, want to have lunch with, you said Mary Cassatt. Is she still your Plus One?

Hmm, that was when I read an article on the struggles that the impressionists went through --women in particular. But today I’d like to have lunch with that group of illustrators I mentioned earlier.

You’re also a writing coach, and you do manuscript critiques. What can a writer expect when they add you to their creative team?

First of all, I’m a sucker for a story. I’m a teacher at heart and love digging into what makes a story work. I’ve published 17 picture books over the years in many different formats. I encourage writers to explore different approaches to getting a story down. I push writers to reach and never to settle. 

Text can do more than just tell a story, it can cast a mood, tickle funny bones and weave in facts. I work in both prose and rhyme. I tend to be very wordy with my critiques, which I warn writers, can be a bit overwhelming. But I love getting feedback myself and think more is better than less in that department.

What’s next?

My agent has a few picture book manuscripts ready to circulate if I ever get that novel off my desk.

And Darcy and I are planning a new PB workshop at Highlights in September 13-16. We will have guest editor Matt Phipps from Putnam, and art director Aram Kim from FSG, along with me and Darcy and another guest writer.

Please share any social media platforms:

Helakoskibooks.com

Instagram:helakoskibooks

FB LeslieHelakoski