Paint with Ploof, created by Ben Clanton and Andy Chou Musser, published by Tundra (an imprint of Penguin Random House), ISBN: 9781774881941, release date: October 29, 2024.
I am so psyched. I have been doing this blog for a while, but today I will be doing my first cover reveal! And it’s for a book that I’m excited about: Paint With Ploof, a sequel to last year’s fantabulous Ploof, coming out from Tundra on October 29, 2024!
In 2023, I had a blast discovering Ploof (original review here), an interactive delight starring one cool shape-shifting cloud. Co-creators Ben Clanton and Andy Chou Musser invite listeners to, among other things, clap for, play hide and seek with, and sometimes assume the shape of the title character. Ploof has become one of my very favorites to read in storytimes. I gave the book as a gift this past holiday season. And it made my list of favorite picture books of 2023. I wasn’t alone in my praise. Review journals such as Publisher’s Weekly and Booklist also cheered on Ploof’s playful spirit and the captivating creativity Clanton and Musser bring to the project.
When Tundra (thank you Evan!) reached out and asked if I would like to present this cover reveal knowing I’m a fan, I said “yes” without hesitation. I know this will be one terrific romp!
What should we expect from the new Ploof book? The book’s web page (link after the cover reveal) says: Ploof is a little cloud who’s eager to make their first rainbow! But how? With your help, of course! Can you help Ploof find the right shape? Mix colors? Fly high to paint? Cheer Ploof on through the ups and downs of trying something new, follow along with some calming breathing exercises and find a new perspective!
Colors! Rainbows! Making art! Oh, I see a lot of potential here for classroom and programming use. (Please note that this cover reveal is happening on April 3, which is also National Find a Rainbow Day.)
Before I roll out the cover reveal, I wanted to share a little Q & A I did with co-creators Ben Clanton and Andy Chou Musser. In this photo, Andy is on the left and Ben is on the right:
What led to you two to collaborating on the first Ploof?
Ben and Andy: We’ve known each other for around 14-ish years now and been in a critique group together for about 7 of those years. We started collaborating in 2020. We both enjoyed each other’s work, often played drawing games together, and were curious what a book might look like if we collaborated. At first, the plan was to get together in person, but the pandemic began and we soon found ourselves doing that remotely. Our calls and collaborative google doc sessions became a highlight of each week for us. We worked on a few different story ideas and found we had some overlap. Turns out we both had our heads in the clouds! We combined a couple of our different ideas together and POOF! next thing we knew Ploof was taking shape.
What is your collaborative process?
Ben and Andy: We are very serious about keeping it all as fun as possible. We often begin a collaborative session with drawing games which soon turn into improv “yes, and . . .” play. When writing we will both open up the same Google doc and work on the same story at the same time. It’s amazing how we seem to frequently anticipate where the other person wants to go with it. It feels like a game! Sort of a puzzle where we piece our ideas together.
With Paint with Ploof we used post-it notes to storyboard together. We would draw oodles of options and see what felt like the best fit. With final illustrations it is a similar process. Each of us creates different components using powdered graphite, pencils, and paint which we then put together in Photoshop. The end result is something that neither of us would have created on our own!
How was working on the sequel different?
Ben and Andy: With the first book we had some growing pains trying to figure out our final illustration process. In Paint with Ploof it was generally much breezier as we had an established rhythm. One thing that did throw us for a bit of a rainbow loop though was how to paint the rainbows. That involved some new experimenting! Which in a way mirrored Ploof’s own creative journey and struggles. Like Ploof, we found we needed to embrace what might seem like mistakes at first. To take another look at things and give it another go.
Another thing that was special and different when creating the sequel came about from school visits we’ve been doing for the first book. We decided to preview a nearly final draft of Paint with Ploof. At one point in the book Ploof is feeling really sad and upset. We got the idea to ask the audience if there was anything they might like to say to Ploof. Next thing we knew kids were saying the sweetest things to encourage Ploof. We incorporated that interaction into the book, and it has become one of our favorite parts. We love the genuine and thoughtful discussions that come about with the kids.
Thank you Ben and Andy for your answers!
And now–drum roll please–here is the cover of Paint with Ploof:
Ooh, cannot wait to share this with kids!
And for an extra taste, here are some interior shots:
To read more about Paint with Ploof, please visit the publisher’s page for the book here.
Please visit Ben’s official site and Andy’s official site.
I hope you enjoyed this cover reveal!
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