A Sequel Coming This Summer That You Won’t Want to Miss: Bob Shea Discusses His Latest

So once in a while I get a note from Victoria Stapleton, the Executive Director of School and Library Marketing over at Little, Brown & Co. Victoria tends to do right by me. She often offers me good folks to talk to. And one of my favorites is, obviously, Bob Shea. I mean, when it comes to picture book humor, Shea’s the one to beat. If you asked me to name my favorite Shea book, I’d have a very difficult time trying to decide between Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great and Who Wet My Pants? Both, should be taught in picture book programs everywhere as the top of the form.

But you may be familiar with a different, cheekier title. I’d like to look you in the eye and assure you that when it was first released, I got the joke behind the name Chez Bob by Bob Shea without having to speak it aloud, but we both know that I’d be lying to you. Well, that little picture book has spurned its very own sequel, and that is what we’re going to discuss today. The book? Pizza for Birds. Or, put another way:

“Look out, Bob—there’s a new restaurant in town. Meet Ryan! This guy’s got it all: The hippest hair! The coolest bike tricks! The wildest parties! And most awesome of all…PIZZA FOR BIRDS! Can Bob—the big cheese at the best birdseed restaurant around—cook up a recipe for disaster that’ll stir the pot and push his rival to go south?

In this parody of the phenomenon of online bullying, Bob’s relatable flaws of jealousy, impulsive reactivity, and fear of abandonment offer a valuable lesson which will resonate in a world where lies and misinformation abound on the internet.”

I have so many questions.

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Betsy Bird: Mr. Bob!  Many thanks for taking the time to answer my questions. I was a great big fan of CHEZ BOB when it premiered back in 2021. What I had not counted on was seeing him return to us! What inspired a sequel? And did you always plan on having one or did it come to you as a surprise as well? 

Bob Shea: A bit of a surprise. Kids seemed to like Chez Bob. It won a few state book awards and was in the running in many others. These are the contests where the kids vote, which are the meaningful ones to me.

That boost gave me the confidence to write a sequel I had in mind. Little Brown was supportive and open.

BB: There are parents who claim to love their children, and then there are parents who put their children AND their bands into a picture book. That’s a whole other level of parental dedication. Knowing this as we do, it’s a rather fascinating psychological study to watch a man’s picture book creation and his son’s picture book avatar battle for dominance in a story. So let’s just tackle this from a practical standpoint. How did you decide on both the look of Ryan in this book, and his personality? Were there rejected early sketches or were you clear on his appearance from the get-go?

Bob: Oh my gosh, the look for Ryan was easy. It’s my son. Anytime a flannel shirt makes me look dumpy, I give it to Ryan. It magically looks fantastic on him. Must be the lighting. In early versions, Chez Ryan wore a knit hat because that’s what my son was wearing at the time. My editor Andrea Spooner suggested losing the hat. His long, flowy hair was funnier. She was right.

Oh, and in real life, Ryan is 4 inches taller than me. He’s 6’ 2”. I wasn’t trying to play that down. I just couldn’t fit him on the page.

BB: This may be the first picture book I’ve ever seen to tackle online anonymous flaming this directly. Bob essentially review bombs his (supposed) enemy. I must ask then, as a book creator do YOU read your online reviews? Goodreads? Amazon? 

Bob: I avoid them if I can. The solitude of this job lets you curate your mental landscape. A billboard that either says I’m good or bad just mucks up the view.

However, my favorite review of all time was your review of Unicorn Thinks He’s Pretty Great. I’m having that printed on the inside lid of my casket so I can read it for all eternity.

Just kidding, I’m being cremated.

BB: No worries. I’ll have it engraved on the interior of an urn for you. Now artistically, my favorite moment in this book is when one of the characters (who shall remain nameless) lets rip in a torrent of anger. So much so that his entire body looks as though he’s been colored in crayons or pastels. I’m 90% certain that all the work in this title is digital (the publication page, after all, tells us that “The illustrations for this book were done in a comfortable chair while ignoring persistent self-doubt”) but I gotta be sure. Was that sequence also digital or did you draw it by hand and scan it in? 

Bob: Oh, that was drawn digitally after some on-paper experiments. Digital tools are simply tools. The infinite possibilities are hard to ignore, but the result looks honest when I stick to a few brushes.

Thank you for mentioning that. Originally Bob apologizes and Ryan accepts right away and moves on. Andrea Spooner said that didn’t seem realistic. Again, she was right. I had the character flip out before they reconciled. Even when you forgive someone,you have to process it first. Ryan is a young alligator, not the buddha.

BB: You’ve returned to Bob’s world with a second book already, so it begs the question: Any chance of seeing Bob a third time? 

Bob: Hallmark has shown interest in A Very Chez Bob Christmas movie for Netflix. A lonely alligator restauranteur returns to his hometown for the holidays. He hires a handsome contractor to fix up his aging parents’ ramshackle house. They keep asking when Bob is going to get married. Chez Bob and the contractor butt heads. Bob is used to bird craftsmanship and quality and is vocal about his expectations. The contractor doesn’t want to listen to the opinions of a fancy chef from the gentrified forest. The contractor dreams of making custom furniture but doesn’t believe in himself. They both need dates for a friend’s wedding. Soon, sparks fly and everyone gets married.

This is a lie.

As for books, who knows?

BB: Stop breaking my heart, Bob. Finally, what do you have coming out next? 

Bob: Oh! I’m excited to be working on with Laurie Keller. She’s been my friend and a kid’s book hero forever. It’s called The Fun Lovin’ Curmudgeon. All the seldom-used words team up to take the spotlight from the beloved standards.

“I’ll believe it when I see it!” said Incredulous.

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See, folks, that’s what you pay your money to see. Betcha you didn’t have picture-book-inspired-Hallmark-movie on your bingo card today. I want to thank Bob profusely for answering all my questions. Thanks too to Victoria Stapleton and the folks at Little, Brown for putting the whole thing together in the first place. Pizza for Birds is out everywhere August 13th, so be sure to seek it out then.

Filed under: Interviews