An Interview with Douglas, You Need Glasses! Author Ged Adamson

The first time I got glasses was in the 7th grade. I remember putting them on, looking out the classroom window, and suddenly realizing that trees have individual leaves. Life was now in Technicolor. It was a revelation! Do you have glasses? If so, can you talk about your own aha glasses moment?
I do have glasses but I resisted getting a pair for a long time. I spent my childhood pretending I wasn’t nearsighted. Somehow I got away with it! It wasn’t until I was a teenager that I finally went to the optician. I remember it was actually stepping outside into the open air with my new glasses on that I had that “wow” moment. I saw the individual leaves as well and I saw amazing detail in everything. It was like I was looking through an incredible movie camera lens.
Why did you want to tell this story through the (nearsighted) eyes of a dog?
I love dogs. They will do anything for you but they’re also capable of profound laziness. Children can really identify with them. They almost see dogs as other kids. Having the main character as a dog seemed a fun way of showing the disadvantages of not getting glasses when you desperately need them. Dogs are incredibly interested in the world around them—so I thought having Douglas miss so much important stuff would make the reader rejoice when he finally gets his spectacles.

It’s cool that you feature framed photos of real kids with glasses at the back of the book. Can you explain this interactive element and how kids can get involved?
It feels natural after the very positive ending to then show the reader a lot of kids like themselves happy in their glasses. Readers and their parents can get on social media, use the hashtag #douglasyouneedglasses and join in the fun and show off their own glasses—or their dog’s.
What is your process like? Do the images or words come first?
It’s usually the images that come first along with a general idea of what I want the story to do. Then I’ll add text as I put together a rough sketched version of the book. It always changes a lot. Actually I’d say it’s the idea that comes first—and that can be triggered by a simple doodle. That’s how it was with this book.

Who are other author/illustrators who inspire you?
I love Beatrice Alemagna‘s work. It’s just beautiful with a unique style that also seems to have a very 1960s/70s flavor to it. She incorporates all kinds of different media in her illustrations. I like illustrators that have strong sense of design. Kevin Waldron is another author/illustrator whose work I find inspiring. His style is very bold and interesting but it’s not slick – I don’t like it when things are too Disneyish or too polished. Nadia Shireen’s books, as well as being wonderfully illustrated, are also just very funny. Ronald Searle and Charles Shultz have always been a big influence.

Do you have a favorite of your books? Or is it too hard to choose?
That’s a difficult one. I’ll always have a soft spot for my first book Elsie Clarke & the Vampire Hairdresser but I think I’ve improved a lot since then! I love Douglas as a character and working on this book has been such a great experience. Maybe this is a question for the future!
What’s up next for you? Are you working on a new book? (We hope!)  
I’m working on two new books that will be out next year. Shark Dog which I’m doing with Harper Collins—I’m really excited about that one. And I Want To Grow which is with Boyds Mill Press—I’ve had a lot of fun working on that.
Douglas, You Need Glasses! is on B&N bookshelves now.