You’re listening to Burnt Toast! This is the podcast about anti-fat bias, diet culture, parenting and health. I’m Virginia Sole Smith.

Today I am chatting with Vashti Harrison, number one New York Times-bestselling author and illustrator of Little Leaders, Little Dreamers, and Little Legends — about her newest picture book, Big.

Big is such an important contribution to the representation of Black girls, and of fat kids, in literature. And this is a really moving conversation. I absolutely loved getting to know Vashti, hearing about her process, and about everything that went into this book. I hope it is really helpful to you in thinking about how to have conversations about anti-fat bias, but also about anti-Black racism and adultification, with your kids.

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AND - we have signed copies of Big and several of Vashti’s other books in the Burnt Toast Bookshop right now! Plus you can get 10 percent off that purchase if you also order (or have already ordered!) Fat Talk! (Just use the code FATTALK at checkout.)

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This week we have stunning behind-the-scenes illustrations from Big in its early stages. You don’t want to miss this.

Episode 116 Transcript

Virginia

Your book Big is a major favorite in our house, I just found it in my daughter’s bed the other day. It really, really means a lot to our family. Why don’t we start by having you tell listeners a little bit about yourself and your work?

Vashti

I am primarily an author and illustrator of children’s books—although author still feels like an awkward new term for me! I feel like I was thrust into the world of writing, but I came to it through drawing. I’ve always expressed myself through images.

My background is actually in filmmaking. I used to make experimental films, primarily shot on 16 millimeter, very kind of like artsy fartsy, definitely in a world outside of the commercial art world and definitely outside of making work for young people. But through the process of learning all of the tools and techniques and traditions of formal art making, I learned a lot of discipline and how to tell stories and when I rekindled a love for drawing I felt like so charged and excited to be expressing myself through my hands. It felt so different than making movies, which felt laborious and always required lots of gear and help. I felt so empowered to be able to tell any kind of story I wanted through illustration.

Not to jump right into the politics, but around the time of the Trump election, I just felt like I wanted to be making positive work. I wanted to be making work for young people. It just became only thing I was excited or interested in creating: Images and stories that felt like they were uplifting for young people.

Virginia

I think 2016 had that impact on a lot of us. I can relate to that feeling of: