The idea for the Chunklings started on a weekend when my son and I were brainstorming creative ideas for books, like we often do. Over the summer, we had been watching a lot of superhero shows, and one day he said, “Wouldn’t it be funny if superheroes had powers that weren’t actually helpful? Like, really weird powers?” I laughed, but the idea stuck.

We kept building on it. What if one melted things just by staring too hard? What if another accidentally shot frosting everywhere? What if their powers caused more chaos than heroism, but they still tried their best?

Then, on the third day of school, my son noticed his plain backpack looked just like everyone else's. He wanted a way to make it stand out, so he designed a unique keychain and named it Chunkling.

That was the spark. I suggested we create a book together to give it a backstory—a world where strange powers exist, and being different isn’t just okay, it’s what makes you special.

The Chunklings were born from a weekend idea, a school backpack, and a whole lot of imagination. At the heart of it all is a message we hope sticks with everyone which is everyone is talented in their own way. Sometimes it can be tricky to figure out what your talent it, and how to use it, but that’s part of the adventure.