SATA
ENTRY TYPE:
WORK TITLE: Big City Buns
WORK NOTES:
PSEUDONYM(S):
BIRTHDATE:
WEBSITE: http://annahumphrey.com/
CITY: Kitchener
STATE:
COUNTRY: Canada
NATIONALITY: Canadian
LAST VOLUME: SATA 404
RESEARCHER NOTES:
PERSONAL
Born January 2, 1979, in Sudbury, Ontario, Canada; married; children: one daughter, one son.
EDUCATION:York University, B.A.; Centennial College, certificate in book and magazine publishing.
ADDRESS
CAREER
Writer, copywriter, and editor. Former editor of a webzine; works with various nonprofit organizations in marketing and communications.
WRITINGS
SIDELIGHTS
Canadian novelist Anna Humphrey began writing for teens and preteens after starting her writing career in the corporate communications arena. Beginning with her humorous Rhymes with Cupid, which focuses on a high-schooler’s dating dilemma, Humphrey also chronicles the efforts of a slightly younger girl to boost her social standing in Mission (Un)Popular. Her “Megabat” series of books showcase the friendship between a boy and a bat.
(open new1)In an interview on the CBC website, Humphrey talked with Craig Norris about the graphic novel format that she often uses. She admitted: “I think young readers love them. They maybe don’t get the respect they deserve in terms of awards or accolades from adults. But personally I would write for the kid mail alone, like just to get the letters I get, the drawings. That’s everything to me.”(close new1)
Featuring an “improbably wonderful” boyfriend who is “straight from a young teen fantasy,” Rhymes with Cupid will appeal to the many middle-school girls “looking for a light romantic confection,” according to Jan Chapman in Voice of Youth Advocates. In Mission (Un)Popular, Humphrey introduces readers to Margot Button. Margot started the seventh grade with high hopes, but things have not turned out as planned. Haunted by an ill-conceived shoplifting incident that has her publicly labeled as a bad influence—and resulted in her best friend’s getting sent to private school—Margot now sets her hopes on Em, a new student at Manning Middle School who is unfamiliar with Margot’s reputation. With her cosmopolitan, high-fashion flair and up-front manner of speaking, Em does not seem to care about where she stands with popular Sarah J. and the ruling middle-school clique. In fact, as Margot soon learns, Em has a mission: to take Sarah J. down a peg and disrupt the entire seventh-grade social hierarchy. But how far is too far?
Noting that Humphrey has a good sense of “the pressures and situations” encountered by many middle-grade girls, Colleen S. Banick added in School Library Journal that Mission (Un)Popular contains “a realistic account of life in the second tier of seventh grade” when bullying is a factor. “Insecure and self-deprecating,” according to a Publishers Weekly critic, Margot’s “hyperbolic, sarcastic sense of humor … will draw readers in,” and a Kirkus Reviews writer concluded that the preteen’s “cautionary tale offers an insightful look at a young girl’s journey of self-discovery and acceptance.”
Ruby Goldberg’s Bright Idea finds the ten-year-old titular protagonist preparing for her school’s science fair. She struggles with choosing the idea for her project. The project Ruby finally chooses forces her to collaborate with her enemy. She keeps her invention a secret until the fair. The book includes information on Ruby’s namesake, the inventor Rube Goldberg. Terry Ann Lawler, contributor to School Library Journal, commented: “This story, complemented by illustrations throughout, is great for kids interested in science.”
Clara Humble and the Not-So-Super Powers is the first book in Humphrey’s “Clara Humble” series, illustrated by Lisa Cinar. In this volume, Clara identifies her own supernatural ability to wake up at the same time each day and to make a mess with spilled liquids. She puts her superpowers to the test when a new group of kids begins attending her school. Meanwhile, Clara spends time drawing comics and hanging out with her friend Bradley. In an interview with Vikki VanSickle that appeared on VanSickle’s website, Humphrey stated: “At its core, Clara Humble and the Not-So-Super Powers is a book about a kid trying to cope with feeling powerless (something I felt often as a kid, and still do). I started writing it when I began planning to move to a new city. I knew that this very adult decision my husband and I were making was going to be really hard on my kids, as well as on our next door neighbour.” Reviewing the book in Resource Links, Mavis Holder remarked: “The bullying … may be typical and stereotyped, but will be understood by middle school readers.”
Clara and Bradley return in Clara Humble: Quiz Whiz. In this volume, she and the girls in her class are pitted against the boys, including Bradley, when a competitive quiz show called Smarty Pants begins recruiting in their town. Writing in School Library Journal, Laura J. Giunta described the book as “a satisfying sequel for younger readers seeking realistic fiction with levity and a plucky protagonist.” A Kirkus Reviews critic commented: “Smart, lively, and genuine, Clara Humble will feel familiar to anyone who has ever ignored that worried feeling in the pit of their stomach.”
In Clara Humble and the Kitten Caboodle, Clara and Bradley discover a cat and her kittens and beg their parents to let them adopt them. Clara makes a movie featuring the kittens and her comic book hero, @Cat. A Kirkus Reviews contributor described the book as “a fun, funny, and friendly episode in the saga of the indomitable Clara Humble.”
Megabat tells the story of a boy named Daniel, who is adjusting after a move. He meets a bat, who is also homesick, and befriends him. Daniel and Talia, his neighbor, plan to help Megabat find his way back home to Borneo. In an interview with a contributor to the Shelf Awareness website, Humphrey explained: “I started writing Megabat with my own kids in mind. Our family’s move wasn’t a big one, as these things go, but for my children (ages four and nine at the time) it was earth-shaking. Our old house was the only one they’d ever known, and we left a lot of good friends and neighbors behind. I wanted a protagonist that they (and other kids) could relate to.”
Jamie Jensen, a reviewer in School Library Journal, suggested: “Early readers will enjoy the happy ending in this story of finding friendship in unlikely places.” Writing in Resource Links, Carmelita Cechetto-Shea described the volume as an “endearing and hilarious chapter book.” Cechetto-Shea concluded: “Ultimately, Daniel and Magabat find the true meaning of home, a lesson for all readers, young and old. Megabat would be a great chapter book introduction for reluctant readers, especially boys. A must for any school or public library, especially as a read-aloud.” “The miscommunications between humans and a fruit bat are ridiculous yet funny, and Reich’s soft illustrations add further, gentle humor,” asserted a Kirkus Reviews critic.
Humphrey published the sequel, Megabat and Fancy Cat, in 2019. Megabat is looking forward to celebrating Christmas in Canada for the first time. Daniel gifts Megabat a cat named Priscilla. Megabat and Birdgirl, a pigeon friend of his, believe that they must divert their attention from stopping the squirrels from getting the birdseed to now getting rid of Priscilla. The two try repeatedly but fail. Eventually, they realize that Priscilla may be able to help them beat the squirrels. Writing in Resource Links, Nicole Rowlinson insisted that “this enjoyable sequel will entertain and engage early chapter book readers, as well as reluctant readers, and has a satisfying conclusion.” A contributor to Kirkus Reviews noted that Megabat’s “idiosyncratic English … takes some getting used to.” Nevertheless, the same reviewer concluded: “Fancy or not, this quick read is amusing.”
In Quack, Pouya and Shady are happy to have helped reunite some baby ducks with their mother. However, when they get home, they realize that one of the ducklings has followed them. Shady suffers from severe anxiety and selective mutism. So when his mother sees him quacking softly to the little duck, she lets the boys keep it. The newly dubbed emotional-support duck joins Shady at school. While this is helpful for him, it also creates a few problems. In a review in School Library Journal, Brenda Kahn opined that “this windows/mirror story is an excellent addition to youth literature collections, and should be well received.”
In 2022, Humphrey started a new illustrated informational fiction series, “Bee & Flee.” It began with Bee & Flea and the Compost Caper and then followed with Bee & Flea and the Puddle Problem. The two titular bugs are investigators for the Fenced-in Area Law Enforcement Agency (F.L.E.A.) as well as good friends. In Bee & Flea and the Puddle Problem, Flea tries to get Bee to go to a party after work. Bee thinks she should be working to obtain her badge, but she decides to tag along and has a wonderful time at the puddle. There, however, she notices that the puddle is shrinking, and she has to figure out why. Humphrey incorporates STEM content into the story, and Mike Deas’s black-and-white illustrations combine cartoony elements and naturalistic detail. A writer in Kirkus Reviews appreciated both the “entertaining back and forth” between the two protagonists and the educational material the story presents about the water cycle and other environmental concepts.
(open new2)In Megabat and the Not-happy Birthday, Daniel is getting ready to host his birthday party and is looking forward to getting some nice gifts. Megabat wants gifts, too, even though it isn’t his birthday. Megabat runs away during the party but realizes that he does not want to be alone. A Kirkus Reviews contributor acknowledged that “fans of the series will enjoy this amusing fourth book.” However, the same reviewer worried that “newcomers may have a hard time warming up to the title character.”
With Buns Gone Bad, rabbit siblings Biggie, Boingy, and Flop enter the world on their own after their mother moves to Brazil to become a jujitsu master. Flop is an evil mastermind, while Boingy is playful and always hungry, and Biggie just wants to cuddle. They learn to deal with chipmunks, bees, and dogs with the help of some raccoons. A Kirkus Reviews contributor pointed out that the book offered “absurd animal antics in a familiarly funny setting.” A contributor to Publishers Weekly remarked that “the creators evoke the Bad Guys in this graphic novel series launch, a clever and compact origin story.”
From Megabat with Love finds Megabat wanting to do something nice for his crush, Birdgirl, on Valentine’s Day. Daniel is aiming to get his Sharing and Caring Bird Scouts badge. A series of mishaps creates some funny moments for the group of friends. Writing in School Library Journal, Olivia Gorecke suggested that new readers were “sure to enjoy the friendship shared among Daniel, Talia, the animals, and newcomer Alton, as well as the important lessons they learn.”
In Big City Buns, Biggie, Boingy, and Flop have conquered the park and its playground and are eager to expand their horizons. They partner with a rat pack to explore the carnival that sets up across the street. While the rats teach them a lot about urban living, the bunnies end up relying on their cuteness to achieve their goals. A Kirkus Reviews contributor said that the book is “cute and lightly snarky, with jokes and jaunts galore.”(close new2)
BIOCRIT
PERIODICALS
Bulletin of the Center for Children’s Books, October 1, 2011, Karen Coates, review of Mission (Un)Popular, p. 84.
Kirkus Reviews, May 1, 2011, review of Mission (Un)Popular; July 15, 2017, review of Clara Humble: Quiz Whiz; May 1, 2018, review of Megabat; June 15, 2018, review of Clara Humble and the Kitten Caboodle; March 1, 2019, review of Megabat and Fancy Cat; March 1, 2020, review of Quack; January 15, 2021, review of Megabat and the Not-Happy Birthday; March 1, 2023, review of Bee & Flea and the Puddle Problem; January 15, 2021, review of Megabat and the Not-happy Birthday; March 15, 2024, review of Buns Gone Bad; February 1, 2025, review of Big City Buns.
Publishers Weekly, April 25, 2011, review of Mission (Un)Popular, p. 138; July 2, 2018, review of Megabat, p. 70; February 19, 2024, review of Buns Gone Bad, p. 63.
Resource Links, February 1, 2017, Mavis Holder, review of Clara Humble and the Not-So-Super Powers, p. 13; April 1, 2018, Carmelita Cechetto-Shea, review of Megabat, p. 14; April 1, 2019, Nicole Rowlinson, review of Megabat and Fancy Cat, p. 11.
School Library Journal, August 1, 2011, Colleen S. Banick, review of Mission (Un)Popular, p. 108; April 1, 2014, Terry Ann Lawler, review of Ruby Goldberg’s Bright Idea, p. 148; August 1, 2017, Laura J. Giunta, review of Clara Humble: Quiz Whiz, p. 87; June 1, 2018, Jamie Jensen, review of Megabat, p. 72; April 1, 2020, Brenda Kahn, review of Quack, p. 128; May, 2022, Jennifer Noonan, review of Bee & Flea and the Compost Caper, p. 68; November 1, 2024, Olivia Gorecke, review of Big City Buns, p. 65.
Voice of Youth Advocates, April 1, 2011, Jan Chapman, review of Rhymes with Cupid, p. 60; June 1, 2011, Ed Goldberg, review of Mission (Un)Popular, p. 167.
ONLINE
Anna Humphrey website, http://anna-humphrey-snkg.squarespace.com (November 11, 2025).
Book Q&As with Deborah Kalb, http://deborahkalbbooks.blogspot.com/ (December 13, 2018), Deborah Kalb, author interview.
Canadian Children’s Book Week, https://bookweek.ca/ (November 2, 2020), author profile.
CBC website, https://www.cbc.ca/ (June 23, 2024), Craig Norris, “Kitchener Author Anna Humphrey’s Graphic Novel Focuses on Some Sassy Bunnies.”
Owl Kids, https://owlkidsbooks.com (June 12, 2023), author interview; (October 9, 2024), author interview.
Shelf Awareness, http://shelf-awareness.com/ (September 27, 2018), author interview.
Transatlantic Agency website, http://transatlanticagency.com/ (September 27, 2018), author profile.
Tundra Books website, https://tundrabooks.com/ (November 8, 2024), author interview.
Vikki VanSickle website, https://vikkivansickle.wordpress.com/ (September 19, 2016), Vikki VanSickle, author interview.
Anna Humphrey
Genres: Children's Fiction, Young Adult Fiction, Young Adult Romance
New and upcoming books
August 2025
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At the Rescue Cat Cafe
Series
Clara Humble
1. Clara Humble and the Not-So-Super Powers (2016)
2. Clara Humble: Quiz Whiz (2017)
3. Clara Humble and the Kitten Caboodle (2020)
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Megabat
1. Megabat (2018)
2. Megabat & Fancy Cat (2019)
3. Megabat Is a Fraidybat (2020)
4. Megabat and the Not-Happy Birthday (2021)
5. Megabat Megastar (2023)
6. From Megabat with Love (2024)
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Bee and Flea
1. Bee & Flea and the Compost Caper (2022)
2. Bee & Flea and the Puddle Problem (2023)
Bee & Flea and the Fall Fiasco: 3 (2024)
3. Bee & Flea and the Fall Fiasco (2024)
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Fluffle Bunnies
1. Buns Gone Bad (2024)
2. Big City Buns (2025)
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Novels
Rhymes With Cupid (2010)
Mission (Un)Popular (2011)
Ruby Goldberg's Bright Idea (2013)
Quack (2020)
At the Rescue Cat Cafe (2025)
Whether I’m imagining new stories or helping an organization deliver its messages, one thing never changes: I love working with words!
I was born in 1979 in Sudbury, Ontario. I moved to Ottawa when I was eight years old. It was a lucky thing for me, partly because it meant that, when I turned 14, I could audition for Canterbury Arts High School—home to one of only two creative writing programs for high school students in Canada.
I went on to earn a BA in English at York University and a post-diploma certificate in Book and Magazine Publishing at Centennial College. After graduation, I knew I wanted to work with words, but I’d been led to believe writers had to eat tuna fish every night and live in shoeboxes. So, instead, I tried my hand at some responsible jobs that used writing skills.
I was the marketing person for a poetry organization, then I worked in communications for the Girl Guides of Canada. I also edited a web-zine for teen girls, interned at a decorating magazine and worked for the government… and although all of those things were good, none of them were quite the right fit.
Some years later, after my daughter was born, I quit my day job to stay home with her. And, in any spare moment I could find, I worked toward my big dream: publishing a YA novel.
That dream came true in the summer of 2008 when, following a bizarre and sort of mind-boggling series of events, an agent agreed to represent me and sold Mission (Un)Popular to Disney/Hyperion Books for Children.
And while I soon discovered that the shoe box/tuna fish thing wasn’t entirely true, it also wasn’t entirely false. Most writers (even published ones) need to supplement their incomes.
At around the same time my first book sold, I started my own freelance writing and editing business working with youth- and family-serving organizations. But far from being “the thing I do to make ends meet,” the clients I work for (and the work I do) are every bit as close to my heart as my fiction is.
Over the years, I’ve had the chance to help some truly great organizations deliver their messages and meet their goals. These include the Ontario Physical and Health Education Association (Ophea), the Ontario Ministry of Community and Social Services, the Canadian Cancer Society, Health Nexus, Parent Action on Drugs, the Ontario Council of Agencies Serving Immigrants (OCASI) and CMAS Canada.
These days I live in a big, old brick house in Kitchener, Ontario with my husband and two kids, but I regularly work with publishers in New York and Toronto, and with clients based in Toronto, Ottawa, Montreal and Sudbury.
November 8, 2024 by Tundra Books
Creator Spotlight: Anna Humphrey
At Tundra Books, we want you to get to know and love our creators as much as you know and love their books. Our creator spotlight series will introduce you to the people behind some of your favorite titles . . . this week, say hello to Anna Humphrey!
About the Author:
ANNA HUMPHREY has worked in marketing for a poetry organization, in communications for the Girl Guides of Canada, as an editor for a webzine, as an intern at a decorating magazine, and for the government. None of those was quite right, so she started her own freelance writing and editing business, created the Megabat, Bee and Flea and Clara Humble series and wrote many other books for kids and teens. She lives with her husband and two kids in a big, old brick house in Kitchener, Ontario.
Fast Five with Anna Humphrey:
If you could live anywhere, where would it be?
I love where I live now (in an old brick house in Kitchener, Ontario), but I wouldn’t mind living near the water someday. One little waterfront town I adore is Meaford, Ontario. It’s on the shores of Georgian Bay, and I can definitely see myself there in some cozy little cottage.
What’s one thing that can instantly make your day better?
Kittens. Part of my week usually involves volunteering at a cat shelter, cleaning litter boxes and scritching ears, etc. Walking into the kitten room is so good for my soul that I honestly can’t believe they don’t charge money to volunteer there. There’s no joy like vacuuming a room while kittens climb your pants.
Which meal is your favorite: breakfast, lunch, or dinner?
Breakfast. Because I have a fancy espresso machine and also because it’s the one meal at my house where everyone always just makes their own, so I can have whatever I want without anyone making a BLECK face at it.
What’s the best concert you’ve ever been to?
My best concert was my first concert: seeing Sloan at an all-ages venue at Carleton University. I didn’t have any other paper with me, so Jay Ferguson (guitarist and vocalist) signed my bus pass right next to my name so it said Anna Humphrey & Jay Ferguson could ride Ottawa Public Transit together. I felt like this bonded us for life somehow (although I’m not sure if he’d agree).
Who would win in a fight: Megabat & Birdgirl or the Fluffle Bunnies?
Oh, the Fluffle Bunnies, hands down (or should I say paws down?) They’re way more crafty and cunning. Megabat is much too kind to fight, anyway. He’d talk it out using his own funny words.
Kitchener author Anna Humphrey's graphic novel focuses on some sassy bunnies
Buns Gone Bad tells the story of bunny siblings Biggie, Bongi and Flop
CBC News · Posted: Jun 23, 2024 7:00 AM EDT | Last Updated: June 23, 2024
Woman holds up book while smiling for camera
Kitchener author Anna Humphrey has a new graphic novel called Fluffle Bunnies: Buns Gone Bad. (Kate Bueckert/CBC)
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A fluffle of bunnies is causing havoc in Anna Humphrey's graphic novel Fluffle Bunnies: Buns Gone Bad.
The first in the Kitchener author's series follows a trio of sassy bunnies named Biggie, Bongi and Flop.
She recently spoke with CBC K-W's The Morning Edition host Craig Norris about the book.
The following interview has been edited for length and clarity.
Audio of the interview can be found at the bottom of this article.
Craig Norris: What is Buns Gone Bad about?
Anna Humphrey: Well, it's a graphic novel aimed at six to nine-year-olds about a fluffle, which is actually the word for a group of wild rabbits. It's about three young wild rabbits who are left to fend for themselves after their mother hops off to Brazil to become a Jiu-Jitsu master.
The first book is about how they take over the park. So it's going to be a series, three books at least, and this is their origin story where they take over the park. The next book is the city and then we're going to go for the world.
Craig Norris: Are they bad bunnies?
Anna Humphrey: I mean, they're mischievous bunnies, which is something I love about bunnies. If you've ever met a real bunny, that is how they are and any gardener can tell you that or anyone with a pet bunny.
I follow a Facebook group where people just post the chaos and destruction their pet rabbits bring to their home.
Craig Norris: Where did you get the idea for this book?
Anna Humphrey: Well, we live across the street from an elementary school. And one day, a couple of years ago, my son came home and he said, mom, do you wanna see a secret? And I was like, yes, who doesn't want to see a secret?
So he took me across the street to where the school bus loading zone sign was and right at the base there was covered in sort of dry grass, a nest of itty-bitty tiny baby bunnies. And I thought to myself, well, mama rabbit, poor choice.
Hundreds of kids trample through there every day, twice a day.
But then my son and I did some research about rabbits, and we learned that mother rabbits aren't the nurturing types. Like you said, they show up at dusk and dawn to feed their young. Aside from that, they kind of hop off to avoid attracting predators and they do whatever rabbity stuff they feel like doing that day.
So got me rethinking that maybe it wasn't a poor choice, maybe it was an excellent choice. She had them in plain sight, which is so cunning, right? And she raised them up to be resilient bunnies who could definitely take on the world and perhaps take it over.
Craig Norris: When did creative writing become something that that you sort of fell in love with?
Anna Humphrey: I was a very shy kid and in second grade there was a lot going on in my family. I pretty much stopped talking. And I had a very special elementary school teacher at the time who noticed this about me and she caught me not long after that writing a play behind my math book when I should have been doing my math.
Instead of getting mad at me, she said, 'Show me that later.' And then she took it one step further and had the whole class put the play on.
It was so special and as a really shy kid who wasn't talking at all, that was the first time I saw how I could have a really big loud voice through writing. And I've been pretty much hooked ever since. Although it took me longer than that to make a career of it, of course.
Craig Norris: That teacher knows what impact they had on you?
Anna Humphrey: I tried to find her a couple of years ago and she's long since retired.
CanadianMegabat
Craig Norris: Your first young adult book was Mission Unpopular. It's more of a traditional novel. Talk about the evolution here, the difference between that book and then moving into Fluffle Bunnies and working on a graphic novel.
Anna Humphrey: Yeah, I feel like I'm regressing the older I get. I started out writing for teenagers and then the further away I got from being a teenager, the less connection I felt to I guess those stories.
But my own kids being sort of a middle grade age, I knew a lot about that. And now six to nine-year-olds are just my people. I love them. I could hang out with them all day. I love how how funny and weird and curious they are.
Craig Norris: Do you feel that graphic novels get the the respect they deserve, especially with young readers?
Anna Humphrey: I think young readers love them. They maybe don't get the respect they deserve in terms of awards or accolades from adults. But personally I would write for the kid mail alone, like just to get the letters I get, the drawings. That's everything to me.
Craig Norris: What would you say to parents or caregivers out there who are thinking, well, I'm not going to let my child read a graphic novel thinking that maybe it's not challenging enough?
Anna Humphrey: I think whatever kids want to read is what they they should be reading. That's how you inspire a love of reading.
When my son was really young, he was a very reluctant reader, but he was really into cars. So I kid you not, we used to read Auto Trader magazine as a bedtime story. It's like "Ford Focus $10,000"! Oh it was brutal but that's what he loved. So that's what we did and now he's a reader. It just took some time.
Craig Norris: How far along are you on the next Fluffle Bunnies?
Anna Humphrey: The next one is being illustrated as we speak by Irma Kniivila, a Canadian artist, who is living in Mexico right now. So there will be one more after that.
And I also write a series called Megabat about a tiny talking fruit bat. I've got one more of those coming. That'll be the sixth book in the series, which is hard to believe.
And besides that, I have my first picture book coming out with Owl Kids. That's about a year out. And it's based on my experiences volunteering with Kitchener Stray Cat Rescue, which is the best hour of my week. I get to go hang out with like 20 kittens and call it volunteer work. I scritch ears and clean litter boxes. So that's the story for younger kids, sort of age four to six.
Creator Corner: Bee & Flea series author Anna Humphrey and illustrator Mike Deas
June 12, 2023
Welcome to Creator Corner! Each month we interview the creators of one of our recent books. This month, we interviewed Bee & Flea chapter book series author Anna Humphrey and illustrator Mike Deas. The second book in the series, Bee & Flea and the Puddle Problem, published in spring.
Owlkids Books: Anna, when did you know that you wanted to be an author?
Anna Humphrey: I was in grade 6 when I found out that Canadian author Gordon Korman wrote his first book in the seventh grade. I remember thinking, “Okay! I’ve got a year to get this done!” I never did finish (and definitely didn’t publish) the book I started that year. But I also never got over feeling jealous of Gordon Korman, which is how I knew I wanted to be a writer too.
OKB: Mike, when did you know that you wanted to be an illustrator?
Mike Deas: Probably around 8 or 9 [years old]. I have always drawn pictures, and [I] loved reading comics. When I realized it was a job I could do, I got excited by the possibilities. I started working in video game concepts first and moved into illustration from there.
OKB: Anna, what are your favorite things to write about?
AH: Almost all my books feature animals, and lately (in both the Bee & Flea series and the Megabat* series) unlikely friendships tend to play a huge part.
OKB: What inspired you to write this series?
AH: Did you know that there are microscopic creatures living in your eyelashes? Neither did I. And now I (and unfortunately you) can never un-know it. It’s okay though. Try not to worry. They actually help us out by feeding on the oil and grime that builds up around our eyes.
When I learned about eyelash mites (technically called Demodex folliculorum), it got me wondering what other itty-bitty creatures unseen were all around us doing important (and often unsung) work. But to see them clearly, I felt like I needed some characters who were a lot smaller than me: enter Bee and Flea and all their backyard adventures.
OKB: Mike, which spread did you most enjoy illustrating and why?
MD: My favorite illustration to do was (the one on page 77) when Bee finds the dried, flattened baby water bear before she throws it back into the puddle to rehydrate.
OKB: Which illustration was most challenging, and why?
MD: I think the most challenging things to illustrate from the Bee and Flea series are the insects. Making them cartoony and goofy characters to fit the stories, while still trying to somewhat stay true to how they look in real life.
OKB: What do you hope readers will take away from this series?
MD: I love the themes of friendship and different personalities Anna Humphrey has included in these stories. I hope readers can take away that notion of friendships can come from all different places!
AH: I hope readers will laugh at Bee and Flea’s antics, but that they’ll also leave the story just a little more aware of how—big and small—the creatures of the world work together in wonderful ways.
OKB: What’s a fun fact people may not know about you?
AH: Just like Bee & Flea, I spend a lot of time in my backyard! They work out of garden shed they call Shedquarters, and I work in a little cabin we had built during the early part of the pandemic when I needed a quiet place to write. We call it the Cabanna (with 2 Ns) since it’s a cabin for an Anna. Last summer, my neighbor even made me a cute little Bee & Flea whirligig that I keep on the front porch.
*The Megabat series is published by Penguin Random House.
Creator Corner: Author Anna Humphrey and Illustrator Mike Deas
October 9, 2024
Welcome to Creator Corner, a blog series where we interview the creators of our recent books. For this post, we interviewed Bee & Flea and the Fall Fiasco author Anna Humphrey and illustrator Mike Deas, whose book published September 15, 2024!
This is the third and final book featuring crime-solving pair Bee and Flea. Check out the full series here!
Owlkids Books: Anna, how did writing the third book in the series differ from writing the first two books?
Anna Humphrey: Writing a book is never easy, but I will say that writing the third book in a series is a little less hard. By book three, I had a level comfort with the characters, so it was easier to spot (and correct) when Flea said something that wasn’t quite Flea-like, or Bee lost her cool too quickly, even for her.
Owlkids Books: Mike, what (or who) inspired the Bee and Flea characters?
Mike Deas: When working on the designs for Bee and Flea, I spent a lot of time looking at pictures of actual Bees and Fleas. I really wanted to play with Bee’s big round shape to help distinguish her as a honey bee. While working on Flea. I wanted her mouth to be a large part of her design, to match hear boisterous personality.
OKB: Anna and Mike, what was the most enjoyable part of the research process for this book? Did you find any interesting facts that stuck out to you?
AH: Before writing this book, I didn’t know anything about woolly bear caterpillars—a super-fuzzy caterpillar with special anti-freeze blood—and now they’re my second favorite kind of caterpillar. My first favorite is the Uraba Lugens (also known as the mad hatterpillar). It’s an Australian caterpillar that melts the skin on its head off up to 13 times and uses those old heads to make itself a very fancy hat.
MD: I have always thought woolly bear caterpillars are really cool because of their fuzziness and I really love classic cars. So I thought it was really neat when I learned they have anti-freeze blood! Which reminds me I should go check mine!
OKB: Mike, what was the most enjoyable part of illustrating this book? What was the most challenging part?
MD: The most enjoyable part was the initial sketches, Anna’s stories are so full of life, and it makes it so exciting to sit down and see it come together. The most challenging part for me is usually consistency: making sure the characters are wearing the correct things and holding the right objects at the right time in order to match the writing and story.
OKB: Anna, what was the most challenging part of bringing this story to life?
AH: I knew right from the start that this would be the last book in the series. It was a challenge to wrap up the story in a way that felt final without feeling sad.
OKB: Mike, did you have a favorite spread?
MD: My favorite illustration is on page 31. Bee finds a furry scarf and snugs in and leans up against a chrysanthemum stem for a snooze. She doesn’t realize it yet but her scarf is Fuzz, a woolly bear caterpillar.
OKB: Anna and Mike, what do you hope readers will take away from this book?
AH: I hope readers will laugh and enjoy the story… and while they’re at it, I hope they’ll learn a few cool science-y facts about the things going on in their very own backyards.
MD: I hope readers take away the general feeling of kindness and lightheartedness that Anna’s writing has to it. Working on the Bee and Flea books always leaves me with warm feelings.
OKB: Anna and Mike, what’s a fact people may not know about you?
AH: I don’t solve crimes in my backyard, like Bee and Flea, but I do work there! I have a little wooden cabin for writing at the end of the yard. It’s just big enough for a desk and a reading chair. It’s also got a ladder that leads to a cozy loft for napping and daydreaming. I have a cat named Squishy who is really good at climbing ladders, so she and I spend a lot of time taking loft naps together.
MD: When I was young I sometimes struggled with reading so I feel fortunate to be able to contribute to books and stories that will hopefully help others overcome the speed-bumps of learning to read.
Humphrey, Anna MEGABAT AND THE NOT-HAPPY BIRTHDAY Tundra (Children's None) $12.99 3, 2 ISBN: 978-0-7352-6604-9
Megabat goes overboard at Daniel’s birthday, causing a bit of trouble.
Daniel’s birthday is coming up, and he’s throwing a party. All of his friends are excited and ask Daniel what he wants for presents. Megabat wants some too, but when Daniel explains that only the birthday person receives gifts, Megabat thinks it is unfair. As Daniel prepares for his All-You-Can-Eat Sugar Cereal Pig-Out Party, going shopping and making a pinata, Megabat’s excitement starts to grow. But Megabat notices Daniel and their friend Talia keeping secrets, causing Megabat to feel left out. On the day of the party, Megabat has to hide under Daniel’s hat, can’t play the party games, and is scolded a few times. When Megabat loses his temper, he breaks one of Daniel’s birthday presents and decides to run away. Megabat soon finds out being alone with nowhere to go is not easy or fun. This fourth installment of the series is another funny, quirky story about personal insecurities and friendship. Megabat here comes off as whiny rather than sympathetic, with behavior that may alienate readers. The familiar black-and-white drawings are adorable, however. Megabat’s idiosyncratic English can be difficult to read and understand at times. Daniel is of Japanese heritage; Talia presents White.
Fans of the series will enjoy this amusing fourth book, but newcomers may have a hard time warming up to the title character. (bat facts) (Fantasy. 7-10)
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"Humphrey, Anna: MEGABAT AND THE NOT-HAPPY BIRTHDAY." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Jan. 2021. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A648127063/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=d6fcff37. Accessed 17 Aug. 2025.
Buns Gone Bad (Ruffle Bunnies #1)
Anna Humphrey, illus. by Irma Kniivila. Tundra, $13.99 (176p) ISBN 978-1-7748-8126-2; $9.99 paper ISBN 978-1-77488-132-3
According to the narrator--a tough, unnamed moth who speaks with noir-like flair and sports a private detective feeling chapeau--bunny siblings Biggie, Boingy, and Flop "have moved onto bigger, better things" from the hole in the park where they were born. Once the trio was weaned, Mama Fluffle left to become a jujitsu master in Brazil, prompting evil mastermind Flop, cuddle-bun Biggie, and playful, voraciously hungry Boingy to venture out of their burrow alone. As they forage for themselves, the fluffle encounter opportunistic chipmunks, bee stings, and "mean and nasty" dogs. To survive, the rabbits must learn how to navigate the scariest parts of the park, which the narrator describes in titillating detail as the siblings meet a pair of raccoons willing to help--for a price. Dialogue by Humphrey (the Bee and Flea series) swiftly establishes each protagonist's personality and the stakes of their new situation, while b&w illustrations by Kniivila (Everyday Hero Machine Boy) highlight fluid movement and expressive faces by maintaining close views of the characters and their emotions, even as the bunnies' world grows ever larger. Together, the creators evoke the Bad Guys in this graphic novel series launch, a clever and compact origin story. Ages 6-9. (May)
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 PWxyz, LLC
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"Buns Gone Bad (Ruffle Bunnies #1)." Publishers Weekly, vol. 271, no. 7, 19 Feb. 2024, pp. 63+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A785161781/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=4dd27dc5. Accessed 17 Aug. 2025.
Humphrey, Anna BUNS GONE BAD Tundra Books (Children's None) $13.99 5, 21 ISBN: 9781774881262
Rapscallion rabbit siblings take over their neighborhood park.
In Canada, a group of baby bunnies is known as a fluffle. The phenomenal fluffle in this graphic novel consists of a trio--Biggie, Boingy, and Flop--whose mother hops off as soon as they're weaned. She heads to Brazil to train as a bunny jujitsu master, and the young rabbits must forge their own way in the world, or at the very least within the bounds of their local park. They have many rivals to contend with, including cheeky chipmunks, sharp-toothed dogs, and a resourceful crew of raccoons. Adorable though they might be, the threesome decide that they'll have to toughen up to get ahead in life, and so their "reign of endearing evil begins." In a bid to usurp park power from the raccoons, the bunnies hatch a devious--and hilarious--plan. A folksy, fedora-clad moth who witnessed the fluffle's rise to power narrates with aplomb. The rabbits' wacky wiles and high-energy humor are reminiscent of Aaron Blabey's snarky, silly Bad Guys series, but the real-world environs of city park life (overflowing trash cans and dingy, shadowy restrooms) offer a uniquely delightful locale in which to encounter these affable antiheroes. The characters' energetic, simplified facial expressions and fast-paced physical comedy amplify the wacky narrative to a charming degree.
Absurd animal antics in a familiarly funny setting. (Graphic fiction. 6-9)
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"Humphrey, Anna: BUNS GONE BAD." Kirkus Reviews, 15 Mar. 2024. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A786185652/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=a35895ed. Accessed 17 Aug. 2025.
HUMPHREY, Anna. From Megabat with Love. illus. by Kris Easler. 192p. (Megabat: Bk. 6). Tundra. Dec. 2024. Tr $12.99. ISBN 9780735271685.
Gr 2-4--Daniel, Talia, Birdgirl, and the titular Megabat are back for their sixth outing. Valentine's Day is on the horizon, and Megabat is eager to deliver the most incredible gift to his beloved Birdgirl. Daniel, meanwhile, is focused on earning his Sharing and Caring Bird Scouts badge. A series of comical miscalculations by Daniel and Megabat lead to humorous outcomes. For instance, Daniel's pursuit of his badge is paused when Alton, a younger Bird Scout left in his group's charge, wanders off, only to be later discovered helping himself to the dessert trolley. Megagbat, meanwhile, creates a variety of thoughtful gifts for Birdgirl, including redecorating her nest and a nature-inspired card, both of which go immediately awry. The duo soon realizes the importance of considering the wants and needs of others in order to achieve their goals, allowing for much more desirable outcomes. Megabat's unique way of speaking ("Mine alsowise wants to play sticky minttens") may take some getting used to for readers new to the series. Audiences are sure to enjoy the friendship shared among Daniel, Talia, the animals, and newcomer Alton, as well as the important lessons they learn. Black-and-white illustrations are featured throughout the book, capturing the hilarious and snow-covered high jinks of Megabat and company as they pursue their goals. VERDICT Recommended for purchase where the series is popular.--Olivia Gorecke
Copyright: COPYRIGHT 2024 A wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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Gorecke, Olivia. "HUMPHREY, Anna. From Megabat with Love." School Library Journal, vol. 70, no. 11, Nov. 2024, pp. 65+. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A836878571/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=424c75d3. Accessed 17 Aug. 2025.
Humphrey, Anna BIG CITY BUNS Tundra Books (Children's None) $13.99 4, 15 ISBN: 9781774881286
Bunnies bent on conquering the world set their sights beyond their local park.
The Fluffle Bunnies have bested a crew of raccoons and made a neighborhood playground their paradise, but they don't want to stop there. When a carnival sets up across the street, the bunnies bounce over and buddy up with a rat pack who are busy munching fair food. Claiming to run the entire town, the entitled rodents offer a rejoinder to the bunnies' softer way of life that intrigues them. The rats teach them about traveling by sewer, making city dwellers squirm, and scouring dumpsters for snacks. Unfortunately, the bunnies can't keep up; they may not be able to hack urban life. When all seems lost, the cotton-tailed creatures dramatically deploy their true secret weapon--cuteness--and find a path to triumph. The action in this volume spreads out beyond the park's narrow confines; this installment feels more loosely conceived than the first, but when the bunnies bring their gifts to bear in the final act, their far-flung antics reach a satisfying, dramatic conclusion. For fans of silly shenanigans and clever central characters, this bid for world domination will prove a familiar and enjoyable read. The human characters are diverse.
Cute and lightly snarky, with jokes and jaunts galore.(Graphic fiction. 6-9)
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"Humphrey, Anna: BIG CITY BUNS." Kirkus Reviews, 1 Feb. 2025. Gale General OneFile, link.gale.com/apps/doc/A825128273/ITOF?u=schlager&sid=bookmark-ITOF&xid=8398ec79. Accessed 17 Aug. 2025.