"The Most Honest Story I've Ever Told": Tony DiTerlizzi on 'The Wump' and Bullying

https://diterlizzi.com/ In this episode of The Book Faire Podcast, host Anthony sits down with Caldecott Honor-winning author and illustrator Tony DiTerlizzi (The Spiderwick Chronicles, The Search for WondLa) to discuss his illustrated middle-grade novel, The Wump. Tony reflects on the 20-year journey to write what he calls the most honest story of his career, drawing directly from his own middle school experiences with bullying, feelings of powerlessness, and a fascination with insects.   Tony breaks down how the story's main character, Tim, sees his internal anger and suppression manifest as a physical shadow monster—a "wump"—that starts as a revenge fantasy before raising the stakes. He explains how he consulted with a child psychologist to explore Jungian shadow-self theory, using alter-ego tropes like Dr. Jekyll & Mr. Hyde and The Incredible Hulk to give a young protagonist the agency needed to stand up for himself.   The conversation also dives into the craft and business of middle-grade publishing. Tony explains how he collaborated with Dial and Penguin to print the heavily illustrated book on heavy graphic novel paper, intentionally creating a visual bridge to help reluctant readers transition from comics to prose.   Teachers, school librarians, and parents will find this episode invaluable for understanding middle-grade social-emotional learning (SEL), visual literacy in the classroom, and how empathy-building literature helps young readers navigate grief, anger, and self-acceptance.   Welcome to the Book Faire Podcast, my name is Anthony and this show is all about children’s literature and the freedom to read. This week we have an interview with Tony DiTerlizzi, author of the Wump. Takeaways - Exploration of bullying themes - Importance of self-identity in literature Chapters - 00:00 Introduction to The Wump - 03:02 Character Development and Personal Reflection - 06:34 Tim's Relationship with His Mother - 08:10 Creating Larger-than-Life Characters - 11:42 Navigating Middle School Challenges - 15:36 The Evolution of The Womp - 18:08 Illustration and Visual Storytelling - 23:27 Publishing Insights and Community Support - 25:36 Final Thoughts on Storytelling