Micah Monkey Profile

Stats? Name, location? Do you have a day job?
Micah Chambers-Goldberg
Los Angeles
Animation Director

How did you hear about Ripple Grove Press? What was the submission process like for you?
My cousin Abe, the author of The Gentleman Bat and Too Many Tables brought me in to submit an illustration.  I'm sure I had a big advantage since my cousin wanted to work with me, but I got the impression that if Rob and Amanda hadn't really liked what I submitted, I wouldn't have gotten the gig. They were wonderful at every step of the process. I wish everyone was as supportive and nurturing.

What’s your work style? Early morning, late at night? All at once, bits at a time?
My natural tendency is to work late at night, but since having two kids, that's impossible.  Now I'm a 9-to-fiver for the most part, though I still do a lot of work at night before I crash. I do a lot of different things, so I'm always bouncing between projects. I love to work on one project at a time and let it have my undivided attention, but that rarely happens.

Who are some of your creative idols?
Dr. Seuss, Shel Silverstein,  Maurice Sendak, Jamie Hewlett, Hayao Miyazaki, Chuck Jones, Roald Dahl, Edward Gorey, and on and on and on.

Where does your inspiration come from?
The same place as everyone's. Outer space.

What are the biggest wins/challenges illustrating for children?
Sometimes it's hard to know what kids will like, so I usually just illustrate what I want to see in the world and hope for the best.  It generally works out.  The biggest win so far has been my 3-year-old daughter, Maisy Blue asking me to read Too Many Tables to her 5 times in a row. In a broader sense, the win is sleeping well at night knowing my job is to inspire and delight kids.

What mediums do you like to work with? What medium would you like to use in your next children’s book?
I used to work with all sorts of traditional media, but these days I'm all digital.  Soon my soul will enter the matrix and I will become an app.

What are you working on right now?
I'm animating a short film for a show at the New York Public Theater. It's through Nice Studios in LA and is for a poet named Lemon Andersen.

What’s your favorite picture book, besides your own, of course?!
Where the Wild Things Are

Check out Micah's website to see more of his work.