The Picture Book Buzz - Interview w/Barrie Torgan-Randall and Review of Just Ducky

Berrie Torgan-Randall is an author/illustrator working from her home studio in Media, PA.

She has been passionate about children’s literature since she was a little girl and has fed her desire by becoming a children’s librarian and by pursuing a career as an illustrator and writer of children’s books.

Her illustrations have been featured in Ladybug Magazine, and she is the author/illustrator of the early reader graphic novel series Bella & Blue (2023).

Berrie’s debut author/illustrated picture book Just Ducky: A Friendship Takes Flight, launched on October 1^st.

Welcome Berrie,

Tell us a little about yourself. (Where/when do you write? How long have you been writing? What is your favorite type of book to write?) 

I’m an empty nester and the pets have long ago crossed the rainbow bridge, so after my husband leaves for work I make my coffee and enter my home studio to write and illustrate. 

I enjoy writing both picture books and early reader graphic novels. I am primarily an illustrator and heard from others in the kidlit world that I am more marketable as an author/illustrator. I began writing after my youngest daughter went to middle school. My writing has improved a lot since my first attempt at making a dummy and as a result, I have several practice dummy books that are safely tucked away in a drawer.

Berrie, it is wonderful to "meet" you. What is one of the most fun or unusual places where you’ve created a manuscript?

The most unusual place for coming up with an idea for a manuscript was while working as a volunteer during the pandemic. I volunteered at a local vaccine center when a man wearing a baseball cap that I and many others would find offensive came in to get his shot. Normally I wouldn't have engaged in conversation with him, but I thought you know we are all in this together, so I asked the man how he was and he replied, “Just ducky.” Alas, the title for the book about compassion and friendship was born.

Another unusual place that sparked an idea was in a hotel room on a college tour with our first daughter Yarrow and her friend Emma.  The girls were playing a word game where they took turns shouting out three random letters and had to come up with a phrase that matches the letters. One round was “STO” and I shouted Seriously Ticklish Otters. Later I created a story about a momma otter attempting to get her three silly otter sons to gather eggs for breakfast from a local farmer. Each brother broke the eggs in some goofy fashion until the momma decided they would have cereal instead. The story never went anywhere, but it was a fun way to come up with a story line.

Funny! We do that with license plate letters. What was your inspiration or spark of interest for Just Ducky: A Friendship Takes Flight?

Just Ducky: A Friendship Takes Flight  is a story based on an event that happened when my son was in daycare, and I was the librarian at the school attached to the daycare. My son’s class came to the library for storytime. While I attempted to read the story, my son kept interrupting with “facts” he wanted to share. I was initially annoyed, but his teacher told me he was enthusiastic about the story and wanted to let me know about it right there, right then. My character Ducky is a bit like my son. Ducky knows everything about ducks and wants everyone in day camp to know about ducks–much to the chagrin of her nemesis Marvin.

Very relatable childhood problem of waiting to share something important. How long did it take from the first draft to publication for Just Ducky? How does this compare to the writing and publication journeys of  Bella & Blue? 

Every week, I make myself participate in a self-imposed ritual of “Marketing Monday” where I spend at least one morning researching agents, editors, and publishers to send submissions of my dummy books and portfolio samples. While researching, I came across a publisher who promotes creatives from New Jersey. The majority of my childhood was spent in a small New Jersey town across the river from Philadelphia. I thought I would give it a shot and write a query letter with a link to my portfolio. A couple months later an email came, a phone call, and then a contract! 

Originally, my publisher wanted me to write and illustrate an early reader about a young girl and her pet monkey. I didn’t agree with this plan–mainly because I had heard too many real-life disaster stories of owning a pet monkey! So, I suggested to my publisher that I would come up with a story about a girl and her dog. The publisher emphasized that the book series should be a social/emotional story so I created my character Bella, a spunky 8-year-old who suffers from anxiety. My character Blue is a dog who helps calm Bella’s anxiety by jumping up on her lap and giving her a high five. 

I submitted Just Ducky during Cardinal Rule Press’s yearly open submission window. While meeting with a dear friend who helps me with my writing and editing about changing the story, I got an email from Adam Blackman at CRP who let me know that my submission had been chosen out of over 1000 entries! As an extra bonus, I am CRP’s first ever author/illustrator. Along the way I worked with Adam who helped me with the humor and heart of the story and with Art Director Maggie Spurgeon who provided excellent art direction to help me get my ducks in a row. Together we not only formed a story about Ducky and Marvin’s new friendship but also curated our own friendship between editor, art director, and author/illustrator.

I compare my career as an author/illustrator to being an actor. You are the star in your school play (all A’s in art class), you go to school for acting (School of Visual and Performing Arts at Syracuse University), practice auditioning for parts in big productions (spend years getting your portfolio ready) and get rejected (sigh). You are persistent and try for smaller parts and finally get an opportunity to be on stage (receive your first contract). Comparing the two journeys, I would say that Michele McAvoy at The Little Press opened the “stage” door for me with my first contract for writing and illustrating Bella & Blue.

Thank you for sharing the books', and your own, journey to publishing. What is the hardest or most challenging thing about writing and illustrating Just Ducky? And what was the most fun?

There were many drafts and iterations of Just Ducky before the final draft was born. Thank goodness for my critique group that guided me along the way. After what I thought was the final draft, I shared it with the four wise women in my critique group. They let me know that this draft did not portray the message of compassion and friendship that I originally intended. After the initial tears (on my part) and revisions to the manuscript with editor Adam Blackman, Just Ducky: A Friendship Takes Flight was hatched.

The most challenging scene to illustrate was the spread where Ducky is sad on the bus after Marvin let her know that she is not a duck. The page required the expertise of my son who is a mechanical engineer to help me with the interior perspective. 

I had a great time designing the outfits for my characters. One of my majors in college was surface pattern design. I created patterns to go with each of my characters.  I worked for the summer during college at a children’s clothing shop where I dreamed about designing children’s clothing. I guess you could say that I achieved this goal in a slightly different way because I not only get to design my characters’ clothing but also get to develop their personalities.

What a fun, and unexpected, way for your college dream to come to pass. Is there a spread that you are excited about or proud of? Which is your favorite spread? 

Text & Image © Berrie Torgan-Randall, 2025.

I am proud of all the spreads. I will say that I love the spread of Ducky painting at the easel with drops of orange paint going everywhere. On the right side of the page, I enjoyed drawing the line of the children waiting to go outside to play. In the background, are the splattered paintings displayed on the wall. Above Marvin’s head is his painting of a volcano erupting to reflect his smoldering mood. The next spread is a game of duck, duck, goose where Ducky is the goose. She starts to say that she is not a goose, she is a … and in the following spread before Ducky says she is a duck, Marvin explodes and tells Ducky that she is not a duck, she is Margaret.

Definitely captures Ducky's enthusiastic love of everything duck and Marvin's growing, simmering frustration with Ducky. How many revisions did the text or illustrations of Just Ducky take from first draft to publication? 

There were so many ideas and drafts of this story that ended up on the cutting room floor. Originally the story started with Ducky quacking off duck facts at morning circle in school, annoying Marvin by knocking over his rock collection, going home and being sad in her bedroom, then going  to swim lessons and helping Marvin feel comfortable in the water. My critique partners felt that there were too many transitions. I put my nose to the grindstone and rewrote the story so that the events happen in one day.

I had great guidance from Maggie Spurgeon, Cardinal Rule Press Art Director, who provided me with samples and direction to make the illustrations vibrant and the characters consistent. I had a blast brainstorming with Adam Blackman, Editor at CRP, where we worked together to punch up the humor and heart of the story and made revisions to make a story about compassion and listening. 

Sounds like you had a lot of great help. What's something you want your readers to know about Just Ducky? 

There were other duck idioms along the way that helped to spark ideas while creating Ducky’s story. For example, during an Eastern PA SCBWI (Society of Children’s Writers and Illustrators) retreat, author Leah Henderson talked about her journey to publication. She mentioned shaking her tail feathers when she received her first publishing contract. Another duck reference came when I attended Illustrator Camp at the Highlights Foundation. My mentor Merrill Rainey and I were talking about the highs and lows of being a volunteer Illustrator Coordinator for SCBWI. He mentioned that after leaving his IC position, the volunteer who took his place was like a duck who remains calm on the surface and paddles like crazy underneath to keep things afloat. Both of these idioms made it into my picture book.

Thanks for sharing these little treasures. Are there any upcoming releases or new projects you are working on now that you can share a tidbit with us? 

I have handed in the manuscript and thumbnail sketches for the second book in the series for my early reader graphic novel Bella & Blue (The Little Press). Tentatively titled Bella & Blue: Fear of Flying. 

Bella & Blue is an early reader graphic novel. The first book introduces eight-year-old Bella who has anxiety issues. Small things aren't so small for Bella. But with the help of her colorful dog Blue and her grandma Gigi (who has a flair for all things French and over-the-top hats), Bella can handle every day's twists and turns. Blue is the companion children dream of–a therapy dog that plays patty-cake to calm Bella's nerves and takes away her blues.

In the second book of the series, Bella’s grandmother Gigi has invited Bella and Blue to join her on a trip to Paris. At first Bella is excited but gets nervous about her first plane trip. Gigi helps to calm Bella’s  anxiety by organizing  a “French Day” around town–relaxing and waltzing to French music and visualizing what they will see and do in Paris. 

Sounds interesting. We will have to keep our eyes out for the sequel. Last question,  what is your favorite National Park or Forest, regional park, or city park (anywhere in the world)? Or the one you’re longing to visit. Why?

The summer before our youngest daughter went to college, my husband, daughter, and I traveled to Yosemite National Park in California. Sylvie, was not much of a hiker and complained when we “forced” her to go on a hike with us. She grumpled for the first half mile but then had a change of heart when she saw the stunning view of one of the many Yosemite waterfalls. This trip had a magical effect on her, and now as a young adult she loves to hike and explore new places.

© M Marshall

A couple of years ago, our family did something a little different as a way of deciding where we would like to go on a family vacation. Each family member (five of us) made a presentation of a dream vacation. As a family, we voted and chose my son’s presentation to go to Banff in Canada. It was a magical vacation filled with 360-degree mountain views, swimming in ice cold, turquoise-colored water, and western entertainment at the Calgary Stampede.

Both such great National Parks! Thank you, Berrie, for sharing with us a bit about yourself and your debut book.

To find out more about Berrie Torgan-Randall, or to contact her:

Website: https://www.berrietr.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/blue.berrie/

X (Twitter): https://bsky.app/profile/berrietr.bsky.social

BlueSky: https://bsky.app/profile/berrietr.bsky.social

Review of Just Ducky: A Friendship Takes Flight

A fun debut picture book about a duck-crazy girl who learns what it takes to make a friend and discovers how similar two people can be, even if their favorite subject isn't the same, especially when they both take the time to listen.

Just Ducky: A Friendship Takes Flight

Author/Illustrator: Berrie Torgan-Randall

Publisher: Cardinal Rule Press (October 1, 2025)

Ages: 5-7

Fiction

Themes:

Ducks, friendship, listening, humor, and SEL.

Synopsis:

Margaret “ aka Ducky” is wild about ducks. Things go “ fowl" at day camp when she shares too many unsolicited duck facts until she learns to listen and make space for the other campers’ interests.

Opening Lines:

"Good morning, campers,"

says Counselor Carla.

"It's swimming day! I hope

everybody remembered their -"

"QUACK! That's how to say HI in duck.

This is Bill. He's a really good swimmer. Ducks have

feathers and wings AND can fly," says Ducky.

What I LIKED about this book:

Colorful illustrations immediately help highlight the reactions of the other campers and the counselor to the boisterous, blurting, and enthusiastic Margaret, a.k.a. "Ducky," as Day camp begins. And as Ducky continues loudly sharing facts (during reading time), taking over music time by "shaking [her] tail feathers" like a duck, and trying to be puny and share duck food facts during snack.

Text & Image © Berrie Torgan-Randall, 2025.

Ducky's actions progressively upset Marvin, who declares that ducks are noisy, gross, and messy. After splattering his volcano art project with paint, Ducky's assertion that Marvin is a mama duck pushes him just far enough that when, during "duck, duck, Goose," Margaret insists she's a duck (not a goose), Marvin yells at her.

Text & Image © Berrie Torgan-Randall, 2025.

This causes an emotional crisis for Ducky, who sits alone on the camp bus, wearing her large duck floaty, and pondering ducks. Though her quietness is short-lived when she enthusiastically declares she "can swim like a duck" and jumps of the pier. Expecting a bunch of duck-water puns and duck facts, the reader is pleasantly surprised, at the page turn by a change in Ducky's interaction with Marvin. She still continues to rattle off duck facts, but she makes a very important discovery of a kindred spirit.

The ending is a little surprising, touching, and rewarding without being saccharine or preachy. It is a funny way to learn a few ducks facts and guidelines for social interactions, empathy, and friendship. A book that will entertain and provide a backdrop for discussions.

Resources:

• 

  make an origami, paper, pom pom, and paper roll duck.

• is there anything that make you excited, like Ducky and Marvin? What are five fun facts about this animal, item, or place?

• if you have been to a day camp (or summer camp), what was your favorite activity? Why? If you've never been to a camp, what type of camp would you most like to attend? Why?

  
  

• Check out the Just Ducky Reader's Guide.