Are you a fan of Betsy Bowen’s books? You probably have several on your shelves: Antler Bear Canoe, A Northwoods Alphabet Year, which she wrote and illustrated, or Plant a Pocket of Prairie, which is written by Phyllis Root, or Twelve Owls written by Laura Erickson, or Betsy’s many other books. Now there’s a new book to add to your collection: Leaf Town Forever, written Kathleen Rooney and Beth Rooney, and published by the University of Minnesota Press. It is a book about the power of imagination, nature, and friendship, with illustrations by Betsy that capture the play and creativity of the book’s children.
We wanted to know more about how Betsy works, so we asked!
Why did you choose to create the art for Leaf Town Forever?
I like making art for books, and thinking about a story that is new to me. I first read about this playground group creation in The New York Times in 2020, and remained curious about how it went.
What is the first thing you do when you get to work in the morning?
I look around at what I did yesterday, and drink some more tea, and ponder where to start today ...
How long do you think about a new book before you start working with your art tools?
I thought about this one for a long time. I didn't feel like I had figured out how to approach it. So finally I just started in.
What is the quality of light in your studio? Where does the light come from?
I don't know that the light is anything special, except that I like plenty of it. Sometimes that means finding several extra clip-on lights and adding them where I want them.
How do you organize your tasks? Does that differ from book to book?
Lists are part of my familiar daily goings-on, like groceries, to-do tasks, people to connect up with. I always make a number of them for a book project … page numbers with ideas by each one, colors I might use (that one is a pretty one), information to look up — like maybe the shape of a maple leaf.
What does your work day look like?
Mornings are my fresh time, so I like to start early. My creative mind runs out of steam by mid-afternoon, so then I go for a walk, or work on bookkeeping, or chop vegetables.
What’s your favorite paper to use for creating art?
For drawing and painting, as in Leaf Town, I like mid-weight watercolor paper. I paint gesso and acrylic paint on both sides to make some texture and keep the paper flat, and to have some color base to start from.
written by Kathleen Rooney and Beth Rooney, published by University of Minnesota Press, 2025
What is the most reliable of the tools you use to create art?
Hmmm. This question stumped me for a while … I am going to say it is a sketchbook. A place that can be a friendly and free way of gathering up and trying out notions.
How do you save the thoughts you don’t have time to execute that day?
Yes, there are so many ideas! I write or sketch them on any odd bit of paper and might find them in a pile sometime later …
Do you work on more than one book at a time?
One book project at a time is a lot for me, though other small projects might come my way in the midst of it.
Enjoy this new book, illustrated by Betsy Bowen.
Visit Betsy’s website to learn more about her.
You can order Leaf Town Forever from Bookshop by clicking on the cover.
Leaf Town Forever
written by Kathleen Rooney
and Beth Rooney
illustrated by Betsy Bowen
University of Minnesota Press
14 October 2025