>> CATHY: DO YOU KNOW WHAT KIDS REALLY ENJOY DOING AS SOON AS THEY ARE ABLE TO TALK?

SAYING NO.

WELL, A NEW INTERACTIVE CHILDREN'S BOOK ENTITLED "MR. FOX'S GAME OF NO," RELEASED EARLIER THIS MONTH, AND OUR PRODUCERS HAD TO SAY YES WHEN THE CREATORS OFFERED TO STOP BY TO GIVE US A DEMONSTRATION OF THEIR LATEST RELEASE.

FULL DISCLAIMER - ERIC AND I HAVE BEEN KEPT IN THE DARK UP UNTIL NOW.

WE HAVE NO IDEA WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN SO WE'RE GOING TO DIVE RIGHT IN.

AUTHOR DAVID LAROCHELLE AND ILLUSTRATOR MIKE WOHNOUTKA, ARE WITH US, THANKS FOR BEING HERE.

DAVID, I HAVE NO IDEA WHAT TO ASK YOU RIGHT NOW, BEFORE YOU EVEN LAUNCH IN, CAN I ASK, WHAT WAS THE SPARK HERE BEHIND THE IDEA FOR THE BOOK?

>> YOU KNOW, SOME OF MY BOOKS I KNOW EXACTLY WHERE I GOT THE IDEA FROM, AND FOR THIS BOOK, I HAVE NO IDEA.

OTHER THAN BOTH MIKE AND I LIKE TO PLAY GAMES.

AND WE'RE IN A GAME NIGHT GROUP THAT WE EET IN THE WINTER TO PLAY GAMES.

SO MAYBE THAT'S WHERE THE IDEA CAME FROM.

>> Cathy: OKAY.

ALL RIGHT.

>> WELL, WE'RE IN YOUR HANDS, GO AHEAD.

>> WELL, JUST THE BEST WAY, WE'LL JUST READ A FEW PAGES FROM THE BOOK, HOW WOULD THAT BE?

>> Cathy: YES, ABSOLUTELY.

>> I'M THE AUTHOR.

MIKE IS THE ILLUSTRATOR.

AND THIS REALLY IS A GAME.

SO WE WOULD NEED A GAME PLAYER, CATHY, WOULD YOU BE WILLING TO PLAY?

>> Cathy: OH, SURE, YES.

>> GOOD.

EXCELLENT.

SO, -- AND MIKE'S BEAUTIFUL ARTWORK, GOES LIKE SO.

HURRY, HURRY, HURRY, STEP RIGHT UP FOR A BATTLE OF WITS AND TEST YOUR RAIN WITH MY NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE GAME OF NO!

HERE'S HOW IT WORKS.

EVERY TIME I ASK QUESTION, YOU HAVE TO SAY NO.

>> Cathy: PERFECT.

>> IF YOU ACCIDENTALLY SAY YES, THEN YOU HAVE TO GO ALL THE WAY BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THE BOOK AND START OVER.

READY TO PLAY?

>> Cathy: NO.

[ Laughter ] >> I THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO GET YOU.

>> Cathy: YOU MIGHT HAVE TIPPED ME OFF, OKAY.

>> OOPS, DID YOU SAY YES?

>> Cathy: YEAH, I PROBABLY DID.

[ Laughter ] >> YOU DID.

YOU DID NOW.

>> Cathy: OKAY.

>> IF YOU DID, WE HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING.

>> Cathy: YES, OKAY.

>> OH, YOU SAID YES AGAIN.

WE DO HAVE TO GO BACKING TO THE BEGINNING.

HURRY HURRY HURRY, STEP RIGHT UP FOR THE BATTLE OF WITS AND TEST YOUR BRAIN WITH MY NEARLY IMPOSSIBLE GAME OF NO.

HERE HOW IT WORKS.

EVERY TIME I ASK A UESTION, YOU HAVE TO SAY NO.

IF YOU ACCIDENTALLY SAY YES, THEN YOU HAVE TO GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING OF THIS BOOK AND START OVER.

ARE YOU READY TO PLAY?

>> Cathy: MAYBE.

[ Laughter ] KEEP GOING.

[ Laughter ] >> OOPS, DID YOU SAY YES OR MAYBE?

IF YOU DID, THEN GO BACK TO THE BEGINNING AND TRY AGAIN.

YUM, LOOK WHAT WAS JUST DELIVERED.

A GIANT STRAWBERRY SUNDAE WITH WHIPPED CREAM, SPRINKLES AND THREE A ENORMOUS CHOCOLATE-COVERED CHERRIES.

OH, IT MELLS SCRUMPTIOUS.

WOULD YOU LIKE A TASTE?

>> Cathy: YES, I WOULD.

[ Laughter ] >> OH, YOU'RE A PUSHOVER.

>> Eric: YOU'RE MISSING THE POINT OF THIS, I THINK.

>> WELL, IF YOU SAID NO, THAT'S TOO BAD, I GUESS I'LL HAVE TO EAT IT ALL MYSELF.

(GULP).

THAT IS HOW THE BOOK GOES.

>> Cathy: THAT IS SO CUTE, SO VERY CUTE, I LOVE THAT.

NICE ILLUSTRATIONS.

>> THANK YOU, CATHY.

>> Cathy: WALK US THROUGH, I'VE ALWAYS WANTED TO ASK AN ILLUSTRATOR THIS QUESTION, SO WHEN YOU TALKED TO DAVID, YOU TALKED ABOUT THE CONCEPT OF THE BOOK, ARE YOU JUST LET FREE TO DO WHATEVER YOU THINK YOU MIGHT WANT TO DO IN TERMS OF THE CONCEPT OR HOW DOES THAT WORK EXACTLY?

>> YEAH.

USUALLY.

THIS IS UNLIKE WORKING WITH DAVID, USUALLY AS THE ILLUSTRATOR, THAT'S ALL I GET IS THE MANUSCRIPT.

>> Cathy: OKAY.

>> NO ILLUSTRATION NOTES, JUST THE WORDS ON THE PAGE.

BUT WITH DAVID, IT'S A LITTLE DIFFERENT.

DAVID, MOST OF HIS STORIES ARE A LITTLE MORE VISUAL, SO HE ACTUALLY GIVES ME A BOOK DUMMY WITH SOME ERY SIMPLE ILLUSTRATIONS, THEN I JUST HAVE TO TAKE THEM AND MAKE THEM MY OWN, MAKE Mr. FOX A LIKABLE CHARACTER, YEAH.

THAT'S KIND OF THE PROCESS.

>> Eric: ARE YOU ON ZOOM TRADING IDEAS BACK AND FORTH, ARE YOU IN THE SAME PLACE?

>> NO, NOT AT ALL.

ACTUALLY, IT'S VERY UNUSUAL THAT THE AUTHOR AND ILLUSTRATOR EVEN KNOW EACH OTHER.

FOR MOST PICTURE BOOKS, THEY TRY VERY HARD TO KEEP THE TWO PEOPLE APART.

THEY DON'T EVEN TALK TO EACH OTHER AT ALL.

BUT MIKE AND I ARE IN THE SAME WRITING GROUP, SO OUR EDITOR HAS HAD A HARD TIME KEEPING US FROM TALKING ABOUT EACH OTHER.

>> Cathy: WHY DO THEY DO THAT?

THAT SEEMS SILLY.

>> THE REASON IS THAT, AS AN AUTHOR, I'LL WRITE THE STORY, I'M ADDING MY CREATIVE IDEAS, WHEN IT'S TURNED OVER TO THE ILLUSTRATOR, MIKE, HE SHOULD BE FREE TO COME UP WITH HIS OWN IDEAS.

AS OPPOSED TO ME SAYING, OH, THE GIRL SHOULD BE IN A RED DRESS, AND THE DOG SHOULD BE A POODLE.

WITH A GOOD BOOK -- >> Eric: HOW DID YOU MEET?

HOW DID YOU START WORKING TOGETHER?

>> SO DAVID AND I ERE ACQUAINTANCES IN THE CHILDREN'S BOOK COMMUNITY.

THEN I JOINED DAVID'S WRITER'S GROUP TEN YEARS AGO AND DAVID BROUGHT THIS WONDERFUL BOOK TITLED MOO, AND I TOLD HIM I WANTED TO BE THE ILLUSTRATOR FOR THAT BOOK AND THAT WAS TEN YEARS AGO.

>> OUR FIRST BOOK TOGETHER CAME OUT.

AND Mr. FOX IS OUR EIGHTH BOOK TOGETHER.

>> Eric: HOW MANY CHILDREN'S BOOK OF THIS STYLE ARE THERE OUT THERE?

IS THIS A NICHE THING, PRETTY WIDESPREAD, THESE TYPE OF BOOKS?

>> PICTURE BOOKS DO YOU MEAN?

>> Eric: YEAH, IN THIS FORMAT.

>> INTERACTIVE, GOING BACK AND FORTH?

>> Eric: YEAH, WELL, AS OPPOSED WHAT A DAY-TO-DAY DiCAMILLO MIGHT DO.

THIS IS A DIFFERENT FORMAT, OBVIOUSLY.

>> KATE IS A STAR, FOR SURE, EVERYONE IN MINNESOTA, WE LOVE HER, WE'RE LUCKY WE KNOW HER.

THERE ARE A LOT OF PICTURE BOOKS THAT COME OUT EVERY YEAR, HUNDREDS, THOUSANDS OF THEM, REALLY.

AND -- HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF THEM, REALLY.

IT'S A TOUGH TOUGH JOB TO GET YOUR BOOK NOTICED.

WE HAVE A WONDERFUL PUBLISHER AND EDITOR RIGHT NOW WHO TREAT US SO WELL.

>> Eric: WHAT AGE GROUP WOULD THIS BE APPROPRIATE FOR?

>> I WOULD SAY PRESCHOOL UP TO SECOND GRADE.

>> Cathy: I DID PRETTY WELL.

>> YOU DID.

THE SECOND GRADERS ARE PRETTY SHARP.

>> Eric: SAY THE NAME OF THE BOOK.

>> "Mr. FOX'S GAME OF NO WHY.

>> Eric: -- NO."

>> Eric: HOLIDAY-GIFT-GIVING SEASON IS UNDERWAY.

>> Cathy: I BET YOU ARE WORKING ON SOMETHING?

>> WE BOTH ARE.

>> THIS IS SOMETHING I WROTE AND WILL BE ILLUSTRATING, IT COMES OUT NOT UNTIL 2026, BUT IT'S TITLED "BEAR'S MAGIC SHOW."

IT'S A PICTURE BOOK.

>> Cathy: COOL.

>> Eric: THANKS FOR COMING.

BEST OF LUCK TO YOU GUYS.

>> Cathy: DAVID'S GOT TO DO SOMETHING.

>> AND I'M WORKING ON A SERIES OF BOOKS THAT I'M BOTH WRITING AND ILLUSTRATING.

>> Cathy: OH.

>> THOUGH I -- THOUGH I'M