When Torben Kuhlmann set off for university, it wasn't to become an author. He studied illustration and communications design at Hamburg University of Applied Sciences and wrote his final thesis, Lindbergh: The Tale of a Flying Mouse, as a solid way to cap off his educational career. He never intended to publish it. This "personal project," though, has gone on to become a bestselling series now celebrating 10 years with the fifth book out today and hopefully many more to come.
Congratulations on the 10th anniversary of the series! I’m sure you couldn’t have imagined what was to come when you first started the series with Lindbergh while at university. What has the journey been like, and what has been most surprising or gratifying for you?
It is indeed an unbelievable milestone. That's something that still baffles me from time to time. It's been a very fulfilling journey. The most gratifying aspect would be that I can almost exclusively focus on children's books and my own stories now. Most surprisingly, I discovered I really enjoy doing book readings and story-time events with children. That was one aspect I could not see me doing well when I started. But each reading is a huge opportunity to sharpen my storytelling skills—especially because of the very direct and unfiltered feedback I get from the young readers.
You wrote the first book as your final thesis. At that time, did you have plans to publish it?
No, I had no real plans or even substantial hopes to get my first picture book published. The book seemed a bit too unconventional with its reduced color scheme and challenging length. But it wasn't meant to persuade a publisher; it was only meant as a very personal experiment and as a good send-off to my time at the university. My goal was to satisfy my current self with a book that would also excite my five-year-old former self. Luckily, that seemed to be something that resonated with a lot of people.
Was it always your hope to become a children’s book author and illustrator?
I was always aiming to become a storyteller of some kind, but for a long time I wasn't sure in which area. I hoped for a career in animation or film, something where I could also use my skills as a craftsman. And, obviously, I was hoping for a job that would pay the bills. I wouldn't dare to dream that I could one day do that as a children's book author and illustrator. I prematurely tempered my expectations only to be surprised. Becoming an author and illustrator was the best imaginable outcome for me.
What was the germ for the original story? And what was your initial idea for writing a children’s book? Did you set out to write a fictional narrative about cute rodents, or did you always plan to incorporate science, engineering, and history?
The original idea was a rather small one: a mouse discovering bats and being inspired to learn to fly. That initial idea predetermined many of the characteristics of the later book and the book series as a whole. Obviously, a scientific approach is necessary for a mouse to achieve the ability to fly. And having a mouse as the protagonist makes the story a good candidate for a picture book. That way, I can use the cuteness of a mouse as another visual advantage. One major decision was to keep my naturalistic and realistic style even for a story like that. So there are no cartoony characters or bright colors. That decision grounded a fantastical story in a realistic setting: the period in time in which the first humans, also inspired by animals, took to the skies. That approach also meant that the science behind the inventions of a mouse should be at least believable. I wanted no magic but believable engineering.
When you wrote Lindbergh, did you envision a series? Or did that evolve after the book went on to become an international bestseller?
There were no real thoughts on a possible series, but built into the first book was the potential for a sequel. The human endeavors into aviation did not end with Charles Lindbergh's solo flight in 1927. Only a few decades later, the first human walked on the moon. To follow that template was at least a thought while applying the finishing touches to Lindbergh. In my thesis, I finished with the cocky remark that Lindbergh might not be the last time we see a mouse in a tiny cockpit. After Lindbergh became a bestseller, these words turned out to be prophetic. The door for another mouse adventure was suddenly wide open.
Given you’re both an author and an illustrator, what comes first for you? The images or the words? How does the creative process play out?
The concept of a story comes first. My process starts with an idea, which quickly develops into the outline of a plot. There can be early ideas for illustrations as well as text fragments. I collect a lot of these ideas in my sketch book until I am ready to organize everything into a streamlined storyboard. Again, text and illustrations develop simultaneously. That is the moment I can confidently present the story to my publisher and—after I get a green light from them—I start working on the first illustrations, followed by a first draft of the story. The draft is continuously refined over the following months while more and more illustrations join the book.
The illustrations in the book are so detailed and vivid, it’s easy to envision them up on a big screen. How did you develop this style of illustration, and how long does a typical illustration take to complete? How long does it take to finish the illustrations for an entire book?
I would describe my style as cinematic. Because I try to use the narrative potential of an image as much as possible—sometimes without adding describing words—the resulting illustrations use some of the same tricks that a movie's director or cinematographer would use: lighting a scene, setting the camera, choosing a perspective, and positioning characters. It’s visual storytelling, following the credo “show, don’t tell!” Sometimes I build up tension with words, only to have a wordless double-paged illustration as the culmination of that buildup. The creation of such a detailed illustration can take some time. Usually, I expect to finish at least one full-spread double-page illustration and a smaller one each week. For a whole book like Earhart, I work for up to nine months on the illustrations exclusively.
The books, while humorous and adventurous, convey complex concepts. Do you enjoy researching the ideas? How much research is involved with each book? Do you research the subject matter first and then write, or research as you’re writing?
Each book so far has dealt with a topic that interested me personally. So, I was always able to build on some prior knowledge. However, each new story requires a great deal of research beforehand. Only then can I confidently begin with the illustrations and write the text. For the small nonfiction sections that conclude each mouse adventure especially, a considerable amount of historical research is required. In the case of Einstein, for example, it was truly a challenge to put the broad outlines of the theory of relativity into reasonably understandable words and simple illustrations. For the illustrations within the story, it was important to at least make some reference to the space-time model and to hint at how I might imagine the possibility of time travel. For the eagle-eyed observers, there are hints to wormholes in space-time, so-called Einstein-Rosen bridges, between different moments in time.
Earhart stands out in the series as the first book to focus on a pioneering woman. Do you have any plans to write about other female historical figures?
I hope the Mouse Adventures series will showcase the achievements of many more female pioneers and historical figures. Which real-live person ends up providing the name for a mouse adventure is, contrary to popular belief, not something I decide or figure out at the beginning. An idea of a possible storyline comes first. That storyline after a while starts to point in a certain direction and to a possible candidate from human history who could lend their name. In my latest book, Earhart, the idea of a mouse circling the world came first. That fact pointed to the endeavors of the similar-minded Amelia Earhart.
The Mouse Adventures series isn’t your only work. You’ve also written and illustrated Moletown, The Clown Said No, and The Gray City. These books share a similar illustrative style, but the storylines are very different from those of the Mouse Adventures series. Was this a fun departure for you? Do you have a preference for series or for stand-alone books, or does each have its own advantages and disadvantages?
It is always fun to have something different on your desk once in a while. Otherwise, there is the risk of becoming stale or repeating yourself too much. Additionally, it is very inspiring to challenge yourself and leave the comfort zone, at least a bit. The Gray City was one such experiment. I tried to use only a very minimal palette with many shades of gray. Also, for a change, there are human characters—but not as realistic as the ones depicted in my Mouse Adventure series. Right now, I am thinking of doing yet another experiment—maybe even in a different illustrative style and technique—before returning to a possible sixth Mouse Adventure book later next year.
Given how cinematic the books are, has there been any talk of turning them into a film or television series?
There have been a few discussions about possible adaptations, actually. The film rights for some of the books have been requested. Unfortunately, nothing has come of it... yet. However, with a bit of luck, we're closer than ever to a possible film adaptation of one of my mouse adventures. Keep your fingers crossed!
