Falling Hard for Hard Hat Hank + an interview w/author Charlotte Gunnufson!

Cuteness alert! I asked my friend Charlotte for a peek at her new book, Hard Hat Hank and the Sky-High Solution, and was I ever glad I did! This is one of those books that, while scrolling down the pages of the PDF, I kept thinking, “Ooh, the boyos are gonna love this one…” (My grands)

Hank’s a stick-to-the-plan guy, boss of a can-do crew that tackles the construction of a tall building. Problems arise, but Hank proves again and again why he’s the Go-To Guy, solving each snag with speed and smarts. Cute rhyming text reveals this charming story that moves along with nary a hitch, until something happens that is NOT in the plan — a bird couple shows up and builds a nest in a spot that brings the raucous site to an immediate halt. Can Hank come up with a solution to restart construction?

You have to see the artwork, too. Here are a couple of non-sequential spreads to give you an idea….

As most of you know, I do love a meaty interview. And Charlotte was gracious enough to jump in (and she doesn’t hold back with the embarrassing stuff. You’ll see yourself in some of her answers, I know).

Jill: Welcome, Charlotte! So, where’d this idea come from? It feels like a departure from your other published books.

Charlotte: Thanks for this question, Jill! I had to do a lot of digging to answer it—and ended up reconstructing what happened on the way to Hard Hat Hank. 

I unearthed a file titled “Hard Hat Story Ideas” dating back to 2014. Most of my ideas come from what’s going on around me (even if I don’t realize it). So, what was happening in 2014? My oldest son, who’s a mechanical engineer, sent me a photo of himself sporting a hard hat while harnessed to the side of a tall building. He was trying to solve a problem that had cropped up between the perfect plan and actual construction. 

Relieved to know he was safely on the ground, I got to thinking about the hard hat, how iconic it is, how instantly recognizable, and how a character might be created under it. So far, so good.

Actual idea from 2014: MC always wears his hard hat, at mealtimes, in bed, in bath, etc.

Ready to write, right? Nope. I didn’t realize it at the time, but though this idea might yield some amusing illustrations, it will not a story make. Plus, kids probably don’t want the MC doing lots of mundane things at home. They want him on the construction site building and fixing stuff!

An actual note that followed the actual idea from 2014: MC’s bathtub complete with rubber duck or rubber duck collection. 

Really? Really. And I remember thinking this was incredibly clever because rubber ducks and hard hats are both yellow. 

Even though these ideas are embarrassingly terrible (and only a tiny sample of the truckload of mortifying ideas), I want to emphasize how important it is to keep brainstorming and generating ideas. The good ones will be in there somewhere!

Jill: Too funny re the ducks/hardhats. As somebody with oodles of manuscripts in “stuck” mode, it’s heartening to know that Hank eventually found his way, Charlotte. Any stumbles along the way, or was putting this story together smooth sailing from beginning to end?

Charlotte: When I first read this question, the phrase “stumbles along the way” seemed a stage direction as in “She tries to cross the street but stumbles along the way.” 

How utterly apt. Further exploration of the “Hard Hat Story Ideas” file revealed that sometimes the road to a good story is not only paved with bad ideas, it’s riddled with potholes—I mean, plot holes. 

Actual storyline from 2014: MC works on a demolition crew, but what he really wants to do is build something, so he makes a model skyscraper out of toothpicks. Construction workers find the model and build a full-scale replica. 

Cringe. A different (and even cringier) storyline ends with the hard-hatted MC playing a drum set possibly made from found objects. [Incredulous italics mine.]

Though I didn’t remember the specific storylines until I dug up the file, I do remember feeling frustrated. For years. 

There are obvious reasons these and other early storylines weren’t working. The core reason is that they’re about feeling unfulfilled and seeking fulfilment. This is what I was going through on my writing journey. Almost all writers can relate! However, being unfulfilled isn’t really a kid-relatable problem—at least not in the way I was presenting it. (For a kid-relatable story about creative frustration, check out The Most Magnificent Thing by Ashley Spires.)

Once again, I’d like to bang the drum (possibly made from found objects) of brainstorming. The idea of a green roof, which turns out to be central to plot of Hard Hat Hank, appears in the 2014 file—though it enters the plot by happenstance: a leaf blows into the MC’s lunchbox. Clearly, even decent ideas need to evolve.

Writing the story in rhyme was not part of the original plan. Thank goodness I didn’t attempt to write any of the early storylines in rhyme and spend oodles of effort trying to pave over plot holes with words. 

Rhymed drafts date back to 2019 and they’re awfully, to quote the crane in Hard Hat Hank, “Clink. Clunk. Clank.”

Jill:  Oh, Charlotte. This. All of this. We’ve been there, too. I personally love the crew themselves, three animal characters who speak few words but show real personality and can-do attitude. Are they based on anybody you know, or do they live only in your imagination?

Charlotte: I’m so happy to hear you connected with the crew and their can-do attitude! They have a special place in my heart, too.

But back to 2014…much to my shock and chagrin (and cringe!) the crew was one of the problems the MC faced: they’re lazy and lax about safety protocol. The MC doesn’t try to solve this problem in a meaningful way; instead, he constantly coaxes and prods them along. While this might set up a few funny scenes, it’s not the foundation of a good story. Laziness and apathy are hardly the hallmarks of likable characters, especially if kids come to a story eager to see stuff happening—diggers digging, dozers dozing and buildings being built!

One of my favorite things about kids is that, when it comes to stuff they care about, they’re unabashedly earnest and enthusiastic. Infusing this energy into the crew led to a story that’s packed with action, teamwork, problem-solving with a can-do attitude and, importantly, gratitude. 

The three-dog crew speaks few words (“Bigger ‘n’ better!” “Yep.” “Thanks, Hank.”) due to what every picture book writer dreads: keeping the word count as low as possible. While I’m writing, the word count feels like my nemesis, but whittling almost always yields a better story. 

Early on, I tried to incorporate crew dialog into the rhyme. It sounded super forced and unfunny and only served to up the word count. Some writers of rhyme can incorporate dialog! I’ve seen it done well and in ways that are enviably clever and fun. I ended up writing snippets of dialog, adding an art note about speech bubbles and crossing my fingers.

It worked! Not only are there speech bubbles, illustrator Brian Biggs has brilliantly built a picture book-comic book hybrid that kids love. Brian decided the characters were dogs and brought this endearing trio to life.

Are the crew members based on anyone I know? This is a terrific question and something I hadn’t considered until now. The crew just might be based on my dad and my kids and the person I aspire to be. They’re hardworking, humble, resourceful, grateful, ready to learn and willing to try something new.  

Jill: Aw, sweet. The planet-friendly, eco-focused backmatter shines here, Charlotte, and gives the book an extra depth that kids and caregivers will certainly enjoy. I’d love to hear what prompted you to include it.

Charlotte: Jill, you’ve written a ton of nonfiction and hybrid books which include backmatter so you know—yes!—it’s incredibly difficult to craft worthwhile backmatter.

While I believe the first duty of a picture book is to entertain and engage kids, picture books can pique kids’ curiosity and encourage them to dig into a new topic. As a former teacher, I’m hardwired to find places for learning fun. I hope the backmatter offers something our hardworking teachers and parents can use at home and in the classroom.

The version of Hard Hat Hank that went out on submission included a note that backmatter might include facts about green roofs as well as the birds and insects that inhabit them. The publisher had bigger ‘n’ better plans! 

Planet Possible is a new imprint and their mission is to inspire kids to help care for our planet (and all the people and critters who call it home) with engaging solution-oriented stories. A full spread is dedicated to backmatter (a big commitment!) and offers several activities. And not just any activities! 

The activities have to be hands-on, related to the story, help kids learn about STEM and the environment, positively impact the environment and be something that kids can actually do (with some help from grownups) even in a city setting (because, as I keep reminding myself, not everyone lives in the Midwest). 

One of the activities involves planting seeds. A lovely librarian is so excited about this activity that she’s invited dozens of three-, four- and five-year olds to make potting soil, harvest seeds from last year’s flowers and plant them. Storytime + dirt + desiccated plants + preschoolers! Yes, I plan to hang around to help vacuum.

I did a ridiculous amount of research on green roofs and mercilessly pestered my son for information and clarification. (But remember? It’s basically his fault that this story even got started.) Only about 5% of the research and pestering made it into the backmatter. Luckily, a lot of the information has gone into school visits—and kids are digging it! 

Jill: Readers, Earth Day is April 22nd this year, and this book’s backmatter would serve as an incredible jumping-off point for Earth Day activities. Okay, so, Charlotte … what can your fans look forward to next?

Charlotte: I’m so lucky to have two books arriving in 2026!

School Spirits, published by Atheneum, asks the question, What if—yikes!—your school’s got ghosts? The sweet MC is nervous about starting school and sets out to discover if the school is actually haunted. Spoiler alert! Yes! The ghosts are causing chaos everywhere, and the MC must team up with other kids to save the school. Illustrator Rebecca Crane has created some giggly-good ghosts—with eyebrows!—and my super agent Sam Farkas conjured up the title. 

I’m extra lucky to have another Planet Possible book! Eight, Nine, Tengineers is a rhymed, STEM story and counting book with a fun twist. It features engineers from various fields who work together to solve tricky problems facing people, animals and the planet. Ana Aranda is creating cute, kid-friendly illustrations, and my daughter came up with the title. (Sensing a theme here? Titles are not my strong suit.) For this book, all three of my kids (mechanical engineer, aerospace engineer, biologist/environmental scientist) were mercilessly pestered for information and clarification. (But it’s kind of their fault because they tell me the most marvelous sciency things!)

Thank you for these fantastic questions, Jill! I’m a longtime fan of Picture Book Builders!

Jill: Thank YOU, Charlotte, for not holding back. I think it’s so important that NOBODY, least of all other writers, believe that any authors simply sit themselves down and write a publishable book. It takes real WORK, sometimes years of it, for a story to make its meandering way from deep in our heads out into the light.

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Alrighty, loyal readers and first-time visitors: If you’d like a shot at winning a copy of Hard Hat Hank and the Sky-High Solution for the littles of your heart, simply leave a comment below. Contest open to U.S. residents only. Winner will be drawn at random on April 18th.