When I work on a novel, I usually have one character and a setting in mind.

I usually do my writing in a very nice room, my studio, which is in the attic of our house in Wisconsin. But the nice thing about writing is that I can do it in many places. So sometimes I'll write in coffee shops.

You don't need to have kids to write a good book for kids. I don't want my kids to see themselves in my books. Their lives should be their lives.

When I'm drawing, I only do that at home, really, at my drawing table. But writing I could do in other places. So I've written in airports, in hotels, different places.

We need more men to talk about their experiences of being a dad with colleagues, friends and family. It shouldn't be surprising to hear about men being good fathers and it's one of the most powerful ways we can counter the harmful 'hapless dad' stereotype.

People have told me, 'You shouldn't bring your daughter onto the podium, 'cause it's the workplace,' and things like that. But I'm not gonna really listen to that. I'm gonna do what I think is fun for me and my family, and everything'll be all right.

Believe it or not, my best meal is to go to the store and buy a DiGiorno pizza, come home, add some fresh Parmesan cheese, and just hang with my family!

Everyone in my family is an artist. Both my parents are painters and my mom's an opera singer. I was never shown any other way to process life.