Daniel Kwan and Julia Pott on Their New Picture Book 'Have

Academy Award-winning co-director Daniel Kwan has released his third picture book, 'Have You Ever Seen a Ghost?'. He co-wrote the story with British animator Julia Pott, with illustrations by Toronto-based artist Sean Lewis.

The book follows an anxious ghost preparing for a party hosted by their crush, Martha. The protagonist is never fully seen, only hinted at through object movements and glimpses. According to Kwan, the project originated from a long-running Google Doc of absurd children's book ideas shared with his friend of 15 years, Julia Pott. "This was one of the first ideas that felt fully formed and exciting, like a fun challenge," Kwan told Publishers Weekly.

Creative Influences and Medium

Kwan traces his interest in picture books to childhood favorites that continue to influence his film work. He cited William Steig's 'Sylvester and the Magic Pebble' for its haunting premise and Jon Scieszka and Lane Smith's 'The Stinky Cheese Man' for its postmodern playfulness. The silent rock scene in Kwan's film 'Everything Everywhere All at Once' directly references these early inspirations, even using fonts from children's books.

Julia Pott highlighted Anthony Browne's 'Gorilla' as a major influence for 'Have You Ever Seen a Ghost?', noting its use of hidden secret imagery. She also mentioned 'The Philharmonic Gets Dressed' by Karla Kuskin and Marc Simont. Pott emphasized the unique nature of the medium, stating, "It's the first medium you're introduced to as a kid, before screens. The page turn becomes like that form of editing."

The Collaborative Process

The collaboration between Kwan, Pott, and illustrator Sean Lewis was unusually integrated. Kwan described Lewis as "the third writer," crediting him with finding compositions that tell a story through empty spaces. Lewis, who had previously worked with Kwan on 'I'll Get to the Bottom of This!', said the process involved many iterations. "It leads to a lot of iterations on my part, where it's like, What if this?" Lewis explained. He added that characters like the dog and mouse were his vehicle to bring emotional clarity to the static scenes.

Kwan's filmmaking ethos shaped the collaboration. "All of my heads of departments could be directors themselves, if they wanted to," he said. Pott, with her animation background, initially storyboarded ideas, but Lewis helped ground the visuals for the book format. Kwan's periodic distance from the project provided a fresh vantage point for review.

Emotional Resonance and Play

While the book is playful, its creators aimed for emotional depth. The concept was partly inspired by Casper the Friendly Ghost's tragic desire for friendship. "We're all anxious beans," Pott said, explaining how the ghost's party anxieties flowed naturally. A key moment was the addition of a page outlining the ghost's fears through text, creating an outline of the character through relatable feelings.

Kwan finds picture books a "contained vehicle for play." He described the joy of page turns and inviting children to invent a character in their own heads. He shared an anecdote about his seven-year-old son's reaction to the ghost's eventual reveal: "He was dying when the ghost reveal happened. He couldn't stop laughing."

The team delighted in small details, like placing a poppy seed on the ghost's teeth across pages. Pott contrasted this with her work in television and film, appreciating the focused deliberation. "It was fun to just be like, 'Okay, this is the frame, and we get to talk about this,'" she said.