Art Blegen - Imagination and Friendship can Overcome any Obstacle

Art Blegen is the author of “The Adventures of Kris”, a series of early middle-grade chapter books for young readers from six to ten years old. Each child is important, and each family matters to Art. He is an advocate for educating children and their parents to ensure they have a healthy balance of positive examples in their lives. Wholesome stories and a healthy imagination can lay the foundation they will use for the rest of their lives. Whether playing with his grandchildren or coaching youth sports, children and family dominate his spare time. As our Author of the Day, Blegen tells us all about his book, Kris & The Pirates.

Please give us a short introduction to what “Kris & The Pirates” is about.

Kris & The Pirates is an imaginative tale of a young girl who dives into a book and leaves the real world behind. Kris finds herself running from pirates and trying to save her ship’s crew.

“Kris & The Pirates” takes readers on an adventurous journey with the protagonist, Kris. What inspired you to write this story, and how did you develop the character of Kris?

Almost two decades ago, I started coaching youth sports. Their imagination and storytelling fascinated me! As I got to know each of my players better, I lived vicariously through the stories each of them told. One particular player inspired the character, Kris. She approached each task with such enthusiasm that her imagination and the real world fit together perfectly!

The book incorporates themes of imagination, friendship, and overcoming obstacles. Why did you find these themes important to write about?

For me, this comes down to problem solving. Each of us faces problems in our lives, but if we can approach them with creativity and teamwork, there are no obstacles that we can’t overcome together.

Besides writing, what other secret skills do you have?

I already mentioned my time spent coaching youth sports. Though I don’t have enough time in my daily life today to coach, some of my best memories were on the baseball field. I am an ordained minister and spend as much time as I can interacting with children.

The Adventures of Kris series has been well-received by readers, especially children. What do you believe makes Kris’s adventures resonate with young readers, and how do you approach writing for this audience?

What child hasn’t dreamed of being a pirate, or a cowboy, or an astronaut? The Adventures of Kris follows her through many adventures where she doesn’t just read about it, she becomes the hero in the story. I listen to the stories that children tell me, and work to make them come alive on the pages.

The book received praise for its engaging storyline, humor, and illustrations. Can you share your process for creating the illustrations and how you integrated them into the narrative?

The illustrations are a part of the books that I love! These are not children’s picture books, but each chapter is introduced with an illustration of something that happens in the next several pages. Using illustrations like this helps me tap into the emotions of the scenes and engage the readers’ imagination. I, myself, have a hard time drawing a straight line. I worked with many illustrators until I found the artist that best matched my image for the series. Nathalie Crannich fits that bill perfectly. She shares my vision for the character and the various scenes. In working together, we have also become good friends.

Kris’s bravery and resourcefulness are highlighted as she navigates through various obstacles. What message or lesson do you hope young readers take away from Kris’s character and her adventures?

Too often, children are told what they can’t do. I want to focus on what they can do. Doing something new requires bravery and the willingness to try new things. I want all children to know they can do these things, and the more they do them, the easier they become.

“Kris & The Pirates” is part of a series. How does this book fit into the larger narrative of The Adventures of Kris, and can readers expect more adventures from Kris in the future?

The Adventures of Kris is a series, but you can read them in any order. There will be many more to come!

Reviews have mentioned the appeal of the story for both children and adults. How do you balance creating a story that appeals to a wide audience while still keeping the narrative accessible for younger readers?

Every person has an imagination. For too many adults, this creative trait has been stifled. Even children get pushed into “practical” activities far too soon, and creative ones get ignored. My goal is to bring children’s imagination to life, and remind adults what life was like before the ‘real-world’ took hold.

The book explores the theme of imagination, transporting Kris into the world of pirates and adventure. How do you believe encouraging imagination through storytelling can benefit children?

I’ve become more and more discouraged as I see more and more people who struggle with obstacles they face, unable to develop creative solutions. We require creative solutions in all aspects of life, which requires fostering imagination as one of our core skill sets. By telling our stories and absorbing the stories in the world around us, we feed our imagination and allow that to grow in ways it will influence us for the rest of our lives.

What did you have the most fun with when creating this book?

By far, the most exciting part of creating these adventures is taking a moment to close my eyes and imagine the kids I’ve had the pleasure of getting to know. How would this girl act in this situation? What would this other boy do? How would this girl feel? I let my own imagination roam and listen to the stories I hear from the children that I write for.

What do you hope readers, both young and old, take away from “Kris & The Pirates,” and what can they look forward to in future installments of The Adventures of Kris series?

Each book features a new adventure in a different time and place. “Kris & The Missing Prince” follows Kris through a fairy tale land where she rescues the kingdom’s prince. “Kris & The Cowboys” has Kris chasing rustlers through the wild west. Book Four: “Kris & The Astronauts” will be available later this year. Future adventures include chasing poachers on an African safari, warning the minuteman as she fills in for Paul Revere, coming to the rescue as a doctor, and solving mysteries as a detective.

What are you working on right now?

I have just finished the draft of “Kris’s Midnight Ride” where, because of an injury, Paul Revere cannot make his famous journey. Kris must go in his place! The next project is “Dr. Kris” where Kris must save children trapped when a playground collapses.

Where can our readers discover more of your work or interact with you?

I love to hear from my readers! Kris and I can be found at https://adventuresofkris.com, where you can sign up for her mailing list or contact us directly.