ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY: How did the idea for this book come about?
LORYN BRANTZ:Blanketwas actually a really slow, almost painful development process.
I had a security blanket growing up that I was obsessed with.
Credit: Loryn Brantz/Little, Brown Books for Young Readers)
Thats when I really started making headway with the book idea.
Did you find it easier or harder to write about something simpler for older children?
I guess I found it more difficult because it took me so long to write.
[laughs] It was a little more complicated to write thanFeminist Baby.
[With]Feminist Baby, you know the real person understanding the book is the parent.
Hopefully the baby picks up some things, but its just like a general foundation.
Why did you decide to do that?
Often when I think of characters they just sort of come to me as they are.
I was also happy to make it subtle.
Its not like the title is A Gender Neutral Child with a Blanket.
Its not the main focus.
Its just how it is.
I feel like thats how it should be in real life, too.
What items give you the most comfort, provide the most coziness for you?
Ive likened myself to a human hamster.
I just kind of burrow into whatever soft materials I can find.
I love a good sweater.
Im always wearing a really soft sweater around the house.
And, I love cuddling with my family, my cocoon.
Thats actually something Ive been thinking about a lot lately.
I wrote the book before everything turned into a sci-fi movie.
That sense of security and love is so important for humans to develop.
