Revealing the cover of "Poesy the Monster Slayer," my first-ever picture book!

Firstsecond (publishers of In Real Life, the bestselling middle-grades graphic novel Jen Wang and I made) have just revealed the cover for Poesy the Monster Slayer, my first-ever picture book, illustrated by Matt Rockefeller and scheduled for publication in July 2020.

Poesy is a book about a little girl who is obsessed with monsters, who uses her deep knowledge of monsters’ weaknesses to repurpose her toys — a princess tiara, bubblegum-scented perfume, a doll-house’s roof, and more — as field-expedient monster-slaying weapons, to do nightly battle with the monsters who come into her room, to the great consternation of her parents, who only want to get a good night’s sleep.

This book has been in the works for a long time, and I’m so glad to see it finally heading to the finish line! Matt’s illustrations are perfect — a kid-friendly, 21st century update on my favorite monster drawings, from Universal’s classic monsters to Marc Davis’s Haunted Mansion spook designs.

Once her parents are off to bed, Poesy excitedly awaits the monsters that creep into her room. With the knowledge she’s gained from her trusty Monster Book and a few of her favorite toys, Poesy easily fends off a werewolf, a vampire, and much more.

But not even Poesy’s bubblegum perfume can defeat her sleep-deprived parents!