William Joyce’s new book attempts to ward off woe

Special to 318 Forum

It’s been eight years since William Joyce, famous for the Academy Award-winning short film, “The Amazing Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore” and the “Rolie Polie Olie” series, last published a children’s book. He introduces “Rocket Puppies” as his happiest book ever: “a simple aria of undiluted cheer, a tall tale of courage and kindness and giggles, and best of all, an antidote to bad moods.” It’s a book about puppies from outer space who come to Earth with superpowers to save the world from despair. The book is scheduled to be released Tuesday, Nov. 5, but has already made the Amazon List of Best Books for November for ages 3 to 5 and the Barnes & Noble list of “Best Kids’ Books of November and December 2024.” Joyce hopes these precious puppies are the perfect creatures to save the Earth from its bad mood.

When asked what inspired Joyce to write about a quintet of adorable pups wearing rocket packs fueled entirely by hugs, he says, “I had lost my daughter in 2010 and my first wife in 2016, then the pandemic struck, and the world felt so sad and angry and dark. The national gloom index was at an all-time high. Then I started building my life back. I was introduced to a wonderful woman who is now my wife, and ‘Rocket Puppies’ was the breath of fresh air I needed,” says Joyce.

Sad seems to be everywhere at the start of this far-out, furry book, and there is a single cause: Snarly McBummerpants. McBummerpants wears a hat that puffs out poo-shaped “Mopey Smoke” to spread his bad mood across the planet. But help is on the way in the form of a doghouse-shaped rocket ship full of puppies determined to give everyone a big dose of happy. The pups’ secret weapon is the teeniest puppy of them all, “Tiny Brad,” who, with a single nose-lick, turns Snarly into a sweetie pie. It’s a parable for our woe-filled days that uses Joyce’s enthusiastic silliness to prove that puppies can be the ultimate pick-me-up.

In a recent social media post upon receiving the first of the shiny, new “Rocket Puppies” books, Joyce literally whistles “Doo Dah” from “The Camptown Races” while he signs bookplates and talks about how the puppies’ puppy-ray vision can make stingy people want to give away the last piece of pizza and bees not want to sting anyone every again. They can talk to bullies and convince them to become florists. They can talk to the clouds and persuade them not to rain on recess ever again. It’s the happiest book I’ve done in a long time.”

At almost the same time that Joyce conceived “Rocket Puppies,” he also began work on “Glitter Kittens,” which is about kittens who think glitter is essential to people’s happiness but are not self-aware. Glitter Kittens start to play hide and seek with their best friends, and then a glittereating monster sees the Glitter Kittens’ tracks. Everything works out, although they’re still entirely not selfaware. That one is due out next fall.

Joyce is an American writer, illustrator and filmmaker who has won six Emmys, three Annies and an Academy Award. Joyce began his career as a children’s book author/illustrator in 1981 and published his first self-illustrated work, “George Shrinks,” in 1985. Joyce has written and illustrated over 50 bestselling children’s books and novels, which have been translated into over 40 languages. He began his film career on “Toy Story” and has since been a producer, screenwriter, and production designer on animation and live-action films, including the Academy-Award-winning short film “The Amazing Flying Books of Mr. Morris Lessmore.”

“Rocket Puppies,” Joyce’s 53rd book (he thinks), is available from Amazon, Barnes & Noble stores, or at your favorite independent bookstores starting Nov. 5. Joyce will sign “Rocket Puppies” books at the Barnes & Noble on Youree Drive/Bayou Walk in Shreveport beginning at 6 p.m. on Nov. 7.