How Did My Grampy's Creel End Up in a Picture Book?

Nostalgic photo: Gottscho-Schleisner Collection, Library of Congress

Before anglers put their fish in coolers, there was the Creel!

If you know what it is, chances are your grandma or grandpa had one.

But how did a fishing basket make its way into a picture book with a crystal-wearing chuckwalla lizard in the desert?

Well, there's great fishing to be found in the Black Canyon here in the desert, but the creel in the story has nothing to do with fish.

Her Highness from Blue Hissy Highness and the Magical Stones needed a bag to carry the crystals she's gifted along her journey. And magic was made with the creel—a nostalgic choice.

As I wrote the story, I imagined a round or rucksack-like bag slung on her back. Later when I was designing the art concepts to give my illustrator, I changed direction. My intuition kept tellin' me to think longer and look deeper.

The bag is a silent part of the story, but it's in every single spread. It was important to get the art right. I wanted the bag to have easy access for Her Highness to drop the stones into. That much I knew, but what I didn't think at first was how there was one bag that would perfectly fit the back of a chuckwalla, easily allow the stones to be added, and warm my heart with nostalgia.

I researched and browsed hundreds of bags, and then I got goosebumps. I remembered a woven bag passed down to my dad from his dad.

Meet the Creel.

My dad’s creel passed down to him from his dad

A fishing basket used in the olden days. Woven with a lid with a small opening in the top. What was designed to drop fish through was a perfect fit for the magical stones.

Mom texted photos of Dad's creel, hanging on the nail on the pole, in the old barn.

My illustrator drew it to perfection for Her Highness.

Meet the Creel from the story, Blue Hissy Highness and the Magical Stones.

Illustrated creel from the story

So that's how my grampy's creel ended up in a picture book--no fish in it, just a bit of magic with a few shiny stones.

If you have one hanging around, I would love to see yours.