What does it look like when a picture book becomes a community resource? In this episode I sit down with Rebekah Hair, a Louisiana-based picture book author, illustrator, and online art teacher whose debut picture book Take That, Hurricane! flips the script on disaster storytelling. Instead of fear, Rebekah leads with resilience. Instead of chaos, she shows kids exactly what happens when a community rises up to clean, rebuild, and recover.
We talk about her unique hybrid illustration method, drawing everything in ink by hand, scanning it, then coloring digitally to capture that old-school comic book feel. She shares what it was like to navigate her first illustration contracts, why she teaches art online through Excelsior Classes, and what’s coming next: a sequel about a love bug invasion that Gulf Coast folks will absolutely recognize.
Whether you write for children, illustrate for others, or just love the intersection of craft and community, this conversation is full of practical insight and genuine heart. Rebekah is the real thing: a working artist, dedicated teacher, and storyteller who genuinely believes every picture should earn its page.
“I wanted to show what it actually takes for a city to come back after a big disaster. The volunteers, the relief efforts, all the different elements that come together in that kind of a response.”
