R.J. Palacio: Write for the Kid You Used To Be
In this interview, author R.J. Palacio discusses the collaborative process between writer and illustrator with her new picture book, The Haunted Playground.
R. J. Palacio lives in New York City with her husband and their dog, Teddy. For more than 20 years, she was an art director and graphic designer. She is the New York Times bestselling author of Wonder, 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts, Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories, We’re All Wonders, and the novel Pony.
In this interview, R.J. discusses the collaborative process between writer and illustrator with her new picture book, The Haunted Playground, her hope for readers, and more.
Name: R.J. Palacio
Literary agent: Alyssa Eisner Henkin, BirchPath Literary
Book title: The Haunted Playground
Publisher: Random House Children’s Books
Release date: July 21, 2026
Genre/category: Picture Book
Previous titles: Wonder, 365 Days of Wonder: Mr. Browne’s Book of Precepts, Auggie & Me: Three Wonder Stories, We’re All Wonders, and the novel Pony.
Elevator pitch: The Haunted Playground is a romp about ghosts who gather in a magical park once a year—on Halloween—to take the night off from the business of haunting.
What prompted you to write this book?
I live across the street from a park that happens to be the last point of the Halloween parade in my neighborhood, and when I’d walk my dogs in the early morning after Halloween, I’d see all the discarded costumes and signs of revelry. The sense of spooky mayhem still permeates the park then, like you’re walking through the wake of some enormous invisible carnival. The idea for the book just kind of popped into my head that morning, along with the first few lines of the book. It’s like these ghosts were working through me as I cleaned up my dog’s poop that morning.
How long did it take to go from idea to publication? And did the idea change during the process?
I wrote the first draft pretty quickly and then spent a very long time polishing the rhythm and meter, the rhyming pattern. I wanted to write something that felt natural to read aloud, that one can act out in a Boris Karloff kind of way. The main character of the book, the ghost king named Rex Magnificus, has a very haughty way about him, which is fun to speak aloud. I grew up watching Looney Tunes and Disney, so I think Rex is kind of mashup of Wile E. Coyote and Chernabog from “Night on Bald Mountain”. Scary, but not too scary. Spooky but absurd, too.
Were there any surprises or learning moments in the publishing process for this title?
When I decided not to illustrate the book myself, because I honestly didn’t think my illustration style was right for the book, I found the process of looking for an illustrator both exhilarating and daunting. I thought I wanted one thing, until my publisher, Mallory, suggested Brett—and the moment she did, it was like, yes, he’s PERFECT for this! I love collaborating that way, and letting other visions not only enhance but truly grow one’s own vision. And then, of course, when Brett came in with his first couple of sketches, I was blown away.
Were there any surprises in the writing process for this book?
The biggest surprise was staying disciplined with the stanzas, making sure they every word was in service of building the narrative and creating the world.
What do you hope readers will get out of your book?
Honestly, I just wanted to make something that kids can trust will be scary, but fun. And what I mean by that is that Halloween can get a little intense at times, so a character that kids can poke fun at, a scary dude whose feathers get ruffled rather easily, feels like a good place to be, a place kids can go back to time and again. I love the idea that The Haunted Playground could become a holiday tradition that kids return to year after year, costume after costume.
If you could share one piece of advice with other writers, what would it be?
Don't dream it, be it. And if you’re writing for kids, don’t. They’re not a monolith. Just write for the kid you used to be. Remember what made you laugh, what made you cry, what delighted you—and write for that specific kid you used to be.
