Ever met a children’s book author who likes to talk trash? If not, you need to meet Jackson Becker. Keep reading to learn about him and his first picture book, Recycla-Bull.
Let’s get started learning about you. Who is Jackson Becker?
I am a recycling specialist in the Twin Cities area of Minnesota. I grew up in Rochester, MN, and went to college at the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire. Growing up, I always wanted to be either an athlete, astronaut, or author. Now I can officially say I’m one of the three!
Tell us a bit about Recycla-Bull. What is it about and what inspired you to write your book?
I have to make a confession right away: The name Recycla-Bull actually came from a past coworker of mine named Penny. We were interns together over a decade ago, and Penny would dress up in a bull costume at community events. I told her she should write a children’s book about Recycla-Bull, but she insisted I do it instead, so I did. (I’ve spoken to her since and can confirm she’s thrilled to see it getting published.)
The book is about a group of farm animals who wake up one morning to discover their home covered in litter. They call on the titular recycling hero to help clean it up, and he does so by teaching them how to properly recycle different common recyclable items, like bottles, cans, and paper. In the ten years since I initially wrote it, I’ve read it to a number of youth groups as part of my recycling education job, and it’s always been well-received, even without illustrations.
You worked a long time on Recycla-Bull. Why did you decide the time was right to publish?
I’ve definitely been thinking about publication for a long time. I had dabbled in the traditional publishing trenches a bit, which is very difficult, and also looked into completely self-publishing it myself, which is very daunting. Because of that, I put Recycla-Bull on the back burner for years while I worked on writing and querying other books, and it wasn’t until I heard of Argyle Fox Publishing that I decided to seriously consider publishing Recycla-Bull.
How did you find Argyle Fox Publishing, and what convinced you that we were the right publisher for you?
I was referred to Argyle Fox Publisher by a colleague of mine, Megan Erin Hamilton, after she published her own children’s book, Zoom to the Stars. When I saw her book announcement, I immediately picked her brain about the process. Her overwhelmingly positive experience with Argyle Fox Publishing inspired me to reach out, and the rest is history!
Who is your target audience, and what do you hope readers get out of your book?
The book is written in a pretty basic rhyming scheme, and combined with the adorable illustrations by Nastya Bankulova, it would appear that the target audience is two- to ten-year-olds. However, I’ve read the book to enough groups to know that plenty of adults are able to glean some recycling tips from Recycla-Bull as well.
Unfortunately, recycling has lots of little rules, which people of all ages can find confusing. Recycla-Bull addresses some of those and also discusses the why of recycling as much as the what or how. For example, Recycla-Bull tells readers it’s important to recycle paper because paper is made from trees and trees help clean the air we breathe. Not everyone makes that connection—kids or adults.
The illustrations Nastya Bankulova created for your book are so lively and cute. How do you feel she captured your vision for your book, and how was the process of working with her?
I can’t say it enough, Nastya absolutely nailed my vision. The most important aspect was Recycla-Bull himself. I wanted him to be heroic in appearance while also being friendly and approachable. Nastya did exactly that and made him—dare I say—iconic, especially in the colors she used for his fur, horns, and cape.
For the rest of the pages, it was important to me that we struck a balance between cute cartoon animals without being overly “cutesy,” and cartoon items while also being recognizable and representative of recyclable materials that are commonly found in the real world. Working toward that goal was a piece of cake. If anything, Nastya probably thought I was the difficult one to work with. She did all the hard work while all I had to do was sit back and suggest edits as the drawings rolled in.
I have so many favorite aspects of the illustrations, it’s hard to count. First, the goat. Excuse me, the GOAT. He’s the best and I love him. Second, the adorable little chick. Then there’s the kitties that are based on my real-life cats, Gilly and Llewyn. The goldfinch in the bird feeder. The solar panels and vertical wind turbines in the background. And of course, the Make Machine, which Nastya made look appropriately destructive and surprisingly terrifying for a children’s book “villain.” It all came out perfectly.
I’m so appreciative of Nastya’s work to bring Recycla-Bull to life!
Now that your book is published, how will you measure whether it’s a success? What is your goal for your story?
My goal for the story has always been to make a book that’s fun and engaging enough to capture readers’ attention and teach them something about proper recycling. I’m confident the published version of the book does just that. Because of that, I’ve never expected or necessarily even hoped this book would be a best-seller. If I sell 100 copies and hear anecdotally that people have learned some things, then I will be thrilled.
What are you doing to market your book and let folks know it is available?
This was definitely the part of publishing I was least looking forward to, but I’m trying my best. I started with a website (recyclabull.com) and a Facebook page, which I have been posting to sporadically to promote the release date. I was fortunate enough to be featured in the local paper here and was also interviewed on the local library podcast, Behind the Covers, which was released in early June.
What feedback have you received so far on your book?
I’m pleased to report people are enjoying it so far and learning something too! But the best review has to be from own two-year old toddler who has no idea I wrote the book but frequently requests it for bedtime reading. I can’t ask for much more than that.
What did you learn about the publishing process that surprised you?
I found the printing process to be the most surprising. I didn’t realize how many decisions there were to be made regarding the formatting and price-setting and bulk purchases vs. print-on-demand orders from online retailers. It’s a fascinating process and has been fun to learn more about.
What would you say to other children’s book writers who have a story but aren’t sure if it’s worth publishing?
Getting sales can be tough, but if you’re like me and have always wanted to hold a physical copy of your professionally illustrated and published book in your hands, then you absolutely should not hesitate to make it happen. It was an extremely fun process and worth every penny and hour spent. I’m so proud to have my little recycling book available to share with people.
I know you have at least one more book up your sleeve. Can you give us a sneak preview of what it’s about and when you plan to present it to the world?
That’s true! Within the children’s genre, I’d like to continue with the environmental theme by adding Composta-Bull and Reusa-Bull to the canon, and maybe some more adventures for Recycla-Bull as well.
In addition to that, I have a fantasy novel and a sci-fi novel that have both been completed and edited for some time now, and it’s my dream to get one or both of them published eventually. In the meantime, I’m always happy to have more beta readers take a look and offer critiques, so if you’re reading this and want to critique a fantasy or sci-fi, please reach out!
Where can readers find you online?
As mentioned, recyclabull.com is the best option for now, although I have a cousin who is generously working behind the scenes to get jacksonjbecker.com up and running as well, where I will have updates on my novels if and when the time comes. You can also follow Recycla-Bull on Facebook or me on X, where I mostly post about my favorite golfer, Rory McIlroy, if anything at all.
Is there anything else the world should know about you or your writing?
Just that I’m always happy to “talk trash,” so if you have questions about recycling or would like me to present to your group—either in-person or virtually—I would be more than happy to do so.
And of course, a huge thank you to Penny and Nastya and Argyle Fox Publishing and everyone else who helped Recycla-Bull become a reality. I couldn’t have done it without you!
Thanks so much, and here’s to success!