The Saturday Night Live alum, 48, started the process with the toughest critics he knows: his kids (sons Ashe, 5, and Axel, 3; Adelaide was born in September), who first heard the story before a draft was even sent. Rabbit, as the story goes, is a daring, fearless little bunny who persuades her dear friend Bear, who is quite afraid of almost everything—rickety bridges, slippery mountains, dark forests, his own reflection—to go on a trek in search of adventure. Along the way, Bear will find hacks to avoid his fears. That is, until his friend is in need of rescuing and courage is the only answer. Parade spoke to Meyers about how his kids helped the writing process, his own favorite childhood books and his big foray into the world of animal buddies and children’s lit.
Where did the idea for a friendship between a scared bear and a fearless rabbit come from?
I’m fascinated by what kids are afraid of—sometimes their instincts are great; other times they’re irrational. So that was the approach: when it’s right to be afraid and when it’s not.
What do your older children, now 5 and 3, think of the story?
Kids are not only the toughest critics, they’re brutally honest. I started by telling them the story at night, and they’ve been very helpful. My fear is that they’ll be a little over it when they actually get their hands on the book. But I dedicated it to them and, knowing their own egos—I don’t know where they got those from, by the way; can you inherit egos?— I might get one or two extra reads.
Who would play these characters in an SNL skit?
I’m going with JohnGoodman right away for the bear. And I need a fearless woman, maybe AmySchumer, for the rabbit. That’s a good pairing right there.
What was your own biggest fear writing this book?
I’m acutely aware that the key to writing a children’s book is making one that parents won’t hate.
What book do your kids always turn to?
I’m pretty heartbroken by the fact that SandraBoynton has a book Blue Hat, Green Hat—we call it the “Oops” book—that makes my kids laugh harder than anything I’ve ever said or done.
What excites you about the world of children’s literature?
I’m so impressed that people wrote books I loved as a kid that are now, almost 50 years later, still appealing. When they’re tiny, [kids are] infatuated with Goodnight Moon. They get a little older it’s RichardScarry books. Then they like books with a little more depth, like William Steig’s Sylvester and the Magic Pebble. It’s really incredible that you can take the same journey you were on, now with your kids, all these years later.
How did your comedic career help with the process?
There was a return to the catchphrase that I think gives it a sketch framework—it felt like writing a sketch while also wanting to have a story arc. But much of the comedy comes from the expressions that [illustrator] Rob Sayegh Jr. did.
What will your kids think of the final product?
The only way I learned to do comedy was doing comedy in front of people. I think the same is probably true of writing children’s books. When I sit down and read with my kids, especially having read all of these books with them, some are greatest hits that you know you’ll be reading forever, and others have a much shorter run. So it’ll be very interesting what they think. As my kids are reading it, I’ll be able to clock what kind of book I’ve written. Next, These ‘90s Children’s Books Will Make You Seriously Nostalgic: How Many of These Did You Read?
