Children's Features

A Talk with Susan Meddaugh
Nathalie op de Beeck -- 9/25/00

Four years after the death of Martha, the beloved canine star of several picture books, Susan Meddaugh continues to write about her. In Meddaugh's latest work, Martha and Skits (Houghton Mifflin, Sept.), Martha is joined by a new dog, Skits. And fans will be interested to hear that a new addition to the family this summer is already proving inspirational for future books.


PW: People love to imagine what would happen if their pets could talk. How do your books feed that fantasy?

SM: It really is the great pleasure of any book, when the character begins to speak for itself and tell you, "In spite of what you think, this is what's going to happen next."
The question I always get from first graders is, "D s Martha really speak?" They sort of know that she d sn't speak, but they want to believe that she d s.

PW: What could the real Martha, who was part pit bull, have told you about herself?

SM: Martha was a stray. She viewed the

Meddaugh's latest picture book,
and the real-life Martha and Skits.
world with a little reserve, she held back. Somebody had been unkind to her. But she turned out to be so smart, so wonderful with people. When Martha passed away, we actually got another pit bull cross named Daisy, because we just loved that combination. Daisy has the same intelligence, the same wonderful positive qualities, without Martha's hard-knocks beginnings.
PW: You wrote three "Martha" books before Martha's death, and two more books after. Did you have mixed feelings about continuing the series?

SM: For me, it keeps her alive. She was such an incredible dog. I had no questions about continuing the series. The only thing that would stop me would be a lack of inspiration.

PW: How long has Skits been a part of your family menagerie?

SM: We were looking for a puppy for my son, Niko, when he was six in 1992. Niko was kind of rough on Martha, and Martha was great about it, but we thought we'd get him his own dog, a Labrador.
Later, when I went to schools or talked to adults, Skits always ended up as a comparison to Martha. Suddenly it occurred to me: Good Lord, I've been talking about him for a couple of years now--maybe it's time for this dog to have his day.

PW: You portray Martha as a thoughtful meddler and Skits as a friendly lunkhead. Is that accurate?

SM: Martha was so layered. She really was a dog that had past lives. Skits is not. Skits is a first-life dog. He truly is like the Skits in the book, although he's more focused on sticks and tennis balls. Martha was a generalist, and he's a specialist. Martha was a Renaissance dog; Skits is the dog that bumbles into the hornets' nest. He just gets himself into trouble.

PW: How d s Skits feel about sharing the spotlight?

SM: He's such a good fellow. He really is a truly sweet guy. I think he accepts his place in the order, and he's perfectly happy with that. Or at least I think he is.

PW: Word has it that you've acquired another troublemaker.

SM: Yes! Niko always wanted a pug, and while we were on vacation in Maine, my husband, Harry, saw a sign: "Pug for sale, cheap."
But in the driveway, the pug shook off his leash, and then he was just gone! For two days, we searched for him. We paid the owner out of a sense of obligation, but the dog was nowhere to be found. At 5:30 in the morning, on the day Harry was supposed to leave, he heard a loud "woof." When he went to investigate, this little tan streak ran past.
The pug's name had been "Otis," but every pug in the world is named that. So we've been calling him Oats. I think we've reached our max in terms of taking in dogs.

PW: What d s this mean for the series? Will Martha appear with Skits, and perhaps Daisy and Oats, in future books?

SM: Martha will continue being around. After all, she began as real but she is a fictional character. And the combination of Skits and Martha's different personalities works. I imagine that Skits will be in the next book, but at this point I can't tell you how. I want to get Daisy in the book, too. And Oats--this is a dog with a story!