Hiss-terical
A Cover Reveal and Discussion with Steph Lau on Medusa’s Pet Rock
Medusa has had quite a run in the children’s book world. I’ve been doing this long enough that I can remember various derivations of her tale over the years. There was the Ross Collins book early chapter book Medusa Jones. Oh! And what about Katherine Marsh’s Medusa: The Myth of Monsters? There was even a middle grade novel that I can no longer locate where a girl wakes up with snakes for hair and it’s a whole metaphor for puberty (can anyone else out there remember it?). But all these books are for the older reading crowd, of course. We haven’t seen a lot of Medusa representation on the younger end of things…
… until now.
Medusa’s Pet Rock is written and illustrated by Steph Lau and out everywhere September 22, 2026. It’s not the first Medusa picture book I’ve come across, but by gum it may be my favorite. As the publisher describes it:
A hilarious and heartfelt picture book by Steph Lau that puts a new spin on the misunderstood mythological character Medusa. Perfect for fans of We Don’t Eat Our Classmates and the Penelope Rex series by Ryan Higgins.
Medusa’s always been the odd one out: the monster in the classroom, the kid who can’t tame her snake-laden hair, and yes, the girl who perhaps accidentally zapped a few too many class pets. She tries to be careful. She tries to stay away, but inevitably well . . . ZAP! It always leaves her feeling just a little bit monstrous.
But there just might be a class pet that even Medusa can enjoy, one who will teach her how monstrously wonderful it is to be seen—by being herself.
Fair play to the copy editor for realizing that this is a natural companion to We Don’t Eat Our Classmates. That’s the right tone and vibe when it comes to this book. Today, we’re revealing the cover, but only after I talk to author/illustrator Steph Lau about coming up with this storyline herself:
Betsy Bird: Steph! So delightful to get a chance to talk to you today! Now it seems to me that we get far too few mythologically-inspired picture books in a given year. Into that gap comes your Medusa and her unfortunate pet woes. Sympathy for monsters is great fodder for picture book plots. Where did you get the idea for this particular Greekish tale?
Steph Lau: Thanks for having me! Glad to be here!
I’ve been a bit of a mythology nerd ever since my elementary school did a module on Ancient Greece (I got a Greek name and everything!), but Medusa stuck with me in particular, because she’s such a lonely, tragic character. The idea of never getting close to anyone, because your gaze might literally kill them? Sounds like a terrible existence.
I was never a snake-haired monster, but there certainly were times growing up (or even as an adult), where I’ve felt lonely or monstrous. So, for my sake, and also Medusa’s, I wanted a version of the story where she gets a happy ending.
I show some fantastic interiors and reveal the cover here so read on to learn a bit more about how one constructs an adorable monster, classroom tie-ins, and a lot more.