Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Kristina Schoh, Catholic author, via phone and email on November 14th, 2025. Some of the questions/answers have been rearranged, edited, and paraphrased to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
Your book was inspired by noticing what your kids needed in their own faith formation. What moment first made you think, “I need to create a Catholic seek-and-find book”?
I found myself realizing that the only thing that kept my two-year old at the time quiet in Mass was a seek-and-find book. It was princess themed and I was searching for a Catholic version of it.
It is a project that took 8 years to reap that harvest. So my oldest child was 10 by the time I finished this book.
This is one of the favorite parts of my journey. I had many mentors who helped me. But when I couldn’t find a book publisher I took to Facebook. A couple people have commented about Voyage Comics and Michael. I found out that Michael is my 6th grade teacher’s son-in-law. And this teacher was one of my all-time favorites growing up so it was just incredible to have this connection to Michael.
I had felt defeated time and time again when I was rejected from various publishing companies. It was difficult with family life, but I trusted in God’s plan that it was meant to be. Around when my third child was born one of my mentors, Sister Bridget Donaldson, had passed away and she knew that I was called to make this book. So that’s when I really buckled down to finish this project. Michael and I met for coffee in 2023 and talked to him about being an illustrator and having this publishing company, Voyage Comics.
Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Fabiola Garza via phone call on April 23rd, 2025. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
Tell me a little about your faith journey.
I was born a cradle Catholic and come from a pretty strong Catholic family in general. I actually only went to one year at a Catholic school due to my family moving a lot. I lived in Mexico, Columbia, and Istanbul. I always thought you lived faith on your own and wasn’t aware of youth groups.
In college I started dating a Protestant Evangelical and this gave my dad some pause. He gave me some Scott Hahn books to read. His language is accessible and added depth to helping me understand my faith. I eventually got involved in youth groups in Boston.
What got you interested in art?
I was an artistic kid, always loved drawing. I loved animated movies as a kid and my main interest was to work for Disney. I was absolutely mesmerized by the art of animation. Art was a thing I was good at and understood. I loved creating characters and creating stories.
How did you get started with Disney?
After college, I worked several jobs including a video game and toy company. Finally, I found a job at Disney Creative Group. We did the art for all the merchandise that goes out to retail stores. I worked in that division for ten years.
How does your Catholic faith inform your approach to character design, especially when working on secular projects at Disney?
I only designed one character at Disney. I always like putting myself in a place of prayer before work. But with Mickey, you just draw Mickey. Thankfully, I was never put in a position to have to worry about having the work on a project that would conflict with my conscience.
Could you share how creating “The Story of Saint John Paul II” differed from your other artistic projects, both technically and spiritually?
The great part of doing saint stories is you get to delve into their stories. You can’t help but be changed by learning about their stories and writing. When I am creating saint stories, I ask the Saint for intercession and how they would be presented and in the best way for children. It’s really interesting and wonderful to bring the saints along in the process.
The saints are not dead, they are alive!
My portrayal of the Saint is only a glimpse of their amazing life. It’s like a movie. You can only capture an aspect to bring children to understand the saints more as they grow. I do try to approach the creation of the saint story like a movie.
Are there specific Catholic artistic traditions or sacred art styles that have influenced your personal work?
Growing up, I never really looked at artwork as being separate from religious and non-religious art. To me anything that is beautiful is of God. That’s my view on art. Sometimes we as Catholics feel forced to love certain religious art over others.
For instance, I love Da Vinci and the Renaissance. I don’t compartmentize art, I don’t feel like putting a wall between my work and the Holy Spirit. I think a truly Catholic person is going to make truly Catholic art without it being thematically religious. It is important for me to never confuse my work with what I am doing spiritually. You could be a terrible person and do spiritual/religious work.
The Lord cares about your heart. It can be a temptation when you are working in a Catholic sphere.
Art nouveau is a style I love. The most famous artist is Alphonse Mucha in this movement. He has a mastery of anatomy and these beautiful romantic shapes. It reminds me a lot of the elven architecture in the Lord of the Rings. It is very dreamy and has a magical soft quality. It is based on natural shapes. This movement preceded Art Deco which has more harsh/rigid lines and shapes. It has more structure and architecture.
How has working in the entertainment industry shaped your perspective on creating media that resonates with Catholic audiences?
I think you need to make beautiful things. Catholic audiences are also looking for quality and good stories made with care and time. A lot of Catholic audiences are tired of entertainment media that isn’t up to par with the rest of the industry.
We want to create things that are good and beautiful. Nothing can substitute for a good story. You can have all the money in the world and technology, but it needs a good story.
What advice would you give to young Catholic artists who want to pursue careers in mainstream creative industries while staying true to their faith?
I think it is important to have a faith community. When I moved to Orlando I plugged myself into the local Catholic community. You aren’t meant to live out your faith alone. Your community keeps you accountable.
Is there a particular saint or biblical figure whose story you’d love to bring to life through your art in the future?
So many, I have a whole list! I can tell you one that didn’t make it into the princesses of Heaven. I really want to make a story and art for Hildegard of Bingen. She was so smart and was so cool. She’s definitely one saint that I would love to portray.
Do you have a saint quote?
During my tough “hell” year, before work I prayed the prayer (The Mission of My Life) by Saint Cardinal Henry Newman.
Where can my audience learn more about your work?
Instagram: Fabiolagarzacreates
Website: Fabiolagarza.com
About Fabiola:
Fabiola Garza is the author and illustrator of the children’s book best-seller Princesses of Heaven: The Flowers. She worked as a character artist at the Walt Disney Company for over a decade. Her other work includes A Boy Who Became Pope: The Story of Saint John Paul II, Pixar/Disney’s Little Golden Book Coco, and the cover of A Portrait of Walt Disney World: 50 Years of the Most Magical Place on Earth. Fabiola has lived all over the world. Born in Mexico City she eventually settled in Orlando, Florida. She loves fairytales, London Fog lattes and France.
Editor’s Note: Matthew Chicoine interviewed Thomas Salerno, via phone call on February 7th, 2024. Some of the questions have been rearranged and edited to provide the best reader experience without losing any integrity of the answers given.
What drew you to write about Blessed Nicolas Steno?
I’ve known about Nicolas Steno for a while. In college, I took a lot of geology classes and came across him in my textbooks. The textbooks rarely mentioned he was a priest. He is not well known even in Catholic circles. He’s not as familiar to people as Gregor Mendel. But Nicolas has been a hero of mine and I wanted to write about him.
Because he is still “just” a blessed he doesn’t get as much “air-time” as a fully canonized saint.
If you could sum up Nicholas Steno’s life in a couple sentences for my readers?
His life represents a relentless pursuit of truth. He came into the Catholic Church from a Lutheran family. No matter what subject he was studying, he was never afraid of where that journey towards truth would lead him.
How did you balance making complex geological concepts accessible to young readers while maintaining scientific accuracy?
That’s a great question. I tried to keep the book as jargon-free as possible without “dumbing” it down. I thought about it as if I was a 10 year old again. How would I process these concepts at that age?
Image courtesy of Word on Fire.
Your book connects scientific discovery with religious devotion. Could you share a particular moment in Steno’s life that you found most compelling in demonstrating this harmony between faith and reason?
I think it would probably be during his conversion story. Steno initially tried to reason his way to the faith by studying the Church Fathers. On All Souls Day, he had a very powerful experience when he perceived God personally telling him to join the Catholic Church. It was through an ordinary experience: he was about to make a wrong turn on the street and a passerby told him to go the other way. In his heart, Steno was wavering on “which way to go” (that is, whether to stay Lutheran or become Catholic) and he took those words as coming directly from God.
As someone writing for children about both science and faith, how do you approach explaining the relationship between understanding God’s creation through scientific inquiry while maintaining a sense of wonder and reverence?
Another great question! I really try to communicate in my writing that scientific inquiry is a way for God to help us learn about His creation. It’s a way to give praise back to God and to give thanks for creating the beautiful, diverse, and complex world He has made.
The title mentions “Tongue-stones” – could you tell us about the significance of these fossils in Steno’s work and how they became a gateway to his broader discoveries?
“Tongue-stones” is a name that people from centuries ago in Europe gave to fossils of sharks’ teeth. Steno was originally an animal anatomist. So when he dissected a shark, he noticed how their teeth were identical to tongue-stones; they were essentially petrified shark’s teeth. This allowed him to marshal evidence that fossils were actually what they were evident to be: remains of organisms from long ago.
During your research, what surprised you most about Blessed Nicolas Steno’s journey from scientist to Catholic bishop?
Two things surprised me. Firstly, that he was still able to keep practicing science while performing his duties as a bishop. And the other thing that surprised me was how much trouble he got himself into in both the Protestant and Catholic areas. He was a reformer at heart so he didn’t have a whole lot of support from his congregations. At one point he was receiving death threats simply by opposing corruption in his diocese.
Your book includes field-guide sketches and a glossary. How did you decide which visual elements would best help young readers connect with both the scientific and spiritual aspects of the story?
To be honest, I left that in the hands of my design team at Word on Fire. One thing I have learned in this experience is how much of a team effort it is putting together a children’s book.
As a Catholic writer addressing scientific topics, what advice would you give to parents and educators who want to nurture both scientific curiosity and religious faith in children?
I think that the best advice I can give is to not be afraid to learn about these things with your children. If your child shows an interest in science or nature, nurture that interest, but also find out why they are interested and show celebrate that passion. Ask questions and be engaged with your children’s interests.
I dedicated the book to my mom because she allowed me to be interested in my study of paleontology and fossils. She took me to museums and we collected various things from outside like rocks and minerals. She let me chart my own path of learning.
Any last words of advice for my readers about how to grow in your Catholic faith?
Two things recently have deepened my faith: Spiritual reading and a dedicated daily prayer routine. The Church provides a wealth of different types of prayer, but if you can establish that daily prayer time with God it will be a game-changer.
Thomas Salerno is a museum educator, author, freelance essayist, and podcaster from Long Island, New York. Thomas has a degree in anthropology from Stony Brook University and is the author of the debut children’s nonfiction book, The Riddle of the Tongue-Stones: How Blessed Nicolas Steno Uncovered the Hidden History of the Earth.
