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Pillow Talk

Written by Stephanie Cooke
Illustrated by Mel Valentine Vargas
Published by HarperCollins

ACTIVITIES

Discussion Questions – .doc | .pdf

Fightsona Creation – .doc | .pdf

Venn Diagram – .doc | .pdf

Game Plan – .doc | .pdf

BOOK SYNOPSIS

When college freshman Grace Mendes reluctantly attends her first pillow fight match, she falls in love with the surprisingly gritty sport.

Despite her usually shy, introverted, and reserved nature, Grace decides to try out for the Pillow Fight Federation (PFF), a locally famous league of fighters with larger-than-life personas like Pain Eyre, Miss Fortune, and champion Kat Atonic. They may battle with pillows, but there is nothing soft about these fighters. The first and only rule to pillow fighting is that the pillow needs to be the first point of contact; after that, everything else goes.

Grace struggles with deep-seated body image issues, so she is especially shocked when she makes the competitive league and is welcomed into the fold of close knit, confident fighters. As her first official fight performing as newly crafted alter-ego/ring persona Cinderhella looms on the horizon, the real battle taking place is between Grace and her growing insecurities. What if people laugh or make fun of her? Why did she think she could pillow fight in the first place when she doesn’t look like your “typical” athlete?

Turns out, no one is laughing when Cinderhella dominates her first match in the ring. And as her alter-ego rises through the ranks of the PFF, gaining traction and online fame (and online trolls), can Grace use the spotlight to become an icon for not just others, but most importantly, for herself?

Pillow Talk is an inclusive, high-octane, outrageously fun graphic novel that aims a punch at the impossibly high standards set for women in sports (and otherwise) and champions the power of finding a team that will, quite literally, fight for you. A knock-out!

STEPHANIE COOKE

Stephanie Cooke is a writer based out of Toronto, Canada. Some of her graphic novels include ParaNorthern, Oh My Gods, and The Racc Pack series, with bestselling creator, Whitney Gardner. She’s additionally worked on titles such as My Little Pony, Cat Ninja, Archie Comics, and more. Pillow Talk, her debut young adult graphic novel, with artist Mel Valentine, is out now.

She’s an avid reader, gamer, movie watcher, and pun connoisseur. She can often be found curled up with her snuggly cat…that she happens to be very allergic to. Find out more about her at stephaniecooke.ca.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Website: https://stephaniecooke.ca

Instagram: @hellocookie

Email: me@stephaniecooke.ca

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Oh My Gods! – Clarion/Etch (January 2021)

ParaNorthern and the Chaos Bunny A-hop-calypse – Clarion/Etch (July 2021)

Oh My Gods! II: The Forgotten Maze – Clarion/Etch (April 2022)

Animal Rescue Friends: Learning New Tricks – AMP Kids/Epic Originals (November 7, 2023)

Pillow Talk – Harper Alley (April 30, 2024)

The Racc Pack – Simon & Schuster (January 23, 2024)

My Little Pony: Camp Bighoof – IDW Publishing (May 7, 2024)

Cat Ninja: Heart of a Hero – Epic! Originals (October 15, 2024)

The Racc Pack: Prince and the Pawper – Simon & Schuster (January 28, 2025)

Time Buddies: Past, Present, Hooture – Epic! Originals (April 15, 2025)

MEL VALENTINE VARGAS

Mel Valentine Vargas is a Miami born, Chicago based, Latinx comic creator and illustrator. They work largely with digital media and have a BA in illustration from Columbia College Chicago. Mel loves drawing minorities and art that their younger self needed while growing up, including hispanic main characters, non-binary characters, and bodies of all shapes. Their work is largely inspired by LGBT, POC, and fem experiences, and is focused in graphic storytelling with themes that help highlight minority lifestyles. It is Mel’s goal to ensure that their illustrations help people who are not often represented feel a little less alone and a lot more love.

CONTACT INFORMATION

Website: https://www.melvalentinev.com/

Instagram: @onlinevalentine

Twitter / X: @Melvalentinev

Email: melvalentinev@gmail.com

BIBLIOGRAPHY

Pillow Talk by Stephanie Cooke, illustrated by Mel Valentine Vargas

Yaqui Delgado Wants to Kick Your Ass by Meg Medina, adapted and illustrated by Mel Valentine Vargas

The OUT Side: Trans and Nonbinary Comics, anthology by Mel Valentine Vargas and others