Denise Gallagher: Seasonal Tales and the Candle Dragon from Tales From The Enchanted Forest

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Denise Gallagher: Seasonal Tales and the Candle Dragon

1 hour 10 minutes Posted Jul 22, 2026 at 1:02 pm.

Introducing Denise Gallagher!

Where do your ideas usually come from when you begin tackling a new project?

Was folklore from New Orleans, Louisiana a source of inspiration for you growing up??

How has your relationship with folklore evolved over time?

The illustrations in How to Calm a Rain Bull

Were there any research rabbit holes that you found yourself caught in?

Was there any particular story that stood out to you, you loved, but ultimately left out of the book?

Were there any other tales that surprised you or that made you kind of see the world around you and maybe a different perspective?

When you had stories from various cultures, how did you settle on which version to tell in your collection?

How did you incorporate all the little details that make up a culture into each illustration and story?

How did you decide on the visual mood and colour palette for each tale?

If you could adapt any tale from your collection into a stage musical, which would you choose?

Did you find it more challenging when there was more material to work from?

In your opinion, what about these tales resonates with us so deeply that we retell them over and over again?

Denise reads: The Candle Dragon

End of the Candle Dragon / Reflection on the story

Reading and Writing Middle Grade fiction

Ending Thoughts

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Show notes

We have a special interview today with author and illustrator Denise Gallagher on her upcoming folklore collection, "How to Calm a Rain Bull" releasing September 2026 through Moon+Bird! Join us as we pick her brain on folklore, everyday magic, Kidlit, rabbit holes and seasonal tales! Stay tuned for the end where she reads us "The Candle Dragon" from her collection.

A condensed/edited version of the interview can be found on our website at: www.talesfromtheenchantedforest.com.

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