Scribbles and Ink is a playful, art-filled children’s book series created by author and illustrator Ethan Long. At its center are Scribbles, a free-spirited cat who loves to draw, and Ink, a precise mouse who loves to paint. Though their artistic styles—and personalities—couldn’t be more different, the two friends continually find themselves creating, arguing, experimenting, and ultimately working together.

Across the series, ordinary objects and everyday adventures become opportunities for imagination: a cardboard box can become almost anything, a hike can turn into an illustrated adventure, and even disagreements can lead to creative discoveries. The books combine humor, visual storytelling, and hands-on creativity while exploring themes of friendship, cooperation, self-expression, and embracing different ways of thinking.

At its heart, Scribbles and Ink celebrates the idea that there isn’t just one right way to create. Scribbles and Ink may see the world differently, but when their two perspectives collide, something new—and often wonderfully chaotic—comes to life.

This popular series began in 2010 as a single picture book about a scribbly cat named Scribbles and an inky mouse named Ink, a cross between Harold and the Purple Crayon and Tom and Jerry. It had it’s ups and downs, especially in the early days with WGBH and PBS. I wanted to quit numerous times because the animation timetable was soooo looooong. Fortunately, I had an amazing producer and editor who both repeatedly begged me to keep on keepin’ on. Luckily I did, and today, there are millions of users on the interactive online app, and millions more readers across the eight titles on Epic. It has been nominated for two Daytime Emmy Awards, received a Kidscreen Gold Award and continues to inspire fans all over the world!

There are so many people who helped make Scribbles and Ink what it is today—Harriet Ziefert & Blue Apple Books, Marisa Wolsky, Dave Peth, everyone at PBS Kids, WGBH, Global Mechanic, Epic, Nicole Tugeau, who was my original agent and of course, the fans. Thank you all!

We continue to create more Scribbles and Ink books for Epic and there is the possibility of another season of the online interactive on PBSKids which we’ll know more about that in the Fall of 2026. Watch this space!

Watch Ethan’s Author Chats Interview!