Dory Fantasmagory is the second book by Brooklyn-based author-illustrator Abby Hanlon. Before beginning her career as an author-illustrator, Abby Hanlon was a first-grade teacher in the New York City public school system, working with kids the same age as Dory, the title character from Dory Fantasmagory. Known for her unique ability to capture the voice and perspective of children, Hanlon discusses in interviews how she pulls from her own life to give her characters a sense of realism. Hanlon references a conversation with her siblings that clarified something about their dynamic and planted the seed for Dory’s creation. She describes how her older brother followed her older sister, and both considered Hanlon, the youngest, immature. Hanlon digs into the feeling of being the youngest sibling, yearning to be included but always brushed off as a nuisance.

Hanlon talks about the way she gathers inspiration for her dialogue, listening in on her kids’ conversations and documenting the way they talk. She captures elements of their cadence, the way they blur fantasy and reality, and specific imaginative games they have created. She also involves kid perspectives in her writing and editing process, reading passages from Dory Fantasmagory to her kids while she edits.