I’ve heard that you love a proverb! What is your favourite one and please can you explain to us why a dog that is bitten by a snake is afraid of sausages?
Proverbs are brilliant. And hilarious! They say so much about individual culture – and let’s face it, they are more often than not, excellent advice, or useful life lessons… The dog and snake proverb is about how one bad experience can make you over cautious. The English equivalent is once bitten twice shy.
My favourite (Brazilian) proverbs are if you don’t have a dog you hunt with a cat, never poke a jaguar with a short stick and each monkey in their branch.
You have had a lot of success with four children’s picture books published in just the last three years alone. Can you tell us what has led you to this point in your career?
A lot of trying, reading, learning, failing and trying some more! And this cycle continues even after you have a book published. I had been writing and submitting my work for quite a few years before I had any interest, then during a workshop I was attending, I met my first publisher, who introduced me to my agent.
I Could Be Eaten By A Shark brilliantly mixes humour, shark facts, and a more serious message of how to handle our fears. What was the catalyst for this story and then what was the writing process for developing your ideas to the point of it being completed?
I always wanted to write a story about how stifling fear/anxiety/over-worrying can be.
I myself went through a (thankfully short) period when I was young, of being very stressed about failing – to me it meant shame. So, I found a simple solution: I tried nothing, risked nothing. If you don’t try, you don’t fail, right? It was an awful time; one I remember vividly. I would hate for any child to go through the same. Once I had my first book published, I knew I would eventually tackle this in another.
Though the title never changed, this story started quite differently. Louie was called ‘worry Murray’, and it was very much a cautionary tale. The initial feedback from my agent was that the concept was great, but there were things I needed to work on: mainly that Murray was a grown up and that the ending was too dark. He was right – though I still love that original ending….
It’s a lovely touch having Louie one day supporting his own grandchild in dealing with her fears. Did you know from very early on that this was how the story would conclude or did this idea develop over time?
I knew how I wanted it to conclude, but after James (my agent) thought it was too dark, I knew where to take it instead. The grandfather character felt like a natural addition, as I was very close to mine. He brought a new depth to the tale, and once that became clear it brought the new ending to light.
This is the second time that you’ve now worked with Mark Chambers as the illustrator of one of your books. Can you talk us through how that creative relationship works?
It’s always a surprise when I tell people that I never get to talk or meet the illustrators I work with. That was the case with Bear Vs Dragon (my first book with Mark). So, I was delighted when OUP let me join his original briefing of I Could Be Eaten By a Shark. I got to tell him the background to the story, and that original ending (which also he loved), and what I preferred the shark not to look like – the rest I left up to him. Because we were both delighted with Bear Vs Dragon, we already had confidence in each other, so it was a pleasure to chat about ideas together. Mark brings wonderful detail to the story, and a type of synergy between our books that I never anticipated. I think he did a fab job again!
If you’re not selecting one of your own books to read to children, then what would be some of your go-to picks? And do you have elements that you’re particularly looking for in a picture book?
I love funny books, tongue twisters, a bit of the absurd, and character led stories. There are brilliant picture books that weave in lessons masterfully (anything by Rachel Bright), but I am also a fan of the silly! No big life lessons to teach – just laughs! I also love a cautionary tale, though publishers tend to shy away from them nowadays, which is a shame. I have lots of go-to picks: Shinsuke Yoshitake’s It might be an apple / Lemony Snicket’s The Dark / Jon Agee’s I Want a Dog / Kes Gray’s The Diddle that Dummed / Rebecca Patterson My Big Shouty Day / Dr Seuss’s And to think that I saw it on Mulberry Street …. Jon Klassen’s Hat series. I could go on…
Are you able to give us any hints about future projects that you’re working on?
Mark and I have a third book out next year, which I am super excited about. It’s another book based on personal experience and I hope it will resonate with lots of kids. I also recently signed a new contract with OUP – my fourth with them, and I am thrilled! It’s a funny book (which I love writing) and my first ‘seasonal themed’ one too. I am always writing and always trying. I also have been working on a chapter book which I am hoping finds a home in the near future – I would love to write for older kids too.
