Interview with Chris Haughton

Chris Haughton is an Irish designer and illustrator. He was listed in Time Magazine's DESIGN 100 for the work he’s done for fair trade company People Tree. Chris has published four books and one app. His books, A BIT LOST, OH NO GEORGE!, SHH! we have a plan and Goodnight Everyone have been translated into more than 24 languages and won awards in 10 countries such as Dutch Picturebook of the Year, the Childrens Book Ireland Bisto Award and the Association of Illustrators award.

BWB: Why did you choose bears to be the main focus in Goodnight Everyone?

CH: The book is about scale, about tiredness growing and growing and so the main characters needed to be largest animals in the forest. And so there is a connection to the constellations of Ursa Major and minor. 

BWB: Goodnight Everyone is your fourth book for Walker. Have you found that your process has changed since your debut, A Bit Lost?

CH: Not so much really! The first book was done with a Korean publisher. Walker has edited the other three. They have all taken about 2 years to make. And started and developed in similar ways. 

BWB: What inspires your colour palettes?

CH: I just pick one or two colours that I like and add a few harmonious colours and just take it from there. I just try to make it as colourful as possible but while also making it cohesive.

BWB: Who's your favourite fictional bear?

CH: Pooh.

BWB: You collaborate with a lot of illustrators. If you were to create a picture book with one other illustrator who would that be?

CH: Jon Klassen ....or maybe Beatrice Alemagna ...or Sanna Annukka. 

Thank you Chris for being part of this Q&A! If you'd like to know more about Chris' process on Goodnight Everyone take a look at the blog post on his site here.

Goodnight Everyone

Goodnight Everyone

By Chris Haughton

Published by Walker

In Chris Haughton's fourth book for Walker, Goodnight Everyone is a stunningly illustrated bedtime book, bringing together Chris' signature block colour illustration and beautiful storytelling once again.

The sun is going down and everyone is sleepy in the forest. Mice, hares, deer and bears are getting ready to go to bed. They all settle down to rest. Great Big Bear has a great big stretch, but little bear isn't sleepy at all, not one little bit. Little Bear wants to play, he asks the other forest animals if they want to join him but they're all too tired. Eventually Little Bear has a great, big, enormous stretch and gets carried off to bed. The mice are asleep. Goodnight mice. The hares are asleep. Goodnight hares. The deer are asleep. Goodnight deer. Little bear gets a great big goodnight kiss. Goodnight bears. Goodnight everyone.

Goodnight Everyone is Chris' first venture into the recently popular bedtime book world. From all the bedtime books I have read, Goodnight Everyone is by far the most beautiful and easiest to read. The story encourages readers to repetitively yawn and to slowly wind down to eventually fall fast asleep. Chris creates sublime, starry night time scenes, filled with soft sleepy animals that will make your little one want to join them as they rest to go fast asleep. The colours used are calming and even sleep inducing - with an emphasis on purples and blues. I especially loved the end papers which had a star map and order of the planets.

This is a perfect bedtime read, and great for parents and children to snuggle up and share together. If you want to find out more about Chris and his creative journey to illustrating and writing Goodnight Everyone, then check out the interview I had with him here. The trailer for the book is also worth a look and can be seen below. Goodnight Everyone is available to buy now from all good bookshops and from the Walker Books website here.