Interview with Michelle Robinson

Michelle grew up in Gloucestershire. Before she started writing funny stories for children, Michelle wrote copy and devised websites for some of the world's biggest brands. She always dreamed of becoming an author like her hero, Roald Dahl. She shares his birthday and his love of chocolate, but she is much, much shorter. Michelle lives in Frome with her husband and young son and daughter. 

BWB: What gave you the idea to write A Beginners Guide to Bear Spotting?

MR: Walking in the woods in Canada. Various family members gave us conflicting advice on what to do if we encountered a bear. For example, "Don't use soap or perfume, bears are attracted to it" versus "Do wear perfume, they'll realise you're human and stay away". Or "Wear something bright so you don't get shot by a hunter" versus "If you wear something bright the bears will spot you and attack." There were so many of these crazy tips that by the time we went to the woods we were convinced of our own doom. Thankfully we didn't have to put our muddled knowledge to the test. 

BWB: David Roberts is renowned for illustrating fantastic bears. Was he your personal choice to illustrate A Beginners Guide to Bear Spotting? 

MR: David Roberts is renowned for illustrating fantastic *everything*. I've been a fan since forever and I couldn't believe it when I heard he would be illustrating my story. I still can't quite believe it, actually. 

BWB: Who is your favourite fictional bear?

MR: Winnie the Pooh. I love the pairing of A.A. Milne's voice and E.H. Shepard's drawings. The humour and tenderness that runs through their books is exquisite. 

BWB: Why do you think bears are such a popular animal in the picture book world?

MR: I really don't know why it should be that bears have such timeless appeal. It's not as though bear is a man's best friend, after all. And as you'll find out in 'A Beginner's Guide to Bear Spotting', real bears certainly aren't as cuddly as the stuffed variety. I wonder why bears are the go-to stuffed animal? If someone had thought to create a different soft toy all those years ago, might this blog post be about the enduring appeal of the gnu? The mind boggles.

BWB: Any plans to work with David again?

MR: Happily, yes! A follow up to Bear Spotting is on the way - and I still can't quite believe my luck.

Huge bear cuddles to the fantastic, Michelle, for taking part in my Q&A and being super generous for offering a personally signed copy of A Beginners Guide to Bear Spotting to one lucky tweeter! If you want to enter visit twitter here and RT and follow. To find out loads more about Michelle and her amazing work, visit her website here. A Beginners Guide to Bear Spotting to available to buy now in all good bookshops and on the Bloomsbury website.

Interview with Emma Yarlett

To celebrate the release of Poppy Pickle, I had the chance to explore the HUGE imagination of author & illustrator, Emma Yarlett. 

BWB: Were you a child with a vivid imagination?

EY: I was indeed, and this imaginative streak was always most evident in my creativity. I’ve always been a bit of a ‘maker’, whether it be making up a game to play with friends on the spot, making things with my hands or sketching out made-up worlds… I was always imagining. I also always had a bit of a vivid imagination at less useful times though, namely when imagining scarecrows lurking at the bottom of the stairs at nighttime… Not quite such a fun experience. And these days I still can’t look at a scarecrow without shivering!

BWB: Any imaginary friends?

 EY: Disappointingly I never did! I remember deciding multiple times that I would have an imaginary friend, but found I got far too involved in the creative process of imagining them into being, drawing them, thinking of their likes and dislikes etcetera etcetera! So much so that when it came to actually doing whatever you do with imaginary friends, I was already bored of them and ready for the next thing!

BWB: Did you run into any problems whilst creating the book?

 EY: A big fat resounding YES! Pinning down the storyline was a bit of a headache as the story is both imaginative and based on imagination, so there were absolutely NO parameters. And that meant that there were so many possibilities to where young Poppy Pickle could go on her adventures. With much patience from my publisher and numerous drafts, we finally made it after having to put in some necessary boundaries for the storyline so as to keep it under some mild illusion of constraint!

BWB: What was the main fuel behind the idea?

EY: Chocolate. And lot’s of it. Aside from that, the fuel was a need to tell Poppy Pickle’s story. Once Poppy and her dilemma/special power (of having such a huge imagination that it begins to overflow) had arrived in my brain that was it. I felt it was a story that was jumping up and down shouting “tell me!” in my head, so much so that I couldn’t resist getting it down on paper.

BWB: This is your third title with Templar, can we expect more great titles in the future?

 EY: Indeed! Ideas are already scurrying in my sketchbook and nesting into little pockets of stories.

BWB: If you could imagine yourself anywhere in the world where would that be?

EY: Willy Wonka’s Chocolate Factory. Aside from the high risk of falling into chocolate rivers/swelling into a blue berry, I couldn’t think of anywhere more brilliant! But if you’re after a real place (although who says imaginary places aren’t real?) probably New York. I’ve only been once, but it captured my heart and soul.

BWB: Will we see Poppy again?

 EY: When she’s calmed down from her over excitement of having a story about her published… I think there is definite potential for her to go on another adventure….

BWB: You mentioned in a recent interview that you tested out an early draft of Poppy Pickle on a class of school children. Would you use this method again?

 EY: I did indeed! And how frightening it was. But never before have I seen a group of kids laughing so hard at me, without having done something rather silly. After having such a good experience of doing this the first time around, I think I would definitely try it out again. However, some books really lend themselves to being a bit of a crowd pleaser, Poppy Pickle being one of them. Others of my books go down better when they are read on their own, or one-to-one… so I would have to bear that in mind when deciding whether to take the plunge!

BWB: Poppy Pickle is a very colourful book. Did you use any techniques to capture the vividness of Poppy’s imagination or was it just experimenting to see what worked?

EY: There was lots of thinking and lots of experimenting. However the ‘look’ of her imagination, with all it’s stars and swirls came together far quicker in comparison to the ‘look’ of her imagined friends. Many conversations were had between my art director and I. I think we slightly lost the plot somewhere along the way, but we finally decided on having her imagined creatures having a two dimensional look made from collaging brightly coloured textured papers. This means that they sort of sit brightly and flatly within Poppy Pickle’s three dimensional room- almost as if cartoons have flung themselves of the television screen into real life; slightly akin to when in Disney’s Mary Poppins, Mary and Burt find themselves surrounded by cartoon penguins.

Q10. If you could imagine anything real right now what would it be?

EY: You’ve caught me when I’m feeling rather hungry- hence many of my references to chocolate in this interview! So I would have to say that I would imagine a wonderful steak and sweet potato chips into existence. Perhaps it could sit on a magical Harry Potter-esque refilling plate? Yum.

Thanks to Emma and Stephanie at Templar for this superb interview. Poppy Pickle is available to buy next month.

Charlotte Voake interview

I got the chance to interview the splendid Charlotte Voake, an illustrator that you will find on most children's bookshelves. She has illustrated over 50 books, many of which have become household favourites.

Born and raised in Wales, Charlotte says that book illustration is “the only thing I ever wanted to do” and she certainly has made a brilliant career of it. Skipping formal training in art, she studied art history at London University and worked at an art gallery before embarking on a freelance career in illustration. Charlotte lives in Surrey, England, with her husband and two children.

BWB: You worked on The Owl and the Pussy-cat not so long ago. What was it like working with Julia Donaldson?

CV: Julia is lovely to work with - I think she is very interested in how her texts are illustrated - and from an illustrator's point of view she is a visual writer, by which I mean she gives lots of visual clues  to get your teeth into!


BWB: The Owl and the Pussy-cat has seen many illustrators produce their versions of the famous characters. What attracted you to the project and what did you set out to do differently?

CV: Actually I illustrated  Julia's first, then Puffin asked me to illustrate the original version as a pair to The Further Adventures.I might have approached the original quite differently if it has been stand-alone - perhaps!


BWB: You both returned to the Owl and the Pussy-Cat with 'The Further Adventures of the Owl and the Pussy-cat'.As this was new text, did you feel more comfortable making your mark on such a well known tale? 

CV: There is quite a bit more text in Julia's sequel, and she has woven in many more characters from Lear's Nonsense Rhymes, including Aunt Jobiska and her cat with crimson whiskers. It was fun developing them. Edward Lear's original is a shorter poem with very little text on each page. I used a number of characters from Julia's story to make a sub-text in pictures. So it was a bit topsy -turvy  doing the second one first and the first one second, but I particularly enjoyed the jigsaw aspect of working that way.


BWB: Has the way you work changed from when you first started in the book industry?

CV: Not the way I work, which is still on  paper using a pen and watercolour, but computers make a huge difference to the way a book is designed once I deliver the illustrations. It's still a very labour intensive process but so much easier to manipulate images on a screen. And if I make a  bad mistake on a drawing it can be photoshopped out.Wonderful!


BWB: Do you use computer software for any stage in your illustration process?

CV: No, I don't use a computer at all except to do research. It makes a huge difference to be able to look things up easily - for example the candelabra on the Pobble's table!


BWB: Which book are you most proud of?

CV: I think I like Aesop's Fables the best.


BWB: Your career pans over 35 years. What stands out as the biggest highlight for you?

CV: One of the biggest highlights has been meeting Julia!


BWB: Can you tell us what your working day is like?  

CV: I work at home in a nice white room which is often horribly untidy.
I go for a 2 mile walk most mornings with a friend and have breakfast when I get home. We have some hens so I quite often have a boiled egg.
I have recently found out how to make proper frothy milk for a cappucino so I  am going through a phase of having one or two of those at 11am.
Sometimes I work really hard, and late, which is fine unless I am having a real tussle with a drawing. Sometimes I make soup and practise my violin for a change!


BWB: Any plans for another Ginger book? 

CV: I would really like to do a Ginger counting book.


Many thanks to Charlotte for taking the time to answer my questions and huge thanks to Laura for putting me in touch with her.

Beatrice Alemagna interview

Beatrice Alemagna is one of my favourite illustrators, so it was an absolute honour to get the chance to ask her some questions about her work, life and latest book Little Big Boubo.

Beatrice was born in Bologna, Italy, in 1973. When she was a child her biggest heroes were Pippi Longstocking, Marcovaldo, Karlsson on the roof, Silvester and Meffi. At eight she decided that, whatever the cost, once grown up she would become a "painter and writer of novels". Beatrice has had 29 books published so far and these have been translated into over 14 languages. She currently lives in Paris.

BWB: What inspired you to write Little Big Boubo?

BA: Since I became a mother (almost four years ago) the child took a central position in my work.
I feel like exploring his issues and the phases he is going through. Obviously my daughter has inspired the book. During this delicate period between two and three years, in which children don't know whether they should define themselves as "little" (like a baby) or already claim to be "big" (like a grown up person). During this time, what it's surprising is that they, by themselves, change their perception respect to their interest. One is "big" or "little" respect to what he desires, at a certain time.


BWB: I love the size of the book for Little Big Boubo. Was this purposely designed for little hands?

BA: Absolutely. As you can see in the little movie I made to present the book, it's easy and pleasant to manipulate the book with tiny hands.


Little big Boubo from Beatrice Alemagna on Vimeo.


BWB: What has been the highlight of your career so far?

BA: I have lived a lot of beautiful moments. One of them was to receive a letter from Tomi Ungerer telling me that he would love to meet me because he loved my work.


BWB: A Lion in Paris is one of my favourite books of yours. Which title are you most proud of?

BA: Besides the Lion in Paris (which is not only the story of a stranger in the unknown town, but also my own autobiography), currently my favorite books (and for different purpose) are : Jo singe garçon, The five Misfits (to be released in 2015 by wide eyed Editions) and the Marvelous Fluffy squishy itty bitty (provisional title, 2015 Thames & Hudson).


BWB: You use collage a lot in your work, what inspired this love?  

BA: Collage allows to get out of your own stereotype, to draw with the obstacle of scissors, and this is very inspiring, for me.


BWB: You're originally from Italy but now live in Paris. Would you say that Paris is now your home forever?

BA: I really cannot answer to this question! Only life will tell.


BWB: A lot of your books feature animals, do you prefer to draw these over people?

BA: I don't have any preferences, in fact I have always loved to tell stories of children, directly related to reality, it's been only a few years since I started to use the animal as a way to talk about the child. And it is a very new and pleasant thing.


BWB: What usually fuels your next book or illustration? 

BA: The love of discovery and change.


Thank you to Beatrice for taking the time to answer my questions - a lovely insight to what inspires you and your wonderful work. Also thank you to Hester for making it possible. If you'd like to see more of Beatrice's work visit her website at beatricealemagna.com

Sophy Henn interview

I absolutely loved Where Bear? and was dying to know more about the making of the book and the author/illustrator Sophy Henn. So what better way to get answers to all these questions by asking Sophy heself!

Sophy Henn lives and works in Sussex, England. She studied Fashion at Central Saint Martins, accidentally had a London based career as an Art Director in advertising, then completed an MA in Illustration at University of Brighton.

Now she writes and illustrates children’s books in her studio, with a large cup of tea by her side, and can’t quite believe her luck. Sophy is also this year's World Book Day illustrator. Check out her beautiful illustrations on the website here.


BWB: Who's your favourite fictional bear?

SH: Until trying to answer this question I had no idea there were so many bears I love! There's Baloo for 'Bare Necessities', Paddington for his utter adorableness, Fozzi for his fart shoes and Super Ted for pure nostalgia. But if I had to pick one above all the others it would be Pooh. He's satisfyingly cuddly without be too cute, he gets things wrong as well as occasionally right, which is always reassuring, he occasionally stumbles upon a heartbreakingly beautiful insight and there's a contentment about him which makes it a very cosy read. In all honestly it's the whole gang I love, my daughter did too, and it's always good to share!

BWB: How long did Where Bear? take to produce from the initial idea to the finished artwork?

SH: Where Bear? started as a scribble, then a while later a painting popped up, and so it continued for about 3-4 years, with varying intensity. When I was working on Where Bear? it was alongside freelance illustrating, running my greetings card business and for two years, my MA in Illustration. At the time I had no agent, no book deal and no idea what would happen, so there was no pressure to get it finished. Now I am lucky enough to be under contract with Puffin, my timescales have shrunk somewhat!


BWB: In Where Bear? the bear wants to find his real home - find out who he really is. Was this inspired by anything in your life?

SH: Everyone wants to find their spot, I suppose, that place where we 'fit' and feel happy. So maybe subconsciously there is a little of my own experience in there. But Bear's search for home was also partly inspired by people's desire to reorganise nature. Exotic pets and wild animals in captivity break my heart and the solution could be really straight forward, as the Boy's practical, innocent approach demonstrates. He just wants to find the place where Bear can be Bear. Home!


BWB: You were published for the first time this year. Was it a long and hard journey to get a publishing deal?

SH: I was hugely fortunate to land Paul at Bell Lomax Morton as my agent and he made the publishing deal side of things very painless. But when your work is out there, for the first time, in a field you are passionate about, it still felt like forever!


BWB: What has been the highlight of your career so far?

SH: I was going to say doing a presentation at a Puffin Showcase last year. I was on after Allan Allbergh (one of my childhood favourites) and before Lauren Child ( my daughter's favourite and huge inspiration), which was petrifying and awesome all at the same time! Then the bookshop and school visits are really fun too. But I think the highest highlight was when a Mum who had recieived an advance copy of Where Bear? tweeted that her daughter had asked for a re-read "Again, Again!", it was my first feedback and I burst into tears! Of joy, obviously!


BWB: What artists tool could you not live without?

SH: A 2B pencil. Boring but true! Can I have one with an eraser on the end please?


BWB: If you weren't a writer/illustrator what would you like to be?

SH: A tap dancer! Completely unrealistic, but I would absolutely love to don a sparkly bowler, catch a cane and tip tap around the place.


BWB: What picture books would you like to find in your Christmas stocking this year?

SH: That is an almost impossible question. I try not to look too closely at what's around in the picture book world as there are so many amazing books out there I tend to want to run and hide. So I've picked a Christmas theme to limit my choices...

Tim Burton's A Nightmare Before Christmas. I love Tim Burton.

How The Grinch Stole Christmas! by Dr. Seuss. Dr Seuss was a genius.

Olive the Other Reindeer by J.otto Seibold and Vivien Walsh, because it looks beautiful.

Snow Day by Richard Curtis and Rebecca Cobb. 

Rebecca's illustrations are beautiful and Richard Curtis is a bit good a holiday sentiment!

Snow by Sam Usher looks wonderful!

Oh and I'd love a signed, 1st edition of The Tailor of Gloucester by Beatrix Potter please.

I know I've forgotten some, but I'd best stop there, I don't want to appear greedy!!!


BWB: Favourite picture book of all time?

SH: I have to pick just one?!!! Double hard, but it has to be Oh the Places You'll Go! by Dr Seuss. How he simplifies the complexities of the journey of life into a rhyming picture book is beyond me. It's sentimental and so insightful, but in no way cheesy or preachy. Brilliant!

BWB: You clearly love to draw bears. Is there anything you dread drawing?

SH: Hands! I'm getting better but if I can put them in a pocket I will! Just don't tell anyone!


Thank you, Sophy, for being the perfect guest! Where Bear! is available to buy now in all good bookshops.

Emily Rand interview

Today's interview is with author & illustrator Emily Rand, who is the mastermind behind the barkingly brillant, A DOG DAY. So without further ado, get ready for a whole load of doggy related questions!

Emily Rand is an illustrator and educator based in London. She illustrates, designs and makes books, mainly for children. She also runs and programmes workshops for families, children and young people in schools and galleries. Emily currently works for both the Serpentine Gallery and Cubitt Education.


BWB: A Dog Day is produced entirely in black and white, did you enjoy working without having to worry about colour?

ER: Yes, working in black and white allowed me to think more about the patterns, textures and tones of the illustrations. Sometimes I find that colour can be a bit difficult, striking the right balance between too bright, too dull or too many different colours.  Many of the children's books that have inspired me from the past, the illustrators were working with a limited colour palate in maybe two or three colours because of the printing methods, so I suppose I have also been influenced by these too.

 
BWB: Is the dog in Dog Day based on a family or friends pet?

ER: Not really, although my own dog Jack who died a few years ago who was a border collie cross and was a big fan of walks and the park. The dog in the book was originally going to be a greyhound/whippet type dog, but a big fluffy, curly airedale was just so much fun to draw!

 
BWB: What inspired the story?

ER: I was inspired by how patient and loyal dogs are.  I often see dogs waiting outside shops for their owners, desperately watching the door for their owners to return.  Dogs are eternal optimists, I imagine that every time they leave the house they are expecting to go to the park or for a really great long walk, even when the owner has other ideas!

 
BWB: I love French Bull Dogs. What's your favourite breed of dog?

ER: I love pretty much all breeds of dog, but the bigger and fluffier the better! One day when I move out of London I would love to get a great big poodle or an airdale!

 
BWB: I've seen from your work that you experiment a lot when you create new illustrations. What's your favourite medium to use?

ER: Actually most of my work is done with black fine liner pens! Maybe sometimes indian ink and a brush. In A Dog Day I mixed this with collage for some of the blocks of pattern or texture. I am also really interested in different printing techniques and the quality of the printed illustration on the paper, so some of my other books have been printed in small runs on a risograph printer which is somewhere between a photocopier and screen-printing.

 
BWB: Who inspires you most in the art world?

ER: This is hard, I have lots of favourite artists and illustrators!  I really like artists who have a sense of fun or playfulness to their work. I am inspired by lots of illustrators and cartoonists who use simple line work that looks so light and effortless, such as: Saul Steinburg, Jean-Jacques Sempé and Quentin Blake.  I admire the amount of character and emotion they can convey with just a few tiny lines, it's magic!

 
BWB: Which picture book has had the biggest impact on your work? 

ER: I have so many favourite picture books that it is really difficult to pick one!  I think unconventional children's books by people like Bruno Munari really changed my ideas about what a children's book could be, that they could be more experimental in their form, The Circus in the Mist was the first book I saw by him.  Also Iela Mari, the wife of the artist and designer Enzo Mari created some beautiful wordless picture books in the 1950s and 60s: The Red Balloon, The Apple and the Butterfly and The Chicken and the Egg. The illustrations in these books are so timeless they look like they could have been published last year.
 
But I do also love a really good story! And some of my favourite books growing up such as The Tiger who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr or Dogger by Shirley Hughes no doubt had a huge impact on me and my work.


Thank you for taking the time to answer my questions, Emily. If you'd like to see more of Emily's work visit her spendid website.

Ed Vere interview

To tie in with my recent review of Max the Brave, I wanted to get to know more about this fearless feline and ask the author/illustrator behind the book, Ed Vere all about his brave antics.

Ed Vere studied fine art at Camberwell College of Art and has been writing and illustrating children's books since 1999. He is published in both England and the US. Ed is also a painter, working from his studio in East London and is represented by galleries in London and Los Angeles. After a year and a half living in Barcelona, Ed now lives and works in London.


BWB: What inspired Max the Brave?

EV: I rarely have a plan, I just draw until I find a new character who insists on having a story. Max started off as an impossibly sweet kitten… as a joke for myself really, I always try to stay away from anything saccharine. But I thought that it could be fun to work with a character who was seen as impossibly sweet. And Max is so sweet that people like dressing him up in ribbons… which of course he hates... Seeing himself as a fearless, adventuring, mouse-chasing kitten. I wanted to make Max a combination of curious, feisty and tenacious… but as he’s very young he’s also gullible and doesn’t know much about the world yet. Mouse chasing isn’t easy if you don’t know what a mouse looks like (and there’s a mendacious mouse about).


BWB: Are you a cat or dog person?

EV: I grew up with a dog and four cats. So I’m a cat and dog person… But leaning more in the dog direction.


BWB: Will we see Max again?

EV: We will. I just finished 'Max at Night' which will be published next Spring. It’s way past Max’s bedtime… he is VERY tired. Before he goes to bed he just wants to say goodnight to the moon. But where is the moon? Adventure ensues as he hunts for the moon.

And I’m just starting a third Max book… which is highly classified information at the moment!


BWB: What's the bravest thing you've done?

EV: Well, there was that time I dragged a defenceless kitten from a burning building…

I used to absolutely hate the idea of speaking in public… so probably when my publisher asked me to speak for 5 minutes about ‘inspiration' in front of 120 people at a book event I wasn’t overjoyed. Those 120 people were all the movers and shakers of the children’s book world, so I was incredibly aware that this might be my first… and if it all went wrong… my very last talk as a picture book maker. I gave a distinctly average talk.

It was an amazingly horrible feeling beforehand… and then an amazingly good one afterwards.


BWB: I love the different coloured spreads in Max the Brave. Was there a reason for this?

EV: I love colour… that’s the main reason. I wanted to make a book that was graphically full of colour but visually pared back, so Max could be at the centre. Max is drawn very simply, black with yellow eyes and a blue nose… I wanted to use the flat colour fields to draw all the attention to him, so the expression is the focus rather than background information. I also use the colour to amplify the mood I want a scene to have.


BWB: You have created a whole cast of memorable picture book characters over your career so far. Who is your favourite to draw?

EV: I genuinely love drawing them all. I still draw Mr Big quite a lot because he features in series of concerts, sometimes with the Neil Cowley Trio (who are an amazing jazz group), and sometimes with The Britten Sinfonia (a brilliant classical group). We tell his story through music and live drawing. It’s great fun to be a part of… especially as the potential for disaster when you’re drawing live is ever present.

BWB: Are there any authors you'd love to work with?

EV: I love writing my own stories… If there were any unpublished Roald Dahl stories, that would be heaven sent… but I think Quentin Blake might just get the call before I do! Michael Rosen and Julia Donaldson both have amazing minds… it would be interesting to see where I could take their words.


BWB: What's your favourite picture book at the moment?

EV: There are a few. But of the last few years I think Jon Klassen is brilliant. Incredibly concise, beautiful art and very funny. Both 'hat' books are stunning in every way… most of unkind of him to make the rest of us look so average!

Thanks, Ed for such an insighful interview! Can't wait to see what Max does next!

Boxers or Y-Fronts?! Q&A with Claire & Ben

For the Monsters Love Underpants blog tour, I had the pleasure of asking author and illustrator team Claire Freedman and Ben Cort some cheeky underwear related questions...

Claire Freedman had been quietly writing children’s stories for nearly 10 years, when one day she spotted something amazing! A spaceship landed in her neighbour’s back garden and some funny aliens stepped out. Then, would you believe it – they stole the red spotted bloomers hanging on their washing line! Of course she had to write about it – and Aliens Love Underpants was born!

Some of Ben Cort’s favourite things are tin robots, 1960s US comics, photography, sunny Autumn days walking in the woods, being able to wear jeans and t-shirts everyday (he even wore them to his wedding!) and, of course, aliens! He sometimes creates his illustrations with paper and paints and he sometimes creates them using the computer. Ben does lots of fun events at festivals, schools and bookstores across the country so be sure to check the events page of this website to find out where he will be popping up next – oh and don’t forget to bring your pants!

BWB: Have you ever had any underpants mysteriously go missing?

Ben: No, because I keep my pants in an Alien proof safe and they are also all fitted with a tracking device in case they are ever stolen!

Claire: Funny you should ask that question! I did buy a very expensive pair of pants at my favourite store once. They were wrapped in gorgeous tissue paper and everything. BUT - When I got home and unwrapped the parcel - there was the tissue paper, and the receipt, but NO PANTS! Oddly I felt that I was being followed but didn't spot anyone. Must have been those pesky aliens again. Cheeky!

BWB: Who are you favourite monsters in the book? ( I love the yetis)

Ben: I'm fond of all the monsters, but if I had to pick one it would be the hairy blue one with horns on the penultimate spread.

Claire: I'm glad you like the yetis! My favourite monsters are the sea monsters. I like the sound of those blingy jewel encrusted pants!


BWB: This is your seventh book together, what do you like about working together?

Ben: I love that Claire writes books about all my favourite subjects to illustrate such as pirates, monsters, aliens - and pants of course.

Claire: Well, it goes without saying that Ben is a brilliant illustrator. We both seem to be on the same wave length which is so important. I know I can trust him to do his magic with the artwork without worrying about his interpretation of the text. We also do quite a few events together and get on really well, which is great. In fact it's really nice to be able to do events with someone else, as opposed to just being on my own - which can be a bit scary at times. I honestly can't imagine anyone else illustrating the Underpants Books.


BWB: What kind of pants would Godzilla wear?

Ben: Snazzy Y-Fronts.

Claire: A VERY large pair!


BWB: Have you ever had underpants given to you by fans of the books?

Ben: I haven't, but I have signed a few pairs that fans have brought along to festivals.

Claire: Not actual pants - but I have been given drawings of pants by children.


BWB: Boxer or Y-Front?

Ben: Snazzy Boxers.

Claire: Boxer - though I don't know if the aliens would agree with my choice!! I'll have to ask next time I spot one!


Thanks to Ben and Claire for taking the time to answer all my silly questions! Monsters Love Underpants is available to buy now.

Extra Note: Huge apologies for the delay in getting this up live, our whole household has been very unwell with colds, sore throats and other not so nice things! Sniff sniff  :( x  A special apology to the S&S as this post was expected to go up yesterday as part of the Monsters Love Underpants blog tour. Hopefully the monsters won't be too upset... 

Steve Antony interview

I had the pleasure of asking author/illustrator, Steve Antony, about tantrums, his favourite banana dishes and how he's finding his new career as a popular children's author, all in the wake of his second picture book, Betty Goes Bananas.

Steve Antony was born in England, but grew up in Alamogordo, New Mexico where he was the kid with the British accent that liked to draw and entered lots of writing contests. Steve was obsessed with character book collections like the Mr Men books and the Munch Bunch. He even wrote to Roger Hargreaves with a suggestion for a new Mr Men character: Mr Green, an environmentally aware Mr Man. 



Steve went on to study art and graduated with an HND in Illustration from Swindon College and an MA in Children's Book Illustration at Anglia Ruskin. There he learned a great deal about sequential illustration - and was finally able to find satisfying ways to do the two things he loves to do most - writing and drawing - at the same time. Steve’s pile of loose drawings, tatty sketchbooks, notepad scribbles, and newspaper clippings continues to grow into a small mountain of stories in his little Swindon studio.


BWB: Your new book Betty Goes Bananas is about tantrums, did you ever lose your cool over anything when you were a child?

SA: I lost my cool lots of times when I was a child. I really disliked doing anything that involved being the centre of attention, like trying on new shoes or getting a haircut. If I could find a way out of doing those sorts of things, I would. If I couldn't find a way out, a major strop usually ensued. I was never spoiled as a child, but I do remember losing my cool whenever my mum couldn't buy me a new Mr Man book whenever we walked through our local WH Smiths. Thank goodness for libraries!


BWB: Betty Goes Bananas is your second picture book. Was it like the 'difficult second album' after the success of The Queens Hat?

SA: I finished the book around about the same time I finished 'The Queen's Hat', so I never felt any pressure to create something better or just as good. They are totally different. I often like to pick a subject and just dive in to it without thinking too much about how it will compare to something else I've done. My first book was a 'British' book; my second, 'tantrums'; my third, 'manners' and so on. For me, the most important thing about writing picture books is telling the story in the best way possible, even if that means creating something totally different from anything I've done before. I quite like the challenge, and I'm really happy with 'Betty Goes Bananas'. I hope that others like it too.


BWB: Is there any item of food you find hard to open?

SA: I can't open those ice pop lollies that come in long plastic tubes. Everyone else just seems to be able to rip into them with their teeth, but I have to use scissors, or (if I'm desperate) somebody else's teeth.


BWB: What's your favourite banana related dish?

SA: Banoffee Pie! Just don't ask me to make it though.


BWB: I read that Betty Goes Bananas started as a doodle in a sketchbook. Do all your ideas start this way?

SA: Betty captured my imagination as soon as I drew her. She made me laugh out loud, and that's normally a good sign that I've created something worth developing. Oxford University Press loved 'Betty' and suggested that I explore tantrums as the core theme to her story. But not all my ideas start this way. Sometimes I hear a phrase that inspires me. Sometimes I stumble across funny newspaper articles that spur me on to write. I only ever pursue the ideas that seem to come naturally, and sometimes I go through my sketchbooks to see if I can further explore any of my characters and ideas.


BWB: Like The Queens Hat, Betty Goes Bananas has a limited colour palette. Do you prefer to work this way?

SA: I do. Once I've got an idea that I feel is strong enough to pursue, I start contemplating what colours will best suit the story. It's often the case that my choice of palette influences the entire book and how I render the final illustrations. With Betty, I wanted the character to pop out and I wanted the background colours to reflect Betty's emotions. Once I had settled on red, yellow, black, white and pink, I decided that a Toucan would be the best secondary character for the book, and I decided that background elements weren't necessary to help tell the story. The visuals are actually quite abstract; Betty could be anywhere, and that's what I like about it.

I would never rule out using lots of colours, but I only ever introduce colours that are integral to the telling of the story. At the moment, I'm working on a book that has lots of colours, but that's because it features lots of props that need to stand apart from each other.


BWB: What's the most challenging task you've faced since becoming an author/illustrator?

SA: Events were daunting to begin with. I took a dive in the deep in with the Hay Festival. It was my second event, and the tent was at full capacity. I had a moment of terror that lasted a few minutes before I stepped onto the stage - maybe that was my inner child that hated being the centre of attention. I'm much better now. Recently I drew in the window at Foyles Grand Opening Festival, and I thoroughly enjoyed it.


BWB: Who is your biggest illustrator crush?

SA: Norman Rockwell.


BWB: Would you ever consider illustrating someone else's text?

SA: Sure! But to be honest, I prefer the idea of writing a story for somebody else to illustrate. I think I'm more of a storyteller than an illustrator. I've written several stories, including poems, that I haven't even started to illustrate.


BWB: Can you reveal any details about your new book, Please Mr Panda?

SA: It's about a panda, doughnuts and good manners, and it's due for publication by Hodder Children's Books in January. I can't wait! It'll be a good excuse to eat lots of doughnuts.


Thank you, Steve, for taking the time to answer my questions. Steve's second book, Betty Goes Bananas is now available to buy in all good bookshops!