Interview with Rob Biddulph

Rob Biddulph is a bestselling and award-winning author/illustrator whose first picture book, Blown Away (HarperCollins), won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize in 2015. His second, GRRRRR! (HarperCollins), was nominated for the CILIP Kate Greenaway medal and his third, Odd Dog Out (HarperCollins), was published in August 2016. His fourth picture book, Sunk!, will be published in March 2017. As well as working on his own books he also illustrates for other authors including Piers Torday, David Solomons and Christian O'Connell.  Before he became a full-time author/illustrator he was the art director of the Observer Magazine, NME, Uncut, SKY and Just Seventeen. He lives in London with his wife and three daughters.

BWB: GRRRRR! is your second picturebook. Why did you choose to focus this story on a bear?

RB: Well, I knew that I wanted the set the book in a woodland environment (because I really love drawing trees) and so I did some research on Yellowstone National Park. As soon as I saw that bears lived there my mind was made up. They're great fun to draw and everybody loves them, not least my own children. 

BWB: What's the best award/trophy you've ever won? 

RB: Hmmm, tricky. It's either a) the first ever prize that I won for drawing which was, wait for it, a BIC biro, b) the1991 Player of the Year for Brookmans Park Football Club or c) the Waterstones Children's Book Prize. I think I'll go for... c) the Waterstones prize. It was such a shock when I won. In fact, I still can't quite believe that it happened!

BWB: If you were to compete against another illustrator who would that be?

RB: Ooh, great question. Well, I guess it depends what we were competing in. If we're talking about an illustration competition then I think I'd like to test myself against the very best. So how about... Quentin Blake, although he would absolutely thrash me obviously. If we were competing in a running race, however, I might stand a better chance...

BWB: Your favourite fictional bear and why?

RB: Now this is tough. I love Paddington and Pooh, but I think I might have to plump for Baloo from the Jungle Book. I would love to have a friend like him. We could hang out all day eating prickly pears, floating along the river and basically forgetting about our worries and our strife. It would be so cool. 

BWB: Can you tell us more about your next picture book?

RB: Well, my brand new book is called Odd Dog Out and it's set in a world entirely populated by dachshunds (that's the posh name for sausage dogs). Everybody loves a sausage dog and they're SUCH fun to draw. Anyway, in this world every single dog dresses and acts in exactly that same way as all the others, except for one – the Odd Dog Out. She gets pretty fed up cos everyone is different to her so she leaves town in search of kindred spirits. But, in doing so, she discovers something much more important - that being yourself is actually the best thing of all. It's basically a sweet story about blazing your own trail and not just following the crowd. Plus there's lots of pictures of dogs dressed up in funny outfits. What's not to like?

Huge thanks to Rob and Simon for taking the time to make this interview happen. You can find out more about Rob and his wonderful work on his website here. He also draws on a lot of post it notes to live in his daughters lunchbox from time to time...

Odd Dog Out

Odd Dog Out

By Rob Biddulph

Published by Harper Collins

It’s a dog’s life in the big city… Come join one busy dog on her journey to find her place in the world, in this third sublimely illustrated book from the bestselling, award-winning Rob Biddulph.

For busy dogs


A busy day


Of busy work


And busy play…

But one dog doesn’t quite fit in. It’s lonely being the odd dog out, when all she wants to do is find her place in the world. She’s willing to go to the other side of the world to look for it… but it might take a different kind of journey for her to discover that maybe where she’s meant to be is right back where she started…

This sublime third book from Rob is bursting with colour, which reflects our odd dog and her colourful outlook on life. After feeling like she's not part of where she comes from, she embarks on a mission to find somewhere where she will fit in. It's only here she finds that everyone is like her and that's not such a good thing...

Rob's trademark rhyming text flows well and makes for a wonderful story full of individuality whilst encompassing the moral of not having to feel like you fit in! Plus you can't but love the happy ending - every dog has its day!

Odd Dog Out is available now from all good booksellers and from the Harper Collins website. Check out my interview with Rob here.

GRRRRR!

GRRRRR!

By Rob Biddulph

Published by Harper Collins

Come join Fred the Bear on a stunningly illustrated journey to be crowned the best bear in the wood and, just maybe, learn that there might be more to life than training… The second stunning, captivating and witty picture book from the immensely talented Rob Biddulph, whose debut BLOWN AWAY won the Waterstones Children’s Book Prize.

Each year, for as long as the forest has stood,

A contest is held for the bears of the wood…

And Fred is the champion. He’s just that good.

Fred is the Best Bear in the Wood – and he’s got the medals to prove it. Being the best takes a lot of hard work, and time on your own, but Fred doesn’t mind. Until a new bear moves to town, and Fred’s champion GRRRRR goes missing… How will he ever win now? Or will Fred instead learn that some things are more important than winning?

This is a wonderful follow up to Rob's debut, Blown Away. You can't help feel sorry for Fred as he tries to find his GRRRRR in time for the competition. Luckily for Fred he gains some friends along the way and realises that friendship is better than winning all the time.

Rob's playful rhyming text and graphic illustration is another winning combination. I loved the characters in this story and hope to see more from Fred in future Rob Biddulph titles! The perfect book for fans of rhyming picture books and Rob Biddulph followers!

GRRRRR! is available now from all good booksellers and from the Harper Collins website. Check out my interview with Rob here.

Blown away

Blown away

By Rob Biddulph

Published by Harper Collins

This tale about a penguin is the debut book from author/illustrator Rob Biddulph. Blown Away is a Waterstones Children's Book winning tale and well deserved too! 

It’s a windy day, and Penguin Blue has a brand new kite – but where’s he going on this maiden flight? Penguin Blue and his friends go on a gloriously illustrated adventure full of good ideas, homesickness and the perils of kites.

The problem with kites is that when they work well they really do take flight. And this unlucky penguin gets taken along for the ride! Penguin Blue isn't the only passenger, with his penguin pals coming along as well as a seal and a polar bear. They all end up in the jungle which isn't really quite right for animals that are more used to colder climates. They find a way of using a dingy and a new kite made from leaves they gather in the jungle to get back home to weather they're more used to.

Blown Away is an enjoyable tale that's perfect for this colder time of year. It's one that my little one enjoys snuggled up under the bedcovers - especially when its a particular chilly night! Full of great characters, detailed illustration and an adventurous rhyming story, it will be read again and again.

Blown away is available to buy in hardback and paperback editions from all good booksellers and from the Harper Collins website. Check out my interview with Rob here.

When I'm a Monster Like You, Dad!

When I'm a Monster Like You, Dad!

By David O'Connell & Francesca Gambatesa 

Published by Harper Collins 

Every little monster wants to be like his/her mummy or daddy. When I'm a Monster Like You, Dad! tells the heart warming story of wanting to be a grown-up, though being little can be just as fun and exciting! A monster of a story from new talents, David O'Connell & Francesca Gambatesa.  

Little monster can't wait to be big and bad like his big monster daddy. Though daddy monster isn't all about teaching his son to be big and bad. Instead he wants his son to use his fangs to smile instead of crunching houses and cars. And instead of using his scaly and long tail for whipping and thrashing, he prefers little monster uses it to play chase through the trees. 

This is a heart warming family story about teaching a child to embrace their childhood and not want to grow up too fast! Daddy Monster would rather his son plays and has fun as he did. David's rhyming text is subtle and full of charm, with a lovely little joke at the end. Francesca's illustrations are full of monster character and her use of colour brings each page to life. A lovely debut from a talented duo - I'll look forward to seeing more from these two in the near future! 

When I'm a Monster Like You, Dad! is available to buy now from all good bookshops and from the Harper Collins website here.

Interview with Clive McFarland

Clive grew up in Northern Ireland before taking a ship to England to study at Liverpool School of Art and Design.  Discovering his love for children’s picture books he combined it with his love of nature. His art is inspired by the shapes and emotion he finds in landscape and natural imagery. His debut picture book A Bed for Bear and follow up The Fox and the Wild are available now. His third book Caterpillar Dreams will be released in early 2017.

BWB: A Bed For Bear was your debut picture book for HarperCollins. Can you tell us what inspired the story?

CM: I wanted to make a book about finding a place to belong. Originally the story was set in an urban town where bears lived. Even though town seemed the perfect place to live for many different types of bear (like brown bears, polar bears and pandas), it was a place where Bernard the Bear felt he didn’t belong. HarperCollins liked the main character but envisaged a bedtime story. That set Bernard on a different path and I started over with something simpler. I felt a book to be read at bedtime should be quiet. I wanted things to be understated and for the art not to be too cluttered or busy. Setting the story in a wood seemed a better fit. Bernard still feels that he isn’t in the right place and goes looking for the perfect place to sleep.

I owe a lot to my editor David Linker. We worked on A Bed for Bear for a long time. He helped me find the right voice and establish the kind of stories I want to tell.

BWB: Bears focus in a lot of your illustrations, is there a reason for this?

CM: Maybe I was drawing a lot of bears because I had a story in mind. I haven’t created any since I completed A Bed for Bear and decided not to work on a couple of bear books from other publishers after that. I had created a bear character I was fond of and wanted to do something different. I’d love to visit Bernard’s world again though.

BWB: Who is your favourite fictional bear?

CM: I grew up with and love the original Winnie-the-Pooh stories by AA Milne, illustrated by EH Shepard. Paddington Bear is a close second. Bernard’s yellow scarf is a little nod to Rupert Bear.

BWB: Your illustration process of collage is seen throughout your work. Has this process changed in any way to meet picture book deadlines?

CM: My process hasn’t changed much but I am working digitally more which means it’s easier to make changes to the art. I am able to make more polished work this way and it can be a bit faster. I allow myself to use only hand-painted textures and try to keep true to the limitations of traditional cut-out illustration.

BWB: Can you tell us what are you working on right now?

CM: My latest book Caterpillar Dreams is publishing with HarperCollins early next year. It’s a story about a caterpillar called Henri who dreams of exploring the world and sets off on a journey beyond the safety of his garden. I haven’t seen the final book yet but it's finished and I’m very excited for the book to be released. 

Right now I’m in the process of illustrating a counting book to be published by Nancy Paulsen Books, which is an honour. I’m also writing new stories and hoping they might be on a bookshelf in the not too distant future.

A Bed For Bear

A Bed For Bear

By Clive McFarland

Published by Harper Collins

It's bedtime for Bernard but the bear cave is crowded and very uncomfortable. What is a bear to do when there's no good place to sleep? The debut picture book from the fab Clive McFarland, sees him bring his signature collage style to this endearing tale of a sleepy bear.

Bernard searches high and low for the perfect place to sleep in this lovely bedtime story from Clive. It's nearly winter and Bernard is getting ready to hibernate. There's just one problem, how can Bernard be expected to sleep in a bear cave? It's too noisy, too big and too crowded! So Bernard sets off in finding the perfect place to sleep. He comes to a pond and asks a frog if he can try out his lily pad. But being wet wasn't very comfy. He then comes across a nest in a tree. But the nest didn't feel right. He then asks a rabbit if he can try out his burrow. But it was a bit of a tight fit. 

It's only when Bernard comes across a mouse that he explains the perfect bed he'd like to sleep in. The mouse has the right place in mind and takes Bernard to it. They arrive at the interesting bed. It was dry and calm, with lots of space and plenty of company. The perfect place for bears, his bear cave. And Bernard slept all winter, the perfect bed for bear.

I've been a fan of Clive's since I first seen his work pop up on twitter a couple of years ago. His unmistakable collage style is striking and full of character. A Bed For Bear is illustrated beautifully, with textured illustrations that pop off the pages. The story is a classic one, inspired from fairytales such as Goldilocks and the three Bears. A great bedtime read that you will never bore of, and will hopefully help your little cubs drop off to dreamland. 

A Bed For Bear is available to buy now at all good bookshops and on the Harper Collins website here. If you'd like to know more about how Clive made the book, check out the interview I had with him here. I also recommend checking out the trailer below as it's one of my favourites!

A BED FOR BEAR by Clive McFarland - Book Trailer from Paper Panther on Vimeo.