Emma Dodd interview

In celebration of Emma's latest book, The Entertainer, I had the pleasure of asking her some 'entertaining' questions about her new book and her career as an author & illustrator.

Emma was brought up near London, England. He parents were both designers and from as far back as she can remember she wanted to be an illustrator. Emma studied Graphic Design and Illustration at Central Saint Martin's School of Art, London, and has worked in advertising, editorial and book illustration.

She was nominated for the Booktrust Early Years Award in 2006 for her book "What Pet to Get" and in 2009 for "Miaow said the Cow". Emma lives with her husband and two children and their Jack Russel Terrier, Bart, who keeps her fit and provides inspiration.

BWB: The Entertainer turns out to be a birthday party that hasn't quite gone to plan. Have you experienced any disasterous birthday parties?

ED: I have indeed! I can't go into too much detail as it involved people who I still know, but let's just say, it was a joint 6th Birthday party and it did not go to plan. Whilst a bear did not actually turn up instead of the children's entertainer, by the end of the party it looked as if one had! The experience was one of the main inspirations behind "The Entertainer".

BWB: What would be your ideal party?

ED: I love holding parties. My ideal party would on a small Cornish beach, with all my favourite people, candles, a big fire, lovely food and a fabulous sunset followed by a warm, clear starry night.

In the end though, the most important ingredient for a great party is the people you love.

BWB: Chocolate birthday cake, yay or nay?

ED: Yay! Of course!

BWB: Who's your favourite entertainer?

ED: Well I just saw 'Elbow' in concert at the Eden Project in Cornwall, and their lead singer, Guy Garvey, takes some beating. Last year at the Edinburgh Fringe I saw 'The Boy With Tape on His Face' and he was wonderful too. Two on my top nights out, ever.

BWB: Which fictional bear would you invite into your home?

ED: I think it would have to be Pooh Bear, and I hope he would bring Piglet too.

BWB: Do you have a party trick?

ED: I can eat my own body weight in crisps and peanuts. Does that count?

BWB: How do you juggle (no pun intended) all your projects?

ED: I've got very good at juggling projects, but it has taken practice. Once I've delivered my children safely to school I always start my day by walking my dog, Buzz.

Then it's down to work. To work at home you have to be very self disciplined. I hardly move from my desk until it's time to collect the children and I usually manage another couple of hours in the evening. As for working on different projects simultaneously, I love that!  I find it keeps me interested and hopefully keeps my work fresh and exciting.

BWB: You have illustrated over 40 books. Which one are you most proud of?

ED: Gosh, that's a difficult question. I am very proud of "The Entertainer" because it makes people laugh. I am also proud of my foil book series, including "Me" and "Forever". They are very close to my heart because they are about the love I have for my children and sometimes they make people cry!  My book "I Love Bugs" is also one of my favourites and I must say that the "I Love You" books by Giles Andreae have been such fun to work on that I'm rather proud of them too. Is that too much pride? I hope not.

BWB: Early in your career you also worked in advertising and editorial. Did you find the transition to children's publishing an easy one?

ED: When I first left college I took my portfolio around to as many newspapers, magazines and agencies as I could. The deadlines were always very tight, but it was an excellent way to learn my trade.

I had a lucky break with a publisher which allowed me the even luckier break of finding my children's literary agent, Eunice McMullen, who has been a tremendous help in my career. I always listen carefully to her advice and I owe a huge amount to her. For a long time I divided my time equally between children's books and editorial illustration. Now most of my work is in children's publishing and my deadlines are much more manageable and rather more conducive to family life. When I started illustrating picture books, I knew that I had found the perfect job for me.

BWB: Can you tell us about your creative process?

ED: Well, I suspect that my family and close friends would tell you that I slightly chaotic and that I go through labour pains at the beginning of a project; the ideas stage. Once I'm up and running I really love it, but I do need a deadline to give me the impetus to do my best work. When I reach the end of a book, I worry that I will never have another idea again, and then...pop... something with spring into my head, as if it's been lurking in my subconscious mind, waiting for the right moment. Amazing really!

BWB: Who's been the biggest influence on your work?

ED: My parents are both artists and I grew up surrounded by drawing, painting and inspiration of all kinds. They were very supportive of my early career and a huge influence.. Then there are illustrators whose work I loved in my childhood; Peter Firman, Gerald Rose, Brian Wildsmith, John Burningham to name but a few. Finally, my children and a huge influence and a great source of inspiration.

BWB: Which writer (or illustrator) would you most like to collaborate with?

ED: Well I already have an excellent collaboration with Giles Andreae, who is a bit of a genius, so that is fantastic. I've also worked and am working with author K A Gerrard who is a dear friend of mine and whose words make me laugh. Something I rather fancy doing is writing a picture book for somebody else to illustrate; ideally somebody whose work is very different to mine.  It would be interesting to see what they did with my words. Perhaps that will happen one day, who knows?

Thank you Emma for a bearillant interview! And thank you to Ellen for setting this all up! To see more of Emma's work visit her website and follow her on twitter. Emma's latest book, The Entertainer, is out now in all good bookshops and to buy online. 

The Entertainer

The Entertainer

By Emma Dodd
Published by Templar Publishing

Ding dong! Ding dong! The children's entertainer is here to save the party! (we can only hope!). Children and adults alike will adore Emma Dodd’s latest book, The Entertainer. Emma has had over 40 books published and her latest will not disappoint; its a fun and very entertaining picture book!

Billy is having a party and his mum and dad have booked an entertainer for him and his friends. 

An entertainer arrives at the door dressed as a bear - and a very convincing one at that! The children are impressed; after whirling and spinning on a misplaced toy, which the children think is hilarious, making a lot of mess, before munching flowers, juggling fruit and then gulping them down, he soon stumbles upon the birthday spread… uh oh… Billy and his friends find him asleep and all the food eaten but thank goodness Billy’s mum has saved the cake. Once everyone has left and said their goodbyes, there’s soon a surprise at the door… and we can all guess who’s there.

This book is fun and will have little ones laughing at the entertainer’s antics. It reminds me slightly of  The Tiger Who Came to Tea by Judith Kerr, where a tiger ate everything in the house, very much like this naughty entertainer. 

I really enjoyed this book and even missed the hint on the title page about who the entertainer really is! (one to look out for when you're reading the book). The story flows really well and with the use of larger text for sounds and actions, it makes it fun and a joy to read over and over again. There’s even little boxes with words of advice found on a few corners of the spreads, i.e  its rude to burp when someone gives you food, never leave toys around on the floor, and never to juggle your food before eating them in one big gulp, a hazardous way to digest (all sound advice I think you'll agree!)!. Even the large and bold illustrations are fun. If you’ve not read Emma’s books before, this is definitely a great one to start with!

Look out for the upcoming interview with the fabulous, Emma Dodd, where she'll answer what inspired the book and her process for creating such a beauty! The Entertainer is available to buy from all good bookshops and online.

The Best Book in the World!

The Best Book in the World

By Rilla Alexander
Published by Flying Eye Books

Have you ever read a book that’s too good to be put down? We certainly couldn't put this down after reading it several times. The Best Book in the World! is a great introduction into the wonderful world of books and stories, an ode to reading!
 

This book isn’t about being the best but about finding that one book that sucks you in to another world, the pageturner, a book that grips you until that very last page! For me, The Best Book in the World! isn't quite a picture book in the traditional sense - it feels like a celebration of a child's imagination when they read a book. And that's something that's being lost in today's world of smart phones, tablets and computer games. Hopefully it will encourage children to read more and use their imaginations.

 

This colourful book looks at the different ways of reading following a little girl that's completely engrossed within her book. As the day continues, creatures start to appear… are we seeing characters from the book she’s reading or is her book so good that she’s not noticing these weird and quirky things following her?

The Best Book in the World! is the second picture book to come from the fantastic Austrailan illustrator Rilla Alexander. Rilla has a graphic design background whose work has appeared on everything from toys and tea cups to buses and buildings. The Best Book in the World! is her latest book which stars her alter-ego Sozi. As you can see from the pictures, each page is awash with colour - with every spread using a limited colour palette which sets off Rilla's illustrations beautifully. I love how she has used different colour palettes throughout the book with the colours starting bright and slowly getting darker as the day goes by until eventually its time for bed...

 

For me this is a treasure of a book. It has beautiful design and it's sentiment is at the heart of children's literature. It will be quite at home on any childrens bookshelf, design house or school library. The Best Book in the World! is available to buy online, in bookshops and on the Flying Eye Books website.

The Queen's Hat

The Queen's Hat

By Steve Antony
Published by Hachette Childrens Books

The Queen’s Hat, from the debut author-illustrator, Steve Antony,  is an exhilarating London adventure that all starts when a big gust of wind swipes the Queen’s hat from the top of her Royal head. With the Queen, her corgi, guardsmen and butler in tow, its a fun adventure across London to catch that hat!

This picture book features simplistic line drawings and light shading, all in red, black and blue, which makes each page spread rather striking, and gives off a touristy London charm.

It features popular London landmarks, that if any child who has visited London, or if lives there, will clearly recognise… and if you haven’t visited London, this is a great little introduction to the city and Royal family. From just opening this book I was overcome by the same charm that Miroslav Sasek's, This is London succeeded at - and of course made his 'This is...' series of books classics, which I have no doubt Steve Antony will also achieve.

The illustrations of Big Ben, Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace are beautifully rendered and so detailed that the Queen herself would approve! 

Overall the story is fun and simple, but its the illustrations that will make the young and old enjoy this book …there’s even a slight reference to Mary Poppins which made me smile. 

Though this is a picture book, the stylish illustrations, eye catching front cover and gorgeous end papers would make this a great addition to any book shelf, coffee table, book box, classroom…need I go on?

The Queen’s Hat is available to buy now in bookshops and from the Hachette Childrens Books website.

Who's in the Jungle?

Who's in the Jungle?

By Rebecca Gerlings and illustrated by Kimberley Scott
Published by Milly & Flynn

This large touch and feel board book, is illustrated by the lovely Kimberley Scott, another artist whose work I’m familiar with. A bright colourful 6 page spread filled with cute jungle animals, with each page spread starting with 'Here in the jungle…' followed by a rhyming sentence describing the animal that can be found.

The colours palette is nicely picked, with each spread having a different tone, so children can associate the colours with the animals surroundings.

I love the large tabs around the edge of this board book, great for little chubby fingers, and with the animals peeking out it gives a clue to little ones of who’s in the jungle.

There’s quite a good amount of textured surfaces on each spread throughout the book, with each texture being different, great for little hands to explore. This book is recommended for 1 years and over but is definitely a great first touch and feel book!

Who’s in the Jungle will be available to buy in bookshops from September and on the Milly & Flynn website.

Alison Brown interview for Little Tiger's Reading Rocks! Blog tour

As part of the Reading Rocks blog tour, I got to ask the wonderful Alison Brown some pressing questions about her new picture book Mighty Mo and her life as an author/illustrator.

Alison grew up in Bangor, Northern Ireland. She learned to draw by copying cartoon strips from her comics and her father's newspapers. She studied Fine Art at Liverpool John Moores University and Goldsmiths College, London, and worked as a designer in an advertising agency before beginning a full-time career in children's books. Mighty Mo is her second picture book for Little Tiger Press.


Q1. In your latest book, Mighty Mo, you have chosen a Raccoon as the main character. Was there a reason for this, or was it all down to the fact that Racoons look like they wear superhero masks?

I really wanted to write a story about a raccoon and a burglar, because I loved their matching "masks". From the beginning, I knew I wanted my main character to be a raccoon, but I didn't see him at first as a superhero. There was a point in the story development where Mo might have inadvertently turned to burglary - luckily he took the right path!


Q2. In Mighty Mo, not finding what you're good at is a big part of the story. Is this something you have personally experienced?

Yes, I very much wanted to be good at acting. At school, I managed to get a part as one of the horde of villagers in "The Thwarting of Baron Bolligrew". On opening night, I made my grand entrance by tripping on the steps and falling over! For the next production I joined the stage crew and discovered that they had much more fun.


Q3. If you could be any Superhero, who would you be?

Being a shy, retiring type, I'd love to say Dangermouse, but I'm probably more of a Penfold!


Q4. How long did Mighty Mo take to illustrate?

About nine months altogether. The final illustrations in acrylic and pencil took about about three months, the previous six months were taken up by many, many rewrites and redraws!


Q5. Any plans for a series of Mighty Mo books? (maybe that nasty burglar Big Ron could return for revenge?)

Ooh, Big Ron isn't really nasty - he's just misguided! I'd love to write a sequel to Mighty Mo, but I think Mo should persuade Big Ron to change his ways.


Q6. What inspires you to write your stories?

I like to wander about - aimlessly, some might say, but for me there are strange and funny things going on all around. I make mental notes, and later put real notes and drawings in my sketchbook. They sit there for months and even years, until one day I look back at them and they spark off an idea. I also get lots of inspiration from books, films, music and most definitely my family!


Q7. All your books have animals feature in them, do you have a favourite animal that you like to illustrate?

I seem to find myself drawn to animals with pointy noses...dogs, wolves, raccoons and all kinds of rodents. I think this is because I can give their faces character without making them too cute. I like to express emotion in my illustrations through body language and gestures, so I like characters with fingers and toes. Winged and hoofed things are more challenging, although in "Mighty Mo" I cheated and give Warty the hairdresser hands, so that he could hold his scissors!


Q8. You have created books with other people as well as your own, which do you prefer doing and what's next in the pipeline?

Writing and illustrating is harder work in the earlier stages. I work on the words and pictures at the same time, and this makes the process a bit like one of those sliding square puzzles; changing one element can mean rethinking everything else! However it is fantastic to create a character and develop their story from start to finish.

On the other hand, When I illustrate a text for another author, the first stage is easy. I get a big rush of excitement the first time I see the text, and can't wait to get started. The hard work comes later in getting the final artwork just right.

My next book to be published is called "Snow Bear", a lovely, heartwarming tale by the poet and writer Tony Mitton. I've just handed over the final artwork for it, and now it's time to start developing all the ideas that have been brewing while I've been painting!


Thank you Alison for your time and for your wonderful answers! Mighty Mo is available to buy online from Little Tiger and from your local bookshop.

Mighty Mo - Little Tiger Reading Rocks! Tour

Mighty Mo

By Alison Brown
Published by Little Tiger Press

I was given the pleasure of being part of Little Tiger's Reading Rocks! Tour. I was lucky enough to receive Mighty Mo, a lovely and very funny picture book about a very, very bored little raccoon at the Dodo Golden Zoo. It comes from the author/illustrator, Alison Brown who also wrote the charming Eddie and the Dog.

Mo the raccoon tries to find out what he’s good at, but Mo is either too fast or too strong and gives up after one too many disasters. That is until the bumbling burglar, Big Ron, steals the Zoo's Golden Dodo - so it’s Mighty Mo to the rescue! 

This bright and colourful picture book has a good variety of layouts and cute characters, with even one spread making you turn the book to the side to read. 

I love the fact Alison chose a Raccoon to portray Mo - with their trademark masks he makes the perfect superhero! Even the different typefaces and text sizes enhances the story and gives the book more charm. I especially love Mo's small penguin friend who never gives up on him (as with the rest of his friends), we all should have someone like that in our lives. And if that’s not enough to grab a little ones attention, this very cute little raccoon will have any child or adult charmed by his antics.

Mighty Mo is available to buy in bookshops and from the Little Tiger Press website. There's also an activity sheet that you can print out below.

And continuing the Reading Rocks! Tour, up next, an interview from the talented Alison Brown…