Children's Picture eBook Review and Author Interview: Park Life: The New Arrivals, Written and Illustrated by Matthew Nightingale

Illustrations: 5.0 Stars 
Cover: 5.0 Stars
Storyline: 5.0 Stars
Total: 5.0 Stars

My Review for Park Life: The New Arrivals: Corban the crocodile and Felicity the flamingo move into Happy Valley. The five animal friends who live there must adjust to the scariness of a crocodile (although it turns out he's super nice) and the meanness of the flamingo (she learns kindness in the end), but they ALL learn friendship among their differences.

Illustrations: Very polished and beautiful illustrations. I loved to look at them, they're in an animated movie type of style.

Storyline: The Happy Valley animals demonstrate important moral lessons: Helen overcomes her fear of the new crocodile. Calvin shows kindness to someone who isn't kind to him. Corban demonstrates an apology. Gracie forgives. This book reinforces lessons I want my children to learn, in an amiable way.

Author Interview with Matthew Nightingale:

Valerie Harmon: Have you ever been the new kid in a neighborhood?

Matthew Nightingale: I have, when I was 8 years old my family moved to Paris. So not only was I the new kid, I was the new kid who spoke a different language!

VH: What advice do you have for new kids?

MN: Just have fun and people will want to have fun with you.

VH: How did you learn how to illustrate?
MN: I was working as a graphic designer when I started to play with 3D computer modeling. I got hooked, and then decided to go to university to study this subject full time.  

VH: What programs do you use to illustrate?
MH: The programs I use to make my illustrations are SoftImage (Image is pronounced in French) and Adobe Photoshop.

VH: What advice do you have for children who'd like to be artists?

MN: I would suggest that you look at as many children’s books as possible. Quickly you’ll find yourself attracted to certain styles and then you can start to develop your own unique direction. Try to make yourself different.

VH: Do you have any funny stories of how you got to where you are?

MN: I don’t have a funny story, but I do have an ironic story. The weekend after I had finished the last edit of my book I was taking my dog for a walk around my local lake. Pippa, my dog, is obsessed with balls. I think she believes that all the balls in the world belong to her and she wonders why everybody is playing with her ball. This is why whenever I take her for a walk she brings her ball with her. As we walked around the lake I kicked her ball, she chased after it, and returned it to me. One unfortunate kick later and the ball ended up in the lake and I found myself looking around for somebody to help me. Luckily the wind blow the ball back to the edge, I did wonder if I needed to rewrite that part of my book.

VH: What are three favorite books?

MN: This is probably a terrible thing to admit, but I don’t really read a lot. I do enjoy autobiographies. I enjoyed biographies of Murray Walker, Lee Evans and Guy Martin.

VH: What are three favorite children's books?

MN: My three favourite children’s books are:

  

The Gruffalo’s Child by Julia Donaldson. – This book has it all, The beautiful illustrations, humour, intriguing characters all wrapped by in wonderful writing. 

The Emperor and the Nightingale by Hans Christian Andersen – I feel this story has a great moral, the way should admire the beauty in nature.

The Snow Queen by Hans Christian Andersen – I like this story because it reminds me of the classic children’s stories in the way it has a slight dark edge to the story.

VH: Who influences your writing?

MN: My children influence my writing the most. I love their understanding of what is right and wrong. They read my story as I worked on it, I found it amazing how they spotted things in a storyline that you didn’t even realise was there.

VH: What advice do you have for authors who'd like to write children's books?

MN: Watch your word count, I struggled for quite a while with this. The consistent feedback I was given was that my story was too long. As an experiment I went through my book and deleted anything that didn’t progress the story, then compared the result with the original story. This really highlighted areas in my story where I was waffling.

VH: What would you tell children who read your book?

MN: There’s no such thing as a normal person, everybody’s different and that’s how it should be.

VH: Why do you write?

MN: I didn’t plan to start writing. I was playing on my computer, working on some character designs and I found myself imagining what characteristics they would have. After I had about 6 character designs that I was happy with I decided to start putting a story together. I found it very difficult but after many, many edits I was very pleased with the result.

VH: What kind of animal would you be if you could choose?

MN: The obvious answer would to say I’d be a Nightingale, but after recently trying my hand at indoor skydiving I can safely say I do not fly or sing like a nightingale.

For more information on Nightingale, visit his book website, his personal 3D portfolilo site, and Park Life New Arrivals on Amazon UK.

Children's Picture eBook Review and Author Interview: The Bewundering World of Bewilderbeests Written and Illustrated by Bailey Fort

Illustrations: 5.0 Stars 
Cover: 5.0 Stars
Storyline: 4.5 Stars
Total: 5.0 Stars

My Review: Meet quirky creatures and galloping rhymes and rhythms in this well-illustrated children's book.

Illustrations: Top notch illustrations. They are colorful and the animals' expressions and oddness contribute to the book. It's very unusual to have a successful illustrator who can also write a great book (and vice versa), and Bailey Fort manages it very well.

Storyline: This isn't a story-line type of book. It's like Shel Silverstein's writings--unique creatures and fun word-play poems about the "bewilderbeests."Author Interview with Bailey Fort:

Author Bailey Fort

Valerie Harmon: How did you get started in writing?

Bailey Fort: While I’d previously gained a fair bit of experience with academic writing, this was my first real foray into writing for children—though I always did enjoy a bit of wordplay. Now I’m hooked! (As you might imagine, this form of writing has proven to be considerably more fun than the academic stuff ever was…).

VH: Why did you decide to write a children's book?

BF: It actually began as an assignment in an editorial design course, but quickly evolved into something I wanted to expand upon beyond the bounds of the course. I had a great professor who was very supportive and offered tremendously helpful guidance throughout the development process—and he encouraged me to pursue it further. That being said, the work I’d done sat on a metaphorical shelf for a while, but kept calling me back. Eventually, I returned to it and added new material (and polished up the earlier work), then decided it was finally ready to be shared with the world. On the plus side, ebook technology made great advancements in the area of children’s picture books during that time period—though I still have plans to release a print edition in the near future. Even though the children’s book began as an assignment, it turned into a labour of love; I’m thankful that the assignment illuminated an area of work I hadn’t really considered previously. 

VH: What are your top three favorite children's books?

BF: Plenty of wonderful children’s books have been released since I was a kid, but some of my personal favourites were Where the Sidewalk Ends by Shel Silverstein, Matilda by Roald Dahl, and a beautifully illustrated book called Cats’ Carnival Ball written by Edith Schreiber-Wicke, illustrated by Monika Laimgruber, and translated from German by Alison Coughtry.

VH: How did you come up with the "bewilderbeest" idea?

BF: When I was developing the idea for the book, I wanted to integrate certain elements inspired by the types of books I loved most as a kid. I was drawn to anything to do with animals— especially if they were engaging characters. Rich and colourful illustrations won me over, and—perhaps most importantly— I was drawn to books that were fun to read because of their rhythm or amusing content.

I considered writing about real animals or mythological creatures, but ultimately decided I’d have the most fun introducing readers to new, made-up beasties. I wanted them each to have distinctive personalities that were like little slices of humanity, reflecting the idiosyncrasies of different people you might meet or already know personally. The creature names and poems evolved from there.

VH: Who influences your writing?

BF: Shel Silverstein was a big influence—I aimed to capture a similar sense of rhythm and playful whimsy in telling each creature’s story, but I also wanted to ensure that my own writing voice was clearly expressed. Beyond that, anything I might read (or hear) has the potential to spark an idea for word choice or a particular turn of phrase.
VH: Click here for more information on writer/illustrator Shel Silverstein.

VH: What's your top three favourite books?

BF: The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy series by Douglas Adams,  The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon, and Papillon by Henri Charrière.

VH: What advice do you have for people who want to write/illustrate books?

BF: It involves more work than you probably realize to develop a well-crafted children’s book. Children’s books seem deceptively simple, but require a lot of planning and ruthless curation. 

Write down any ideas you have—concepts, characters, phrases, etc.  Do sketches when you get flashes of inspiration. It’s not a quick process, and you might not do anything with your ideas right away, but once you’ve started to collect those ideas, you might eventually see something cohesive start to emerge. 

In children’s books especially, the specific selection of every individual word becomes important.

Step away from your work for a bit and revisit it periodically—it will help you to see things with fresh eyes and to edit mercilessly.

The words and the pictures should enhance each other, so if you’re doing only the writing or only the illustrating of the children’s book, try to find someone to work with who shares your vision and seamlessly complements your work. This is no easy feat…

VH: Who influences your illustration?

BF: It’s difficult for me to cite specific examples that consciously influenced my illustration style for the book, since it evolved gradually. I started with sketches of different characters and backgrounds, as well as an assortment of hand-painted abstract patterns and textures, all of which I then scanned and layered digitally. In hindsight, however, I recognize a kinship with Eric Carle’s work, both in terms of aesthetic and technique. My own illustrations are essentially digital collages, but stray from the tradition of Carle’s aesthetic with richly layered landscapes as the backgrounds for each spread. The faces of the various creatures are a bit more expressive, as well—to fully convey their unique dispositions and personal stories.
VH: Click here for more information on illustrator Eric Carle.

VH: What do you have to say to the children who read your books?

BF: Reading is fun—or at least it can be. You can learn about anything you want through reading, and it can offer an escape to anywhere you might  imagine—and plenty of places you wouldn’t have imagined for yourself! So visit your local library! Go to a bookstore! Raid the bookshelves in your home!

Try to appreciate how words are used—because the English language is both glorious and incredibly stupid. It’s wonderfully versatile and great for wordplay, but is also inconsistent, confusing, and difficult to learn in comparison with other languages. The more you read, and the more you write, the easier it will become to express yourself clearly and articulate your thoughts—and I think we can all agree that what you have to say is important! In any case, have a bit of fun with language and how you use it!

We all have our quirks—try to have a sense of humour about your own, and aim not to judge other people too harshly for theirs.

VH: What bewilderbeest are you most like?
BF: Hmmm… A few of the characters reflect an exaggeration of personal idiosyncrasies. For instance, like the Meadowsnark, I’m not really a morning bird—though I’m not quite that grumpy! Mainly, I’d say I’m most like the Millipus—juggling a lot of different things at once.

The Millipus, a page from Fort's Bewundering World of Bewilderbeests

VH: What do you have to say to children who want to grow up to be like you?

BF: Feed your brain: read—a lot. Anything and everything! Serious stuff and silly stuff; scientific stuff and artsy stuff; true stuff and marvellously made-up stuff; stuff you’re assigned in school and stuff you discover all on your own. There really is no limit here.

Dabble: keep trying new things. You’ll discover interests, activities, and hobbies that you love—and probably a few that you hate, but that’s okay, too. For instance, I learned I hated playing baseball…and soccer…but I liked playing basketball. More importantly (for me), I discovered artistic pursuits outside of the classroom. Try to maintain the interests that you love as a part of your life.   

Sometimes life is hard, so cultivate a sense of humour: it will see you through the good times and the more troublesome ones.

For more of Fort, check out her website and Facebook page. 

~Written by Valerie Harmon

Children's Picture eBook Review and Author Interview: Hey Zoo Animals Wake Up Already! Written by Ryan and Clarence Rector Illustrated by Charlotte Hogg

Illustrations: 5.0 Stars 
Cover: 4.5 Stars
Storyline: 5.0 Stars
Total: 5.0 Stars

My Review: PJ loves animals--so he is excited to go to the zoo. They visit the three bears first--who are all sleeping. In fact, every place they go, the animals are sleeping, and the explanations for why they sleep today, gets more and more complicated. Good thing zoos are open more than one day!

Illustrations: Lovely illustrations with little humorous details that really add the story (look for the signs from the animals asking them to be left alone to sleep). Fabulous job Charlotte Hogg. An enthusiastic 5 stars!

Storyline: I won't spoil the surprise, but the reason all the animals are tired has to do with a blonde and a bowl of porridge. This story makes an adorable connection to a well-known fairy tale, and it was very enjoyable to read aloud. Well done! 5 stars

Author Ryan Rector

This book was co-authored by Clarence Rector and his third grade daughter Ryan. Ryan chose to be the one to answer all the questions, which adds an element of fun to the "when you were younger" questions. Ryan is the youngest author we've ever features on our blog. Congratulations Ryan!






Here is their book trailer (including an appearance by Ryan herself):

Author Interview:
Valerie Harmon: What is your favorite animal at the zoo? 
Ryan Rector: The giraffe.

VH: Were you like PJ when you were young? 
RR: Not really but when I wanted to persuade my parents to get me a dog. I read lots and lots of dog books.

VH: What are your 3 favorite books? 
RR: James Patterson Middle School Series, Junie B. Jones Series, and Dear Dumb Diaries.

VH: If you were an animal, what would it be?  
RR: A giraffe so I can see everything that is going on.

VH: How did you come up with the story? 
RR: My dad is a speech language pathologist and he was working with a kid that had gone to the zoo and most of the animals were sleeping.

VH: Why do you write? 
RR: I’m not sure…I just like to make up stuff and create.

VH: How did you connect with your illustrator? 
RR: My dad connected with Ms. Hogg on the Guru website.

A Hogg Illustration

Charlotte Hogg, Illustrator

VH: What advice do you have for people who want to write children’s books? 
RR: The advice that I would give is that marketing is the hard part so be prepared for that. My dad has taught me a lot about that.

VH: What are your 3 favorite children books? 
RR: The Giving Tree, I’m not a Vampire I just suck my Thumb (also written by Ryan & Clarence Rector), and Fancy Nancy.

VH: What authors influence you the most? 
RR: Well, perhaps my writing buddy, my dear old dad [Clarence Rector] and Barbara Park. 

VH: What advice do you have for young readers of your book? 

RR: Have fun making up stuff!

The Rectors can also be found on Goodreads and Facebook.

~Reviewed by Valerie Harmon

Children's Picture eBook Review and Author Interview: Isecas the Dream Cat and the New School, Written by Preston Squire, Illustrated by Dixie Albanez

Illustrations: 5.0 Stars 
Cover: 5.0 Stars
Storyline: 5.0 Stars
Total: 5.0 Stars

My Review: Sahar is from Egypt and she's shy and new to the Canadian gradeschool. When her Aunt Lodi gives her an old stuffed "Dream Cat," Sahar discovers an inner strength that surprises her.

Illustrations: Delightful, professional illustrations.

Storyline: This story of Sahar discovering her inner strength is told with a light and easy hand. Very enjoyable to read and strengthening to the elementary reader as well. I recommend this book for all elementary age readers, but in particular to those who suffer from shyness and insecurity.

Author: Preston Squire is a writer, blogger, and actor in Toronto, ON. He has always enjoyed writing about cute and cuddly characters saving the day, the world or the universe. He is thrilled to share Isecas with you and has many more stories to come. He has three children, an amazing wife, and a house cat, named Isecas.

Illustrator: Dixie Albanez is a young artist from Edmonton, AB. She graduated from the Art Institute of Burnaby in 2008, and since then has worked as a painter, graphic designer, and most recently as an illustrator for a mobile game company in her hometown. Isecas the Dream Cat has fulfilled Dixie's own dream to become an illustrator of children's literature, and she looks forward to creating art for children's books for many more years to come.

Author Interview with Preston Squire:

Valerie Harmon: How did you come up with Isecas the Dream Cat?
Preston Squire: This is going to sound strange (to some) but honestly, I didn't. I felt super inspired to write after what I can only describe as a 'God' encounter and this book (and three others) popped out. I had zero idea I was going to write about an Egyptian Dream Cat or Sahar or what would happen in the book, it just formed itself and I was as pleasantly surprised by what come out as I wrote, it was as if I was reading someone else's work instead of my own.

VH: Why did you choose to write this particular story?
PS: I never have any preconceptions going into any of the Isecas The Dream Cat stories (there's a sequel out in April and more to come) but each story deals with different struggles children go through and Isecas always helps the children to find their own way through in a very affirming way. I'd say, on a subconscious level, stories were very important to me as a child, as I struggled with anxiety and depression and books were my escape from the world, and in part, my pathway back into it. So it's always been in my heart to play that forward and to write stories for kids that would both entertain and empower and I think that does come out in everything I do.

VH: Are you shy or outgoing?
PS: I wouldn't say I'm shy (others might...) but certainly not outgoing. More of a homebody but I do love people, and love to be reading to a classroom full of kids or on stage performing for children. (elance.com) 

VH: What advice do you have for children who don't have a Dream Cat?
PS: While I'm sure everyone would love a Dream Cat (adults too) all Dream Cats do is show you the good that's inside of you already - faith, hope, love - for it is these things that will get your through good times and bad. But it is nice to have a Dream Cat remind us once in a while.

VH: How did you connect with your illustrator?
PS: I was very fortunately to find Dixie (Albanez - illustrator). I posted the illustration job to a eLance, a freelance job site, and Dixie was one of the many people who bid on the job. 

I loved her work, she captures emotions so well, which is so important in the Isecas stories, so we negotiated a deal. Dixie ... felt right; her enthusiasm for the book, the fact she herself was an immigrant to Canada (Like Sahar in the story), a cat lover and that it was one of her dreams to work on a children's book. I know she's feels very happy to have been able to do Isecas The Dream Cat and the New School and the upcoming Isecas The Dream Cat and The Tides of Change.

VH: What are three favorite children's books?
PS: Anything by Dr. Seuss - he makes it all look so easy and puts most of us to shame. Writing in verse is HARD. To tell a great and highly entertaining story while doing it flawlessly? Amazing. 
Adventures of Huckleberry Finn by Mark Twain for it's bravery in facing social issues (of the time) head-on and unapologetically.

The Zen series by Jon J. Muth because although he's teaching different philosophies, he's accomplished what I one day hope to with The Dream Cats, so I find it personally inspiring.

       

VH: Why do you write?
PS: Sometimes I'm not sure myself. I procrastinate - a lot - on writing. I use to love to write as a child, but as an adult, writing feels like a chore. Once I'm writing though, I'm as happy as a kid in a candy shop. Once I finish a story I can spend months or years editing and rewriting; never feeling my work is quite 'good enough.' 

So why do I do it? Sometimes a marvelous concept will come to me and I'll want to write it down or sometimes, I'll feel inspired to write and something marvelous will come out (like Isecas). In the end, I guess I just feel an obligation to do something with them. It seems selfish to sit on a story that could be and should be out putting a smile on someone else's face. I've been thrilled by the response I've received from the Isecas the Dream Cat books so I guess I'll keep publishing the stories I've written as long as people keep enjoying reading them.

VH: What advice do you have for authors who'd like to write children's books?
PS: Do it for the love of it not for the money. 

I've been a part of children book writing groups (CANSCAIP and SCBWI) for years and have talked to dozens of traditional published children's book writers and over the last few months getting to know a lot of fellow indie authors. None can make a living out of children's book sales (except maybe Robert Munsch and Paulette Bourgeois who I haven't met personally). They all have other jobs / income (school visits, teaching writing courses are common). 

I was just reading one indie writer's blog, he's got over 100 titles out (some Amazon 'best-sellers'), and still can't make a living off it. 

I'm not trying to dissuade people from writing. Please do! Just write because you have a beautiful story that's dying to be told in your heart, then be prepared to work at revision, revision, revision because children's books are harder to write than you'd think and then let it go off into the world. 

Every smile you put on a child's lips is reward enough. Money is a bonus. Or to put it another way, if your goal is financial gain, you'll soon be discouraged and quit, but if you do it for the love of it, and treat it like a business not a hobby, then you'll find a way to make it into a lifestyle.

VH: Do you have any funny stories of how you got to where you are?

PS: What's funny (funny - odd, not funny - haha) is that I've had these Isecas stories for a decade and am only now getting around to telling them, because I didn't have the faith and confidence in myself, even though Isecas teaches that so eloquently in these books. 

VH: What are your three favorite books?
PS: I read almost entirely non-fiction but the three that were most memorable to me (thus far):

The Lord of the Rings (trilogy), by J.R.R. Tolkien which really took world building to a whole new level for me. Tolkien had created such a rich and vibrant world full of it's own history, cultures, languages, it really captured my imagination. I hope to meet and surpass that accomplishment one day. 

Awaken the Giant Within, by Anthony Robbins because it had a huge impact on my early adult life. 

Fellowship of the Talisman, by Clifford D. Simak - which I loved as a child, and because there aren't enough stories with griffin's in them.

VH: Who influences your writing?
PS: My fellow writers in my writing group (thanks to Marsha Skrypuch for including me in hers) certainly help shape the final product but I can't say my writing is directly influenced by anyone. No doubt a little bit of a lot of authors I've read over the years work their way in though.

VH: What would you tell children who read your book?
PS: If you only knew how wonderful you really are, and how important your role is in this world (mostly when you grow up) then 99% of the things 'wrong' in your life would instantly disappear because you'd already know you can handle them, work your way through them or overcome them and make this world a better place.

For more information on Squire and his Isecas books, check out his book website.

~Reviewed by Valerie Harmon

Children's eBook review and Author/Illustrator Interview: Aunty Arty and the Disquieting Muses, by Rowena Wiseman, Illustrated by Norelda Joy

Illustrations: 5.0 Stars 
Cover: 5.0 Stars
Storyline: 4.0 Stars
Total: 4.5 Stars

My Review: 

Frieda is a quiet girl in a family of ten who she gets to spend the night with her sister Mona at Aunty Arty's house. Aunty Arty is no ordinary Aunt who would take them to the movies or to eat chocolate. Instead, Aunty Art takes Frieda on an adventure custom made for her curious and accepting nature. Whiny, frustrated Mona spends most of the story as bored and still as a statue. But Frieda ends up meeting unusual characters and saving the day for a new friend. 

Illustrations: Colorful, professional, eye-catching. With a story loosely based on one of Giorgio de Chirico's Metaphysical paintings, the illustrations are modern and unusual in a children's book.

Storyline: While I don't like the favoritism Aunty Arty shows Frieda over Mona, I believe this story to be like the fairy tales that awards gifts to the kindest, gentlest character, who Frieda proves herself to be, and "punishments" to the complaining critical character (like Mona). This story will especially appeal to children who feel forgotten or left out, either with friends or in their family dynamics.

Author Interview with Rowena Wiseman

Valerie Harmon: Why did you write a book based on a painting?
Author Rowena Wiseman: I work at an art gallery and I'm always interested in what the story is in a painting. Often the artist doesn't tell us explicitly, so I thought it would be fun
to make up what could happen if we were to meet some characters in a work of art.

VH: Who is your favorite artist?
RW: So many! At the moment I've been researching street artists for a young adult book that I'm writing, so I like artists like Ghost Patrol from Melbourne or New York conceptual artist Barbara Kruger. I’m a big fan of South African artist William Kentridge. I also adore Chinese contemporary art. Yue Minjun is a massive favourite of mine - with his big smiley faces. I just dare people to look at his work and not feel happy!

Author Rowena Wiseman

VH: How did you connect with your illustrator?
RW: I found Narelda Joy on the Illustrators Australia website. I was really impressed with the level of detail and variety of skill in her work. I contacted her and sent her the manuscript for Aunty Arty. I already had a publisher - Jet Black Publishing. Luckily she liked the story and it’s been full steam ahead since then!

VH: Why do you write?
RW: I've always had a natural compulsion to write. Lately I've been sharing my young adult stories on Wattpad and discovered just how much I love connecting with an audience. It makes my day when someone tells me they can relate to one of my characters.

VH: What advice do you have for authors who'd like to write children's books?
RW: Write what the child in you is curious about.

VH: What would you tell children who read your book?
RW: I'd like them to think about a work of art that they would like to enter! What would their story be?

VH: Do you have any funny stories of how you got to where you are?
RW: The idea for the Aunty Arty series came to me while I was changing my son's nappy. I have no idea what that means ...

VH: What are three favorite books?
RW: The Catcher in the Rye by J. D. Salinger, A Confederacy of Dunces by John Kennedy Toole and A Fraction of the Whole by Steve Toltz.

VH: What are three favorite children's books?
RW: I love, love, love:

Iggy Peck the Architect by Andrea Beaty, such great rhyming text and the illustrations are sublime. It's a book that I genuinely enjoy reading with my kids. 

As a child I loved Enid Blyton. 

Shaun Tan is an amazing storyteller and artist, I have a small collection of his books; The Lost Thing and

The Arrival are my favourites.







VH: Who influences your writing?
RW: I love Tatyana Tolstaya for her creative style of writing, Emile Zola for his insight into human behaviour and Raymond Carver for his well-crafted simplicity.

VH: What do you do if you get writer's block?
RW: I've recently discovered the joy of wholefood cooking. I spend a lot of time on a computer, either at work, or at home in the early mornings or late evenings writing, so I find cooking is a good way to clear my mind! Good thoughts come when I’m least expecting it, like when I’m grating carrots or washing dishes. If I'm at my desk and I've got writer's block, I'll probably start watching some School of Life videos on YouTube. Love this new-age way of exploring meaning in our lives.

For more information on author Rowena Wiseman, check out her author website, Twitter account and Wattpad account, on Facebook, Aunty Arty on Goodreads, and the Aunty Arty website.

Illustrator Interview with Narelda Joy

VH: Narelda, who is your favorite artist?
NJ: Do I have to choose just one artist? There’s Claude Monet, Gustav Kilmt, William Turner, Pierre-August Renoir

VH: How did you get into illustration?
NJ: I have always been artistic and experimented with many creative areas since I was a young girl, however a number of years ago I was feeling unfulfilled in my job, and made the brave decision to leave work and return to full time study. I chose to pursue a career in Design and Illustration and I have never looked back! I have always loved Children’s Books and collect them for my own enjoyment. I can often be found sitting in the children’s section at the local library or bookstore! There is something magical about a book – being transported into another world through words and pictures. It is pure escapism.

VH: What else do you create?
NJ: Apart from my unique textural illustrations and collage, I produce 3D illustrations and bespoke 3D constructions such as scenes, characters, models, theatrical hats and puppets, in textiles, paper and other mediums. I love sculpting anything but I particularly enjoy using textiles. 

VH: What advice do you have for kids who want to be illustrators?
NJ: My advice to aspiring illustrators is to keep practising your art, draw everyday, and pay attention to the wonderful things around you, large and small – inspiration is everywhere. Always carry a sketchbook and camera. Follow your heart and soul and believe in your ability to create. Studying is a great way to meet like minded creative people who will support you on your journey.

VH: What are three favorite books?
NJ: Some of my favorites are:

A Journey of the Imagination by James Christensen,  

Lost and Found by Shaun Tan, 

 

Lady Cottington’s Pressed Fairy Book by Brian Froud and Terry Jones

VH: What are three favorite children's books?
NJ: Three favorites are:

 Her Mother’s Face by Roddy Doyle and Freya Blackwood,

                              Remember Me by Margaret Wild and Dee Huxley

 

and The Rabbit Problem by Emily Gravett

VH: What do you do if you aren't feeling creative?

NJ: If I’m not feeling creative then I know I’m too stressed! The cure for this is to meditate, go for a walk surrounded by beautiful nature, visit the dog park which always makes me smile, go for a drive to somewhere new, look through my favourite books in my bookcase, or talk to a creative friend.

For more information on illustrator Narelda Joy, check out her website. 

~written by Valerie Harmon