What originally made you want to become an author?
As a kid I read EVERYTHING: comics, ads, magazines, cereal boxes, and books, books, books.
I read every part of a book, including the bits of information about the author on the back cover
or jacket flap. With favourite books, I would imagine conversations with the author because I felt
such a strong connection. Realizing that those writers were real people (and had even once been
children!) made me want to learn how to create that kind of magic too. I felt the same way about
illustrators and spent a lot of time copying art that I admired and making my own drawings.
In your opinion, what makes a great story?
I love a story that pulls me into a different world, time, place, or character’s point of view. When
I am reading a great story, I don’t think: “I’m reading a story.” I just feel that I’m experiencing
everything that the characters are, that I’m living in their world. I like the combination of seeing
the world through different eyes and finding similarities. A character or characters may be very
different than me, but the emotional connection draws me in and keeps me turning the page.
Great picture books have illustrations that don’t just echo the story but enrich the text, creating a
whole piece of art.
Describe a typical workday in your life as an author. Do you have any unusual writing
habits?
My studio is at home. I like to start the day with a morning walk to be outside and think. I work
until lunchtime, and take a long break, usually with another walk and running errands. I work
again for a couple of hours in the afternoon, and I often work for an hour or so in the evening. If
I am illustrating, the hours at my desk are longer—especially when the deadline is close! I keep
to a routine that may seem boring, but that frees up my imagination for creative work. In the
early stages of a project, I procrastinate by organizing and tidying. The closer the deadline gets,
the messier things become!
What messages or themes do you hope readers take away from your book?
I have long been fascinated by pre-historic cave art, and even more so when I learned that
children had sometimes taken part. A child’s handprint from 30,000 years ago looks the same as
one made today. In The Story Hunter, a grandmother spots a child’s interest in drawing and
stories and invites him to join a cave expedition. I wanted to share my passion for visual
storytelling and the concept that every artist begins as a as child. But with each book the most
exciting part is hearing from kids and learning what they take from the story.
What advice do you have for kids who are interested in writing?
Excellent advice, often repeated, is to read, read, read. For artists, look, look, look. Learn from
the best. I would add pay attention to the environment around you. Make notes or keep a diary or
sketchbook. The things that catch your attention will be the things that make you unique as a
creator. Write the date on work that you keep, so you can follow your development as you grow
as a creator.