For All the Stars Across the Sky - Interview with author Karl Newson

For all the stars across the sky, big and little and bright. Here’s a wish from me to you, before we say goodnight…

For All the Stars Across the Sky is written by Karl Newson and illustrated by Japanese artist Chiaki Okada. It is a beautiful, lyrical bedtime read that celebrates the bond and love between a mother and baby bear, and the fantastical imaginary adventures that unfold when they’re together. 

To celebrate its release this month, author Karl Newson talks with editor Tanya Rosie about his inspiration for the story, and gives aspiring picture book writers his nuggets of advice.

This tender mother and daughter story is all about that special time a parent and child share together right at the end of the day, before bed. Was it inspired by a routine you had with your own children, or with your own mum or dad?

I did have a routine with my boys, which unsurprisingly involved reading lots of books! But the story For All the Stars Across the Sky was actually inspired by a song I wrote for them when they were teeny. It features possibly my best grammatical bloop EVER...

For all the stars across the sky

There’s one for you, and one for I (EEEK!)

You make a wish – I’ll make it true,

I’ll wrap you up in daffodils and send you to the moon

in a red balloon, high above the deep blue sea,

humming your favourite tune,

you and me...

The idea was there, at least!

The title line was inspired by my fascination with stars, which began when I was a child, sat at a dining room table, drawing with my Popie (my grandfather), Ron. He taught me how to draw a star, and it is to him and my boys that For All the Stars Across the Sky is dedicated.

Chiaki’s art is full of the most beautiful, majestic detail – I love the moment little Luna sits atop the dandelion stalk, soft fluff floating all around. Is there anything about Chiaki’s interpretation of your story that surprised you? And do you have a favourite scene or moment? 

I absolutely LOVE Chiaki’s art. It’s a thrill to see what I didn’t see when I was writing it, if you get me. But my most favourite moment of all is where Luna and Mum are small, riding on a snail, exploring the undergrowth. Chiaki captures it beautifully. In fact, I believe we tweaked the text to reflect it, in ‘“Let’s catch a ride,” says Mum’. The snail-riding image relates to me in a different way as well: my favourite amusement park ride as a child was the ‘snails’ at Joyland, Great Yarmouth. So it really is magical.  

Chiaki’s illustrations are moments to pause and explore in the story. I thank my lucky stars that we were teamed up! 

For All the Stars Across the Sky is going to be published in Italy, Russia, the Netherlands, France, Spain and Japan, as well as in the UK and the US – which is so wonderful. What do you think it is about your words and Chiaki’s art that has resonated with readers the world over?

I always try to make my stories universal. I want a child to read it and think ‘That's me!’ or ‘That's here!’ and I think that’s part of the appeal in For All the Stars Across the Sky – it’s for everyone, it’s everywhere – we all live under the same starry sky. Of course, what makes it so attractive and inspiring are Chiaki Okada’s illustrations. They give it depth and engagement in more ways than my text ever could. They’re wondrous!

Your voice, Karl, is so lyrical and melodic, and this book is a joy to read aloud – it feels very much part of that timeless and wonderful tradition of the bedtime book. Are there any bedtime stories you still vividly remember, or that you remember from when you were a child?

Thank you very much! Sadly, I don’t remember many books at all from my childhood. Only a single picture book: Panda and the Snow, by Oda Taro, which I remember being the one I made my parents read me EVERY SINGLE NIGHT; and just the one Young Fiction book, The Owl Who Was Afraid of the Dark by Jill Tomlinson and illustrated by Joanne Cole, which is SUCH a clever story. It still gets me.

This story is brimming over with incredible, imaginary adventures – becoming giants, becoming teeny-tiny, flying above the mountains, swimming with the whales. If you could go on only one of them, which one would you choose?

I’d choose to fly. To be able to go anywhere and to see the earth from above would be tremendous.

As a writer, when do you do your best thinking?

Ideas are always brewing in the back of my mind. They come in at any time of the day and from anywhere. I’m a night owl so I’d guess most of my thinking is done then! ZzzzzzzzZZZZZzzzz

For aspiring picture book writers, my advice is to read as many picture books as possible. Old classics. New favourites. Everything. Soak them all up. Then write and write and write. If you find you’re struggling to find your ‘writing voice’, imagine it as someone else’s instead – I’ve tried writing in the style of David Attenborough’s narration before! It’s great for escaping your own traits.

What is your earliest memory of writing a story?

I used to draw stories at my grandparents’ houses when I was small. There’d always be a new sketchbook waiting for me in the cupboard once an old one was filled. When I look back now at how I got here – to be the writer of a story being published by Walker Books! WOW! – it leads right back to being sat at their dining tables and just being lost for hours in a drawing or story, with supplies of biscuits, Turkish Delights and homemade jam tarts always at the ready. I was lucky to have my imagination fed by my family. It planted a seed that’s taking me on the most AMAZING adventure I could ever have imagined.

What is the best writing advice you have been given?

KNOW WHEN TO STOP. If it’s not working it’s OK to leave it be for a while. Don’t push it if it doesn’t want to be pushed. As soon as I let one idea rest I often find a bunch of others jump out of nowhere, almost as if they’ve been waiting their turn.

FUEL FOR THE FIRE. It reminds me that nothing is ever a waste. It’s all practice and learning. If something goes completely wrong then I treat it as fuel for the fire that keeps me going.

DON’T COMPARE YOURSELF TO OTHERS. Don’t.


You can pick up a copy of For All the Stars Across the Sky from your local bookshop.

Cinderfella by Malachy Doyle

To all the brothers at Number 12. You're invited to Kayleigh's party. Dress fancy. Come fancy. Dance!

Once upon a time, there lived Cinderfella – a little boy, forever bossed around by his two older brothers, Gus and Gareth. “Turn up the TV! Shine our scooters!" the brothers cry. "Finish our homework!” But on the day of our story, Kayleigh, the town's kick-fastic karate champion, is having a party, and Cinderfella is determined to dream big, dress fancy and DANCE. He’ll just need a little help along the way from his fairy dog-mother, Ruff – woof! A feel-good twist on the classic fairytale, brought to life with fresh vision and huge humour by Matt Hunt.

      We're very excited to welcome Malachy Doyle to talk about Cinderfella

Growing up, I had four older brothers.  Later I had one younger one. And later still I had two step-brothers. And a couple of sisters and a step-sister, too. My eldest brother, David, used to tell me bedtime stories – folk tales and fairy tales, mainly. And then I’d lie in bed, imagining myself in the stories.

I was always the lead character. It didn’t matter if it was a girl or a boy. Red Riding Hood, The Sleeping Beauty, Goldilocks – it was me, always me.

So when it came to Cinderella, I was the one with the bossy brothers, as I had in real life. And, as I grew up, I was the one who had to do jobs round the house. Well, some of them, anyway. Like polish everyone’s shoes on a Saturday evening, so we’d all be spick and span for church the following morning.

And so, over 50 years later, I got round to writing down the story. In my first draft, Cinderfella lived with two sisters, Sybil and Slob. But the boys in my family were much more slobby than the girls, so boys they became – Gareth and Gus.

At first the fairy who helps him was a giant rat, but somehow he turned into a funky dancing dog. And then a female funky dancing dog - well, if we’re playing with gender reversal, why not go the whole hog? And it makes for a good line on the back-cover about his ‘fairy dog-mother’, courtesy of my clever-clogs editor, Tanya.

At first Cinderfella zoomed off to the party on a Harley Davidson, but somehow it became a super-sparkly skateboard. Somewhat safer!

At first Cinderfella took on the role of a DJ at the party, spinning the discs and saving the night when the booked DJ didn’t turn up, but somehow it was his hop, bop, giggle and groovy dancing that took over.  

At first it was Princess PeachieBlossom’s party, but somehow she turned into Kayleigh, the junior karate champ.  Much more fun!

Then over to Matt Hunt for some fab illustrations and there we had it – Cinderfella. HAI-YAH!

You can pick up a copy of Cinderfella at your local bookshop.

The Day War Came

A powerful and necessary picture book – the journey of a child forced to become a refugee when war destroys everything she has ever known.

Imagine if, on an ordinary day, war came. Imagine it turned your town to rubble. Imagine going on a long and difficult journey – all alone. Imagine finding no welcome at the end of it. Then imagine a child who gives you something small but very, very precious... When the government refused to allow 3000 child refugees to enter this country in 2016, Nicola Davies was so angry she wrote a poem. It started a campaign for which artists contributed drawings of chairs, symbolising a seat in a classroom, education, kindness, the hope of a future. The poem has become this book, movingly illustrated by Rebecca Cobb, which should prove a powerful aid for explaining the ongoing refugee crisis to younger readers. 

£1 from every copy sold goes to the charity Help Refugees – find out more about their wonderful work at their website, helprefugees.org.

Behind the scenes with Rebecca Cobb

We’re excited to welcome Rebecca Cobb to the Picture Book Party blog for a behind-the-scenes look at The Day War Came

Nicola Davies wrote The Day War Came when in 2016 the UK government voted against giving sanctuary to 3000 lone child refugees and after she had heard a story about a little girl refugee being turned away from a school because she was told there was no chair for her. Nicola started the #3000chairs campaign with the illustrators Jackie Morris and Petr Horáček, drawing chairs as symbols of solidarity with all those children who were completely alone and with nowhere to go.

My work for The Day War Came all began with a drawing of a chair for this campaign, so it felt appropriate to use images of chairs throughout the book.

The chair is a very meaningful symbol and is central to Nicola’s poignant, beautiful poem because the little girl is told that not having a chair is the reason she is refused entry to the school. It is a very simple everyday object but it somehow represents the things that children should be able to expect from life - a secure, safe home environment and access to an education.

At the beginning of the book, the little girl sits on a chair at home with her family to eat breakfast and then she goes to school and sits on a chair in her classroom to learn about volcanoes and draw birds.

But then, when the war explodes across the page, the chairs are thrown over and she has to flee, leaving them behind.

I love Nicola’s positive message of hope at the end of the book, where a boy brings the girl a chair and then we see that all his friends have brought chairs too. I think it is often true in life that children are the ones who remind us how to be kind and look after each other.

If you’d like to join in with #3000chairs too, then here is my guide on how to draw a chair:

You can pick up a copy of The Day War Came at your local bookshop and you can find The Day War Came teacher's notes here.

The Mouse Who Wasn't Scared by Petr Horáček

Little Mouse wants to play in the woods. They are dark and full of big scary animals. But Little Mouse isn't afraid of anything – or is she? 

Lift the flap to find out. A charming story about bravery – with a hilarious lift the flap surprise – from a Kate Greenaway Medal-shortlisted illustrator, who has been described by The Washington Post as "the thinking tot's Eric Carle".

Behind the scenes with Petr Horáček

We’re excited to welcome Petr Horáček to the Picture Book Party blog for a behind-the-scenes look at the making of The Mouse Who Wasn't Scared

The Mouse Who Wasn’t Scared is the fourth book with the character of Little
Mouse.

The very first book was called A New House for Mouse.

The book won the award 'Picture Book of the Year 2005' in Holland and was
part of Book Trust’s ‘Bookstart’ programme.

I remember being on holiday in Greece when I received a phone call from my
publisher. I was asked if I would consider writing a second book with the
character of Little Mouse.

I had no ambition to make a series of books with the same character, so I
rejected the idea straight away.

The same day, sitting on the beach, looking at the starry sky I wrote The Mouse
Who Ate the Moon. 'The Mouse Who Reached the Sky followed a couple years later.

The truth is, that I fell in love with Little Mouse. She is childlike, naive, jolly,
funny and she makes me smile.

The Mouse Who wasn't Scared is about the fact that we all are scared of something. Often we are scared of very different things.

Is the bear the scariest animal in the woods?

Is the wolf the scariest?

Or…..is it the little, fluffy, pussycat?!!

One inspiration for The Mouse Who Wasn't Scared was probably the artwork
itself.

Every autumn I spend a couple of weeks on my own. I stay in a cottage in the
Czech Republic. The cottage is on a hill by a wood.

I love walking in woods and I love painting and drawing in woods. It’s often
during these walks that I get an idea for a book.

This book wasn’t different.

 

Whilst working on the book’s illustrations I enjoyed the contrast of the outside
world and the interior of woods; the contrast of the gloomy, grey tree trunks with the occasional appearance of the colour of leaves, mushrooms or the Mouse's colourful, stripy socks.

Painting the big ‘scary’ animals was also fun. Especially painting the moose. 

I’ve never drawn a moose before. Now I would love to do a book about a moose
one day. 

The whole process of working on ' The Mouse Who Wasn't Scared' was great
fun.

I hope that some of the joy of working on the story got into the book and the
book will make you smile.

Petr Horacek’s bold and imaginative illustrations continue to captivate children and critics. 

His stories, often about loyalty and belonging, are told with an instinctive warmth and humour and are beautifully brought to life through his evocative use of colour and texture. He has won many awards around the world for classics such as Suzy Goose  and was shortlisted for the prestigious Kate Greenaway Medal in 2012.

Visit Petr's website: www.petrhoracek.co.uk