Author & Illustrator. Hers is our little chat with Lucy. When did you start doing kids books? About four years ago…when I finished my MA in Children’s Book Illustration course at Cambridge School of Art. My now agent Alice Williams spotted my work at the Bologna Children’s Book Fair, while I was a student, and I then signed my first book deal a year after graduating. The journey to publication felt like forever at the time, as I was juggling various jobs, but it was worth the (mostly enjoyable) slog! What did you study at school? I studied Art & Design, Business Studies and Japanese for A-Level, which have all come in handy! I went to Japan twice as a teenager and ended up illustrating a series of Japanese fairy tales aimed at Western children for my undergraduate degree, which got me thinking about writing and illustrating my own stories. What do you love most about kid’s books? They can be great conversation starters with little ones! Children are so curious about EVERYTHING (why? but why? whyyy?!) and books help kids to make sense of the world around them: to understand things like nature, feelings, friendship, other cultures, families, disabilities, human rights, love, and laughter, and they can also help explain difficult and serious topics like grief and climate change - all sorts of things! The joys of reading with kids are endless… Did you have a favourite childhood book? Ah, I have lots of favourites! But if I had to pick it would be ‘Burglar Bill’ by Janet and Allan Ahlberg - first published in 1977. I remember the pictures so clearly and loved hearing my dad put on silly voices. We still quote the book to this day, “That’s a nice biscuit…- I’ll have that!” It makes me giggle every time. How many books have you done? I have written and illustrated four picture books for Pavilion Children’s Books, and three rhyming board books for soft-toy creators Jellycat. Seven so far! Fingers crossed I get the opportunity to do many more. Do you have a studio that you write/draw in?? Yes, I share a studio with a lovely bunch of illustrators and a fab fashion designer in central Bristol, UK. I recently moved here from London to live with my partner, James, and knew that I’d go a bit mad if I worked from home, so I was delighted to find such a cool place and make some new friends. There’s a pub across the road too, so it’s a win-win all round. Where is your favourite place to go? Anywhere outdoors! Bristol is beautiful and we are spoilt with green spaces. I’ve got a book in the flat called ‘Beyond Bristol: 24 Country Walks’ by Robin Tetlow, which we’re working our way through. I like wandering through pretty little villages and getting house envy! I also crave swimming outdoors. Do you ever visit a library? Yes, one of the first things on my to-do list once I’d settled in to my new home was to join the library - luckily there’s one less than a 5-minute walk away. I read a lot of children’s books, both current and classic, for “research”. It makes me sad hearing about library closures across Britain and the loss of funding for librarians in schools. What’s your perfect kind of day? A productive one! A good mix of thinking up excellent book ideas, drinking tea, chatting with friends, going on a walk / swim, cooking a yummy meal, maybe watching a film. Cuddling a cat. I love a good giggle too. Any new up coming titles coming out soon, that we should be looking out for? Weirdest phrase ever but keep your eyes peeled for my fourth picture book, The Big Stink, which comes out in June with Pavilion! It’s about a mouse who can’t resist stealing a famous cheese sculpture. It was a lot of fun to do. I’m also currently working on my next idea, due in spring 2020. Thanks answering our question Lucy, it been great getting to know a bit more about you. More information on Lucy. www.lucyfreegard.com Books here. Instagram @lucyfreegard Facebook @lucyfreegardillustration Twitter @LucyFreegard www.booktopia.com.au www.bookdepository.com www.amazon.co.uk www.amazon.com.au www.dymocks.com.au www.angusrobertson.com.au www.fishpond.com.au
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