Recap - October 2024
A lot of talking and Japanese food and some drawing
October is my favourite month partly because I like Halloween and mainly because it’s my birthday month! I had a lovely Japanese themed birthday weekend - lunch at Itadakizen and a brilliant exhibition on food replicas at Japan House (see below). I also (uncharacteristically) did a lot of talking this month.
CLPE Power of Reading Talk
I was invited to give a little talk for the Power of Reading training course at CLPE (Centre for Literacy in Primary Education).
The talk was to give the participating teachers a little insight into picture book making. First, I talked about my journey to be a children’s book author-illustrator. I was a late bloomer (I got my first book deal when I was 35) and my journey to get there was a winding road, but I managed to summarise it into a 10-min waffling. (You can read about my journey here.)
The second part of my talk was about my creative process. I used my collaboration book with Josh Lacey, The Pet Potato (Andersen Press), which is a part of CLPE’s Power of Reading collection for the second year, as an example. The course wasn’t for illustrators so I didn’t go into technical side of my process. Instead, I focus on the role of illustration in picture books and how I decide what and how to illustrate texts.
This was my first time to give a talk to adult audience so I was very nervous, but I think it went well (they nodded and laughed and I didn’t make a complete fool of myself).
Pearl & Her Bunch Shop Event at Nomad Books
Nomad Books in Fulham, London, has a lovely children’s section. I was invited to do storytime and craft activity based on my Pearl & Her Bunch (Orchard Books) on the Bookshop Day (12th Oct). The District Line (underground) was part closed that day and it was tricky to get to the bookshop so we were worried about the turnout, but we had a fantastic group of families (this is why I love community-based, independent bookshops) and the session went like a treat! It’s always pleasure to see children’s creations. Big thanks to all the families who came!
An Interview
I filmed an hour-long video interview (gasp!). I will write about this experience properly when this interview comes online, but I must say I’m not a natural public speaker and I’m pretty nervous how this will turn out…
Project Update
I’m currently working on a picture book for an US publisher. I sent them thumbnails at the end of August but I had to wait for six weeks for their feedback (Argh! Summer holidays!). But I finally received their feedback and I spent the whole month turning the tiny thumbnails into roughs. Here are all the sketches for the roughs (I prefer to sketch elements and assemble them in Photoshop). I’m sending these roughs to the publisher shortly. This will give me (hopefully no longer than) a week to relax while waiting for their feedback, then I’ll move on to final artwork. I’m pretty excited and slightly daunted. I can’t say much but this project takes me (and the readers) to a rock concert, outer space, a land of ice cream, underwater and more! Also, this is my first time to work with this publisher, which means I could try something (not radically new, because they offered me this project based on my past works, but) new. I’m thinking what it could be…maybe some new techniques? Hmmm…
Recommendations
Looks Delicious! Exploring Japan’s food replica culture at Japan House
This is the exhibition I went for my birthday. I LOVED it. The super realistic food replicas displayed in front of restaurants are very common in Japan and it’s something the country is famous for. The exhibition introduces you to its history, process and craftsmanship with lots and lots of examples. Unfortunately, you’re not allowed to touch the most of the exhibited replicas but there is an area where you get to assemble your own bento box with typical Japanese bento items (such as octopus-shaped mini sausages). Highly recommended. If you go, prepare yourself to be amazed!
Moggie McFlea: The Witch’s Cat by Anna Kemp (author) & Adam Beer (illustrator)
This hilarious picture book about “The maddest, baddest, mischief-making cat in history” is my this year’s Halloween pick #1. When taken in by the nicest witch in the town, villainous Moggie McFlea of course decides to tinker with Magda’s every spell and things go wrong. As you might know from the previous newsletter, I blew my book budget big time last month, but what could I have done when a book made me LOL from the very first page? Of course, I took it to the till straight away.
A Woggle of Witches (まよなかの魔女たち) by Adrienne Adams
Halloween pick #2. Ever since I saw the illustrations from this 1971 picture book by American children's book illustrator, I really wanted to get hold of a copy. Luckily, I found out by chance that a Japanese publisher had reprinted it in 2022 and I ordered a copy the last time I went home.
The book follows these fun-loving witches’ night out (it happens to be Halloween). All witches are almost identical but somehow they appear so full of character. The book contains only double-page spreads (my favourite kind of book!) and each spread is work of art; especially every single composition is so dynamic and inspiring!
That’s it for this month! Happy Halloween!
Momo x
UPCOMING EVENTS
The Illustrators’ Fair - December 7, 2024, King’s Cross, London
Once again, I’m taking part in the UK’s largest free illustration fair. Over 120 illustrators participate, selling a range of illustration and illustrated products. I’ll be selling my books, prints, cards and more!
The deadline for BBC 500 Words creative writing competition is fast approaching - Friday 8 November 2024 at 9pm. If you know any budding writers aged 5-11, don’t let them miss it! 50 finalists will be invited to go to a glamorous grand final at Buckingham Palace in February next year, where three winners in each category will have their stories read out by celebrities. Also, the winning stories will be illustrated by Dapo Adeola, Rob Biddulph, Yasmeen Ismail, Lydia Monks and Nigel Parkinson…and ME!
For further details, visit the BBC 500 Words website for everything you need to know about the BBC 500 Words competition for 2024/25.
I always enjoy reading what you've been up to Momoko! I'm definitely going to that exhibition, I had not heard about it but it looks fascinating. Can't wait to see the new book when it's ready...