I came up with the idea for ‘Waaaaaa’ at the end of an – excellent -online Picture Book course taught by Pippa Goodhart. She advised us to think about the experiences and problems faced by small children. This prompted me to wonder how a little girl would feel, after she’d been excitedly looking forward to the arrival of a new baby, if her brother didn’t live up to expectations. It reminded me how, when I was little, I’d been promised a sibling who would play with me and be my best friend. However, when my sister arrived, she didn’t play games, draw or even watch TV with me, and it took several years before she was the sister I thought she was going to be! In Millie’s case, she decides to distract Rudy, trying to stop his crying by suggesting different things to do, all of which fail until, having run out of diversions, she sings to him.
After completing Waaaaaa, I approached Tiny Tree Publishers and was thrilled when they wanted to publish my book. It has been a two-year process from writing the story to seeing it in print, and this time has been very interesting. Firstly, the story had to be matched with an illustrator. James Shaw suggested several talented artists to me and, after looking at their work, I chose Alex Willmore, as I felt his drawings were a best fit for the narrative. I am beyond thrilled at the way he has interpreted Millie and Rudy and the energy the illustrations show as they tell the story. I am very excited to see the book in print – to actually hold it in my hands – and to be able to read it to the audience it’s intended for.
My Shelves Are Full 