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Big Dreams and Brilliant Doodles with Liz Pichon
Primary Times speaks to award-winning author and illustrator Liz Pichon about design inspiration, overcoming obstacles and building confident young creatives
The globally bestselling author and illustrator, Liz Pichon is the creative force behind the hugely popular Tom Gates series. Known for her distinctive doodle-filled style and award-winning storytelling, she’s passionate about inspiring young readers to embrace their imagination – and their dance moves! Liz shares insights into her drawing, dyslexia and her design journey, plus some exciting details on her brand-new adventure for ages 6+, The Mubbles: The Good, the Bad and the Perky. This is the third book in Liz’s bestselling Mubbles series.
Why does your way of storytelling resonate so well with today’s readers?
I love that a great picture book uses everything to tell a story – from different fonts to character expressions and more. I work really hard on every page, and you can almost tell two different stories with the pictures and words. Children love that it’s so engaging! Graphic novels are having a really big moment now; so much work goes into them and I think it all helps to feel fully immersed. The most important thing is that children engage in reading, in whatever format, as early as possible!
How can parents support their child’s creativity?
Give them their own notebook! I’m trying to show children on my Mubbles YouTube channel that if you like a character from the book, you can learn how to draw it, or make badges, T-shirts or posters and more. Even if an idea does come from watching something online or on TV, it’s not passive. It gets children thinking and it’s interactive.
How has your dyslexia shaped the way that you design and write your books?
It’s had a massive impact. I wasn’t academic in school – I was always creative but I never thought that writing was for me. I didn’t start writing my own stories until I was in my forties! I’ve just followed my instincts and I include things that I would’ve loved when I was young, in the hope that children and parents enjoy it too.
Do you have any advice for parents of dyslexic children, or children with other challenges with reading?
It can be really hard as a parent, and there are so many different ways for children to learn. Encourage their hobbies and interests. The biggest thing is their self-esteem. If it plummets, that’s when the shutters of learning close. Keep up with whatever they’re good at to boost their confidence.
What can you tell us about The Mubbles: The Good, the Bad and the Perky?
There’s a film theme throughout the series, and I love that this one’s sort of come from the accompanying songs that we write. The Mubbles are always cheerful and I thought – what would happen if they got a karaoke machine? It would tip the Doomongers over the edge…
What do you hope that families take away from this new story?
I hope they’re enjoying the silliness and fun! I’ve spent quite a lot of time on the YouTube channel creating music videos and dance routines to bring the stories to life for kids. I’m trying to create a whole world with The Mubbles, somewhere immersive for children to support the books, and somewhere that parents hopefully feel comfortable too.
What other exciting projects can we look out for this year?
I’m just finishing off book four in The Mubbles series, it features aliens underwater, and a whisk! We’ve also got the 15th anniversary of Tom Gates. There’s lots going on in the summer holidays and lots that I can’t talk about yet… I’m doing some festivals this year and there’s a brand-new Tom Gates book coming out in October!
The Mubbles: The Good, the Bad and the Perky by Liz Pichon is published by Macmillan Children’s Books (£10.99) and out now.