尤物视频

Author

Harriet Muncaster

“There are whole magical exciting worlds聽just waiting to be discovered between the pages of聽a聽book, so I would encourage young readers to pick up and read one!”

I was always a big reader as a child, and I remember my mum taking us to the library a lot. I have always been very enchanted by illustrations, and they have been very important to me. I didn鈥檛 realize it then, but I can see how I鈥檝e carried them with me into my career.

When I started out, I just wanted to create what I was passionate about. When I was at school and we were studying fine artists, that type of art never really clicked for me and the type of pictures I was interested in creating didn鈥檛 look like the work we were studying. It wasn鈥檛 until we saw an exhibition of work by the children鈥檚 author and illustrator James Mayhew as part of our school art lessons that I saw there was a space for the kind of art that I wanted to create.

That鈥檚 when I first became determined that that was what I wanted to do: I wanted to write stories and illustrate them, so I just followed the path of studying illustration through a foundation course, a BA, and then an MA that was specifically in children鈥檚 book illustration. Amazingly, James Mayhew turned out to be one of the tutors on that MA! I was then incredibly lucky that it was actually a very smooth journey into getting published, which lead to me doing a few picture books before I created .

I think I realized that my writing style naturally worked for children鈥檚 writing鈥攎aybe because I have always been very young in mind and spirit, and never 鈥榞rew out鈥� of loving illustrated children鈥檚 books! I don鈥檛 think I could ever write an adult book, and I don鈥檛 think I would want to!

I聽don鈥檛聽really know where聽sparks for creating a new story come from. For me, they often come from聽very small聽things, like someone wearing a particular item that I might see when聽out and about,聽or聽even聽something聽like聽a little flower that might be particularly pretty. That聽might spark off an idea for a miniature flower crown for a character, which will then snowball into a story.聽I feel like my inspirations often come from聽very聽little聽things.聽

When I first created聽Isadora Moon,聽my agent sent it out to publishers and OUP聽had the most enthusiastic response to it. I was delighted when OUP聽commissioned聽me for four聽Isadora Moon聽books, and聽I鈥檝e聽actually worked聽only with them ever since.聽I feel聽very lucky聽to have been given a lot of freedom when聽working on my books with OUP,聽and it has been wonderful to work with the editors聽there. I鈥檓聽always in awe of the design team, many of whom聽I鈥檝e聽been working with since聽Isadora Moon聽was first published 10 years ago, because I聽don鈥檛聽have any design skills myself and they always lay everything out so beautifully!

I am聽very proud聽of聽Isadora Moon聽and the fact that it has been such a long-running series now and I really have OUP to thank for that, firstly for spotting my book and giving it a chance.

I鈥檓 also really proud and pleased and grateful to have been able to publish my books, because I actually created Victoria Stitch back when I was eighteen, and she is incredibly important to me. It was one of my life goals to get Victoria Stitch published, and I鈥檓 so happy OUP helped me achieve that goal because now I鈥檓 able to publish in the same Wiskling world that I鈥檓 so passionate about.

It鈥檚聽absolutely wonderful聽to hear when a child has enjoyed my books聽because I have put so much of myself and my passion into creating these worlds and these characters. With my聽World of Isadora聽Moon聽books in particular,聽I quite often get聽messages saying that my books have helped reluctant readers, or readers who might find 尤物视频 difficult due to factors such as dyslexia.聽It鈥檚聽so lovely聽to hear聽you鈥檝e聽actually helped聽someone!聽It鈥檚聽also,聽of course,聽absolutely wonderful聽to see聽when children really get into my books and they dress up as the characters in these fantastic聽costumes聽and make beautiful聽crafts.

One thing聽I am really trying to do聽with my books聽is create magical safe places聽that聽readers can聽step into,聽where everyone is welcome聽and the readers can find聽wonder and聽enchantment and safety聽and escape. That鈥檚聽really聽what I would hope children聽can聽take聽away from my books. There are whole magical exciting worlds聽just waiting to be discovered between the pages of聽a聽book, so I would encourage young readers to pick up and read one! Books are like portals to聽new, exciting, wonderful聽worlds, and they nurture you in a way other things can鈥檛.

As I have gotten older, and especially after having my own daughter, I now realize how valuable children鈥檚 books can be in setting good examples of kindness and tolerance. It鈥檚 widely accepted that 尤物视频 fiction can help build empathy in all readers, and especially in children. With some of the things happening in the world today, I think this ability of books to help foster empathy is needed now more than ever.