The
World is Full of Facts
Mick and Brita interviewed by Pam Kelt.
What are your backgrounds in art/illustration/design and how do they differ?
(Brita) We both did Art and Design degree courses and then post graduates – Mick at the RCA in London and me at Konstfack in Stockholm. When did you begin working together?
(Both) Ages ago!
How do you organise yourselves – who does what?
(Both) It depends – we try to stay flexible. 'The book's voice' and subject
tend to shape our approach. We go for tactile acrylic and collage for something
physical like What's Under the Bed? and watercolour for 'cuddly' books
like A Chick Called Saturday. We always do a storyboard first... a picture
book needs careful scene by scene planning – just like a film!
Next we work out the the initial pencil roughs and talk these through with our
publisher. At artwork stage Brita always does the people and Mick very often
does the animals and sometimes the backgrounds, for example Stone Age, Bone
Age! is like a film set Mick has painted... and Brita's stone age people
prowl the stage! In some books one of us might draw and the other might colour
the same artwork. Then we enjoy
it when people say they can't see the join! What do you enjoy particularly about making books for children?
(Both) Everything!
Are your books for parents, schools or both?
(Mick) They are for children – but for the children in all of us...
What attracts you to non-fiction?
(Brita) There is a challenge in presenting subjects that might be thought of
traditionally as 'dull' in a vivid, stimulating form.
(Mick) I grew up with Ladybird Books, so I've always loved non-fiction.
How important are environmental issues to you?
(Mick) Very important. We try to bring environmental issues into as many of
our books as we can – A Ruined House, Wild and Free, What
If?, Nature School, Honk Honk, High Tide Low Tide...
How much research do you have to do?
(Both) Lots – and we learn quite a lot too! For What a Viking! we
travelled to Dublin, York and Stockholm – as well as talking to academic
experts. We were introduced to a man living in a forest in Sweden. He has carvings
of Thor and Odin in his garden and a wealth of enjoyable 'unacademic' information
about Viking life. It's primary research like this that turns up fresh and sometimes
quite amazing facts that we can plough back into our books.
Where do you go for new ideas?
(Mick) We get subconscious inspiration from all around us, past, present and
future and as these ideas mature they tend to 'pop up' at unexpected times – when Brita is out painting or when I am out looking for firewood on the beach.
I have a little jotter I store them in.
Has your style changed?
(Mick) We hope so. We egg each other on to treat each book as a new challenge.
What do you think works best on a young audience?
(Both) Rhythm, humour, repetition and some kind of visual re-cap at the end.
We don't enjoy non fiction that treats children like little grown ups or on
the other hand extremely patronises them. We try to celebrate childhood in our
books – new unfolding senses of discovery, adventure and wonder!
Which is your favourite book so far, and why?
(Brita) It's hard to choose one book... Just now we are very excited about Stone
Age, Bone Age!, What's My Family Tree?, High Tide Low Tide
and a new book we are working on all about the Romans.
Click image to enlarge
Who are your favourite children's author illustrators just now?
(Brita) We love Edward Ardizzone, Quentin Blake, Eric Carle and Tove Jansson
to name just a few. And Mick still has his old Ladybird books... But of all
the books we know and love – we would both choose a book called Peepo! by Alan and Janet Ahlberg as our absolute favorite – we think it's just
PERFECT.
Part of this interview was originally published in the May 2000 issue of Art
and Craft Magazine. www.scholastic.co.uk
