Interview - Jarvis

Alan’s Big, Scary Teeth was chosen by BookTrust to go out to 600,000 children in its Bookstart Treasure Pack 2017. Jarvis’s second book, Mrs Mole, I’m Home, is out next month.

You’ve had a varied career. What inspired you to do picture books?

I think when you’re a creative person, you often can apply yourself in different areas. I began to have ideas for stories and characters but didn’t really have an outlet for them.

I had come across some nice picture books, one by Marta Altes called NO and a few Oliver Jeffers books and thought, ‘That’s where these ideas can go.’ It turns out that my first fumbling ideas weren’t very good, but it set me on the right path.

What, if anything, have you used from previous careers when making your books?

My previous jobs designing album covers and animations have meant I have tried out lots of visual styles and techniques. Also, in directing animations you learn a little bit about the flow and timing of a story. However, I am very aware that I’m constantly learning; changing and trying out new things in terms of both writing stories and illustrating them. I still class myself very much as a beginner in a career that I hope to continue in for many more years. This may sound a bit silly, but being a bingo caller in my younger years has helped me when it comes to reading books at events and keeping kids interested.

What would you say makes a great book for pre-school readers?

Every kid is different, so I think having variety in their books is fantastic. What I’m more and more interested in is how a book is read aloud. I imagine myself in front of a classroom of kids and think, will this be fun? How will they react? Will they enjoy it? Will they understand the images? So my books are often (hopefully) funny, with simple understandable images.

Family is at the centre of Mrs Mole, I’m Home. For the majority of the book the Moles just want the comfort of being together, which is how I feel, especially if I am away working.

It’s also about how we can all have different strengths. Mole couldn’t see very well, which got him in some bother, but his strength was his sense of smell.

Are there plans for more picture books?

Yes, my plan is to make picture books for as long as I am allowed! The next book with Walker Books is called Tropical Terry, which I have finished writing but am yet to start illustrating. It’s about Terry the fish and is a book about making friends – I’m very excited about bringing it to life.