Tim Warnes's Blog: My Life in Books, page 21

A Lesson in Storytelling

from The Big Book Adventure © 2018 by Tim Warnes

“The flexibility of oral storytelling extends to the teller. Each teller will incorporate their own personality and may choose to add characters into the story. As a result, there will be numerous variations of a single story.”

— Oral Storytelling (Wikipedia)

There's more to storytelling (and literacy skills) than just writing. So to reinforce last week’s thought, let me give you an example from my own family.

When our youngest son was in Year 3, one of his class topics was fairy tales. Their home assignment: to retell a fairy tale in whatever format they chose.

Levi was a competent and confident reader, but writing wasn't something that came easily to him. Wondering how best to support him, we came up with this solution: Levi would retell us a fairy tale - in his own words - which we would record and transcribe for him; allowing his imagination to go where it pleased (without being constrained or hampered by the physical act of writing).

One of the things I love about Levi's version of the story, Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf! is his use of made-up words

- including the wolf's pet names for Red Riding Hood - making him sound as if he's really doing his best to portray himself as an affectionate grandma:

'The wolf swooched into Grandma's cupboard and put on her dressing gown and got in Grandma's bed.

Little Red Riding Hood knocked on the door and said, 'Hello! It's me! It's Little Red Riding Hood!'

The wolf said,' The door isn't locked, Flower-Face.'

Little Red Riding Hood walked in and said, 'Oh, what big ears you have, Grandma!'

And the wolf said, "Just the better to hear you with, Fluffy-Duffy.'

Little Red Riding Hood said, 'Oh, what great, big eyes you have, Grandma!'

And the wolf said, 'Just the better to see you with, Googly-Boogly.'

I suggested we used Levi's story as the narration for a film. So we helped Levi create paper cut out characters and some simple backgrounds. With some guidance, he even filmed most of it himself (although the editing was down to me). You can tell from the smile on Levi's face at the end that he had a great sense of achievement. If we had insisted on him sitting down to write, it would have been a very different outcome - and story.

Presenting: Levi’s retelling of Little Red Riding Hood and the Big Bad Wolf!

(I was reassured to realise later that the conclusion of Levi's story was a mash-up of Roald Dahl's Revolting Rhymes version, with the tale's traditional ending - except with Red now taking on the part of the woodsman!

Nowadays, traditional fairy tales nowadays are regarded as largely stereotypical, sexist, and reinforcing gender stereotypes.

So I’m encouraged that even at the age of seven, Levi was helping to reflect changes in society - and continuing the work of Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes by portraying Red Riding Hood as a kick-ass protagonist (undoubtedly influenced by Princess Fiona in Shrek, too).

There's a storyteller inside all of us. Our challenge is to find creative ways to coax them out. Only then can we begin to influence the attitudes around us, and start to change culture for the better.

Good to Read

Some reimagined fairy tales:

Beware of the Storybook Wolves by Lauren Child ( (Hodder Children’s Books 2000)

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Book? by Lauren Child (Hodder Children’s Books 2002)

Roald Dahl’s Revolting Rhymes, by Roald Dahl, ill. by Quentin Blake (Jonathan Cape 1982)

The Big Book Adventure by Emily Ford, ill. by Tim Warnes (Silver Dolphin 2018)

Goldilocks and Just the One Bear by Leigh Hodgkinson (Nosy Crow 2012)

Big Bad Raps by Tony Mitton, ill. by Martin Chatterton (Orchard Books 1996)

Little Red by Lynn Roberts, ill. by David Roberts (Harry N Abrams 2005)

SourcesOral Storytelling - Wikipedia

Why I dislike the word ‘Author’

© 2019 by Tim Warnes

Just what exactly is an author? Ask an audience of school kids (in fact, any audience), and the answer will be a resounding, ‘someone who writes books.’

When it comes to kid’s books, I dislike the word author, preferring instead to differentiate the two creative roles as ‘writer’ and ‘illustrator.’ It’s a more accurate reflection - one writes the words, the other draws the pictures. The commonly held belief that the narrative is told in words alone (with the illustrations being just a welcome add on) is wrong. They both tell the story. They are both authors of the work:

‘author: A person who starts or creates something (such as a plan or idea)…one that originates or creates something’

- Merriam-Webster Dictionary

Sometimes the illustrations are critical to the story because they reveal things that the text does not. Sir Quentin Blake’s Cockatoos is as perfect an example as you'll find. In this ingenious and straightforward tale, Blake uses his illustrations to tell a contrasting story:

‘The text is entirely from poor baffled Professor Dupont's point of view; the written story hasn't the first idea about the naughtiness that is going on in the pictures. As one friend put it to me: "When I read it to my son I am reading one story in the words and he is reading another story in the pictures."'

- Quentin Blake, Words and Pictures

from Cockatoos © 1992 by Quentin Blake

Another example, this time from my work: NO! By Tracey Corderoy. On one spread the only word to read is a big, fat ‘NO!’ Ask an audience of kids what’s happening, and they’ll read the pictures and tell you the story -

The little rhino’s cross.

His mummy and daddy look tired.

They’ve spent the day at the beach.

He’s had fun making sandcastles, and he wants to stay.

He doesn’t want to go home.

from NO! © 2013 by Tim Warnes

It’s not just me that feels this way. Author-illustrator (ACK! there I go) - Storyteller - Sarah McIntyre told The Guardian:

“I’d like to see more publishers of highly illustrated fiction (sometimes called ‘chapter’ books) put the name of the illustrator on the front cover of the book, along with the writer. Both creators are authors, in that both create the story, in words and pictures.”

Disappointingly even the legal blurb on a picture book’s imprint page is misleading:

[A. Writer] and [A. Illustrator] have asserted their rights to be identified as the Author and Illustrator of this work…’

If the author's job is solely to write the words that tell a story, then who wrote The Snowman?

How about Clown?

The answers are Raymond Briggs and Sir Quentin Blake respectively, both leading figures in the world of children’s books. And yet both these beloved and enduring books are wordless. Their stories are told entirely through the pictures. Without them, there would be no story (and then what would we all watch on BBC2 on Christmas Eve?).

Does it matter? Well, no - not really.

Until we turn to our kids’ creative outputs. It’s vital for our children see themselves in a positive light. So if a child struggles to write, yet they have an active imagination and can spin a tall tale - what does that make them? A writer? An author? If they don't fit into the boxes we've created - if they can’t put the words on the page - then neither.

But they can be storytellers! And those stories can be as free form as they wish.

‘...Nibs reminded [Wendy] that it was story time.

‘Very well,’ she agreed, ‘but not until you are all in bed.’

‘That - won’t - take - long,’ said Slightly, pushing his way under the bed-clothes that instant.

Wendy fetched a chair, and began:

‘There was once a gentleman.’

‘I wish it had been a lady,’ said Curly.

‘Or a rat!’ cried Nibs. ‘Yes, I’d much rather it was a rat.’

‘If you are not quiet, all of you, there won’t be any story,’ Wendy said, and went on, ‘There was a lady too, if you’d only wait long enough for me to get to her. The gentleman’s name was Mr Darling, and the lady was Mrs Darling…’’

- J.M. Barrie’s Peter Pan by Eleanor Graham

Which is why I have decided to identify myself as a storyteller - because that ’s what I do. I tell stories using both words and pictures And hopefully, by levelling the playing field, everyone can feel included.

GOOD TO READWordless picture books

Clown by Quentin Blake ((Jonathan Cape 1995)

The Snowman by Raymond Briggs (Hamish Hamilton 1978)

Un Balayeur un an un Balai by Olivier Douzou (Éditions du Rouergue 1997)

The Chicken Thief by Beatrice Rodriguez (Gecko Press 2009)

(Almost) wordless picture Books

Hug by Jez Alborough (Walker Books)

Banana by Ed Vere (Puffin 2007)

For grown ups

Why I hate the word Author by Sarah McIntyre

SourcesWords and Pictures by Quentin Blake (Jonathan Cape 2000)NO! by Tracey Corderoy, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2013)Illustrator Sarah McIntyre calls for co-author credits - The Guardian J.M. BARRIE’S PETER PAN: The Story of the Play BY ELEANOR GRAHAm, ill. by Edward Ardizzone (Brockhampton Press 1962)

Did I inspire a Banksy?

Gorilla in a Pink Mask by Banksy. Image © PSHAB. Used under Creative Commons Licence.

“Is graffiti art or vandalism? That word has a lot of negative connotations, and it alienates people, so no, I don’t like to use the word ‘art’ at all.”

— Banksy

I love street art, so one of my favourite cities to visit is Bristol. The infamous Banksy hails from there, a city wrestling with the conflict of maintaining its anti-street art stance whilst celebrating him - and other renegades - whose art makes the streets vibrant and a major tourist attraction.

We went to Bristol last Monday to see the Leonardo da Vinci exhibition at the Museum & Art Gallery. In the entrance hall is an enormous painting by Banksy - Devolved Parliament - the artists largest work on canvas. And in the gift shop, there are several books and cards featuring his work, including one of a gorilla holding up a pink mask.

An early graffiti work by Banksy, it was painted in Fishponds Road, Bristol in 2007. It really grabbed my attention - as did the blurb on the back

‘This highly unusual piece has no obvious references and is unique to Bristol.’

- from Banksy’s Bristol: Home Sweet Home by Steve Wright (Tangent Books)

Well I can see an immediate and obvious reference.

In 1999 I began work on George and Sylvia - a Tale of true Love by Michael Coleman (Little Tiger 2000). Featuring a pair of gorillas - George and Sylvia - it’s a charming tale self-acceptance.

‘George was madly in love with Sylvia. And Sylvia was madly in love with George. The trouble was that neither of them could pluck up the courage to tell each other how they felt.’

© 2000 by Tim Warnes

The lovelorn gorillas attempt to turn themselves into what they believe the other is looking for - a slimmer and trimmer Sylvia, a big and strong George - in time for the Valentine masquerade party. George wears a superhero style mask, whilst Sylvia hides behind a Dame Edna-esque mask held on a stick. And seeing Banksy's Gorilla in a pink mask reminded me of my illustrations.

A quick aside. I have always hated the cover of George and Sylvia.

© 2000 by Tim Warnes

It is not what I planned, and I was shocked when I saw it. Apart from the background colours which have been altered, notice the clumsy handling of the gorillas’ mouths. They lack the finesse and accuracy of my other line work because SOMEBODY ELSE DREW THEM!

I'm not one to point fingers - but it was the Germans. I only saw it when it had gone to print. Worse yet, I didn't know that my publisher had decided to go with the German publisher's adaptation as well. I was incensed. I still feel irritated by it, because it doesn’t show the book off to its best.

Below is the cover I had illustrated and expected to see. So much better.

© 2000 by Tim Warnes

But back to Banksy and his masquerading gorilla.

"Some people want to make the world a better place. I just wanna make the world a better-looking place. If you don't like it, you can paint over it!" 

- Banksy

Sadly, this is exactly what happened to his masquerading gorilla in 2011. In his defence, the new owner of the wall explained,

"I thought it was worthless. I didn't know it was valuable. That's why I painted over it."

Which raises many questions about how we value (or not) art. But I’ll save that for another day.

© 2000 by Tim Warnes

So, did I - or rather my illustration - inspire Banksy?

I can’t say. I’d be flattered if it had because I regard him as a smart, creative breath of fresh air whose art brings sunshine to my soul. Perhaps he has kids and shared my book with them. I’ve sent an enquiry via banksy.co.uk to see if they can comment, but I shan’t hold my breath.

What I can tell you is that artists learn and take inspiration from many sources, consciously or not. And on both a conscious and subconscious level Banksy has influenced my work - most notably an exciting book project that I hope will go to contract this year.

But that’s a story for another time.

GOOD TO READ

George and Sylvia - a Tale of true Love by Michael Coleman, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger Press 2000)

SOURCES

Banksy - Wikiquotes

Banksy image via Flickr, used with permission under a Creative Commons Licence.

George and Sylvia - a Tale of true Love by Michael Coleman, ill. by Tim Warnes (Little Tiger 2000)

Capreolus and Me

from Only You Can Be You © 2019 by Tim Warnes

“Children’s reading for pleasure matters commercially and it matters socially... reading is important to children’s life chances, as well as their well-being, happiness and much more.”

— Reading for Pleasure, Egmont Research

A few weeks ago, on an early morning walk, I spotted a deer in the middle of the path, one hundred yards or so ahead.

We live in rural Dorset, so all was calm and peaceful. The skylarks had just begun claiming their territory, and one was singing overhead in their characteristically strident way.

I admired the deer through my binoculars as he lay in the long, dewy grass - and he watched me. Capreolus capreolus - a Roe deer buck. Just like the one on the cover of a book that I’ve owned since I was a young boy: Capreolus, The Story of a Roe Deer by Raymond Chaplin.

It was 1978. I had just turned seven and had won my first ever prize - Mrs. Blore’s Prize for Creative Writing.

Awarded by the headmaster’s wife, it came in the form of a book token (oh, joy!) with which I bought Capreolus, part of the Collins Animal Lives series. They were early chapter books, written in the third person by scientists and experts in their field — full of fascinating facts, with the bonus of delicate pencil drawings throughout by John Edwards. My bookworm-wildlife-enthusiast seven-year-old self fitted into Collins' demographic as precisely as Talpa the mole (another in the series) fitted into his burrow - unless it flooded, in which case he could swim to safety!

© 1978 by John Edwards

From the foreword:

‘The story of Capreolus is the story of the first few years in the life of a Roe deer buck. I have called him Capreolus partly because the scientific name for the Roe deer is Capreolus capreolus but more particularly because it conjures up something of the essential elegance and vitality of this deer.’

I’m impressed by the level of seven-year-old Tim’s reading. And the fact that I have never forgotten the Latin names of the characters from the five book series (I wish I could remember other stuff that well).

For nearly two weeks Capreolus remained apart from his sister, only visited and fed three or four times a day by his mother. At first, he lay there instinctively quiet and still, learning the sounds of the wood. Twice he sensed danger as his nostrils caught the acrid scent of the foxes who had their cubs across the clearing. The fox, had he scented Capreolus, might have attacked him as he had already killed one fawn this year and eaten another that had been born dead.

© 1978 by John Edwards

I eventually owned a complete set of Animal Lives, and they captured my imagination. Somewhat reluctantly I recently donated the others to a charity shop after we moved house (hopefully some other nerdy bookworm-wildlife-enthusiast is out there enjoying them right now). But for sentimental reasons, I kept Capreolus. Thinking about it, this was one of the first of many wildlife books that have accumulated during my reading life (the very first being a much loved Usborne Spotter’s Guide to Birds; the most recent, Owl Sense by Miriam Darlington). Maybe that’s part of my attachment to it. Looking at it now, my copy of Capreolus, with its dog-eared dust jacket, still conjures up feelings and memories of childhood. I was so proud to receive that prize - the first I’d ever won - and I bought it from a London bookshop on a family day out. The overall effect is of one big, happy mess of memories.

Sometimes I meet proud parents whose kids show the same aptitude for writing as I did.

If you know of any, please - do what you can to encourage them. Don’t crush their dreams, because some will become our writers of the future. Who knows what fantastical story, television drama, Hollywood blockbuster - or even inspiring, world-changing speech - they might write?

I’m grateful that there were people in my life who encouraged my passions - art, writing, creativity, and wildlife. They helped make me the person I am today. I wonder what seven-year-old Tim would think if my future self could say, "Hey, Tim - you’re going to have your name on published books in the future - so keep going!"

On reflection, Mrs. Blore’s Prize for Creative Writing might be the most significant award that I’ll ever receive. It inspired me to read, write, create - and feel good about myself - the first of many stepping stones that have led me to where I am fortunate enough to be today.

God bless you, Mrs. Blore. I salute you!

Good to Read

Stories for young wildlife enthusiasts

Picture Books

All You Need to Know About… Whales and Dolphins by Nathalie Choux (Cherrytree Books 2004)

One Tiny Turtle by Nicola Davies, ill. by Jane Chapman (Walker Books 2005)

Poo: A Natural History of the Unmentionable by Nicola Davies, ill. by Neal Layton (Walker Books 2005)

The Wild Woods by Simon James (Walker 1993)

Owl Babies by Martin Waddell, ill. by Patrick Benson (Walker Books 1992)

Beautiful Birds by J. Roussen & E. Walker (Flying Eye Books 2015)

Chapter Books

Watership Down by Richard Adams (Puffin Books 1973)

The Midnight Fox by Betsy Briars (Puffin 1968)

Capreolus, The Story of a Roe Deer by Raymond Chaplin (Collins 1978)

The Animals of Farthing Wood: Escape from Danger by Colin Dann (Egmont 1979)

Animals in Art: Tiger by Joanna Skipwith (Silver Jungle 2006)

Charlotte’s Web by E.B. White (Harper & Bros. 1952)

Sources

Reading for Pleasure, Egmont Insight

Capreolus, The Story of a Roe Deer by Raymond Chaplin (Collins 1978)

What planet are you from, Lauren Child?

© 1999 by Lauren Child

“[Lauren Child] struggled at first to persuade publishers of the potential of her unique blend of line, pattern, and collage, combined with imaginative use of type. After four years of rejections, ‘Clarice Bean, That’s Me’ was published in 1999, and success quickly followed.”

— The Art of Lauren Child - Adventures with Charlie, Lola, and Friends (Exhibition at Mottisfont House, Romsey 2015)

The first time I encountered the work of Children’s Laureate, Lauren Child was in 1997 (just a few years into my career) at the offices of Orchard Books. They’d already published two of my books (Counting Leopard’s Spots and Not-so-Grizzly Bear Stories) and I was there delivering the art for my third, We Love Playschool.

The publisher, Francesca Dow, pulled out a package of art by a new illustrator and invited me to take a look.

It was Child’s art for her first picture book, Clarice Bean That’s Me. I looked at it with a sense of disbelief.

What planet are you from, Lauren Child? I wondered.

Clarice Bean That’s Me © 1999 by Lauren Child

Her art embodied all that mine lacked. It was wild, spontaneous and creative! Full of life and movement (interestingly, she developed Clarice Bean with animation in mind). And I'm embarrassed to admit - I didn't get it. Hand coloured, photocopied drawings of wonky people sat alongside photos of real people. Childish, painterly backgrounds contrasted with flat areas of torn, coloured paper. Backgrounds of clumsily cut out magazine pictures sat alongside photocopies of patterned fabric. What on earth was going on?

This look will never catch on, I thought. I have the benefit of art education, and I don’t get it. How will Joe Public warm to it?

Thankfully I was completely wrong, and Lauren Child - and the insightful Francesca Dow - were completely right. Because Joe Public did warm to both Child’s unique art style (which displays a genuine sense of family and warmth) and her writing, in which she manages to capture that random, unpredictable conversational style of children, complete with pithy one-liners.

© 1998 by Tim Warnes

It's not that my illustrations in Playschool were terrible (they were the best I could do at the time). It's just that they were pretty bland. Compared to the art in Clarice Bean, mine looked static and self-conscious. And whereas the visually exciting, compellingly written Clarice Bean (rightfully) endured, Playschool sank into obscurity.

There's been some criticism of Lauren Child’s books that does merit a mention, concerning the layout of the text.

As unique and unmistakable as the art (though now much copied), the type - in a multitude of fonts - dances and twirls around her characters. Some say this element, though visually pleasing, make her books unfriendly to young readers (and inaccessible to those who struggle with reading).

Clarice Bean That’s Me © 1999 by Lauren Child

The argument has weight, but I believe the complaint is counter-balanced by the joy and excitement that Lauren Child brings to millions of other readers, both young and old. Her books may not make the quickest bedtime reads, but they rank up there with the most satisfying.

So let's remain open-minded as to what makes a good children’s book - and appreciate that no one size fits all. Because the more choice available, the better chance everyone has of finding a story with which to connect.

Which, after all, is the desire of everyone working in children’s books.

Good To Read

- some favourite Lauren Child books (they are all Good to Read!)

Clarice Bean, That’s Me by Lauren Child (Orchard Books 1999)

My Uncle is a Hunkle says Clarice Bean by Lauren Child (Orchard Books 2000)

What Planet Are You From Clarice Bean? by Lauren Child (Orchard Books 2001)

I am NOT Sleepy and I WILL NOT go to Bed by Lauren Child (Orchard Books 2001)

Who’s Afraid of the Big Bad Book? by Lauren Child (Orchard Books 2002)

Hubert Horatio Bartle Bobton-Trent by Lauren Child (Orchard Books 2004)

Clarice Bean That’s Me © 1999 by Lauren Child

Piggy, Red and a Big Bad Wolf

The Big Book Adventure © 2018 by Tim Warnes

“You’ll never guess where I have been,
Or who I’ve met or what I’ve seen. Shall I tell you?”

— Piggy, 'The Big Book Adventure'

My most recent book, The Big Book Adventure by Emily Ford (Silver Dolphin 2018) features two friends, Foxy and Piggy - both avid readers. They spend their days going to the library and reading, then sharing those stories with each other. Dragons, mermaids, fairytales and buried treasure appear in their imaginary worlds - alongside characters from classics including Alice in Wonderland and Peter Pan.

One of the joys of illustrating this book was that I was allowed to work in different styles throughout, to help convey the idea that we are joining Foxy and Piggy in their different story books.

Development art for The Big Book Adventure © 2018 by Tim Warnes

I wanted the spread featuring Little Red Riding Hood to have a sense of foreboding and drama (without being so scary as to give a small kid nightmares!). From the start I planned it to be monochromatic, with a large area of solid black - plus a splash of red. I explored thorny backgrounds, as well as the idea shown above - an abstract background with repeats of the letter W (for Wolf).

Illustrating Red and the narrator (Piggy) was a given - but should I show the wolf?

The text reads:

I’m sure I saw a bushy tail | As we ran through the wood.

Piggy only catches a glimpse of it. At least, he thinks he does. So I considered simply hinting at the wolf’s looming presence using warning posters pinned to the trees.

Development art for The Big Book Adventure © 2018 by Tim Warnes

But in the end, I realised I was missing a trick by not revealing the wolf. I’m so glad I did as he was great fun to draw, with teeth collaged from cut paper, looking suitably crisp and sharp (and yes - I seriously did think twice about reinforcing a fairytale stereotype!). Fortunately for Red, we see Piggy leading their escape by lifting the corner of the page. This was intended as a visual aid to remind the reader that the adventure is happening in Piggy’s imagination (after reading the fairy tale) and gives a sense of relief to the drama.

The final image has a bold, graphic feel through the use of flat colours, crisp outlines and the white text against the solid black.

The Big Book Adventure © 2018 by Tim Warnes. Text © 2018 by Emily Ford (Silver Dolphin 2018)

One of my roles as a picture book illustrator is to embellish the written story, taking the author's ideas and building upon them.

So the wolf reappears later in the book in a mash-up with some classic Tenniel art from Alice in Wonderland. He is nonchalantly holding a cup of tea - and one of Alice’s legs! He is licking his chops - and it has begun to snow.

The Big Book Adventure © 2018 by Tim Warnes (Silver Dolphin 2018)

What is going on?!

Has the rest of Alice been eaten?

Did the wolf gate crash the Mad Tea Party - or was he invited?

Is the Mad Hatter running for his life - or to get more sandwiches for the hungry wolf?

Has the cold caused the Dormouse to hibernate?

Suggesting open ended questions like these empower young readers. Because who’s to say what’s the right or wrong answer?

Over to you

Get your imagination going!

Asking questions about the illustrations is a great way to interact with picture books. Use them as a starting point for discussion.

Supports: visual literacy; storytelling skills; conversational skills.

Follow Foxy and Piggy’s lead and practice oral storytelling. Take a familiar story and retell in your own way. Or just make up your own!

Supports: creative thinking; storytelling skills; conversational skills.

The Big Book Adventure by Emily Ford, illustrated by Tim Warnes (Silver Dolphin Books 2018) - available now !Sources The Big Book Adventure by Emily Ford and Tim Warnes (Silver Dolphin 2018)Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Lewis Carroll, ill. by John Tenniel

Why the new EU Copyright Directive isn’t all bad

“A copyright is simply: these are my words and ideas strung together in a comprehensive, complete, concrete way and I am asserting ownership in them.”

— Seth Godin - Akimbo podcast: All Rights Reserved (S3 E8)

This week saw what many consider to be a win for the publishing industry (authors/illustrators in particular) when proposed changes to European copyright law (the EU Copyright Directive) were passed by the European Parliament. The main objective of the Directive: to update copyright law for the digital age - in particular, a rebalancing of the relationship between copyright holders and online platforms.

Nicola Solomon, Chief Executive of the Society of Authors, said,

“This is excellent news for authors and other creators across Europe. The Directive will modernise copyright law for the digital age and ensure that creators are properly remunerated when their work is used online."

The Authors’ Licensing and Collecting Society commented,

“We particularly welcome the provision set out in chapter 3 of the Directive which establishes the fundamental principle that authors should receive a proportionate share of the revenue being generated by their works.”

So far, so good. Except, of course, not everyone feels the same way.

Seth Godin (whom I admire greatly and is always worth paying attention to) claims that “it will break the internet.”

Article 13 has become particularly notorious. Giant corporations such as Google wielded their power and fuelled public opposition against it (their petition reached 5 million signatures), notably by scaremongering; whilst YouTube’s public information videos were misleading in their one-sided approach, claiming Article 13 ‘threatens hundreds of thousands of creators, artists and others employed in the creative economy.’

An alternative point of view

I’m a creator/artist employed in the creative economy - and like many others, I am especially pleased with the little publicised change to Articles 14 and 16, which focus on the exploitation of authors' (and illustrators’) work:

"Article 14 will oblige publishers to display greater transparency when sharing information with authors about the exploitation of their works. This will give authors a much clearer idea exactly how their earnings are comprised and will reveal whether or not their rights are being fully exploited by the publisher. If they are not, Article 16a stipulates that authors will be permitted to have these rights reverted. This would enable authors to self-publish their work or offer it to another publisher."

The Society of Authors

And let’s not forget a big shout out to Article 15, which introduces a ‘bestseller clause’ into legislation. Basically, where a work sells considerably better than expected, the directive will override the agreed royalty rate, thereby ensuring that the author receives a fair share of the additional and unexpected profits from the publisher - rather than having them ploughed into another monstrous advance for a celebrity author.

The result? Rather than feeling threatened, as claimed by the YouTube Creators channel, I feel valued and reassured.

What about Fair Use Dealing?

Does fair use dealing - allowed under the UK’s Copyright, Designs and Patents Act 1988 - still apply? Because whilst every creation is automatically protected by copyright, fair dealing - similar to the US fair use rule - allows for the limited unauthorised reproduction, meaning others can comment on, remix or criticise another’s creation. At least it did. Now I’m not so sure.

If you found all that a bit heavy, here’s some light relief from Glove and Boots in their Copyright Basics video.

SourcesSeth Godin’s podcast, Akimbo: All Rights Reserved (S3 E8)The Society of Authors - SOA welcomes Copyright Directive voteAuthors’ Licensing and Collecting Society - EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT VOTES TO ADOPT NEW COPYRIGHT RULESYoutube Creators video: Article 13 - Burning QuestionsThe Society of Authors - Ask your MEP to support the Copyright Directive

#copyright #societyofauthors #alcs #saveyourinternet #picturesmeanbusiness #sethgodin #gloveandboots

The importance of diversity in children's books

From Only You Can Be You © 2019 by Tim Warnes

“…if we have only ever lived in a field of books that ignored the many cultures that make up this world, what an absolutely lonely and bare stretch of land that would be.”

— Mahogany L. Browne

A hot topic in the world of children’s publishing today is diversity and inclusion - or lack thereof.

It’s an issue that has been at the forefront of my mind in recent months, as I am working on projects featuring human characters. I suppose it’s most apparent in picture books because of their visual nature; and yes, I agree that there is a problem.

Why's this so important? Well, aside from helping to give children a sense of identity (by seeing themselves reflected in the illustrations), they are like human sponges, absorbing information that will inform their subconscious and future social preferences. Research shows that the lack of exposure to racial diversity can negatively influence racial preference in children as young as babies. Conversely, by exposing and familiarising babies and young children to racial diversity through (amongst other things) books, we are providing an opportunity for positive, future societal change.

"The stories that children read at a young age tell them who matters and who doesn't matter, who's human and who isn't human," explains Philip Nel, professor of English at Kansas State University, adding, "A story doesn't have to tell us that explicitly. It can tell us that by failing to represent certain groups of people -- omission tells us that these groups of people are not important”. (Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: The Hidden Racism of Children’s Literature, and the Need for Diverse Books by Philip Nell.)

I am not well known for illustrating human characters (in that I’ve hardly ever had to), so from a professional point of view, it’s been a bit of a non-issue - until I was commissioned to illustrate I’m Going to give you a Bear Hug by Caroline B. Cooney (Zonderkidz 2016).

From I’m Going to give you a Bear Hug! © 2016 by Tim Warnes

I felt trepidation - not only at my own limitations but also because of the debate around diversity in children’s books. What colour should the main character - a little boy - be? I toyed with illustrating a Black kid but was concerned that it might appear an act of tokenism (simply because I am not Black). But since I could only imagine him as our youngest son, Levi, I went with what was familiar. I mined my sketchbooks for drawings and illustrated him as a White pre-schooler, complete with Levi’s mop of tousled blonde hair.

It's said that writers should write what they know. Isn’t that the default for so many choices in life - to draw on our experiences, at the risk stick of sticking with the status quo? But as an illustrator, I have a responsibility to make sure that children of all colours get the opportunity to see themselves reflected in the books they read. It’s not enough for a White, middle-class male, brought up and still living in an ‘ethnically challenged’ environment (currently rural Dorset, England) to simply stick with what he knows best. It’s a cop-out.

Roll forward to today, when I am finishing off the art for Only You Can Be You, a celebration of us all being unique individuals. Happily it features kids of all kinds - different skin colours, different hair, different interests and personalities (artistic, athletic, sensitive and rambunctious kids). It has stretched me in many ways, and I have to say I am really, really pleased with it. I hope it will be a regarded as a good example of an inclusive picture book.

But once it’s out there, it’s over to you - parents and carers, teachers and librarians - to consider the books that you share, and the values that we present to a future generation.

Only You Can Be You by Sally and Nathan Clarkson, illustrated by Tim Warnes will be published in the US by Tommy Nelson (Fall 2019).

From The Snowy Day © 1962 by Ezra Jack Keats - a childhood favourite of mine.

Good to read

The New Small Person by Lauren Child (Puffin 2014)

So Much by Trish Cooke, illustrated by Helen Oxenbury (Walker Books 1994)

Leon and Bob by Simon James (Walker Books 2008)

The Snowy Day by Ezra Jack Keats (Viking 1962)

Julian is a Mermaid by Jessica Love (Walker Books 2018)

Yumi by Annelore Parot (Chronicle Books 2012)

Goodnight, Manger by Laura Sassi, illustrated by Jane Chapman (Zonderkidz 2015)

SourcesPicture This: Mahogany L. Browne on the Need for More Diversity in Picture BooksCan diversity in children's books tackle prejudice?

#mylifeinbooks #diversity #inclusion #equality #parenting #mahoganylbrowne #goodtoread #onlyyoucanbeyou #bearhug

Should you feel guilty for loving The Cat in the Hat?

© 1957 by Dr. Seuss

“When Dr. Seuss’s Cat in the Hat made his flamboyant entrance in 1957 he started a revolution in the world of children’s books”

— 'The Cat in the Hat' 40th Anniversary edition (HarperCollins, 1997)

The Cat in the Hat was commissioned by Houghton Mifflin as a direct response to Life magazine’s report on illiteracy among school children, which concluded that children were not learning to read because their books were boring. The publisher’s brief to Theodor Seuss Geisel, aka Dr. Seuss: to create ‘a book children can't put down.’ 

Dr. Seuss succeeded. His iconic The Cat in the Hat is ‘lots of good fun that is funny’, and is Seuss's second best-selling book of all time (and the ninth best-selling children’s book of all time - Publishers Weekly). It's great to read aloud with its humour, drama, suspense and natural cadence - so I often perform it when I visit schools.

But Seuss's work is being seen as increasingly problematic, with critics labelling it as racist. Those claims were explored earlier this year in a study published in Research on Diversity in Youth Literature by Katie Ishizuka and Ramon Stephens. Their paper, The Cat is Out of the Bag: Orientalism, Anti- Blackness, and White Supremacy in Dr. Seuss's Children's Books concludes that some of Dr. Seuss's most iconic books ‘feature animal or non-human characters that transmit Orientalist, anti-Black, and White supremacist messaging through allegories and symbolism. These books include The Cat in the Hat; The Cat in the Hat Comes Back; The Sneetches; and Horton Hears a Who!’

Their research found that the Cat’s appearance was allegedly ‘inspired by blackface performance, racist images in popular culture, and actual African Americans’ (Was the Cat in the Hat Black?: Exploring Dr. Seuss’s Racial Imagination, Philip Nel).

Examples given include:

the Cat’s umbrella (allegedly linking him to Zip Coon, a ‘northern dandy negro’);

his oversized, floppy tie (recalling the polka-dotted ties of blackfaced Fred Astaire in Swing Time (1936) and of blackfaced Mickey Rooney in Babes in Arms (1939);

his iconic red-and-white-striped hat (Rooney’s hat in the same film or the hats on the minstrel clowns in the silent picture Off to Bloomingdale Asylum);

his performance of tricks for the children which 'mimics the role of blackface performers'.

Sure, the Cat is black. But do children of any ethnicity really identify themselves with him in terms of mere appearance? Don't they simply see him as a goofy looking cat in a hat? A bit naughty? Or funny? Or kind? Maybe they can see themselves in him if they are the class clown who likes to play to a crowd and make people laugh. Or if they have ADHD. But claims that the Cat’s physical attributes mirror blackface performers seems a bit tenuous to me. Even if that was the inspiration (and Seuss is known to have written and performed in blackface in his own minstrel show) - or if Seuss gave him the 'white gloves... sly smile, and... color’ of the Black elevator operator at his publisher’s offices - does that make the Cat himself offensive?

© 1957 by Dr. Seuss

Let's look at it from a different viewpoint. The Cat's white face allows for clearer expressions than would have been possible on a black face. His behaviour is buffoonish - that of the traditional clown (as indeed is the white face and outlandish hat and tie). And the Cat’s umbrella? That’s always reminded me of Chaplin with his cane. Or Gene Kelly as he sings and dances in the rain, five years earlier in 1952. As a kid, I used to pretend to be Gene Kelly (using my Grandma's walking stick as a prop) - plus I love a good hat! So the Cat I'm cool with.

More worrying to me is the neglect shown by the children's mother who went out for the day (leaving them alone and with nothing to do) and the Cat for keeping Thing 1 and Thing 2 in a big red wood box with no air holes! And that final stanza - where it suggests in an open-ended question that it might be ok to lie - has always jarred with me a little:

Should we tell her about it? | Now, what SHOULD we do? | Well… | What would YOU do | if your mother asked YOU?

So should you feel guilty for loving The Cat in the Hat? I don't think so. The reason it’s so popular and enduring is simple. It’s a great story that warrants more than one reading. I understand there is controversy surrounding Dr. Seuss as a man and his attitudes towards non-white ethnic groups. So let’s discuss them and use the lessons learned to inform and guide the children’s books of the future to be inclusive and diverse. Because children’s books are powerful tools, and as creators we get to help shape the minds of the future.

But please - let's not throw out the Cat and the cup and the milk and the cake with the bath water.

Because I for one would miss him.

SourcesCitations from The Cat is Out of the Bag: Orientalism, Anti- Blackness, and White Supremacy in Dr. Seuss's Children's Books - Katie Ishizuka and Ramon StephensThe Cat in the Hat 40th Anniversary edition by Dr. Seuess (HarperCollins 1997)Wikipedia

In the beginning

Rough drawing from my forthcoming book, It’s Bedtime, Charlie!

Are you sitting comfortably? Then I shall begin.

My life in books goes way back, to a time before I was even born.

It seems my fate was sealed from the outset. Whilst still in the womb, I was named after a character from my brother’s favourite children's book - Timothy Tuppence! I can vaguely remember the book myself, being something to do with a farm.

I was blessed to grow up in a household where books and reading were valued. My earliest, and most treasured memories, are of bedtime stories. I can remember my mum and grandma reading to me - but even more so my dad. Dad was an excellent narrator. He really threw himself into it, using different voices to bring the cast to life and dramatise the reading. Recurring favourites include Dick Brunna's Miffy, who spoke with a permanently stuffy nose (as did Alison Uttley's Mumfie the Elephant); Brer Rabbit, wonderfully illustrated by William Backhouse (they, of course, had thick, Southern accents); Charlotte's Web by E.B. White; Winnie-the-Pooh and The Wind in the Willows ('Poop! Poop!').

Last year I began reflecting on the impact that these early forays into the delights of children's books have had on me, and their importance in instilling my passion for books and storytelling. So I decided to thank Dad for all his bedtime stories - and ask him where it all came from.

He retold his familiar tale of being evacuated as a young boy during WW2, leaving his home town of Worthing on the Sussex coast, and moving inland to Bracknell, and the home of his grandmother, Diamond Lil. But on this occasion, his story expanded...

A spinster headmistress also lived in the house. In the evenings she sat my father upon her lap, and read to him -The Tales of Uncle Remus, Kipling's Just So Stories - in front of the fire. Sadly, my Dad's own father died in a motorbike accident when he was just two. His mum never remarried, and singlehandedly brought him up (to be separated from her only child during those war years, whilst working as a nurse to the forces personnel, must have been agonising for her). It's against this backdrop that a routine revolving around a story developed, undoubtedly providing a source of comfort and reassurance in a world of turmoil. A moment of calm and intimacy; of entertainment and human touch. For both the adult and the child.

It is these same qualities that make our collective memories of bedtime stories so powerful. Being enfolded in loving arms, snuggled up to someone who loves you. I recall the quiet, hushed tones; the scratch of dad's stubble; summer light glowing through pulled curtains and the warmth of the bedside light on evenings when the dark had already started creeping in.

Through revisiting children's books, I have discovered memories that lay buried, hidden deep in my psyche, just waiting for a gentle nudge of nostalgia before bubbling up to the surface.

My father's responsible for passing on lots of interests and qualities to me (not to mention a fair few foibles!). I think my passion for children's books - that I have built my life around - is probably one of the greatest.

I may not be able to pass the torch directly on to you - but I hope to ignite a fire or two.