Summer holidays with family are awesome!!

(Thanks Tessa, Olivia and Aunty Lynn for the photos.)

Last week I finally began work on some of the final images for my second picture book. As this time I'm planning a wordless picture book, there will be more than three times the amount of images in the finished book than there was in 'Custard and Carriages'. That's a lot of extra work!

Before leaving on holiday, I received my latest dummy book back from the assessor with her report on my changes to the storyboard. Her response was very encouraging and I think the story is coming together at last. The ending always seems to be the hardest part for me to structure, but I hope I've got it sorted now. Soon it will be time to start approaching publishers!

Also, since arriving home, I've been reading this book 'Show Me A Story: Why Picture Books Matter'. The book consists of twenty-one interviews with some of the leading illustrators of children's books. Compiled by Leonard S. Marcus, the selection of interviews are full of insights into the illustrators themselves and into their techniques and inspirations. 

Since the publication of this book Maurice Sendak has passed away, which makes reading his contribution even more absorbing. Finding out how some of his ideas were first conceived and why he wrote the type of stories he did was illuminating. 

Although I've never been a great fan of his style of illustration, Sendak's contribution to the field of children's literature was immense.

There are only three interviews that I haven't yet read and I can't wait to finish this wonderful book.