With Christine McFaul
Photo by Samin Abarqoi Photography
Noises of the Night is a lovely bedtime read: sweet and soothing with such striking illustrations. Thank you for giving us the opportunity to chat with you about the process of creating such a delightfully Canadian picture book.
This book is such a calming read. Are there any books or lullabies from your childhood that were a favourite at bedtime?
I loved Dr. Seuss as a child, something about the rhymes and rhythms always caught my attention! Books like Sleepy Bears by Mem Fox, and Sarah Squirrel and the Lost Acorns (Julie Sykes and Catherine Walters) always caught my attention. I was in love with the artwork on every page, and I would admire them while my mother read to us before bed. As for lullabies specifically, I was born in December and my mother always sang Silent Night to me, and that song still has a special place in my heart to this day.
You have chosen to include sounds that are so perfectly evocative of a Canadian night. Which Canadian night noise do you personally find most soothing? And conversely, which one drives you crazy!
I love the sounds of rain, crickets, and frogs. These are the sounds I heard most often growing up in a rural area of the Okanagan, and they are just so peaceful to me. For a long time traffic noises and city noises were very bothersome to me, it actually prompted me to write Noises of the Night. I was in Toronto one week for my sister’s graduation, and I barely slept a wink due to the constant sirens and traffic outside my window! It got me thinking about the plethora of sounds across Canada at night, and thus my lullaby was born! Now that I live in my own place in town, I have grown much more accustomed to the soft noises of cars driving by...sirens do still bother me though!
You are both the author and illustrator of this story. What comes first in your process: the pictures or the words?
For me the story always seems to flow first. I actually wrote the lullaby two years before I even started my illustrations. I had lost touch with my art for the longest time, but I am so glad that I was able to reconnect with it on the pages of my story. I look forward to writing and illustrating more stories in the future.
This book is a celebration of the landscape and wildlife all around us. What inspires your creative process?
Like most, my creative process is a little all over the map. It took me over six months to illustrate my book, finding time in the evenings after work, or on my days off. I knew I wanted every sunset to be a little different from the next, and I would take photos of beautiful ones outside my window when they would arise, I think my phone is overflowing with them to be honest! I also knew I wanted to include landmark landscapes from all over Canada, I did my best to not leave anyone out! Diversity in books is also of extreme importance to me, and so the children in my book are painted to reflect that.
What is your favourite Canadian animal?
Oh that is a very difficult question! I am an animal lover at heart, so I feel guilty to choose just one! Growing up my dad taught my sister and I all about our local animals and how to identify them. Having that knowledge still reminds me of those moments in my childhood. My grandparents also have a cattle farm, and so I was also exposed to farm life from the time I could toddle around in gumboots. Feeding cows, holding chickens, catching frogs, raising tadpoles, all animals hold a special place in my heart.
Do you have any new projects in the works?
I do! I am working on my illustrations for my next children’s book, currently titled All I Can Grow Are Tomatoes. It is a story about a little girl who wants to be just like everyone else, but her natural born talents keep getting in the way. Over the course of the story she learns to love herself for her differences, and realizes that everyone is different, and that is what makes the world such a wonderful place.
I am also slowly working on a novel, but it could be years before I finish it at this rate!
Creating both the text and images for this book must have its challenges. What is one piece of advice that you would give to an aspiring picture book author/illustrator?
I think the hardest thing in any creative process is the fear that it won’t be perfect. That was a big curve ball for me, especially when illustrating (I wanted my book to be amazing and perfect!) but perfection is subjective. Trust your gut, take breaks, go for walks to change your perspective, and don’t forget to have fun!
What advice would you give to aspiring authors who are working on their first few novels and are trying to navigate the publishing world?
There are so many options in today’s publishing world. Research all your options. Traditional publishing can be daunting, and you may never get a response to your query letter. I know I received very few, and all were disappointing. Assisted publishing, and self publishing are always an option, and always a good starting point if it works well for the vision of your work. For me, it allowed me to paint my own illustrations, something that seems to not be very common in the traditional publishing world. Also, use Google, and research how to write strong queries, get your work proofread by someone else, run ideas past people in your life, but don’t let their opinions daunt you, let them inspire you to be the best you can be.
What is your “must-read” book recommendation and what book has had the most impact and influence on your writing?
My must read book? That is a hard one! The Art of Possibility by Benjamin Zander and Rosamund Stone Zander was a book that really influenced my life and way of thinking two years ago, and I always recommend it to everyone. Untamed by Glennon Doyle was also a very poignant and soul touching read. In addition to this, anything by Margaret Atwood.
When it comes to books that inspire my children’s books, I would have to say it is a mixed collection. I nannied for a number of years, and I always found it interesting to watch which books were chosen most often over the others. Goodnight, Goodnight, Construction Site and Steam Train Dream Train by Sherri Duskey Rinker were always popular, as well as classics like Goodnight Moon, and Green Eggs and Ham. I have always loved rhyme and rhythm in stories, and I loved witnessing that today’s children seem to just as much.