The ReadItDaddy Interview - Emma Yarlett, Author and Illustrator of our Book of the Week this week - "Sidney, Stella and the Moon" (Templar Publishing)

Emma Yarlett and her debut children's book "Sidney, Stella and the Moon" (Templar)

It's a real treat to be able to interview lovely booky folk during the course of our weekly blogging antics, and this week we're extremely lucky to be able to welcome Emma Yarlett, Author and Illustrator of this week's Book of the Week "Sidney, Stella and the Moon".

With our best questioning expressions (no red crayon moustaches for us though, unfortunately) we managed to collar Emma during her busy launch schedule to pop a few quizzical musings to her.

ReadItDaddy (Daddy)

Hi Emma, congratulations on your first book for Templar "Sidney, Stella and the Moon" - Tell us a little bit about yourself and your first book!

Emma Yarlett 

Thank you! It's so exciting to be published and 'out there'.... although it is a little scary letting go of something so personal, this is my very very first authored and illustrated book and so is very close to my heart.

 I began it way back in 2010 when I was studying in my final year at Falmouth University College, and it has been on an incredible journey, slowly twisting, changing and adapting into the final book that you see today. I've changed a lot on the journey too- going from a Miss Bennett to a Mrs Yarlett, and making the big decision to stay permanently in the lovely warmer climates of Cornwall.

Children's picture books are very much at the heart of my illustration work, but I've worked on a whole host of other things too- from an animation to Waterstones, to greetings cards for Hallmark, to an educational play with the one and only Julia Donaldson! It's been a fantastic 2 years as a professional illustrator- and I can't wait to see what the future holds.


ReadItDaddy (Daddy)

We're always interested in how authors / artists organise (or disorganise!) their day. How does your typical day go?
Well my day's usually start with a disgruntled waking up and a trudge through breakfast and a waltz into my studio...

But after that, every day looks so so different- sometimes I will be painting, sometimes I will be researching on my iMac, sometimes I will be chatting through ideas with friends and publishers, sometimes I will get away and go on a lovely walk to get my brain thinking in the fresh air and sometimes you might even find me in Starbucks surrounded by a sea of paper!
Who are your favourite artists and authors (children's book author / artists or otherwise!)
Ooo this changes all the time. At the moment I am absolutely amazed by Jonny Duddle's new book 'The King of Space.' (Yay us too :) It's so incredibly cinematic!
This is probably the toughest question of all, name 5 things you would take to a desert island / couldn't exist without
Does Mr Yarlett count as a thing? Great! Mr Yarlett, a sketchbook with a never blunting pencil attached to it (technically one thing!), a jet ski, my iphone and a years supply of Jaffa Cakes. Yum!