Jade McGrath

Trees are amazing. I loved climbing them as a child and, every now and then, I still do. My own two daughters would have climbed every tree they walked past if they could! Trees are nature’s climbing frame – full of majesty and hidden nooks. As sunlight travels through the layers of leaves, it makes sitting amongst the branches just magical. Trees have given me so much joy over the course of my life that I wanted to write a book that was a thank you to them.

So that was the starting point. I wanted Little Red to capture a child’s joy climbing a tree. Next, I thought about what other animals might thank Tree and so the swifts, insects, elephant and leopard then came into the story. Tree offers them food, a resting place, a back scratch and shade. Of course Little Red isn’t interested in any of these things! Little Red has to learn to value of Tree for himself and he discovers the power and support of a community coming together. I think this is a lesson we all have to learn and continue to practise many, many times. I know I can get caught up in my own life and what I’m doing and feel very possessive of my time and not want to offer it to someone else! Then I realise I get so much more back in terms of happiness, love and accomplishment if I do give some of my time to the people around me.

I love hiding details in my illustrations that I hope children will keep finding even after they have read the book many times. For example, throughout the illustrations, the caterpillars transform into butterflies, but if you look closely you can see them first munching the leaves, then building their chrysalises, then emerging and finally, in the last spread, flying away. Also, make sure you look out for the little grey squirrel, this character is hiding in every illustration. These extra hidden details are important to me because they allow a child who’s not yet able to read themselves, to participate in the story by ‘reading’ the pictures. They might see things that the adults don’t even notice.

I work in watercolour, crayon, pencil and ink and then bring my illustrations together digitally. I always start with real materials because it is so fun. Also, sometimes different paints and inks do unpredictable things. For example, I love the way water from a brush can swirl through paint or ink and make beautiful swirling shapes that are impossible to control. I use this a lot when I’m painting skies.

I hope you like Our Tree. I had a lot of fun making it. What would you thank a tree for?

My new picture book The Tortosaurus follows Dot as she starts a new school, and struggles to make new friends. She ends up hiding behind a big stressful lie when all she needs to do is be herself.

Making friends is tough at any age, especially when everyone already knows each other. Sometimes, an effort to fit in sparks a little dishonesty. Somehow saying “Yes, I watched that on TV, too,” spirals out of control, and a few weeks later you’re getting invited to a Love Island Megafan Pub Quiz. The irony is that a little awkwardness in being honest about your differences at the start saves a lot of discomfort (and wrong quiz answers) later!

I first started drawing the character Tortosaurus while I was in university. I was working on an idea in which kids attempted to transform their pets into weird new animals using simple crafts. I loved the tortoise character so much that I decided to focus the narrative around him. Tortosaurus wanted to spruce himself up to gain more attention. However, after getting to know Monty the tortoise—who was grumpy, slow, and old—I realized that he was very happy with himself as he was and probably wouldn’t choose a flashy new look.

(Here’s one of my first doodles of a Tortosaurus from 2016!)

So, I began to focus on Monty’s owner and wondered why she’d be dressing up her lovely, grumpy old tortoise. Sometimes we put on costumes to help us fit in—much like wearing trendy clothes. I remember being a child at school, where there was a certain cool way to fold down your socks. Dot, in her nervousness, has concluded that the people in her new school will want to be her friend if she has the coolest, most exotic new animal!

Dot’s always loved Monty for being himself, and he’s always been there for her. Plus, there’s only so much of this new attention he can endure. By being his authentic self in front of *everyone*, he gives Dot the courage to do the same.

By being yourself, you offer others the reassurance to be themselves with you, too. Even though it can feel daunting to expose yourself, there’ll always be someone who thinks you’re wonderful—Tortosaurus or no Tortosaurus!

We are brave around here! Being bold and audacious is our way.

Growing up, the highlight of my week was a trip to my school library, where I would discover a new book – my passport to a world far, far away from my own. I loved the escapism books provided, and to this day, they remain a source of solace and comfort. Offering this gift to other young people is why I put pen to paper.

My new book ‘It’s A Brave Young World’ is an ode to the wonderfully complex lives young people lead. I often reflect on the fears I had about growing up and the difficult experiences I encountered at school, after school, in my neighbourhood and in the virtual world. In real life, I struggled to find places of support. No one should feel they have to make themselves invisible, play it small, avoid the internet or give up places and activities they enjoy just to avoid bullies and predators; this only gives them more power. It is my mission to create the safe spaces and accessible resources that help young people equip themselves with the knowledge and understanding they need to advocate for themselves and others.

Over the years, I have had the privilege of delivering sessions to thousands of young people to promote safety, wellbeing and access to education. Through my work, I have listened to them share their struggles with social media, families, friends, relationships and so much more. This book addresses these complex realities. Each section covers a different topic, from values and beliefs to healthy boundaries, frenemies and coping with challenging feelings. There are tips on relationships and consent, navigating school and staying safe online, and activities on cancel culture – no conversation is off the table. Although we address some difficult topics, the aim is to equip readers with the language and tools to advocate for themselves and others, and the knowledge to call out unsafe situations.

This colourful guide-to-life is brimming with real life storytimes, evidence-based activities, and insightful research. It does not claim to have all the answers, but instead invites young readers on a journey of self-discovery, to develop self-awareness and resilience. Regardless of your gender, age or race, this book is for you. Every young person should be empowered to fulfil their potential with their safety, wellness and dignity protected. Use this book as a tool to become a global citizen and the best version of yourself!

My mom’s ancestral home in Shanghai was haunted. Voices were heard in empty corridors.  Certain rooms remained ice-cold through the summer. And there was that time when everything in the ice box rotted simultaneously, even the vegetables purchased from the market that morning. Mama told me the culprits were nine-tailed foxes. For some reason, they were terrified of my grandfather. Shouts of ‘The tiger is coming!’ would fill the house when he came home. In China, tigers represent courageous leaders.

I always loved magical creatures. The folktales Baba told my sister and I at bedtime were full of them. When I learned of the nine-tailed foxes in Shanghai, these magical creatures became my favourites. I read all about them and devised plans to lure one from across the Pacific to haunt to our home in suburban New Jersey.

The Guardians of the New Moon chapter book series draws from a boyhood love of magical creatures and East Asian folklore. Book 1, Ming and Miaow’s Great Race, is based on a legend in which the Jade Emperor held a race and invited every creature on Earth to compete. The first twelve to finish were honoured with a year on the lunar calendar dedicated to them. The version of the Great Race in Book 1 features a nine-tailed fox named Ming and a black-and-white cat named Miaow. Ming is based on my sister Penny and my niece Charlie. Miaow looks like my cat McNulty, but his personality is borrowed from my grumpy boyfriend Brian. (Don’t tell him I said that!) Details from the original legend appear alongside new elements inspired by Baba’s stories.

Book 2, Year of the Rat, sees our heroes on their first mission: to help Su the rat prepare for her lunar year. Subsequent books follow Ming and Miaow with other Great Race winners. Every book contains an epic adventure about friendship, celebrating differences, and loving your authentic self, whether you’re a fiery nine-tailed fox, an introverted cat, or a big strong ox who dreams of being a dancer, instead of the warrior everyone expects him to be.

The magical creatures, unpredictable divinities, and fantastic lands in Guardians of the New Moon are sure to fascinate and inspire young readers while introducing the lunar new year and other East Asian traditions. And maybe – just maybe – the books will persuade a nine-tailed fox or two to visit me at last.

My new picture book Griselda Snook’s Spectacular Books is all about possibilities. It’s about the magical worlds that open wide when we reach for a book or enter a bookshop.

This was exciting to me as a child, and remains so deep into my adulthood. It motivates me as an author – the opportunity both to open up new worlds for young readers and to entertain myself by exploring worlds of my own making.

Of course, when I’m writing, the idea has to be ‘right’. It needs to speak to me in some way, chipping away at an unanswered question or filling me with an infectious sense of What if…? Without this, either writer’s block or boredom will hit. My mind goes into a knot or floats off elsewhere. It’s much the same for children, I think, when they haven’t found the book that’s right for them.

Picture books are primarily stories to be shared. Parents and carers round off a youngster’s day by performing a little theatre show, weaving story-time magic from funny voices, join-in moments and goodnight cuddles. But what about when the child is older and must create this booky magic for themselves?

What if the child doesn’t feel sufficient passion for the story in front of them? What if facts about the Ancient Egyptians just aren’t their thing and they’d rather geek out over monster trucks? Perhaps they need someone to direct them towards a more appropriate book. Or to put their passion into words and say that yes, of course, there’s a book about that too!

The internet helps, of course, but it wasn’t there when I was growing up. I’m so grateful to the patient teachers, librarians and booksellers of my childhood who empowered me to seek out the books I wanted and needed. These opened up not just whole new worlds, but new chapters in my life.

There’s a feeling I still get today when holding a book that feels full of promise. Here we go . . . Buckle up for a whole new chapter! Learning to read is the key that unlocks it all. The key to the world, perhaps. Each and every child has a right to it.

It’s no accident, perhaps, that Griselda Snook’s Spectacular Books begins with our young hero Henry finding a key in the street. And — oh — what a journey he’s in for!

When I was 4 years old, my Aunty Jen, who I adored, asked me to be her bridesmaid. I said no, emphatically no. No-one knew why. No-one could convince me to change my mind. It made no sense to my family. I loved to dress up, loved my aunty.

On the wedding day, my sister wore a beautiful, pink gown, carried a posy of flowers and everyone complimented her. I wasn’t jealous. I knew my decision was right. We got in the car to go home and I was mystified when my sister climbed in. You see, I truly believed at the age of four that if you were someone’s bridesmaid, you then had to go and live with them. I liked my parents and my bedroom, thank you very much.

The memories of that decision, that one moment when my sister got into the car are SO clear; the realization that I could, after all have worn that dress and walked down the aisle following my aunty. I had got it so wrong, but no one had ever thought of course, that I had that thought in my mind!

Ros and her family aged four

Readers of Knowing the Score will see moments of this bridesmaid story in the book. I am fascinated by memories; how we grasp at them, struggle to make the pieces fit. It’s like the feeling when you wake from a dream, madly scrabbling to remember what happened. Gemma has so much of this in her mind – fragments of memories of when she was a five-year-old bridesmaid at her uncle’s wedding, of things that have happened over the years with her mum and the family fall out. She can never quite make those memories fit together but she is determined to find out the truth and try to heal the rift.

Knowing the Score is about healing and forgiveness. It is about courage and determination. In her quest to reunite Gran, Uncle Joe and her Mum, Gemma has to dig deep, ask difficult questions and push to get answers. It is a story driven by this incredible 11-year-old, determined to bring her family back together.

About the time I sadly refused to be a bridesmaid, I also picked up a tennis racket. Tennis was played by all my family. Trips to Wimbledon, summers playing tournaments, winters driving miles to an indoor court – the best of memories.  I’ve played all my life and always wanted to set a book with a tennis background. I won’t ever be a Noel Streatfield but reading Tennis shoes when I was a teenage made me so unbelievably happy. Tennis is for everyone. If one child reads Gemma’s story and gives it a go, picks up a racket, then I will be truly thrilled. If not, maybe someone will rescue a cat and call him something crazy like Carrot Cake – either of those two things would make me a very happy writer indeed.