Author Interview with Andy Stonehouse

Today’s interview is with children’s author and illustrator Andy Stonehouse. His book, Lily and Sam, raise money for Stand Against MND, to help people with MND.

LQ: Tell me a little bit about yourself.

AS: I live in Leicestershire with my wife, Victoria, and between us we have three daughters. I’m a writer and illustrator of children’s books aimed at 2–4-year-olds. I’ve self-published 4 children’s books so far (Adventures of Lily Series), two of those co-written with Victoria, all of them illustrated by me. They have all been inspired by our daughters, but are based around Lily, our youngest who is 4 years old. We’ve tried to capture the magic of a little girl’s first experiences growing up, such as her first Christmas and losing her favourite cuddly toy.

LQ: What does your writing process look like?

AS: I tend to come up with an idea based on real-life events that Lily has experienced. These aren’t in short supply given her age! All of the books are written in rhyme and are fairly sequential in their structure. I.e. Lily goes on a journey to solve a mystery. I like to include additional characters such as her toys and pets, to add extra colour and magic to the story. Her imagination fills the gaps which then bring the illustrations to life. The hardest part is getting the rhyming right.

LQ: What was your favorite book to write so far?

AS: The latest book, Lily and Sam was very rewarding. The idea was to create a book that promoted inclusion and diversity.

Lily’s Uncle Sam was diagnosed with Motor Neurone Disease last year at the age of 37. He is now in a wheelchair and uses a ventilator, his deterioration has been very rapid. But to Lily he is just fun Uncle Sam. She doesn’t see his disability.

I wanted to convey this in the book. They go on an adventure to fix the local park (the swing is tangled, the slide is all dirty..) using Sam’s problem-solving skills to do so. Along the way, they get help from some special friends and put things right. The message is that together you can achieve more, and don’t desist however tough things get. All profits of the book go to Sam’s charity, Stand Against MND. Helping those impacted by MND.

LQ: Who is your favorite character to write about?

AS: There is a recurring character in the stories, Mia the cat. She doesn’t feature in the prose particularly, but she is ever-present in the illustrations. She is the comic relief to the stories. Her facial expressions tend to convey what she thinks. Lily is a joy to write about. She is central to all of the books. It is magical seeing the world through her eyes. No prejudice or preconceptions. Her world is simple but delightful. It’s nice to have that view. Her experiences are meant to be heartwarming for other children and their parents

LQ: Who are your favorite authors? Have any of them influenced your work?

In terms of illustrated children’s books, the obvious reference points are Julia Donaldson and Axel Sheffler. Their books are fantastic, Lily loves them all. These have been a major influence, although I wouldn’t claim to be in the same league as them! More recently Kes Gray and Jim Field’s books are also brilliant. The ‘Oi’ series of books are very funny.

LQ: How are you doing during the current pandemic?

AS: Good thank you. We are getting used to the new ‘normal’. Looking after Lily and trying to work at the same time is a challenge for both myself and Victoria. But we are all fit and well which is the main thing.

LQ: What are you currently working on?

AS: I’ve just written a book about Lily’s 4th birthday which she had two weeks ago during the lockdown. It’s called Lily’s Unusual Birthday and aims to help convey the current situation to children. It’s not easy for a parent to explain why they can’t see friends or family, or why they can’t do the normal things they want to to a 3–4 year old. The book shows the creative approach we took to her birthday I.e. speaking to family on video call, making a cake, inventing games to play. This situation could last a while so we thought it would be useful.

LQ: Anything else you would like to share?

AS: Just to re-emphasise that the profits of the Lily and Sam book go to charity so any support would be much appreciated in spreading awareness. MND is such a horrible condition.

Sam Perkins was a fit, healthy 37-year-old man who had completed two Ironman events and multiple triathlons. Now he is confined to a wheelchair, and every day lost as a result of this current situation with COVID-19 is a day he can never get back.

He had numerous fundraising events planned which are now on hold until things improve, but that could be too late for him. The books provide him with focus and a way of raising money at this time, something to help with his legacy.