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Comic creations and visual storytelling with Liz Pichon
Primary Times speaks with multi-million selling writer and illustrator Liz Pichonto find out more about the newest Tom Gates title, ahead of this year’s Dyslexia Awareness Week.
What can readers expect from this exciting new Tom Gates comic story?
Lots of Ants In Pants – there’s a very good reason for this (of course there is.)
Tom is taking inspiration from his teachers and own life and turning them into comics. When a new supply teacher arrives to take over from Mr Fullerman, everything changes – and not in a good way. You’ll meet Rodney Rat and find out about Friday Pie Day which sounds like fun, but nothing works out the way Tom expects. Plus, there’s doodling, a song with one note and lots of Ha Ha Ha’s.
What do you most enjoy about creating such uniquely engaging and enjoyable children’s books?
I start the process with a mild to MASSIVE panic at the thought of
making a new book. I start with the book title, as it helps me to think about plot lines. I love drawing story maps. I put all my ideas down on paper, along with sketches and notes in no particular order. It looks like a comic and it’s so useful for my editor. Then I write the story on my laptop using the story map to remind me of plot lines. The Tom Gates books take four to six months to make as I hand draw every page. Seeing kids reading and laughing at the books is always a thrill.
Being dyslexic yourself, do you find that this impacts the way in which you create your stories and bring characters to life?
I always think of stories visually. Being dyslexic, I pay attention to how a book looks and feels, and the size of the font. When I’m working on the individual pages, even if there’s a lot going on, I’m always making sure your eye can take in the information and scan the page easily. I love putting extra fun things in the books, like poems, song lyrics and how to make things. It’s all the things I loved to do when I was a kid.
How important would you say reading for pleasure is during childhood, and making sure that books are accessible for all?
It’s vital, that’s why libraries are so important. Children can discover new books, old books, books on hobbies, insects, comic books - anything they’re interested in. And if you don’t like a book, that's ok too, just take it back. Libraries are fantastic for trying books out, then you can buy your own copy if you love it.
Do you have any plans for this year’s upcoming Dyslexia Awareness Week?
I’m doing some interviews and will be trying to encourage children who are dyslexic not to let it stop them from doing all the things they love. I did a podcast interview with Kate Griggs who runs Made By Dyslexia – talking to lots of different people about their lives and how they’ve made things work. It’s really interesting to hear different stories.
Are you currently working on any new projects that families can look out for?
So many! There’s another Tom Gates planned for next year! The paperback of Five Star Stories is also out now, along with Tom Gates Is Ha Ha Hilarious.
We’ve put all the Tom Gates songs on all the music platforms for everyone to enjoy, and there’s even a Tom Gates music book to help learn the songs. To see more, go to LizPichon.com and the Scholastic website also: www.scholastic.co.uk
‘Tom Gates Ha! Ha! Hilarious’ by Liz Pichon is out on October 10th (published by Scholastic UK)
Dyslexia Awareness Week runs 7-13th October 2024
Picture credit: Clara Molden