Insights into my magical collaboration with the legendary Sheila Graber, famous for her drawing and animation of Paddington Bear for B.B.C. Children's T.V Paddington Bear Specials, and for her work with Rudyard Kipling's "Just So" Stories.

I am very fortunate to be collaborating with the legendary Sheila Graber of Paddington Bear fame on my Luna The Moon Pig Series.

The important factor is having a strong working partnership, and being on the same wavelength.

The illustration process tends to work to and fro from the writing to the illustration, and back again, until text and illustrations complement each other perfectly. Good communication is essential.

Sheila and I maintain regular contact by telephone and email. Sometimes, it’s easier to talk through details on the phone. Other times, you can communicate things succinctly in emails.

When writing a children’s book, bear in mind that the illustrator will interpret the visual elements in your story. Make the writing clear and vivid. Make appealing characters, for example, and give them physical qualities and a voice which strongly conveys their personality. Show how they do things. Make each character unique so they are memorable.

Create scenes which show forth the characters and their actions to the best advantage. Contrast is good.

I did quite a lot of research before I started writing “Luna The Moon Pig” which was based on a real-life piggy. In particular, I used a Florida setting for the book, and took photographs of this setting and animals found there, so Sheila had ideas with which to work. I also did demographic research so that my story was culturally diverse and reflected the population found in my neighborhood.

It is important not to be too rigid, and for author and illustrator to give each other artistic freedom.

For me, the collaboration is magical!