The jacket was no
ordinary jacket. It was soft, like dandelion fluff. It was comforting, like a
hug from your favourite teddy. And it had four dazzling buttons down the
front...
The Jacket is a beautiful new picture book written by
Sue-Ellen Pashley and illustrated by Thea Baker. It is a heartfelt, tender
story about a favourite family jacket that, once outgrown by a little girl and
her sister, is kept in the family in a very special way.
Publishing this
July, illustrator Thea tells editorial assistant Alice Dawes about her own
family treasures, and her unique illustration style.
This
is a gentle, beautiful story about a treasured family jacket, worn throughout a
little girl’s childhood and passed down to her younger sibling and then on to
her doll as each wearer grows out of it. Did you have a similar piece of
clothing as a child that has stayed within your family?
My
mum is really good a sewing – a talent that sadly doesn't seem to
have been passed on. She was always recycling and repurposing when I was
growing up. Funnily enough, I had a favourite piece of fluffy material,
probably one of her fabric remnants, which I used in imaginative play
for all sorts of things: a magic cloak, a flying carpet, an animal den. That
material ended up on the hoods of two jackets she made years later, one
for me and one for my sister. How fitting!
The
story is very homely and focuses a great deal on family, sharing, and new beginnings.
Are your illustrations inspired by any of your own childhood memories? Does
anything about the characters you have created remind you of yourself?
I
think characters always have a little bit of
their creator in them. Amelia's apparent reluctance to pass her
treasured jacket on to her sister, even though it no longer fits, would have
been me down to a T. My sister was always much better at sharing than me!
Can
you tell us about your illustration style, and what mediums of art you prefer
to use?
I'm
currently obsessed with pencil crayon! I do find a particular medium
will dominate depending on the nature of the story, but I always like
to use a mix. The Jacket made absolute sense
in collage. That was a suggestion from the amazing art director,
Donna Rawlins. I tried to use as much recycled and reused material as
possible. It was a joy to make the mini outfits for the characters. The
buttons on the jacket are from my gran's wedding dress from the 1940s. They
were the most dazzling buttons I could find!
Who
are your favourite illustrators, and what are your favourite picture books?
There
are SO many. Susanne Dolesch, Brian Wildsmith, Stepan Zavrel, Rovina Cai,
Richard Jones. I need more bookshelves! Growing up, I loved Hans
Christan Anderson. My favourite story was The
Tinder Box. I still have the copy of the book my mum used to read to
me.
 |
| Illustration from And The Ocean Was Our Sky by Patrick Ness, illustrated by Rovina Cai |
What
is your earliest memory of illustrating or creating art?
What
a lovely question – it certainly brings back
some warm memories. I remember being obsessed
with drawing horses in primary school, which is ironic because these
days I find them one of the more tricky animals to draw. I also remember creating
a big pattern for my Grandma to use as wallpaper. She seemed to mean
it when she said I could do all of her walls!
You can pick up a copy
of The Jacket from your
local bookshop.