A new type of Rock & Roll

Rock and Roll began life three years ago as a project for my Illustration MA at Falmouth University. The purpose of the task was to create something that represented the kind of illustrator I would want to be after the course finished, and it has always been a dream of mine to write children’s stories.

I am very inspired by picture books with unexpected protagonists and unconventional narratives, and I strongly believe that characters can be found anywhere if we stay curious about what’s around us. On this occasion, the idea for Rock and Roll was planted after finding a particularly lovely rock on a walk in Greece!

Previously, I spent almost a decade working in television, on comedy panel shows like 8 Out of 10 Cats Does Countdown and chat shows like BBC’s The One Show. Thinking of puns, catchy titles, and word-based humour for television had been my bread and butter (no pun intended!) for years. Soon I became fascinated with the idea of a book about a rock and a bread roll, which I would of course have to call Rock and Roll. By the end of that beach walk, a draft had formed in my head, and the first few spreads have remained the same ever since!

The book really came to life when I started working with my amazing agent, Enrichetta Frezzato, and my wonderful publishers, Little Tiger. When colouring the book in early 2025, I was travelling in Southeast Asia and wondered how on earth I would deliver everything remotely from hostels and coaches as my fiancé and I backpacked around. I worked mainly on an iPad and snatched whatever moments possible to finish the spreads, including sunrise breakfasts in hostel cafés in Laos and sunset evenings overlooking jungles in Southern Thailand. I felt very inspired by the vibrant colour palettes and lush foliage, which influenced a lot of Rock’s spreads. I also visited bakeries and scouted out unusual pastries and cakes to feed my imagination for how to approach Roll’s spreads. Overall, it was a joy bringing Rock and Roll with me on that trip, and I think the book benefited from all those wonderful sights, sounds and snacks!

At its heart, Rock and Roll is about the power of connection and encourages young readers to think about what they have in common with those around them. I also hope it shows children that stories can be about anything they want, and perhaps we can learn just as much from a Rock and a bread Roll as we can from human characters!

WIth thanks to Jasmin Lindenmeir at Little Tiger for making this Blog possible, to Ruby Amy Thompson for this wonderful insight into the creation of a fantastic picturebook and all our readers who come and check the Blog out!