A Q&A interview with author Andy Shepherd

Andy Shepherd answers our questions about her new book, The Wood Where Magic Grows.

Have you ever looked at a tree and seen a face staring back?

Absolutely! I tend to see faces in all sorts of things from rocks to wallpaper and I definitely think that the more you look, the more you see. Since writing the story I’ve started collecting photos of faces I’ve spotted. There’s a whole gallery on my website and I hope readers will enjoy growing their own stories about them – and of course exploring the green spaces near them to look for faces in local trees! I’d love them to get to know their trees like the Treetoppers do with Groak, Turrety and all the others in Wildtop Wood!

Was your childhood shaped by being outdoors? How important do you think being in nature is for children?

I grew up in a small village and spent most of my childhood outdoors, climbing trees, making dens and coming home covered in mud! Being quite isolated and not always having access to friends or entertainment meant that imagination really was key for me. I was making up stories long before I started writing them down and being outside fuelled those adventures and powered my imagination. I think having access to nature is absolutely vital for children’s development and overall health, both mental and physical. There are very few places with no trees at all, so focusing on these gentle giants as portals into that green world felt the perfect way to make the green magic accessible wherever you live.

I wanted to write a story that celebrates the enthusiasm that lots of children already have for the natural world and also encourages them to go out and explore what’s on their own doorsteps.

Your stories are also filled with magic. How much fun is it writing magical stories for children? Do you give yourself any rules?

I love stories rooted in the real world but that have a sprinkling of magic. These were my favourite kinds of books as a child, like Mrs Pepperpot and Flat Stanley. It was the idea that even in my ordinary slightly boring patch something extraordinary could happen. Imagination became a powerful way to reinvent the world and see things differently, transforming and transporting me. I love conjuring those sorts of experiences for young readers. I am quite strict with myself. I need to feel that the magic makes sense, that there are limits and a logic to it. For me, the magic exists to enrich and encourage wonder, not overshadow the real heart of the relationships and interactions.

Iggy in this story is in a ‘blended’ family. What were the reasons for your choosing to do that?

I love exploring sibling relationships in my stories and how the dynamics in families change when new connections are starting to grow. I really liked the idea of Iggy welcoming bouncy Tiggerish Cal into his world, exploring his insecurities about suddenly becoming a big brother. The way he responds also mirrors the care, attention and engagement that is at the root of the Treetoppers’ adventure with the trees.

Is there a scene in the book that you particularly enjoyed writing? Can you tell us about it?

There are two in particular that pop out. The first is when Mae loses her hearing aids in the undergrowth and she and Iggy share how they feel when people say thoughtless things. They’ve just been introduced to the magic in the wood, which is fizzing around them, but the heart of the story is really in these small moments focusing on how we engage with each other and the natural world. The other one is the finale which I won’t spoil, but let’s just say the grandmother tree has a special place in my heart! And Ellie Snowdon’s incredible artwork so beautifully captures this moment for me.

Can you give us any hints about future adventures for Iggy and Cal?

I’m so excited for the next book, The Wood Where Stories Sing! I’m often asked by children ‘What’s your favourite book that you’ve written?’ and right now my answer is this one. Magic grows in Wildtop Wood and with the Treetoppers’ games getting wilder and more adventurous, a driftwood horse galloping through the trees and a sunken forest under the sea this really was a magical story to grow.

‘Stories are as wild and powerful and full of life as the wood itself. But they need someone to tell them. That’s what keeps the magic alive.’

‘Everyone says elephants remember,’ I said. ‘I think trees do too.’

From The Wood Where Stories Sing.

I very much hope that wherever these books are read, magic and imagination blooms!

The Wood Where Magic Grows by Andy Shepherd, illustrated by Ellie Snowdon, is published by Piccadilly Press.