4th April 2018

Q&A with Illustrator, Zoe Waring

Talented illustrator Zoe Waring has always loved the warmth and humour found in children’s picture books, and is a little obsessed with cute animals... just a little bit. She also loves drawing, has a rather silly sense of humour and a vivid imagination. You can begin to understand why she believes she has THE best job in the world! Zoe is the illustrator of Willow Tree’s best-selling picture book title, Cat & Dog. To find out more about Zoe and her work, visit www.zoewaring.co.uk.

1. What inspires you most when drawing?
People watching! Most little quirks, characteristics and emotions can be translated and applied to my own creatures and creations. This helps to make them engaging and more relatable to the reader.  

2. If you could describe your illustration style in 3 words, what would they be?
Warm, friendly and colourful!

3.What is your earliest memory of reading as a child?
I think my earliest memories are centred around choosing and buying my own books to read. At primary school I had a little owl stamp book and remember collecting stamps each week to save for books. I was a big fan of Meg and Mog, I’d try to copy Jan Pienkowski’s illustrations and create my own stories.  

4. What is your favourite book?
This is a tough one… as a child it was probably The Twits and as an adult possibly The Wind-up Bird Chronicle by Haruki Murakami… both wonderfully weird!  

5. Where is your favourite place to sit and read?
I used to love reading whilst travelling, there’s something wonderful about blocking out the chaos around you and escaping into a good book. These days I seem to only read children’s books, which is equally as fun! I have a new baby so reading tends to be with her these days, we sit in her room with the lights slightly dimmed, sharing books -special times!  

6. If you could only choose three items to have beside you as you draw, what would they be?
A large mug of tea, strawberry red laces and a radio!